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Discovery Channel - Under Siege (DC) (2004) Part 3 Petersburg 1864 Battle of the Crater
Under Siege looks of sieges in history and the nature and evolution of combat across the centuries. In ancient world siege warfare was the most brutal form of war. Typically involving whole urban societies, siege warfare often ended in the sack of a city and the massacre or enslavement of entire populations. In Medieval Europe, siege tactics were a crucial part of warfare, especially from the 11th century CE when castles became more widespread in Europe and sieges outnumbered pitched battles. Castles and fortified cities offered protection to both the local population and armed forces and presented an array of defensive features which, in turn, led to innovations in weapons, siege engine technology, and strategies. There are many significant sieges in military history, and also a few standouts worthy of mention, because the battle, the outcome or the aftermath were so consequential. Few topics in the history of human conflict capture the popular imagination more than the drama of siege warfare. Whether it is a city, a town, a battalion or a regiment, the blood is stirred by stories of those that have stood behind walls and barricades in a last stand against their attackers. So what makes those under siege battle on when to do so often had little logic? Who were the leaders who rallied their troops or their fellow citizens? What drives man and women to acts of extraordinary courage and self-sacrifice? Why had victory sometimes been won when bloody failure looks absolutely certain?
Part 3 Petersburg 1864 Battle of the Crater
Fought during the American Civil War, Petersburg should never have been under siege at all. Union forces should have seized the town in June 1864, but through a mixture of confusion and incompetence they failed to do so, and a grueling year-long siege followed. Before the attack was over, 4500 Union soldiers were killed or wounded. Petersburg is best remembered for the tragedy of the great crater, the result of a huge underground explosion in July 1864, into which the Union Army inexplicably charged, creating a ready-made killing zone. This unusual tactic was an extreme answer to solving the problem of siege warfare.
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