Throughout history, humans have been at war with each other, be it over land, money, women, or anything that humans deem worth fighting for. No matter the cause or the reason for wars and battles, the basic principles of the tactics used stay the same:
- To out fight the enemy with minimum loss to yourself
- To trick the enemy
- To gain an ‘unfair’ advantage over your enemy
- To employ new technology against the enemy
These principles are what make up tactics, and must be used to help create new ones effective against the enemy.
Tactics have evolved over time, to allow for new technology, weapons, and people. As tactics evolve, they become better, or more specialized in their function. They might even become obsolete with new innovations. However, we can learn from old tactics, no matter how obsolete they are.
In the beginning of large-scale battles and wars, melee weapons and animals were the implements of war. Battles and wars during this time were famous, and inspired the youth to join the army. These wars were rife with tactical maneuvers.
A famous example of tactics used to assist an army in making a decisive difference in the battle was the Battle of Isandlwana, in 1879. Isandlwana was one of the greatest blows struck against the forces of 19th-century imperialism; events there reminded the colonial powers not to underestimate the capabilities of indigenous opposition. Initially cowed by British Fire power, the Zulu warriors then advanced rapidly towards the British lines and overwhelmed it in a savage wave of hand-to-hand fighting. At this time, the colonial powers stood unchallenged, their firepower and strength making their colonies obey them. But, this all changed with Isandlwana.
On the morning of the 20th of January 1879, Lord Chelmsford, the British General in charge of eradicating, left his base camp at Isandlwana, taking half of his forces with him, and leaving the rest to maintain the camp. This proved to be a fatal error. A force of 20,000 Zulu warriors attacked the camp the following morning, attacking a mere 2,400 British troops. There was a difference in tactics between the two forces: The Zulus used a tactics that Shaka Zulu himself had devised for his Impies (Regiments) to use, called the Bull-head attack, while the British opted for a tried and tested method of beating back fast attacks, which doesn’t really have an official name, but is most often referred to as a Stalwart defense (Both of these tactics, and several others are explained later)
On this day, the Zulu army claimed victory, through superior tactics and numbers. The British were not ready to defend against such an attack, and could not vary their tactics to suit the tactics of their enemies.