Willingness to go to war

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVVahdUS1C4

Peter Kopa, Prague, 20.2.2023

The bad attitude

We found a very important information, which appeared in the NZZ in Zuerich, 18.2.23. This newspaper is one of the oldest and most prestigious in the world. It deals with the dismal willingness of the German soldier to go to war. This came to public light when the result of a survey was published in Germany, a few days ago, by the German Press Agency: only one out of twenty men of military age would go to war freely, out of personal conviction, and only one out of ten would go passively. The initiative for this has been taken by the Baltic countries, who wanted to know how the German Armed Forces would react in the event of a Russian attack against them. According to NATO rules, Germany would be obliged to defend them together with the other NATO member states.

According to a Gallup poll in 2015, the Dutch and the Japanese gave an even worse result. In contrast, Switzerland has 39% of young people ready to go to war. Historian Michael Wolffsohn explains the German result on the grounds that Germans have become too preoccupied with themselves, forgetting that they are a nation. Today young people do not like concepts such as people, nation or fatherland, because they are terms tainted by Nazism, which they could not digest up to now. The state, instead of dealing with it openly in the educational sectors, has always preferred to ignore this hot potato.

As things stand, it is hardly surprising that a million people, mostly young men, have already fled Russia and the war. We do not yet have the data of the other countries, so we can conjecture that the rich countries are the ones that by logic have the lowest willingness to go to a war front, except for the USA. Personally I have the impression that all of Latin America would score much higher, as would the countries in Asia.

Some conclusions

We see, therefore, that opulence and the pleasures of consumption have softened the character of the potential soldier, undermining his willingness to go to war. But what is most opposed to assuming military responsibility is the question of personal principles. In this sense, a materialistic and atheistic attitude can hardly be identified with a legitimate plan of war fighting, of defense. And much less with an absurd war, like so many in history. La moralidad en la guerra de Ucrania

For these reasons, and also because of the technical complexity of high-tech weapons, most states have decided to abolish compulsory military service, switching to the regime of professionalism. This makes it possible to give the combatant the training he needs.

Then, due to the sophistication of weapons, remote combat is being imposed, where the infantry enters to control the conquered territory only after the enemy has been almost destroyed. The war in Ukraine is showing us ‘where the shots are being fired’, in the most literal sense of the word. Although the numbers of casualties on both fronts are being kept secret, I think the total may already be three hundred thousand dead and very many wounded.

The Holywood-type soldier never existed

There was still an important motivation in World War II, both in Germany and in the USA and Japan. But little do we know how the willingness to go to war of both Chinas is, where probably iron discipline would make up for the lack of motivation to risk one’s life. This could mean that the leading Western countries have armed forces that on the battlefield could yield disappointing results. On the other hand, it is also true that a man, when he enters the war, becomes a soldier the moment he sees his comrades die.

The professionalization of the army

Auge de las empresas particulares militarizadas

The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) explains the reasons for its abolition in a survey of 87 military experts from 32 European countries and their relationship with compulsory military service from 1975 to 2003,

Trend analyses show that the transformation of conscript armies into volunteer forces in Europe is mainly due to the change in the geopolitical situation since the end of the Cold War.  The buildup of regional conflicts and associated humanitarian missions abroad have also contributed to this. The effects of the Alliance, and in this case especially NATO membership is accelerating the transition to a force of professionals.

In addition to these geostrategic causes, technological drivers, e.g., the improvement of military technology, are at the forefront. Only professional and well-trained soldiers can handle highly complex weapons. Thus, technological advancement brings with it a logical reduction of the armed forces’ contingents.

Then there are the social factors that have influenced the suspension of compulsory military service. It is generally thought that compulsory military service is unfair, and it is also observed the loss of importance of the military in today’s societies.

Then there is the deterioration of moral values, which used to be based on patriotism and love of country.  Growing individualism and pluralism, which are functions of relativism, make war an absurdity. This is conducive to an increase in conscientious objection in the case of compulsory military service.  Also influencing this issue is the need to cut costs throughout the state budget.