Military accomplishment
Ancient generals were born in the military and obtained the title of general from level one to level one. Basically, they are all veterans who have fought many battles and made numerous military achievements. "scarred" is a common occurrence, especially for the cruel and bloody scenes of war. They have excellent psychological quality when they get cold feet, and they are better able to cope with unexpected situations on the battlefield. For instruments, the technical essentials of using knives, guns and sticks are more proficient; More accurate for the commander's military deployment; This is better than ordinary soldiers, so being trapped in the battlefield will show greater combat effectiveness, and it is reasonable to fight against one enemy.
If they are well-educated, especially children from aristocratic families, they will receive good military training and cultural education. Just like today's sports athletes, they have been training since they were teenagers, and they are definitely better than those who became monks halfway. For example, judging from the real incident of Lu Bu's "shooting halberd at the gate of the Three Kingdoms", how many people can do this shooting; And many poor children like to learn the art of war since childhood, such as the famous Han Xin. Although he is not very good at martial arts, he will eventually become a great star. As Xiang Yu told Xiang Liang in those days, fencing can only defeat 100 people. He wanted to learn the art of ten thousand enemies, so he began to study the art of war. The reason why Xiang became a peerless star who can kill the enemy in a trap and command the legion depends entirely on the accumulation of military literacy.
physical quality
According to common historical records, some famous soldiers are eight or nine feet tall and have boundless strength. This record actually shows that people's physical fitness is quite good, at least in terms of height, arm span and physical strength, so their advantages in war can be brought into play. Some archaeologists used the opportunity of studying the "bright armor" in the Tang Dynasty to test the heart rate with badminton players wearing armor running on a treadmill. As a result, professional athletes cannot keep jogging for 30 minutes. So in ancient wars, the weight of cold weapons and armor will become a burden. If you don't have good physical support, you may be too tired to defeat the enemy without fighting. At this point, there is also a gap between generals and ordinary soldiers. Although there is no such thing as burning the midnight oil for 300 rounds as in romance novels, there are still many generals who fight for hours and drag down the enemy.
The advantages of height and wingspan are more obvious in the era of cold weapons. The invention of stables in the Tang Dynasty was superior to the long-term interests, so that the enemy could not die at close range. Then in ancient times, the advantage of height wingspan was to kill the enemy outside. In hand-to-hand combat, weapons are roughly the same in length, and their height and wingspan undoubtedly increase their combat value. Strength is also a key factor. Spear is different from spear in strength, so is the power of knife cutting, which also determines the mortality and disability rate on the battlefield, and is also the key to destroying the enemy's resistance. The range and penetration ability of crossbows are also related to the material of crossbows and the strength of archers. It is not credible in the romance that Lu Bu can open a bow of 100 kg, but it represents that the general's range and strength are superior.
equipment
The so-called "a good horse with a good saddle" is also true for generals. Although not like the "dragon crescent moon blade" mentioned in literary creation, the general's equipment will definitely be better than that of ordinary soldiers. For example, Gou Jian's sword is still extremely sharp after more than two thousand years. This kind of Wang Jian is not worthy of ordinary people. By the same token, the general's equipment must be better than that of ordinary soldiers, or the materials should be well taught, or the weight should be heavier, so that it can be better maintained after the war.
In the ancient cold war, armor was very important equipment, and not all soldiers were well protected. When the country is rich, it is good for ordinary soldiers to put patches on leather armor. Some nomadic soldiers basically use animal skins as armor, and their protective ability is definitely not high. General's protective measures are generally much higher than ordinary soldiers, and the protection from head to toe is relatively perfect, especially the appearance of helmets, which has a good effect on the defense of bows and arrows. The economic development of the Tang Dynasty was very strong, but there were only 10,000 "strange knives" and only 10,000 "bright armor" of Li Jing, so the equipment cost was too high, and it would only be equipped for generals and special forces.
War horse is also an important part of ancient equipment, and there is a big gap between the war horse of general cavalry and the war horse of general. The so-called BMW matches the hero, and the general's war horse is the key factor in its charge. The explosive power and endurance of the horse determine the speed and strength of the charge and the ability to fight for a long time. "Red Rabbit Horse" is clearly recorded in the History of the Three Kingdoms. Although it's exaggerated, it's not as good as ordinary horses.
Diet is a key to the level of combat effectiveness in ancient wars. Although there are many records that men and women will eat together, most generals and soldiers have different meals, not to mention the difference in the supply of meat and wine, but there is a gap in whether they can eat enough. Genghis Khan's Mongolian soldiers crisscrossed Eurasia, and his rations were dried meat and cheese. This kind of body and nutrition supplement must be more effective than soldiers who eat rice and flour. By the same token, between soldiers, soldiers can eat meat, soldiers can eat bread, and soldiers just want to wrap their stomachs. These differences may not be obvious when food and grass are abundant, but they are uncertain when food and grass are tight.
Cooperative escort
Not every general will fight alone. The so-called pro-guards and guards have a clear division of labor. When a general is trapped, there are often one or two teams of guards working together to form a circular battle centered on the general. In such a combat environment, the number of enemies of the general will definitely be more than that of ordinary soldiers. There is also a general who only commands Zhong Jun and does not kill the enemy from the front. The Zhong Jun Guard became the core force to protect the general. Genghis Khan defeated Zamuhe with the tactic of "cutting off both wings and pointing directly at Zhong Jun in the middle". The so-called taking the general's head out of the army is to launch a deadly attack with Commander Zhong Jun as the strategic goal, which also shows that Zhong Jun's protective ability is very strong.
Faith and honor
It is also an ideal to establish Gankun immediately, protect the country and benefit the people, serve the country, kill the enemy in the trap, and make peerless achievements. In the feudal society with Confucianism as the fundamental thought, loyalty to the monarch and patriotism is the belief in every general's heart, which is also a fearless advantage on the battlefield. People with faith are the most terrible. Ordinary soldiers are not without faith, but not so high. In ancient times, many soldiers who took the initiative to join the army aimed at filling their stomachs, while passive military service not only lacked the ambition to serve the country, but also had resistance. Desertion and feigning death are also common. At this level, generals have more fighting spirit and desire than ordinary soldiers, so the war effect will be obviously different.
To sum up, in ancient wars, generals did have the ability and advantage of outnumbering one enemy, but it was not as simple as chopping vegetables. After all, the war was cruel, and the famous Li Guang was captured, not to mention some captains and pioneers. In ancient books, Xiang Yu and Wen Yang were trapped in enemy lines and killed the enemy one or two hundred times, but the general's duty is to win, not to try to be brave, and to kill the enemy like chopping vegetables in literary and artistic creation is very rare and unbelievable.