Any enemies left alive during the bayonet

History 02/02/20 Any enemies left alive during the bayonet

In any war, has its own written and unwritten rules that allows more or less “humanize” the process of merciless extermination of the each other armies of the warring parties.

Propaganda, which fed recruits, applies only to the first months of hostilities. Then the Patriotic ardor is waning. Soldiers face real horrors and hardships of war: the death of comrades, injuries, hunger, filth and dampness, inability ever to sleep properly.

Feed a month or two trench lice, the soldiers start to look differently at the reality. Come into force and practical considerations of economic viability, as well as of mercy. Even in the heat of the middle — bayonet — combat soldiers are beginning to follow some unspoken rules.

to finish off the wounded

Joseph Goebbels, the well-known ideologist of fascism and the closest ally of Hitler, once said that the enemy is much better to wound than to kill. Each severely wounded soldier — is a huge burden for the army. First, we must get him to a field hospital, then to do the surgery, put people on their feet. While the soldier is recovering, it is necessary to protect and to feed.

the greater the number of seriously injured pulls the army back, the less the chances to win. It is from these brutal expediency during the bayonet never finished off the crippled, lying on the ground and writhing in agony from the pain of enemies. The only exception was slightly wounded soldiers, who apparently had intended to attack “to strike the last decisive blow.”

Not to attack those who are willing to give up

for More humane considerations were applied in relation to ready to surrender. If during the attack the enemy would raise his hands and fell to his knees, begging for mercy, did not kill him. This is one of the oldest rules of the so-called “compassionate war”. It was first documented in ancient Chinese treatise “the Art of war” (VI century BC).

honor Code of Bushido taught the samurai: “the Murder of a man who already surrendered to the winner, brings misfortune”. Despite the fact that since then passed more than two millennia, even during world war II, this principle was respected. During the bayonet the soldiers didn’t kill surrendering enemies.

on the one hand, fire elemental humanity, living in the soul of every mentally normal person. Only the insane and sadistic killing “just” for the fun of it and the “love of art”. On the other hand, bayonet attack — wrenching venture. If the enemy is already rented, there is no point in wasting him physical strength.

Not to kill envoys

People with a white flag was always in a special position in the war. The appearance of truce — an act of good will of the enemy, trying to “negotiate” and to reduce the number of victims. If the horizon began to loom white flag, the soldiers have a chance to survive in a terrible bloody massacre. People who carried a white flag, never killed.

Not to touch the orderlies and servants burial teams

Typically, during a bayonet attack on the battlefield, had only the main forces of infantry. Often, however, in the bloody thick of it here and there flashed red cross nurses. But even the most frenzied of blood and horror the soldiers not to touch the “angels” who risk their lives carried the wounded from the battlefield.

The same applies to burial teams, Brassica the case at the end of the battle. The man who cleans the dead bodies from the neutral zone, did good both armies. Decaying body spread stench and infection that can hit anyone. To kill “Ogorodnikov” well, no point. This atrocity — our own peril.

following these basic rules allowed to make at least some kind of rational and humane grain in the madness called “war”.

Alena burden

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© Russian Seven

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