Militarization of the economy: concept, examples. Militarism as a historical phenomenon of modern times Militarization of the country

The dynamic and active development of civilization and society over the past few centuries has significantly expanded the vocabulary of mankind with many concepts and terms. The concept of “militarization” also applies to them. In fact, this is far from a new phenomenon, but it has become especially pronounced over the past few centuries in history. Many political scientists, sociologists and historians talk about this concept. What is militarization?

The main point

This concept covers a fairly wide range of phenomena. In essence, militarization is a process that is characterized by adaptation and change in the economy, scientific and technological progress, public, political and social spheres to the concept of militarism, which becomes the main and sometimes the only ideology at the level of the state and legislation. Militarism is a doctrine that is expressed in the need to actively build up an impressive military potential, improve weapons, and develop the art of war. Militarization is a justification for the use of predominantly military force in external and internal conflicts, since resolving issues through force is the main thing in this doctrine.

History of the development of the term

Militarization is a concept that originated in mid-nineteenth century France. The word itself comes from the French militarisme, which translated into Russian means “military.” This term characterized the state of affairs in France during the regime of Napoleon III. Closer to the beginning of the twentieth century, this word very firmly entered the lexicon of historians and political scientists. At that time, political, territorial and economic contradictions between the largest capitalist states were at the stage of open military confrontation. The militarization of society and the economy at that time reached its limit. The process affected the social and political structure of the leading countries of the world and moved at an alarming pace.

Main features

Militarization is a process that, globally, has a dual meaning for those states in which it occurs. The main feature is the transfer of the economic system “on a war footing.” This is done to ensure a rapid increase in the country's military potential, which determines success in military competition and the arms race between rival states. On the one hand, militarization leads to an increase in budget expenditures on the military industry, the maintenance and maintenance of a large army, weapons, and the development of new types of weapons and strategies. Taken together, this leads to a decrease in funds allocated for the development of social, cultural and public spheres of life. On the other hand, such a prevailing doctrine in the mood of society is capable of extremely stimulating design and research activities in all areas of technology and science: mechanics, electronics, computer science, nuclear physics, and so on.

Is militarization evil or good?

As general conclusions, it can be argued that militarization is the penetration of military ideology into virtually all spheres of life of society and the country, the transfer of its economic system, financial system, ideology, political vectors, the vast majority of technical and engineering areas, scientific discoveries and research into exclusively military channel Naturally, this process actively stimulates technical and scientific progress, increases the rating of aggressive politicians and public figures, strengthens the country’s defense capability, increases its significance on the world stage, but greatly depletes resources within the state itself, impedes the comprehensive development and harmonious existence of social, public and cultural traditions.

Militarization

MILITARIZATION -And; and. Subordination of the economic and social life of the state (states) to the goals of preparation for war; transfer of methods of military organization to the field of civil relations. M. Economics. M. countries.

encyclopedic Dictionary. 2009 .

See what “militarization” is in other dictionaries:

Militarization of the actions of government bodies in the sphere of economics, politics and society, aimed at increasing the military power of the state. Militarization “militarization of the economy”, when the state makes up the majority of the budget... ... Wikipedia

MILITARIZATION, militarization, many. no, female Action under Ch. militarize. Militarization of railways. Militarization of industry. Ushakov's explanatory dictionary. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 … Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary

Militarization Dictionary of Russian synonyms. militarization noun, number of synonyms: 2 militarization (2) ... Synonym dictionary

militarization- and, f. militarization f. The spread of militarism; strengthening the role of the military factor in which l. branches of activity, life. M. countries. M. space. M. training of the younger generation. Militarization of schools. RB 1913 3 297. The Congress resolutely rejects... ... Historical Dictionary of Gallicisms of the Russian Language

MILITARIZE, I ruin, I ruin; anna; owls and nesov., that. Subordinate (the economy, industry) to the goals of militarism. Ozhegov's explanatory dictionary. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 … Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary

- (from Latin militaris military) English. militarization; German Militarisierung. Subordination of all spheres of society to the goals of the military. 2. Application of forms and methods of military organization in different areas of society. econ. life. Antinazi.… … Encyclopedia of Sociology

- (lat. militaris military) subordination of economic, political in public life to the goals of militarism. New dictionary of foreign words. by EdwART, 2009. militarization [Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

G. Subordination of the economy, politics and social life of the state to military purposes; implementation of militaristic policies, militarism. Ephraim's explanatory dictionary. T. F. Efremova. 2000... Modern explanatory dictionary of the Russian language by Efremova

Militarization, militarization, militarization, militarization, militarization, militarization, militarization, militarization, militarization, militarization, militarization, militarization, militarization (Source: “Full accentuated paradigm... ... Forms of words

militarization- militarization, and... Russian spelling dictionary

militarization- (1 f), R., D., Ave. militarization… Spelling dictionary of the Russian language

Books

• Militarization of Germany, A. F. Zaletny. The monograph provides a critical analysis of the process of militarization of the Federal Republic of Germany. Particular attention is paid to the characteristics of the armed forces, the impact of militarization on the economy,...

Protection from external enemies is one of the main ones. For these purposes, a military budget is created, which makes it possible to maintain the army, modernize it, and conduct But the threat to peaceful existence comes when the militarization of the economy begins. The consequence is an increase in the size of the army and military equipment. The threat is that any provocation and the state can use its military potential. What is militarization? This will be discussed in this article.

What is the militarization of the economy

Militarization is the process of increasing the military sector in a country's total output. As a rule, this happens to the detriment of other areas. This is a kind of “militarization” of the economy. Let's give an example from history.

Militarization of Europe at the turn of the century

At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, militarization was observed. Of course, the German Kaiser was not the only one who armed his country; almost all European countries, including Russia, did this.

The Franco-Prussian War and, as a consequence, huge indemnities and the annexation of two industrial regions (Alsace and Lorraine) to Germany made it possible to concentrate huge fortunes in the hands of German bankers. Industrial magnates faced two problems:

1. Lack of markets for its products, since Germany joined the colonial division later than others.
2. Lack of agricultural sector due to lack of agricultural land.

These reasons influenced the mood of German financial magnates. They wanted:

1. Sell ​​your products.
2. Have agricultural land.
3. Strengthen your position within the state.

The only way out is the militarization of the economy. This solved all the problems at once:

1. The state purchases industrial products, which consist mainly of ammunition, weapons, guns, and ships.
2. A combat-ready army is being created that is capable of changing the colonial division of the world, seizing markets and agricultural lands in the east.

All this ended with the First World War. A second attempt to militarize the German economy during Hitler's rise to power led to World War II. The third attempt to build up armaments by the USSR and the USA almost led to a nuclear war that would destroy our planet.

Modern threats

The militarization of the economy is not a thing of the past. Today we see that many countries are actively arming themselves. These are mainly the USA, China, India, Pakistan, Russia, Arab Southeast Asia. The DPRK has a huge army of one million people.

Is Russia a threat to the world?

No matter how it sounds, it is our country that is ahead of all the major countries in the world in the militarization of the economy. The share of the military budget is 5.4% of our country's GDP. For example, China spends about 2%, the US - just over 3%, India - just over 2%. Huge amounts of money go to Saudi Arabia - 13.7% of GDP. The leader is the DPRK - more than 15%.

Despite the fact that Russia has such a seemingly huge percentage of the military budget as a share of GDP, there is no point in falling into hysteria and shouting that our country poses a threat to the world. Everything needs to be analyzed carefully.

The fact is that in monetary terms, the military budget of our country is not so huge. It is approximately $66 billion. For example, the military is almost 10 times larger - about 600 billion dollars. China - more than 200 billion. Thus, in monetary terms we are not among the leaders. There are several reasons for the high share of the military budget:

1. Weak economy.
2. Huge territories.
3. Lack of ten years of army development.

The last point, according to President V.V. Putin, is key. Our country after the collapse of the USSR and until the early 2000s. gg. practically lost the army. The military campaign in Chechnya is indicative in this regard. The lack of modern weapons, professional military personnel, the latest planes and helicopters, add here the lack of professionalism of the generals, the lack of military exercises - all led to huge losses in the Chechen Republic.

That is why Russian President V.V. Putin announced that today’s militarization of the economy is making up for lost time in modernization.

conclusions

So, let's summarize. Militarization of the economy is a significant increase in the share of the military budget as a percentage of GDP. This is important to understand. An increase in the military budget, provided that the economy as a whole is growing, does not mean militarization. Conversely, if the military budget decreases in real terms, but its percentage of GDP increases, then such an economy can be called militarized.

It is a mistake to believe that militarization is synonymous with aggressiveness. A military buildup may, on the contrary, be a consequence of hostility on the part of other states. For example, the growth of the army in South Korea is associated with aggressive threats emanating from the DPRK. Militarization in Russia is not at all connected with the desire to start a war in the future, but with a ten-year lack of modernization of our army.

Militarization as a term dates back to the mid-19th century. It was first used to describe the ideological and political-economic situation in France during the reign of Napoleon III. Militarization as a concept is a state ideology and policy subordinated to the militarization of society and the economy, where the main goal is to build up military power, and aggressive wars serve as the main way of conducting foreign policy. In the economy, first of all, the interests of the military-industrial complex are put, its share usually occupies the most significant part among other industries.

The population is subjected to significant information and psychological treatment, a permanent image of an external enemy is instilled, and active measures are taken to educate the younger generation in the patriotic way.

Militarization reached its apotheosis in the 20th century, when two of the largest conflicts in human history occurred. According to total estimates, during the First and Second World Wars, the planet's population lost about 70 million people killed alone, and more than 150 million were left maimed.

Militarization of the leading powers of the early 20th century

The accumulated contradictions between the major powers, coupled with their accelerating militarization, led to the so-called arms race at the very beginning of the 20th century.

An arms race, a term very closely related to militarization, is a large-scale buildup by opposing powers or military blocs of the quantity and quality of military equipment in service in an attempt to achieve military parity or superiority over the opposing side.

The major powers of that time, after the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71, began a systematic increase in the number of small, medium and large caliber artillery systems in their armies. At the beginning of the 20th century, the so-called dreadnought race began, when not only recognized maritime powers (Great Britain, USA, France, Germany, Japan), but also minor players in the vast oceans (Russian Empire, Spain, Italy, Ottoman Empire, Austro- The Hungarian Empire, Brazil, Chile, Argentina) began to actively increase the number of large armored ships with powerful artillery weapons.

One of the main reasons that led to the outbreak of the First World War was Germany's desire to increase its navy to a size comparable to that of Great Britain, which threatened the very existence of the latter as a great power.

A characteristic indicator of militarization is the growth in the number of the most powerful armies of the continental powers of that time (France, Italy, Austria-Hungary, Germany, Great Britain and Russia), from 2,111,000 people in 1896, to 3,184,000 people in 1912 and the subsequent mobilization of 74 million people throughout the First World War.

Militarization before World War II

The Entente countries that won the First World War, the entire period before the Second World War, had very strong and well-equipped armies, a developed military industry and uninterrupted access to all necessary resources. France was strong on the continent, while Great Britain and the United States had very strong navies.

The Axis powers, as contenders for regional and world domination, had to rebuild the economy in a militaristic manner under conditions of resource limitations, and in the case of Germany, also under conditions of a ban on large-scale military production.

Both Japan and Germany, who did not have the ability to surpass the established hegemonic powers in the number of weapons, relied on their quality, as well as on innovative tactical actions in their use.

The militarization of society in the Axis countries before the war was total. This was achieved through the dissemination of mass propaganda aimed at explaining the need for wars of conquest, the permissibility of extreme cruelty in the name of high goals and a great future. The general psychological impact on the population was intended to provide the military economy of the aggressor countries with a huge number of personnel, as well as to prepare hordes of soldiers ready to unquestioningly carry out the orders of their leaders aimed at global expansion.

In the Soviet Union, preparations for the supposed big war began in the late 20s. The economy underwent general industrialization, aimed at a massive increase in military production. Engine building was actively developing as the basis for the production of armored vehicles and aircraft. Patriotic education was actively practiced among young people, and GTO standards were introduced to prepare citizens for military and labor service in harsh wartime conditions. The militarization of the country has made a huge leap in 10 years.

As a result of the outbreak of war between two extremely militarized military blocs, huge stocks of weapons in the hands of ideologically indoctrinated soldiers caused colossal damage to the warring parties. The Second World War became the deadliest conflict in human history, killing more than 50 million people and leaving behind more than 100 million seriously wounded.

The Politics of Militarization in the Cold War Era

The expression Cold War was first used by George Orwell. With it, he described the relations between the supposed 2-3 “monstrous superstates” possessing nuclear weapons, which, due to their absolute destructive power, could not be used without the complete destruction of the parties to the conflict. The state of the Cold War presupposed the existence of a tacit agreement between these countries on the non-use of nuclear weapons against each other and conducting an indirect struggle among themselves, without participating in open conflicts.

Irreconcilable ideological differences between the only two superpowers, which became the USSR and the USA after the end of the Second World War, led to a monstrous round of militarization in the post-war period. The Cold War was characterized by both a conventional arms race and a nuclear missile race for strategic dominance.

Considering the enormous scientific, technical and economic potentials of the two superpowers, they produced colossal stocks of weapons (calculated for a new world war), to the detriment of the material well-being of citizens.

Immediately after the end of World War II, due to the Soviet Union's superiority in conventional weapons in Europe, the United States began preparing plans to conduct extensive nuclear bombing of the Soviet Union in the event of war. US President Dwight Eisenhower dubbed this approach “Massive Retaliation.”

However, soon after the USSR acquired its own nuclear weapons and a large number of jet fighters capable of intercepting American bombers, American strategists began to look for a new suitable doctrine.

With the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles, nuclear deterrence with mutually assured destruction became such a doctrine. Both sides invested enormous material resources in the creation of a nuclear missile arsenal that guaranteed a retaliatory strike against the enemy and inflicting unacceptable damage on him in the event of a first strike from the enemy.

A particularly important place in this doctrine was given to the creation of a significant number of nuclear submarines with ballistic missiles on board (SSBNs), as well as a whole fleet of submarines hunting SSBNs and surface ships. The increased secrecy of SSBNs compared to other nuclear weapons platforms implies insensitivity to the first nuclear strike from the aggressor and implies a guaranteed retaliatory strike.

Of course, to maintain the pace of such an active arms build-up, a great deal of economic stress was required. The Soviet Union has always lagged noticeably behind the United States in the economic field, but in the field of armaments, parity has been maintained since the 70s. This was achieved due to the total dominance of the military-industrial complex in the Soviet economy, when up to 40-50% of GDP was spent on military needs. The militarization of the state has reached alarming proportions.

The waste of resources for the needs of militarization, wasteful and senseless from a universal human point of view, became one of the main reasons for the severe economic crisis that led to the collapse of the USSR and the end of the Cold War.

Militarism- a type of state policy aimed at strengthening the military power of the country and allowing the resolution of international and internal conflicts through military means.

History of militarism

France is considered the first militaristic state in the mid-19th century under the policies of Napoleon III. But after the international conflicts of the late 19th century, militarism became widespread. Almost all the leading countries of the world, for example, Germany, the Russian Empire, France, Great Britain, sought to strengthen their military power, since the international situation was extremely turbulent.

In the 20th century, the militarization of the economies of developed countries was associated with the phenomenon of the Cold War. Two opposing blocs, the USSR and the USA, remade the country's economy on a war footing and unleashed a long arms race. Almost all technical and scientific research was aimed at strengthening the country's military potential.

By the end of the 20th century, the international community made a number of decisions to limit the degree of militarization of all states, but the echoes of the arms race and the policy of militarism are still felt in the world.

Consequences of militarism

The militaristic type of ideology was fully formed only with the formation of capitalist society and brought with it a lot of consequences. On the one hand, militarism led to an intensification of the arms race, an increase in the military expenditure item in the budget, a division of the world between colonial states and, as a consequence, an increase in differentiation between developed countries and third world countries.

There were also positive consequences of the policy of militarism. Thus, in militaristic states there was a sharp leap in the development of technology and science, as the arms race required the development of new types of weapons and equipment for factories. Ideological propaganda in such countries encouraged sports, a healthy lifestyle and military service, since a population capable of defending its country doubly increases the power of a militaristic state.