German and Italian Aversion to War: Background, Contemporary Issues, and Security Implications for Allies - History from Before World War I, Second World War, Through Post-Cold War, Troops Abroad

This mid-2018 report has been professionally converted for accurate flowing-text e-book format reproduction. The populations of Germany and Italy are largely pacifist, but while many Germans are also anti-military, many Italians are not. Attitudes towards war and military forces were shaped in both states by their experiences during World Wars I and II and by the roles their respective militaries played in these conflicts. In the 21st century, other factors continue to shape the role that war and military forces play. International pressure to be global powers intersects with domestic political reluctance, and the transition to an all-volunteer professional military has enabled increased competence and availability of military forces at the expense of further widening the gulf between civilians and service members. In Germany's case, pressure to be a security provider comes from other NATO states. However, German domestic politics, constitutional limitations, and societal aversion to war have kept Germany from being more active militarily. Italy, on the other hand, strives to be a more robust security provider, but is limited by its modest economic resources. Additionally, while Italian government officials have fewer prohibitions on the deployment of military forces abroad, they must balance their actions against a largely pacifist population. Allies who seek military partnership with Germany or Italy would do well to work within the confines of the respective German and Italian national security cultures.

I. Introduction * A. Major Research Questions * B. Significance of the Research Question * C. Problems and Hypotheses * 1. Germany * 2. Italy * D. Literature Review * 1. Germany * 2. Italy * E. Research Design * F. Thesis Overview * Ii. Germany: the Role of War and Attitudes Towards the Military * A. Pre-World War I * B. World War I * C. the Interwar Years * D. World War Ii * E. the Cold War * F. Post-Cold War * G. Perception of the Armed Forces In Contemporary German Society * H. Conclusion * Iii. the Use of German Military Forces Abroad: International and Domestic Politics and the Move to A Volunteer Force * A. Deployment of German Troops Abroad: the Role of International Politics * B. Deployment of German Troops Abroad: the Role of Domestic Politics * C. Results of the Shift to An All-Volunteer Force * D. Conclusion * Iv. Italy: the Role of War and Attitudes Towards the Military * A. Pre-World War I * B. World War I * C. the Interwar Years * D. World War Ii * E. the Cold War * F. Post-Cold War Period * G. Perception of the Armed Forces In Contemporary Italian Society * H. Conclusion * V. the Use of Italian Military Forces Abroad: International and Domestic Politics and the Move to An All-Volunteer Force * A. Deployment of Italian Troops Abroad: the Role of International Politics * B. Deployment of Italian Troops Abroad: the Role of Domestic Politics * C. Results of the Shift to An All-Volunteer Force * D. Conclusion * Vi. Conclusion: Understanding the Character and Value of German and Italian Military Support * A. Germany * B. Italy