The Nitpicker’s Guide to Ancient Warfare: Training

[Gary Oswald]

Discuss this article by @David Flin here

 

[Gary Oswald]

I'm aware this article series isn't about the war in the Ukraine but it's hard not to jump to that as an example of an army that neglects the basics.

 

[David Flin]

I'm aware this article series isn't about the war in the Ukraine but it's hard not to jump to that as an example of an army that neglects the basics.

The book is intended to be a look at things from first principles, in effect. The consequences can be applied wherever circumstances apply. For example, differential cohesion resulting from one side being poorly prepared, under-trained, poorly supplied and led; and the other side being highly motivated in fighting for homes and family can be seen wherever it happens. The fact that we have an example going on as the book is being written is merely a highlighting the points being made.

 

[Redolegna]

I'm aware this article series isn't about the war in the Ukraine but it's hard not to jump to that as an example of an army that neglects the basics.

It's not the first one.

 

[David Flin]

It's not the first one.

Nor is it likely to be the last. Proper training tends to be expensive and can highlight issues that can be politically embarrassing.

 

[Thande]

I recall Timothy Zahn in "Heir to the Empire" (and "Vision of the Future") uses 'soldier' and 'warrior' almost the opposite way around to the way David defines them here - which always struck me as a bit odd, David's definition makes more sense to me.

 

[David Flin]

I recall Timothy Zahn in "Heir to the Empire" (and "Vision of the Future") uses 'soldier' and 'warrior' almost the opposite way around to the way David defines them here - which always struck me as a bit odd, David's definition makes more sense to me.

Curious. The term soldier derives from the large mercenary companies, in which the troops were typically paid in coin called solidi, which gave rise to the word soldier. One who fights for pay in the company of like-minded fellows.

I suspect that Timothy Zahn, while a fine writer (especially of Star Wars related fiction) is not an historian of ancient and Middle Age warfare.

 

[Charles EP M.]

All the -learn-on-the-job and do-self-training companies aren't going to like this article!

 

[David Flin]

All the -learn-on-the-job and do-self-training companies aren't going to like this article!

My heart bleeds for them. They won't like the rest of the chapter.

 

[FriendlyGhost]

Writing as someone who's been an instructor for over 25 years, I agree 100% with this article. A few years ago I had a (home-made) sign on my office wall which said 'si vis pacem exerce bellum' ('if you want peace, train for war' - a play on the old 'si vis pacem para bellum' saying). Training is the most important thing any navy/army/air force can do - even in wartime training has to be prioritised as much as operations.

 

[Nick Sumner]

I greatly enjoy this series of articles, they are informative and clear. I will be purchasing a copy of the book.

 

[David Flin]

I greatly enjoy this series of articles, they are informative and clear. I will be purchasing a copy of the book.

Merci bien.

I'm aiming for publication by the end of the summer holidays, September or October.

I'm finishing chapter 3 of 10, and am arranging illustrations. Still a way to go.

For the record:
Chapter 3: Types of fighting
4: Strategy, Operations, Tactics. (They're different things).
5. Logistics. (Amateurs talk tactics, Intense Nerds With An Unhealthy Interest in War talk Logistics, Professionals talk women/sport/promotion prospects - delete as appropriate).
6. Logistics and Terrain. WHERE ARE THE FARMS?
7. Communications. You're a pre-modern commander of an army, and one wing of your army is going the wrong way. What can you do?
8. Weapons vs Armour. Armour is designed to block weapons. So the weapon maker upgrades to defeat the armour. So the armourer upgrades to keep the weapon out. So the weapon maker ... You get the idea.
9. Sieges. Why does fiction make such a continual pig's ear of sieges?
10. Weapon myths.

If there are any suggestions for other things to include, I'm all ears.

Not literally. If I was all ears, I wouldn't have fingers to type with, obviously.

 

[FriendlyGhost]

5. Logistics. (Amateurs talk tactics, Intense Nerds With An Unhealthy Interest in War talk Logistics, Professionals talk women/sport/promotion prospects - delete as appropriate).

Fully agree - with one small proviso: there's one aspect of logistics which professionals always talk about - the food. Particularly if there's not enough of it or it's not good enough. It's always amazed me how food in the field is usually so much better than the rubbish often served in the galleys/messes at home base.

 

[David Flin]

Fully agree - with one small proviso: there's one aspect of logistics which professionals always talk about - the food. Particularly if there's not enough of it or it's not good enough. It's always amazed me how food in the field is usually so much better than the rubbish often served in the galleys/messes at home base.

Oh yes. The food. You are, of course, spot on in every detail.

Except for the penguin I had in the field.

 

[Death's Companion]

Merci bien.

I'm aiming for publication by the end of the summer holidays, September or October.

I'm finishing chapter 3 of 10, and am arranging illustrations. Still a way to go.

For the record:
Chapter 3: Types of fighting
4: Strategy, Operations, Tactics. (They're different things).
5. Logistics. (Amateurs talk tactics, Intense Nerds With An Unhealthy Interest in War talk Logistics, Professionals talk women/sport/promotion prospects - delete as appropriate).
6. Logistics and Terrain. WHERE ARE THE FARMS?
7. Communications. You're a pre-modern commander of an army, and one wing of your army is going the wrong way. What can you do?
8. Weapons vs Armour. Armour is designed to block weapons. So the weapon maker upgrades to defeat the armour. So the armourer upgrades to keep the weapon out. So the weapon maker ... You get the idea.
9. Sieges. Why does fiction make such a continual pig's ear of sieges?
10. Weapon myths.

If there are any suggestions for other things to include, I'm all ears.

Not literally. If I was all ears, I wouldn't have fingers to type with, obviously.

Not sure where it would fit exactly probably mostly logistics but fighting seasons and general attrition seem generally overlooked. Lots of history books will mention in passing that an army was X size but then shrank to Y in a few weeks from disease, desertion, garrisoning captured territory or deliberate dispersal for some reason or another and again mention winter quarters and so on but I cannot recall any histories getting into the nitty gritty of it despite being perhaps the most important factor in warfare until the 1900s.

 

[David Flin]

They both seem good to include.

Fighting seasons would logically come under strategy, operations, and tactics. The where and when of fighting.

General attrition would probably best fit in maintaining an army in the field, which I was including in logistics and terrain. Which probably needs a new heading. Maybe Maintaining an Army in the Field.