What is Fratricide

Fratricide is a word that many historians and war observers regularly discuss, and it is a term that has evolved over time as civilizations have progressed and fallen. The original meaning of the term fratricide is the killing of one's own brother, and many religious texts have pinpointed fratricide as the first kind of murder that was ever committed. The term itself is a combination of 2 Latin words, Frater which means brother, and Cide which means to kill.

Fratricide in the military takes on a different meaning, but one that is closely related to the original concept. It is synonymous with the term 'Friendly Fire', which literally means the killing of ones own troops and comrades inadvertently, while firing at enemies. This concept should not be confused with 'Collateral Damage' (which refers to inadvertent civilian damage and loss of life) nor should it be confused with the deliberate and intentional killing of ones own troops. Friendly fire is said to occur only when one's own troops are accidentally killed while shooting at enemies. The absence of firing on enemies negates the occurrence of friendly fire, or fratricide.

Fratricide in History

Many large empires involved fratricide in some manner, so that a ruler would never be under threat from his brothers who could potentially usurp him for the throne. The first instance though was seen in the Bible, when Cain murders Abel (both were the sons of Adam and Eve) based on jealousy.

Even Roman history of the empire was founded on the concept of fratricide, when Romulus murdered his twin brother Remus. Both were the original planners of Rome, and a dispute over the location of the empire led to the murder of Remus. The Ottoman Empire took this concept a step further, and made it imperative for all brothers and sisters of a new Sultan to be either murdered or imprisoned. Incidentally, the killing of one's own sister is also referred to as Sororicide.

The idea stems from inherent jealousy that is felt towards a brother, which leads to the murder of one of the two parties by the other. The metaphor of broken brotherhood can teach one many lessons that the Holy Bible also wishes to impart.

Fratricide in the Military

As already mentioned, the answer under such circumstances refers to the accidental killing of ones own comrades during a war or a battle. The definition for such circumstances is known as friendly fire, and this is a very tragic and traumatic experience for the person involved. The large-scale scope of modern warfare and weapons has made this concept all the more prevalent, and this is a harsh reality that has to be dealt with. The military then assigns a tribunal to investigate the exact cause of the deaths, so that such incidents can be avoided in the future.

The biggest cause of friendly fire is miscommunication while the enemy is actively being engaged, and this makes the tragedy unavoidable. The problems of combat stress and poor terrain also lead to this incident occurring time and again. Proper coordination and planning is necessary during combat to ensure that this incident is avoided at all costs.

Fratricide is very common and every major war has numerous instances where this event occurred, on both sides of the warring factions. It happened in Vietnam during the Vietnam war (1955 - 1975), that reported 8,000 counts in the U.S. Army and it is believed that there are many more such incidents that may have taken place. Reports in Iraq (August, 1990 - February, 1991) were also duly noted in the case of 35 deaths. Most of these accidental deaths occurred as a result of friendly fire from allied units. Even the 2003 invasion of Iraq saw several cases of fratricide reported amongst American troops.

It is necessary to understand the implications of fratricide and friendly fire. The killing of one's brother as condoned in olden times is obviously illegal now, and it amounts to murder and homicide. Friendly fire is a different kind of animal altogether, and it is something that is unavoidable when it occurs.