Demonstration (military) facts for kids

A military demonstration is a special kind of attack or show of strength on a battlefield. Its main goal is to trick or mislead an enemy. Imagine trying to make your opponent think you're attacking one place, when your real attack is somewhere else!

The big difference between a demonstration and a feint is that a demonstration doesn't actually touch the enemy. It's like pretending to attack without ever getting close enough to fight. It's usually a supporting move. It makes the enemy believe it's the main attack, drawing their attention away from the real one.

An example of a military demonstration happened during the American Civil War at the Battle of Gettysburg. On July 2, 1863, General Robert E. Lee told Lieutenant General Richard S. Ewell to stage a demonstration. This was against Culp's Hill, on the right side of the Union forces. This move was meant to help Lieutenant General James Longstreet's main attack. Longstreet was attacking the Union's left side.

Why Demonstrations Are Useful

Military demonstrations have several good points:

• A demonstration doesn't involve actual fighting with the enemy. This means the troops used for the demonstration can be moved to other parts of the battlefield later. For example, in April 1945, during the attack on Okinawa, landing craft made a demonstration on the island's southeast coast. They tricked Japanese troops into moving there. Once the Japanese were drawn away, the landing craft returned. They then served as backup forces for the real landing.
• You often don't need a full army to trick the enemy. In modern warfare, the sound of helicopters can give away troop movements. But for a demonstration, empty helicopters can land and take off many times. This makes the enemy think a large attack is coming.
• Special fake devices can be used to fool enemy scouts. During Operation Overlord in World War II, for instance, they used inflatable tanks. They also had fake radio chatter and dummy paratroopers. These dummies even made rifle fire sounds when they hit the ground!

Challenges of Demonstrations

Demonstrations also have some downsides:

• Without actually fighting the enemy, it's harder to convince them that your demonstration is a real attack. At Gettysburg, General Lee's orders to Ewell were a bit confusing at first. Ewell was supposed to demonstrate against the Union's right side. The goal was to stop General George Meade from moving his troops to the left side. That's where the main Confederate attack was planned. Ewell was told to attack only if the demonstration didn't work. He later decided the demonstration wasn't working and attacked anyway.
• A demonstration is often discovered faster than a feint. A feint needs to look very real to the enemy. So, it often involves some contact to keep the trick going. A feint must be strong enough to make the enemy believe it's a true attack. The main idea is to show the enemy what they expect to see. A demonstration might only need to last long enough to make the enemy hesitate for a short time.

See also

In Spanish: Demostración (militar) para niños