The rules of war have changed

2 minute read

The knight’s code of chivalry, established in the medieval period, set forth the “proper” way for knights to behave on and off the battlefield. It was built on principles like honor, honesty, valor, and loyalty.[1] By the eighteenth century, an extremely comprehensive set of rules and principles were established in the Western world that informed and directed soldiers on how to fight like gentlemen.

The point, of course, was to win your battle and defeat your enemy, but that didn’t mean you needed to be a “ruffian” about it. These widely accepted rules of engagement are almost comical today.[2] They included rules like:

This document is only available to members. Please log in or become a member.
 


Would you like to read this entire article?

If you already subscribe to this publication, just log in. If not, let us send you an email with a link that will allow you to read the entire article for free. Just complete the following form.

* required field