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General Rick Hillier was a remarkable chief of the defence staff. During his tenure from January 2005 to June 2008, Hillier wielded an unusual degree of influence for Canada's highest [...]

How the French viewed British military preparations for a war against Germany in the 1930s is examined. French expectations on the effectiveness of British military support was revealed to have declined because of impressions that the British Field Force was small and ill-equipped, prompting France to focus on monitoring British military developments.

Extending and further testing the theory advanced by Bruce Jentleson with post-cold war data, variations in U.S. public support for the use of military force are shown to be best explained by the principal policy objective for which military force is being used, with a third category of 'humanitarian intervention' added to the previous two of 'foreign policy restraint' and 'internal political change.' The principal policy objective theory is shown through a series of tests, including regression and logistic analyses, to offer the most powerful and parsimonious explanation, both directly superseding and indirectly subsuming such other alternative variables as interests, elite cues, risk, and multilateralism. These findings support the broader theoretical view of a rational public purposive and not purely reactive in its opinion formulation and have important implications for the basic dispositions of the types of interventions the American public will and will not in the post-cold war ear., Whatever else has changed about American foreign policy since the end of the cold war, the centrality of when, why, and how to use military force has not (Jentleson 1996). [...]

A survey of military officers in eight European nations finds overall satisfaction among them quite high but with some disturbing signs for the future. Recognition from colleagues and subordinates and the content of the work itself are most satisfying, but the social view of the military and unhappiness with aspects of military life are serious problems. Young officers' pessimistic expectations for social feedback are almost alarming, as they indicate potential problems in recruitment and retention.

This study of 306 youths compared the attitudes toward military and civilian jobs among blacks, Hispanics, whites, and Asian-Americans, and for males versus females. Results indicated that blacks and Hispanics, but not Asian-Americans, had a more favorable attitude toward military service than did whites, and males viewed military service more favorably than did females. Military service was seen as patriotic and providing leadership training, while civilian jobs were seen as allowing for more freedom and being more enjoyable.

Results of surveys conducted in 2006 and 2007 showed that majorities of respondents in African countries believe that the military is primarily loyal to the country's president instead to the constitution. Ghana is the only country classified as free to have revealed a majority, or 56%, saying that the military is primarily loyal to the constitution of the country.

When democracy was admitted to, or rather forced itself upon the battlefield, war ceased to be a gentleman's game,' the young Winston Churchill wrote--probably with some regret--in the diary that [...]

Issues discussed concern the military policy of the US in the 1990s and the need to give more attention to issues of national security and defense. Topics addressed include the level of funding needed to maintain military supremacy and readiness, the social aspects of military culture, and public opinion regarding military policy.

The author examines Americans perception of the nature of military conflict. Topics include public support, economic and social aspects, and efficiency.

Confidence Game LOOKING AHEAD Public confidence in the incoming Bush Administration lags only slightly behind confidence in the Clinton Administration, according to an ABC News-WashingtonPost poll on confidence in American […]

Gallup Poll was conducted in May 2004 to determine the opinions of Americans on the most important branch of the Armed Force. It was found that the Army, Air Force and the Marine Corps are tied as the most important branches of the Armed Forces with the Navy and Coastal Guard given less importance.

The views of the Americans on whether U.S. military should strike first are discussed. Most Americans believe the U.S. military should be ready to use force around the world, they are somewhat reluctant to say the military should actually do so unless attacked.

An analysis of the debate over whether can afford to have an all-volunteer army, It is argued that the current debate is ignoring the cost to the country of not reforming the Russian army and suggests that the problems with the Pskov experiment highlight the inability of the military to reform from within. Public perception of the Russian army is such that in a survey, 53% of those that responded said that they understood and sympathized with those that deserted from their units.

Nearly three quarters of veterans agree that they have received the respect and thanks they deserve for serving in the armed forces. Veterans' satisfaction with the recognition they have received is seen across all major age groups, including those of the right age to have served in Vietnam.

For thirty-five years, Gallup has been asking about confidence in the country's major institutions. The current polling results have the military coming out on top, with 71 percent saying they [...]