Has any losing general in history tried to save his mens' lives by offering to disband, rather than surrender, his army?

score:2

Accepted answer

During the US Civil War, for example, at first most prisoners would be offered a chance to give their parole, a promise to not fight again until they were formally exchanged in a prisoner exchange program.

Later in the war the prisoner exchange program broke down, and prisoners were kept in many prison camps.

The commander of a defeated military unit in recent centuries didn't have the authority to disband his unit. But in some times and places commanders of victorious units did have the authority to parole prisoners and set them free after they promished not to fight again until exchanged.

More post

Search Posts

Related post