10 Feb 2011 5:00pm - 6:30pm Room 1, Mill Lane Lecture Rooms, 8 Mill Lane, Cambridge

Description

The lectures are free and open to all. Registration is required for the symposium

Professor Hew Strachan (Chichele Professor of the History of War, University of Oxford)

Lecture 2: Why fight? The Problem of Combat Motivation






In the ancient and medieval worlds men fought for booty and in doing so aligned their personal motivation with that of the monarch or the state they served – given that the latter’s aim was conquest.  After 1789 the motivations of citizen soldiers were seen as political and patriotic, and, however much the strains of combat called personal patriotism into question, the latter legitimated the military profession.  Since 1945 patriotism has gone out of fashion.  American studies of combat motivation have stressed factors internal to the military, such as small group loyalties: the arguments have become circular and inwardly focused – professional soldiers fight well because they are professional soldiers.  This logic creates a division between the motivation to fight and the political legitimacy of fighting which is potentially unsustainable over the long term, at least in western democracies.    

Other events in this series

Humanitas
The Nature of War: How is War directed? The Problem of Strategy
3 Feb 2011 5:00pm - 6:30pm, Room 1, Mill Lane Lecture Rooms, 8 Mill Lane, Cambridge
The Nature of War: Why fight? The Problem of Combat Motivation
10 Feb 2011 5:00pm - 6:30pm, Room 1, Mill Lane Lecture Rooms, 8 Mill Lane, Cambridge
The Nature of War: How does War end? The Problem of Victory (and Defeat)
17 Feb 2011 5:00pm - 6:30pm, Room 1, Mill Lane Lecture Rooms, 8 Mill Lane, Cambridge
The Nature of War: a Humanitas Visiting Professorships Symposium
18 Feb 2011 All day, The Møller Centre, Churchill College, University of Cambridge

About the Professorship

The Humanitas Chair in War Studies has been made possible by the generous support of Sir Ronald Grierson

The Humanitas Visiting Professorship in War Studies aims to debate issues within this cross-disciplinary field in a historical perspective, especially in light of the policies and military tactics of modern and contemporary warfare. Political, social, psychological and cultural theories of war will be explored through discussions between academics – from history, politics and international studies, English and other disciplines – and real practitioners from the armed services and government.

Standing Committee

Christopher Clark (History)
Andrew Gamble (POLIS)
Brendan Simms (POLIS)

Hosting College

Churchill College

Upcoming Events

CENTRE FOR RESEARCH IN THE ARTS, SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES

Tel: +44 1223 766886
Email enquiries@crassh.cam.ac.uk