Animal Farm

How does Snowball direct the Battle of the Cowshed?

This takes place in chapter 4 of Animal Farm I believe.

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Snowball is the battle plan organizer. He reads many famous books about war and strategy like Julius Caesar. Snowball anticipates Farmer Jones's return and carries out his battle plan. He organizes the animals’ attack and defence. Snowball even charges farmer Jones himself and takes a bullet.

Snowball had studied a book of Julius Caesar's campaigns. Having planned multiple attacks, Snowball first sent in the pigeons, who were followed closely by the geese. Then came the second attack, which included Muriel, Benjamin, the sheep, all led by Snowball. They lashed at the men with hooves, but then soon had to retreat as the men were beating them with sticks and 'hobnailed" boots.

The men thought they'd won the battle and gave a shout of triumph; they thought the animals were running away and they followed them without any order. This was the men's mistake, Snowball had planned what was happening and led them into an ambush. They cornered the men inside the yard and blocked any places where they could escape. Then Snowball signaled the charge, running straight for Jones himself. Jones shot at him but only skimmed his back with the bullets, although a sheep fell dead on the ground.

Snowball kept up the attack, and Jones ended up in a pile of dung where he dropped his gun while falling. Boxer then began to attack like a stallion; he killed Foxwood's stable boy. The animals continued to attack unmercifully; trampling, biting, and goring any man in their path. Even the cat jumped in........ off the roof, claws bared. As soon as the coast was clear and an opening presented itself, the men ran away. The animals had won the Battle of the Cowshed, and the only man left behind was simply a boy; the stable hand.

Source(s)

Animal Farm/ Chapter 4

Hobnailed Boots (I thought you might find this interesting)

In footwear, a hobnail is a short nail with a thick head used to increase the durability of boot soles.

They are known in Scotland as "tackety boots," usually have an iron horseshoe-shaped insert, called a heel iron, and an iron toe-piece. The hobnails stick out below the sole and provide traction on soft or rocky ground, ice, and snow, but they tend to slide on smooth hard surfaces.

Source(s)

The Dictionary

Snowball assigns the positions of all the animals.

he sends the pigeons in first, swiftly followed by the geese.

the other animals then follow suite, with Napoleon however not being present.