Combat Motivation, Fear and Terror in Twentieth-century Argentinian Warfare

Abstract

This article compares the combat motivation of Argentinian troops against guerrilla insurgents in a 1975-80 domestic counter-insurgency war with the performance of Argentinian soldiers against British forces in the 1982 Falklands war. The comparison reveals that the willingness to fire and fight differs from the desire to enter into war, and that combat motivation is not determined exclusively by mental preparedness, professional training and superior armament, but depends as much on shifting motivations and dynamic social and political circumstances during the armed conflict. Furthermore, combat motivation is also affected by the type of warfare conducted, and is only given meaning during a pause in the hostilities, when the desire to continue fighting is reassessed.