A Two-Edged Sword: Technological Change and the Burdens of the Soldier Since 1800 A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of UNSW@ADFA University of New South Wales In Fulfillment of the Requirements of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Darren Charles Moore 2011 UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES Thesis/Dissertation Sheet Surname or Family name: Moore First name: Darren Other name/s: Charles Abbreviation for degree as given in the University calendar: PhD School: Humanities and Social Sciences Faculty: UNSW@ADFA Title: A Two-Edged Sword: Technological Change and the Burdens of the Soldier Since 1800 Abstract 350 words maximum (PLEASE TYPE) This thesis will investigate whether the rapid rate of technological change over the last two hundred years had increased or decreased the burden of the soldier. It will concentrate principally on the application of peripheral technology whose primary purpose is not that of killing. It will examine the first and second order effects of such technology, many of which will be proven to be counter-intuitive. This thesis is principally concerned with how the soldiers themselves viewed the application of this technology. It will therefore draw upon hundreds of narrative accounts of warfare written by combatants from many nations and a range of conflicts to establish what the soldiers themselves believed were the principal burdens they must bear on behalf of their nations. This thesis will determine that where technological advances have impacted upon the burden of the soldier, in a number of cases they have decreased one burden only to increase another. For example, recent advances in aeromedical capabilities and sophisticated treatment techniques mean that soldiers are now more likely to survive horrific injuries that even a generation earlier would most likely have been fatal. But those who survive often face a life of permanent disfigurement and disability, the possibility of which troubles many soldiers. In some aspects, a more definitive answer will be given as to whether technological advances have increased or decreased the burden of the soldier. The contemporary soldier knows that his body will likely be recovered from the battlefield and if recovered will almost certainly be identified, thereby avoiding the abiding concern of his predecessors that his body might be left on the battlefield, buried in an unmarked grave. However, in other aspects, technological advances have clearly increased the burden of the soldier. For example, the growth of the modern media, fuelled by satellite communications and the Internet, can potentially reveal operational information and increase the risk of mission failure. A ubiquitous media presence also poses a very real risk that a soldier’s actions on the battlefield will be taken out of context and held up to be judged in the court of public opinion. Declaration relating to disposition of project thesis/dissertation I hereby grant to the University of New South Wales or its agents the right to archive and to make available my thesis or dissertation in whole or in part in the University libraries in all forms of media, now or here after known, subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. I retain all property rights, such as patent rights. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis or dissertation. I also authorise University Microfilms to use the 350 word abstract of my thesis in Dissertation Abstracts International (this is applicable to doctoral theses only). ………………………………………………… …………………………………………. ………………… Signature Witness Date FOR OFFICE USE ONLY Date of completion of requirements for Award: THIS SHEET IS TO BE GLUED TO THE INSIDE FRONT COVER OF THE THESIS This page is intentionally blank Abstract This thesis will investigate whether the rapid rate of technological change over the last two hundred years had increased or decreased the burden of the soldier. It will concentrate principally on the application of peripheral technology whose primary purpose is not that of killing. It will examine the first and second order effects of such technology, many of which will be proven to be counter-intuitive. This thesis is principally concerned with how the soldiers themselves viewed the application of this technology. It will therefore draw upon hundreds of narrative accounts of warfare written by combatants from many nations and a range of conflicts to establish what the soldiers themselves believed were the principal burdens they must bear on behalf of their nations. This thesis will determine that where technological advances have impacted upon the burden of the soldier, in a number of cases they have decreased one burden only to increase another. For example, recent advances in aeromedical capabilities and sophisticated treatment techniques mean that soldiers are now more likely to survive horrific injuries that even a generation earlier would most likely have been fatal. But those who survive often face a life of permanent disfigurement and disability, the possibility of which troubles many soldiers. In some aspects, a more definitive answer will be given as to whether technological advances have increased or decreased the burden of the soldier. The contemporary soldier knows that his body will likely be recovered from the battlefield and if recovered will almost certainly be identified, thereby avoiding the abiding concern of his predecessors that his body might be left on the battlefield, buried in an unmarked grave. However, in other aspects, technological advances have clearly increased the burden of the soldier. For example, the growth of the modern media, fuelled by satellite communications and the Internet, can potentially reveal operational information and increase the risk of mission failure. A ubiquitous media presence also poses a very real risk that a soldier’s actions on the battlefield will be taken out of context and held up to be judged in the court of public opinion. ii Originality Statement ‘I hereby declare that this submission is my own work and to the best of my knowledge it contains no materials previously published or written by another person, or substantial proportions of material which have been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma at UNSW or any other educational institution, except where due acknowledgement is made in the thesis. Any contribution made to the research by others, with whom I have worked at UNSW or elsewhere, is explicitly acknowledged in the thesis. I also declare that the intellectual content of this thesis is the product of my own work, except to the extent that assistance from others in the project's design and conception or in style, presentation and linguistic expression is acknowledged.’ Signed ................................................................. Date ................................................................. Statement Regarding Publication of Elements of Thesis Sections of this thesis have been published in Darren Moore, The Soldier: A History of Courage, Sacrifice and Brotherhood, Icon Books, London, 2009 (which was developed concurrently with this thesis). These sections were edited for publication by Duncan Heath of Icon Books. Copyright Statement ‘I hereby grant the University of New South Wales or its agents the right to archive and to make available my thesis or dissertation in whole or part in the University libraries in all forms of media, now or here after known, subject to the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. I retain all proprietary rights, such as patent rights. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis or dissertation. I also authorise University Microfilms to use the 350 word abstract of my thesis in Dissertation Abstract International (this is applicable to doctoral theses only). I have either used no substantial portions of copyright material in my thesis or I have obtained permission to use copyright material; where permission has not been granted I have applied/will apply for a partial restriction of the digital copy of my thesis or dissertation.' Signed ……………………………………………........................... Date ……………………………………………........................... Authenticity Statement ‘I certify that the Library deposit digital copy is a direct equivalent of the final officially approved version of my thesis. No emendation of content has occurred and if there are any minor variations in formatting, they are the result of the conversion to digital format.’ Signed ……………………………………………........................... Date ……………………………………………........................... iii Acknowledgements .......................................................................... v Introduction ..................................................................................... 1 1 Facing Death: Last Letters, Dog Tags and Graves ................... 22 2 Death and Disfigurement on the Battlefield ............................... 49 3 Overcoming Resistance to Killing on the Battlefield .................. 74 4 The Anguish of Friendly Fire ..................................................... 98 5 The Military and the Media .......................................................134 6 Coming Home on a Jet Plane ..................................................156 Conclusion ...................................................................................175 Acronyms and Abbreviations ........................................................187 Bibliography .................................................................................188