--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This revolutionary idea of Western…" description: "\"“This revolutionary idea of Western citizenship—replete with ever more rights and responsibilities—would provide superb manpower for growing legions an..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/245/victor-davis-hanson-5043_citizenship_this-revolutionary-idea-of-western-citiz_1157334.png" --- # This revolutionary idea of Western citizenship—replete… ![“This revolutionary idea of Western citizenship—replete with ever more rights and responsibilities—would provide superb manpower for growing legions and a legal framework that would guarantee that the men who fought felt that they themselves in a formal and contractual sense had ratified the…” quote by Victor Davis Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/245/victor-davis-hanson-5043_citizenship_this-revolutionary-idea-of-western-citiz_1157334.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/245/victor-davis-hanson-5043_citizenship_this-revolutionary-idea-of-western-citiz_1157334.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/245/victor-davis-hanson-5043_citizenship_this-revolutionary-idea-of-western-citiz_1157334.png) > ““This revolutionary idea of Western citizenship—replete with ever more rights and responsibilities—would provide superb manpower for growing legions and a legal framework that would guarantee that the men who fought felt that they themselves in a formal and contractual sense had ratified the conditions of their own battle service. The ancient Western world would soon come to define itself by culture rather than by race, skin color, or language. That idea alone would eventually bring enormous advantages to its armies on the battlefield. (p. 122)”” [Victor Davis Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-davis-hanson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The concept of Western citizenship ties rights and duties to create motivated troops and a cultural identity based on shared values rather than race, giving armies strategic advantages. **In simple terms:** Citizenship links rights, duties, and cultural unity for stronger armies. Key Takeaway Leverage shared values to build cohesive teams. Themes citizenship culture military strategy identity Mood proud analytical Type historical political When to use this quote - military recruitment - nation building - civic education - policy design Key Concepts social contract collective identity nationalism Questions to Reflect On - How does citizenship shape modern military morale? - Can cultural identity replace ethnic divisions? A Different Perspective May overlook internal conflicts despite shared rights. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Citizenship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/citizenship/) [Civilization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilization/) [Consent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consent/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Rome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rome/) [Skin color](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skin-color/) [Soldiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soldiers/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [Warfare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/warfare/) [Western culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/western-culture/) ## Related quotes > [“The great hatred of capitalism in the hearts of the oppressed, ancient and modern, I think, stems not merely from the ensuing vast inequality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-davis-hanson/the-great-hatred-of-capitalism-in-the-hearts-of-the-oppressed-ancient/) [Victor Davis Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-davis-hanson/) > [“This is possibly the most revolutionary idea Marx ever had: that the reduction of labour to a minimum could produce a kind of human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-mason/this-is-possibly-the-most-revolutionary-idea-marx-ever-had-that-the/) [Paul Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-mason/) > [“Sixty million people were announcing that they preferred one reality to another. 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At…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/in-an-age-of-interdependence-global-citizenship-based-on-trust-and/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [Strengthening our identity is one way of reinforcing people's confidence and sense of citizenship and well-being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-blunkett/strengthening-our-identity-is-one-way-of-reinforcing-people-s/) [David Blunkett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-blunkett/) > [We are not to simply bandage the wounds of victims beneath the wheels of injustice, we are to drive a spoke into the wheel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/we-are-not-to-simply-bandage-the-wounds-of-victims-beneath-the-wheels/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) [Browse all 793 Citizenship quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/citizenship/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“This revolutionary idea of Western citizenship—replete with ever more rights and responsibilities—would provide superb manpower for growing legions and a legal framework that would guarantee that the men who fought felt that they themselves in a formal and contractual sense had ratified the conditions of their own battle service. 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