The culture of today’s America has created this huge push and support for veterans of all wars. Those men and women who go off to serve our country are all given a higher status just for their willingness to serve. Veterans are romanticized in Hollywood for their actions during conflict and after. Any American who actually respects their nation has a feeling of respect towards anyone who has served or who is serving. We build countless monuments for all of the people who have put their lives on the line. Even with today’s controversies surrounding the “kneeling” during the national anthem has brought widespread outrage to not only disrespect for the country, but for those giving their lives in order that they have the right to protest in that manner. From our countless commercials to our ceremonies for the multiple holidays (Veterans Day, Memorial Day, etc.) , Americans truly love veterans. But this culture was not always present in America.
It actually wasn’t always present in a majority of countries. Both the world wars began to bring up these groups. These veterans who went through times of hell and hardship were not always seen as an honored group. Different countries had different feelings on the topics. Martin Crotty and Mark Edele wrote an article called Total War and Entitlement: Towards a Global History of Veteran Privilege. These two go over the differences of culture in Australia and the USSR in accordance to their perspectives on Veterans. As an American, I never paid much attention to Australia, but more towards the USSR.
Australia was a special case due to it being in the British Empire during the war. But as both authors state in their work, Australia had barely any connections to the war. Majority of the fighting was half a world away and the country itself was barely under attack. There were some volunteers, which made up their own regiment, and then there was a militia made of men drafted into service. Australia lacked motivation to go fight, but still went. But both authors state that veterans did not exist as a group until after WWII. Politically, veterans had no way of voicing their opinion as one voice. Then came the RSSILA. Noted above in the picture, the RSSILA was one of the first groups to lobby for veterans. In today’s culture, in America, we can all think of at least three different veterans organizations. But after WWII, there were barely any pro-veterans groups. I say that veterans did make up a group in society, but they were not organized. Veterans of war can connect with each other in ways that normal citizens cannot. But there was no representation for them as a group until the RSSILA. I now understand how important all of these lobbying groups are. Usually people have a very negative sight on them, but they actually can have some good input. The RSSILA effected the legislation of Australia greatly in favor of veterans.
But the home-front return for veterans was not always pleasant. Both America and the USSR did not have the best returns for their veterans, but both countries did not lack their support the same way. America was more at a health standpoint while the USSR was more at a total lack of recognition. Like the various veteran organizations that are ingrained into our culture, so is the fact that veterans suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD.) But America’s culture after WWII did not share the same opinions as we do today. Any soldier that could not meet the psychological standards for combat were looked down upon. Some critics at the time, who I highly disagree with, pointed out that these men could not subject themselves to things that ordinary men could easily handle. Many of the critics that were negative against veterans with PTSD had no place to criticize the men who were troubled with the theater of war. This stigma carried on into the veterans’ normal lives. People thought that if they weren’t fir for the Army, then they weren’t fit for society. I would have thought that after WWI, people would be more aware of these things, but sadly they were lacking the education on the fact that we all live around today.
Yes the USSR was very negative towards their veterans. They built up the stigma of the return home would be honorable, but sadly, that vision was taken away. Stalin was very focused on recovering from the war and getting the USSR at the top of the now split world. He had no time to give benefits to those who fought against the German forces and saved the motherland. He had a vision for his legacy which could not be halted and needed every working hand available. But this negative treatment of veterans isn’t as surprising as that of the Americans. To me, I would have seen Americans welcoming veterans and taking care of them from all of the hell that they all witnessed. That’s what Americans do, right? But not everyone is perfect and this reading really put my mind in perspective.
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