Within a wider military organization, a military unit is a group with a defined size and specialized combat or support duty. The phalanx of the Greeks and the legions of the Romans were the most important military forces in the ancient classical world. Here are some of the most extraordinary military units to ever exist.

The Potsdam Giants

Armies have always strived to recruit the largest and most powerful men, but King Frederick William I of Prussia made it a mission. In the early 18th century, the military-minded monarch attempted to form an elite regiment called the Potsdam Giants out of Europe’s tallest soldiers. These massive grenadiers developed to become the most stunning group of big guys this side of a pro basketball team, despite never seeing war. Several members were seven-footers, with one Swedish recruit standing at 8.5 feet.

King Frederick was always on the lookout for potential Potsdam Giants, and he was ready to beg, borrow, and steal to get them. He spent a fortune on mercenaries and tall soldiers from other military, and he told his operatives to shanghai especially tall citizens and recruit them into the unit.

In an odd attempt to breed future recruits, he even forced his most powerful soldiers to marry and have children with tall women. The giants brought King Frederick tremendous joy.  Sometimes he had them march into his bedroom to cheer him up when he was sick, but they were also a big financial drain on the throne. His son disbanded the unit after his death in 1740 and used the money to establish 4 more regiments of regular soldiers.

Viking Berserkers

Berserkers were a fearsome class of Viking warriors who fought with a frenzied, wild-eyed fury, according to Norse legend. These formidable shock warriors allegedly went into battle without chain mail or other armor, instead of donning bear and wolf pelts or even going bare-chested. They slaughtered, raped, and pillaged indiscriminately when they were in battle, to the point where some Norse sagas said they could physically turn into vicious monsters or beasts.

Because of their fighting prowess, berserkers were in high demand as warriors and royal bodyguards, but their fellow Vikings feared and even despised them. When they were not fighting, they would get so intoxicated with wrath that they would turn on their comrades.

It’s unclear how the Berserkers channeled their infamous rage. Their ceremonies were likely enigmatic even to their contemporaries, as they may have been linked to covert cults loyal to the Norse god Odin. Most researchers assume they just fell into a hypnotic trance, but others have theorized that they may have become blind drunk or consumed a certain type of hallucinogenic mushroom.

The 10,000 Immortals

The Immortals were a 10,000-strong military force affiliated with the Achaemenid Empire of Persia and were one of the most feared and legendary armies of antiquity. The first mention of these spear-wielding warriors was in Herodotus’ account of the Persian invasion of Greece, where he described them as the best and most gorgeously equipped soldiers serving under King Xerxes’ command.

According to Herodotus, the term Immortals came about because it always had the same number of soldiers. If a single Immortal became ill or died in battle, he was replaced instantaneously, ensuring that the unit’s strength remained constant at never greater nor less than 10,000.

While the Persian army was a multinational force, the Immortals were to serve if they were of Persian or Medic descent, and they had decorations of gold jewelry to represent their high status. The 10,000 were the king’s personal bodyguards, although they also fought in battles. They are famous for bypassing a blocked road and ambushing the Spartan-led Greeks from behind during the Persian triumph at the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 B.C.

The Ghost Army

The US Army convened a select group of painters, designers, and sound effects experts in the summer of 1944 for a rather uncommon task: creating a phantom army. The 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, known as the Ghost Army, got their inspiration from a tactic which the British performed in North Africa. They used inflatable rubber tanks and jeeps, sound effects, and other deceptions to confuse the Germans about the true number and whereabouts of the Allied forces.

The team participated in more than 20 operations, several of which had creativity and deception on a scale that equaled that of a Hollywood film. Sound engineers aired counterfeit radio traffic and blasted sound effects that simulated the clamor of an army on the move, and performers disseminated false information in the hopes that the Nazi agents would pick it up.

The unit was able to give the impression that US forces were larger and more mobile than they actually were when the ruse worked. The Ghost Army even repaired a hole in General George Patton’s trenches for several days without being noticed during 1 mission.

The Ghost Army’s activities were a secret for years after WWII ended, and it was not until 1996 that the public learned of its remarkable contribution to the war effort. Many of its members had gone on to have successful careers in the art and design professions by that time. Veterans of the regiment included fashion designer Bill Blass and artists Ellsworth Kelly and Arthur Singer.

Gurkhas

The Gurkhas have a long history dating back to the Anglo-Nepalese War of 1814, when British colonial forces clashed with the city-state of Gorkha. Despite being outgunned, Nepalese Gurkha warriors slaughtered a large number of British soldiers, forcing them to sign a peace treaty.The British included a clause in the peace treaty permitting Nepalese combatants to serve as voluntary soldiers in the East India Company’s military, happy with the Gurkhas’ strength and persistence.

Gurkhas were later absorbed into the regular British Army and served in practically every major British military operation of the 19th and 20th centuries. They developed a reputation for their loyalty and tremendous bravery under fire, thanks to their curved kukri knives and the motto “Better to die than be a coward.”

During WW I alone, Gurkhas received approximately 2,000 citations for bravery, with over 10 receiving the Victoria Cross, Britain’s highest military decoration. Every year, the British Army selects approximately two hundred new Gurkhas from a pool of almost 30,000 Nepalese teenagers.

Recruits must go through a rigorous screening process that includes a long-distance run through the Himalayas while wearing a wicker basket weighing more than 65 pounds.

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