Without incredibly advanced technology over the enemy, how does one conquer a vastly superior army?

Question

I am think of the Spartans defending the pass with their 300. But they had another 4 or 5 thousand helping them. Not given enough credit in the Spartan wake. The Persian Army under Xerxes is said to have numbered 600,000. But some say the army may have been as much as 2 million. With those numbers, good as the Greeks might have been, the Persions should have won simply with a continued attack which would exhaust the Greeks to the point they could not hold a weapon or even stand. This is not an isolated case either Romans, Mongols and others had similar actual wins over a superior number (Spartans lost but Greeks won the naval battle and sent the Persians home, though not before burning Athens) Yes, I know the Spartans had heavier armor and defended a pass so narrow that only about 3 could pass at a time. But the Persians had great bows capable of 200 yards and could fire accurately coming or going on horseback. And an arrow capable of 200 yards fired at 50 yards is pretty certain to.

... Particularily some Roman victories when vastly superior forces encountered. Knowing what the Romans would hold in store for you if you lost and still lived would be a big motivator to fight to death.

An added note about the Persians vs the Spartans. Those Persian archers were skilled enough to rapidly fire two arrows very close together. One directly at target another lobbed in from high. Shields could only deflect on of the arrows. Now 2 to 1 odds I can comprehend. But when it's 10, 20, 30 or more to 1 it is so incredible. Yet I have little doubt the events happened, though exaggerated a tad.

Answer 1

Having nothing to lose certainly helps, when your enemy isnt afraid of wiping itself out to get the job done the stakes are raised quite a bit.

Answer 2

I could bore you with military history, and I guess I will. Just because an army has superior technology, it does not mean that they know how to employ it in such a way that you maximize its effects.

Take artillery for example. Those darned Europeans used it as a direct fire weapon even after it was rifled and capable of becoming an indirect fire weapon, capable of raining fire upon their enemies.

Sometimes the smaller group has superior tactics. The Spartans, for example defended a narrow gap. They took advantage of the terrain and was able to wreak havoc on the Persian army. They were also better trained. The Spartans were trained to be soldiers above all else, so they had courage and dedication, and they were fighting against an enemy of slaves...they definitely had a moral advantage.

There is guerilla warfare. Imagine how the British troop felt when those darned rebels in America refused to fight in standing columns marching toward a frontal attack. THose cowards used cover and concealment-how cowardly?!

What about assymetric warfare..use IEDs, information campaigns designed at breaking national will. That's what Al Qaeda does. They put out videos and audiotapes designed to scare the American public and embolden radical Islamists toward his cause. He has used propaganda very well against the US and Islamic fundamentalists. He plants cells worldwide ready to commit acts of violence that will decrease our resolve. If it all works, he'll have his way. We'll elect a government that pulls the soldiers out of Iraq, and the government will fall to Islamic extremists who will seek to dominate the Middle East and the area that was once the Ottoman Empire. He'll win by attrition, and we'll all be left wondering what happened.

He doesn't need sophisticated systems. He needs the news media and the ability to produce improvised explosive devices. With all of our technology, we cannot win without the will of the American public. Scary huh?

Answer 3

The Persians actually took a trail over and around the Spartans to come up from behind them. That is when the few thousand that were helping the Spartans were told to retreat. The 300 stayed to protect their retreat.

And the Spartans had bronze shields and armor that helped protect them against arrows.

Without technology an army has to rely on strategy and tactics. Not to mention training.

Answer 4

The Persians did win -- but it was the courage and determination of the Spartans to die with that much bravery that affected the Persian morale -- and caused them to question whether their invasion was likely to succeed in the end.

Don't underestimate morale -- a large army that has no real reason to fight can often be held at bay by a much smaller army that has passion.

That's why it's so important to get troops to hate their enemies -- because that hatred gives them the passion to press the attack -- which is why the first and most powerful weapon in any war is propoganda.

Answer 5

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Answer 6

Better training, and morale. Also, tactics are extremely important. There were many battles in US history where we were outnumbered and still came out victourious. For instance the Battle of New Orleans in the War of 1812. US tactics were so superior that only about a dozen men were killed, while the British lost several hundred.

Answer 7

Cunning, intelligence of thought and knowledge of the enemy's fighting style and the terrain, so both can be used against the enemy. Strength of will. Fierce belief. A lot of food.

Answer 8

In ancient days a weaker army tried to strike fear in their enemies by being more brutal, or practicing deception, or using night time attacks.

The prophet Mohammed led a small untrained group and conquered Mecca then conquered all of Arabia. He was brutal, he used surprise attacks, pretended to befriend others then attacked them. He killed those who disagreed with him and used religion to make other believe that to oppose him was to oppose God.

Answer 9

Dude, the movie was awesome!

Answer 10

better planning, better training, well rested before the battle, better fed and pride.