# The creation of "super soldiers": Obviously we can, but should we? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 14, 2003, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-creation-of-super-soldiers-obviously-we-can-but-should-we/148448 "2003-01-14T02:48:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-creation-of-super-soldiers-obviously-we-can-but-should-we/148448/101 "2003-01-23T02:50:50Z")
Well, of course! From December 7th 1941, through August 14th 1945, the Soviet Union was the good guys! They were only evil before and afterward. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![hlujarn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/7bcc69/32.png) [@hlujarn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hlujarn)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-creation-of-super-soldiers-obviously-we-can-but-should-we/148448/102 "2003-01-23T03:10:07Z")
PLease tell me what countries didn’t use horses during the war. ---
**Author:** ![hlujarn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/7bcc69/32.png) [@hlujarn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hlujarn)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-creation-of-super-soldiers-obviously-we-can-but-should-we/148448/103 "2003-01-23T03:21:04Z")
I’d like to point out as well that the main reason for the failure of op. Barbarossa was that Hitler insisted that the operation be finished before winter. The invading army didn’t have any winter gear. Also, the invasion was very successful and Moscow would have been taken were it not for Hitlers insistence of clearing small pockets of resistance which halted the drive to Moscow, giving Russia time to regroup. That’s what you get when politicians meddle in the affair of war. (A mad one in this case) ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-creation-of-super-soldiers-obviously-we-can-but-should-we/148448/104 "2003-01-23T04:15:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by hlujarn \* > \*\*PLease tell me what countries didn’t use horses during the war. \*\* I believe the American, British, and Canadian armies were fully motorized. ---
**Author:** ![Netbrian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71e660/32.png) [@Netbrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Netbrian)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-creation-of-super-soldiers-obviously-we-can-but-should-we/148448/105 "2003-01-23T05:09:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tracer \* > \*\*Well, of course! From December 7th 1941, through August 14th 1945, the Soviet Union was the good guys! They were only evil before and afterward. :rolleyes: \*\* I’m not sure anyone was particularly enthusiastic about this alliance, or claimed that somehow the Russian government at that time was great (at least anyone writing stuff for newspapers). It was just the government that happened to be fighting our enemy as well. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-creation-of-super-soldiers-obviously-we-can-but-should-we/148448/106 "2003-01-23T09:05:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SenorBeef \* > \*\*I believe the American, British, and Canadian armies were fully motorized. \*\* Mostly. Horses were used extensively to support US Army [mountain operations in mainland Italy](http://www.qmfound.com/remount_in_italy_wwii.htm), Sicily and Burma. US Army horse cavalry units existed at the outbreak of World War II, but as far as I can tell fought mostly as infantry units. Some horse cavalry units saw action in the Philippines, including the [11th Cavalry Regiment](http://www.dcmilitary.com/army/pentagram/7_14/local_news/15799-1.html) and the 26th Cavalry Regiment. British cavalry was in limited use in the early years of the war - e.g. the 1st Cavalry Division sent to France in 1939, and then on to Palestine. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-creation-of-super-soldiers-obviously-we-can-but-should-we/148448/107 "2003-01-23T10:42:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Netbrian \* > \*\*I’m not sure anyone was particularly enthusiastic about this alliance, or claimed that somehow the Russian government at that time was great (at least anyone writing stuff for newspapers). It was just the government that happened to be fighting our enemy as well. \*\* Ever seen [Song of Russia](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0036378)? Well, me neither, actually, but I heard it was pretty funky. Ayn Rand deconstructed it as part of her testimony before the HUAC to prove that there _were_ commies in Hollywood. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2003, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-creation-of-super-soldiers-obviously-we-can-but-should-we/148448/108 "2003-01-25T03:56:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Crusoe \* > \*\*Mostly. Horses were used extensively to support US Army [mountain operations in mainland Italy](http://www.qmfound.com/remount_in_italy_wwii.htm), Sicily and Burma. US Army horse cavalry units existed at the outbreak of World War II, but as far as I can tell fought mostly as infantry units. Some horse cavalry units saw action in the Philippines, including the [11th Cavalry Regiment](http://www.dcmilitary.com/army/pentagram/7_14/local_news/15799-1.html) and the 26th Cavalry Regiment. British cavalry was in limited use in the early years of the war - e.g. the 1st Cavalry Division sent to France in 1939, and then on to Palestine. \*\* Well, it’s not as if they used them out of necesity due to lack of trucks, it would seem. With the horses, they probably were advantageous - reaching areas where trucks couldn’t - and the cavalry was a doctrinal thing. ---
**Author:** ![catdog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@catdog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/catdog)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2003, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-creation-of-super-soldiers-obviously-we-can-but-should-we/148448/109 "2003-01-25T19:11:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Firebat023 \* > \*\*We do have super soldiers. They’re called Marines. 😃 \*\* You are SO cool! Oh yeah, feel the love!😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-creation-of-super-soldiers-obviously-we-can-but-should-we/148448.md?page=5)