Paper written for European Politics

M. Andrew Barton
“War Power”


Recent military actions have demonstrated a sharp paradigm shift from previous means of warfare. In the new world the approaches of major European powers to the preparation for war and means of pursuing wars have shifted in surprising ways. This paper will examine the nature of army formation, military theory, and legal justification for deploying the army by England, France, Germany and Italy.
I. England
England maintains an all-volunteer army. The earliest age a new recruit can sign up at is 16. Recruiting practices are heavily influenced by employment rates and, recently, with unemployment low, younger soldiers have been increasingly important to the success of the British army in making their goals. A typical year finds the British Army attempting to recruit 25,000 new soldiers. Recent years have seen as many as 10,000 of those recruits come from the youngest possible, a mere 16 years old.[1]
This was a change from recruitment in World War I and World War II. It was not until 1960 that conscription was replaced by voluntary recruitment.[2] Conscription ended when the demands of wars such as World War II, Korea, and numerous smaller “brush wars” no longer forced the maintenance of the previously committed army.[3]
The size of the British army is not particularly large. In fact, it checks in at number 27 in terms of sheer numbers of soldiers in the field.[4] Despite this, the combination of morale, technological advantages, and mobility results in their military being considered one of the most powerful armies in the world. A large part of this is directly attributable to the status of the United Kingdom as one of only 5 acknowledged nations to possess nuclear weapons.[5]
The deployment of the British army is unclear. Officially, the monarch can declare war.[6] In practice, however, it is the Prime Minister who suggests when and where the military will deploy. His or her suggestions are not enacted until the Parliament approves them with a vote. Only then will the United Kingdom deploy their army.
Changing world situations have demanded a change in military philosophy. The United Kingdom has adopted a philosophy of “Flexibility, reach and sustainability…”[7] as opposed to building up a large conventional army. Current military doctrine assumes traditional, conventional warfare is a thing of the past and future conflicts will require smaller, more mobile forces. As a result, the United Kingdoms army is undergoing a transition that eschews large numbers of tanks and other conventional weapons in favor of mobile units equipped with extremely advanced technology.
II. France
The French military is in a state of flux as well. Historically the French military has been based on universal conscription. Jacques Chirac changed that in 1996, shortly after he came to power. He announced the plan to end conscription on February 22nd, 1996[8] and it took place in 2001.[9] The change has caused rifts within the French military hierarchy. It was made possible by a reduction in the numbers in the standing army commensurate with the end of the cold war but is still considered controversial.
The purpose of the switch to an all-volunteer army was to create a “professional” army consisting of people seeking to make a career out of military service as opposed to a theoretically less-dedicated army of conscripts. Some analysts claim the switch is not permanent but is instead a “pause” that might be reversed at any time.[10] The age needed to enlist in the French army is 18.
It is the French Parliament that is authorized to declare war.[11]
French military philosophy has changed in ways very similar to that of the United Kingdom. Like the U.K., France is a nuclear power. For years their military philosophy was predicated on the likelihood of large, conventional armies with nuclear deterrence being the ultimate weapon.
Current military doctrine has changed. Instead of large, traditional armies French military doctrine now assumes smaller, more mobile forces with less need for large numbers of troops. The new philosophy assumes the military will be needed exclusively for small forces intervening in conflicts around the globe. Traditional enemies have been replaced by a concept. “The heart of Francart's analyses is that violence itself, rather than an identifiable opponent, will likely be the primary future enemy of French and allied soldiers.”[12]
Like the United Kingdom, France has seen the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact as the end of the threat of widespread, conventional warfare and has restructured their military accordingly.
III. Germany
The German military, or Bundeswehr, is a universal conscription system. Though some opposition has been presented the nation remains committed to conscription as a means of filling out the army ranks. It is generally believed the conscription process results in a unified and cohesive nation. In fact, after the reunification of East and West Germany many Germans hailed the integration of forces under the aegis of conscription to be a key factor in the success of the reunification.[13]
The command structure of the German army is deliberately designed to be a democratic function. In order to deploy the military a simple majority of the Bundestag (or German Parliament) must approve the mission. Once war is declared the Chancellor becomes the commander in chief whereas peacetime command is held by the Minister of Defense. This division of responsibility is designed to prevent a reoccurrence of German aggression such as was seen in World Wars I and II.
German military doctrine is very defense oriented. For most of the latter half of the 20th Century they would not deploy forces outside of Germany, although this has changed since 1991 under the auspices of the United Nations. The primary roles of the German military are typically humanitarian or peacekeeping.
IV. Italy
Italy filled their military via conscription until 2005 at which time it was finally abolished.[14] Now they operate on a volunteer basis. Like France and Germany, 18 is the youngest age at which volunteers can sign up for service.
The President has the authority to declare war. However, this authority is mitigated by needing to be confirmed by the Chambers. If they fail to ratify his declaration the declaration is nullified.
Italy has very limited military availability. Treaties signed after World War II limited their capabilities and even after the expiration of those treaties very little was done to redevelop the military. As a result, they have participated in very few campaigns or major military actions in the past 60 years. They have deployed on a couple of peace-keeping missions but have yet to see any appreciable action.
The similarities between the militaries of the four nations are many. Philosophies of war have changed from large, slow-moving forces to smaller, more mobile, reactionary forces. All four nations are clearly reacting to perceived “terrorist” threats as opposed to full-scale warfare. Spending is decreasing and manpower levels are shrinking. Almost all military action is now intended to be performed under the umbrella of the United Nations.
The differences are few and fairly minor. The United Kingdom has a lower age for signing up, Germany still has conscription, and lengths of service vary but otherwise they are similar enough to function well together when sent out on United Nations peace-keeping missions.
[1] http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engeur450572000, accessed 4/22/06, http://www.wri-irg.org/co/rtba/archive/unitedkingdom.htm accessed 4/21/06
[2] http://www.ppu.org.uk/learn/infodocs/st_conscription_l.html, accessed 4/22/06
[3] http://www.britisharmedforces.org/ns/nat_history.htm
[4] http://www.answers.com/topic/british-armed-forces, accessed 4/22/06

[5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom_and_weapons_of_mass_destruction, accessed 4/21/06

[6] http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/theworld/2006/April/theworld_April633.xml§ion=theworld&col=, accessed 4/26/06

[7] http://www.direct.gov.uk/Nl1/Newsroom/NewsroomArticles/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4015027&chk=EIPcfQ
, accessed 4/22/06
[8] ttp://www.carlisle.army.mil/usawc/parameters/00summer/blhoch.htm
accessed 4/21/06
[9] http://everything2.org/index.pl?node_id=1370418

[10] http://www.warfarehq.com/articles/toaw_articles/2003FrenchOOB.shtml
accessed 4/22/06
[11] http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:TqrzkfIrrQEJ:www.assemblee-nat.fr/english/8ab.asp+French+Constitution+declaration+of+war&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=1, accessed 4/26/06
[12] http://www.carlisle.army.mil/usawc/parameters/00summer/bloch.htm
accessed 4/22/06
[13] http://www.defencejournal.com/jun99/german-defence.htm
, accessed 4/22/06
[14] http://www.cia.gov/cia/publicatiol
, accessed 4/26/06