Re: Decimation as a tactic......
I've never read that about Zhukov, though I've recently (in the last 6 months) read his history of WWII.
I have read that in WWII both sides had non-coms and officers lined up to shoot anyone who didn't "charge" into the machine guns.
The protocol for the North during the Civil War was to have 3 ranks of troops and non-coms behind them with orders to shoot anyone moving back.
Then there were three more ranks, with officers behind them. Same orders.
Retreats occurred with the non-coms and officers ran OR were run down.
Arf