>>718382601
Something insane like 80% of all casualties in any pre modern war were in an army retreating or routing, what you are describing as retarded is a display of discipline. The untrained would run away the moment the block got too close, where even if they got a few shots(not kills, people dont just instantly die when injured and can keep fighting) by running around a field just taking shots, they cant actually hold the ground, how do you think they can control territory if they keep running away when the enemy shows up. When fighting other "white people" that were disciplined they actually gave fight, so you had these scenarios where 2 sides stand close to eachother and fire, until one side breaks and runs and then gets cut down. Its a display of discipline the browns never attained, its why you see shit like
>500 guys go against 3,000, both have guns
>outcome: catastrophic casualties and the overturn of an empire
>of the 500 who fought, only 50 actually died of their injuries, on the other side they were cut down as they ran
Discipline wins.

There was incentives to be at the front, the same as there was for being first up the ladder too. Thats why people actually wanted these positions too.