Backs to the wall

Origin of: Backs to the wall

Backs to the wall

Sometimes expressed as backs against the wall, this expression is from warfare and dates from the 16th century. It now means any desperate, last ditch situation. Fighting with one’s back up against the wall prevented attack from the rear but also cut off any chance of retreat, making for a desperate situation. The phrase made headlines in the First World War during the great German offensive of March 1918 when General Sir Douglas Haig issued his famous backs-to-the-wall order to his troops. The Times on 13 April 1918 reported Haig’s order as follows: “with our backs to the wall and believing in the justice of our cause, each one of us must fight on to the end.” See also Go to the wall