h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Thanks Potholer, I think that is what I was thinking of.

There have probably been evolving standards of what is acceptable conduct in war since the begining of warfare. I suspect the modern concept of the laws of war was probably started as professional armies and the officer corps came into being. The roots probably go back to the concepts of chivalry.

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Saddam Hussein tried that and look how far that got him. The Geneva convention specifically prohibits placing civilians in a place of danger to deter attack by an enemy.

Donald

there are things that were common in warfare that are now usually considered unacceptable
eg selling a defeated enemy into slavery as the Romans did on a regular basis
executing a garrision that refused to surrender
allowing your troops to sack a captured town as a reward

on the other hand until the Napoleonic era and the modern nation-state for most people a war made no difference to their lives unless they were living in 1 of the fought over areas
modern technology and the power of the modern state have made war vastly more destructive even if conducted in a more 'civilised' way

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I have just finished reading Manda Scott's Boudica trilogy, which gives a real appreciation of what that must have been like.

>> allowing your troops to sack a captured town as a reward <<

Thats the problem of being a soldier to-day, they have taken all the fun out of it. They never told us that rape and pillage was banned until after we had joined.

Whatever the atrocities, the winning side will usually try to justify their actions & condemn those of the opposition.