how did military commanders in olden times send instructions across hundreds of miles without concern of forgery or interception?

Jackcooper@lemmy.world to Asklemmy@lemmy.ml – 116 points –

Let me know if there is a better community for this type of question. I am still learning my way around.

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I can't read that text below.

Battle of Karánsebes

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kar%C3%A1nsebes

Immediately, the hussars and infantry engaged in combat with one another. During the conflict, some Romanian infantry began shouting, "Turcii! Turcii!" ("Turks! Turks!"). The hussars fled the scene, thinking that the Ottoman army's attack was imminent. Most of the infantry also ran away; the army comprised Austrians, Romanians, Serbs from the military frontier, Croats, and Italians from Lombardy, as well as other minorities, many of whom could not understand one another. While it is not clear which one of these groups did so, they gave the false warning without telling the others, who promptly fled. The situation was made worse when officers, in an attempt to restore order, shouted, "Halt! Halt!" which was misheard by soldiers with no knowledge of German as "Allah! Allah!".[5][6]