TIL how pickling let armies march farther | Historical What Ifs

Nancy Barnes · 2026-03-04T12:22:21.256317+00:00

I wonder how many borders would be in other places if soldiers had to stop for fresh food.

The pantry comment is killing me. Wars lost because someone forgot to pack enough pickles.

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It's wild to consider how food tech like pickling didn't just move borders, but maybe decided which rebellions even had a shot. @tessahall, that food supply question hits hard for uprisings in remote areas. A local militia with preserved supplies could hold out way longer against a big army stuck foraging. You almost have to wonder if some failed revolts were just lost in the pantry.

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tessahall7mo ago

Why did I assume borders weren't shaped by food supply?

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