60 knights paused a war to fight a battle royale

Re:60 knights paused a war to fight a battle royale by anigbrowl on Friday September 23, 2022 @03:01PM (#32955745)

The elaborate formalities of historical combat probably evolved as a way to minimize casualties. It's a pattern that appears over and over in military anthropology, where the goal of most conflict was to command good territory or carry off women. Going all-out to annihilate your enemy tribe completely was the equivalent of nuclear war.

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Re:60 knights paused a war to fight a battle royale by Wohlf on Friday September 23, 2022 @04:54PM (#32956935)

It's also much deadlier for the winners to not let the opposing side retreat/surrender, if people feel trapped they'll fight to the death.

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Re:60 knights paused a war to fight a battle royale by WalterBright on Saturday September 24, 2022 @01:53AM (#32960024)

Exactly.

I suspect that WW2 went on for an extra year because the Allies announced they wanted "unconditional surrender", which meant death for the leaders.

The Germans had a saying, "enjoy the war because the peace will be hell".

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Re:60 knights paused a war to fight a battle royale by RalfWausE on Saturday September 24, 2022 @02:51AM (#32960253)

Also a german saying: "Der Soldat der beizeiten flieht, der kämpft auch noch im nächsten Krieg"... if you flee in time you can be able to fight in the next conflict.

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Re:60 knights paused a war to fight a battle royale by renewiltord on Saturday September 24, 2022 @02:54PM (#32965544)

An old saying from early in the first Millennium at least, through Menander apparently, but common in many cultures.

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Re:60 knights paused a war to fight a battle royale by kevinventullo on Saturday September 24, 2022 @11:55AM (#32963869)

FWIW, the length of time between D-Day and the German surrender was less than a year.

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Re:60 knights paused a war to fight a battle royale by WalterBright on Saturday September 24, 2022 @02:13PM (#32965206)

The Germans knew long before D-Day that they were going to lose.

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Re:60 knights paused a war to fight a battle royale by towaway15463 on Friday September 23, 2022 @06:03PM (#32957657)

Ransom money and family relations or treatment of the hostages the enemy had were probably the big motivators.

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Re:60 knights paused a war to fight a battle royale by WalterBright on Saturday September 24, 2022 @01:50AM (#32960015)

The reason for minimizing casualties was the armies consisted of paid mercenaries. Mercenaries had no interest in dying in combat, so it was maneuver to get the other side into a bad position, then they capitulate.

This all changed with conscription. Now, commanders could command vast armies of conscripts who were forced to fight, and the slaughter was/is tremendous.

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Re:60 knights paused a war to fight a battle royale by nazka on Saturday September 24, 2022 @07:32AM (#32961555)

That’s interesting. Do you know where I can find more stuff about this? And the etiquette of war back then?

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Re:60 knights paused a war to fight a battle royale by WalterBright on Saturday September 24, 2022 @04:07PM (#32966141)

The period was the middle ages in Italy with its warring city-states. I don't have a reference handy, as this was told to me by my father (who had a PhD in history).

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Re:60 knights paused a war to fight a battle royale by anigbrowl on Saturday September 24, 2022 @05:39PM (#32966752)

*A History of Warfare' by John Keegan is a readable introduction to the combined history and anthropology of warfare, with a good bibliography.

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