1) The soldiers did not have an alternative at the time. They knew nothing different. 2) The huge proportion of soldiers in even the bloodiest battles survived to carry on fighting. 3) Strength of cause. 4) Fear of consequences. 5) Thirst for glory. 6) And according to thousands of sources, men fight for their friends and companions. read more
Dr. Leonard Wong, associate research professor at the U.S. Army War College’s Strategic Studies Institute said the paper “Why They Fight: Combat Motivation in the Iraq" validated the popular belief that unit cohesion is a key issue in motivating soldiers to fight. read more
Yes, fighting in lines was an outdated strategy with the technology used during the Civil War. The most concise way of explaining why, that I can think of, is the fact that old ideas die hard when it comes to military strategy and it has been that way throughout history. read more