# History's greatest acts of bravery and cowardice **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 29, 2009, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historys-greatest-acts-of-bravery-and-cowardice/501311 "2009-06-29T03:14:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historys-greatest-acts-of-bravery-and-cowardice/501311/61 "2009-06-30T02:24:24Z")
> [@smiling\_bandit](#): > > Yes, but it wasn’t something that hapened every day or to whole cities. Furthermore, speaking to a previous poster as well, the Masadans could have arranged a surrender earlier. The longer they held out, the higher the price, but they would have survived and even gotten their freedom. Reading Josephus certainly makes that seem rather … unlikely. The Masadans were the last hold-outs of the Jewish Revolt, and the other rebels received short shift (according to Josephus, 2500 of them were sacrificed in the arena at Caesarea; thousands more were enslaved or crucified; hundreds were taken all the way to Rome to fight in the Arena there). Why would the Romans _not_ make an example of the last die-hards? Masada wasn’t a “whole city”, but rather a desert fortress containing the last, desperate and most fanatical rebels against Rome - and the Romans went through truly extraordinary efforts to root them out (as a fortress Masada is all but impregnable - looking at it today, it is hard to imagine the effort it must have taken to build the ramp in the middle of the wasteland). ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historys-greatest-acts-of-bravery-and-cowardice/501311/62 "2009-06-30T03:37:38Z")
Despite a few exchanges of opinion, this has rermained much more of a poll than a debate. Off to IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historys-greatest-acts-of-bravery-and-cowardice/501311/63 "2009-06-30T23:10:49Z")
Tank Man The guy that threw the shoe at Bush. Gandhi Not necessarily in that order ---
**Author:** ![BlinkingDuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eada6e/32.png) [@BlinkingDuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlinkingDuck)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2009, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historys-greatest-acts-of-bravery-and-cowardice/501311/64 "2009-07-01T21:11:08Z")
> [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](#): > > While this is not typically my style (that post was only the second time I have ever posted anything to Great Debates) but I would be interested in a site that states that the Romans did not usually enslave prisoners on a routine basis. > > That just seems to run counter to everything I have read/been taught about the Roman M.O. but I have certainly been misinformed before, so anything new I can learn is always welcome… > Thanks, Matthew Same here. I thought the Romans enslaved everything that moved. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2009, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historys-greatest-acts-of-bravery-and-cowardice/501311/65 "2009-07-02T00:17:54Z")
For cowardice, I present the decoy flight crew team from the [Munich massacre](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munich_massacre). Basic idea is that they told the terrorists that they could take a Boeing 727 to a Muslim country and take the hostages with them. In actuality, the flight crew were German police officers. The two leaders were supposed to check out the plane and the police officers were to take them out. It was a surprise attack on two men by five or six men. The officers instead took a vote amongst themselves, decided it was “certain death”, and abandoned post without notifying anyone. Needless to say, when the two terrorist leaders got to the plane to find it empty, they knew it was a trap and the situation went to hell, resulting in the deaths of every hostage. Nice work, guys. ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2009, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historys-greatest-acts-of-bravery-and-cowardice/501311/66 "2009-07-02T04:28:48Z")
> [@MonkeyMensch](#): > > [Arland\_D.\_Williams\_Jr.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arland_D._Williams_Jr.) > > I always think of the footage of that crash when I think of heroism. This is what I came in to mention,though my first thought was of Lenny Skutnik(the man who jumped in the river), but Mr.Williams and the two men on the helicopter are also etched in my memory.All 4 of their actions are spine tingling and bring tears to my eyes. > [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > The guy that threw the shoe at Bush. ..and then there are those that think this is “heroic”. I immediately did this :rolleyes: when I read it. ---
**Author:** ![SomeBodyUK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@SomeBodyUK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SomeBodyUK)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2009, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historys-greatest-acts-of-bravery-and-cowardice/501311/67 "2009-07-02T08:51:35Z")
Here’s a few Indian examples of bravery: [Tukaram Omble](http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_the-cop-who-knew-no-fear_1210635) > [@](#): > > As the car approached the signal, the terrorists opened fire on the cops, but were forced to reduce speed because of the barricades. > > Omble overtook the Skoda and stopped in front of it, forcing the driver of the car to swerve right and hit the divider. With the terrorists momentarily distracted, Omble sprang toward one of them, Amir Kasab, and gripped the barrel of the AK47 rifle with both hands. With the barrel pointing towards Omble, Amir pulled the trigger. A spray of bullets entered his stomach and intestine. Omble collapsed, but held on to the gun till he breathed his last, stopping Amir from shooting anyone else. [The Battle of Saragarhi](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Saragarhi) > [@](#): > > The Battle of Saragarhi was fought during the Tirah Campaign on 12 September 1897 between twenty-one Sikhs of the 4th Battalion (then 36th Sikhs) of the Sikh Regiment of British India, defending an army post, and 10,000 Afghan and Orakzai tribesmen in a last stand. [Yogendra Singh Yadav](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yogendra_Singh_Yadav) > [@](#): > > The approach was a vertical cliff face, snowbound at 16,500 feet. Grenadier Yadav, volunteering to lead the assault, was climbing the cliff face and fixing the ropes for further assault on the feature. Half-way up, an enemy bunker opened up machine gun and rocket fire. His Platoon Commander and two others fell to the heavy volume of automatic fire. Realising the enormity of the situation, he continued to scale the sheer cliff face alone through a volley of fire. In spite of having been hit by three bullets in his groin and shoulder, he climbed the remaining 60 feet and reached the top. He crawled up to the bunker critically injured and lobbed a grenade killing four Pakistani soldiers and neutralising enemy fire. This act was directly instrumental in facilitating the rest of the platoon in climbing up the cliff face. > > Grievously injured but with reckless disregard to personal safety, Grenadier Yadav now charged on to the second bunker and neutralised it with two of his colleagues in fierce hand-to-hand combat, killing three Pakistani soldiers. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2009, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historys-greatest-acts-of-bravery-and-cowardice/501311/68 "2009-07-02T13:00:59Z")
[Simo Hayha](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simo_H%C3%A4yh%C3%A4) for balls of pure titanium. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2009, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historys-greatest-acts-of-bravery-and-cowardice/501311/69 "2009-07-02T13:05:04Z")
Although I still don’t know a lot about it, I’m very impressed by Pope Leo I (Leo the Great) going out to parley with Attila the Hun when he threatened Rome in 452 AD. The government of Rome had fled. Leo didn’t command any army, and Attila’s forces were poised to take Rome. As far as I can tell there was no effective opposition. Leo effectively bought Attila off, promising and delivering a ransom of goods and spices, but I don’t think there was any reason Attila couldn’t have simply killed the pope, ridden into Rome, and taken everything he wanted. Later generations unsurprisingly were impressed by Leo, and there are paintings and dramatizations of the scene, and it’s been credited with stopping the advance of Attila (which I kinda doubt). Still, as far as I can tell, he went to the table with a hand that didn’t even have a pair, and bluffed to a win. > **[Suite 101 - How-tos, Inspiration and Other Ideas to Try](https://suite101.com/)** > > Suite101 helps you discover home ideas, DIY crafts, gardening, food, style inspiration, how-tos and other ideas to make your life better. > **[Pope Leo I](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Leo_the_Great)** > > Pope Leo I (c. 400 – 10 November 461), also known as Leo the Great, was Bishop of Rome from 29 September 440 until his death. > Leo was a Roman aristocrat, and was the first pope to have been called "the Great". He is perhaps best known for having met Attila the Hun in 452 and persuaded him to turn back from his invasion of Italy. He is also a Doctor of the Church, most remembered theologically for issuing the Tome of Leo, a document which was a major foundation to the debates of the Council of Ch... [http://www.stleo.com/Patron.htm](http://www.stleo.com/Patron.htm) ---
**Author:** ![constanze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@constanze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/constanze)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2009, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historys-greatest-acts-of-bravery-and-cowardice/501311/70 "2009-07-02T20:28:13Z")
The freedom riders; the people who followed Martin Luther King on his walks (among them teenagers); the people who followed Mahatma Ghandi. To fight in a battle is one thing; but to go out knowing that you will be brutally beaten, will suffer serious injuries that might cripple you for life or even kill you, while all around you, women and young people and friends are similarly brutalized, and forcing yourself not to fight back, not to defend, all that with only your own will power and your conviction that the truth is right and will endure in the end, even if you might not survive this … I can’t imagine the bravery of this. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2009, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historys-greatest-acts-of-bravery-and-cowardice/501311/71 "2009-07-02T20:34:10Z")
> [@interface2x](#): > > For cowardice, I present the decoy flight crew team from the [Munich massacre](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munich_massacre). Basic idea is that they told the terrorists that they could take a Boeing 727 to a Muslim country and take the hostages with them. In actuality, the flight crew were German police officers. The two leaders were supposed to check out the plane and the police officers were to take them out. It was a surprise attack on two men by five or six men. > > The officers instead took a vote amongst themselves, decided it was “certain death”, and abandoned post without notifying anyone. Needless to say, when the two terrorist leaders got to the plane to find it empty, they knew it was a trap and the situation went to hell, resulting in the deaths of every hostage. > > Nice work, guys. That’s some outstanding cowardice! I never knew about that. Reading further, it would appear that there was plenty of cowardice going around in the German government as well - ordering a cover-up of the incompetence involved. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historys-greatest-acts-of-bravery-and-cowardice/501311.md?page=3)