A Lesson On Business Chivalry from WWI Skies…
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…Over the Western Front
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An original Business blog article by Yonatan Maisel, exclusively at JobShuk
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World War I was a savage conflict, a prolonged conflagration which consumed the lives of 12 million combatants and civilians.
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The "War to End All Wars" brought violence to a level that had never been seen before. The first tanks. Machine-guns. Submarines. Trenches. Foxholes. And poison gas. And no, it did not end all wars as historians at the time posited it might. Following the cessation of hostilities, WWII would break out less than two decades later. It would cost 50 million lives.
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As a history buff, and having just finished reading Jeff Shaara’s incredible work To the Last Man, it is hard for me to get past the bloodshed and carnage and death on a mega-scale. Yet one episode from this scintillating book sticks out in my mind…
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The skies over the Western Front differed from skies of previous wars. The invention of the airplane only a decade earlier brought the advent of aerial combat. Now, thousands of feet in the air, flew single-engine fighters, bi-planes and tri-planes, fashioned with machine-guns. "Dog-fighting" had been born.
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Oswald Boelcke was a German fighter-pilot and "ace" and the mentor to Manfred von Richthofen, later known as the "Red Baron." Taking to the skies almost daily against his British, French and ANZAC (Australia and New Zealand) counterparts, to name but a few, Boelcke would eventually rack up 40 victories, at that time, the undisputed record.
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Yet, as cruelty raged on the battlefields below, there was, by all accounts, a camaraderie in the air, even among adversaries. Though your sworn enemy who stalked you until death, as you did he, there was a certain chivalry among the pilots born of mutual respect and admiration. Though at war with each other, fair-play seemed an unwritten rule for these knights-of-the-sky. With his forty "kills," Boelcke was feared by the French and British, but due to his skills and courage, he earned the respect and admiration of his foes.
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On October 28, 1916, Boelcke was shot out of the sky by a British Airco DH2 fighter. He died on impact. He was 25 years old.
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The day after his funeral, a lone British plane appeared over the base where Boelcke had been stationed.
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As it was only one plane, flying slowly, German gunners withheld fire; it seemed the plane had no malicious intent. They stared up into the sky in wonderment at the plane and pilot who was willing to take such a risk.
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That lone RFC (Royal Flying Corps) plane dropped something from above. It was not a bomb, however. It was a wreath of flowers which bore the message:
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"To the memory of Captain Boelcke, a brave and chivalrous foe."
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The World of Business and the Writer’s Disclaimer:
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How does one glean a business lesson from a conflict of savagery and butchery which claimed the lives of 12 million people? A war of aggression launched by a country whose sole aim was conquest and expansionism? One doesn’t. It is tasteless and offensive. I actually stopped writing this article at several junctures feeling that a business lesson drenched in blood was not worth writing.
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Although this is a Business blog, the words I have to offer are about life in general…
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Many of us, in our everyday lives, have rivals. We have competitors. We have competition. We have adversaries.
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Being on opposite sides can breed resentment and contempt. Yet, sometimes there are qualities in those rivals and adversaries which are to be admired. Skill. Acumen. Deftness. Positivity. Respectfulness. Chivalry. Playing by the rules. Fairness.
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"To the memory of a brave and chivalrous foe…"
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I can’t get those crazy words out of my mind.
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Image Credits: Aerial Combat: www.airplane-collectible-best-net-resource.com/images/WW1_Dogfight.; British DH-2: http://www.static.rcgroups.net/
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Yonatan Maisel is a Business blogger, history buff and author. He specializes in all aspects of Business writing.
From speeches to resumes, from corporate bios to research, from blogging to website content, from articles to ghost-writing
Thank you for the kind words!
Much appreciated!
Yoni
Thank you Shoshana!
It was kind of difficult to write. I didn’t want to feel that I was glorifying an enemy, but in many conflicts, noble people arise.
Think of Jews rescued during the Holocaust, Bosnian Muslims given refuge by Serbs, and American soldiers who took up the fight on behalf of Native Americans, and on and on.
It seems from what I have read that among the pilots in WWI, there really was a sense of brotherhood.
Thanks for reading and for commenting!
Yoni
Braden,
I saw it a long, long time ago. I have to admit it was a kind of forgettable movie at the time. In this context though, it’s appropo and I’m glad you brought it up. A great example of enemies gaining the admiration of one another!
Yoni
Rush,
The book gave me chills, especially the part about the wreath. The book comes HIGHLY-recommended!
Yoni
Thank you Heidi!
It is a powerful subject and I thank Jeff Shaara for bringing this fabulous chapter of history to my attention and the attention of others.
Yoni
Thanks Hamed!
Salaam!
Yoni
Peter,
Thanks for your kind and uplifting words!
One of the things we do tend to overlook is how young they were.
I’m a big fan of your blog too and always anxiously await your posts. The satire series was remarkable!
Yoni