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What wars would YOU have fought in?

NobleSavage

NobleSavage

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Historically speaking, what wars would you have willingly fought in? If you did fight in a war, would you do it again?

For me, the American Revolution, Civil War, and WWII. That's about it. I don't know enough about the wars of other countries to really make a decision.
 
NobleSavage said:
Historically speaking, what wars would you have willingly fought in? If you did fight in a war, would you do it again?

For me, the American Revolution, Civil War, and WWII. That's about it. I don't know enough about the wars of other countries to really make a decision.
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Interesting. Why the American Revolution?

I presume that you are basing your decision on the just nature of the war - that the goals of the side for which you would have fought are, in your opinion, sufficiently laudable as to be worth risking your life to achieve. I can see how that might apply to the fight against Nazism, Fascism and Japanese Imperialism in WWII; Or the fight against the supporters of slavery in the American Civil War; but I am not convinced that any of the direct goals of the American Revolution, on either side, are worth risking your life over. I can see how you might rather risk death then live in the Third Reich under Hitler; And I can understand why you might put your life on the line to free millions of slaves; but would you really rather risk death than live in Canada?

Is this a Justin Beiber thing? ;)

I have never fought in a war, but I would say that WWII was a just war, and I would have volunteered to fight in it had I been of an age to do so at the time.

The English and French Civil Wars established the principles of democracy; but neither was predictable as doing so until some time after the event, so to be persuaded to fight in those, I would have needed foreknowledge of their long term and non-obvious effects. The royalists in both conflicts could be forgiven for thinking that their cause was the more noble - unlike those who fought for the Nazis in WWII, who cannot reasonably be excused for not knowing the nature of the regime for which they were fighting.

The Republicans in the Spanish Civil War had a just cause, but ultimately lost. At the time, I might have volunteered, but with hindsight, volunteering for a lost cause is futile.

I can't think off the top of my head of any other wars where one side was sufficiently clearly in the right as to justify risking my precious skin for their cause.
 
Are we only talking about willingness to fight on the front lines, or contribute to the war in any other capacity? I think I would have been more useful in a logistics or technical role than fighting on the front lines of various wars. I would have been willing to participate in WWII for sure.
 
Axulus said:
Are we only talking about willingness to fight on the front lines, or contribute to the war in any other capacity? I think I would have been more useful in a logistics or technical role than fighting on the front lines of various wars. I would have been willing to participate in WWII for sure.
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I generally had the idea of "risk your life".
 
Let's see, based on my (far from complete) knowledge of local history, I'd have to say under the circumstances of the time I *might* have joined any of the following:

The Batavian Revolt: (Romans go home!)
The Frisian-Frankish Wars: (Christians go home!)
The Hook & Cod Wars: maybe, these wars were about progressives versus conservatives, and had a focus on increased freedoms for the populace at large, but to the average peasant they probably looked like nobles fighting nobles using the peasantry... again; so maybe not.
Dutch Revolt: Cause, fuck the Spanish.
Franco-Dutch War/Third Anglo-Dutch war: Being attacked and invaded by the combined forces of England, France, Münster, Bavaria and Cologne; without any aid from allies; would probably have looked like the apocalypse (the year it happened is still called the 'Disaster Year'); somehow managed to fight them all off.
Napoleonic Wars: Cause you know, fuck that guy.
WW2: Cause, fuck those guys.

These are the wars I could see myself, being an ordinary person at the time, knowing what I'd know as such, supporting. Possibly even joining.
 
Some would just see the selling of guns as a willingness to fight.
Never cared for "what if"stuff,unless in fantasy.My father served in WWII as support,The US coast Guard.I could have been him.Vietnam,1970.Not so much.In 1969 I thought I should kill the Gooks,then I came to my senses and went to school.
 
No wars for me, thank you. I won't abdicate moral responsibility by joining an organization whose purpose is kill people and break things, and agreeing to follow orders unquestioningly.
I'll make my moral decisions personally, situation by situation.
 
NobleSavage said:
I generally had the idea of "risk your life".
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Well, i spent the first Gulf War in an air-conditioned space, watching computer lights blink as they regularly checked the range from us to certain interesting locations in the evil empire. there was a certain risk to my life, what with the whole sub being a ship designed to sink, but there was the same exact risk during periods of peace.
So, Hell, i'd fight in any war if i could be in MCC, 4000 nautical miles from the bad guys.
 
The first (known) gulf war was depicted on the Standard of Ur, and dates to around 2,600BC. I didn't know you were that old; nor that ancient Sumeria had submarines. You learn something new every day.

When I was growing up, the TV news reported on 'The Gulf War' most nights. It was fought between Iran and Iraq, and came well before Saddam Hussein was one of the bad guys - we sent him weapons and ammo and such. I think that one must have been the Zeroth Gulf War; and the one the Sumerians recorded would have been the Minus Several Hundredth Gulf War.

None of them appear to have had justice on one side - at least not to the point where it would be worth risking life or limb to back one side against the other.

Now the Cold War; that's another question - although there are some potential long term consequences that will likely not be well known in our lifetimes.
 
bilby said:
The first (known) gulf war was depicted on the Standard of Ur, and dates to around 2,600BC. I didn't know you were that old; nor that ancient Sumeria had submarines.
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Sure.
We just drowned a whole LOT of oxen...
 
Keith&Co. said:
NobleSavage said:
I generally had the idea of "risk your life".
Click to expand...
Well, i spent the first Gulf War in an air-conditioned space, watching computer lights blink as they regularly checked the range from us to certain interesting locations in the evil empire. there was a certain risk to my life, what with the whole sub being a ship designed to sink, but there was the same exact risk during periods of peace.
So, Hell, i'd fight in any war if i could be in MCC, 4000 nautical miles from the bad guys.
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MCC = Missile Combat Crew? I could never be in a sub. I've never really been closterfobic, but when thinking about being in a sub I get closterfobic feelings.
 
seyorni said:
No wars for me, thank you. I won't abdicate moral responsibility by joining an organization whose purpose is kill people and break things, and agreeing to follow orders unquestioningly.
I'll make my moral decisions personally, situation by situation.
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That's respectable.
 
NobleSavage said:
MCC = Missile Combat Crew? I could never be in a sub. I've never really been closterfobic, but when thinking about being in a sub I get closterfobic feelings.
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Missile Control Center. We were the 'Aim' of 'Ready, Aim, Fire.'
Caustrophobia never bothered me. Esp. on the trident hulls...those things are hotels. But in Sub School, our instructor got us a tour on a fast boat. My class leader had been in the Navy for 3 years and found out about sub pay. He was doing really well in the class until he got to the bottom of the first ladder. he looked left. He looked right. He climbed back up the ladder and sat on the pier until the tour was over and said, "I want an aircraft carrier, thank you."

Me? I'm afraid of heights. I figured a work environment 200 feet below sea level would be perfect for me. No one ever mentioned dry docks.
 
Keith&Co. said:
NobleSavage said:
MCC = Missile Combat Crew? I could never be in a sub. I've never really been closterfobic, but when thinking about being in a sub I get closterfobic feelings.
Click to expand...
Missile Control Center. We were the 'Aim' of 'Ready, Aim, Fire.'
Caustrophobia never bothered me. Esp. on the trident hulls...those things are hotels. But in Sub School, our instructor got us a tour on a fast boat. My class leader had been in the Navy for 3 years and found out about sub pay. He was doing really well in the class until he got to the bottom of the first ladder. he looked left. He looked right. He climbed back up the ladder and sat on the pier until the tour was over and said, "I want an aircraft carrier, thank you."

Me? I'm afraid of heights. I figured a work environment 200 feet below sea level would be perfect for me. No one ever mentioned dry docks.
Click to expand...

Is it true that one Trident sub can destroy half the world with nukes?
 
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