An Army That Doesn't Fight, Even with the Best Weapons, is Useless

Warfare is constantly changing, adapting to new technology and strategies. Without actively being engaged in combat, armies will use old tactics for a new age, cease to exist as a consequence.

If there was a conflict between two nations, one with a weak, ill equipped fighting force, vs one that should be absolutely dominit. Who do you think would win? Would easily crush the opposing force. The larger one right? Well, that’s true in theory, but “no plans survive first contact with the enemy.” You see, the larger force, whilst on paper stronger, if they haven’t been constantly fighting, then it’s just deadweight.

  The generals would be peacetime generals, ones out of touch with the realities of modern conflict, who strategies with outdated tactics. World war 1 repeated that history, where bright colour uniforms and cavalry were shredded by machine guns and artillery fire. The army themselves no clue how to fight properly, again, trained with outdated tactics and strategies and easily get annihilated by the enemy. Their equipment is outdated and thoroughly not prepared for new creative warfare, involving UAVs, suicide drone bombs and improved explosive devices.

  All the logistics and ammunition is not adequate for the current situation. It’s easy to supply your troops with train lines, then the enemy blows up the tracks. What now? In World War II, they went through millions of ammunition each month, wildly above original estimates of tens of thousands.

  Let’s not forget that equipment produced in a lab is flashy, clean and theorically unstoppoable. A multi-million dollar tank gets brought down with a hundred thousand dollar rocket. Everything produced in peacetime, with requirements made based on armchair generals and speculation all turn worthless. Nothing more than expensive and self-harming scrap metal.

Have you ever played Civilisation V, a game where you’d progress your nation from the stone age into the modern era. Military is quite annoying, because it’s rather expensive and means you can’t produce economic or scientific output. Forgoing military isn’t an option either, for a weak opponent presents an ample opportunity to get what you want. Look at Canada’s maps, isn’t it weird they don’t own Alaska, that there’s this random chunk of America carved deep in their territory? That’s because America demanded it, and Canada acquiesced at the barrel of a gun. No matter how much you want peace, without power to defend yourself, your nation will get fucked over by others constantly.

  China wants to own the entire sea area around them, ones that several other nations border. Well, what’re you gonna do about it without power to stop them? Beg them? Pleed they don’t priortise their own gains?

  An army that doesn’t constantly fight, adapt and evolve is worthless. But, isn’t this tragic, that each nation has to be in perpetual conflict, perpetual warfare, in order to adequately protect themselves? Alternatives like mock battles might reduce the degradation of skill, except it cannot account for what the enemy would truly do on the battlefield. The only way to find out is to fight. So bless your nation’s incessant warfare, for it’s the only reason you’re kept safe right now.