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Battlefield Tours

2024 Battlefield Tour

In the footsteps of titans: salonika and the great war, friday, sept. 13 – wednesday, sept. 18, 2024.

Venture into the crossroads of mythology and modernity with the National WWI Museum and Memorial as we explore the cultural and historical significance of the Salonika Front. From the dense forests and mountain landscapes of beautiful Greece, we will trace the forgotten trench lines of some of the war’s most remote battlefields and discover the global stories of this lesser-known theater rich in geopolitical importance as the “cradle of democracy.” The tour begins and ends in Thessaloniki (SKG) with five nights of lodging in the scenic Grecian countryside.

Please note:

This tour traverses rugged terrain and includes locations with steep and unpaved grounds. Unlike previous battlefield tours, much of this battlefield is inaccessible by vehicle. Participants MUST be able to walk a minimum of 6 miles without assistance and be able to carry their own equipment needed for hiking.

Planned Itinerary

Tour pricing, frequently asked questions.

Previous Tours

(May be subject to change)

Day 1: sept. 13.

Starting in Thessaloniki, the group’s first introduction to the campaign will be the Salonika (Lembet Road) Military Cemetery, containing personnel from all nations. The group will travel north to study Birdcage Line, constructed by the British Army in 1916, and end the day at the Doiran Memorial.

Overnight Doiran – Dinner included

Day 2: Sept. 14

Northbound from Doiran, the group will explore the furthest extent of the French Army’s advance in 1915, passing through Gradsko and Krivolak. Stopping at the Demir Kapija tunnel on the way back to Doiran, the group will study the Dec. 1915 retreat before finishing the day at Lake Doiran.

Overnight Doiran – Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included

Day 3: Sept. 15

Most of the day’s travels will be on flat ground and near the group’s hotel in Doiran, examining key points of action in the Battles of Doiran like La Tortue, Hill 340, the Hilt and the Petit Couronné.

Day 4: Sept. 16

A full day’s hike to Devil’s Eye and its views over Pip Ridge, the scene of the final decisive battle of Salonika in Sept. 1918. En route to the site, the group will pass through the Bulgarian reserve positions, artillery and command bunkers, as well as the T Line bunkers and an isolated British Divisional Memorial.

Day 5: Sept. 17

Trekking through the Struma Valley, the group will explore the various actions at Tumbitza Farm, specifically the 27th Division attacks, as well as the British battery positions at Triada (Dragos) and the Bulgarian positions at Palio Castro. For the final evening, the group will return to Thessaloniki.

Overnight Thessaloniki – Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included

Day 6: Sept. 18

Transfer to Thessaloniki Airport for departures.

Questions?   Frequently Asked Questions

$500 deposit (per person) due by April 30, 2024

Account in full due by june 30, 2024, costs include:.

• Pick-up and drop-off at Thessaloniki Airport (SKG)
• Bus, driver and guides throughout tour
• 5 nights accommodation (includes all meals)
• Small group size

It does not include:

• Flights to and from Greece
• Incidentals

Travel Insurance

Traveler is responsible for securing their own optional travel insurance.

We encourage scheduling your arrival the day before the tour begins to avoid any risk of a delayed flight.

Ready to register?      Registration   

The British Memorial to the Missing near Lake Doiran.

Bulgarian artillery position between Grand Couronné and Pip Ridge.

Please note: Modifications may occur due to current global travel restrictions.

When and where will we meet the group?

All participants should meet at the designated meeting place and time, provided with your tour information. It is recommended to arrive in the destination city the day before the tour, giving you ample time to meet at the gathering place. Once you receive the green light to purchase your airfare, please forward your arrival time and flight number to the Museum and Memorial's Learning Coordinator at [email protected] . This will assist guides in roll call before starting the tour.

What sites will we be visiting?

Please see the itinerary sent by the guides. The itinerary is loose, allowing flexibility in visiting additional sites.

What hotels will we be staying in? What amenities are included?

Please see the itinerary sent by the guides. Breakfast, WiFi and laundry services are generally available.

How many meals are included with my registration?

Breakfasts and at least one group dinner are covered under your registration. Lunches and other dinners are not included, unless otherwise specified. Please notify us immediately if you have any special dietary requirements. For most destinations, lunches will be approximately €15-€20 and dinners approximately €35.

How will we travel between different sites/cities?

Participants will travel by coach (bus) between cities and will walk around most sites.

What amenities are included with the bus?

The bus will have A/C and heating, a refrigerator, a restroom and complimentary water.

What should I wear?

• Comfortable outdoor wear (e.g. T-shirts, jeans, shorts.) Avoid wearing clothing with large, loud logos.
• Sweater or lightweight fleece
• Appropriate footwear (e.g. walking shoes). A change of footwear is also advised.
• Waterproof outer layers (light jacket)
• Hat and sunscreen

What are essential items I need to pack?

• Medicine (in your carry on!)*
• Camera or phone
• Night clothes
• Socks and underwear
• Satchel/day pack
• Electricity adapters for destination countries
• Portable power bank (if you have one)
• Waterproof jacket (and trousers if you have them)
• Sturdy shoes
• Large plastic bag for worn clothes

* Note on medicine: should be kept in its original packing, and kept in your carry-on along with a copy of any doctor's prescription. Please consult with State Department travel information to ensure that your prescriptions are not prohibited in the destination countries. Most over-the-counter medicines can be obtained abroad, though they may have different names than those in the U.S. One of the guides, where possible, will accompany you to a pharmacy (widely available) to assist with replacements, if needed.

I am staying in Europe after the tour. Can I be dropped off at my hotel after the tour?

Unfortunately, due to the size and schedule of the coach, you will not be able to be dropped off at your hotel by bus. If you need assistance returning to your hotel:

• See if your hotel has a shuttle service—communicate when and where you’ll need to be picked up.
• If a shuttle is unavailable, the guides can assist you in finding a taxi.
• If you’d prefer to use public transportation, the guides can assist you in getting the correct ticket/line.

How safe will I be touring in the Battlefield Tour regions?

Battle Honours hosts nearly 60 tours yearly and has been in the battlefield touring business for 15 years—many of the guides are former military or police. They have thoroughly assessed any potential risks that may occur during the tour—you will not be visiting any areas that may compromise your safety. Security is both their specialty and priority—you will be in very capable hands. To secure your money and passport, we recommend investing in a wearable money belt/pouch.

How much spending money should I bring with me?

We recommend bringing at least €200 in local currency, but how much you bring is truly a personal preference. Please make sure to notify your banks that you will be out of the country if you plan on taking your debit/credit/bank cards.

• VISA is most readily accepted; American Express/Discover are not accepted at most places.
• Cards issued by a smaller, regional bank that don’t have backing from larger institutions will not likely be accepted.
• ATMs are accessible everywhere for cash withdrawal—withdrawal fees/exchange rates may apply.

How can I use my cellphone while abroad?

You will need to contact your service provider to arrange an international plan (plans vary by provider.) To avoid roaming charges, we recommend turning off apps needing WiFi data before departure. Set your phone to “Airplane Mode” before boarding your overseas flight.

I have an ancestor who fought in World War I in this particular region. Can I see the sites pertinent to their involvement?

Yes! The guides cater the tour itinerary to these requests. Send the name, rank, and any key military/occupational identification of your WWI ancestor to Clive Harris and Mike Sheil approximately two months before departure, to give ample time for research.

Can I bring my ancestor’s personal items (a diary, photographs or other memorabilia)?

Yes, please do! These really help bring your ancestor’s story come to life on the battlefield. Please let the guides know what items you’ll be bringing before packing them.

How much can I expect to walk during the tour?

Participants can expect to walk multiple miles each day across uneven, unpaved terrain. Please make sure you have comfortable, sturdy walking shoes. Battlefield maps will be provided by guides on-site and via email to the participants.

What is the climate of the region we’ll be visiting?

Generally, weather will be warm to mild, and potentially rainy. Feel free to pack a light jacket for the evening and a day pack that includes snacks as you travel off the beaten path.

Questions about mobility and accessibility, or any other questions? Contact [email protected] or 816.888.8153.

Serbian Mausoleum in Lembet Road Allied Military Cemetery.

British artillery position on La Tortue.

Considering taking your first tour? View journals from our past tours:

2023: The War in Champagne (Instagram stories)

2022: Verdun and Saint-Mihiel (YouTube playlist)

2019: Gallipoli

2018: Harry S. Truman and the A.E.F.

2018: A.E.F. Centennial Tour of France

2017: The Doughboys in France

2016: British, Italian and American sectors of the Italian battlefields

2015: Imperial German Army on the Western Front

About Clive Harris

Raised in Hertfordshire, Clive developed a lifelong fascination with history. He spent seven years with the Royal Corps of Signals, serving operationally overseas with the 1st Armoured Division in BAOR — an Infantry attachment with the Royal Green Jackets, in Cyprus, Germany and France — and finally taking an instructor’s post in the Signals Wing of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. On leaving the army he joined his local Constabulary, serving 11 years in their Force Operations Room as a specialist communications officer and control room manager. In 1998, he began working as a speaker, writer, researcher and battlefield guide and since then has guided groups to the Somme, Ypres, Arras, Mons, Cambrai, The Hindenburg Line, Verdun, and Gallipoli for the Great War, as well as Normandy, Arnhem, The Italian Campaign, and of course the London Blitz for the Second World War. Clive is a Badged Member of the Guild of Battlefield Guides (No33) and also a member of the British Commission for Military History.

About Mike St Maur Sheil

Mike is the award-winning curator of Fields of Battle, Lands of Peace 1914-1918. After studying Geography at Oxford, in the early 1970s Mike began his career as a photojournalist covering “the Troubles” in Northern Ireland. Here he became associated with the New York picture agency, Black Star, and over thirty years later he is still in the fortunate position of being paid to do what he loves doing — taking photographs. Mike has visited over 60 countries around the world, working for a wide range of clients such as ABC-TV, BBC, Anti-Slavery International, British Red Cross, European Commission, National Geographic , The New York Times , Shell, Time and Time Life .

Images courtesy of Mike St Maur Sheil / Fields of Battle 1418

Historic battlefield tours

On our world war history tours, you’ll step into the past and look forward into the future. Each tour is a unique chance to learn about an important part of the past.

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What our travelers say about their historic battlefield tours

Frequently asked questions about our battlefield tours.

World War II solidiers fought along countless battlefields around the globe. We visit quite a few, including:

• Operation Torch in Morocco and Algeria
• The Battle of the Atlantic on the Atlantic Ocean
• The Battle of Normandy in France
• The Battle of the Bulge in The Ardennes, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany
• The Battle of Nuremberg in Germany
• The Attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, U.S.
• The Battle of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands
• The Battle of Okinawa in Japan

Here are the memorials you can visit on our World War II tours:

• Mémorial des Martyrs de la Déportation on tour in France
• The Hollandsche Schouwburg War Memorial on tour in the Netherlands
• The Vimy Ridge Memorial on tour in France
• The Kazerne Dossin on tour in Belgium
• The Canadian Hill 62 Memorial in Belgium
• The Memorial Museum Passchendaele in Belgium
• The Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial in Newfoundland
• Caen Memorial Museum in France

The majority of our battlefield tours visit destinations in Europe, where many world war battles took place. That includes:

• Juno Beach in France , where the invasion took place during World War II
• The town of Remagen in Germany , which played a vital role in helping Allied forces cross the Rhine River and defeat the German forces
• The Vimy battlefields in France , which was significant to Canada’s development as a country

If you’re from the United States and interested in American history, we’d recommend  American WWII History: London to Berlin .

If you're from Canada, you might enjoy any of these war history tours:

• Canadian WWII History: The Netherlands & Germany
• Canadian World War History: Vimy to Juno Beach
• Vimy Ridge 105th Anniversary: London to Brussels
• Vimy Ridge 105th Anniversary: Amsterdam to Paris

Check out this photographer’s look at Canadian military history on one of our World War II tours.

4 reasons to take a historic battlefield tour with us

1. you’re always with an expert, 2. learn about history where it happened, 3. feel closer to your ancestors, 4. see the powerful impact these battles had, more types of tours, see the latest from our travelers @goaheadtours.

• Plan your visit
• Normandy D-Day
• All our destinations
• Loire Valley
• Thematic tours
• Paris with children
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World War I Battlefields – American Tour

Highlights of the tour :.

On this complete full‐day tour, you will travel through the history to discover the main WWI battlefields where Americans soldiers fought. With your licensed guide, you will go back to 1918 and you will re-live the principal events of the Great War. Enjoy a journey through the American memory …

• Departure : Every-day at 8.00 am except Tuesday
• Duration : 9 hours

Inclusions :

• Service of a professional licensed guide
• Private visit of the American Cemetery ♥
• Explore Belleau Wood
• Informative commentary
• Private transportation in deluxe vehicle
• Photo‐stops at your convenience
• Pick‐up and drop off at your hotel in Paris
• 1 to 2 people : 900 €
• 3 to 4 people : 1000 €
• 5 to 6 people : 1100 €
• 7 to 8 people : 1200 €

♥ 100th Anniversary – America and World War I   the centennial celebrations of America’s entry to WWI provides a great opportunity to discover the main American battlefields.  The United States formally entered World War I on April 6th, 1917 . By the time the war finally ended, on November 11, 1918 , more than 2 million American soldiers had served on the battlefields of Western Europe , and some 50,000 of them had lost their lives.

Discover the Museum of the Great War :

To Château-Thierry American Footsteps will always turn …

Belleau Wood and the American Monument :

The Aisne-Marne American Cemetery and Memorial :

Build your own trip !!! Flexible Itineraries

Design your own customized tour by building on an existing tour itinerary or creating your own. We’ll help you design your own tour, whether that means coordinating your visit around a special event or adding excursions exclusively. To create your own itinerary email us at [email protected] . We will process your request and get back to you shortly. Thank you.

Category : All our destinations , Full-day tour , New Tours , Tours

Tags: american cemetery , Battle of the Marne , Belleau wood , World War I

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11 Day Battlefield Tour of UK, Belgium and France

11 days, 3 countries and 11 cities

Accommodation

10 Breakfasts, 4 Dinners

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Travel to the front lines of Europe, where brave soldiers once fought for freedom. On this epic battlefield tour through the countryside of Britain, Belgium and France, you’ll explore the tragedy and triumph of two World Wars.

Looking to book in a group of 9 or more?

Deals, savings and exclusive private touring options available plus if you need a different date or itinerary change we can create a custom trip. Contact us for more details

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11 days itinerary trip from London to Paris visiting 3 countries and 11 cities

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About this trip

Sightseeing highlights.

Explore London and Paris with a Local Specialist

Discover Normandy, Amiens, the Somme Region, Ypres, Brussels and Rouen

Visit the Imperial War Museum in London, the D-Day Landing Beaches, Saint-Sulpice church in Paris, Amiens Cathedral, military cemeteries throughout northern France and Belgium, the Australian National Memorial, the Caen Memorial, WWI & WWII Battlefields, the Dunkirk War Museum and evacuation beaches, and the Memorial Museum Passchendaele

View Buckingham Palace in London, the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe in Paris and the Menin Gate

Travel highlights

Specific transfer information can be found here:

Airport Transfers

An expert Travel Director and professional Driver

Cherry-picked hotels, all tried and trusted

All porterage and restaurant gratuities

All hotel tips, charges and local taxes

Breakfast daily and up to half of your evening meals

Must-see sightseeing and surprise extras

Audio headsets for flexible sightseeing

Luxury air-conditioned coach with Wi-Fi in most countries or alternative transportation (such as rail journeys)

Optional Experiences and free time

Eurostar high-speed train from London to Brussels

On occasion, hotels of similar standard and location may be utilized.

MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experiences

Every one of our tours includes at least one conscious travel experience that supports one or more of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS). Look out for yours within the day-by-day trip itinerary.

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Travel knowing our 4-point climate action plan will ensure net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Support Local

Your tour directly supports local communities by visiting family-run businesses, UNESCO sites and places of cultural significance.

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Every part of our business, from trip design to how we run our offices, aligns to our 5-year sustainability strategy which ensures a positive impact on people, the planet and wildlife.

Philanthropic Efforts

Our not-for-profit, the TreadRight Foundation, invests in nature-based solutions to address climate change.

You’ll make a positive impact to people, planet and wildlife on this tour

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• London at War 2024
• World War One – The Western Front
• The Holocaust in Poland
• The Battle of the Bulge (+ Hürtgen Forest)
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American Revolution Tours

Making History Come Alive…

Battleground tours specializes in conducting professional guided tours of battlefields of the american revolution, civil war, and world war two. our tours are comprehensive and client-friendly, providing an informative and engaging narrative designed to bring clarity to complex and often confusing events; our journeys into the past are conducted in such a way as to be valuable and enjoyable to both experienced battlefield trekkers and those new to military history. the mission of our tours is simple: to bring history to life., the opinion of our clients is what matters most. please review our testimonials to right of this page to see the many compliments we have received over the years.,  contact us: (717) 642-9222.

“The tour was a truly valuable experience, educational and so interesting. We will certainly recommend you to others .” 

Paul A., Ontario.

“I thought I understood the battle of New Market before; because of your tour, NOW I really do.”    Stephen L., Connecticut.

“We would like to thank you for the wonderful tour you provided us with. Ken is still talking about how ‘awesome’ it was and can not believe the information you knew. You really made our vacation complete. Thanks again ! 

Ken & Amy K., Michigan.

“I just need to thank someone … Stuart was just wonderful – Closing my eyes I could see the armies coming towards me!”  

Maria & Ron S., California.

“Mr. Dempsey is an exceptional battlefield tour guide. His extensive knowledge enhanced our visit.”  

Kevin W. (Lt. Col. USA, Ret.), Washington.

“I want to thank you for your most informative tour. The day was beautiful, the walk was so fine, and the information came alive.”  

John R., Pennsylvania

“In the past several years, we have taken many military tours that were guided by Stuart Dempsey.  In over a dozen tours we have never been disappointed, in fact, we are always amazed at his in-depth knowledge of the many aspects of military history.”

Jerry and Kathi Ortanna, PA

Our tours are suitable for individuals, couples, and groups small and large. For small parties, tours can be conducted in your own vehicle, with our guide doing the driving if you prefer. We welcome veterans organizations, college classes, and professional groups. Battleground can customize a tour to meet a specific focus, such as following the experiences of an ancestor or a hometown unit. Our primary objective is meeting the expectations of our clients.   

We offer both scheduled and by-request tours. Scheduled tours can be as short as one day and as long as a week or more, on particular dates and with a specific topic or focus, such as Normandy or Richmond for example. Request tours may be scheduled on a date of the clients choosing (subject to availability) and cover one or more of the various battlefields we go to, in a personalized format for you and your party.

Our Tours are more than just a history lesson...

Lessons in leadership and decision making under pressure may be learned as well, making a battlefield tour a very useful outing for businesses attempting to develop leaders and management styles among their employees.

There is no substitute for actually being on the ground where momentous events occurred.  Whether you are standing on Gettysburg’s Little Round Top or Henry House Hill at Manassas, on the sands of Omaha Beach or the banks of Brandywine Creek, you will gain an increased understanding and appreciation for the events that happened there long ago.

Featured Tours

D-day & the battle for normandy an 80th anniversary guided tour may 9th-may 16th, 2024.

On June 6, 1944, the picturesque coast of Normandy became the scene of the largest and most complex military operation in world history. On that day alone over 130,000 Allied soldiers landed on the coast of France, while another 24,000 entered the battle by glider and parachute. Over the next eleven weeks, fierce combat raged across a once-bucolic landscape. By the end of the battle in August, the Allies had won a key success that would put them on the road to eventual victory over Nazi Germany. Today, Normandy is again a peaceful and beautiful region, where the echoes of the past reach out to us at every turn. Come with us and visit the places where brave men fought for freedom, and where the history of the world was changed forever.

Click here for additional information on our D-Day & the Battle for Normandy Tour .

London at War: A Guided Tour

September 28th – october 8th, 2024.

One of the world’s great historic places, London’s centrality to the Second World War is well known; perhaps only Berlin rivals it for the sheer number of 1939 – 1945 sites. Our tour will spend nine days in and around London, with additional visits to Portsmouth to take in that city’s rich maritime heritage, and to East Anglia, where we explore the region’s importance to the air war over Europe, including 8th US Air Force sites. 

While much of the tour’s focus will be on the area’s Second World War history, we will also visit many of London’s other iconic sites.

Click here for additional information on our London at War Tour

Please understand that our first priority is the health and safety of our clients, and we will not conduct any tour where this appears likely to be compromised. We continue to monitor information provided by the US State Department and appropriate foreign ministries concerning international travel. Clients and potential clients should not hesitate to contact us with questions, comments, or concerns; we will do our very best to assist you in any way possible.

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The Doughboys Turn the Tide

American expeditionary force in the first world war.

Military History and Battlefield Tours

14th - 18th September 2024 (5 Days)

Expert Historian : Dr Bruce Cherry

Tour price: £2,125

click here to book

Your Holiday Essentials

14th - 18th September 2024 (5 Days)

4-star hotels, meals as indicated, drinks with dinner, all entrance fees, tour manager and expert historian throughout, all internal travel and optional travel from UK.

Activity Level : 2

Standard price: : £1,845

Incl. travel from UK: £2,125 Room sole occupancy supplement: £250 Non-refundable deposit: £300

Booking open

Interested in this tour but not ready to book? Register your interest using the link below and we will keep you updated on the progress of the tour.

click here to register your interest

Tour Introduction

The involvement of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF), more affectionately known as Doughboys, is much overlooked and forgotten but during this tour we will explore the ground and hear the stories of their crucial and sometimes heroic contribution to the final victory. Travelling mainly in the Meuse-Argonne area which played a key part throughout the war, especially for the AEF, we will experience the deep valleys, thick forests and strong fortified positions that had to be overcome in those final months and weeks. We will be based out of Reims and Verdun, the latter historically one of the most strategically important fortified towns in France. In both we immerse ourselves into a rich culture of history and cuisine, a crucial ingredient of this exceptional tour.

This tour is immediately preceded by our Verdun tour and the two tours can be taken as a 9-day/8-night package. Contact us for further details.

This tour is immediately followed by our ‘ Italy in WW1 ’ tour and the two tours can be taken as a 10-day/9-night package. Contact us for further details.

The Americans were eventually drawn into the First World War in mid-1917 after the Germans inauguration of unrestricted submarine warfare and the debacle of the Zimmermann telegram. At first American troops were almost ‘drip-fed’ onto the frontline to shore up weakened positions, but by the war’s end there were 1.4 million US troops on the western front. Led by Major-General John Pershing, hero of the Spanish-American War, the AEF became a key player in the Hundred Days that broke the back of the German defence and ultimately bought the war to an end. Their heaviest involvement came in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, fought over much of the ground associated with the 1916 battle of Verdun. The American role in the final victory gave their President, Woodrow Wilson, a seat at the peace settlement where he would implement his 14 Points and found The League of Nations.

• Discover the American contribution to WW1
• Patton’s first tank attack at St Mihiel
• Chateau Thierry and the Meuse-Argonne offensive
• The Aisne-Marne American Cemetery
• The preserved battlefield of Belleau Wood
• Discover the Lost Battalion in the Argonne forest.
• Explore the Meuse Heights
• The Montsec Memorial
• US St Mihiel Cemetery

What's Included

• Return Standard Premier Eurostar from London (optional)
• Internal train journeys
• 4 Star Hotels
• Buffet breakfast each morning
• Dinner parties hosted by your expert historian and tour manager
• Two drinks i,e wine or beer at each dinner and a welcome drink on first evening
• Dedicated Tour Manager
• Entrance fees for sites included in itinerary
• Modern, comfortable, air-conditioned coach
• Tour information booklet
• Access to the Cultural Experience app
• Helpful and friendly travel advice
• The company of like-minded travelers

Day 1: Outward Eurostar train from London St Pancras to Lille Europe or join tour at Lille Europe. Travel by coach to Verdun, our base for two nights. Or join from our Verdun tour. Pre-dinner drinks and introductory talk. (D)

Day 2: St Mihiel Salient Today we explore actions of the first independent American WW1 operation to reduce the German salient in September 1918. We’ll follow the exploits of George Marshall, Douglas MacArthur and America’s first tank attack led by LTC George Patton. Amidst the hilly and wooded terrain, we’ll explore the trenches and bunkers that gave the AEF its first experience of limited trench warfare and see how those actions are commemorated at the Montsec Memorial (atop a former German stronghold) and the US St Mihiel Cemetery. (B,D)

Day 3: Meuse-Argonne Offensive The opening attack featured savage fighting for the Heights including the legendary action of Sgt. York, who stormed German machine gun nests taking 132 German prisoners almost single handed to earn the Medal of Honour. We’ll also hear of ‘The Lost Battalion’, the predominantly African-American ‘Buffalo Soldiers’ and the ‘Harlem Hellfighters’. Standing atop the Meuse Heights we will discuss their capture and visit the Montfaucon and Pennsylvania Division memorials and Romagne Cemetery, the final resting place of over 14,000 Americans whilst at the Sommepy American Monument on Blanc Mont Ridge we will be surrounded by trenches, dugouts and gun emplacements. Continue to Reims for two nights. (B,D)

Day 4: Belleau Wood To the Château Thierry American Memorial and the preserved battlefield of Belleau Wood to learn about the contribution of Theodore Roosevelt's sons and follow in the footsteps of the US Marines. Among other of today’s indelible sites is the Rainbow Division memorial commemorating the battle at Croix Rouge Farm near city of Fère-en-Tardenois. We’ll also hear of the 34th Division’s action at Beugneux in late July to early August 1918 and visit the Aisne-Marne American cemetery, Belleau Wood memorial and the Oise-Aisne American Cemetery in Seringes-et-Nesles. (B,D)

Day 5: Fismes Departing Reims, we head north to Fismes where the bridge monument commemorates one of the most violent of all Great War urban battles. On the two first days of the battle, the 32nd American Division lost 2,000 men in its efforts to cross the Vesle River. We travel along the legendary Chemin Des Dames, see the remarkable St Quentin canal and visit the Bellicourt American Monument at Bony arriving at Lille for the return Eurostar journey back to London (B).

Recommended Reading List

• Collapse at Meuse-Argonne: The Failure of the Missouri-Kansas Division
• General Pershing: Winning At All Costs

Dr Bruce Cherry

A former university lecturer with his PhD in military history, Bruce has been guiding on the Western Front since the late 1980s. Indeed for many years he operated a range of First and Second World War tours out of Lille. Amongst other titles, he is the author of ’They Didn't Want to Die Virgins; a study of Sex and Morale on the Western Front'. As an academic, his tours very much emphasise the learning aspect that is to be gained from battlefield touring.

Photo Gallery

• Eagle at the centre of the St Mihiel American Cemetery
• Bruce reading an account of the battle around Shearing by Col. Patten at th
• Traversing the rough terrain at Vauquois
• The vast Meuse-Argonne Cemetery
• The Memorial du Domans
• The Aisne-Marne Memorial
• Taking in the 'understated' American monument at Montsec
• Memorial de la 42 Division US, with Croix Rouge Farm in background
• Intrepid explorers in the Apremont le Foret - Bois Brute, Croix de Redouts
• Group photo at the Aisne-Marne Memorial

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Tour American Battlefield Trust-Preserved Battlefields in Three Days

Visit some of the Civil War’s most famous battlefields, with an emphasis on seeing some of the hallowed ground preserved over the past 30 years by the American Battlefield Trust and its partners. These actions range from 1861 at Ball’s Bluff to the 1864 Battle of the Wilderness.

 Before you go:

• Print or download the  Tour Map .
• Watch the action with the  Fredericksburg Animated Map ,  Chancellorsville Animated Map ,  Overland Campaign Animated Map , and  Gettysburg Animated Map .
• Explore the Virtual Tours:  Fredericksburg Virtual Tour ,  Chancellorsville Virtual Tour ,  Overland Campaign Virtual Tour  and  Gettysburg Virtual Tour .
• Download the following free apps, for more detail and touring assistance:  Fredericksburg Battle App ,  Chancellorsville Battle App ,  Overland Campaign Battle App ,  Brandy Station Battle App , and  Gettysburg Battle App .
• And for the whole story, read the Trust’s new book , Fighting the Second Civil War: A History of Battlefield Preservation and the Emergence of the American Battlefield Trust , by Bob Zeller. 

Stop #1: Fredericksburg  

Time: 4 hours  Details:  www.nps.gov/frsp/index

The Battle of Fredericksburg was one of the Confederacy’s most lopsided victories. From December 11-15, 1862, Union troops tried to dislodge Southerners from fortified lines near Fredericksburg. Despite some temporary Federal success, the Confederate position held strong for the remainder of the battle. More than 18,000 soldiers fell during the battle—fewer than one-third from the South. The American Battlefield Trust thus far has saved 247 acres at the Fredericksburg battlefield.

Fredericksburg is also the recognized birthplace of the modern Civil War battlefield preservation movement.  On July 18, 1987, 27 Civil War historians and enthusiasts met at what was at the time Arbuckle's Restaurant and organized a grassroots preservation organization devoted to saving Civil War battlefields by buying the land. They named it the Association for the Preservation of Civil War Sites, which later merged with the American Battlefield Trust. The APCWS made its first save in 1988, and every year since then, the movement has saved new land.

What to do:

Start at the  National Park Service's Fredericksburg Battlefield Visitor Center ,  1013 Lafayette Boulevard .

• Watch the 22-minute orientation film.
• Find out what Ranger Programs are scheduled.
• See the exhibits and walk the historic Sunken Road.

Tour the Fredericksburg battlefield. You have several options: 

• Use the American Battlefield Trust's free  Fredericksburg Battle App  on your smart phone.
• Follow the NPS Auto Tour Route and get out and explore each stop.
• Purchase a touring CD from the Visitor Center bookstore.

Don’t Miss:

• Chatham  – This Georgian-style, 1771 plantation home at 120 Chatham Lane served as a Federal artillery platform, hospital, and headquarters. Famous visitors to the home include George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Clara Barton, and Dr. Mary Walker.  This is the second stop on the regular NPS battlefield tour.
• Lee’s Hill  – Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee observed the battle from this stop on the NPS tour.  The sweeping view he had from these heights in 1862 is now obscured by the tree-covered hillside.
• Union Breakthrough  – Union troops advancing from Slaughter Pen Farm in Spotsylvania County broke through Gen. ‘Stonewall’ Jackson’s lines in the area of this tour stop before furious Confederate counterattacks forced them back. This was the only spot in the Confederate line to be penetrated by Union troops during the 1862 battle.
• Prospect Hill  – Confederate artillery positioned on this hill was a main objective of the Union assault on the southern end of the battlefield. Despite initially taking the position in a bloody assault, Union forces were driven off the hill, effectively ending the Battle of Fredericksburg. This is the final stop on the NPS tour.
• The Slaughter Pen Farm  – The site of one of the greatest preservation victories by the American Battlefield Trust, this 208-acre site saved and owned by the American Battlefield Trust witnessed vicious fighting on the afternoon of December 13. No fewer than five Federal soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor for their actions in and around this field. The farm lane leading to the battlefield walking trail and interpretive signs is at 11190 Tidewater Trail.

If you have time :

• Upper Pontoon Crossing  – Near 3:30 p.m. on the afternoon of December 11, 1862, Federal soldiers from Michigan and Massachusetts ferried themselves across the Rappahannock River here (1399 Sophia Street) and wrestled control of the city from Mississippi and Florida troops.   
• Pelham’s Corner is where Alabama artillerist John Pelham positioned his cannon to enfilade the Federal left flank, complicating the Union assault at Slaughter Pen Farm. Park in the rear of the Family Dollar store, 10744 Tidewater Trail, near the corner of Benchmark Road, to see markers at this site, which was saved by the Central Virginia Battlefields Trust .

Stop #2: Chancellorsville 

The Battle of Chancellorsville is regarded by many as Gen. Robert E. Lee's greatest victory. From April 29 to May 6, 1863, Lee's army battled Gen. Joseph Hooker's Union Army of the Potomac around the wilderness crossroads of Chancellorsville. Although outnumbered more than 2-to-1, Lee split his undersized force no fewer than three times in the face of a superior foe. In the end, Lee was victorious, but it came at a high cost, including nearly 22% of his army and the loss of 'Stonewall' Jackson, who was wounded by his own men while scouting the battlefield after dark. Jackson died of pneumonia on May 10, 1863.

In one of its most important battles, the American Battlefield Trust in 2004 successfully fought off efforts to develop the property, and then bought and preserved about 140 prime acres fronting Route 3 that comprise heart of the first day’s battlefield.

What to do: 

Start at Lick Run Community Center on State Route 3 (6159 Plank Road), which is in the heart of the first day’s battlefield at Chancellorsville.

• Take the walking trail around this battlefield, which includes interpretive signs installed by the Trust.

Then proceed to National Park Service's Chancellorsville Visitor Center  (9001 Plank Road) .

• Watch the 22-minute orientation film. 
• See the exhibits and walk the  "Wounding of Stonewall Jackson,"  trail.

Tour the NPS battlefield. You have several options: 

• Use the American Battlefield Trust's free  Chancellorsville Battle App  on your smart phone.
• Follow the  NPS Auto Tour Route  and get out and explore each stop.
• Purchase a touring CD from the bookstore.

Don't miss:

• Lee-Jackson Bivouac (NPS tour stop 5) is where the two famous generals met for the last time. 
• Jackson's Flank Attack Site  – On the afternoon of May 2, 1863, the right flank of the Union Army was located in this vicinity. Near 5:15 p.m., the first wave of Stonewall Jackson's flanking column struck and decimated the unsuspecting Federals. Within hours, the Union flank was no more and Stonewall Jackson lay wounded by his own men.  The American Battlefield Trust and its partners have preserved hundreds of acres at the site of Jackson’s massive flank attack, which is stop 8 on the NPS tour route.
• Hazel Grove – This critical plateau at tour stop 9 served as an excellent spot for Confederate artillery to attack Union infantry on May 3, 1863.
• Fairview , stop 10, was the backbone of the Federal defensive line at Chancellorsville. Captain Clermont Best placed some 30 cannons in this area, and repelled wave after wave of Confederate attacks.

Stop #3: The Wilderness  

Time: 1 hour  Details:  www.nps.gov/frsp/index

On May 5-6, 1864, the Union Army of the Potomac once again locked horns with the Army of Northern Virginia in the dense thickets known as the Wilderness of Spotsylvania. Over the course of two days, the two armies fought to a bloody stalemate, inaugurating a new era of violence in the war in the East.

In 2008, Walmart Corporation began planning to build a Supercenter in the Wilderness. After a three-year preservation battle waged by the American Battlefield Trust and the Friends of the Wilderness Battlefield Coalition, Walmart agreed to move further west on Route 3 and gave the property to the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Start at the National Park Service's Wilderness Battlefield Exhibit Shelter, 35347 Constitution Highway, Locust Grove, Va.

Woodland fires swept across this field — Saunders Field — during the battle, consuming the Confederate and Union soldiers who lay dying after bloody attacks and counterattacks across the field.

• Read the exhibit panels. 
• If time allows, you may wish to follow the  NPS Auto Tour Route.
• Use the American Battlefield Trust's free  Overland Campaign Battle App  on your smart phone.

Insider tip:  If you want to learn about a key battlefield feature and see the area where the American Battlefield Trust and its partners fought to keep Wal-Mart out of the Wilderness, go to the pull-off at Wilderness Tavern , on the north side of Route 3, just beyond its intersection with Route 20.

Stop #4: Mine Run Battlefield 

Time: 15 – 90 minutes (depending on whether you walk the trail). Details: Mine Run Battlefield

In late November of 1863, Gen. George Gordon Meade attempted to steal a march through the Wilderness of Spotsylvania and Orange counties of Virginia, and strike the right flank of the Confederate army south of the Rapidan River. With winter fast approaching, and the recent Federal victory at Chattanooga, Tennessee, time was of the essence. Delays due to weather, coupled with heavy skirmishing, slowed the Federal advance. On November 27, 1863, the two sides clashed at Payne's Farm. After a short, but intense battle, the Confederates were able to withdraw to fortifications behind Mine Run. More delays plagued the Federal advance. On November 30th, with nearly half of his army arrayed for an assault on the strongly positioned Confederate lines, Meade had second thoughts. He and one of his most trusted subordinates called off the attack against Lee's strongly fortified position. The Federal army withdrew to winter quarters. Mine Run was the great battle that never was. 

Today, an interpretive trail includes a portion of the 690 acres that the American Battlefield Trust h as saved at Mine Run.

Start at Zoar Baptist Church, 31334 Zoar Road (Route 611), Locust Grove.

• Walk the 1.5-mile battlefield interpretive trail , marked with historical wayside tablets, located across Route 611 from Zoar Baptist Church.

Stop #5: Cedar Mountain   

Time: 1 hour Details: Cedar Mountain Battlefield

On August 9, 1862, Confederate forces were on the move toward the town of Culpeper, Virginia. Confederate Maj. Gen. Thomas J. 'Stonewall' Jackson hoped to defeat a newly formed and spread-out Union army before it could unite. The two sides clashed just outside Culpeper, in the shadow of Cedar Mountain. A seesaw battle ensued. Confederate forces broke, but Jackson rallied them in one of the more dramatic scenes of the war. In the end,  Jackson gained a narrow victory over Federal forces commanded by Maj. Gen. Nathaniel Banks. This Confederate victory allowed Robert E. Lee to shift the war away from Richmond and back into Northern Virginia—opening the door for the Battle of Second Manassas.

The American Battlefield Trust has saved 498 crucial acres of the battlefield,  including the scene of the heaviest action.  The Trust has also worked tirelessly to restore the land to its 1862 appearance, allowing visitors the opportunity to see this battlefield as the soldiers saw it.

• Walk the half-mile interpretive trail with signs on 150 acres of battlefield saved by the American Battlefield Trust. The trail begins at the parking area near Crittenden Lane and General Winder Road—to which signage will direct you.

Insider tip: Did you know that the cannons that sit on the Cedar Mountain battlefield once sat on the Gettysburg battlefield? These reproduction artillery pieces flanked Lee's Headquarters along the Chambersburg Pike, but once the American Battlefield Trust acquired that property, the Friends of Cedar Mountain Battlefield refurbished the Parrott guns and moved them to Cedar Mountain.

Stop #6: Brandy Station   

Time: 2 hours Details: Brandy Station Battlefield

The Battle of Brandy Station on June 9, 1863, involving more than 20,000 men, was the largest cavalry battle ever fought on North American soil. The Union cavalry commander, Maj. Gen. Alfred Pleasonton, anticipated the move and struck Confederate Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart’s men in camp at Brandy Station . Although Stuart claimed a slim victory, the battle proved the fighting mettle of the previously maligned Union cavalry.

The American Battlefield Trust has saved 2,159 acres of the Brandy Station battlefield, including most of the scenes of major fighting.  Nearly all of this land retains its wartime character, with vistas similar to those the soldiers had during the battle. Most spectacularly, the Trust was instrumental in preserving Fleetwood Hill, where a number of non-historic homes have been removed and the battlefield has been returned to its 1863 appearance.

• Download the Brandy Station Battle App , for more detail and touring assistance.
• Start at Fleetwood Hill, located at 20368 Fleetwood Heights Road. There’s a small parking area near a historic United Daughters of the Confederacy bronze tablet. A short walking trail rings the hill where a telescope helps you see the surrounding features.
• If time allows, two more walking trails await you at nearby St. James Church and at Buford’s Knoll. Brandy Station is one of the three largest sites preserved by the Trust.
• On Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., visit the Graffiti House , 19484 Brandy Road, Brandy Station, a wartime structure loaded with Civil War soldier graffiti. The historic house is the headquarters of the Brandy Station Foundation, which has partnered with the American Battlefield Trust to help save the battlefield.

Stop #7: Bristoe Station  

Time: 1 hour Details: Bristoe Station Battlefield

At Bristoe Station on October 14, 1863, Confederate Lt. Gen. A.P. Hill’s corps stumbled upon two corps of the Union army at Bristoe Station and attacked without proper reconnaissance. Union soldiers posted behind an embankment of the Orange & Alexandria Railroad raked the advancing Confederate troops and captured a battery of artillery. Almost 2,000 men fell in the battle.

The Bristoe Station Battlefield Heritage Park represents one of the most notable saves in the history of the American Battlefield Trust. In 2004, the Trust collaborated with Centex Homes and Prince William County to save 133 acres of core battlefield, at the same time allowing the developer to build homes on other land in the tract. Without having to buy the land, the Trust was able to save much of a key battlefield on valuable Northern Virginia property.

Start at Bristoe Station Battlefield Heritage Park on Route 619, Bristow Road, Bristow, Va..

• The 140-acre park, opened in 2007, features 2.7 miles of walking and equestrian trail and interpretive signs about the battle.

Stop #8: Ball’s Bluff 

Time: 1.5 hours Details: Ball’s Bluff Battlefield

On October 21, 1861, a Union scouting party crossed the Potomac River at Ball’s Bluff to determine the positions of Confederate troops near Leesburg. When the Union troops encountered Mississippi infantry, a skirmish began that progressed into a battle and a victory for the Southerners. Col. Edward Baker, a U.S. senator and friend of President Lincoln, was killed as the Confederates drove the Yankees over the bluff and into the Potomac, where many drowned and hundreds surrendered rather than risk escape into the river. Of the battle's 1,157 casualties, more than 1,000 wore uniforms of blue.

The American Battlefield Trust has saved three acres at Ball’s Bluff.

• The Ball’s Bluff Battlefield Regional Park on Ball’s Bluff Road, Leesburg, features a number of walking trails and battlefield interpretive signs and a small national cemetery.

Stop #9: Monocacy Battlefield

Time: 1-2 hours Details: Monocacy Battlefield

To help take pressure off the Confederates in Virginia, a force commanded by Gen. Jubal A. Early crossed the Potomac River at Shepherdstown into Maryland on July 5-6th, 1864, to threaten the national capital. On July 9th, a makeshift Union force attempted to stop Early’s invading Confederate divisions along the Monocacy River, just east of Frederick. They were defeated, and Early continued his advance towards Washington. The battle at Monocacy, however, gave the Union army time to bolster defenses around Washington.

The American Battlefield Trust has saved 442 acres at Monocacy and was integral in saving the Thomas Farm at the heart of the battlefield.

• The Monocacy National Battlefield is a National Park Service facility. After stopping at the Visitor Center, 5201 Urbana Pike, take the Monocacy National Battlefield self-guided auto tour .

If you have time:

Consider swinging by Antietam and Harpers Ferry, where the American Battlefield Trust has saved more than 650 acres of key land, including the “Epicenter at Antietam.”  See detailed itinerary of these sites.

Stop #10: Gettysburg

Time: 5 hours Details: Gettysburg Battlefield  

The Battle of Gettysburg, on July 1, 2, and 3, 1863, was the greatest battle of the war. It ended Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee’s second invasion of the North. For three summer days in south central Pennsylvania, more than 160,000 soldiers fought in the farm fields and amongst the boulders and hills around the small town of Gettysburg. More than 51,000 men were killed, wounded, captured or missing.

Over the years, the American Battlefield Trust has saved more than 1,000 acres at Gettysburg.  This includes land that saw fighting on all three days of the battle. On the first day’s battlefield, we saved land along Willoughby Run and adjacent to Barlow’s Knoll. Farther south, we saved a small but crucial parcel along the Emmittsburg Road over which Lt. Gen. James Longstreet’s men marched on their way to Devil’s Den and Little Round Top on July 2. We also saved key tracts on Power’s Hill, a key Union artillery platform during the fighting on Culp’s Hill.  But perhaps most visibly, the Trust has preserved and restored the Mary Thompson House, site of Robert E. Lee’s headquarters during the battle.

Start at the Visitor Center , Gettysburg National Military Park.

Then tour the battlefield. You have several options.

• Watch the Gettysburg Animated Map (which you can also do on the big screen at the Gettysburg Heritage Cente r! It’s at 297 Steinwehr Avenue.)
• For a personalized experience, hire a Licensed Gettysburg Battlefield Guide .
• Download the Gettysburg Battle App for your own driving tour of the battlefield.
• Take the NPS self-guided auto tour .
• Gen. Lee’s Headquarters . The preservation and restoration of the Thompson House, which Gen. Robert E. Lee used as his headquarters during the Battle of Gettysburg, is one of the stellar preservation achievements of the American Battlefield Trust. The four-acre tract included a motel and restaurant for many years, with the Thompson home serving as a museum and gift store. The Trust bought the property in 2015, razed the modern structures and in 2016 opened the restored property, which includes a trail and interpretive markers. The historic site is at 385 Lincoln Highway.  
• McPherson Ridge (NPS tour stop 1) is in the heart of the first day’s battlefield at Gettysburg. Union Gen. John Reynolds was killed near a memorial to him.
• Barlow's Knoll. Located on Howard Avenue on the NPS tour after stop 3 (Oak Ridge), Barlow's Knoll is where Confederate attackers smashed the Union defensive line on the first day of the battle. The American Battlefield Trust has saved three large tracts near Barlow's Knoll, including 40 acres directly south of the knoll.
• Virginia Memorial. Here, at stop 5 on the NPS tour, the spectacular Virginia Memorial depicts Gen. Lee on his horse, Traveller, peering across the vast, open plain where his army made its great assault, Pickett’s Charge, on the third day of the battle.
• Little Round Top. Much of the battlefield is in view from this hilltop, NPS tour stop 8, which saw intense fighting on the second day of the battle as Union forces hastily occupied this commanding position and Confederates desperately and unsuccessfully tried to dislodge them.
• Peach Orchard. An ill-advised Union advance by Gen. Daniel Sickles to the area of the Peach Orchard, well in front of the rest of the Union line, threatened Union efforts on the second day of the battle.
• Power’s Hill. As the NPS tour proceeds from stop 12 to stop 13 at Spangler’s Spring, the route turns onto Baltimore Pike for a short distance before turning left onto Colgrove Avenue. While southbound on Baltimore Pike, one can see Power’s Hill in the near distance off to the right; from this hill, Union artillerists shelled Confederate forces attacking Culp’s Hill.  The American Battlefield Trust has saved key tracts at Power’s Hill, allowing the National Park Service to open up vistas of Gettysburg’s forgotten landmark. Before long, a trail will cross the property the Trust preserved and provide walking access to Power’s Hill. 
• High Water Mark. Here, at stop 15, the Union line repulsed the Confederate assault – Pickett’s Charge – on the climatic third day of the battle. After a mile’s march across open fields from the area of the Virginia Memorial, the spectacular assault by 12,000 Confederates dissolved at the stone wall and the Copse of Trees in the fury of close-quarters combat.         

Make Some History This Weekend in Fredericksburg

Make Some History This Weekend in Culpeper

Make Some History This Weekend in Gettysburg

Related battles, the battlefields today.

Visit The Wilderness

Visit Cedar Mountain

Visit Monocacy

Visit Mine Run

Visit Chancellorsville

Visit Ball's Bluff

Visit Fredericksburg

Visit Gettysburg

Visit Brandy Station

Visit Bristoe Station

Gettysburg Virtual Tour

The Wilderness Virtual Tour

Brandy Station Virtual Tour

Lee's Headquarters: A Guided Tour

Chancellorsville Virtual Tour

Fredericksburg Virtual Tour

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See Where WWI's Battles Were Waged During a 4-Day Guided Tour in France & Belgium

Live through the history and grit of World War I during this 4-day guided tour of its key battlefields and monuments. Journey from Paris to the Ypres Salient battlefields and see the Passchendaele Memorial and Tyne Cot Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery, the largest cemetery in the world for Commonwealth forces. Later, visit the Australian Fromelles Military Cemetery, where 250 British and Australian soldiers were buried after the Battle of Fromelles. Meet a Local Expert for a tour of the key battlefields of the Somme and see the church in Albert where many weary soldiers stopped for comfort on the way to those battlefields. On the way to Paris, visit the Australian National Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux and the Franco-Australian Museum in the local Victoria School.

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Travel to The National WWII Museum in New Orleans to explore, remember, and reflect on World War II through exclusive access to the Museum’s campus. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to experience a custom, small group domestic tour program at this world-class institution, including three nights at the Higgins Hotel and Conference Center, a comprehensive meal package, behind the scenes experiences, and more!

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World War I History Tour: An American Journey through "The Great War"

July 1-7, 2018 sold out.

It has been 100 years since the guns fell silent and World War I ended. Still, the events of that era continue to shape and affect our world today. Four major monarchies and empires collapsed in history’s greatest shift in European and world power. The United States and the Soviet Union became major global players out of the ashes. The new map of the world created from the war continues to have significant impact on current events.

The war had been underway for nearly three years when the United States entered WWI on the Allied side in April 1917. However, it would be another year until the American forces finally made their impact on the battlefield. And it was a decisive impact that demonstrated the unflinching resolve of freedom-loving peoples and brought an end to the bloodiest conflict in human history to that point. If your mind is set on a belief that World War I was nothing but static trench warfare and no movement, you will be surprised to encounter the American fighting forces involved in one great maneuver offensive after another. We now, at the centennial, have the incredible opportunity to follow in the footsteps of these young Americans in the Great War tour. In fact, in some of the locations we will be waking, we will be there on the exact dates of July 1918!

This America in World War I history tour will bring guests to the verdant fields; and villages, towns and cities where the youth of America made their most indelible mark. From the Big Red One in the first fight at Cantigny, to the Marines at Belleau Wood; from American infantrymen assaulting the lines at St Quentin Canal and the St Mihiel Salient, to the largest battle in American history in the Meuse-Argonne. From the story of the Lost Battalion, to Sergeant York’s exploits, to the four Roosevelt brothers, and so many other iconic stories and sites. We will also pay respect to our allies by visiting the British battle at the Somme and the French at Verdun.

The World War I history tour unfolds over seven days with stories of all the allied participants as well as those of the German defenders. In addition, Essential History Expeditions guests will visit amazing heritage sites in the regions where the Americans fought, including:

• Epernay: the justly-famed Champagne district where we will visit the “capital” of Epernay and its vineyards, gastropubs and more.
• Compiegne: where the Germans surrendered in WWI and the French initially surrendered in WWII. It is also an amazing small city of rich history including the capture of Joan of Arc, and where Louis XIV and the two Napoleons had chateaux and palaces.
• Reims: the city of Kings! In its great Cathedral Notre-Dame de Reims nearly every French monarch was crowned over the long centuries. We will also visit Eisenhower’s final WWII headquarters, including the map room where the Germans surrendered to the Western Allies on May 8, 1945 (V-E Day!).

The rich farmland, the quaint villages and the dramatic hills and forests of France create an incredibly memorable backdrop for this World War I centennial history tour.

WHY TOUR WITH ESSENTIAL HISTORY EXPEDITIONS

What sets Essential History Expeditions and Dr. Brian DeToy apart is his unique experience with 14 years as a university professor including teaching history and strategic studies at West Point, 28 years as a US Army officer with combat experience, and 23 years of leading battlefield tours. Brian has led tours comprising military leaders, West Point professors and cadets, and business leaders of national companies. Brian’s combined experience as a scholar soldier brings the events on this hallowed ground to life.

Brian has led more than 200 tours on numerous battlefields worldwide, including those of the Great War. His grandfather, Bill, served as an infantryman with Douglas MacArthur’s 42d “Rainbow” Division in the 1918 battles and, so, this trip holds a special affinity for Brian.

ACTIVITIES & HIGHLIGHTS

• Meet at Paris hotel at 1pm and depart for a walking tour of Paris, including the famed and newly renovated Les Halles markets and Saint-Eustache church, and drinks at the Hemingway Bar in the Ritz
• Welcome and overview of the America in the Great War tour
• Hotel night in Paris
• Breakfast and depart Paris
• Cantigny – site of the American’s first battle, May 1918, the 1 st Infantry Division “Big Red One”
• In Belleau Wood (June 1918) – we will see the 2 nd Infantry Division and its attached Marines counterattack into the thick forest where the Germans have approached near the Marne. To this day it remains sacred ground for the “Devil Dog” Marines
• American Aisne-Marne and German Cemeteries at Belleau Wood
• Chateau-Thierry (May-June 1918) – The 3 rd Infantry Division (the “Rock of the Marne”) stops the German attack and the tide of the battle shifts to the allies. This is a major turning point.
• Continue along the Marne River to Epernay for a delightful Champagne tasting and tour of the vineyards and cellars at the world-famous Moet & Chandon vineyard
• Dinner in Epernay
• Check-in to hotel in Champagne region, a charming boutique hotel in Reims where we will stay for the duration of the World War I history tour
• Verdun – site of the epic French defense and victory in 1916; this battle shapes the remainder of the war through its intense fighting and the incredible casualties sustained by both French and Germans.
• St Mihiel Salient (September 1918) – Before the major offensive can be conducted by General Pershing’s Americans in the Argonne Forest, he first has to eliminate a bulge in the allied lines. The attack succeeds when the Americans break into the salient led by Colonel George Patton’s tanks.
• St Mihiel American Cemetery
• Social Hour
• Dinner at local renowned restaurant
• Aisne-Marne and Oise-Aisne offensives (July-September 1918) – the Americans’ first major Army-size attack drives the Germans back in the summer of 1918. These are slogging battles that see the Americans push deep into the German lines. One of the major assault units is MacArthur’s 42d Infantry (the “Rainbow Division”) and we will follow its advance.
• Oise-Aisne American Cemetery
• The Cathedral Notre-Dame de Reims, which played an important ceremonial role in French monarchical history as the traditional site of the crowning of the kings of France
• Surrender Museum, a former school building, where the Germans surrendered to Eisenhower on May 8, 1945
• The Somme – site of the incredible offensive in July 1916, the defining moment of the British participation in the Great War. Over 57,000 British soldiers fall as casualties the first day, as do an addition 14,000 French and Germans. But the weight of this attack, in combination with the intense fighting going on simultaneously at Verdun, leads the Germans to make strategic errors that bring the Americans into the war.
• St Quentin Canal (September-October 1918) – the Americans, alongside Australian and other British troops, break through the Hindenburg Line in the last months of the war, turning the stalemate into a race toward Germany.
• Somme American Cemetery
• Meuse-Argonne Offensive (September 11 to November 1918) – the largest American battle in history, and the biggest American contribution to Allied victory. This day will find us at many remarkable sites, including Harry Truman’s artillery battery, Sergeant Alvin York’s capture of 132 Germans in his one-man crusade, and the incredible story of the Lost Battalion and its fight.
• Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery – the largest resting place of Americans in Europe
• Montfaucon Monument and Souilly Marker – dramatic monuments to the Americans in the Great War. Montfaucon was a significant German defensive position and its capture and control will allow the Americans to advance deep into the heart of the German line, breaking it apart for the final drive to victory!
• Soissons (July 1918) – In combination with the Aisne-Marne and Oise-Aisne offensives, here the Americans and French regain the ground lost in the German spring offensive in a series of attacks near this picturesque town.
• Historic town of Joan of Arc
• Château de Compiègne, a royal residence built for Louis XIV and restored by Napoleon
• Railway car site for the surrenders in November 1918 and June 1940; the victory monument placed here by the people of Alsace and Lorraine is a truly dramatic image
• Return to Paris and end of the expedition

THIS WORLD WAR I EXPEDITION INCLUDES

• Six nights’ boutique/luxury accommodations
• In-depth guided tours with professional historian Dr. Brian DeToy
• Visit to major World War I battle sites
• Visit local French cultural/historical sites, including a Champagne tour and tasting at the renowned Moet & Chandon vineyard
• Transportation by van or bus throughout trip
• Optional opportunity to role-play an important character in World War I or French cultural history
• Majority of all meals (drinks are excluded)
• All entrance fees for group activities
• Gratuities for docents and restaurants
• Personalized tour support
• Travel insurance available through Travelex (contact Sheryl at [email protected] for a quote)
• Itinerary subject to slight changes

INTRIGUED BUT STILL HAVE QUESTIONS?

• Let’s set up a conference call! We would love to chat with you and answer any questions you may have.
• Complete the contact form below and let’s set up a call.

READY TO DISCOVER HISTORY?

• This tour will be limited to 20 guests.
• Pricing: $3,350 per person, double occupancy; single occupancy supplement $600.
• $1,000 per person deposit due upon registration.
• See Terms & Conditions for payment schedule and cancellation policy.
• Active duty and career retired military, current and career retired educators, and students all receive a 10 percent discount.
• All repeat Essential History Expeditions guests receive a 10 percent discount on this expedition.

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• April 28, 2024 Setlist

War Setlist at Orpheum Theater, New Orleans, LA, USA

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National WWII Museum Leading Tours of Iwo Jima

Last Updated on October 1, 2023

On March 30, 2024,  The National WWII Museum  will return to the Japanese island of Iwo Jima with WWII veterans who fought there, marking the 79th anniversary of one of the fiercest and most famous battles of the Pacific war. The visit is part of the Museum’s 10-day  Victory in the Pacific  educational travel program that explores island battlefields and landing beaches in the company of expert historians. 

Dr. Richard Jessor and Donald Graves fought as young Marines in the Battle of Iwo Jima, which raged for over five weeks in early 1945 on the tiny volcanic island and in the surrounding waters of the Pacific Ocean . A defining battle in World War II, Iwo Jima is known for its brutal combat as well as the iconic image of the flag-raising on Mount Suribachi by American servicemembers. 

“Over the nearly eight decades since this 20-year-old Marine took part in the invasion and monthlong battle to secure Iwo Jima, I have sought to understand the impact that experience has had on me and my life. In many ways, it strengthened me: if I could get through the Battle of Iwo Jima, I could get through anything,” Jessor said. “And it made me acutely aware that, unlike so many of my buddies and comrades who landed with me, I had been uncommonly fortunate in surviving the battle. Going back to Iwo is another opportunity for me to discover its meaning, to think again of those we lost, and, above all, to honor them.”

Twenty-seven Medals of Honor, the United States’ highest military decoration, were awarded for action on Iwo Jima — more than any other battle in US history. Each year, an official Reunion of Honor ceremony is held for veterans from both sides of the conflict, honoring their service and sacrifice and fostering peace as American and Japanese servicemembers meet near the landing beaches.

Iwo Jima is open to civilian visitors just once per year, and guests must travel with an authorized tour company to gain access to the island. The Museum has been making the annual visit since 2018 with a planeload of travelers seeking a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to set foot on the black ash beaches.

Victory in the Pacific brings travelers from Pearl Harbor to the islands of Saipan, Guam, Iwo Jima, and Tinian, where exclusive access to battlefields, rich historical context from expert guides, rare archival materials from the Museum’s digital collections, and hand-selected oral histories reveal the lengths the Japanese would go to protect their inner defense ring as the Americans forged a road to Tokyo.

Travelers will experience sites where, in stark contrast to their tropical serenity today, brutal war once raged.

“Educational travel programs like this are so important to the Museum’s mission not only because they explore historic sites but also because they help carry on the legacy of those who sacrificed for our freedom during World War II,” Nathan Huegen, Director of Educational Travel at The National WWII Museum, said. “The Victory in the Pacific tour is made even more special by the inclusion of Dr. Jessor and Mr. Graves, heroes who fought so hard at Iwo Jima and whose stories we work to preserve.”

Victory in the Pacific tours from run from March 22 to April 1, 2024 and feature five-star accommodations, chartered flights, a comprehensive meal package, and exclusive touring throughout the itinerary are included. Featured historians Jonathan Parshall and James Scott will provide insight and commentary during tours and evening programs.

Extensions to the Philippines and Peleliu are available.

The National WWII Museum’s Victory in the Pacific tour is now available to book online  here , starting at $17,999 per person. For additional information on the optional extended programs, call 504-528-1944 x 257.

National WWII Museum

The National WWII Museum in New Orleans tells the story of the American experience in  the war that changed the world —why it was fought, how it was won, and what it means today—so that all generations will understand the price of freedom and be inspired by what they learn. 

Dedicated in 2000 as The National D-Day Museum and now designated by Congress as America’s National WWII Museum, the institution celebrates the American spirit, teamwork, optimism, courage and sacrifices of the men and women who fought on the battlefront and served on the Home Front.

Chadd Scott is a freelance arts and culture writer based in Florida.

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Russia Warns 'America Has Chosen the Path of War' Over Ukraine

R ussia's top diplomat in the United States has shared with Newsweek a stark warning to Washington in Moscow's first reaction to President Joe Biden 's signing of a bill to provide some $61 billion in additional wartime aid to Ukraine.

The assistance is viewed by Kyiv and its largely Western supporters as a major boost to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as his forces struggle to fend off recent Russian advances, and Ukrainian cities come under regular missile and drone attack more than two years into Europe's deadliest conflict in decades. For Moscow, the latest tranche is considered another escalatory step toward an all-out conflict among major powers.

"America has chosen the path of war and agonizing delays of the inevitable collapse of the Zelensky regime," Russian Ambassador to the U.S. Anatoly Antonov told Newsweek . "With their decision, local politicians are actually deciding the fate of an entire country, which is being used as a 'battering ram' against Russia."

While the U.S. has portrayed the conflict as a full-scale war of aggression launched more than two years ago by Russia against its neighbor after a long pattern of hybrid hostility, Moscow has considered the ongoing confrontation to be the culmination of NATO expansionism along Russia's borders. Now, Antonov has accused the U.S. of having "launched an all-out hybrid war against us," with the Biden administration "encouraging attacks on Russian territory, including strategic deterrent facilities."

With ties between Washington and Moscow having deteriorated to the point of even nuclear talks failing, Antonov said that "the U.S. did not leave us any leeway while bringing down the much-needed and beneficial bilateral strategic dossier, putting the world before the nuclear threat being escalated by Washington."

"Thus, the United States is performing a balancing act above burning ground. With bravado of a duelist, it fatally balances on the brink of a direct clash between nuclear powers," he added. "But it can no longer stay on the thin, worn out 'tightrope' of the world order. The U.S. is ready to rush headlong into the abyss, dragging others with it."

The Ukraine aid package is part of a broader $95 billion foreign aid bill that will also provide additional assistance to Israel amid its ongoing war in the Gaza Strip and for Taiwan as it contends with threats from China, amid other global initiatives. After winning the support of the House of Representatives on Saturday, the bill passed through the Senate on Tuesday, with Biden signing the bill into law on Wednesday.

"We are sending a powerful message today about the power of American leadership as we support Ukraine's fight against Russian aggression," the U.S. State Department said in a statement following the announcement. "The United States will continue to work with the coalition of more than 50 countries we have assembled to provide critical support for Ukraine's forces."

The Pentagon also issued a statement outlining an array of arms and ammunition to be sent to Ukraine through the latest package, including air defense missiles, surface-to-surface missiles, mortar and artillery rounds, precision aerial munitions, armored vehicles, anti-personnel mines and other forms of equipment.

"This package will surge munitions, weapons, and equipment forward to support Ukraine's ability to defend its frontlines, protect its cities, and counter Russia's continued attacks," the Pentagon said.

Zelensky also welcomed the move, which came despite growing political infighting in Washington over the future of open-ended to Ukraine amid other U.S. foreign and domestic commitments.

"Regardless of what anyone says," Zelensky said in a statement, "we are gaining the support we need to continue protecting lives from Russian attacks."

The Ukrainian leader expressed his gratitude to Biden, Congress "and all Americans who recognize that we must cut the ground under [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's feet rather than obeying him, as this is the only way to truly reduce threats to freedom." He said the provisions included in the package "include the exact types of weapons that our warriors require."

But amid celebrations among Ukraine's supporters at home and abroad, Antonov argued that "in the United States they do not even try to hide their satisfaction with the fact that the U.S. military-industrial complex is flooded with new orders."

He alleged that U.S.-provided systems such as the MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) have been used by Ukrainian forces "against ordinary civilians," blaming Kyiv for a reported attack at a blood transfusion center in Russia-occupied Gorlovka said to have been conducted with a M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS).

HIMARS were among the systems included in the latest U.S. aid package, and State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel confirmed Wednesday that Biden had "quietly" ordered ATACMs to be sent to Ukraine for use only on Ukrainian territory in February.

Ukrainian officials have repeatedly denied Russian allegations of war crimes and have pointed to a long list of systemic abuses said to have been committed throughout the conflict by Moscow, which also rejects the charges. Meanwhile, both sides have remained locked in a prevailing stalemate on the ground, though recent reports indicate Russian troops made notable advances along northwest of the city of Avdiivka, which they seized earlier this year.

While some outside peace proposals have emerged, neither Kyiv nor Moscow have officially signed onto any direct talks to end the war. As for Washington's stance, a State Department official reiterated to Newsweek the U.S. position of negotiation "nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine."

"No one wants this war to end more than Ukraine and its people, but any decisions about negotiations are up to President Zelenskyy," the State Department spokesperson said. "Any initiative for a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in Ukraine must be based on full respect for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, within its internationally recognized borders and consistent with the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter."

The State Department spokesperson also put the onus of putting an end to the conflict on Moscow.

"The other key part of this is obviously Russia," the State Department spokesperson said. "Russia is the sole obstacle to peace in Ukraine. The Kremlin has yet to demonstrate any meaningful interest in ending its war, quite the opposite. Russia started this war and Russia could end this war today."

In addition to providing military and economic assistance to Ukraine, the White House has also launched a broad sanctions campaign against Russia. The new U.S. legislation would pave the way for the transfer of billions of dollars' worth of frozen Russian assets toward a special fund for supporting Ukraine.

Antonov saw this as a part of the "same weapon" against Moscow, "albeit a financial one."

"Russophobes are trying to cover up robbery with pseudo-legal arguments," Antonov said. "At the same time, they are not at all embarrassed by their actions, while trampling on the very sacred principles of the inviolability of property that America so boasts of. The international financial system will inevitably break down."

And with ties between two of the world's top nuclear powers already at an all-time low, the Russian envoy argued that the new legislation would only further alienate any chance for rapprochement in the future.

"The compiled 'explosive mixture' of legislative acts points to a hostile radicalization of the consciousness of local elites and takes a particular toll on the prospects for a hypothetical revival of the Russia-U.S. relations in the future," Antonov said. "What can be seen is a bipartisan consensus of people who failed to destroy the Russian state in the 1990s."

"For many years, a strategic security safety net existed between our countries that saved Russia-U.S. ties and ensured global stability," he added. "Nowadays Washington has completely torn it apart."

Antonov asserted that "America is increasingly driving itself into zugzwang," a chess reference in which one player is put at a disadvantage due to an obligation to make a move.

"Any measure taken against Russia is a powerful argument, proving the infeasibility of a world subject to unipolar dictate by one country," Antonov said. "Military supplies from the United States and its allies have been burned, are being burned and will be burned by the Russian Armed Forces."

And though the U.S. has only doubled down on its commitment to supporting Ukraine indefinitely, he said Russia too has rallied around its leadership, which shows no sign of backing down from the conflict.

"The Russian people are completely united around President Vladimir Putin , our Army and Navy. Russian citizens understand that our cause is just," Antonov said. "All goals and objectives of the Special Military Operation will be achieved."

Update 04/25/2024, 3:32 p.m. ET: This article has been updated to include comments from a U.S. State Department spokesperson.

Related Articles

• New NATO Member 'Preparing' Key Infrastructure for War With Russia
• Avdiivka Map Shows Russia Advancing After Frontline "Breakthrough"
• Russia Warns West Will Be Ukraine's 'Downfall' 10 Years After Taking Crimea

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Childish Gambino’s New World Tour Teased Ahead of Final Albums: 'Are You Ready?'

Donald Glover has also been previewing new music in recent days, including tracks with Ye and Kid Cudi.

It’s a rollout, dummy .

This weekend, Donald Glover and/or Childish Gambino fans received official word that a new tour is indeed on the horizon. While early details on the trek remain scarce as of this writing, the announcement itself was tucked into the latest edition of GILGA Radio .

"Childish Gambino New World Tour this summer," the announcement said. "Coming to an arena near you. Are you ready?"

CHILDISH GAMBINO SUMMER TOUR YASSSSSS OH MY FUCKING GODDDD pic.twitter.com/5NfDxtltX8 — h❤️‍🔥 (@piscesmoonsong) April 22, 2024

No additional info has yet been made available. However, fans quickly uncovered a website for The New World Tour, complete with a mailing list signup option .

Gambino’s past tours have been undeniably memorable affairs. His I Am Donald run in 2011, for example, saw Glover essentially opening for himself by first performing a standup set, then taking the stage in Gambino form mere moments later.

The This Is America tour in 2018 was widely referred to as possibly being the final batch of Gambino shows. In fact, Gambino himself said as much during the opening stop in Duluth. The moniker itself has also been the subject of frequent retirement speculation, all of which led nicely into this month's official announcement that what's next from Glover and company will indeed mark the final Gambino releases .

First up is Atavista , which fans will note is a final version of 3.15.20 . The last Gambino album will arrive next, per comments from Glover on a previous GILGA Radio livestream, and serves as the soundtrack for a new film titled Bando Stone & The New World.

DG has also been previewing new music as of late, including a collaboration with Ye that's been met with immediate love from fans. This pairing is especially noteworthy for Glover, who often spoke about Ye's influence during interviews earlier into his career. In 2011, the same year he opened for himself on the I Am Donald tour, Gambino put his own spin on the MBDTF track "All of the Lights."

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The 48 Hours When Joe Biden Saved Us From World War III

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We at the  Washington Monthly  may have published our  Presidential Accomplishment Index issue  a couple of weeks too early.

In the index , comparing the accomplishments of  Joe Biden  and  Donald Trump , we already gave Biden the advantage on national security and diplomacy.

But his greatest successes on those fronts happened last Friday and Saturday.

Biden successfully pressured Israel to launch a minimalist military response to Iran’s drone attack.

Then he convinced Speaker of the House Mike Johnson to put Ukraine aid legislation on the floor, despite the risk to Johnson’s job, where it passed with a big bipartisan vote.

We may have just witnessed the most consequential and most expertly managed 48 hours of Joe Biden’s presidency.

More on that shortly, but first, here’s what’s leading the  Washington Monthly  website:

The Judge Tells Donald Trump to Sit Down : Contributing Editor  Jonathan Alter  delivers a dispatch from Day Four of the Trump hush money trial.  Click here for the full story .

Trump Vows to Crush the Civil Service, but He’s Not the First President to Try : Editor  Will Norris  looks at the long history of Republican presidents who sought to undermine the federal bureaucracy.  Click here for the full story .

The Supreme Court Takes On Homelessness. What Could Go Wrong? : Legal Affairs Editor  Garrett Epps  warns the high court could allow cities to criminalize sleeping outdoors, even when there is no public shelter option.  Click here for the full story .

Why the Trump Trial Is Like a Bullfight :  James D. Zirin , a former federal prosecutor, explores the three stages of the hush money trial.  Click here for the full story .

In the last several months, Republicans have spun a narrative that the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas war prove that Biden has set the “world on fire.” In January, Trump posted on social media that “we are on the brink of World War 3.” In February, he told the Conservative Political Action Conference, “They’ll soon have us losing World War III.”

But Biden is far from the first American president to deal with difficult global conflicts involving the Middle East and Russia.

And we just saw Biden effectively use his influence to contain these conflicts so they don’t lead to a World War III.

Israel and Iran are now deescalating and Ukraine is better positioned to keep Putin in check behind his own border. (Check out  Tamar Jacoby’s   Monthly  dispatch from Poland about fears of Russian invasion.)

In a  New York Times   report on why “Israel abandoned plans for a much more extensive counterstrike on Iran,” we learned that the “turning point … was an early-morning phone call between Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu and Mr. Biden, during which the American president encouraged the Israeli leader to treat the successful defense [of Iran’s attack on Israel] as a victory that required no further response … Mr. Netanyahu emerged from the call opposed to an immediate retaliation.”

Biden has been heavily criticized for remaining too close to the Israeli prime minister while being unable to constrain Israel’s military response to Hamas’s October 7 attack. But the value of maintaining that relationship is now clear. Without it, Israel and Iran could be lobbing more missiles at each other, inflicting widespread casualties, and drawing other countries into their conflict.

We also recently learned how Speaker Johnson evolved from an opponent of Ukraine aid to a proponent so stout he bucked the majority of his own House GOP Conference.

Politico  detailed “a White House strategy focused on slowly courting Johnson behind the scenes while letting him find his own path to a solution.”

The long game from the Biden administration involved applying “indirect pressure on Johnson, stressing the seriousness of the situation to Ukraine-sympathetic GOP lawmakers” as well as “several closed-door briefings for Johnson and other lawmakers to update them on the deteriorating situation in Ukraine, starting just days after Johnson became speaker.”

As I wrote in the  Monthly’ s  latest print issue , Biden lapped Trump when it came to enacting their respective legislative agendas because Biden took bipartisanship more seriously.

A president more skeptical of the ability of the opposition party to do the right thing would not have considered trying to make an appeal to Johnson on the merits of the Ukraine issue. He would have assumed Johnson would purposefully set the world ablaze to better feed Trump’s talking points.

Biden did not make that assumption, and in turn, notched his biggest bipartisan accomplishment so far.

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Bill Scher is the politics editor of the Washington Monthly. He is the host of the history podcast When America Worked and the cohost of the bipartisan online show and podcast The DMZ. Follow Bill on X @BillScher.

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Ukraine War Helped Push World Military Spending to 35-Year High, Study Says

The outlay reached $2.4 trillion last year, a research group found, 6.8 percent up on 2022. Tensions in Asia and the Middle East also contributed.

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By Lara Jakes

Lara Jakes writes about weapons and military aid for Ukraine.

The world spent more on military costs and weapons in 2023 than it had in 35 years, driven in part by the war in Ukraine and the threat of an expanded Russian invasion, according to an independent analysis released on Monday.

The study, by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, concluded that global military spending reached $2.4 trillion last year — a 6.8 percent increase from 2022. Growing tensions in Asia and across the Middle East also contributed to the rise, analysts found, while the United States alone spent $916 billion — more than one-third of the total — as the world’s largest military spender and weapons supplier.

“The unprecedented rise in military spending is a direct response to the global deterioration in peace and security,” said Nan Tian, a senior researcher at the institute, which has tracked military expenditures since at least 1988.

He described an “increasingly volatile geopolitical and security landscape.”

Ukraine, in its first full year of war with Russia, devoted $64.8 billion to its military in 2023. That accounted for 58 percent of the government’s overall spending last year and 37 percent of the country’s gross domestic product. Only seven other countries spent more on military and defense costs than Ukraine in 2023, analysts found.

One was Russia, which Mr. Tian estimated spent $109 billion last year — more than any other country except the United States and China. That projection was based on the $75 billion that Moscow announced last September it had already spent for 2023, Mr. Tian said, who added that Russia’s military spending could rise to $127 billion this year, depending on the value of the ruble.

Either way, and despite the secrecy and disinformation surrounding Moscow’s defense investments, the institute concluded that Russia had spent about 16 percent of its total government spending, or 5.9 percent of its gross domestic product, on its military in 2023 — the highest since the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Ukraine has so far fended off Russia with the help of American and European military aid that in 2023 amounted to at least $35 billion in weapons and other materiel that has already been delivered. (The Kiel Institute for the World Economy, which also tracks military aid to Ukraine , puts the number at more than $100 billion from Canada, Europe and the United States since February 2022, but that includes support that has been committed and not yet delivered.)

At least some American aid to Ukraine includes funding to bolster NATO allies, American bases in Europe and domestic arms manufacturers that are replenishing weapons and ammunition stockpiles largely depleted in the West’s defense against Russia. Of a $60 billion aid package for Ukraine that the House of Representatives passed this past weekend, for example, at least $37 billion is expected to go to American weapons producers. In all, the Biden administration says it has given Ukraine more than $44 billion in security assistance since February 2022.

The war has also spurred European countries to step up military spending, which increased last year by about 16 percent across the continent, to $588 billion, according to the institute’s report. While some of the money went to Ukraine, leaders across Europe raised spending on their own national forces, most significantly in Eastern Europe, where military spending increased by 31 percent last year.

Twenty of NATO’s 32 member nations are expected to spend at least 2 percent of their G.D.P. on national defense this year; a decade ago, only three hit that benchmark.

“The cost of insecurity, the cost of a Russian victory, is far greater than any saving we could make now,” Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Union’s executive arm, told arms industry executives last week in Brussels.

“The cost of facing multiple threats and conflicts without being prepared is far greater than we can afford,” she said. “This is why it is time for Europe to step up on defense and security.”

Lara Jakes , based in Rome, reports on diplomatic and military efforts by the West to support Ukraine in its war with Russia. She has been a journalist for nearly 30 years. More about Lara Jakes