III. Means and Effects of Militarism
We now proceed to a special investigation of
the means and effects of militarism, taking as a paradigm the
Prusso-German bureaucratic, feudal and capitalist militarism,
that worst form of capitalist militarism, that state above the
state.
Though it is true that modern militarism is
but an institution of our capitalist society, it is none the less
true that it is an institution which has almost succeeded in becoming
an independent institution; an end in itself.
In order to fulfil its purpose militarism must
turn the army into a handy, docile, effective tool. It must raise
its equipment to the highest possible perfection and, on
the other hand, as the army is not composed of machines, but of
men, being a kind of living machinery, it must inspire the army
with the proper "spirit."
The first part of the problem is ultimately
a question of finance, which will be dealt with later. We shall
deal with the second part first.
The question presents three aspects. Militarism seeks to create and promote the military spirit above all and in the first line in the active army itself; secondly in those portions of the population furnishing the reserves of the army in case of mobilization; finally in all the other parts of the population that are of importance for militaristic and anti-militaristic purposes.