Struggling to find the right battle cry for the occasion? A well-timed war whoop can really help you get your point across. We’ve selected 5 of the best battle cries in human history. Take your pick.
1. “There is no land beyond the Volga!”
When the Nazis surrounded Stalingrad in the summer of 1942, they expected to take the city in a matter of weeks. The Red Army fought them block by block. The Soviet soldiers announced their intention to fight to the last with the rallying cry, “There is no land beyond the Volga!” The Battle of Stalingrad was among the bloodiest battles in the history of warfare.
2. “Barritus!”
Looking to channel your inner Roman warrior? You’ve got to go with “Barritus.” Tacitus described the guttural cry as a “harsh, intermittent roar” that built in volume, and noted that the troops would “hold their shield in front of their mouths, so that the sound is amplified into a deeper crescendo by the reverberation.” Please see the below example from the 1964 classic “The Fall of the Roman Empire.”
3. “Quick, while God isn’t watching!”
The legendary Byzantine general Flavius Belisarius was a stickler for timing. He reportedly delayed a battle for days before suddenly calling to his troops, “Quick, while God isn’t watching!”
4. “Everybody aim for that one guy on the left!”
In a Phalanx each man was responsible for covering the man on his left with his Shield Arm. Full disclosure: We’re not sure if the Spartans actually yelled, “Everybody aim for that guy on the left!” But it sounds awesome, so we’re going to go with it.
5. “Liberty or Death!”
“Liberty or Death!” was a popular a battle cry among colonial minutemen during the Revolutionary War. The phrase first appeared in a March 1775 address by Patrick Henry, which concluded with the famous line, “I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” Henry’s speech convinced the Second Virginia Convention to raise militias.
