In ancient times, war could be said to be commonplace, and an important part of supporting it was the conscription system and the payment of military salaries.
Today, let's talk about this topic and see what the lives of ancient soldiers were like, and what are the bitterness and hardships behind them.
Ancient conscription: compulsory and voluntary
The ancient conscription system was a big problem. Different dynasties and different periods have different ways of conscription. But the whole can be divided into two main categories: compulsory conscription and voluntary conscription.
Compulsory conscription, as the name suggests, is the compulsory selection of soldiers by the government from among the common people, which was very common in ancient times. Imagine that the emperor of a certain dynasty gave an order, and officials all over the country began to get busy, going door to door to select strong men. Once chosen, it means saying goodbye to your family and embarking on a long journey.
The biggest problem with compulsory conscription is that it can easily lead to popular discontent and revolt. Do you think, who wants to go to the battlefield to die for no reason? So many times, forced conscription will be accompanied by all kinds of violence and oppression, making the common people miserable.
Voluntary conscription is much more modest than compulsory conscription. The government will issue conscription orders to encourage people with lofty ideals to come and join the army.
The advantage of this method is that it can attract those who are really willing and capable to join the army and improve the combat effectiveness of the army.
However, voluntary enlistment also has its drawbacks, and in times of war, many people have to choose to join the army in order to make a living.
They may not have much will or ability to fight, but they are just forced by life. The entry of such a person into the army is undoubtedly a drag on the combat effectiveness of the army.
Military pay: soldiers' "hard-earned money"
After talking about the conscription system, let's talk about the distribution of military salaries. In ancient times, military salaries were the main source of income for soldiers. Their food, drink, and equipment, and even their families' livelihoods all count on this military salary.
There are two main sources of military pay: one is government funding, and the other is war plunder. Government funding is the main source of funding, but in many cases, the government also replenishes military salaries through war plunder.
After capturing a city, the army will often burn and loot, using the spoils as part of the military pay.
In ancient times, due to inconvenient transportation and poor information, the distribution of military pay often faced many difficulties.
Sometimes salaries are stolen in transit, and sometimes even when they reach the barracks safely, they are greatly reduced by corruption by officials.
For soldiers, it is simply a luxury to be able to receive their salaries on time and in full. Many times, they had to endure hunger and cold, fighting on the battlefield. Even if you are lucky enough to survive, you will be in trouble because of the arrears of military pay.
The bitterness and hardship of ancient soldiers
Through the previous introduction, we can see that the life of ancient soldiers is really very bitter and difficult. Not only do they have to face the test of life and death on the battlefield, but they also have to endure all kinds of injustices such as arrears of military salaries and corruption of officials.
In ancient societies, the status of soldiers was often very low. They are seen as instruments and victims of war, and few people really care about their lives or deaths.
On the battlefield, they have to face the enemy's swords, guns, swords, and halberds, and off the battlefield, they also have to face all kinds of hardships in life.
It was these soldiers who used their flesh and blood to build the Great Wall of Steel of the ancient dynasty.
Their dedication and sacrifice have been exchanged for the prosperity of the nation and the stability of the country. We should remember the great contributions of these soldiers and cherish today's peaceful life.
The cruelty and necessity of ancient warfare
When we look back at the long river of history, the ancient wars are like thrilling scenes unfolding in front of us.
They are full of cruelty and blood, which makes people unbearable to look at directly, and these wars often carry the inevitability of the times and the mission of history, and become an important force to promote the progress of civilization.
The cruelty of ancient warfare is first and foremost reflected in the disregard for life. In that era of cold weapons, war often meant hand-to-hand combat and fighting, and every charge was accompanied by the loss of countless lives.
Soldiers are like mustard, harvested at will on the battlefield, and life and death are often only in a moment.
Ancient wars were also often accompanied by plunder and destruction. After the capture of a city, the victors often burn and loot, causing countless innocent people to suffer.
This trampling on life and the destruction of property makes war a real catastrophe.
Although they are full of cruelty and gore, we cannot deny that they have promoted the development of civilization to a certain extent.
War is an important means of solving problems in political life, especially when peaceful means cannot solve problems.
Through war, countries can redraw their spheres of influence and determine their status and relations, thereby maintaining regional peace and stability.
In order to win the war, countries have invested a lot of manpower and material resources in military research and development, which has made many important breakthroughs in the field of warfare in ancient science and technology.
For example, the invention and application of gunpowder and the improvement of siege equipment are all typical cases of ancient warfare promoting scientific and technological progress.
The cruelty of ancient wars makes us feel the fragility of life and the horror of war, and also allows us to see the difficulty of civilization progress and the vicissitudes of history.
Today, we live in an era of peace and prosperity, which was bought by countless ancestors with their blood and lives. We should remember history.
However, although modern society has moved away from the smoke of ancient wars, the risk of war remains.
We should strive to eliminate the root causes of war and jointly build a peaceful, stable and prosperous world by strengthening international cooperation, promoting economic development and promoting cultural exchanges.
The way ancient warfare was fought
Ancient warfare did not have today's high-tech weapons, so they had to think of all kinds of clever ways to fight.
The most common is that two armies line up in an open place to fight each other, which we call a formation battle.
As we often see in TV dramas, both sides are in position, and then charge into battle, swords and swords, and decide the winner through hand-to-hand combat.
The selection and variation of the formation here is a big question, and different formations have different effects. For example, some formations focus on attack, while others focus more on defense.
In addition to battle battles, there are also city battles, which are cities where one side of the army besieges the other side.
The besieging side had to use all kinds of siege equipment to destroy the walls and gates, while the defending side had to use the defensive equipment and fortifications to resist.
This way of fighting is fine if it is short, but if it is long, both the besiegers and the defenders will suffer heavy losses.
There are also some special tactics, such as sneak attacks and ambushes, which take advantage of the negligence of the enemy army to launch a surprise attack and catch them by surprise.
Fire attack is also a very powerful tactic. It's about finding a way to set fire to the enemy's camp or important facility, throw them into chaos, and then take advantage of the opportunity to attack.
The ancient methods of warfare were not as simple as we imagined, and although they did not have modern high-tech weapons, their wisdom and courage are indeed worthy of our admiration and learning.
Having said that, the ancient conscription system and the payment of military salaries are two very complex and important topics. They are not only related to the livelihood of soldiers and the combat effectiveness of the army, but also reflect the political, economic and cultural conditions of ancient societies.
By understanding the ancient conscription system and the payment of military salaries, we can gain a deeper understanding of the life and state of mind of ancient soldiers.
Although they lived in ancient times, their bitterness and hardship are closely related to us.
Because it is their dedication and sacrifice that have brought us today's happy life.
As we enjoy peace and tranquility, we must not forget the ancient soldiers who gave their lives for our country. Their spirit will always inspire us!