Why did Soldiers Fight in Lines? | Animated History

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Sources:
Chandler, David. The Campaigns of Napoleon. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1995.

“Concerning Fire-Arms.” Harper's Weekly, A Journal of Civilization . August 3, 1861.

Gates, David. Warfare in the Nineteenth Century. Basingstoke: Palgrave, 2001.

Jones, Archer. The Art of War in the Western World. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2001.

Washington, George, Dorothy Twohig, Philander D. Chase, and William Wright Abbot. The Papers of George Washington. Charlottesville (Va.): University press of Virginia, 1999.

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[TheArmchairHistorian]

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[ScorpoYT]

It really took balls of steel to march in such formations against cannon and musket fire

[edwardhardwick]

A point that cannot be stressed enough. People in the past *were not stupid* and we we not only do them a disservice by assuming that but we also severely handicap our ability to understand the past if we simply write off anything we don't understand as simply people in the past being dumb-dumbs who aren't as smart as us enlightened modern folk.

[BadBomb]

In the Russo-Japanese War during 1904-1905, western military observers already considered the use of the volley fire on Russia's side to be obsolete.

[EarlSoC]

When I used to tutor history to kids I used line tactics to explain how morale functions in strategy. Kids would ask me "Why would soldiers stand in line like that? Weren't they afraid of getting hurt?" "They were! And when they got too scared they'd run away, and if too many of your dudes run away then you lose!"

[oliversherman]

Not gonna lie, if I was in an 18th century battlefield and I saw a massive line of soldiers all aiming their muskets at me, I'd be terrified

[Hans]

I’m glad the the armchair historian is remaking older videos with improved animation

[HansLemurson]

To sum it up, the three big reasons seem to be:
-Concentration of Firepower
-Protection from Cavalry
-Unit Cohesion

[danesorensen]

I can imagine future generations remarking, "Can you believe as late as 2023 they were still sending actual human beings into combat? Madness!"

[chaosvolt]

The thing about early modern warfare that always gets me is this: throughout most of history, the average infantryman could expect that their way of fighting would provide SOME protection against the typical weapons of the era. The ancient Roman legionary had his mail and laminar armor providing layered protection for the shoulders because his shield covered most of the body, the medieval knight had mail and shields that steadily gave way to full-body plate armor, the modern soldier has field fortifications and ballistic armor, etc. At no point could they be sure of their invulnerability, but they could always expect that they had some bare minimum protection against what their enemy was using.

But line infantry outside of cover has nothing, just the hope that their volley fire is more effective than the enemy, or maybe the anticipation of a bayonet charge. They had to stand there and exchange fire in the open, as vulnerable as the poorest skirmishers of other eras.

[ryanluong]

It's also worth pointing out that linear warfare was just a continuation of formation fighting that was used for thousands of years. It was just the most practical way of organizing and commanding huge numbers of disciplined units instead of a disorganized armed mob. You can't effectively command an army if they're all spaced out and it's every man for themselves seeking cover. That's how you get routs like in The Patriot.

It's only when guns got stupid accurate and artillery extra explody that fighting in formation was no longer practical.

[andrealves]

Loved this. Im a history teacher in Brazil and I will be showing this to my students when teaching about warfare in the XVIII and early XIX centuries. They often think it is absolute madness to form soldiers in lines and have them standing there, taking fire and your video explaina the reasoning perfectly. Outstanding work!

[heebsgames]

I've also heard there was a huge psychological component to fighting in tight line formations. Soldiers were much more likely to hold their ground if they were side-by-side with men they trusted, whereas if they didn't have close support from their comrades they were much more prone to falling victim to their self-preservation instincts and running away.

[Laucron]

Absolutely terrifying to imagine yourself in that situation, knowing a wall of lead will come flying in your direction as soon as the guys on the other side finish reloading

[jackalhead]

No shields for cover no armor to protect themselves and no helmets
Just their coats, their hats, their breeches, a musket and an incredible amount of luck
Whoever fought in those lines were the bravest souls no matter what country they were from
I salute all of them

[diarradunlap]

"YOU will only be risking your lives, whilst *I* will be risking an almost certain Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor!" - Hedley Lamaar, "Blazing Saddles!"

[Vinzaf]

Wars are still fought in lines. It's just that one unit can control a very large area on its own, so the lines are very, very, very long.

[mnk]

Generals and soldiers of all nations for about three centuries: *uses line tactics
Some nerd who get's winded from climbing the stairs out of his basement: "lol, idiots."

[jonathanj.]

At 7:11 I actually giggled a little bit at that Patriot movie reference.

[Gelwain]

You nailed every point, especially massed fire and Calvary weakness. Once routed, that was that, and all throughout history, Calvarymen licked their chops at the thought of running down a fleeing, disorganized rabble.