Welcome to my blog, dedicated to military history. More specifically, this
blog focuses on platoon level formations as they existed in the 20th century.
This however, does not mean the 19th and 21st centuries are left ignored, as
they both provide the basis for, and end result of, developments as they
occurred in the the 20th century.
Welcome
to my blog, dedicated to military history. More specifically, this blog focuses
on platoon level formations as they existed in the 20th century. This however,
does not mean the 19th and 21st centuries are left ignored, as they both
provide the basis for, and end result of, developments as they occurred in the
the 20th century.
The
NATO symbol for a friendly platoon
The most prominent of wars, not merely in the 20th century but indeed in
all of military history, is of course, World War II. It was a conflict unprecedented
in scale and brutality, and changed warfare in innumerable ways. Amongst the
innovations relevant to low-level infantry are the introduction of the
Sturmgewehr. In addition, many technologies already existent saw their maturity
and were mass issued. This includes submachine guns, semi-automatic rifles, and
general purpose machine guns, be it only in German use for the latter.
Following World War II in prominence, though preceding it in the
chronological sense, is World War I, also known as the Great War. Fought in
trenches, distinct characteristics of the war include the use of gas, tanks,
machine guns, and trench raiding tactics.
New weapons that saw the light of day as a result of the specific
challenges of trench-fighting include the man-portable mortar, flamethrower,
and submachine gun.
The
Royal Irish Rifles in WWI
An oft-forgotten conflict, the Korean War pitted the United Nations Command
against a combined Sino-North Korean-Soviet force. Principally fought with
World War II weaponry and equipment, this conflict saw many lessons of WWII
incorporated into the tactics of both sides.
Arguably the most prominent conflict in the otherwise "Cold" War,
the Vietnam War saw American, ANZAC, and South Vietnamese forces pitted agains
the communist North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong. The Vietnam war evolved
through the years, with the Viet Cong changing it's weaponry from WWII
hand-me-downs to the more modern SKS, and finally using the Kalashnikov rifles.
Finally, there is the Soviet-Afghan War, in which the Soviet Union support
the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan in a fight against the Mujahideen.Of a
particular interest to the platoon level formations are the Soviet Motor Rifle
Divisions, employing BMP and BTR vehicles as an organic element.
Mujahideen fighters in the Pakistan border region
All in all, the
20th century provides us with incredibly diverse battlefields which we will
explore. It should be noted that the short list of conflicts given above is not
exhaustive. The list merely contains the most prominent conflicts. It is not my
intention to downplay the importance or the sacrifices made in conflicts that
are not listed. Furthermore, though the parties involved in some of the
conflicts mentioned may be aligned with a certain political agenda, this blog
seeks to describe them in a neutral way. The political agendas associated with
various units, such as National-Socialism, Marxism, or Islamism are not
endorsed in any way, shape, or form.
It is my hope that
I have created a good impression of what is to come.
In the next post,
we will concern ourselves with the 1939 German Rifle Platoon.
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Sources:
NATO platoon
symbol: Public
Domain: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Platoon_Nato.svg
Royal Irish
Rifles: Public
Domain: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Royal_Irish_Rifles_ration_party_Somme_July_1916.jpg
Mujahideen: Erwin
Franzen; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Afghan_Muja_crossing_from_Saohol_Sar_pass_in_Durand_border_region_of_Pakistan,_August_1985.png
