With weapons advancing all the time, a battlefield choked with smoke, and shooting going on right under the enemy's nose, hardly any infantryman could keep his wits about him. Most tactics amounted to firing a few times and then charging straight in.
Otherwise, the line itself could not be held.
It was probably easier just to charge and fight.
That was why far more infantrymen died from a blade in the back than from a bullet. Perhaps what made Napoleon's army so formidable was the fanatical loyalty his men felt toward him.
I wanted to build an army that strong myself. Not a question of efficiency, but a unit with the mental fortitude to hold together in any situation. Of course, in front of a machine gun all of that would count for nothing.
"We've brought in the enemy commanders."
At last, Anton returned with prisoners and spoils.
The highest-ranking commander among the captives was forced to his knees before me.
"We're mercenaries! Please honor the Mercenary Convention!"
