...it's like TV Tropes, but LINKED DATA!
Sukhomlinov Effect
- 120 statements
- 20 feature instances
- 6 referencing feature instances
| Sukhomlinov Effect | type |
FeatureClass | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect | label |
Sukhomlinov Effect | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect | page |
SukhomlinovEffect | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect | comment |
In a conflict between two armies with uniforms, all other things being equal, the guys with the more elaborate uniforms will lose. Named for Vladimir Aleksandrovich Sukhomlinov, snappy dresser and Minister of War for the Imperial Russian Army up until 1915. His name has given rise to a piece of military lore that is often echoed in fiction. The "Sukhomlinov Effect" states that in any military conflict between a uniformed and non-uniformed army, the guys with uniforms will lose. Special attention here goes to the uniforms of the officers: big hats, jangling medals, and feather plumes are the kiss of death. The narrative reasons are obvious. First, the trope has an anti-authoritarian vibe, given that fancy uniforms symbolise wealth and power, and audiences tend to root for the underdog. Second, overly elaborate war gear suggests a certain amount of decadence — you're more interested in displays of wealth than what is practical and sensible in combat, so you're probably not going to be so good in a fight. This is noted as one of Murphy's Laws of Combat: "No combat-ready unit has ever passed inspection. No inspection-ready unit has ever passed combat." In Real Life, the trope gets periodically averted and played straight for a reason: before the nearly-universal adoption of camouflage uniforms for field duty during World War One and relegation of elaborate uniforms to city dress and ceremonial dress, the sumptuous uniform was a propaganda piece as much as it was clothing. It was designed to impress, to show the power of the nation and leader who fielded it. Cue the unfortunate effect of leaders who saw their state and power base eroded trying to outshine any potential opponent for diplomatic and propaganda reasons. The fact the same leaders who see they are about to lose are terribly fond of "White Elephant" complex and advanced weaponry also plays itself straight periodically. Also, the flashier your uniform, the easier you are to hit. Back in the olden days, it was the only way that soldiers could tell who was in charge and therefore, who to take their orders from. Given the fact that fighting then relied on maintaining a cohesive formation, this was pretty much a necessity. However, as military firearms became more and more accurate, marksmen would make a point of aiming at the fancy horse-riding guy with the big feathery hat every time, and so those uniforms became a liability. It took the better half of a century until military men decided to wear something a little more discreet. In fiction, La Résistance uses this trope almost every time, but it can also be generalized to many sorts of conflicts. The only exceptions to this might be in The War on Terror, but then again... A Sub-Trope of Dress-Coded for Your Convenience. Compare Non-Uniform Uniform, Custom Uniform (these two for the good guys), Gas Mask Mooks (for the bad guys), Bling of War, Highly-Conspicuous Uniform, Impractically Fancy Outfit, Scary Impractical Armour. Can overlap with Slobs Versus Snobs. |
|
| Sukhomlinov Effect | fetched |
2024-03-14T18:16:59Z | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect | parsed |
2024-03-14T18:16:59Z | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect | processingComment |
Dropped link to BlingOfWar: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect | processingComment |
Dropped link to HighlyConspicuousUniform: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect | processingComment |
Dropped link to ISOStandardHumanSpaceship: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect | processingComment |
Dropped link to Irony: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect | processingComment |
Dropped link to RealLife: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect | processingComment |
Dropped link to SpaceMarines: Not an Item - UNKNOWN | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect | processingComment |
Dropped link to StarWars: Not an Item - CAT | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect | processingComment |
Dropped link to SubvertedTrope: Not an Item - CAT | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect | processingComment |
Dropped link to ThePurge: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect | processingComment |
Dropped link to TruthInTelevision: Not an Item - CAT | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect | processingComment |
Dropped link to UsefulNotes: Not an Item - IGNORE | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect | processingComment |
Dropped link to YouShallNotPass: Not an Item - FEATURE | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect | processingUnknown |
SpaceMarines | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect | isPartOf |
DBTropes | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_11282746 | type |
Sukhomlinov Effect | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_11282746 | comment |
Name-checked and exaggerated to the point of (unintentional) parody in Victoria: A Novel of 4th Generation War where any force with pretensions to professional military airs up to and including logistic trains and staff headquarters more elaborate than a table at a local diner, let alone fancy or even particularly clean uniforms; are invariably out-fought, out-thought, out-maneuvered, out-moraled, and generally put to rout by the flannel-clad hunters-cum-light-infantry which comprises the Northern Confederacy's Christian Marines. | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_11282746 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_11282746 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Victoria: A Novel of 4th Generation War | hasFeature |
Sukhomlinov Effect / int_11282746 | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_12fd5db0 | type |
Sukhomlinov Effect | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_12fd5db0 | comment |
Megamind. When the titular villain goes around in an absurd High Collar of Doom covered in Spikes of Villainy and an Ominous Opera Cape, he keeps losing. During the final battle of the film, which he wins, he's dressed slightly more practically. | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_12fd5db0 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_12fd5db0 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Megamind | hasFeature |
Sukhomlinov Effect / int_12fd5db0 | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_468bebb0 | type |
Sukhomlinov Effect | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_468bebb0 | comment |
Sort of, in Discworld. Vimes prefers that a watchman's armor should be a bit beat-up and dingy, to show that it's been doing its job, and by and large, the better coppers do tend to look a bit scruffier, while the ones with the impressively-kept armor tend to be too concerned with keeping it that way to be good at their jobs (Vimes has similar concerns about actual dress uniforms). The exception: Carrot, who is obsessed with being a good copper to the point of not only following all the rules to the letter but finding a way to make following all the rules to the letter work; his armor is very impressively kept because it's in the rules. Detritus is also mentioned as having exceptionally shiny armor because he doesn't get bored of polishing. Later it is revealed Troll Kings are made of diamond, and "shiny" is profoundly high praise among trolls, this may also be cultural. |
|
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_468bebb0 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_468bebb0 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Discworld | hasFeature |
Sukhomlinov Effect / int_468bebb0 | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_53a73ca0 | type |
Sukhomlinov Effect | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_53a73ca0 | comment |
Star Wars: The Clone Wars documents the conflict between an army of identical droids vs an army of identical on the surface, unique at heart, clones. | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_53a73ca0 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_53a73ca0 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Star Wars: The Clone Wars | hasFeature |
Sukhomlinov Effect / int_53a73ca0 | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_5d354f8 | type |
Sukhomlinov Effect | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_5d354f8 | comment |
Played with in Red Dwarf, with Rimmer's theory that the army with the shortest haircut always wins. | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_5d354f8 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_5d354f8 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Red Dwarf | hasFeature |
Sukhomlinov Effect / int_5d354f8 | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_6e17a0d1 | type |
Sukhomlinov Effect | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_6e17a0d1 | comment |
Die Hard: Bruce Willis in a muscle shirt vs. guys in suits. | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_6e17a0d1 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_6e17a0d1 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Die Hard | hasFeature |
Sukhomlinov Effect / int_6e17a0d1 | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_70814599 | type |
Sukhomlinov Effect | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_70814599 | comment |
Stargate SG-1: Members of Stargate Command generally go into the field wearing camouflage uniforms. The Jaffa that serve the Goa-uld wear elaborate metal outfits, sometimes with ornate helmets. One episode mentions that the Jaffa's weapons are meant to keep the human slaves in line through intimidation, while the SGC weapons are made for war. This also applies to the uniforms each side wears into battle. | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_70814599 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_70814599 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Stargate SG-1 | hasFeature |
Sukhomlinov Effect / int_70814599 | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_81692f99 | type |
Sukhomlinov Effect | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_81692f99 | comment |
Starfleet, throughout the Star Trek series and films, wear simple uniforms with blocks of colourful and comfortable material. They are regularly the victors in wars against Klingons and Romulans, who have elaborate and fancy Imperial uniforms, with major differences to indicate their officers, and Borg, whose look is elaborate cybernetics on all of their soldiers with nobody being more or less important. | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_81692f99 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_81692f99 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Star Trek (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Sukhomlinov Effect / int_81692f99 | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_8a339030 | type |
Sukhomlinov Effect | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_8a339030 | comment |
Indiana Jones vs. the Nazis | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_8a339030 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_8a339030 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Indiana Jones (Franchise) | hasFeature |
Sukhomlinov Effect / int_8a339030 | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_92844ddb | type |
Sukhomlinov Effect | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_92844ddb | comment |
Dinosaurs, where the emblem of the two-legged army is a target. | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_92844ddb | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_92844ddb | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Dinosaurs | hasFeature |
Sukhomlinov Effect / int_92844ddb | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_a8150af4 | type |
Sukhomlinov Effect | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_a8150af4 | comment |
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Subverted at first. The horse-riding Numenorians with their elaborated armors defeat the Hordes of Orcs in the Battle of Tirharad with ease. Than it gets Double Subverted when Waldreg executes Adar's secret plan of provoking Orodruin's eruption. The Orcs win and the Numenorians retreat back home. | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_a8150af4 | featureApplicability |
-0.3 | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_a8150af4 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power | hasFeature |
Sukhomlinov Effect / int_a8150af4 | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_b30ae4db | type |
Sukhomlinov Effect | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_b30ae4db | comment |
Game of Thrones: By the final series, the two Designated Heroes of Dany and Jon have as the majority of their army the Dothraki (a Mongol-influenced army of irregular cavalry) while Jon's portion consists of his aligned army of wildlings. | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_b30ae4db | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_b30ae4db | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Game of Thrones | hasFeature |
Sukhomlinov Effect / int_b30ae4db | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_bcadd7cb | type |
Sukhomlinov Effect | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_bcadd7cb | comment |
Zigzagged in Warhammer 40,000: While Bling of War is a nearly omnipresent trope (behold the Praetorians and Pyran Dragoons, it's rarely the reason for a loss due to the Status Quo Is God nature of the setting. And then there's the Space Marines, who wear bright colors specifically so the enemy will see them coming. |
|
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_bcadd7cb | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_bcadd7cb | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Warhammer 40,000 (Tabletop Game) | hasFeature |
Sukhomlinov Effect / int_bcadd7cb | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_cbad9b62 | type |
Sukhomlinov Effect | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_cbad9b62 | comment |
Inverted with Legend of the Galactic Heroes, where The Empire with fancy uniforms defeats The Federation with plain uniforms. | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_cbad9b62 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_cbad9b62 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Legend of the Galactic Heroes | hasFeature |
Sukhomlinov Effect / int_cbad9b62 | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_e7e37776 | type |
Sukhomlinov Effect | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_e7e37776 | comment |
Inverted in the backstory of Firefly, where sharply-dressed, armoured Alliance soldiers beat the Browncoats who had no uniforms, being rebellious colonialists, aside from agreeing to all buy a brown coat, if possible. In the show itself, however, the crew (who are evenly uniformly dressed) often beat individuals with more fancy clothes, or an Alliance uniform, or similar. | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_e7e37776 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_e7e37776 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Firefly | hasFeature |
Sukhomlinov Effect / int_e7e37776 | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_e89f120b | type |
Sukhomlinov Effect | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_e89f120b | comment |
In Mobile Suit Gundam, the Federation, with their simpler uniforms, won over Zeon, who had uniforms with fancy gold eagle symbols on their chests. | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_e89f120b | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_e89f120b | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Mobile Suit Gundam | hasFeature |
Sukhomlinov Effect / int_e89f120b | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_edaffe15 | type |
Sukhomlinov Effect | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_edaffe15 | comment |
In The Bartimaeus Trilogy, during The Golem's Eye, Bartimaeus remarks that the less effective the army, the more over-the-top their uniforms. | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_edaffe15 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_edaffe15 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| The Bartimaeus Trilogy | hasFeature |
Sukhomlinov Effect / int_edaffe15 | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_ef7b3325 | type |
Sukhomlinov Effect | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_ef7b3325 | comment |
Some superheroes fit this trope with respect to their usual villains. The Fantastic Four and the X-Men have relatively simple costumes; their opponents generally do not. | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_ef7b3325 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_ef7b3325 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Fantastic Four / Comicbook | hasFeature |
Sukhomlinov Effect / int_ef7b3325 | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_f74b5f80 | type |
Sukhomlinov Effect | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_f74b5f80 | comment |
Babylon 5: The Trope is employed and then inverted with the Centauri and Narn. At first, the Centauri bling paints them as a decadent, foppish race who are easily bullied by the plain, aggressive Narn. Then the Centauri attack and the Narn get pretty well stomped on. The humans were almost beaten by the Minbari, but they refrained from destroying the humans. This plays the trope straighter than it might appear at first: the humans decorate like humans tend to, while the Minbari tend to be less flashy and more elegant and minimalist. |
|
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_f74b5f80 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_f74b5f80 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Babylon 5 | hasFeature |
Sukhomlinov Effect / int_f74b5f80 | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_f95a1dc9 | type |
Sukhomlinov Effect | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_f95a1dc9 | comment |
Space 1889 generally inverted, the Europeans have colorful uniforms and will easily defeat rat-tag enemies. | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_f95a1dc9 | featureApplicability |
1.0 | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect / int_f95a1dc9 | featureConfidence |
1.0 | |
| Space 1889 (Tabletop Game) | hasFeature |
Sukhomlinov Effect / int_f95a1dc9 |
The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.
| Sukhomlinov Effect | processingCategory2 |
Laws and Formulas | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect | processingCategory2 |
Uniform Tropes | |
| Sukhomlinov Effect | processingCategory2 |
Villainous Fashion Sense | |
| Die Hard / int_dabf2f27 | type |
Sukhomlinov Effect | |
| Space 1889 (Tabletop Game) / int_dabf2f27 | type |
Sukhomlinov Effect | |
| AdventureQuest Worlds (Video Game) / int_dabf2f27 | type |
Sukhomlinov Effect |
Copyright of DBTropes.org wrapper 2009-2013 DFKI Knowledge Management. Imprint. - Thanks to Bakken&Baeck for hosting. Contact.
Copyright of data TVTropes.org contributors under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.
Copyright of data TVTropes.org contributors under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.