Lecture 11: Ideas And War

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Lecture 11 Ideas And War
1. Is War Good Or Bad? 2. Social Darwinism 3.
Militarism 4. The Cult Of The Offensive 5. Social
Orders Crossbows And The Cavalry 6. Hegemonic
Ideas
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Social Darwinism

• Charles Darwin On The Origins Of Species
  (1859)
• What is Survival of the Fittest?
• How Does It Relate to Social Competition within
  Societies?
• How Does It Relate to Competition Between
  Countries?

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Tenets Of Social Darwinism
1. War is Progressive
"Without War Inferior or Decaying Races Would
Easily Choke the Growth of Healthy Budding
Elements, and a Universal Decadence Would
Follow. German General Bernhardi "The Great
Strides Which Civilization Makes Against
Barbarism and Unreason Are Only Made Actual by
the Sword. German Historian Heinrich Von
Treitschke "The Path of Progress Is Strewn
With the Wreckage of Nations. British
Statistician Karl Pearson
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Tenets Of Social Darwinism
1. War is Progressive -- Continued
Brave People Alone Have an Existence, and an
Evolution or Future the Weak and Cowardly
Perish, and Perish Justly. The Grandeur of
History Lies in the Perpetual Conflict of
Nations, and it is Simply Foolish to Desire the
Suppression of Conflict. German Historian
Heinrich Von Treitschke
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Tenets Of Social Darwinism
2. War Is Inevitable "A Few Idealists May Have
Visions That With Advancing Civilization War and
Its Dreaded Horrors Will Cease. Civilization Has
Not Changed Human Nature. . . Armed Strike Will
Not Disappear Form the Earth Until Human Nature
Changes." American General J. V. Story 3. War
Brings Society Together War "Brings Out the Full
Magnificence of the Sacrifice of
Fellow-countrymen for One Another . . . the Love,
the Friendliness, and the Strength of That Mutual
Sentiment." German Historian Heinrich Von
Treitschke
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Tenets Of Social Darwinism
4. War Brings Out The Best In Men Mahatma Gandhi,
Who Vehemently Opposed War, Stated That "It Does
One Good Thing. It Drives Away Fear and Brings
Bravery to the Surface." 5. War Is Manly "As
Manhood Marks the Height of Physical Vigor Among
Mankind, So the Militant Success of a Nation
Marks the Zenith of Its Physical Greatness.
American Homer Lea
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Militarism An Idea

• The Glorification Of The Soldier
• The Widespread Adoption Of Military Beliefs And
  Values
• a) Violence Is An Appropriate Way To Resolve
  Conflict
• b) Outsiders Are An Ever Present Danger
• c) Civic Duty Involves Loyalty And Obedience
• Military Take Precedence Over Civilian Concerns
• Collective Goals Supersede Individual Goals Or
  Rights
• Use Of Nationalism To Promote Excessive
  Patriotism

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Decline of Militarism

• Militarist Societies are Defeated in War
• Civilian Control in the Superpowers
• Most Pronounced in Highly Stratified Societies

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Militarization
Definition
The Process Through Which A Society Becomes
Increasingly Organized Around Preparation For,
And Implementation Of, War

• Measurement Used By Regan (1994)
• 1) Of Active And Reserve Troops
• 2) Of Civilians Working For The Military
• 3) Of Veterans Participating In Veteran
  Organizations
• 4) Of Civilians Working In Defense Industries
• 5) Of Military Training Programs In Schools

• Militarization Is Closely Linked To
  Industrialization

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Question
Is the United States a Militaristic or
Militarized Society?
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(No Transcript)
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Cult Of The Offensive

• Domestic Ideology Which Increases Probability
  Of War
• Unshakable Believe That Offensive Forces Always
  Have
• An Advantage Over Defensive Forces
• Irrational Or Religious Belief In That No
  Amount Of
• Evidence To The Contrary Will Alter Belief
• Dominates Many European Culture Prior To World
  War I

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The Cult Of The Offensive
The French Army, Returning to Its Traditions, No
Longer Knows Any Other Law Than the Offensive
All Attacks Are to Be Pushed to the Extremeto
Charge the Enemy in Order to Destroy Him This
Result Can Only Be Obtained at the Price of
Bloody Sacrifice. French Colonel De
Grandmaison. The French Army No Longer Knows
Any Other Law Than the OffensiveAny Other
Conception Ought to Be Rejected As Contrary to
the Very Nature of War. French Chief of Staff
Joffre
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The Cult Of The Offensive
The Offense Alone Is Suited to the Temperament
of French Soldiers We Are Determined to March
Against the Enemy Without Hesitation. French
President Clement Fallieres. Attack Is the Best
Defense. Germany General Alfred Von
Schlieffen The Offensive Mode of Action Is by
Far Superior to the Defensive Mode and the
Superiority of Offensive Warfare Under Modern
Conditions If Greater Than Formerly. German
General Friedrich Von Bernhardi
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The Cult Of The Offensive
The Cavalry Looks Now Upon a Charge in Battle
As Its Paramount Duty It Has Deliberately Closed
Its Eyes Against the Far-Reaching Changes in
Warfare. German General Friedrich Von
Bernhardi The Defensive Is Never an Acceptable
Role to the Briton, and He Makes Little or No
Study of It. British General W.G. Knox
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Why The Cult Of The Offensive?

• History or Tradition French Military History
• Some Prior Success Prussia 1866 and 1870
• Social Darwinism

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Causes Of The Cult Of The Offensive(Jack Snyder)
Reasons Militaries Favor Offensive Strategies 1)
Increases Autonomy Of The Military 2) Increases
The Prestige Of The Military 3) Increases
Funding For The Military 4) Restricts The Role
Of Reserves 5) Simplifies Organizational
Routines 6) Reflects Belief System Of Military
Officers
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Consequences Of The Cult Of The
Offensive(Steven Van Evera)
1. Leads To Belief That Wars Are Quick And Cheap
Therefore Expansionism And Empire Pay 2.
Creates Incentive To Preempt 3. Encourages
Preventative War 4. Contributes To Inflexible
Mobilization Plans 5. Implies Mobilization Means
War (In World War I) 6. Increases Importance Of
Alliances
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Social Orders
1. Assumption Militaries Adopt Best Technology
Available 2. Cognitive Barriers How Does the
Technology Fit With My Understanding of
Warfare? 3. Social Barriers Beliefs About
Proper Social Order Can Influence the Initiation
and Execution Of War 4. Beliefs Can Inhibit
Adoption Of New Technology
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The Crossbow

• Threatens Dominance Of Mounted Knight
• Branded As Unmanly And Cowardly
• Outlawed By Catholic Churchs Lateran Council
  (1139)
• Later Permitted Against Muslims
• Church Cannot Halt Spread In Long Run

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Social Orders

• The Cavalry
• -- Purpose Shock Troops, Mobile Troops, Scouts
• -- Changes Machine Gun, Barbed Wire,
  Repeating Rifle, etc.
• -- Surprise Persist Despite Technological
  Change
• Reasons For The Cavalrys Persistence
• 1) Dominated By Social Elite
• 2) Militaries Slow To Innovate During Peace
  Time
• 3) Europeans Reject Lessons Of US Civil War
  Boer War
• 4) Effectiveness Of New Weapons Underestimated

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Hegemonic Ideas
Why Do Some Ideas Come To Dominate Society? A)
Idea Entrepreneurs B) Historical
Yardstick C) Snowballing D) Vested Interests