History Channel: Fortifications

[Kadarin]

Everything you ever wanted to know about forts, fortresses, fortifications, etc.. Interesting stuff if you're a history/military enthusiast. 🙂

 

[Odoacer]

Cool, when's it starrt?

 

[ElFenix]

who was that french guy that made the best fortresses ever?

 

[Sundog]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
who was that french guy that made the best fortresses ever?

Military secret 😉

 

[dquan97]

I used to make a fort out of cardboard...

 

[CallTheFBI]

They might as well call it the War Channel. Over half their programs are war stories. There is a LOT more to history than just war, but that is the most popular history subject so go figure.

 

[Storm]

I guess its just me but when I first skimmed over this thread I thought it read....

History Channel: Fornification

 

[Kadarin]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
who was that french guy that made the best fortresses ever?

They mentioned the guy in the program, but I didn't record it and can't remember. Google comes up with two possibilities:

At the beginning of the 17th century, Henri IV employed Jean Errard (1554-1610), the "father of French fortification", to build a number of citadels in the north - following Italian ideas.

...

When King Louis XIV's army had successfully advanced into the lowlands of Spanish Flanders in the second half of the 17th century, he commissioned his military engineer Sébastien le Prestre de Vauban (1633-1707) to design and supervise the building of a chain of forts. These were designed to ensure that France's north-east border lands could never be recaptured.

I think Vauban was the guy they mentioned; he built forts and fortifications in the classic star pattern. The problem was that with the advent of gunpowder and reasonably effective artillery, the traditional castle became obsolete, so something more elaborate was needed.

 

[Kadarin]

Hmm.. My Tivo tonight also recorded a program on siege engines dating from the oversized crossbows of ancient times to trebuchets and cannon, with mention of tanks and cruise missiles. What's interesting about it was it ended with a segment on the Punkin Chunkin contest. Fun stuff.

 

[exp]

They might as well call it the War Channel.

LOL 😀 So true. Military History Channel would be more accurate. I'm not complaining though...it's still my favorite channel.

 

[BeauJangles]

Originally posted by: CallTheFBI
They might as well call it the War Channel. Over half their programs are war stories. There is a LOT more to history than just war, but that is the most popular history subject so go figure.

The cover war mostly because it has probably had the single greatest impact on humanity.

EDIT: plus, Discovery and TLC cover other kinds of history, as well as nation geographic channel.