One drum blows, then declines, three exhausts. - Cao Jie Controversy
Ancient wars were very cruel, and we only know a little bit about it from film and television dramas. The soldiers in the front row of the film and television drama are very eye-catching and thunderous. Without exception, they carried long guns on their shoulders, shouted "Rush" in their mouths, and then rushed forward in spite of themselves.
It was as if they had been cast a spell, without blinking an eye or shaking their hands, putting life and death aside. The soldiers in the back were covered by a human wall, and they seemed much safer and more secure.
So why do the soldiers in the front row know that they will die, so why do they still have such a high enthusiasm for death?
The soldiers in the front row are not simple
Although the ancient war was hard and hard, it was not a bloody fight with closed eyes. Both sides pay attention to strategy, for example, Han Xin is comfortable on the battlefield because he has a unique emphasis on platooning.
The soldiers' positions are arranged by the general who leads the troops, and the generals are generally familiar with the art of war, have rich experience in actual combat, and naturally know which form of deployment is suitable for their own side and is beneficial to the war.
When fighting, experienced veterans are generally placed in the front row, and recruits are in the back. Taking history as a mirror, the recruits were put ahead to exclude those who did not intend to surrender to the enemy.
In ancient Rome, new recruits were placed in the front row during wars, in order to reduce the casualties of elite soldiers, but when the new recruits first came out, they only saw a piece of pressure in front of them, and the bright and dangling knives and guns flashed in it.
Obviously, these recruits will definitely be frightened by this battle, and if they don't get it right, they will even crawl back with a rolling belt, and the soldiers in the rear will not know it, and they will also run blindly, and the original neat troops will be scattered in an instant, and they will lose themselves without a fight.
And the veterans are arranged in the front, one is that they are experienced and good at improvisation, but there are far fewer casualties. Second, to boost morale, poor communication in ancient times, after the war, soldiers are judged according to the reactions of those around them.
Which is the choice between death and death
When deserters are of a very serious nature from ancient times to the present, China's treatment of deserters is directly removed and future further education, entry, etc. will be greatly affected, and in ancient times, it was even more cruel, and once discovered, it was directly corrected on the spot.
The soldiers in the front row can be said to be the morale center of the entire unit. The fearful and retreating behavior of the soldiers in the front row can seriously affect everyone's reaction.
In order to prevent desertion or disturb the hearts and minds of the army, the army will generally set up a supervisor to supervise your every move, as long as you find a little bad sign, decisive action.
Therefore, the soldiers in the front row knew that they would die for a lifetime, and they had to rush forward. Desperately trying may have a glimmer of life to retrieve a life, but if you escape from the battle, you can only face the death penalty in the end!
Another point is that being in the first row does not equal a high mortality rate. In the era of cold weapons, the form of warfare was generally after the battle horn was fired, and the two sides fired arrows in unison, and the soldiers in the front row were best equipped.
When the arrows were released, the soldiers charged not only the first platoon acting independently, but all of them began to fight. So the death rate of the soldiers in the first row is similar to that in the back.
The closest place to the Knight of The Crown
Realistically speaking, there were very few people who were willing to perform military service, and during the Sui Dynasty, because of the frequent wars, there were cases of conscription everywhere, forcing ordinary people to cut off their hands and feet. Therefore, serving the country and being loyal to the liver and righteousness may come in such a hurry.
Later, in order to improve the combat effectiveness of the troops and boost morale, the imperial court adopted high rewards to encourage the soldiers to volunteer and fight.
The imperial court was very cunning, they understood that people died for money, as long as it was in the trend of interests, even if the mortality rate was high, the soldiers were willing to give up their lives and fight for the unknown possibility.
In ancient times, military merit was discussed according to the head of the person, and the more people's heads were obtained, as long as they survived, they could become famous in one battle and soar. The more advanced the troops, the higher the reward, and many of the general's seats were won in the war from the unknown pawns.
There is a word called "leading the way", which refers to the general rushing to the front and taking the lead for the team. The general was not very patriotic, but if he won the battle, he would receive a higher title and gold and silver treasures.
Under the so-called heavy reward, there will be brave men, and the soldiers on the front line will rub their fists and scramble to move forward. In case of unfortunate death in battle, the family will have enough money to survive.
There is also a category of people in the vanguard unit, who are death row prisoners who can be exonerated after the battle of meritorious service. Anyway, it is also a death, and the opportunity is in their own hands.
So the reason why we often see the forward troops, indomitable, heroic and fearless, is the reason.
brief summary
When watching film and television dramas, people often think that being naked on the outermost layer is the most dangerous, but it is not. War is merciless, all have the right to live, why give others cannon fodder?
The battlefield is the place where the head is lost today and tomorrow, and the probability of death is similar to that of everyone.
Besides, if there is no room for it, who knows that they will die and is willing to rush upwards in a stupid way? Therefore, the victories fought by the ancients were not only based on a heart of blood, but mostly because the conditions given by the leaders were very rich, so rich that they could not give up their lives and die.