Many words from the placer of military terms found in world military literature have become obscure to the modern reader. Among these terms is the word rearguard. This concept is often found in the literature, and is used both in the literal and figurative sense.
The occurrence of the word
The word comes from the French language, is a tracing-paper of the expression arrière-garde, which means "protection of the rear." The rear guard is a certain part of the troops intended to protect the front, shock parts of the army.
Rearguard duties
In offensive operations, the role of the rearguard is most likely a police one. For the most part, their duties include stopping the actions of looters, catching deserters, and ensuring order in the rear of the column.
A completely different understanding of what a rearguard is is formed when enumerating the functions of this part of the troops in defensive operations and when retreating after a lost battle. The main responsibilities of the rearguard parts were as follows:
- ensure consistent and orderly movement of troops;
- restrain the advance of the enemy;
- suppress enemy attacks in the direction of the flanks;
- conduct reconnaissance in order to identify the alleged directions of the enemy troops, as well as the quantitative and qualitative composition of the enemy’s army.
Rear Guard in the Army
The rear guard is a necessary component of any army of the past. In the Middle Ages, he, like the vanguard, was an important part of the military order of the troops. To ensure the effective withdrawal of troops, the rearguard units of the army are used. At the direction of the command, the rearguard departs with battles to the indicated lines, sets up ambushes and counterattacks, destroys the infrastructure: bridges, buildings, roads. An important point in the actions of the rearguard is the coordination of his maneuvers with the movement of the main parts of the army.
Often, the unexpected introduction of the rearguard forces refracted the course of the battle and led the army to victory. A classic example of the effective use of the rear units of the regular army is the counterattack of the Dutch army in 1600, when an unexpected blow forced the Spanish army to retreat and led the troops of William of Orange to victory.
Rear Guard in the Navy
The concept of “rearguard” was also used in the naval forces. This word denoted a group of ships of a squadron or fleet, which follows at some distance from the main composition. The purpose of this terminal squadron was to ensure the security of the main ships and their protection against attacks from the rear. The rearguard ships began to count from 1/3 of the depth of the military order of the squadron.
By the beginning of World War II, the type and technique of naval battles is changing , the rearguard is losing its significance, and this type of construction is practically not used in modern naval forces.
The figurative meaning of the term
The modern Russian language is also familiar with the concept of "rearguard". The meaning of the word today is a strong, reliable rear, a support group, like-minded people following the leader.