II. Capitalistic Militarism: Difference between revisions
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<br><br><CENTER><FONT SIZE="+2">CAPITALISTIC MILITARISM.</FONT></CENTER> <br><br> | <br><br><CENTER><FONT SIZE="+2">CAPITALISTIC MILITARISM.</FONT></CENTER> <br><br> | ||
Militarism is not specifically a capitalistic | |||
institution. It is, on the contrary, an institution peculiar and | |||
essential to all societies divided in classes, of which capitalist | |||
society is the last. It is true that capitalism develops, like | |||
every other society divided in classes, a kind of militarism peculiar | |||
to itself,<ref>Bernstein [the prominent German Socialist leader] wrongly stated in Vie socialiste of June 5, 1905, that modern military institutions were only the heritage of the more or less feudal monarchy.</ref> for militarism is | |||
in its nature a means to an end, or to several ends, which differ | |||
with the kind of the society and which are to be attained in various | |||
ways according to the different characters of the societies. That | |||
fact appears not only in the constitution of the army, but also | |||
in the remaining substance of militarism which mani tests itself | |||
in the tasks militarism has to accomplish.<br><br> | |||
Best adapted to the capitalistic stage of development | |||
is the army built on universal military science which, though | |||
an army constituted by the people, is not an army of the people, | |||
but an army against the people, or becomes increasingly. converted | |||
into such a one.<br><br> | |||
Now it appears in the shape of a standing army, | |||
now as a militia. The standing army,<ref>One need only consider Russia where, however, entirely peculiar circumstances which did not arise from interior conditions helped to bring about the result. Standing armies resting on a basis different from that of universal military service are, for instance, the mercenary armies. In the Italian cities of the XVth century militias were also known (Burckhardt, p. 327).</ref> | |||
which is likewise not an institution peculiar to capitalism, appears | |||
as its most developed, and even its normal form, this will be | |||
shown in the following pages. | |||
<references/> | |||
<hr> | |||
<center>Return to '''[[Militarism]]'''</center> | |||
Revision as of 17:57, 6 June 2007
Militarism is not specifically a capitalistic
institution. It is, on the contrary, an institution peculiar and
essential to all societies divided in classes, of which capitalist
society is the last. It is true that capitalism develops, like
every other society divided in classes, a kind of militarism peculiar
to itself,[1] for militarism is
in its nature a means to an end, or to several ends, which differ
with the kind of the society and which are to be attained in various
ways according to the different characters of the societies. That
fact appears not only in the constitution of the army, but also
in the remaining substance of militarism which mani tests itself
in the tasks militarism has to accomplish.
Best adapted to the capitalistic stage of development
is the army built on universal military science which, though
an army constituted by the people, is not an army of the people,
but an army against the people, or becomes increasingly. converted
into such a one.
Now it appears in the shape of a standing army, now as a militia. The standing army,[2] which is likewise not an institution peculiar to capitalism, appears as its most developed, and even its normal form, this will be shown in the following pages.
- ↑ Bernstein [the prominent German Socialist leader] wrongly stated in Vie socialiste of June 5, 1905, that modern military institutions were only the heritage of the more or less feudal monarchy.
- ↑ One need only consider Russia where, however, entirely peculiar circumstances which did not arise from interior conditions helped to bring about the result. Standing armies resting on a basis different from that of universal military service are, for instance, the mercenary armies. In the Italian cities of the XVth century militias were also known (Burckhardt, p. 327).