No action is more dramatic and decisive and to the careers of political leaders than the decision to commit their uniformed citizens to harm's way. Despite the risk of disastrous outcomes, time and again, advanced democracies have sent their soldiers abroad to dangerous places. What motivated political leaders to accept the risks? This heuristic study examines three diverse cases in which a medium-sized, advanced democracy, Italy, decided to deploy its troops abroad. It did so because it was both a way to foster its standing in world affairs and a deep-felt, ‘moral’ committement to international law. This conclusion can probably be applied to several democracies like Germany, Canada, Sweden and others.
In Harm’s Way: Why and When a Modern Democracy Risks the Lives of Its Uniformed Citizens
GIACOMELLO, GIAMPIERO;
2007
Abstract
No action is more dramatic and decisive and to the careers of political leaders than the decision to commit their uniformed citizens to harm's way. Despite the risk of disastrous outcomes, time and again, advanced democracies have sent their soldiers abroad to dangerous places. What motivated political leaders to accept the risks? This heuristic study examines three diverse cases in which a medium-sized, advanced democracy, Italy, decided to deploy its troops abroad. It did so because it was both a way to foster its standing in world affairs and a deep-felt, ‘moral’ committement to international law. This conclusion can probably be applied to several democracies like Germany, Canada, Sweden and others.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
