Baptized by Fire: Combat Experience and Attitudes of World War II Veterans

• In Event: Public Opinion and Conflict Propensity

Abstract

How does combat experience affect veterans' political attitudes? Studying wartime experiences of violence, we distinguish between combat veterans (i.e. those exposed to direct battlefield violence), near-combat veterans (i.e. those exposed to enemy fire but not combat), and non-combat veterans (i.e. those never exposed to combat or enemy fire). We analyze the consequences of combat exposure on attitudes toward peace, reconstruction, and postwar reconciliation using declassified, representative surveys of US soldiers fielded by the US Army during World War II. Overall, we find that experiences of combat versus near-combat or non-combat reduce veterans' support for an active US role in world affairs, and increase support for a punitive peace imposed on Axis powers. We find no evidence that combat veterans hold more negative views of enemy leaders or civilians in general. Data on respondents' military units and individual decorations for valor allow us to rule out multiple sources of confounding, and support a causal interpretation of the results. Overall, this study offers microlevel evidence for existing theories about how combat experience fosters conservatism about the use of force in general, but hardens attitudes in support of military action to preserve hard-won victories.

Authors

• Christopher William Blair, University of Pennsylvania

• Michael Horowitz, University of Pennsylvania