Military Manners and Customs

CHAPTER V.

Chapter 5165 wordsPublic domain

MILITARY STRATAGEMS.

Grotius’ theory of fair stratagems 126

The teaching of international law 127

Ancient and modern naval stratagems 127

Early Roman dislike of such stratagems 132

As ambuscades, feigned retreats, or night attacks 132

The degenerate standard of Frontinus and Polyænus 135

The Conference stratagem of modern Europe 136

The distinction between perfidy and stratagem 139

The perfidy of Francis I. 140

Vattel’s theory about spies 141

Frederick the Great’s military instructions about spies 142

Lord Wolseley on spies and truth in war 144

The custom of hanging or shooting spies 145

Better to keep them as prisoners of war 146

Balloonists regarded as spies 147

The practice of military surprises 148

Death formerly the penalty for capture in a surprise 150

Stratagems of uncertain character 151

Such as forged despatches or false intelligence 151

The use of the telegraph in deceiving the enemy 151

May prisoners of war be compelled to propagate lies? 152

General character of the military code of fraud 153