Brandon Fisichella
@brandonf·276K subscribers·334 videos
Why Would Soldiers Walk into Enemy Fire in the First World War?
Posted
December 23, 2024
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December 23, 2024
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~~Video Description~~
One of the worst stereotypes of the First World War is that soldiers would just mindlessly march into machine gun and artillery fire and that their officers would send repeated waves 'over the top' to do the same thing over and over again without any care for such pesky things as 'innovation'. The "Lions Led by Donkeys" narrative, though largely debunked by professional historians of the war, persists. But when you look at military manuals and actual battle techniques of the time period...you actually will find many examples of soldiers marching, as if "on parade", into enemy fire. Why was that? Did such an approach ever make sense? Why would they do so?
~~Sources & Further Reading On This Topic~~
Find the "Manual of the Chief of Platoon of Infantry" book, and many others like it, as free downloads here
"The British Army Handbook, 19141918"
My video about Friendly Fire and 'Timetables' in WW1
...and another video on a similar topic
My video about the 'claustrophobia' of WW1 combat
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