Conscription Quote by Liddell Hart
““Universal peace-time conscription was adopted by almost all countries as the basis of their military system. This ensured that wars would grow bigger in scale, longer in duration, and worse in effects. While conscription appeared democratic, it provided autocrats, hereditary or revolutionary, with more effective and comprehensive means of imposing their will, both in peace and war. Once the rule of compulsory service in arms was established for the young men of a nation, it was an obvious and easy transition to the servitude of the whole population. Totalitarian tyranny is the twin of total warfare —which might aptly be termed a reversion to tribal warfare on a larger scale.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Strategy, The Indirect Approach, 1967
Conscription appears democratic but enables authoritarian control, expanding war and totalitarian reach.
In simple terms: Conscription can empower tyrants more than protect citizens.
Key Takeaway
Beware of militarizing societies under the guise of equality.
Themes
military
politics
authoritarianism
Mood
cautious
thoughtful
Type
historical
theoretical
When to use this quote
- national defense policy
- educational curricula
- public debate
Key Concepts
conscription
total war
state power
civil liberties
Questions to Reflect On
- What safeguards prevent abuse of compulsory service?
- How does conscription affect civil-military relations?
A Different Perspective
Democratic conscription may mask deeper oppression.
![“My ability to persuade my wife to marry me [was] quite my most brilliant achievement ... Of course, it would have been impossible for any ordinary man to have got through what I had to go through in peace and war without the devoted aid of what we call, in England, one's better half.” quote by Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f11/winston-churchill-95_ability_my-ability-to-persuade-my-wife-to-marry_1060815.jpg)
![“He [Lucius Papirius Cursor] then gave the order to advance the standards and led out his troops, expostulating on the folly of a people [Tarentum] which was incompetent to manage its own affairs because of internal strife and discord, but yet thought fit to prescribe limits to peace and war for…” quote by Livy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b1a/livy-3007_peace-and-war_he-lucius-papirius-cursor-then-gave-the_438935.jpg)
![“Be ... suspicious ... of all those who employ the term 'we' or 'us' without your permission. This is [a] form of surreptitious conscription ... Always ask who this 'we' is; as often as not it's an attempt to smuggle tribalism through the customs.” quote by Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/cee/christopher-hitchens-117_quote_be-suspicious-of-all-those-who-employ-th_781600.jpg)