the.com/rearguard
the last people to admit the war is lost, fighting anyway so others can leave.
means a detachment that protects the back of a retreating force by delaying the enemy's advance.
from from middle english rere garde, borrowed from old french arriere-garde, literally the guard at the rear of a marching army.
casualty raterearguards often suffer disproportionately to buy time
military logicsacrifices few to save many retreating
modern usenow means any last-ditch defensive effort, not just war
for instance
thermopylae 480 bce — 300 spartans held the pass while greek forces withdrew
dunkirk 1940 — french and british troops fought delaying actions for the evacuation
custer's last stand — 1876, little bighorn, the rearguard that became the whole battle
roncevaux pass 778 — roland's rearguard ambushed covering charlemagne's retreat, later mythologized