It's often baffled me why the traditional Dutch defence against invasion was to open their dams floodgates at the first sign of danger. How exactly does drowning yourself and ruining the land help against an incursion? They definatley used this technique when the French invaded in the 17th Century, but who thought this was a good idea? What exactly were they hoping to achieve? And have any other nations used a similarly stupid defence against invaders? (i.e. If Moroco was invaded by the Tunisians did they Morocans retaliate by torching their own houses?)
Enquiring minds need to know.
Scottish military strategy, pre-Union, was as follows:
Find big hill
Run down hill
Wave big sword
Shout "Aaaaaaaarrrrgh!"
Stab people.
You may be surprised to hear this strategy worked very well until the Battle of Culloden, when Bonnie Prince Charlie and his senior staff picked a big flat moor instead of a hill for their battle.
The English also sent a bunch of men to sit behind a wall parallel with the Scottish charge and cut them to pieces from the side.
By the time the big hairy Highlanders reached the enemy, they were knackered anyway due to the distance they had to run with no hill to help them.
A sad day. The Jacobite army got as far as Derby, you know, and were about to advance on London before they had to go home because the baddies - that's you southern lot - were wandering around killing people.
- The Trout thinks wistfully of what might have been...
Post union?!?!
English send Scots and Welsh and Irish off to far flung corners of the world to fight for them........ :-)
Yer Slippo
Careful now, Slippery one.
Let's not wind up the southerners too much. They may find out just how much power the Scottish consipracy actually has...
- McTrout
Just witness the demise of Liverpool against the mighty hoops 2 weeks ago in the UEFA cup.
NO!!! There is only one mighty hoops in Scotland and they play in blue and white!
None of yer no Scots, hatred fuelled old infirm for us.......... The demise of Scots football, could be directly related to the influx of poor foreign talent by the top teams when no one else could keep up.
Yer "ton" Slippo
Were you pleased or not when you saw the result? Answer honestly.
Honestly. I couldnt give a frig. Although I do work with an "Toffee" and he bought me a coffee at work, alhough he was a little perturbed when I told him I didnt support either of the old infirm.
I was a thrilled green and white fish until Inverness Caley Thistle beat us a few days later.
Rats.
- Trout
I thought our stragegy was to:
Find big safe hill, sit tight until we've almost won, THEN go against orders, break ranks, snatch defeat fi the jaws of victory and
Run down hill
Wave big sword
Shout "Aaaaaaaarrrrgh!"
get Stabbed maimed etc
lose heroicly and blame the English.
This also covers football and politics..
Proudhuff
"blame the English"
That would be Plan B, Proudy.
Useful in any given situation.
- Trout
Bit of surfing gave me this... not the whole story but a start:
"The famous defence of Haarlem, lasting through the winter of 1572 to July 1573, cost the besiegers 12,000 lives, and gave the insurgent provinces time to breathe. The example Haarlem of Haarlem was followed by Alkmaar, and with better and success. The assault of the Spaniards was repulsed, Alkmaar. the dykes were cut, and Don Frederick, fearing for his communications, beat a hasty retreat."
and
"The Spaniards laid siege to Leiden, and though stricken down by a fever at Delft the prince spared no exertion to save the town. The siege dykes were cut, the land flooded, but again and again a relieving force was baulked in its attempts to reach the place, which for more than four months bravely defended itself. But when at the very last extremity through famine, a tempestuous flood enabled the vessels of Orangc to reach Leiden, and the investing force was driven to retreal (October 3, 1574). This was the turning-point of the first stage in the struggle for Dutch independence."
See my reply on Americans.
Scottish logic, when all else fails. Whinge about the english!!!
Yer Slippo
Saw a some comedians at the weekend... one of which pointed out that due to US tendancies towards "friendly fire" it was a good job they turned up late for the 2 world wars or else we'd never have won.
Well with the latest 'Iran, you're next pal if even think of Anthrax' and 'Syria! you want some, eh! You want some!' attitude of the Bush adminisration it looks like the Americans want to make up for being late for the last two world wars by being really prompt for the next one...