Warrior ethos and the spirit of nationalism

Abstract

In popular culture, nationalism is often associated with the battlefields. The combatants are often deemed to be inspired by a strong sense of patriotic duty. From the French revolutionary armies and the two world wars to the contemporary conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza or Ethiopia nationalism is regularly identified as the principal source of one’s motivation to fight. In this article, I challenge such simplistic views and aim to show that nationalism plays a marginal role in the combat zone. I argue that in most cases, the warrior ethos is not linked directly to the nationalist ideas and practices. Instead, the majority fight from the sense of moral obligation and emotional attachment to their micro-level groups. However, this is not to say that nationalism is irrelevant in the context of violent conflicts. On the contrary, I aim to show how nationalist ideas and practices permeate the organisational and ideological scaffolds of the wider social world. I argue that nationalism is primarily generated and reproduced in civilian institutions and other domains of civilian life.