War, Holy. A crusade; a war undertaken to deliver the Holy Land, or Judea, from infidels. See [Crusade].
War Minister. See [Minister], and [Secretary of War].
War, Offensive. See [Offensive War].
War Office. The immediate office of the British secretary of state for war, and the centre on which pivots the entire administration of the army. It is subdivided into a number of departments, each under a chief officer, who is at the head of that section of the labor, and is directly responsible to the secretary of state. The last named high officer is aided by two under-secretaries of state, an assistant under-secretary, and a military assistant. Under these and the heads of departments there are about 450 clerks, with 50 messengers, etc.
War of Succession. See [Succession Wars].
War, Religious. Is a war maintained in a state on account of religion, one of the parties refusing to tolerate the other.
Warasdins. A kind of Sclavonian soldiers, clothed like the Turks, with a sugar-loaf bonnet instead of a hat.
War-beat, or War-beaten. Worn down in service.
Warburg (Northern Germany). Here the French were defeated by the Duke of Brunswick and the allies, July 31, 1760.
War-cry. A cry or signal used in war. For mutual recognition and encouragement in battle, war-cries have always been common, each rude nation or tribe having its own. The ancient war-cry of the English was Saint George! that of the Spaniards, San Jago! and that of the French, Montjoie Saint-Denis! that of the dukes of Burgundy, Montjoie Saint-André! and that of the dukes of Bourbon, Montjoie Notre-Dame!. In the feuds of the Middle Ages, each party, or the retainers of each noble family, had a distinctive war-cry. Sometimes the war-cry was the name of the family. Thus, in Scotland, the retainers of the noble houses of Douglas and of Home rushed into battle with the cry of A Douglas! a Douglas! or A Home! a Home! The French armies under Napoleon were accustomed to charge with shouts of Vive l’Empereur!