# Do countries besides the U.S. have battle reenactments? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 5, 2005, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-countries-besides-the-u-s-have-battle-reenactments/283142 "2005-01-05T03:39:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![carlotta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@carlotta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carlotta)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-countries-besides-the-u-s-have-battle-reenactments/283142/1 "2005-01-05T03:39:53Z")
Was just listening to an old “This American Life” (Episode 38, 10/11/96, “Simulated Worlds”) and Ira Glass opines that it would be hard to imagine other countries doing anything like our Civil War battle reenactments. Actually it’s not hard for me to imagine at all. So I ask the far flung Doper community…does any other nationality devote weekends to dressing up like their ancestors and then pretending to kill each other while bickering about whether an ice chest is OK to bring along if sufficiently disguised as a wooden chest/oaken barrel/wicker basket? ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-countries-besides-the-u-s-have-battle-reenactments/283142/2 "2005-01-05T03:54:50Z")
There was a re-enactment in Sydney in March last year for the 200th anniversary of the [Battle of Vinegar Hill.](http://www.battleofvinegarhill.com.au/register.htm) I’m sure I’ve also seen stories of various groups (mediaevalists etc) who stage re-enactments of battles such as Agincourt and Bosworth field. I’m pretty sure I’ve even heard of groups that do American civil war battles. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-countries-besides-the-u-s-have-battle-reenactments/283142/3 "2005-01-05T04:56:11Z")
I hear that those reenactments of the Battle of the Marne are a real blast… Or the Invasion of Normandy… But for a reenactment, you are going to need some sort of battle where people will feel comfortable being on either side. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-countries-besides-the-u-s-have-battle-reenactments/283142/4 "2005-01-05T04:57:30Z")
I would have been extremely surprised (Mr. Glass notwithstanding), to discover that there were no reenactors of [Waterloo](http://www.napoleonguide.com/reenact_8thligne.htm). ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-countries-besides-the-u-s-have-battle-reenactments/283142/5 "2005-01-05T05:03:36Z")
> [@Cunctator](#): > > I’m pretty sure I’ve even heard of groups that do American civil war battles. [This site](http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Quarters/4404/) gives details of an Australian-based group of American civil war enthusiasts who stage re-enactments. ---
**Author:** ![quicken78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/919ad9/32.png) [@quicken78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quicken78)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-countries-besides-the-u-s-have-battle-reenactments/283142/6 "2005-01-05T05:14:22Z")
This link is for an article on the first ever re-enactment in October of the Charge of the Light Brigade. > **[The Times & The Sunday Times](https://www.thetimes.co.uk/)** > > News and opinion from The Times & The Sunday Times “In the Valley of Death, our correspondent witnesses a thrilling re-enactment of the disastrous cavalry charge at Balaclava 150 years ago” ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-countries-besides-the-u-s-have-battle-reenactments/283142/7 "2005-01-05T05:16:51Z")
> [@](#): > > But for a reenactment, you are going to need some sort of battle where people will feel comfortable being on either side. Yeah. I’d be surprised to find a reenactment of Rorke’s Drift. Of course, [color me surprised](http://www.rorkesdriftvc.com/links.htm), (they even seem to have folks to act the Zulu parts). ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-countries-besides-the-u-s-have-battle-reenactments/283142/8 "2005-01-05T06:16:52Z")
The [Sealed Knot](http://www.sealedknot.org/) reenact the English civil war. ---
**Author:** ![Xgemina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/b5e925/32.png) [@Xgemina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xgemina)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-countries-besides-the-u-s-have-battle-reenactments/283142/9 "2005-01-05T08:19:01Z")
There is Legio X Gemina in the Netherlands for Roman reenactments. [http://www.gemina.nl/English/index.html](http://www.gemina.nl/English/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![Gaius.Cornelius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b487fb/32.png) [@Gaius.Cornelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaius.Cornelius)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-countries-besides-the-u-s-have-battle-reenactments/283142/10 "2005-01-05T08:29:26Z")
…and in the UK there are more Romans in [Legio Secunda Augusta](http://www.legiiavg.org.uk/) - of which I happen to be a member. Re-enactment has gone from strength to strength in the UK, a fact not lost on TV producers who make use of such societies for many historical documentaries. “A History of Britian” must have used dozens of such societies. What I find remarkable is that in the UK there are re-enactors for periods and cultures that have no direct connection with this country: there are groups for periods such as the American Civil war, Greek Hoplites etc. ---
**Author:** ![cckerberos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-countries-besides-the-u-s-have-battle-reenactments/283142/11 "2005-01-05T08:40:20Z")
> [@BobT](#): > > But for a reenactment, you are going to need some sort of battle where people will feel comfortable being on either side. I don’t think that would be much of a problem for some conflicts. I mean, there are plenty of waffen SS reenactors. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-countries-besides-the-u-s-have-battle-reenactments/283142/12 "2005-01-05T09:30:37Z")
> [@BobT](#): > > Or the Invasion of Normandy… > > But for a reenactment, you are going to need some sort of battle where people will feel comfortable being on either side. Hey, I’d man an MG42 on the Atlantic Wall for a Day. ---
**Author:** ![marky33](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@marky33](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marky33)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-countries-besides-the-u-s-have-battle-reenactments/283142/13 "2005-01-05T09:56:14Z")
Was in the Mexican city of Zacatacas one year on their National Day, throughout which a “battle” raged on a hill outside town. I did discover which battle was being re-enacted but can’t remember now. ---
**Author:** ![carlotta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@carlotta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carlotta)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-countries-besides-the-u-s-have-battle-reenactments/283142/14 "2005-01-05T13:55:39Z")
Ha! So there Ira Glass, not only do other countries have battle reenactments, they have **American Civil War** reenactments. Thanks guys! More ignorance fought! ---
**Author:** ![galen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecc23a/32.png) [@galen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-countries-besides-the-u-s-have-battle-reenactments/283142/15 "2005-01-05T14:01:24Z")
Most people of the world have seen too much real war to have any romantic notions about it like Americans seem to have.