10 Independent Thinkers Who Disobeyed Orders and Altered the Course of History

Since time immemorial, military personnel have avoided global armageddon by disregarding orders that went against their convictions. These soldiers saved countless lives and ensured worldwide peace through their obstinate yet compassionate rebellion. That’s why their names continue to resonate decades after their courageous acts.

In 1983, a devastating third world war was averted by one man’s intuition. Soviet officer Stanislav Petrov refused to launch an attack on the United States, despite warnings from their missile detection system.

Here is another nuclear exchange between the Soviet Union and the US that was just barely averted. Relations between these countries soured following the 13-day Cuban Missile Crisis. The last straw was a confused Soviet commander’s attack on the American Navy.

During the Korean War in 1951, the Chinese army attacked American lines with 300,000 troops. While many American forces fled, E. C. Rivera and his rangers were left stranded in enemy territory.

Corporal Desmond Doss’s story proves that lives can be saved without violence. As a conscientious objector, Doss enlisted in the American army while opposing enemy slaying. This was due to his Seventh-day Adventist faith. Instead of fighting, he worked as a medic for the 77th Infantry.

Lt. Thomas Derrick, an Australian soldier, was part of the 2/48th Battalion of the Australian 9th Infantry Division, one of the most decorated units that fought valiantly during World War II. His most notable achievement occurred in 1943 during the Battle of Sattelberg in New Guinea.

After the invasion of northern France in 1944, the Allied Forces wanted to take Paris as well. In order to prevent this, Hitler ordered a huge part of the city to be burned to the ground. This brought about a lot of casualties and even destroyed some of Paris’ most iconic buildings.

After his order to burn down Paris in 1944, Hitler issued a more extreme order known as the Nero Decree. The German leader was unconcerned by any impact such an order would have on his country’s vulnerable civilian population.

During WWI, technological advances such as the machine gun forced armies to shift their tactics to trench warfare. However, commanders authorized charges against machine guns in the early stages of the fight. In March 1915, the French 336th Infantry Regiment was instructed to attack entrenched German machine gun positions.

The Rhine Mutiny of 14 CE was famous for threatening the integrity of the entire Roman Empire. Veterans and formerly enslaved people were recruited to fill the gaps left by the Illyricum uprising, which caused the Roman army to incur casualties. By 14 CE, the Pannonian Legions were made up of soldiers who felt their rights were being disregarded.