There is an interesting saying circulating on the battlefield that those who are brave seem to be more likely to survive, while those who cower and fear death tend to fall. This seems to be a "metaphysical" phenomenon, or is there a deeper reason?
Let's dig deeper into the truth of this phenomenon.
History tells us that there is no tradition of playing dead in the armies of countries around the world.
On the contrary, the brave death in battle is regarded as the highest honor for a soldier. However, humans are inherently afraid of death, and some people may cringe when soldiers are actually on the battlefield. During World War II, Germany had a unit known as the "gendarmerie" that was responsible for maintaining discipline and organizing the army. During the battle, the gendarmes supervised the soldiers on the front lines and could even carry out executions on the spot if they found those who had retreated.
This system exposes the soldiers rushing to the front line to a double threat: enemy fire and bullets in front, and in the rear, which may be the muzzle of the gendarmes. In this case, the choice to charge seems to be the only way out, and even if you die heroically in the end, you can get a certain pension and supreme honor, at least the life of your family will no longer be difficult.
However, in addition to charging and retreating, there is also an unwise option - which is to fall on the spot and play dead.
Why is this unwise?Because there are usually only two outcomes on the battlefield, either your side wins or loses, there are almost no cases where the two sides reach an agreement. If the opponent wins, the soldier who is playing dead will have to face the situation where the enemy clears the battlefield.
Some enemies were cruel and ruthless, preferring to inflict on corpses as a vent for their dissatisfaction with the war. For a soldier who pretended to be dead, it meant a life-and-death battle with several knives, and even if he did not die, he would hardly survive serious injuries. If you are captured alive by the enemy, you will face a fate more painful than death. Because even an enemy fighter will look down on those who pretend to be dead on the battlefield, and after returning to the rear, this soldier will inevitably be tortured and tortured, and there is no way to survive.
Of course, if your own team wins, the soldier who plays dead will not be welcomed by his teammates. If the soldier is seriously injured, he may be able to cover up and mislead his teammates into believing that he is a survivor of the battlefield. But if his teammates discover that the wounds on the soldier who pretended to be dead are not enough to put him unconscious, then a court-martialed trial will be his inevitable fate.
The laws of various countries usually impose severe penalties on such dishonest soldiers, and it is normal for them to be sentenced to five or ten years in prison. After being released from prison, the soldier will also face spurning from friends and family.
The reason why the warriors who charge forward choose such actions is not only to strive for victory, but also to survive.
On the battlefield, soldiers who play dead become stationary targets, while in an environment of intense artillery fire and bullets, moving soldiers have a better chance of survival. Moreover, sometimes, in order to avoid inadvertently injuring their own personnel, gunners are often more willing to launch attacks on stationary targets to achieve the purpose of deterrence. The battlefield is unpredictable, and no one can ** where the shells will land in the next second, and where the bullets will fly.
Therefore, in order to succeed in playing dead, it is necessary to have enough psychological qualities to be "indifferent" on the chaotic battlefield so that both teammates and opponents believe that this is a corpse. However, this is undoubtedly an extremely challenging task.
In addition, the factors that lead to the death of soldiers who play dead are also emerging on the battlefield. For example, when a large-scale battle breaks out, it is difficult to avoid a scuffle between the two sides.
Especially in ancient times, cold weapons were used, and after the war, countless people died due to stampede alone. For a soldier lying on the ground and pretending to be dead, this is almost the same as throwing himself into a trap. In addition, in ancient warfare, there was also the practice of cutting off the ears or heads of soldiers on the battlefield as a matter of discipline.
Once the enemy clears the battlefield, it will be an unimaginable pain for the soldiers who are playing dead. In contrast, the warriors who charged forward did not act blindly, their goal was to provide the conditions for victory in the war, and at the same time for their own survival. In some special teams such as the Volunteer Army, they showed the courage to charge, but they knew how to protect themselves and would not make meaningless sacrifices.
This was fully embodied in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, in which the Volunteers successfully broke through the enemy's defense line through precise tactical choices, creating favorable conditions for China's victory.
Every stormtrooper on the battlefield deserves to be remembered, and the world should spurn the soldier who pretends to be dead.