pour encourager les autres - when do we get to shoot a few?William Lind reminds
us that back in the good old days the Brits sometimes shot a
commanding officer who had badly screwed up a battle:
"In 1756, at the beginning of the Seven Year's War,
the French took the island of Minorca in the Mediterranean from the British.
Admiral Byng was sent out from London to relieve the island's garrison, then
under siege. He arrived, fought a mismanaged battle with the attending French
squadron, then retired to Gibraltar. Deprived of naval support, the garrison
surrendered. Byng was court-martialed for his failure, found guilty, and
shot."
The 20thC modern practice is shoot the lowest ranks
and promote the commanding officers to safety. Abu Ghraib anybody?
none
Posted: Wed - April 18, 2007 at 04:48 PM |
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About David M. Hart
I was born and raised in Sydney, Australia and now work for a non-profit educational foundation in the US. Before moving to the US with my family I taught modern European history at the University of Adelaide, South Australia. I have studied at universities in Australia, Germany, the US, and Britain and consider myself a citizen of the world and a supporter of no particular nation state. [More]
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Total entries in this category: Published On: Apr 18, 2007 05:20 PM |
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