Dirtiest Tricks Used in War

War is a brutal and ruthless business, where the stakes are high and the consequences are dire. Throughout history, some combatants have resorted to using dirty tricks to gain an advantage over their enemies, or to inflict maximum damage and suffering.

The Exploding Cigar

During the American Civil War, a Confederate spy named Thomas W. Conrad devised a cunning plan to assassinate President Abraham Lincoln. He managed to infiltrate the White House and plant a box of cigars in Lincoln’s office, hoping that the president would smoke one of them. However, the cigars were not ordinary tobacco products, but explosive devices that would detonate when lit. Fortunately for Lincoln, he never smoked any of the cigars, and the plot was discovered by a Union soldier who noticed the wires sticking out of the box. Conrad was arrested and hanged for his failed attempt.

The Trojan Horse

One of the most famous and ancient examples of a dirty trick in war is the Trojan Horse, which was used by the Greeks to end the ten-year siege of Troy. According to legend, the Greeks pretended to give up and sail away, leaving behind a giant wooden horse as a gift for the Trojans. The Trojans, thinking that the horse was a sign of victory and goodwill, dragged it into their city. However, the horse was hollow and contained a group of Greek soldiers, who emerged at night and opened the gates for the rest of the Greek army. The Greeks then sacked and burned Troy, killing most of its inhabitants.

The Fake Retreat

Another clever tactic used by the Greeks was the fake retreat, which they employed against the Persians at the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC. The Greeks, who were outnumbered by the Persians, pretended to flee in panic, luring the Persians to chase them. However, the Greeks had secretly arranged their forces in a crescent formation, and when the Persians reached a certain point, the Greeks turned around and attacked them from both sides. The Persians, who were caught off guard and outflanked, suffered heavy casualties and were forced to retreat.

The Corpse Ship

In 1588, the Spanish Armada was sent by King Philip II to invade England and overthrow Queen Elizabeth I. However, the English navy, led by Sir Francis Drake, managed to inflict severe damage on the Spanish fleet, forcing them to sail north and around Scotland to return to Spain. Along the way, the Spanish encountered a storm that wrecked many of their ships. One of these ships was the San Pedro el Mayor, which was carrying a large amount of gold and silver. The English, who were pursuing the Spanish, spotted the ship and decided to board it and loot it. However, they were in for a nasty surprise. The ship was actually a trap, filled with corpses infected with the bubonic plague. The English sailors, who were unaware of the danger, contracted the disease and died. The Spanish had deliberately sacrificed the ship and its treasure to spread the plague among the English.

The Fake Surrender

During World War II, some Japanese soldiers used a dirty trick to ambush American troops in the Pacific theater. They would pretend to surrender, waving white flags or raising their hands, and then attack the Americans when they approached to take them prisoner. This trick was especially effective in jungle terrain, where the Japanese could hide easily and surprise the Americans. The Americans soon learned to be wary of such traps, and sometimes shot the Japanese on sight, even if they appeared to surrender. This led to accusations of war crimes and violations of the Geneva Convention, which forbade the killing of prisoners of war.