Trench Warfare 1914-1918: The Live And Let Live System
by Tony Ashworth /
2000 / English / PDF
107.1 MB Download
Pan Grand Strategy Series.
Tony Ashworth researched this topic based upon diaries, letters, and testimonies of veterans from the war. He discovered that 'live and let live' was widely known about, at the time, and was common usually at specific times and places. It was often to be found when a unit had been withdrawn from battle and was sent to a rest sector. This behaviour was found at the small-unit level, sections, platoons or companies, usually observed by the "other ranks" e.g. privates and non-commissioned officers. Examples were found from the lone soldier standing sentry duty, refusing to fire on exposed enemy soldiers, up to snipers, machine-guns teams and even field-artillery batteries. The Division, Corps and Army commanders and their staffs were aware of this tendency towards non-aggression, and would sometimes analyse casualty statistics to detect it. Raids or patrols were often ordered to foster the correct "offensive spirit" in the troops. The 'live and let live' system was fragile and was easily broken by occurrences of lethal force.
