The war in Ukraine seems to get uglier and uglier as it continues. I can remember at the beginning of the war there was some optimism from the West that all it would take to change the madman's mind about his illegal invasion, would be to level severe sanctions on the country. Well, sanctions have been levelled and authorities have not wavered.
It makes me wonder what is happening behind the scenes. What is the media not telling us?
Are the Russians behaving just as cruelly as the ancients, or the more recent tyrants of the 20th century? Will Kyiv fall? And if it does, how will the Russians treat the people? We seem to think that modern siege tactics changed from the barbaric strategies of old, but have they?
Milan Falls to the Goths, 539 A.D
In March of 539, after enduring a siege of a year, the starving residents of Milan surrendered to the combined armies of Goths and Burgundians. A year of starvation and the crippling siege was nothing compared to the atrocities that would await them when the Goths and Burgundians entered the city. All men of military age were killed, about 30, 000 in total. Then the women were systematically taken from their homes, raped and then sold into slavery, along with their children. They would be dispersed to distant lands where there was human trade. The city was decimated and its population all but depleted. The Goths quickly made it their home.
Pray for Ukraine
This systematic destruction of human life is unbearable to even write about. And yet, for all, we know it could be going on right now. All will be revealed in hindsight when the war is over and crimes paid for. But still, I can't help but wonder, will the Ukrainian men and POWs be killed like the Polish officers in Katyn? Will the women be raped like Germans after WWII or the children be sent off to Siberian gulags like the Crimean Tartars?
My answer: Most probably if that savage regime in the Kremlin stays in power.
Pray for the liberation of Ukraine.
We hope that you enjoyed our post comparing Comparing Military Strategies of the Past with the current war in Ukraine. Stay Tuned for the next post in our "Then & Now" Series
-Robert Bruton
