Summary: Aspects of a European Military Tradition
An Essay
Eberhard Birk
It goes without saying that military traditions are first and foremost national traditions and that building them has a tremendous political impact. The way the military deals with its tradition depends on its interpretation of history and its understanding of politics. It’s attitude toward tradition is an indicator of its attitude toward the community it has to defend.
In principle, there are two ways of building a tradition: one based on the unspoken myth of continuity, the other based on the attitude toward politics within a given time context. With the first the ‘wisdom’ is derived from time immemorial and holds true forever, while with the second - as it is time related - the aspect of building an identity is postulated.
Although there is a lot of literature on this topic, there is no definition thus far that works out the differences between history, tradition, customs, and virtues. All these are different things, which makes it difficult to come to grips with the term tradition. Nevertheless, for the military, regardless of what nation, the sense of tradition is an ideal construct in which the political ideas of a community have to find a reflection in its military.
Within the German Bundeswehr, for instance, a by now almost classical "three pillar model” has crystallized over the last decade. It is based on elements of the Prussian Scharnhorst and Gneisenau reforms, the courage of men and women opposing national socialism, and the almost 50-year old history of the Bundeswehr itself. The most important element of this tradition concept is the "citizen in uniform” - a free individual, citizen in his or her own right, and motivated soldier who stands up for the democratic state.
A potential European military tradition will have to be based on values such as human rights and constitutionalism, and the protection of individual freedom derived therefrom, as tradition-relevant elements.
In this context it is important that the national traditions are not replaced by a uniform European tradition but rather overarched by it in a comprehensive view. A European military tradition will have to be developed on the basis of a liberal, democratic understanding of its states and societies. Europe is deeply rooted in democracy, Christianity, and Roman law. In modern times these fundamental principles have been supplemented and transformed by the developments of humanism and enlightenment, technological progress, and economic prosperity. Striving for freedom and democracy and self-determination based on law as well as the resistance against absolutism, totalitarian ideologies, and dictatorship are a common European heritage shared by all Europeans.
Ihre Meinung/your opinion/votre opinion:
