[August 14, 2018] Vidkun Quisling sold out his home country of Norway during WWII to the Nazis. His reward came shortly after the war; he was executed for high treason. Such betrayal is not commonplace and that is a good thing. His betrayal has echoed throughout history and his name, quisling, has since come to mean a person collaborating with the enemy, or more generally as a synonym for traitor.
Betrayals are rare but they do exist and they do get our attention when they occur. One famous betrayal, probably the most famous in recorded history occurred when Ephialtes of Trachis showed the Persians a secret mountain pass that allowed them to defeat the Greeks at the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC.1,2
“It’s particularly hard to take being stabbed in the back close to home. There’s always a feeling of betrayal when people of your own group oppose you.” – Catharine MacKinnon, American scholar, teacher, writer
A betrayal, even the most minor, elicits great emotions in us. If you are an American, you grew up learning about the traitor General Benedict Arnold. If British, you know all about Guy Fawkes. If Chinese, you know of Wang Jingwei. And, if Christian you know of Judas Iscariot. Memories of these men and the many others continue to be taught so that others do not replicate their disloyal behavior.
Their crimes are among the worst. The punishment for such behavior, at least until the most recent times, was death or complete ostracizing. In some nations, it meant not just death for the perpetrator but also that person’s family and friends were killed as well.
Why is betraying one’s nation, family, or group so outrageous and disgraceful? All human interaction is based on one simple idea; trust and confidence. Sociologists tell us that the ability of humans to interact with one another flows from trust. We give trust and confidence to those we live and work with. So, when a person behaves in such a way that betrays it, they have undermined a most basic human element.
Ephialtes of Trachis’ information allowed the Persians to outflank the Greek defenders. When Spartan King Leonidas discovered the betrayal, he sent most of his army away rather than be destroyed. But he stayed behind with 300 Spartans and a few hundred others so they could delay the Persians. Ephialtes was eventually tracked down and killed.
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- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Thermopylae
- The word “Ephialtes” now means nightmare or demon that causes nightmares.
Keep up the great articles. Thanks.
Good article today and one I will be sharing with my wife and friends. Love the fact that you keep us in touch with history … relevant history.
Gen. Satterfield, you article is a fair and honest assessment of betrayals. Thanks.
So true what others have written here. Betrayal is one of the worst sins a person can have against another. It is so abhorrent that you find even the ancient philosophers and historians writing about it and what happened to them.
Hanoi Jane and John Kerry are two peas in a pod. They think they are sophisticated, smart, and morally above us all. No humility there. I, alas, must agree with the others here that they have betrayed us. They have, of course, no shame.
Spot on. Loving the fact that those who read this blog are smart enough to know traitors when they see them.
They are so RETARDED (metaphorically, of course).
Hi Mr. TJ Asper. Tell us what you really think! Of course, I don’t think there are many folks that would disagree.
Ha ha. John Walker Lindh, John Kerry, John Anthony Walker, Aldrich Ames, are some of the most backstabbing, betraying degenerates in recent memory. Yep, I also put John Kerry in this list for what he did to the US during the Iraq War.
When I read this article I thought of Secretary of State John Kerry who stabbed US troops in the back when he denigrated the Iraq War. He did other things that, in effect, turned his back on troops who had been ordered to Iraq and Afghanistan by the US President. Sec. Kerry is a classic liberal who betrays his country.
Benedict Arnold was one of the traitors to the American Revolution and I’m glad you included him here. The idea of betrayal at the national level is one that should be studied more. Why do it? The pay is never worth the risk. Of course, there are traitors among Hollywood types like Jane Fonda. They are looked upon as sophisticated and smart. Reversal of the entire history of humankind.
I think there is a big difference between BA and JF. Although I do get your point. Modern day speaking out against the government is okay and I’m glad we have the First Amendment to protect it. However, there is something called responsibility and that is what Jane Fonda failed to do. And, there are many who supported her for it and who themselves have done harm to the country.
As always, Max. Spot on comment.
Yes, I agree with you Max. 😉
Thanks Gentlemen for supporting my thoughts.
Hey, great topic today. We see betrayals, I think, more than implied here by Gen. Satterfield. No one likes to be betrayed and we go out of our way to punish those who do. Thanks for a great way to start my day.
If you want to read more about the battle on Ephialtes, then go to this link. It is worth the read. Very interesting.
http://battle-of-thermopylae.eu/main_battle.html
Yes, a good link for background on the war in general. Thanks Army Captain.
Nicely written.
Reminds me of the time I took Greek history in college. Thanks.
Nicely done on the relevant history part of your article. Helps keep me interested. I never liked history but your ability to integrate it to make a point works well.