Around 60 BC, Rome was bothered by a host of hostile tribes in Gaul (parts modern France, Belguim, Germany and Switzerland). They would raid Roman caravans and attack Roman-allied forces in the area. The troubles slowly built over the years until all out war broke out in 55 BC. By that time, the tribes weren’t just bothersome, they were threatening the Roman citizens in the area and reputation of Rome itself.
And Rome responded.
The tribes would raid Roman and allied forces and then hop on boats and melt into the woods on the eastern side of the Rhine River. Because they were using guerrilla tactics and were a much smaller fighting force, the boats didn’t represent much of a limitation. But when the Emperor himself, Julius Caesar, arrived to put down the Gauls, boats were not as practical. Plus, as Caesar wrote, they didn’t have the same dignity and style as other options.
Caesar arrived with 40,000 troops and the Gauls, thinking they were safe on the eastern side of the river, must have thought the Emperor was daft. But in just 10 days, thanks to the ingenuity and logistics might of the Roman Empire, Caesar’s men built the Rhine Bridge, the first structure ever to cross the famous river. Stunned, the tribes retreated further to the east. Caesar crossed the 1,300 foot long bridge with the full might of his army, burned a few rebel villages to the ground, and then, as the opposing tribes united into a single fighting force, he went back across the bridge, and destroyed it. This utterly smashed the morale of the Gallic tribes and crippled their ability to resupply. Caeser destroyed his enemy without ever fighting a battle. He so thoroughly destroyed them that the tribes would not pose a problem for Rome until centuries later. As a side note, this is but one example of Romans being straight up cold blooded. If you don’t believe me, read more about the Siege of Jerusalem just after Jesus’s death.
The story of the Rhine Bridge makes clear that it wasn’t necessarily battle prowess that made Rome what it was, but logistics. Getting 40,000 people anywhere without vehicles is impressive. The bridge itself was a marvel of engineering. Some of the piledriver designs used to build the bridge still exist and the recreations are, themselves, a marvel of engineering. The Rhine Bridge was proof that no one could match the might of Rome. Because of logistics.
If there is any organization that could stand toe to toe with Rome in terms of logistics two come to mind—the US military and Wal-Mart. I am not kidding about Wal-Mart. It is, without question, the most power commercial force on the planet. While other companies are worth more (sometimes) and some have more people, the combined size and annual revenue of Wal-Mart is staggering. Wal-Mart’s annual revenue would make it 13th in terms of state GDP. Wal-Mart’s annual revenue, is, for example, more than the entire GDP of Michigan, where cars are made. Its 2.1 million person workforce would make it the 37th most populous state, tied with New Mexico. Wal-Mart is a juggernaut, the likes we have never seen outside a government entity.
The Ozark Trail 7.5 inch knife is their Rhine Bridge to the knife world. We are all on notice. The game has changed.
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles” – Sun Tzu
Ignoring this knife will not make it go away. Understanding it, and reacting accordingly, is.
Read the whole thing at EverydayCommentary.com
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