ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the role played by war in cultural phenomenon, in particular those that delve into the creation of expectations for conduct in warfare. Victor David Hanson's focus on various battles scattered around the globe, over the course of two and a half millennia, is not sufficient to prove continuity. He examines particular characteristics of Western culture only in the context of a specific battle, without considering how they might have changed across time and space, or if they have occurred in non-Western societies. John A. Lynn, one of Hanson's fiercest critics, notes European societies of the late medieval and early modern eras did not exemplify civic militarism, nor did armies demonstrate a preference for decisive battles. Lynn claims that approaches to war stem from interactions between this discourse and actual experience. The growing division between civilian and military spheres fed the growth of military thought and writings, discourse that in turn reflected cultural and intellectual developments in Europe.
