In Harm’s Way: Why and When a Modern Democracy Risks the Lives of Its Uniformed Citizens

Abstract:
Despite the risk of disastrous outcomes, time and again, advanced democracies have sent their soldiers abroad to dangerous places. They do so not out of necessity (i.e. self-defence), but choice (e.g. humanitarian intervention). What motivates political leaders to accept the risks of such actions? This heuristic study examines three diverse cases in which a medium-sized, advanced democracy, Italy, decided to deploy its troops abroad. It did so because it was both a way to foster its standing in world affairs and a deeply felt, 'moral' commitment to international law. This conclusion can probably be applied to several other democracies such as Germany, Canada or Sweden.