Opposing Armies facts

While investigating facts about Opposing Armies, I found out little known, but curios details like:

John Laurens, an officer in the Continental Army who strongly opposed slavery, and tried unsuccessfully multiple times to institute black regiments in the struggle for independence. His abolitionist views were admirable, considering his South Carolina birth and father’s ownership of slaves.

In 16th century China, when the imperial army and navy failed to defeat Japanese pirates, Shaolin monks were dispatched to get rid of them. In one battle, the monks were especially ruthless, killing every single opposing pirate over a ten day period, including one's wife that tried to flee

In my opinion, it is useful to put together a list of the most interesting details from trusted sources that I've come across. Here are 21 of the best facts about Opposing Armies I managed to collect.

1. Robert E. Lee privately opposed the confederacy and slavery, and was offered command of the union army, but ultimately decided he couldn't wage war against his own state, Virginia.

2. During a major Civil War battle, both armies briefly stopped fighting to watch a fist fight between two opposing soldiers who had both taken cover in the same place.

3. A white person who lived in the Confederate States, opposed succession, and was against the Civil War were called Southern Unionists. Over 100,000 of them served in the Union Army and every Southern state, minus South Carolina, raised at least one battalion.

4. About Italy's elite special force for WWI called the Ariditi. The soldiers, wielding only a knife and grenades could clear entire trenches. Hence being called "the most feared corps by opposing armies"

5. Potatoes became a much more common crop in Germany during the Thirty Years" War. Potatoes had only recently been imported to Germany from the Americas, but necessity made them more popular. Opposing armies often targeted the fields of their enemies, but since potatoes are a root it was much more difficult to destroy potato crops.

6. In the American Civil War, Missouri was a border state that sent men, armies, generals, and supplies to both opposing sides, had its star on both flags, had separate governments representing each side, and endured a neighbor-against-neighbor intrastate war within the larger national war.

7. The Americans misunderstood French-Canadian culture and were somewhat arrogant in their regards to the population. Most of the officers in the Continental Army and the members of the Continental Congress were very anti-French during the French and Indian War and even opposed the restoration of French colonists rights under the Quebec Act of 1774. Still, for some reason, they believed that the French-Canadians would rise up in popular rebellion against the British and join the American cause.

8. At the Battle of Almansa in 1707 the french army was led by an englishman, while the opposing english army was led by a frenchman.

9. During a major Civil War battle, both armies briefly stopped fighting to watch a fist fight between two opposing soldiers who had both taken cover in the same place.

10. Over 60,000 soldiers were killed by avalanches in the Alps during WW1. After over 10,000 died in one night the Armies starting causing them purposely to bury opposing troop lines. They killed more troops than all of the poison gas attacks combined.

What is true about opposing armies?

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There was a army that fought for nazi germany called the ''Russian Liberation Army''. It was made up of russians who opposed communism and was led by a defected soviet general.

Opposed to Emperor Hirohito surrendering in WW2, rebels from the Imperial Army raided the palace to destroy the recording of the declaration but couldn't find it, confused by the layout of the palace. It was smuggled out in a laundry basket of women's underwear and broadcast the next day. - source

The Skeleton Army was a group that opposed the anti-alcohol work on the Salvation Army in the late 1800's. - source

During the Battle of Alesia, Julius Caesar built two walls around the castle his enemies were hiding in, and kept his army between the two. 24 miles of wall were built in total, for the sole purpose of starving the opposing army

A group calling themselves the Skeleton Army violently clashed with the Salvation Army in England for several yaers. They opposed the SA's anti-alcohol lobbying under the motto "Beef, Beer and Bacca". - source

Clement Vallandigham, an Ohio Representative during the Civil War, was convicted at an Army court martial for opposing the war and exiled to the Confederacy. He later tried to run for Governor of Ohio from Canada.

The Songhai army was routed by an opposing numerically inferior Moroccan force in 1591. This wasn't because of the Moroccan gunpowder weapons, but because the explosions caused a herd of cattle to stampede over the Songhai.

During a Chinese War fought around 603 BC, Xiong Yiliao stepped out between the armies and started juggling 9 balls. The opposing troops were so amazed that all 500 of them turned around, fled, and lost the war.

The german army in 3rd Reich (Wehrmacht) opposed the SS to protect prisoners