Battle Studies

continued improvement of all appliances of war has no other goal than the annihilation of the enemy. Absolute bravery, which does not refuse battle even on unequal terms, trusting only to God

ances, with what erro

punishment or disgrace. But there always comes an instant when natural horror gets an upper hand over discipline, and the fighter flees. "Stop, stop, hold out a few minutes, an instant more, and you are victor! You are not even wounded yet,-if you turn your back you are dead!" He does not hear, he

eration of essential truths, enunciated

, it is not sufficient to have a mass composed

ion of command proceeding from habit and an entire faith in their unque

d which do not overtax the physical and moral forces of man. We add also a rational decentral

ess for possession. An iron discipline, which permits no one to escape action, secures the greatest unity from top to botto

order discipline is not enough. A vigilance from which no one may escape in combat should assure the maintenance of discipline. Discipline itself depends on moral press

ying the same chiefs, from commanding the same men, from sharing fatigue and rest, from co?peration among men who quickly understand each other in the execution of warlike movements, may be b

onfidence

point and vanishes rapidly, giving way to a contrary sentiment, which sees treason everywhere. It is that intimate co

to die without flinching, without turning pale, really strong in the presence of death, but without discipline, witho

b upsetting all obstacles and ca

any body of troops, in front of the enemy, every one understands that the task is not the work of one alone, that to complete it requires team work. With his comrades in danger brought tog

al trust, that feeling of force which gives courage and daring. Courage, t

ng, there are degrees of unity. Let us see whether mode

roadsword's length, there was an engagement. Whoever was that close knew that he would be killed if he turned his back; because, as we have seen, t

ought out from afar. Danger begins at great distances, and it is necessary to advance for a long time under fire which at each

e of present day arms. Men in formation marched into an action that took place on the spot and did not carry them thousands of feet away from the

there are rifle shots, the men spread out as skirmishers or, lost in the inevitable disorder of a rapid march, 28 escape the supervision of their commanding officers. A considerable number

out aiding me. I with them, they with me, we are invincible, even invulnerable. We have fought twenty battles and not one of us remained on the field. It is necessary to support each other in time; we see it clearly; we are quick to replace ourselves, to put a fresh combatant in fro

, good, trustworthy, and devoted as my companions may be, they do not shield me. Only,-and this is abstract and less immediately intelligible to all than the material support of ancient combat,-only I imagine that the more numerous we are who run a dangerous risk, the g

h cannot miss at close range. Let us advance in any case, resolutely. Our adversary will not stand at the point-blank range of our rifle, for the attack is never mutual, we

is from Rom

ion was both a difficult and perilous matter for the soldier. To-day th

ater unity than previously. A last remark on the diffi

rifle, the cannon, the distances of mutual aid and

e assembling on a given territory of enormous forces. For these

ate leaders. The certain and inevitable disorder, which a body of troops always presents in action, is with the moral effect of modern appliances

ves only if they are well-organized and serve as supports or rallying points to those ou

rue! Perhaps. But the

troops capable of marching, acting at any moment, in any direction. To-day, like yesterday, like to-morrow, the decisive action is th

incontro

isive reserves only if the enem

n of higher commanders, which leaves in the hands of higher commanders available forces which can be directed at a decisive moment, that action becomes more preponderant than ever. Battles, now more than ever, are battles of men, of capta

inance of the action of the soldier over that of the commander. It is necessary to delay as long as possible, that ins

e best results, a moral cohesion, a unity more binding than at any other time. 32 It is as true as it is