Blood, honour and horror: Representations of siege warfare in siege journals of British defenders of Bergen-op-zoom in 1747
Abstract
This text is a study in symbolic historical anthropology of war and military. It asks research questions regarding the analysis of contemporary culture of war and its variables, their interplay and reconfiguration during the siege of fortress Bergen op Zoom in 1747 during the turning point of War of the Austrian Succession.
The book is intended to find an alternative way to treat available historical sources and to avoid understanding of war according to classic conservative patterns of military history, such as national of confessional military stereotypes, essential traits of key participants and theoretical standards of military science. The text reached a conclusion regarding the most irregular and dramatic battle for the fortress of Bergen op Zoom, which derived primarily from profound misunderstanding of the culture of war as understood by the besiegers and the besieged, especially in terms of military honour and related legitimate methods of combat.