the most feared Warrior groups in history mankind has always been involved in Warfare and fighting of some sort right from the very beginning of time during the countless conflicts that have raged across the globe there are some groups that have carved out a reputation for ferocity skill and deadliness these are a few of the groups you definitely wouldn't want to face on the battlefield the arditi by the first world war the time of the Warrior was over replaced by the age of the soldier a small Cog in an Ever industrializing machine there were some units
however that still embodied the warrior ethos well into the modern era in order to break the stalemate of the trenches Italian military Chiefs formed a new unit designed to act as shock troops to seize enemy positions using tactics that were aggressive and audacious bordering on Reckless known as the arditi which means means the Bold ones this unit was composed of volunteers often from the alpini or berseri Mountain troops and unlike the Storm Troopers of Germany and Austria Hungary were not considered infantry but rather a separate branch of service their units were much smaller than typical
infantry ones made up of just four officers 41 ncos and 150 men like most Storm Troopers they relied more on speed and the element of surprise to achieve their objectives it was here that the similarities ended though they did have access to Modern Firearms such as a lighter version of the standard carono 1891 infantry rifle the moschetto carbine as well as machine guns and flamethrowers their main Armament were the noisy theut hand grenades which were intended more to disorientate the enemy than to kill sometimes carrying as many as 25 grenades each they also carried a
lethal combat dagger this knife was so iconic that they were often depicted in propaganda posters clenched between 's teeth as they were throwing their grenades their main tactic would be to advance under the cover of an artillery barrage which hopefully kept the enemy pinned down and unable to return fire once they were close enough the artillery would cease firing and the ardi would throw their grenades at the still hunkered down enemy tricking them into believing the barrage was still going on before the dust settled the ID would then leap into the trenches engaging in hand-to-hand
fighting their small knives gave them a tremendous advantage over their foes who were wielding cumbersome long barreled rifles with bayonets their tactics were a resounding success the first known IDI assault occurred on August 18th 1917 along the asuno front during the operation they caught the austr Hungarian Enemy by surprise and captured 500 soldiers and eight machine guns while only suffering minimal casualties because of their Elite status they were transported by train or truck rather than having to walk long distances like regular Infantry so were able to carry lighter loads instead of the heavy havers sacks
increasing their speed and Mobility they also received higher pay did not have to serve in the trenches and overall had better accommodations there was also a bonus system where they would receive financial rewards for capturing enemy Soldiers the price varying based on the prisoners rank this came at a cost though because of their lightly equipped nature they were devastating on the assault but lacked the ability to hold the ground they had taken it was not unusual ual for the Rd to sustain 30% casualty rates during their missions but this is not unexpected from a unit
whose motto is we either win or we all die hey everyone it's Chris you're probably used to hearing me during our advertisements but now I want to talk about something a little bit different every video we create is more than just content it's a blend of research creativity and passion for history we do it because we believe in the power of History it's lessons its stories and its ability to connect everyone sometimes the reality of operating a YouTube channel presents challenges like the occasional demonetization which impacts the ability to produce the content that we all
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thank you as always for your interest and your hunger for history the giras the girka name is derived from the town of Gorka in Central Nepal in the 18th century prit Nan Shaw became the ruler of the whole of Nepal after Conquering the neighboring principalities uniting them into one strong Empire the Warriors from these diverse regions became collectively known as giras in 184 a British expedition to Nepal met the giras in battle and were impressed by the skills and ferocity they exhibited likewise the giras had a mutual respect for the British and when the conflict
ended in 1816 a clause was included in the treaty allowing giras to be recruited into the East India Company Army which eventually integrated into the British army this was the beginning of one of the greatest ever Partnerships in military history over the centuries the giras have fought with bravery and distinction in numerous conflicts including several Wars in Central Asia during the Victorian era staying loyal to the British Empire even during the SE boy Mutiny and being among the first to be sent to quell any trouble in India or the tumultuous region in what is today
Pakistan and Afghanistan in the 20th and 21st centuries giras have fought in both world wars Cyprus Borneo the fauland and also Iraq and Afghanistan in the global war on terror the weapons used by the girka forces have changed over the centuries from flint lock muskets to Modern Firearms but one consistent part of their Arsenal is the famous kukri knife this 15 to 18in Long curved blade is carried by all giras and has been used on many occasions against foes unfortunate enough to be within their reach According to some there is a belief that once drawn
a cookery cannot be resheathed until it has tasted blood even that of the owner though this is an exaggeration and the knife is more likely to be used for food preparation than bloodletting by most accounts giras are friendly and affable when not on the battlefield giving them the moniker of the happy Warriors though when in combat they become implacable foes their motto it is better to die than be a coward has proven true time and again over the years giras have earned 13 Victoria crosses the highest award for bravery in the British Military and countless
other decorations today girk is are still an integral part of Britain's military with large numbers also serving in the Indian military it is certain that in the future their enemies will always tremble at the sound of their Battle Cry iali the giras are a on you Zulu warriors in the early 19th century under the leadership of the powerful King Shaka the Zulu people forged one of the most powerful Kingdoms in Africa their military might allowed them to conquer their neighbors and set themselves up as a major opponent to European colonization in southern Africa the backbone
of the Zulu's military was the amabutho system which was reformed under the reign of Shaka young men from throughout the kingdom would be conscripted into regiments called iuto commonly known as imp these units would live in their own barracks and all wear the same decorative ornaments such as feathers or Furs to distinguish themselves from other imp and were placed under the command of older more experienced Warriors who acted as officers the men would act as the Zulu King's military force but also had policing duties acted as a labor force and assisted in the king's hunting
parties like most militaries there was an intense interservice rivalry with the different regiments spying for Supremacy fights would often break out and so long as clubs and other blunt weapons were used little would be done to stop the altercations only when Spears were deployed would officers break up the fighting in one incident two regiments clashed leaving 70 men dead and many more wounded the most iconic part of the Zulu kit was the shield there are many different types varying greatly in size and shape but they were usually made from the hide of the nuni cattle
the most common type found of on the battlefield was called the isil langu which was oblong and around 5 ft in height a slit would be made in the center of the Hide through which a wooden staff would be inserted these shields were durable though they gave virtually no protection against the Firearms of European colonists before Shaka Rose to power the most common weapon was a throwing spear called an asagi though this was still used mainly for ranging a Target it was replaced by a shortened broad-bladed spear called an IA which was used for close-range
thrusting and stabing IAT was a reference to the sound that the weapon makes after being withdrawn from the Flesh of a victim the Zulu also made use of the nubry a wooden war club that would crush bone with each stroke they also had access to Firearms usually outdated flint lock muskets that were acquired through trade though their Battlefield Effectiveness was limited because the Zulu lacked the logistic system the Warriors lived off the land meaning Zulu campaigns were often short and aggressive this lack of a large baggage train allowed them to move rapidly covering great distances
in a short time catching their enemies unaware it's believed that an impy can cover 50 mi in a single day while on a campaign though 20 mi was more typical in order to harness this aggressive mindset Zulu Warfare emphasized on close combat often using the horns of the Buffalo tactic a Zulu Army would Advance on the enemy the head of the Buffalo made up of the most aggressive Warriors engaging the enemy pinning them in place behind them would be the horns made up of the fastest Runners when the moment was right they would sweep out
from behind the head encircling the enemy surrounded their enemy would either be destroyed or would break formation and be picked off as they tried to run the final section the loins would be made up of older more experienced and hopefully level-headed Warriors they would act as a reserve filling in with extra Manpower as required using these formidable tactics Shaka carved out an extensive Kingdom in South South Africa becoming a dominant power in the region in later years the Zulu kingdom was one of the largest roadblocks to European expansion in the region in 1879 at the
Battle of asan lawana a Zulu Army destroyed a large British Force the speed of the Zulu Advance overwhelmed the British whose open order arrangement left them vulnerable to the close quarter fighting that the Zulu excelled at giving them the worst defeat ever of a colonial power at the hands of an indigenous force today the Zulu are the largest ethnic group in South Africa making up around 60% of the population the commanche the introduction of the horse to North America in the late 1400s by the Spanish conquistadors forever changed the lives of the indigenous people who
lived on the Great Plains in the central United States no tribe utilized the horse more effectively or fought more fiercely on them than the kamanche whose fighting prowess earned them the name the Lords of the Plains the kamanche were once part of the shishoni tribe and lived in what is now Wyoming in the late 1600s a large portion of them broke away forming their own tribe they moved South using horses as the backbone of their new lifestyle displacing other tribes along their path among the most famous of these encounters were with the Apache whom they
almost wiped out driving the remaining survivors into the Southwest though they called themselves the Nuna meaning the people their warlike nature gave them the name kamanchi a Corruption of an UT word meaning those who always fight against us the kamanchi were never a unified people but rather a collection of numerous bands that lived a nomadic lifestyle using their horses to follow the vast herds of Buffalo across the southern Great Plains in Texas Oklahoma New Mexico Colorado and Kansas in total around 24,000 square miles of territory were controlled by the kamanche at their Peak kamanche w
Warfare centered around the horse as one of the earliest adopters of horseback riding they far excelled other Native American tribes in their riding proficiency and often fought from horseback rather than use the animals as merely a form of Transport the most iconic weapon the kamanche used was the Lance tipped with a chip Stone and later metal Lance heads these weapons can reach up to 14 ft in length and could be used from horseback used one or two-handed to jab at an opponent the use of such a weapon was a display of of Bravery as the
user would have to close the distance rather than attack from long range they made use of many other weapons including bows Stone and Bone clubs Stone and later metal axes and knives and then eventually Firearms they also used hide Shields raiding was a favored tactic of the kamanche they would descend on the target using their horses to cover long distances quickly attacks would be brutal with those resisted killed outright While others especially young women and children would be taken captive though accounts may be exaggerated they would often torture their captives and would use them as
slaves adding to their fearsome reputation the kamanche were so Fierce that they were one of the main obstacles preventing Spanish and French territory from expanding further they fought many wars against the Mexicans Texans and later the United States fiercely resisting any encroachment on their territory in the mid 19th century multiple wars were fought against the United States which were among the most brutal and bloody conflicts between the native tribes and the American settlers their nomadic Lifestyles preventing them from being pinned down and a decisive blow struck in spite of their prowess they were eventually defeated
and forced onto reservations where their nomadic way of life ended today there are still around 10,000 kamanche mostly in Oklahoma but also Texas New Mexico and California the mai the mai arrived in New Zealand sometime in the 14 Century becoming the first inhabitants of the islands once settled there they formed numerous tribes all over the islands and were almost constantly at war with one another leading to the creation of complex rituals regarding Warfare combat is even woven within their creation myths with the sons of the first deities fighting among themselves and the pantheon featuring many
War gods Clans would fight with one another for a number of reasons including land and resources to avenge insults or to increase Mona or spiritual power settlements were often the target of attacks and as a result were fortified into defensive structures called paw made up of concentric rings of Earthworks and wooden Palisades during the seasons for Warfare the tribes would send out parties of Warriors which often numbered between 100 to 140 they were led by a war chief who encouraged the men and led by example fighting at the Forefront trying to defeat the strongest enemy
Champion to gain more Mana the chief was at the center of of the action should he be killed the rest of his Warriors would flee as a preparation for battle Maui Warriors would perform a dance called the Haka which involves chanting stomping slapping themselves and making gestures of stylized violence along with fearsome facial expressions such as bulging their eyes and sticking out their tongues the Warriors also carried out extensive tattooing covering their bodies with distinctive markings each one with important cultural significance further intimidating their Rivals there were many tactics employed by the Maui including raids
on Villages often conducted at night but they also made use of Guerilla Warfare ambushing Travelers on Overland routes or by using canoes along waterways they were also known to use deception in one incident a group of Warriors constructed a fake whale carcass made from dog skins and hid themselves near a rival paw when the villagers came out to investigate they leapt out and attacked the weapons used by the Mai were designed for close combat and made little use of ranged weapons though they did adopt muskets after contact with European settlers the putu or Club was
a common weapon which could be made from volcanic rock or Basalt whalebone or wood there was also a long staff made from wood called the Taha which was both an effective weapon and a symbol of authority commonly the Maui would strike at the upper body of the opponent to disarm them allowing a killing blow to the Head after a battle Survivor would either be finished off or taken into slavery where they would sometimes be integrated into the Conquering tribe very often the bodies of the slain would be consumed increasing their Mana Europeans first contacted the
mai in the 17th century who noted that they were a Fierce and warlike people in the following centuries acquisition of muskets led to the musket Wars a series of tribal conflicts in which several tribes were exterminated or displaced from their lands aided by the European Firepower in the the 19th century New Zealand was annexed by Great Britain though misunderstandings led to a series of conflicts between the settlers and the mai during the fighting the mai fought fiercely their fortified Paws proving surprisingly resistant to artillery bombardment and other forms of Modern Warfare for decades the mai
held out until the fighting ended when they were overwhelmed by sheer European numbers and Fir power today the mai are the largest minority ethnic group in New Zealand and participate in all aspects of society most famously the war dance the Haka once performed by Warriors headed to battle is now a fixture of New Zealand culture performed at weddings funerals graduations and sporting events the New Zealand national rugby team the All Blacks perform the haaka before each game to psych themselves up for a match and to intimidate their opponents and are considered one of the most
dominant sports teams in the world any foe can be dangerous but on battlefields throughout history some Warriors have earned a reputation as enemies you would just not want to face off against
