Surrender to whom you bloody fool. They have no leader!
Major Pitcairn on the British retreat from Concord when another officer suggested they must surrender to the Americans.
The cited quotes are probably apocryphal but throughout our wars our enemies have noted that we tend to do the unexpected. It was noted by German officers in both world wars, for example, that Americans would often scatter under fire and retreat. For most armies this would be a sign of defeat in that engagement. Instead, within minutes the Americans would try a different attack from a different angle, often employing new sources of heavy fire power. Americans called off an attack quickly when it wasn’t working and would try something new quickly. American, usually, materiel superiority gave us the luxury to be flexible in our attacks until we hit upon an approach that worked.
Reference is often made to an American way of life. There is also an American way of war, something for us to be more cognizant of.
We’ve spawned a new race here, Mr. Dikinson. Rougher, simpler; more violent, more enterprising; less refined. We’re a new nationality. We require a new nation.
Benjamin Franklin, 1776 screenplay.
