![]() ![]() The Shangani Patrol - The last stand of Major Allan Wilson, Matabeleland, 4 December 1893. One situation is that retreat by the defending force would lead to immediate defeat, usually due to the surrounding geography or shortage of supplies or support, as happened to the Royalist infantry on Wadborough Hill after the Battle of Naseby. This usually arises from strategic or moral considerations, such as staying and fighting to buy time for wounded soldiers or civilians to get to a safe place, leading defenders to conclude that their sacrifice is essential to the greater success of their campaign or cause, as happened at the end of the Battle of Saragarhi. Some last stands have become a celebrated part of a fighting force's or a country's history, especially if the defenders accomplished their goals (or in rare cases, defeated their attackers).Ī "last stand" is a last resort tactic, and is chosen because the defending force realizes or believes the benefits of fighting outweigh the benefits of retreat or surrender. Last stands loom large in history, as the heroism and sacrifice of the defenders exert a large pull on the public's imagination. ![]() ![]() Troops may make a last stand due to a sense of duty because they are defending a tactically crucial point to buy time to enable a trapped army, person, or group of people to escape due to fear of execution if captured or to protect their ruler or leader. The last stand of the survivors of Her Majesty's 44th Regiment of Foot at Gandamak in Afghanistan in 1842, painted by William Barnes WollenĪ last stand is a military situation in which a body of troops holds a defensive position in the face of overwhelming and virtually insurmountable odds. ![]()
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