Chivalry and Honor

[Stryker]

Mmmm, chivalry and honour in the 18th and 19th centuries, may have been an option for the very privileged few but I think you're looking at this through some very rose tinted glasses and been watching too many hollywood movies... not much honour and chivalry in these subjects;
The extermination of the Native Americans, the rape and pillage of numerous towns and cities by all sides during the napoleonic wars (the Russian army for example send to assist the Austrians against Napoleon looted and raped and destroyed everything in their path - so much so that the Austrians saw the French as liberators, the treatment of the Spanish at the hands of the French, the sacking of Vittoria by Wellingtons troops etc. etc.), the treatment of coloured slaves until the abolition. Did someone mention the american civil war?where the confederate troops (and women and children I believe) were put in camps and left to die with no food, sanitation or medicines. The European powers Rape of Africa, the treatment of the Aboriginies in Australia, the British concentration camps in the Boar war..... shall we go on.....not much honour there for the common man (or woman)

So the chivalric honour of a few rich gentlemen who were probably mates and/or related doesn't really cut it with me... I think in modern warfare, with the media everywhere, means armies can no longer get away with the things they used to, probably has done a lot to stop some of the more depraved goings on after the battle is won although the victors have still gotton away with murder on several occasions.. study what the Russians got away with between 1930 and 1950... makes what the Germans did pale into the shadows (almost).

bit of a ranting post and all from memory so feel free to correct or point out I may have missed the point...a good post Paul and a great discussion point at last.... but.....don't see a lot of chivalry in the history i've studied during this period (and there's a lot more I'm sure)