ABSTRACT
The notion of militarism as a test of a nation's 'mettle' has a long history, and connotes the virtues of moral and physical courage. This, in turn, may imply initiative and dash –even recklessness –in wartime situations, the sort of thing that could lead to a Victoria Cross or perhaps a court martial. It has been argued that war is actually good for a society, that internal disintegration is usually greatest in times of truce or peace. It is interesting that the observations on war and militarism by social scientists are to be found in such early texts. Conditioning of certain kinds is all too apparent, as when, say, Special Air Service (SAS) personnel, Paratroopers and Marine Commandos were periodically reminded that they were elite forces, better than others, and that they must live up to their reputations. War can demonstrate certain qualities of manliness –however we define that term –although patently it does not have to.
