Human wave attack

A human wave attack is a specific type of offensive infantry tactic used in warfare. In this maneuver, an attacker leads a frontal assault using densely concentrated formations of soldiers. These groups move directly toward an enemy line without using cover or attempting to hide their movements. The name comes from the idea of a massive, coordinated group of people sweeping over an enemy like an ocean wave. The primary goal is to move as many people as possible into close range. Once they reach the enemy, they intend to overwhelm the defenders through melee combat, which is hand-to-hand fighting.

This tactic relies on a difficult trade-off between speed and safety. To succeed against modern weaponry, attackers must reach the enemy line in the shortest time possible. They must also move in the greatest numbers possible to preserve enough soldiers to achieve a breach. However, using such large, crowded numbers usually means they must sacrifice concealment and protection. This makes the tactic extremely dangerous when facing automatic firearms, artillery, or aircraft. Because of these risks, human wave attacks are often used by forces that lack tactical training or high-tech firepower. These armies instead rely on the high morale or the intense motivation of their personnel.

History shows that many different groups have employed these massed assaults. During the Boxer Rebellion from 1899 to 1901, Chinese Boxers charged at Eight-Nation Alliance forces. Some Boxers used only bladed weapons and even used firecrackers to mimic the sound of gunfire. This created severe mental stress for the defending troops. During the Russo-Japanese War from 1904 to 1905, the Japanese conducted attacks against Russian machine guns. These specific assaults became suicidal and resulted in massive casualties. In the Spanish Civil War, Republican forces used similar tactics to defend the Casa de Campo during the Siege of Madrid.

The Soviet Red Army also utilized these charges during the Winter War of 1939–1940. They launched repeated attacks against fortified Finnish positions, which led to heavy losses. The Finnish commander, Mannerheim, described this approach as "incomprehensible fatalism." While these tactics caused significant loss of life, they were sometimes used by armies facing difficult circumstances. The Imperial Japanese Army became famous for these maneuvers during the Pacific War. Allied soldiers called them "Banzai charges" because of the battle cry used by the Japanese troops. Many Japanese soldiers followed the Bushido honor code, which viewed surrender as shameful.

During the Korean War, the People's Volunteer Army (PVA) used a method often described as human waves. However, their actual tactic was called the "short attack," which combined infiltration with shock. These attacks were often carried out at night by small groups known as "three-three fireteams." A single fireteam consisted of three men, and three fireteams formed one squad. These squads would crawl undetected into grenade range to launch surprise attacks on weak points. This method relied on maximum confusion to breach enemy defenses. Once a hole was made, the main force would move into the enemy's rear.

While Western media and journalists often used the term "human wave" to describe these Chinese tactics, the reality was more organized. Some observers believed the Chinese used vast, dense masses to absorb enemy fire. In contrast, military historians noted that the PVA used carefully timed movements to minimize their own casualties. They used the terrain to mask themselves, making it difficult for defenders to target them. Although the PVA moved away from these specific tactics by 1953, they re-adopted similar methods during the Vietnam War and the Sino-Vietnamese War. This happened because of a lack of modernization in their military programs.

Today, the term "human wave tactics" has moved beyond the battlefield into the world of art and criticism. In film and theater, it is used as a metaphor to describe certain productions. It is a way to criticize works that rely too heavily on large crowd formations for visual interest. Critics use the phrase when a production lacks narrative substance and instead uses sheer numbers to impress the audience. This shows how a military term can change meaning as it moves through different parts of society.