Tactical significance Last stand

1 tactical significance

1.1 fear of execution
1.2 protecting leader
1.3 defending tactically crucial point
1.4 buying time
1.5 perceived duty

tactical significance

a last stand last resort tactic, , chosen because defending force realizes or believes benefits of fighting outweigh benefits of retreat or surrender. arises strategic or moral considerations, such staying , fighting buy time wounded soldiers or civilians safe place, leading defenders conclude sacrifice essential greater success of campaign or cause, happened @ end of battle of thermopylae. situation can arise in several ways. 1 situation retreat defending force lead immediate defeat, due surrounding geography or shortage of supplies or support, happened royalist infantry on wadborough hill after battle of naseby.

custer s last stand in montana territory, united states in 1876 depicted in painting edgar samuel paxson.



the shangani patrol -- last stand of major allan wilson, matabeleland, 4 december 1893.

some military thinkers have cautioned against putting opposing force last stand situation, recognising trapped men fight harder. sun tzu wrote: surrounded enemy, must leave way of escape . similarly, have suggested deliberately putting own forces in such situation, example burning boats or bridges tempt them retreat.

the historian bryan perrett suggests although majority of last stands throughout history have seen defending force overwhelmed, on rare occasions outnumbered defenders succeed in desperate endeavours , live fight day, , lists battle of agincourt , battle of rorke s drift such engagements.

fear of execution

troops may fight last stand if believe executed if surrender.

in custer s last stand, @ end of battle, extent of soldiers resistance native indian warriors indicated had few doubts prospects survival if surrendered. in end, hilltop george armstrong custer s remaining troops made last stand made impossible custer s men secure defensive position. nevertheless, soldiers put dogged defence, , died fighting.

during warsaw ghetto uprising, end of 1942, jews trapped in warsaw ghetto learned deportations part of extermination process, deportees sent death camps. many of remaining jews decided revolt. first armed resistance in ghetto occurred in january 1943. on 19 april 1943, passover eve, germans entered ghetto. remaining jews knew germans murder them , decided resist germans last, rather surrender.

protecting leader

in cases, troops make last stand protect ruler or leader. when rome attacked in 1527 army of holy roman empire under emperor charles v, on 20,000 troops stormed city. 189 swiss guards made last stand against massive army forming square around st. peter s basilica give pope clement vii time escape through secret tunnels, , held doors until clement escape. in battle of hastings in 1066, saxon king harold ii battled norman william conqueror, invaded 7,000 men. after of saxons killed in battle, harold , housecarl bodyguard...fought on until arrow struck king in eye. after harold died, housecarl bodyguard made last stand , ...fought death around body of dead king. @ 1795 battle of krtsanisi, persian army led agha muhammad khan defeated georgians, 3 hundred aragvians - detachment of highlanders aragvi valley - loyally fought , died in order enable escape of king heraclius ii, remembered national heroes , canonized georgian church.

defending tactically crucial point

during second persian invasion of greece greeks hoped use narrow pass of thermopyla prevent vastly large army of persians outflanking them. greek force of 7,000 men marched north block pass in middle of 480 bc. persian army, ranging between 100,000 , 150,000, arrived @ pass in late august or september. during battle of thermopylae, vastly outnumbered greeks held off persians 7 days (including 3 of battle) before rear-guard annihilated in 1 of history s famous last stands. during 2 full days of battle, small force led leonidas blocked road massive persian army pass. when leonidas became aware force being outflanked, dismissed bulk of greek army , remained guard retreat 300 spartans, 700 thespians, 400 thebans, fighting death. although greeks lost battle did check advance of persian army , delay may have helped greeks prepare successful defence , win war.

buying time

sometimes, rather face annihilation @ hands of pursuing victorious army, rearguard tasked commander of defeated army hindering advance of victorious army. if rearguard destroyed in last stand, sacrifice may buy commander time disengage without losing majority of army happened during battle of roncevaux pass (778), , dunkirk evacuation (1940, in world war ii).

perceived duty

a last stand may last pitched battle of war position of defending force hopeless defending force considers duty not surrender until forced so, happened last royalist field army of first english civil war @ battle of stow-on-the-wold.