Let us look at a basic dictionary definition of
militarism |ˈmilətəˌrizəm|
noun chiefly derogatory
the belief or desire of a government or people that a country should maintain a strong military capability and be prepared to use it aggressively to defend or promote national interests.
DERIVATIVES
militarist noun & adjective
militaristic |ˌmilətəˈristik| adjective
ORIGIN mid 19th cent.: from French militarisme, from militaire (see military ).
Followed by what scholars say about militarism.
It is important to distinguish between military and militarism and the historian Chalmers Johnson says *By military I mean all the activities, qualities, and institutions required by a nation to fight a war in its defense. A military should be concerned with ensuring national independence, a sine qua non for the maintenance of personal freedom. But having a military by no means has to lead to militarism Another historian, Alfred Vagts, who wrote a history of militarism also agrees the distinction is necessary and says" the military way is marked by a primary concentration of men and materials on winning specific objectives of power with the utmost efficiency, that is, with the least expenditure of blood and treasure".
Countries can have military without militarism. But when military is transformed into militarism a process occurs where various customs, actions, and thinking associated with military forces are
developed that will transcend actual military purposes even to the extent that institutional preservation of the armed services is more important then national security of the country; thus militarism can actually be detrimental to military objectives.
Vagts believes "the standing army in peacetime is the greatest of all militaristic institutions” and Johnson comments "when a military is transformed into an institution of militarism, it naturally begins to displace all other institutions within a government devoted to conducting relations with other nations. One sign of the advent of militarism is the assumption by a nation's armed forces of numerous tasks that should be reserved for civilians”.
As Vagts sees it: "Militarism is thus not the opposite of pacifism; it's true counterpart is civilianism. Love of war, bellicosity, is a counterpart of the love of peace, pacifism; but militarism is more and sometimes less, than the love of war. It covers every system of thinking and valuing in every complex of feelings which rank military institutions and ways above the ways of civilian life, carrying military mentality and modes of acting and decision into the civilian sphere.”
Here is what some people say about militarism
Here is what some people say about militarism
