Shadows of Arlington

Fenton, Charlotte Elizabeth

Abstract

The common perception that the root cause of US military caution and casualty aversion was the Vietnam War, is a falsehood. Shadows of Arlington introduces the supposition that the roots of US Casualty Aversion (USCA) and its principles of defence and protection are rooted in the founding of the nation. Incorporated into the following chapters and three case studies is a review of the research processes, which combined an examination of US strategic culture, its elite socialisation and their relationship to conducting statecraft. Furthermore, this thesis required a step away from scholarly convention by incorporating the autobiography as a pertinent primary resource. A complete account of US strategic culture should consider that it is founded upon a principle of defence and caution; and that USCA is deeply-embedded and subtle within its culture and elite socialisation processes. It is important to note, this thesis author is not merely saying its citizens tend to be casualty averse; rather that USCA has been so deeply embedded that it has gone unnoticed whilst it’s been implicitly implemented, been dismissed or mistakenly identified.

Citation

Fenton, C. E. (2023). Shadows of Arlington. (Thesis). University of Hull. https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4500738

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Jan 5, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 18, 2024
• Keywords: Politics; International relations
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4500738
• Additional Information: Department of Politics and International Relations; University of Hull
• Award Date: Nov 23, 2023