Militarism or militarist ideology is the doctrinal view of a society as being best served (or more efficient) when it is governed or guided by concepts embodied in the culture, doctrine, system, or people of the military. Militarists hold the view that security is the highest social priority, and claim that the development and maintenance of the military ensures that security. Militarism connotes the drive to expand military culture and ideals to areas outside of the military structure —most notably in areas of private business, government policy, education, and entertainment.
Militarism is ideologically, rooted in or related to concepts of supremacy, loyalism, extremism, alarmism, protectionism, and nationalism (or patriotism), expansionism and Imperialism. As militarist goals are often unpopular in both free and slave societies, militarism is strongly connected with propaganda —ie. the marketing of the military as a benevolent and idealized aspect of society. Militarism also connotes a culture of secrecy and abuse of power, hence, a society which has been transformed in accordance with a militarist ideology is usually referred to as being totalitarian—typically under the control of a dictator.
Overview
Under the justification of potential application of force, militarism asserts that civilian populations are dependent upon — and thereby subservient to —the needs and goals of its military. Common tenets include advocation of "peace through strength" as the proper method to secure the interests of society — and is expressed as one that overrides all others; including traditional precursory diplomatic relations and issues related to social welfare.
Militarism is sometimes contrasted with the concepts of comprehensive national power and soft power and hard power. This quality may be identified in economic terms by several methods; including the determination of those nations with large modern militaries requiring large or substantially higher budgets than the average among nations to maintain large military forces (as of 2005 viz United States, China, Japan) or to expand such forces (as of 2005 viz Israel, Kuwait, Singapore), or to nation-states devoting substantial portions of their GDPs per capita to develop such forces (as of 2005 viz. North Korea, Equatorial Guinea, Saudi Arabia).
Militarism is manifest in practice by the preferentiality toward goals, concepts, doctrines, and policies derived, originated, or directed from personnel in the military. It is likewise characterized by preferentiality toward persons officially or tangentially associated with causes, and regards loyalty to those narrow interests to be paramount. In a democratic republic, a central component of any state constitution are rules concerning how military rule (martial law, executive powers) may be implemented, and how such powers are to be returned to the elected government.
Historic and modern manifestations of militarism
Militarism tends to be considered as a direct opposition to peace movements in modern times. Today characteristics of militarism are observed by critics in several nations and groups of nations; viz. the loosely allied Anglo-Saxon powers (led by the United States and Australia), China, France, Israel, Syria, and the Russian Federation.
Militarism is most clearly observable in the history of nation-states and empires when they engaged in imperialism or expansionism; viz. Empire of Japan, British Empire, Nazi Germany, New Roman Empire of Mussolini, the expansion of the Russian SFSR into the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and later reign of Stalin, Iraq during the reign of Saddam Hussein, and the United States during the period of Manifest Destiny and army reform. An example of militarism in ancient history would be the Greek city state of Sparta.
German militarism
- Main article: German nationalism
The area influenced by German nationalism, inherited from the pre-unification Kingdom of Prussia, includes in different circumstances the North German Confederation, Austria, as well as other Nordic factions. This nationalism became the basis for Germany's militarism before and during both world wars. This ideology has not gained wide support in the reunified Germany to date.
Japanese militarism
- Main article: Japanese militarism
In parallel with 20th century Germany's militarism, Japanese militarism began with a series of events by which the military gained prominence in dictating Japan's affairs. With this dictatorial power, Japan invaded China in 1931 and overtook half of Chinese land within 11 years, and finally spread the Second World War to the Pacific by the Pearl Harbor Attack.
US militarism
In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries political and military leaders reformed the US state to establish a stronger central government than had ever previously existed for the purpose of enabling the nation to pursue an imperial policy in the Pacific and in the Caribbean and economic militarism to support the development of the new industrial economy. This reform was the result of a conflict between Neo-Hamiltonian Republicans and Jeffersonian-Jacksonian advocates over the proper administration of the state and direction of its foreign policy--between proponents of professionalism based on business management organizations and fuller local control by available figures-including amateurs. After the end of the American Civil War the national army fell into disrepair. Reforms based on various European states including Imperial Britain, Imperial Germany, and Switzerland were made so that it would become responsive to control from the central government, prepared for future conflicts, and develop refined command and support structures; it led to the development of a professional military. During this time the intellectual ideas of Social Darwinism propelled the development of an American Empire in the Pacific and Caribbean and necessitated extensive efficient central government due to its administration requirements.
The enlargement of the US army for the Spanish-American War was considered essential to the occupation and control of the new territories acquired from Spain in its defeat (Guam, the Philippines, Puerto Rico). The previous limit by legislation of 24 000 men was expanded to 60 000 regulars in the new army bill on 2 February 1901, with allowance at that time for expansion to 80 000 regulars by presidential discretion at times of national emergency.
Israeli militarism
Whether Israel is a militaristic state is debatable, especially since Israel's many security difficulties since the establishment of the State, have led to a bending of its civil society into these security necessities. The dominance of security related issues in the state, have also created the situation where many of Israel's top politicians, are former high ranking military officials (partial list: Yitzhak Rabin, Ariel Sharon, Ezer Weizman, Ehud Barak, Shaul Mofaz, Moshe Dayan, Yitzhak Mordechai, Amram Mitzna). This has given rise to heavy social criticism, claiming that such politicians have the tendency to see the country's needs only through the cross-hair of a rifle, and they can't let go of the militaristic perception. Another factor is that in the past, Israel had a collective society, but recent social processes have led to the establishment of greater individualism. These processes, which are accelerated by the developing peace process with a number of neighboring states, have moderated the militaristic tendency of Israeli society.
Militarism in fiction
See also
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