Overview

This study offers a comparison of the military roles played by commissars, political officers and chaplains in military settings ranging from the armies of Cromwell, the Jacobins, the Nazis, the Soviets and the USA. Despite the stark differences in the political systems of the countries of these disparate armed forces, the author argues that there are certain critical functions that must be fulfilled in every military, regardless of its ideological orientation. Most vital are motivation, morale boosting and political socialization.

Full Product Details

Author:   Dale R. Herspring, Kansas State University
Publisher:   Rowman & Littlefield
Imprint:   Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Dimensions:   Width: 15.50cm , Height: 2.00cm , Length: 23.50cm
Weight:   0.445kg
ISBN:  

9780742511057

ISBN 10:   0742511057
Pages:   264
Publication Date:   01 June 2001
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Undergraduate ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction Part 2 Part I: The Framework for Comparison Chapter 3 Chaplains in the American Military Part 4 Part II: The Case Studies Chapter 5 Chaplains in Cromwell's New Model Army Chapter 6 Commissars in the French revolution Chapter 7 Commissars in the Red Army Chapter 8 National Leadership Officers in the Wehrmacht Chapter 9 Political Officers in the Soviet Military Chapter 10 Political Officers in the East German Military Chapter 11 Conclusion

Reviews

As a former soldier of the National People's Army I have learned that ideological fanaticism can destroy every moral and human value. This brilliant analysis is worthwhile reading. It should motivate readers to think about human values and human rights in the world today. -- Colonel (Rt.) Hans-Werner Weber, senior adviser of the last defense minister of the GDR Herspring's thesis is interesting and important... This work provides a good foundation for more focused studies of military responsibilities to civilian political authority. CHOICE To Herspring's credit, we finally have a ground-breaking treatment of military chaplains alongside their apparent Cold War counterparts of the Warsaw Pact. The reader is left with a very clear picture of how each type operated, not only within a historical context, but a political and operational ambient. Especially usefull is Herspring's use of comparison, his research in the original languages and primary source documents, and, above all, his excellent treatment of American military chaplains in chapter one. This chapter, if not the entire book, should be read by all who contemplate military ministry, and it should be required reading for all who take the oath as chaplains of the US Armed Forces. Journal Of Church and State Professor Herspring covers a large piece of historic ground here, but he is a keen observer. This is a most worthwhile study, not only of the often overlooked role that political officers, commissars, and chaplains play in military organizations, but of their value as institutional weathervanes for understanding nature of the civil-military relations of a nation. Journal Of Military History A valuable tool for the understanding of the underlying processes of change in Communist or totalitarian states, through the observation of their armies. Journal Of Slavic Military Studies

As a former soldier of the National People's Army I have learned that ideological fanaticism can destroy every moral and human value. This brilliant analysis is worthwhile reading. It should motivate readers to think about human values and human rights in the world today. -- Colonel (Rt.) Hans-Werner Weber, senior adviser of the last defense minister of the GDR Herspring's thesis is interesting and important... This work provides a good foundation for more focused studies of military responsibilities to civilian political authority. CHOICE To Herspring's credit, we finally have a ground-breaking treatment of military chaplains alongside their apparent Cold War counterparts of the Warsaw Pact. The reader is left with a very clear picture of how each type operated, not only within a historical context, but a political and operational ambient. Especially usefull is Herspring's use of comparison, his research in the original languages and primary source documents, and, above all, his excellent treatment of American military chaplains in chapter one. This chapter, if not the entire book, should be read by all who contemplate military ministry, and it should be required reading for all who take the oath as chaplains of the US Armed Forces. Journal of Church & State Professor Herspring covers a large piece of historic ground here, but he is a keen observer. This is a most worthwhile study, not only of the often overlooked role that political officers, commissars, and chaplains play in military organizations, but of their value as institutional weathervanes for understanding nature of the civil-military relations of a nation. Journal of Military History A valuable tool for the understanding of the underlying processes of change in Communist or totalitarian states, through the observation of their armies. Journal Of Slavic Military Studies

Author Information

Dale R. Herspring is University Distinguished Professor at Kansas State University.

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