The North Koreans have developed a pacy, highly stylised form of the infamous military march, which is said to have originated in 18th-century Prussia. Favoured by leaders of totalitarian regimes ever since – including Hitler, Mussolini, Mao, Castro and Stalin – the stechschritt is intended to intimidate the enemy by demonstrating both discipline and devotion. But the North Korean version includes a curious, bobbing spring in the step, which looks particularly gruelling. In 2008, a North Korean defector showed a Japanese journalist how to master the march using a wooden stick tied to the leg with string to train it to keep dead straight.
note: Nazi Germany permanently excluded from ever winning any polls around here...
By: Brant
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