Would you flee from the battlefield?

[Lykaor]

Ok, just imagine, a terrible war, no water or food, killing civilians, guerillas, etc., realy a killing around the clock.
But it's realy about something (maybe the existing of your nation?)
But now there's chance to get away from this.
Would you use this chance? Or stay fighting in this hell?

[Poisoner]

I would fight to the death and kill them all.

[Captain Kirk]

Maybe I'd stay for the existence of the human race, unfortunatly, it's hard for me to judge myself coming from (at a least a reasonably) stable background. But from what I think I know about myself, I'd run. Also, I'd like some more information if possible to make a desicion I can truly back.

[molonthegreat]

I would die For King and country

[mocker]

I'm a civilian, my place is not in a battle.

[Crul]

Its pretty easy to stay that I will fight to the end and give my all etc...

But unless you are in the middle of it all, right at the front lines you won't know. You have to be there to decide, to know how you feel. I think only then will you be able to decide

[Tom Paine]

I'd probably end up dropping arms and fleeing, if my family wasn't threatened - and who rules the nation doesn't really tend to threaten my own family.

[enoch]

I would run but then come back to scavenge through the corpses
good business is always morally correct.....?

[Enemy of the State]

Its hard to say now. I would say no, but how would i feel if such a situation really happens? Depends on what the war is like i guess.
If the continued existance of my country is at stake, then i would fight to the end. For the fatherland!
As for somewhere else on foreign soil, where my country does not really have a place in(Say in the mid-east) i would not rule it out. I dont know how i would feel.

[Silver Guard]

After a time in a battlezone such as that I don't think i'd be fit to think about anything, let alone running away. Though I probably wouldn't last that long either.

[Chaigidel]

yah I would only fight if my family was threatened or if someone tried to disarm me--- i pray no such war ever reaches us , but perhaps it will.

[Lord Condormanius]

I think that there are too many ifs to properly answer this question. Why am I on the battlefield in the first place? That doesn't sound like the first place one would look for me.

It is easy to say what one would or would not do in such a situation, but until we are actually in it, there is no way to tell.

LC

[redirflow]

NO, I AM A SOLDIER. I WILL FIGHT (FOR MY HOMELAND) AND I WILL SURVIVE (FOR MY FAMILY).

[Blau&Gruen]

One of my instruction noncommissioned officer had been asked once, when we young lads were in the field. What would you do, if there over the ridge came at that moment enemy infantery? He smiled and said, I would run as fast as I could. On the other hand I remember a reportage several years ago, where an infantery captain was shown ordering his men to charge blank steal out of the defence position in a desparate situation. The reporter made a rather arrogant remark, whose wording I do not remember exactely. Who will do what, is hard to decide in advance and whether the decision is the right one, you likely know only afterwards.

[Khosson]

I would stay.But it is verry easy to say such thing from the warmth and safety of my home.

[removeduser_426582376423734]

Words are worthless. I'd listen to whatever took over first, balls or brain.

[RZZZA]

Theres a good civil war book that deals with this topic called The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Cranes. Its standard reading in a lot of history courses.


It deals with cowardice and with bravery, with desertion and sacrifice.

[Blau&Gruen]

It deals with cowardice and with bravery, with desertion and sacrifice.

Interesting hint, thanks.

[redirflow]

@AbrahamShalom,

I would appreciate if you could tell me the names of
"run away" heroes in your country history? example please?

[RZZZA]

the main character in the Red Badge of Courage was a greenhorn of combat, he also thought that he'd never ever desert. But when people around you start running in the same direction your enemy is running....you tend to start running as well, you'd have to be crazy not to.

anyway, the main character deserts and has to deal with his own guilt for a few chapters. Then he finds his unit again and gets into another pitched battle. This time he stands his ground and fires his rifle relentlesly until his throat is parched and his body is tired from exhaustion...

but he earns his red badge of courage in the end.

Overall I have to say that, at least in the civil war days, in old style combat....the choice to desert wasnt so much a personal choice but something you do out of pure necessity.

Would I flee from combat? If my comrades in arms were all fleeing then yes, I would. But as long as the morale held I dont think I could be the one to break and run.