T. E. Lawrence When thinking about World War I, most do not think about the Ottoman Empire. However, many important actions and decisions occurred in this region. A man named T. E. Lawrence was a huge liability toward the Ottoman Empire from 1916 until the end of World War I. Thomas Edward Lawrence was born on August 16, 1888. He was the son of Sir Thomas Chapman and Sarah Junner. The couple never married, but instead they took the name of Lawrence. The family decided to settle in Oxford. This is where Thomas Edward grew up, went to school, and eventually attended university. At Oxford, Lawrence decided to study history, and he also wanted to do his undergraduate thesis on medieval castles in the Turkish- held area of Syria and Palestine. …show more content…
T. E. Lawrence is still known to be a Guerrilla warfare genius. It is not used in European regions, but guerrilla warfare is very common in the Arabian area. This style of fighting is so common, it is known as traditional Arab warfare. As mentioned before, Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare that uses a small group of combatants (civilians) who fight their enemies by practicing tactics like ambush, camouflage, sabotage, raids, and mobility. These tactics are used in order to take on larger, less-mobile armies without losing as many people. Lawrence organized the members into small groups that relied on the surrounding population to help better understand the native terrain. This was not an issue because all of the army members were from around or knew enough about the area to have a little bit of an edge over the Turks. Guerrilla warfare has a completely different method of approach, then what other countries were doing at this time. It did not believe in meeting the enemy head on. Its main goal was to attack smaller units of enemy soldiers in order to weaken the armies’ strength a little at a time. Lawrence used his Guerrilla warfare knowledge to plan and destroy Turkish railways and bridges. He and his group were invested in the major Hejaz railway. This railway has over 200 yards of track, which were crucial for the Turks. This certain railway was how they received their food, water, ammunition, and new weapons. Without the tracks being fully functioning, the Turks were then deprived of the supplies needed to keep a functioning strong army. Lawrence came up with a weird but efficient way to take out the tracks. He simply used guncotton and gelatin. After conducting many tests, Lawrence came to find that guncotton was a decent explosive, but it did not compare to gelatin. He brought together small groups of around 20 men that made close to 600 cuts and
Timothy Findley was a famous Canadian novelist who wrote for various television series and stage performances. Before his death on June 21, 2002, Findley completed one of his most renowned short stories called “War”. Findley wrote this story revolving around the life of a young boy named Neil. Neil is dreading to accept that his father is joining the army and going off to fight in the war. Throughout the story, Findley demonstrated numerous characteristics that uncovered Neil’s inner conflicts. Firstly, Neil’s character starts off being shown as fragile. Secondly, Neil exposes his stubborn characteristics, which are triggered by his inner feelings of neglect. Finally, aggression is another one of Neil’s characteristics Timothy Findley emphasizes
The Comradeship of War in All Quiet on the Western Front War can destroy a young man, mentally and physically. One might say that nothing good comes out of war, but in Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front, there is one positive characteristic: comradeship. Paul and his friends give Himmelstoss a beating, which he deserves due to his training tactics. This starts the brotherhood of this tiny group. As explosions and gunfire sound off, a young recruit in his first battle is gun-shy and seeks reassurance in Paul's chest and arms, and Paul gently tells him that he will get used to it.
In Joseph Plumb Martin’s account of his experiences in the Revolutionary War he offers unique insight into the perspective of a regular soldier, which differs from the views of generals and leaders such as popular characters like George Washington. Martin’s narrative is an asset to historical scholarship as a primary source that gives an in-depth look at how life in the army was for many young men during the War for Independence. He described the tremendous suffering he experienced like starvation and privation. He did not shy away from describing his criticism of the government who he believes did not adequately care for the soldiers during and after the war. While he may be biased because of his personal involvement as a soldier, he seems to relate accounts that are plausible without embellishment or self-aggrandizement. Overall, “A Narrative of A Revolutionary Soldier” is a rich source of information providing an overview of military experience during the war.
Erich Maria Remarque’s classic novel All Quiet on the Western Front is based on World War I; it portrays themes involving suffering, comradeship, chance and dehumanization. The novel is narrated by Paul, a young soldier in the German military, who fights on the western front during The Great War. Like many German soldiers, Paul and his fellow friends join the war after listening to the patriotic language of the older generation and particularly Kantorek, a high school history teacher. After being exposed to unbelievable scenes on the front, Paul and his fellow friends realize that war is not as glorifying and heroic as the older generation has made it sound. Paul and his co-soldiers continuously see horrors of war leading them to become hardened, robot-like objects with one goal: the will to survive.
In John Marsden’s Tomorrow When the War Began, the quote from David Seabury “Courage and convictions are powerful weapons against an enemy that depends upon only fists and guns”, is evident throughout the novel with the character’s various successes. Conviction (willpower) is very strong in the main characters, as the stakes are high with their entire town invaded leaving very few free. This conviction is also essential for courage, which as Ellie explains in the book, can only be found amidst fear. “I guess true courage is when you're really scared but you still do it” p.25. There are various frightening moments in this book, like when the ride on mower was used like a bomb or having to rescue Lee using heavy machinery. These are all moments the characters used their will to survive to propel them to do something that they were terrified to do. The characters also face daunting themes head on despite the previous stress. This is courage, found within conviction, and it has proved to be a good weapon against those with physical weapons.
The Elusiveness of War and the Tenuousness of Morality in Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried,” “How to Tell a True War Story,” and “Style”
There is a general discord among stakeholders on the definition of irregular warfare and where the term and concept fits within the joint and the individual services’ doctrine. The 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review report uses the term “irregular” only once in its one hundred and five pages and only in terms of a focus on building the joint force’s capability and capacity to deal with irregular warfare while maintaining a clear conventional and nuclear global superiority. Currently, the definition is ambiguous and results in conflict or duplication of efforts across Department of Defense stakeholders. For the purposes of this paper, the stakeholders discussed are the Army and the Marine Corps. Stakeholders must reach a consensus and clearly define irregular warfare in order to establish comprehensive irregular war policy and strategy.
Warfare has always been experienced differently by men and women. In many cases, men are in the frontline and face different conditions as compared to women who are on the home front. World War I is one of the most discussed wars that the world has experienced so far. The sheer extent to which the war affected people in different countries around the different continents around the world is appalling. The structure of the society was shaken by World War I. People no longer lived according to the norms they had known before. Both men and women had to adjust in order to fit the societal experience brought about by the war. Though suffering was experienced by both men and women despite where they were during the war, their experiences were completely different thus making it important to look at these experiences from a deeper perspective.
Historical interpretations relating to small wars in the post Napoleonic period in relation to insurgent guerrilla warfare in urban and agrarian societies across the globe share universal themes. These commonalities will be explored relating why combatants in guerrilla warfare fight. Moreover, what objectives guerrilla leaders wanted to achieve with their theories of social revolution. The works discussed are Mao Tse-tung, On Guerrilla Warfare, Ernesto Che Guevara, Guerilla Warfare, and Carlos Marighella, Minimanual of The Urban Guerrilla. All three of these historical leaders were well-educated men who were social reformers. All concerned with inequalities among their people. All devised ways to wage class warfare within their society and around the world.
As soldiers, every member in the Alpha Company had to physically carry items in order to protect and defend themselves. These items include necessities like steel helmets, fatigue jackets, trousers, and jungle boots. Furthermore, the things they carried depended on their habits. For instance, Henry Dobbins carried extra rations because he was a big man while Dave Jensen carried a toothbrush, dental floss and bars of soap as he practiced field hygiene (2). The things they carried were also dependent on their mission. For example, a mission in the mountains would require mosquito netting, machetes, canvas tarps, and extra bug juice (8). In addition, the things they carried were determined by superstition. Lieutenant Cross carried his good-luck pebble, and Dave Jensen carried a rabbit’s foot (12).
Guerrilla Warfare The term guerrilla (Spanish, “little war”) originated in the early 19th century during the Peninsular war when, after the defeat of Spain’s regular forces, Spanish irregulars and civilians rose up against the French occupying forces. The practice of guerrilla warfare, however, dates from antiquity; for example, the Bible tells of the Israelite conquest of Canaan, led by Joshua, involving harassment and ambush of the enemy. Later Jewish resistance to foreign rule was expressed in the series of fierce guerrilla operations against the Romans in the 1st century AD. Led by the Zealot sect, this revolt was climaxed by the seizure of Masada and the massacre of the Roman garrison there in AD66.
Throughout history there have been many leaders who have succeeded and led their people to greatness, and countless others who have failed and brought ruin. A good leader must be courageous, wise, and able to react well to the difficult situations that they may face. One man who had all of these characteristics and more was Charlemagne, King of Frankia located in modern day France. Throughout his long life he united the Frankish kingdoms, saved the papacy from destruction, and fought off barbarians during a critical point in Europe’s history (Sullivan). In addition, he also went on to found two of the world’s most influential kingdoms in history, the Kingdom of France and the Holy Roman Empire (Knowles). Charlemagne the Great, as he was known in his home kingdom of Frankia, ultimately fit the mold and even exceeded the requirements for being a good leader set forth by Sun Tzu in his book: The Art of War. He endured many struggles, suffered demoralizing losses, and experienced the highest of victories throughout his storied reign as King of the Franks, Italy, and as the first Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, all of which would last for centuries to come.
He may have used this technique to make war seem if it had made men
Samuel B. Griffith’s translation of “Sun Tzu: The Art of War” is an inside look at military practices of today. I did not find one technique that is not or would not be utilized in modern military maneuver, leadership, or training. The most astounding fact is that the Art of War was written well over two thousand years ago, even at the most conservative date. Although most of the techniques in this text are already in practice today, the value of “The Art of War” is a never-ending treasure chest of knowledge, and it deserves a place as a required reading for anyone seeking knowledge about war fighting or the history of war.
The Art of War has been used quite frequently throughout the years by many intelligent leaders and scholars. The day of its origin is still unknown, as well as who actually wrote it. It is believe that a Chinese military leader named Sun Tzu is the author, but people nowadays begin to question if he actually existed. Some people say it is a collection of Chinese military strategies that were passed down generation from generation. Whatever the origin of these teaching is, it is clear that whoever developed these tactics was an extremely wise individual. Not only does The Art of War show us amazing strategies to use in war but a new way of viewing, and living our lives. We can use all of Sun Tzu’s basic principles in our everyday lives, which makes these teaching even more unique.