The goose step is a military cadence that originated in Prussia in the 19th century and requires soldiers to rapidly bring their legs to an angle of nearly 19 degrees and slam their boots into the ground. It was popularized by totalitarian leaders such as Hitler and Mussolini and is still used in some countries today to demonstrate discipline and strength.
If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, as the old saying goes, it’s probably a duck. Luckily for them, the ducks have never been required to march in the military cadence known as goose-stepping. This grueling, strange-looking gait requires unnatural leg movement, sometimes continuing for hours on end. Historically, the goose step has been the favorite parade march required by totalitarian leaders.
The goose step most likely originated in 19th century Prussia. To perform the goose step, the soldier locks the knee and rapidly brings the leg to an angle of nearly 19 degrees. Then he lowers his legs hard, slamming his boot into the ground so that he makes a loud, slapping sound. The movement is then repeated with the other leg, continuing the process until the march is complete.
It has been suggested that the purpose of the goose step, which was almost always performed in unison by a battalion or platoon, was to demonstrate discipline through synchronization. While the pass was once popular, it generally fell out of favor in the years following World War II. One reason for its decline was that the goose step was the march of choice for both Adolf Hitler and his Nazi party and Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. However, it did not die out completely, and the goose step was standard practice for soldiers of the former Soviet Union until its collapse in 1991.
The goose step is rare, but can be seen in Cuban army parades and continues to be popular in North Korea, China, Vietnam, Chile and Iran. The Chinese government is so fond of the pass that it was actually demonstrated at the opening of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
Those countries whose armies keep going the goose step might be trying to signify the strength, determination and indomitable spirit of their soldiers. Going in a goose step for even a short period of time is exhausting, as the motion is somewhat contradictory to a normal range of motion. Those who can walk long distances are undoubtedly in excellent physical condition, no matter how strange they may seem.
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