Sunday, April 29, 2012
A Soldier's Motivation- Response
I think that a modern soldier's motivation to fight is similar, but not necessarily as strong, as a Civil War soldier's motivation. Both cases may join the army for money, fame, honor, bragging rights, and/or loyalty to country. They may want to join the army to protect their loved ones or merely to seek adventure. True, any motivation to join the army would have to be strong to overcome the constant fear of dying and the sadness of being away from loved ones. But the people living in the time of the Civil War had a lot more to consider when they thought of joining the army. There were multiple extra problems like bad sanitation, poor living conditions, disease, and crude surgeries. Therefore, the desire to become a soldier would have to be stronger in Civil War times than in modern times.
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But shouldn't the desire to join the army be less during the Civil War because of all these threats and if you meant something else than people during the Civil War would be more motivated to fight because they had something to fight for.
ReplyDeleteBut the people who joined the Civil War did not know about the problems you listed above. They had no way of knowing the troubles that lied before them when they decided to fight in the war. Though I do agree that both today and Civil War soldiers need a great amount of courage to fight.
ReplyDeleteBut they still could have observed all of the chaos and threats, that was happening to the enemy and even their own comrades. And it was stated that most of them joined the army for excitement, when people these days join for the loyalty to their country. Yes, some did actually did have the ambition to fight for their side but not many. many just wanted to get out the house and have an "adventure", but they did not know what they were about to get themselves into.
ReplyDeleteOh, I just contradicted myself.
ReplyDelete