An investigation of the relationship between National Armies and the concept of national identity with particular reference to Army recruitment campaigns in Germany and Britain

Abstract

In the recent histories of Britain and Germany there has been a strong relationship between the military as a national institution and the concept of national identity, although in very different ways. This is because of the two nations’ experiences of the Second World War which, though military in nature, were shared by the entire population. This thesis aimed to investigate whether recent changes in international relations have affected this bond. Different research methods were employed to compare findings from this case study with existing literature: content analysis was used to investigate the different recruitment strategies of the British military and the Bundeswehr, while questionnaires recorded reactions to these adverts by members of the target group and also established current attitudes towards the nation and the military. This was followed by in-depth interviews with current and former members of the military in both countries in order to examine diachronic changes in attitudes. The thesis concludes that although national identity amongst young people still serves as a form of identification, the decision to make the ‘ultimate sacrifice’ for the nation is largely determined by self-interested considerations rather than a strong sense of national loyalty.