On this day in military history....in 1746 and 1991

On this day in military history....in 1746. The Jacobite army under Prince Charles ("bonny Prince Charles") defeats the British army of George II at the Battle of Falkirk in Scotland. The Jacobite Rebellion was a military campaign to install the Stuart kings (of Mary, Queen of Scots) to the thrones of both England and Scotland. The Stuarts lost the thrones when King James VII of Scotland and II of England (the same person) was deposed and the thrones taken by his daughter Mary II and her husband William of Orange. The Jacobites were also nominally supported in their rebellion by the French/Catholics. The battle could be described as a melee which took place in a rainstorm and also at almost nightfall, which aided the Jacobite army (which was in reality a militia) against the British army. The British were nominally defeated and the Jacobites exulted in their unlikely victory.

On this day in military history....in 1991. The United States planes, along with other member of the Coalition, strike targets in Iraq and Kuwait as the Persian Gulf War begins. In August 1990, Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait because he either 1) thought he could or 2) didn't have anything else better to do. President Bush Sr. went to the UN and organized a coalition to remove Saddam from power, but only after covering his bases with the UN Security Council. The main reason for this was not to get UN backing for the removal of Saddam Hussein from Kuwait, but to give the US and it's coalition allies time to build up its troops in Saudi Arabia. Finally, when the point was reached where there were enough forces in theatre to do the job, the US and its coalition started "softening up" the Iraqi forces using air power. It would be another month until the ground forces started the liberation of Kuwait.