Not all brave acts are great military campaigns... This was one of the bravest moments in recent memory...

 As much as I admire the mans ability to remain seated and not scream like mad, I cant respect the fact he's set himself on fire, there are surely better ways to get a point across than suicide by burning. Thats just stupidity.

 Battle of Karbala in Iraq  680 A.D,between Husien(grandson of Muhammed) with 72 men against a massive Umayyad army 30,000 men  under Omer Bin Sa'ad Bin Abi Waqas.

LOL I acctually never heard of that story.

JASWANT GARH, India, Nov 7, 2002 - Forty years after his death, an Indian army rifleman has been promoted to major general' and is still believed to command' troops guarding the dizzy heights of India's eastern frontiers with China.

Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat of the Fourth Garhwal Rifles infantry regiment is the only soldier in the long history of the Indian army who is known to have risen through the ranks after his death.

Rawat remained at his post at an altitude of about 10,000 feet (3,000 meters) and held back advancing Chinese troops for three days single-handedly before succumbing to an enemy bullet during the bloody winter war with China in 1962 along the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh.

The rifleman may have died, but his heroics have not gone unrecognised -- Rawat gets an unofficial promotion at regular intervals, with his rank today being that of a major general.

The post that he held to repulse the Chinese troops has been renamed Jaswant Garh in recognition of his courage.

Rawat's act of bravado has earned him a distinct place among all ranks of the federal army manning the unfenced 1,030 kilometer (650 mile) Sino-Indian border -- for many he is like a guardian angel protecting the frontiers.

Myth, folklore, and superstitious beliefs are so strong among the soldiers that the battle site was converted into a Hindu temple with troops now giving Rawat the status of Baba' or saint.

"Army personnel passing by this route, be it a general or an ordinary soldier, make it a point to pay their respects at the shrine of Jaswant Singh or else they invoke his curse," said footsoldier Ram Narayan Singh.

"A major general once refused to pray at his shrine while crossing the area, saying this was just a superstition, but he met with a mysterious road accident a few kilometers away from here and died."

The Garhwal Rifles are today deployed on India's western borders, but the unit makes it a point to keep at least half-a-dozen personnel here to take care of Rawat as if he were alive.

"For us he is immortal and continues to protect and bless us in this treacherous mountain terrain," said a Garhwal Rifles soldier posted at Rawat's shrine.

He has an orderly who cooks for him daily, makes his bed, irons his clothes and polishes his boots, while guards patrol his shrine around the clock.

"Each morning his bed is found crumpled and his freshly ironed clothes lie crushed on the floor," another soldier said. "He is here all the time although we cannot see him."

According to locals and soldiers posted near Jaswant Garh, Rawat's spirit roams the area and he comes to their dreams and solves their woes and miseries.

"The respect that Rawat commands even after his death is something very rare in the Indian army," Major Jaideep Ghosh told AFP.

"I have never seen anything like this before anywhere of a martyred soldier still influencing the lives of the troops."

Legend has it that the Chinese troops after killing Rawat beheaded him and carried his torso as a trophy after he had stood alone against them, firing from a .303 rifle.

After the ceasefire, the Chinese commander, impressed by Rawat's bravery, returned the head along with a brass bust of the gallant soldier. The bust is now installed at the site of the battle.

"A nation that does not honour its dead warriors will perish," an army commander remarked as soldiers lit earthen lamps at nightfall to keep Rawat's memories alive.

                             By AFP/Zarir Hussain

http://www.thingsasian.com/goto_article/article.1878.html

The Sacrifice of the 300 Spartans at Thermopylae gave Greece the time and inspiration it needed to ultimately defeat the persians at the Battle of Salamina and Battle of Platea. Therefore, what the Spartans did was not stupid, but indeed heroic and brave. They thought not for themselves but of Greece.

The Jackobite's at Culloden were armed with Muskets,there kinda of integral to the Highland charge!not many muskets going around in the medieval era.
The 'Modern British army' you speak of was made up mainly Scotsmen,with English and a few Germans thrown in,but the bulk were Scottish.Cullloded was a battle between Scotsmen.

The British army consisted of, English Cavalry (with a few Germans) and a English Infantry battalion (one third of which were Lowland Scots and 600 Highland Clansmen).
1 Battalion of Infantry made up of Highlanders from the Clans,Campbell,Munro,Ross and Sutherland.
3 Battalions of Infantry made up of Lowland Scots from the Clans,Cathcart,Colville,Sempill,Kur and Cunningham(Artillery).

Jackobite army consisted of,mainly Scottish Highlanders (two thirds of the army) with around 800 Frenchmen and the French Irish Brigade (Exiled Irishmen fighting for France).There was even a Regiment of English Infantry fighting for the Bonny Prince but they were being used as a rear guard and werent present at culloden.
The Highland Clans in the Jackobite army are too numerous to mention,basically its all the rest  .

It takes Bravery to do a maneuver like the Highland Charge, after all you have to run into the first volley of musket shot, but i feel it was braver of the Scottish Redcoats (whooo,thats gonna sting ) who had to defend against the charge.
To defend against a Highland charge the Redcoats were trained in a new maneuver which took a hell of a lot of bravery and discipline.
Because the Highlander's Targe provided good protection infront of the man (his chest area) he could easily defend himself against a Bayonet wielding redcoat directly in front of himself.Whilst the Redcoats Bayonet is bouncing harmlessly of his Targe he can chop you in half with his Claymore.
To counter the Highland Charge the Redcoats didnt fight the man directly in front of themselves!they relied on the man to there left to kill the Highlander in front of them!The man to the left of you can Bayonet your Highlander whilst you do the same for the man to your right.
Now that took balls! 
It worked too as there was only 50 Redcoat deaths and another 254 wounded,not bad for ending a Rebellion.




Edited by Gavriel - 24-Oct-2006 at 18:56

Defense of Musa Dagh

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Forty_Days_of_Musa_Dagh

Franz Werfel is my hero

Turkish İndependence Battle...

My secon choice is Manizkert,50000 Turks(mostly Turkmen) against nearly 200000 bryzantines...And Turan tactic was good used by Alparslan Khan

Pecheneg Turks in bryzantine army joined the Turk army.

Originally posted by Turk Nomad Turkish İndependence Battle... My secon choice is Manizkert,50000 Turks(mostly Turkmen) against nearly 200000 bryzantines...And Turan tactic was good used by Alparslan Khan Pecheneg Turks in bryzantine army joined the Turk army.       Other choice to Gallipoli,both sides were heroic.