History Main / BurningTheShips

* UsefulNotes/JuliusCaesar had the infamous crossing of the Rubicon: after Caesar's governorship ended, he was ordered to return to Rome from Gaul. Roman law required every general to disband his army before entering the Italian peninsula, and failure to do so granted an immediate sentence of treason for them and their troops. When Caesar arrived at the Rubicon river (Italy's northernmost border), according to legend he heavily dithered on whether to cross with his troops and take over the empire and when he finally decided to cross, remarked "Alea jacta est" ("The die has been cast"), knowing that he had to take over Rome or face certain death. However, the reality was likely much less dramatic: the Senate ''hated'' and (rightly) feared Caesar and it's likely that once he was recalled, they would sentence and likely execute him on some real and/or trumped-up charges and Caesar knew this, meaning his choices were already "take over Rome" or "death" long before the crossing. Nevertheless, "crossing the Rubicon" entered the lexicon as meaning "going past the point of no return".

* ''Literature/TheBelgariad'': In ''Belgarath the Sorceror'', Riva orders the ships that carried the settlers to the Isle of the Winds burned. He knows it will take a lot of hard work to build the fortress-city, and he doesn't want anyone deciding it's too much work and leaving.

* Christian music duo For King and Country have a song "Burn the Ships" including the lyrics "and never look back." The music video includes a literal ship burning

-->'''Mr. Krabs:''' Now understand each other. Nobody eats until we get my millionth dollar back.

* After sailing from Cuba to the [[UsefulNotes/SpanishConquestOfTheAztecEmpire conquest of the Aztecs]] in 1519, UsefulNotes/HernanCortez had eight of his eleven ships beached and disassembled. Cortés, who acted in defiance of the orders of his superior, governor Diego Velázquez of Cuba, had just before put down a mutiny of soldiers loyal to Velázquez and feared that the same might happen again as long as the ships allowed a fast return to Cuba; furthermore he could reinforce his march inland with the crew and the equipment of the dismantled ships. The details of the decision process are murky: while Cortés himself wrote to Emperor Charles V that he alone gave the orders under the pretense that the ships were no longer seaworthy, sparing only the ships the crews of which he considered reliable, the eyewitnesses Bernal Díaz and Andres de Tapia later claimed that the destruction of the ships was decided after a general discussion. Francisco de Montejo and Alonso Portocarrero, messengers of Cortés that were sent to Spain immediately after the event, claimed that the ships really had been unseaworthy. The misconception that Cortés ''burned'' (all of) his ships is old, being first mentioned in a letter from 1546.

* In ''VideoGame/WarcraftIII'', Prince Arthas Menethil impulsively leads his troops to Northrend in pursuit of the Dreadlord Mal'Ganis, while the undead plague is still afflicting his kingdom of Lordaeron. While Arthas is out of his camp, a messenger from King Terenas arrives with orders to recall the prince's forces, who are elated at the thought of leaving the frozen wasteland and returning home. The mission that follows has Arthas and his companion Muradin Bronzebeard fighting across the map, hiring mercenaries for help, all so they can reach and destroy the return ships before his men can finish preparations for leaving. Afterward, Arthas makes scapegoats out of the mercenaries he hired for the act, joins his men in killing them, and declares that they have no choice but to continue the hunt for Mal'Ganis. Muradin [[WhatTheHellHero chews him out]] for his actions, and the episode takes Arthas one step further from AntiHero to VillainProtagonist.

The assumed benefit of such an act is that everyone on the team -- whether it be an actual army intent on conquest, or any party pursuing a risky undertaking will show maximum commitment if they know that retreat is impossible. There isn't any use in holding back or playing it safe when there is no exit option to fall back on. Desertion or mutiny is futile if there is no hope of escape. Dissenters are silenced when there are no choices left to argue over, and everyone's best hope of survival lies in cooperating for the common success. Once the Ships are Burnt, it's do or die for everyone -- succeed, or face death or captivity.

* ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist2003'': When setting out on their journey, the Elric brothers Ed and Al burn down their childhood home so there will be no turning back. Explored and discussed later on. Winry understands why they did this and why Ed put the date on his watch, but calls him out by thinking they don't have a home anymore, causing the brothers to realize they ''still'' have people waiting for them when they complete their journey. Another if not darker extent is when Ed sees [[spoiler:his father Van Hoenheim at the place. Hoenheim actually points out that Ed did not burn the house because of this, but because of their failure at bringing back their mother, with Hoenheim even comparing it to a child wetting the bed and hiding the sheets. Ed's horrified looks imply that Hoenheim is not entirely wrong in this.]]

[[index]]
* BurningTheShips/AnimeAndManga
* BurningTheShips/FanWorks
* BurningTheShips/{{Literature}}
[[/index]]

* The "[[TheKingslayer regicides]]", the politicians who voted for the death of UsefulNotes/LouisXVI during UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution felt this about their action. At the time of the trial, France was at war with other European nations who wanted to end the Revolution and restore the monarchy. The advocates for Louis XVI's death argued that keeping the King alive left them open to betrayal from within since it didn't serve the King's interests to serve the Republic and that he had already conspired against the revolution repeatedly, the National Convention also wanted to prove to the people of France and especially Paris that it was committed to revolutionary success. By voting for the King's death, the conventionnels (as they called themselves) were drawing a line in sand, sending a message to the French public that the government is totally committed to the revolution, since their only hope for the war would be "Victory or Death":

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'': In the Battle of Doldrey, Griffith positions himself and the portion of his army that he expects to face the largest part of the enemy force with their backs to a river and no way to retreat. He does this not only to motivate his own men, but also as part of a BatmanGambit: cornered and outnumbered, his force presents a tempting target that succeeds in drawing the enemy forces out of their castle, which is promptly captured in a sneak attack by a small flanking force.
* ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar'': While in the process of mourning the fallen Hyui, Shuren, one of the Five Chariot Stars, incinerates his army's fortress as a memorial to his fallen comrade and as a means to force his men to attack the killer, Raoh. Shame that it does very little to help him survive his fight with Raoh.
* ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist2003'': When setting out on their journey, the Elric brothers Ed and Al burn down their childhood home so there will be no turning back. Explored and discussed later on. Winry understands why they did this and why Ed put the date on his watch, but calls him out by thinking they don't have a home anymore, causing the brothers to realize they ''still'' have people waiting for them when they complete their journey. Another if not darker extent is when Ed sees [[spoiler:his father Van Hoenheim at the place. Hoenheim actually points out that Ed did not burn the house because of this, but because of their failure at bringing back their mother, with Hoenheim even comparing it to a child wetting the bed and hiding the sheets. Ed's horrified looks imply that Hoenheim is not entirely wrong in this.]]
* {{Deconstructed}} in ''Manga/{{Holyland}}''. In the flashback of how Masaki became a delinquent, it's shown that, when surrounded by delinquents his sempai at the boxing club had called to beat him up, he put himself with the back at the wall to both prevent them from attacking from behind and cut his own retreat... and promptly became unable to move due the sheer psychological pressure from finding himself in this situation, leaving him helpless and forced to take their beating.
* During the third act of the Wano Country Arc in ''Manga/OnePiece'', Kin'emon cuts down the ships the alliance used to arrive at Kaido's headquarters, stating there is no turning back in their fight to save Wano. Franky yells at him not to do the same to the Thousand Sunny, which is hidden away instead
* ''Anime/TearsToTiara'': After declaring war on the Empire, Arthur orders his men to burn their hometown down so they will march onward to conquer a new home.
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[[folder:Fan Works]]
* ''Fanfic/TheKingNobodyWanted'': Tywin does this to himself by accident (or rather, without realizing exactly how morally inflexible of a leader he’s committing himself to) when he sacks King’s Landing and kills Elia Martell and her children. The depravity of his actions ensures that the Targaryen loyalists will kill him if they win and he has to keep supporting Stannis for as long as the war goes on, despite the growing antagonism between them.
* In ''Fanfic/TheWeaverOption'' [[spoiler:Lorgar]] sacrifices [[spoiler:Sicuarus]], the homeworld of his forces, and all of the system's infrastructure to the Chaos Gods in exchange for a massive power boost to [[spoiler:the Fifth Black Crusade]], knowing full well failure would mean his destruction.
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[[folder:Literature]]
* ''Literature/{{Anabasis}}'': Xenophon describes how at one point, while leading the Greek retreat from Persia, he positioned his army in front of a chasm, precisely so that both his own soldiers and the pursuing Persians would know that retreat was impossible. The Persians withdrew and allowed the Greeks to retreat. Only a partial example, however, because Xenophon's purpose was to retreat, not to force a confrontation.
* ''Literature/{{The Art Of War|Sun Tzu}}'': Sun Tzu advises this as one of his stratagems to motivate your troops, but for the same reason warns against [[CorneredRattlesnake forcing an enemy into a situation where it appears his only option is to fight to the death]]. Instead, he advises leaving an apparent escape route to encourage flight. A fleeing enemy is easier to kill, after all.
* ''Literature/TheBelgariad'': In ''Belgarath the Sorceror'', Riva orders the ships that carried the settlers to the Isle of the Winds burned. He knows it will take a lot of hard work to build the fortress-city, and he doesn't want anyone deciding it's too much work and leaving.
* ''Literature/TheBurningBridge'' by Poul Anderson: A starship going to establish a CultColony to escape persecution back on Earth get a message via SubspaceAnsible inviting them to return as the political situation has changed. Dissent breaks out as the colonists argue over whether they should return. Worried about [[AHouseDivided where this is heading]], TheCaptain fakes a second message changing this invitation to a [[ThatsAnOrder demand]] that they return, knowing the colonists will assume the government is just up to its old tricks.
* ''Literature/CodexAlera'': In ''Cursor's Fury'', the Canim commander Sarl burns the Canim fleet in order to prevent the warriors under his command who are there under duress from fleeing back home. The invasion was ordered by priests of two castes who [[WeAREStrugglingTogether dislike each other]] passionately.
* ''Literature/CommentariesOnTheGallicWar'': When the Celtic tribal confederation known as the Helvetii migrate from their homeland with the plan to conquer better and greater lands for themselves, they set fire to their old homes (according to Caesar: twelve towns, four hundred villages, and separate dwellings besides), and burn all the corn they do not carry with them. This is done so that "after destroying the hope of a return home, they might be the more ready for undergoing all dangers." They also persuade three minor neighbouring tribes to join them, and they too burn their own settlements. Later in the same year, the Helvetii and their allies are defeated by the Romans at Bibracte, and the survivors are forced to return to their old territory and rebuild their homes. Archaelogy has never found evidence for the mass-burning of Helvetian settlements, meaning UsefulNotes/JuliusCaesar probably made this story up.
* ''Literature/DeReMilitari'': Vegetius suggests using this as a way to force your troops to commit themselves to the fight. The side which has all of his escape routes blocked fights with desperation.
* ''Literature/HonorHarrington'': The original colonists to Grayson wrecked their starship's [[HumanPopsicle cryonics equipment]], ensuring that it would be impossible to return to the "sinful" Earth. They didn't wreck the whole thing, though, which is fortunate because it turned out that the planet was basically one huge Superfund site and there's no way they would have survived without the ship's resources.
* ''Literature/TheHuntForRedOctober'': Marko Ramius, captain of a submarine carrying nuclear missiles, sends a letter to the CO of the Soviet Navy stating that he and his command staff are defecting. When his staff officers ask him why he did it, he says the knowledge that there is no turning back will strengthen their motivation and commitment.
* ''Literature/{{Julian}}'' did this believing that his victory was assured by the gods. He was wrong. One character described it as the beginning of the end: "Nothing went right again."
* ''Literature/MalazanBookOfTheFallen'':
** The Bridgeburners' name invokes this. They are an elite company, the Emperor's favourite one, of which every member has "burned the bridge" to his or hers past. Even their company emblem consists of a silver brooch with ruby flames.
** ''Literature/MidnightTides'': The Tiste Edur, upon setting out to conquer the Kingdom of Lether, allow their home villages to be bombarded and utterly destroyed by magic, so as to not have anything possible dissenters could return to.
* ''Literature/PeterAndTheStarcatchers'': In the first act of the first book, the pirate Black Stache dumps most of his water overboard so that the only way his men can avoid dying of thirst is by fully committing themselves to chasing and catching the ship Stache is after and taking its water.
** ''Literature/ReapersGale'': Adjunct Tavore Paran orders the Malazan ships to be burned after unloading her punitive army on the shores of Lether. Under a morally ambiguous commander of uncertain motivations, being stranded on foreign shores with no way back home certainly serves to fuel speculation among the [[BadassArmy Bonehunters]].
* ''Literature/{{Redwall}}'': When Cluny the Scourge arrives in Mossflower, he press-gangs a large number of the local vermin into his cause and orders his rats to smash the new conscripts' houses, so they will have nothing to return to if they desert him.
* ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'': After the Noldorin Elves led by Fëanor have crossed over from Aman to Middle-earth on the ships they stole from the Telerin Elves, Fëanor orders them to burn all the ships. He does this to prevent any of his followers from returning to Aman, but also to make sure they cannot help the rest of the Noldor who follow Fëanor's brother Fingolfin get to Middle-earth.
* ''Literature/SimonBlackAtSea'' by Ivan Southall. In order to do a GrandTheftPrototype, the minions of a corrupt business conglomerate put out a distress call, planning to seize the vessel when it turns up to rescue them. Our hero gets tipped off about the trap, but finds they've set their ship on fire for real, forcing him to rescue the 'sailors' or [[SaveTheVillain leave them at the mercy of an approaching hurricane]].
* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'':
** One of the important historical characters is the Princess Nymeria, who led a fleet of Rhoynish refugees away from their Valyrian conquerors. After ending up in Dorne and allying with the then-minor House Martell, she burned the rest of the fleet so that the Rhoynish would never leave their new home. This is the reason for the differences between Dornish culture and the other kingdoms'.
** After sitting out most of [[CivilWar Robert's Rebellion]], after the death of Prince Rhaegar Targaryen at the Battle of the Trident made a rebel victory a ForegoneConclusion, Tywin Lannister knew he had to prove he'd turned his back on House Targaryen in such a fashion that the rebels under Robert Baratheon were under no illusions whose side he was on, so Tywin marched to King's Landing with his army, pledging to defend it from the rebels. Once [[TheCaligula King Aerys II]] opened the city gates to Tywin, his army brutally sacked the capital city and [[RulingFamilyMassacre slaughtered the royal family]] to show the rebels that House Lannister wouldn't turn back to the Targaryens even if they wanted to.
* A variation in ''{{Literature/Wulfrik}}'', where the titular hero leaves the men their ships, instead removing the way to safely return those ships home. The Norscan fleet sailed through the Warp (towed by the Seafang) to emerge deep in the Empire, and Wulfrik's rival Sveinbjorn intended to cast his enemies adrift on the way back. Wulfrik instead cuts all the ships loose so only his ship goes into the Warp, leaving the Norscans with no option but to fight their way home (and because he was flying Sveinbjorn's flag, they'll think Sveinbjorn ordered it).
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