Man constantly invented something to explode his own kind of something exploding, prickly-cutting and buhajushche-babahayuschee. Therefore, it is not surprising that even in ancient times our ancestors realized that it is quite profitable to use the fangs, teeth and fierce temper of our smaller brothers to suppress the fighting power and strength of older brothers.

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In remote lohmatovo-primitive times about the cultural chihuahua of course and no one has heard of. But everyone knew that wolves and dogs are similar to each other and are able to think only of one thing - "how to chop off a piece with a smoother" - without neglecting people at the same time.

Having paid attention to this possibility, the person, of course, decided to resort to domestication and training. By the way, historians mostly adhere to the opinion that the first Assyrians succeeded in this matter. Which, unlike us, did not flinch from the knock at the door - "dreading evil comrades from the tax inspection" - because those times, although they were non-progressive, but provided a chance to all people engaged in the purposeful breeding of war dogs - "not to pay taxes, and sleep when this is absolutely calm".

The tactics of dog fighting were simple to disgrace - the roaring and growling dogs angered the troops in front of them, so that those with their formidable look would instill fear, panic and subsequent flight into the enemy. Simply put, the furious dogs completely demoralized the adversary, and their unlucky commander was brought to a state of unrestrained melancholy and universal sadness. And some kulibiny for maximum efficiency clung to the neck dogs collars with crooked knives or thorns? As they say - "everything for the front, everything for victory".

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In ancient times, dogs not only walked with soldiers in the same battle order, but also used to guard fortresses. For example, until our time came the legend of the feat of ancient Roman dogs, who saved from the capture of the city of Corinth - when the entire city guard fell to sleep - "apparently there was not a free wine", the only obstacle on the way of the attackers were dogs. A flock of dogs fought and held back the enemy until the last - at the time of the arrival of help, only one dog remained alive. To him, and dedicated a monument built in the aftermath of marble.

Thus, fighting dogs were successfully used from the ancient times and ending with say in the conquest of America. Documentary evidence of this can be found in the pamphlet "The Shortest Tale of the Destruction of Western India", which belonged to a letter from a bishop - for a very long time for Europeans America was not America at all, but India. Among other things, there are described the excesses with the use of fighting dogs, perpetrated by the Spanish colonialists.

The dogs also served in the Middle Ages. So, for example, during the Franco-Spanish war on the side of Spain, more than four thousand dogs fought. They even put on special armor.

However, with the advent of firearms, the role of war dogs has changed - "fangs are powerless against bullets". Now dogs were used only for auxiliary purposes, and also where their special qualities can be useful: smell, night vision and the like.

The elephant is coming - b7

The battle elephant is the heaviest unit of the living equipment of the ancient armies, the main purpose of which was the confrontation of the cavalry - "which is natural, huge animals were afraid". It is quite logical to assume that the history of the use of elephants in battles begins in ancient India, where they were kept in an incredible number.

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The presence of elephants in those times not only increased the fighting efficiency of the army, but also to some extent emphasized its status - "the giants were in a special position, for they embodied power".

The crew of the animal, as a rule, consisted of 2-3 people - mahaut, archer and comrade with a complex name - sarissofor. Sarissofor - was supposed to defend the elephant from the attacks of infantrymen. By the way most of all these soldiers suffered, from one single elephant defect - "the frightened elephant never divided people into its own and others".

In history, the case of the battle of Magnesia is mentioned, when the Romans let out screaming pigs on the field - "I think anyone will scream if you smear it with tar and burn it". The fiery beasts caused confusion in the triple rows of elephants and turned them into flight ...

Therefore, to cope with the nervous breakdown of the giant could only be so - to inject a thrusting weapon into his brain. But this method was not popular; The fighting elephant cost good money, while the infantry always had enough.

From India, fighting elephants went to the west, where the Hellenes and Macedonians perfected the fighting unit by adding to the elephant the turret with archers and elements of protective weapons. But over time, fighting elephants have become boring - many ways have been found to resist them, and the use of these "living tanks" has come to naught.

Death from under the water

The possibilities of using dolphins and pinnipeds began to be studied by American scientists in the 1960s as part of the Navy Marine Mammal Program, which used animals to detect mines, protect marine objects, and search for and raise equipment.

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According to the statements of the Americans, dolphins guarding the fleet base in Cam Ranh, during the Vietnam War, destroyed and disarmed about 60 combat swimmers. Animals either pushed swimmers to the surface, or tore off their breathing apparatus.

But the information about the existence of such a program in the Soviet Union is rather fragmented. It is rumored that a special base for the training of combat dolphins was created near Kherson. Dolphins were equipped with weapons of Soviet inventors, for example, underwater trestvolkoy. She shot under water with 12 caliber bullets and was able to hit the enemy at a distance of up to 20 meters. But in connection with the events that led the Soviet Union to collapse, the training of military swimmers had to be stopped.

But "... no matter how a man tries to learn dogs to exterminate people", wrote the French naturalist Henri Mangin in the mid-nineteenth century, "he will never achieve that this animal will become a spoiled creature like himself".