zoux posted:

What was a commander's role during the actual battle in the pre-modern era? Did they participate in the actual battle or did they stay way behind the lines? How did they direct maneuvers, or were lower level commanders mostly autonomous? Guys like Richard III and Harold II died during the battle, so I assume some commanders at least got involved in the actual fighting, but it seems to me like if you are fighting for your life, you can't really issue commands. So was it more a situation where you just pointed your armies at each other, told your subordinates what to do, and then just let it play out?

Cream_Filling posted:

Also things like training, planning, discipline, and logistics were probably extremely important things that commanders had plenty of control over. Sort of like the role of coaches in large field sports. Though obviously I'm speaking in the most generic sense here and not in any specific historical context.

Shimrra Jamaane posted:

So 20+ years after the opening of the Soviet archives are there still lots of things still to be uncovered, translated, regarding WWII or do we have as good a grasp on things as we're gonna get?

the JJ posted:

I know the Greeks had a similar set up. I think Xenophon goes into detail on how the Ten Thousand rounded out, and his Cyropaedia (basically his response to Plato's Republic, what he thinks an ideal society ought to look like, which is, Xenophon being Xenophon, a virtuous and valorous monarchy supported by loyal aristocrats) has a big chunk on command. Basically his hypothetical great king gives rewards to the generals with the best section, they reward the tier below them, etc. etc. until... I think it's platoons of 8 or 10 or something.

Slavvy posted:

I was under the impression that the roman idea of having soldiering as a profession was instituted by them. If you look at ancient greece AFAIK the major reason warfare was seasonal was that the hoplites had to go home and deal with farming. Sparta had an advantage here because they had a dedicated warrior class who didn't have to work because their economy functioned on their helots.

I thought rome were the first to make soldiering a career and have a formal, government-controlled organisation for it. Guess I'm wrong.

Mycroft Holmes posted:

So, I was re-reading my copies of Harry Turtledoves Worldwar series and I had a question. How would Gulf War era technology (minus stealth) fare aginst WWII circa 1942? In the book the humans can't keep up with the alien forces in technology, but they manage to eke out a white peace, trading most of the world for their independance. The wiki article has more information. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worldwar

a travelling HEGEL posted:

Trip report: Osprey's Pike and Shot Tactics 1590-1660: OKish I guess but ultimately disappointing. Unless you care about the English Civil War? Which...I don't. Why do I keep reading Osprey books and defending the idea of them in this thread? Because I have a short attention span and am fascinated by bright colors and shiny objects.

I bought Spanier auf dem Albuch instead, as per the recommendation in the thread I linked, and if it gets to my current location before I leave this Sunday I'll let you guys know how it is in the next few weeks.

This, but unironically.

Koramei posted:

Was there actually major opposition to the occupation of Japan? I mean it obviously didn't all go perfectly, but I've heard it described as "the only successful foreign occupation in history". All things considered they got off extremely lightly.

Don Gato posted:

So I'm reading through The Truthful History of the Conquest of the New Spain and while it is fascinating, does anyone else have good books about the conquest of the New World? Bernal Diaz del Castillo isn't exactly the most reliable source, and my edition has literal wood and leather covers so it weighs a goddamn ton.

Shimrra Jamaane posted:

Are there any good single volume narrative accounts of the Vietnam War? Ideally covering all the way from the French-IndoChina War to the Fall of Saigon? Think A World Undone - Vietnam Edition.

a travelling HEGEL posted:

SlothfulCobra posted:

How often does that happen where soldiers just stop fighting and party for a while? I know about the Christmas truce, and I know that it happened some during the Spanish Civil War, but is there anything else?

Mycroft Holmes posted:

Why is Gustavus Adolphus terrible? Wasn't everyone pretty bad back then?

gfanikf posted:

Registered and active. The ammo came with it, and that pic is missing the other mag he has.

He owns lots of cool stuff including, among other things, one of the few transferable Beretta 93R's and the only Factory Colt 1911 SMG, that was being worked on for consideration as a cheap easy to convert SMG for the field.

a travelling HEGEL posted:

So I'm reading a book on military superstitions that was published in 1915. It's German but it's written in Roman type instead of Fraktur, and sure enough the copyright information is in English. The author probably intended this for an international audience, but how do you buy books from someone you're at war with?

Fangz posted:

You misread what he said. He meant that the promotion of Frankish cavalry as being decisive at Tours was an anachronism beloved by scholars during later chivalric times.

Fangz posted:

How did you hire mercenaries back then? Did they advertise?

Azran posted:

The whole Hitler myth is up there with a LOT of poo poo that I just can't believe gets taught nowadays here. Pyramids being built by Hebrew slaves, people in Antiquity only living up to their 30s as a worldwide average, Catholicism being the only religion in the Known World by the time the Vatican gets established, Roman polytheistic faith being stolen from the greeks and declared as their own, the Fulda Gap, etc.