Even the ancient soldiers were different. In peacetime, many soldiers actually only look after the nursing homes of the government and scare the people. Once there is a war, they must not be sent to battle, sent to death or secondary, and if they lose the battle, they will be finished. To this end, it is necessary to dispatch elite troops and strong generals, so that the combat effectiveness can be guaranteed, and only when they reach the front line can they win the battle. So what is a "crack army"?
In fact, in the Zhou Dynasty, especially before the Spring and Autumn Period, there was no such thing as a strong general. At that time, although the war seemed to be crowded, in fact, there were no professional troops. Basically, the country has the need for war, and when the time comes, the people can rush up, who let the wars of that period be too frequent? If there is no war, the soldiers can be disarmed and returned to the field, and the country will not have much burden.
With the development of the times, the princes and nobles realized that this method was very problematic, and although the number of troops was large, it was basically a ragtag group. In order to improve combat effectiveness, professional armies began to be formed. It was also from that time that the state had an army that was separated from agricultural production and supported by the state treasury. In this sense, those who were soldiers in ancient times ate imperial food, which was the case.
It is precisely because of this that it was impossible for the generals who led the troops in ancient times to rebel, because the soldiers below knew that what they ate was given by the emperor, except for those armed forces who obeyed the orders of private individuals. Having said all this, what are the criteria for elite soldiers selected from ordinary soldiers in ancient times? In fact, the Janissaries of the Song Dynasty were selected from countless local troops.
So how strong will the ancient elite soldiers be? Looking at the ancient standards, we may be surprised, because the ancient standards are more stringent than we can imagine. One of the most important criteria is that soldiers must complete 40 kilometers of endurance running under the condition of carrying 80 pounds. Judging from this criterion, it is not that anyone who wants to be a soldier can become a soldier, and it is even more difficult to become a crack soldier.
The prescribed time to complete this test is half a day, although we have also seen the rapid march of modern warfare, but it is not common, and their weight is all thrown away, completely light. However, such a thing was not possible for the elite soldiers of ancient times, because when they fought, they had to carry such heavy objects, which could be food to eat, or they could be weapons for combat.
Even if it is put into the current US special forces, it is difficult for them to do it according to this standard. Because the U.S. army has also referred to this standard, but the pass rate of the army is only 10% - this is still a regular trained army. It is even more difficult for ordinary people to pass this standard. Therefore, it is not difficult to understand why the elite soldiers of ancient times can be blocked by one block ten, or even with one hundred!