2011-07-30, 01:27 AM
I had a discussion with a history professor about this very subject once. Historically, farmers are the most successful warriors- they lived a tough life so they adapted quickly to the hardships of war, and they fought for their land and home instead of for pay or some abstract hierarchy.
Rome rose to it's prime on the back of farmer warriors- and began a steady decline when they conquered Carthage/Britain and began importing waves of slaves to do work like farming for them.
During the American revolution, the British threatened the farmers of the wild American frontier that they would ââ¬Åmarch over the mountains, hang your leaders, and lay waste to your country with fire and sword.â⬠A short while later, as the British commander led a cavalry charge down on these same farmers, he was laid low by one of their turkey hunting muskets. I expect stories like that led to the tradition of the farmer 'driven to war'. . . or maybe not, who knows.
Rome rose to it's prime on the back of farmer warriors- and began a steady decline when they conquered Carthage/Britain and began importing waves of slaves to do work like farming for them.
During the American revolution, the British threatened the farmers of the wild American frontier that they would ââ¬Åmarch over the mountains, hang your leaders, and lay waste to your country with fire and sword.â⬠A short while later, as the British commander led a cavalry charge down on these same farmers, he was laid low by one of their turkey hunting muskets. I expect stories like that led to the tradition of the farmer 'driven to war'. . . or maybe not, who knows.