I highly disagree with the statement "The bullet's a fool, the bayonet's a fine lad." As the emergence of modern warfare was in full bloom, the reliance upon the most elementary weapon in history was not only an absurdity in theory, but was a realized nightmare in practice throughout Russian tactics from pre-Russo-Turkish War until almost eve of World War I. The regulations covering infantry tactics (and as the centerpiece of the war machine, all other combat arms) was so geared to the ultimate struggle in will and morals that the effectiveness of direct fire was completely ignored. Expounding the problem was the reliance upon the victorious outcome of the much outdated "cold steel" approach.
Formations were still regulated as either open or closed; however, the open was utilized more for the approach (to lessen the casualties accrued from enemy artillery) and upon gaining contact with the enemy force, the closed formation was assumed. …
