Prince and Pauper

[Tore Rye Andersen]

Monte says:

>As Keegan notes, the Greek phalanx -- more specifically, the 
>social/cultural
>"invention" of drill and discipline and combined arms behind it -- created
>an unprecedented killing machine. And ever since then, the poor regimented
>shlubs in the gray faceless ranks have looked out at the howling barbarian
>tribesmen and thought "Gosh, those are REAL warriors"... and then, by and
>large, proceeded to hand the barbarians their asses.

Reminds me of the lovely Zsuzsa from M&D, and her interest in geometric 
warfare. Zsuzsa sees it as her clear duty "to bring word of what was to 
emerge into the World from the Prussian Plains" (p. 536), and to this end 
she travels around with an instructive street-show. Note this recital from 
Zsuzsa's Exhibition (p. 550):

"Great Frederick has chang'd the fate of War, created a new Power upon the 
Continent,... lo, the Prussian columns,-- keeping ever their Intervals, and 
each precisely upon his mark, wheeling,... the Angles of the Hats, as of the 
Wigs, calculated as to the Field of Vision, for most efficient Fire."

Later in the book, Stig speaks of "techniques from the Prussian Plains, 
where Science and Slaughter were ever fruitfully conjoin'd" (613-14), and 
towards the end of M&D, Mason describes his and Dixon's expeditions as 
"Campaigning, geometrick as a Prussian Cavalry advance" (755).

_________________________________________________________________
Opret en personlig blog og del dine billeder på MSN Spaces:  
http://spaces.msn.com/