Scholars long debated what truly drives combat motivation, arguing that monitoring and material rewards/punishments alone were insufficient explanations. Ideological factors also proved problematic due to operationalization difficulties.
This study combines extensive World War II data on German soldiers' performance with information on conditionally exogenous potential exposure to Nazi radio broadcasts. The analysis employs robust controls for individual socioeconomic background and regional characteristics.
Analysis reveals a clear correlation between higher levels of potential propaganda exposure and increased likelihood of receiving valor decorations, even after accounting for factors like combat experience and regional backgrounds.
This finding underscores the significance of Ideational Factors in motivation during total war. It provides crucial insights into understanding how political narratives shape soldier behavior on a large scale.
| Propaganda and Combat Motivation: Radio Broadcasts and German Soldiers' Performance in World War II was authored by Benjamin Barber IV and Charles Miller. It was published by Johns Hopkins in World Pol. in 2019. |
