Weena wrote:
Fatalism being prevalent in Russia history doesn't surprise me, geographically speaking. It's a huge motif in Norse Paganism, and prevalent in Finnish mythology.
Fatalism in Russia was homegrown, out of the writings of chronically depressed writers such as Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, the profound sense of frustration and despair at the corrupt and impotent Czarist government, and the social impact of mass alcoholism.
Russia has no cultural connection to Norse paganism. The Russian language is most closely related to Greek and draws most of its culture from the Greek Orthodox Church; Russian and German/Nordic group languages have no relation.
The Russian and German people have been historical enemies ever since the Teutonic invasion of the 12th century, which lives on as a tale of epic heroism in Russian culture.
Weena wrote:
I can see Revolutionary and Civil War military leaders acting reckless, but more for moral boosting or dire situation scenarios than fatalism.
The belief that a general's place is at the front lines, or that a general should identify with the fighting men, is uniquely American and contemporary.
The establishment of the development of a distinctive American military culture began prior to the Civil War with the establishment of West Point but was not complete until the early 20th century, as the US transitioned from hiring foreign-born instructors (mostly French and Prussians) to training its own based on experience learned in the wars. During the Civil War, American army officers were very much still in the "genteel" mindset common to military aristocrats. This approach sucked, as was demonstrated by its abyssal performance in the Crimean, Zulu and Boer Wars.
It was between the Civil War and WWI that America formulated its unique military ethos of "no man left behind"; rugged, hands-on officers; and emphasis on extreme discipline (no looting or raping civilians; military jurisprudence as opposed to drumhead trials). This ethos gave the American military a remarkable espirit de corps and unprecedented reliability and effectiveness.
European military culture considered that it was inglorious and improper for a general to deign to share in the sacrifices of the fighting men. Reckless behavior was not looked on positively. Standing up in the face of gunfire was meant not to show a willingness to get shot but an unwillingness to kneel.
