New Study Identifies Louse-Borne Diseases That Ravaged Napoleon's Army

The Histories
by Herodotus
tr by George Rawlinson
Book IV -- Melpomene
When this reply reached the Scythians, they resolved, as the neighbouring nations refused their alliance, that they would not openly venture on any pitched battle with the enemy, but would retire before them, driving off their herds, choking up all the wells and springs as they retreated, and leaving the whole country bare of forage... [and] ...to keep at the distance of a day's march from the Persians, falling back as they advanced...Their waggons wherein their women and their children lived, and all their cattle, except such a number as was wanted for food, which they kept with them, were made to precede them in their retreat, and departed, with orders to keep marching, without change of course, to the north. The scouts of the Scythians found the Persian host advanced three days' march from the Ister, and immediately took the lead of them at the distance of a day's march, encamping from time to time, and destroying all that grow on the ground. The Persians no sooner caught sight of the Scythian horse than they pursued upon their track, while the enemy retired before them. The pursuit of the Persians was directed towards the single division of the Scythian army, and thus their line of march was eastward toward the Tanais. The Scyths crossed the river and the Persians after them, still in pursuit. in this way they passed through the country of the Sauromatae, and entered that of the Budini.

21 posted on 12/15/2005 10:48:54 PM PST by SunkenCiv ("In silence, and at night, the Conscience feels that life should soar to nobler ends than Power.")

What you describe above about the logistical failure is interesting, as my reading of Fredrick the Great's war-planning methods suggests that his foundation and emphasis were logistics, rather than military maneuver and battlefield action. Read how he planned invasions based not on which places would give him the most tactical advantage, or cause the most devastating loss, but rather on which routes and locations could be supplied easiest.

Actually, the theme you write about comes up today as well, in both Afghanistan and in Iraq. At some point, as we increase the force size, the logistics requirements require a larger and larger portion of the troops, and at some point, the addition of more soldiers can actually reduce battle strength.

22 posted on 12/27/2005 7:04:45 AM PST by lepton ("It is useless to attempt to reason a man out of a thing he was never reasoned into"--Jonathan Swift)

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23 posted on 05/04/2009 5:44:11 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/____________________ Profile updated Monday, January 12, 2009)

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