Organization and Military Power: The Japanese High Command in World War II

Abstract Why do modern states recruit legionnaires—foreigners who are neither citizens nor subjects of the country whose military they serve? Rather than exclusively enlist citizens for soldiers, for the past two centuries states have mobilized legionnaires to help wage offensives, project power abroad, and suppress dissent. A supply-and-demand argument explains why states recruit these troops, framing the choice to mobilize legionnaires as a function of political factors that constrain the government's leeway to recruit domestically and its perceptions about the territorial threats it faces externally. A multimethod approach evaluates these claims, first by examining an original dataset of legionnaire recruitment from 1815 to 2020, then by employing congruence tests across World War II participants, and finally by conducting a detailed review of a hard test case for the argument—Nazi Germany. The prevalence of states’ recruitment of legionnaires calls for a reevaluation of existing narratives about the development of modern militaries and provides new insights into how states balance among the competing imperatives of identity, norms, and security. Legionnaire recruitment also underscores the need to recalibrate existing methods of calculating net assessments and preparing for strategic surprise. Far from being bound to a state's citizenry or borders, the theory and evidence show how governments use legionnaires to buttress their military power and to engineer rapid changes in the quality and quantity of the soldiers that they field.

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REALISME DALAM KEPENTINGAN NASIONAL INDONESIA MELALUI FORUM KONFERENSI ASIA AFRIKA (KAA) DAN GERAKAN NON BLOK (GNB)

Jurnal Dinamika Global ◽

10.36859/jdg.v5i1.194 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (01) ◽

pp. 123-139

Author(s):

Taufan Herdansyah Akbar ◽

Agus Subagyo ◽

Jusmalia Oktaviani

Keyword(s):

Qualitative Research ◽

World War Ii ◽

International Relations ◽

Research Team ◽

League Of Nations ◽

Military Power ◽

World War ◽

National Interests ◽

Rational Actor ◽

Classical Realism

Realism is an approach and paradigm that is in international relations, Realism began to be debated during World War II (World War II) because of the failure of the League of Nations (LBB). LBB is the brainchild of idealists who are considered to have failed to prevent war and create peace. Realism existed even before the paradigm debate which was later called classical realism with one of its characters being Niccolo Machiavelly. Niccolo Maciavelly's style of realism emphasizes that human nature is egositically and creates an anarchic world. In this study the research team wanted to prove that what Niccolo Machiavelly delivered was not merely increasing military power merely to create peace, but negotiation and diplomacy methods were also instruments of the State in achieving its national interests in realism like Indonesia. The national interests of Indonesia are everything for Indonesian politicians and the existence and power of Indonesia is the goal of Indonesia's interests to avoid war. Therefore Indonesia must have played its role in the Asian-African Conference and the Non-Aligned Movement at that time as an instrument of achieving national interests in Realism. This research will use qualitative research methods with a historical approach. The results of this study provide answers that Realism is not merely militaristic but also a role as a rational actor.

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Die militärpolitische Emanzipation Deutschlands – Afrika als Exerzierplatz?

PROKLA Zeitschrift für kritische Sozialwissenschaft ◽

10.32387/prokla.v41i162.361 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 41 (162) ◽

pp. 69-82

Author(s):

Werner Ruf

Keyword(s):

World War Ii ◽

Security Policy ◽

West Germany ◽

Military Power ◽

Active Engagement ◽

World War ◽

Predominant Role ◽

Military Engagement ◽

The Eu

After World War II (West-)Germany was supposed to never again become a military Power. When it joined NATO all its troops had to be under the command of the alliance – but its contributions to NATO grew steadily. In the 2 + 4 treaty the united Germany pledged to never undertake any military aggression. With the Treaty of Masstricht the EU started to establish its own security policy. Germany’s active engagement in both alliances became its instrument for military emancipation. With growing military engagement of the EU (and Germany) -- especially in Africa -- as well as the predominant role of Germany in the EU and its engagement in the UN and NATO, the country is back on its way to becoming one of the big powers.

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U.S. Strategic Debates over the Defense of Japan: Lessons for the Twenty-first Century

Journal of American-East Asian Relations ◽

10.1163/187656100793645930 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 9 (1-2) ◽

pp. 29-54

Author(s):

Futoshi Shibayama

Keyword(s):

World War Ii ◽

First Century ◽

Military Power ◽

World War ◽

The Past ◽

Past Half Century ◽

Japanese Military ◽

The World ◽

Strategic Position ◽

Past Half

AbstractWhat is the current meaning of Japan's military power and what contribution has that power made to America's strategic position in East Asia, even the world, over the past fifty-five years? Could there have been an alternative to Japanese rearmament? Answers to these and other related questions lie in the American debates on the nature of Japan's defense situation in the immediate aftermath of World War II. Regional and global strategic circumstances have obviously changed over the past half-century, just as have weapons systems themselves. Strategic controversies from 1945, however, endure as the fundamental framework for considering Japanese military power and its possible alternatives.

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Soviet – Afghan Relations From Cooperation to Occupation

International Journal of Middle East Studies ◽

10.1017/s002074380003213x ◽

1989 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

pp. 107-128 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Alam Payind

Keyword(s):

World War Ii ◽

International Relations ◽

Regional Security ◽

Military Power ◽

World War ◽

Territorial Expansion ◽

Soviet Occupation ◽

Military Forces ◽

Foreign Policies ◽

Direct Use

In the field of international relations, the 1979 Soviet occupation of Afghanistan has raised major issues concerning regional security and superpower relations. By introducing Soviet military forces in a traditionally nonaligned country, the Kremlin initiated a more aggressive pattern in its foreign policies. This occupation was the Soviet Union's first territorial expansion by direct use of military power since World War II.

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The Reckoning, II

The Culture of Contentment ◽

10.23943/princeton/9780691171654.003.0014 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

John Kenneth Galbraith

Keyword(s):

World War Ii ◽

World War I ◽

Urban Slums ◽

Military Power ◽

World War ◽

Military Action ◽

The Future ◽

Short Run ◽

Probable Reaction

This chapter examines the two remaining threats to the age of contentment: unpopular military action and a revolt of the underclass. Any military venture almost receives strong popular approval in the short run, with the citizenry rallying to the flag and to the soldiers who engaged in combat. More widespread wars, such as World War I and World War II, have had adverse consequences. The chapter first considers how military power could be a threat to the culture of contentment in the future before discussing the threat posed by the underclass in the urban slums, along with the possibility of an underclass revolt. It then looks at the reaction of the community of contentment to the miseries and violence of the urban slums and the probable reaction if the violence becomes more extreme. Finally, it explains how recession and depression could exacerbate the culture of contentment.

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