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One innovation of Napoleonic era warfare was to seek out and destroy the opposing army, rather than checkmate them and accept their surrender. Related to that,
by sillysaurusx 5y ago
One innovation of Napoleonic era warfare was to seek out and destroy the opposing army, rather than checkmate them and accept their surrender.
Related to that, there was recently a mock trial for a king in command of the army that won the battle where the archers annihilated the knights (edit: Agincourt). After the battle was over, he ordered his men to execute the survivors, under penalty of death if you refused. His men wanted to ransom the surviving nobles, who were worth a small fortune alive. But the survivors outnumbered them two to one, even after the battle, and the king wanted to take no chances. It was probably the correct decision, though he was found guilty in the mock trial.
- mc32 5y agoSeems like perhaps the battle of Agincourt is what you are referring to in the last parag.
- sillysaurusx 5y agoBingo, thanks.
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]
- pharmakom 5y agoDownside of this is that the other side will never surrender!
- sillysaurusx 5y agoThis is true. Hitler discovered it during the Russian war. He had an opportunity that was practically unique in warfare history: the populations freed from Stalin’s rule were eager to be rid of him, and would have happily joined ranks to fight him. But, not so much after executing some of them for ideological reasons. Their comrades quickly learned what the stakes were.
- cafard 5y agoBasically, Hitler just wanted enough Slavs around to do menial labor for the Germans who would displace the others. Even so, there were assorted soldiers from the USSR serving in the German army for a good deal of the war.
- hungryforcodes 5y agoHardly an "innovation" then.
- cafard 5y agoNapoleon's armies took great numbers of prisoners, and the centuries before had had their share of deadly battles.