War Re-enactment

War re-enactments are a type of war gaming that is physically acted out traditionally using a large group of people re-enacting a famous battle, they are particularly popular in the United States. War re-enactments range and span through different time periods, things more recent such as the American Civil War and World War re-enactments are the most popular, but other re-enactments such as Classical Re-enactments portray the Greco-Roman world. The earliest recorded activity relating to a re-enactment was the recreation of famous battles staged by the Romans within their amphitheatres as a form of public spectacle. Many people pursue war re-enacting as a hobby with the age ranges being incredibly diverse with people of all ages attending events. A lot of people are interested in getting a historical perspective of such events; other participants participate for the escapism that the events offer. Living History is a form of war re-enactment that is meant solely for the purpose of education to the public, they do not always entail a mock battle instead some aim at simply portraying what a soldier’s life was like during the period in which the re-enactment is set. Closed events known as Tactical battles, which are not usually open to the public, are fought like real battles with each side devising strategies and tactics used to defeat their opponents, these traditionally are not recreations of battles and are played competitively. Total immersion events are ‘hard-core’ events that are re-enacted with a higher sense of realism, often featuring extended marches and generally living like an actual soldier to make it feel more authentic.