I do think that how civilians are viewed and treated in war can be indicative of whether one side or both are pursuing total war. However, Bell’s argument is fairly weak on this point, which is an issue as he spends so much time defending it. As he notes, during the ancien régime generals wanted to avoid battles and fight them with well-trained forces. If well trained forces existed, and they obviously did, it stands to reason there was already some civilian/military divide in European society. While I can’t speak for Bell, he seems to be trying to make the argument that a clear distinction first needed to be made in society and it needed to hold some relevance. Before the eighteenth-century wars could cause significant harm to civilian populations, …show more content…
The first is that he has already stated the frequency of battles declined during the eighteenth century and that by the mid-1700’s armies tried to leave civilian populations alone. This undermines his argument that the civilian/military distinction did not exist in the minds of aristocrats. Perhaps it did not exist in their personal lives, but they evidentially understood that it applied to the lower classes in some way. Similarly, the way he presents the acceptance and blurring of that distinction in the military makes it appears this shift happened quickly in the years just before and during the Revolution. However, his second chapter spends a lot of time tracing the philosophical development this concept over the course of the previous century, creating a jarring sort of interpretation of his evidence. Overall, Jeremy, I think Bell makes some interesting points, but his argument about the growing distinction between military and civilian lives struggles to hold its weight because of these …show more content…
Perhaps it does less to create a military sub-culture, but it would have had an impact on how civilians-turned-soldiers viewed war and military life and as a result how they viewed civilian life. Similarly, the rhetoric about military and civilian life changed. Edmond Dubois-Crancé believed all citizens needed to be soldiers for France to have a constitution. While this did not happen, it does demonstrate changes in cultural thought about who should be in the military and what their motive should be. If all citizens should be a soldier, or by extension help the war effort in whatever way they can, Dubois-Crancé appears to have advocated for an early version of societal mobilization, and he wasn’t the only one. I agree that professionalization had a profound influence on the developing military sub-culture, but conscripted soldiers would help to develop the broader civilian culture’s responses and reactions to military
It hugely affected the social aspect of people and their personal lives as it impacted families and their stability as well as violating the free will of men and citizens. It also influenced the quality of the military as men were improperly trained and resulted in more fatalities. Conscription left a mark on the economy as well, as women had to step up and fill in the male jobs. This caused the farming industry and the workforce to deplete as they needed more and more women to fill in these positions. Lastly, conscription ended up dividing the Nation into to between the French Canadians and the English Canadians as they both had different views and opinions on conscription.
“Principle, Sam? You may know principle, Sam, but I know war.” (Collier and Collier 21). In the book My Brother Sam is Dead , Sam and Mr. Meeker disagree about war. The author uses the character, Mr. Meeker, and the book to express his opinion.
Nathaniel Philbrick, author of Bunker Hill: A City, A Siege, A Revolution, successfully enables his readers to grasp the significance behind Boston and its neighboring cities during the rise of the Revolutionary War. Most Americans have a vague understanding of why events like the Battle of Bunker Hill are relevant and how this particular campaign played a pinnacle role in leading up to the Revolutionary War, but Philbrick does a service to Americans by beautifully illustrating these events from cover to cover. Not only is each occasion intimately detailed, but Philbrick records these instances in a precise and memorable rhythm. Although at times his novel might appear exhausting with vivid imagery, Philbrick’s thesis remains clear: In the
The point is further established when Colonel Read states, “War is never fair. Who chooses which men get killed and which ones don’t?” (Collier and Collier 200). Warfare comes at a cost, and one never knows who will pay it. By the same token, the authors stress that as long as the fighting goes on only unfair consequences will
Thesis: To many people in the colonies prior to the Revolutionary War, Concord was just a little town on the outskirts of Boston. Little did they know, that men from all different backgrounds and skills in the city came together to train regularly as minute men. Robert Gross researched many different things, such as deeds, tax lists, and wills. He did this to give us a look at what the minutemen’s lives were like before the start of the revolutionary war, and how they prepared for it.
Already war was causing serious problems within Europe. Rulers had increased taxation due
In all the mandatory military draft definitely brought people together whether it was through the death of segregation in the military or soldiers sharing a common experience and becoming brothers rather than soldiers
”(554) John reassured his father and told him” All you have to do with yourself is worry. ”(554) Frank knew his son had a job to do and was frustrated that he could do nothing. He watched on television as first responders and military personnel tried to find survivors. He felt proud of his son for being in the military and could look the other “men and women in uniform in the eye”(554) because his son
Have you ever heard of a war without having a tragedy, war without peace, or even a war without innocent people dying? Any war in the world has impacted the economy, people and other countries. The outcome of war and death that Author Kurt Vonnegut shares is a reality of war, intended to improve the lives of people, but always leading to the death of human life(Overview Slaughterhouse Five). Author Kurt Vonnegut endorses this view in his novel, Slaughterhouse-Five, he shows that war can never be justified as long as innocent life is lost. " The nicest veterans in Schenectady, I thought, the kindest and funniest ones, the ones who hated war the most, were the ones who'd really fought."(Vonnegut).
While the effort of America was important in winning the war, there was a lot of discrimination and prejudice against blacks, Native Americans, women, and homosexuals within the military. The men who fought in the war saw terrible conditions and many had mental breakdowns. This chapter in the book explains the deaths that many soldiers witnessed and how many men became separated from humanity. This caused many soldiers to become insane. The final two chapters in the book talk about changes in the American society throughout the war and the results from the war.
Several people from different walks of life have extended their own opinions on just and unjust wars. Defencists argue the need to engage in war as an act of defense when there is a threat, such as facing a country what initiated a violent war, overthrowing a cruel and oppressive government, and protecting its people against an invader; the Realists’ belief is similar to those of the Defencists, but that war is said to be just when your moral standards call for it (Orend, 2009). For instance, fighting against the US government after it overthrew your previous dictator, but then proceeded to use Phosphorus shells on civilian targets. As a Realist soldier ordered by the US government to participate in this war, you would call for the right to
A short story "The Bell-Tower" written by Herman Melville tells about the architect Bannadonna, who is building a tower with a bell for the city. Bannadonna is an ingenious architect who does not count on human sacrifices, extolling his creations over the rest. In this story, the author sought to show the image of a man of art, for which the recognition of his genius is the principal goal. One of the themes that the author raises in "The Bell-Tower" is the relationship between a man of art and his creation.
Diversity in United States Army Table of Contents Introduction 2 Diversity in United States Army 2 Significance of Identity 3 Influence of Prototypes and Assimilation on Individual Identity 4 Adjusting Beliefs and Behaviour of Leader 6 Conclusion 7 References 8 Introduction Diversity as a managerial concept focuses on racial diversity due to the historically significant role that is played by race in issues of diversity within the United States Army. It is noted that the internal communication about representative leadership across force has enabled the Army to be strong from its cultural and ethnic diversity. This paper is aimed to consider the perception, attribution, and management of diversity in the United States Army. Diversity in United States Army The emphasis of US Army on the diversity and inclusion has proven effective to enable the Army in maintenance of competitive future advantage.
G. Bell is a reputable commanding officer and therefore well informed of problems and difficulties in provisioning. With a high ranking position, and his reputation on the line with his 1st regiment, Bell is well aware of his officers attitudes and inefficiencies of supplying his troops. The constant negativity and bias approach in the draft letter does limit it true value in revealing all difficulties that are being faced and mainly focuses on the issues affecting his regiment (cholera, medical supplies and communication). The Colonel has to reassure his letter is not of linked to an over-exaggerated romantic styled poem ‘There is no romance, it is my duty as C.O.’ in order to maintain the value of the source as being a first hand account in revealing the atrocities occurring in hospitals to provision the army; where nearly 52% of men died due to the lack of sanitary and hygiene conditions. Furthermore, the writing language and bias approach is valuable for revealing difficulties to an extent, but is limited due to the nature of how it is written and
The role of Americans in foreign crisis. United States has been involved in many overseas interventions throughout its history. In many countries of foreign conflict the Americans are bound to be there, intervening and taking action as if it’s their own problem. Americans living overseas for various reasons some are for jobs, getting rid of the past, and even political gains. In the novel For Whom the Bell Tolls written by Ernest Hemingway and The Quiet American by Graham Greene, both story takes place on foreign soil.