1. General Staff of the Reichswehr in 1930
I divide my officers into four classes; the clever, the lazy, the
industrious, and the stupid. Most often two of these qualities come
together. The officers who are clever and industrious are fitted for
the
highest staff appointments. Those who are stupid and lazy make up
around 90%
of every army in the world, and they can be used for routine work. The
man
who is clever and lazy however is for the very highest command; he has
the
temperament and nerves to deal with all situations. But whoever is
stupid
and industrious is a menace and must be removed immediately!
2. *WW II anecdote*.
An enemy decoy, built in occupied Holland, led to a tale that has been
told
and retold ever since by veteran Allied pilots. The German "airfield,"
constructed with meticulous care, was made almost entirely of wood.
There
were wooden hangars, oil tanks, gun emplacements, trucks, and aircraft.
The
Germans took so long in building their wooden decoy that Allied photo
experts had more than enough time to observe and report it. The day
finally
came when the decoy was finished, down to the last wooden plank. Early
the
following morning, a lone RAF plane crossed the Channel, came in low,
circled the field once, and dropped a large wooden bomb.
3. My favourite mobilisation order. So much for modern military
motivational
techniques!
Mobilisation Order by Emperor Haile Selassie - Abyssinia 1936
' Everyone will now be mobilised and all boys old enough to carry a
spear
will be sent to Addis Ababa '
' Married men will take their wives to carry food and to cook. Those
without
wives will take a woman without a husband. Woman with small babies need
not
go '
' The blind, those who cannot walk, or for any reason cannot carry a
spear,
are exempted.'
' Any one found at home after receipt of this order will be hanged.
m
.
