"In the nineteenth century young men in Russia and Prussia fled to America to escape the draft, to escape the glorification of militarism which poisoned the life in the countries of middle Europe. Death was a daily familiar there. The youths of those countries were put in field grey and spike helmets. Frederick, the king of Prussia, is on record as having shouted at his soldiers when they hesitated in an attack, "Advance, you dogs! Do you want to live forever?"
"
What a load of horse crap!
Avoiding conscription was only one of many reasons people immigrated to the US from Europe in the 19th century, the more common ones being economic and religious. For Germans, economic hardships of the industrial revolution were a driving factor, as were the failed revolutions of 1848, which led to politically motivated emigration (i.e. to avoid political oppression or arrest). Hardly an "escape [from] the glorification of militarism." While Russia and Prussia were military powers at various points in the 19th century, it's ridiculous to describe them as "militaristic". In fact, the Prussian absolute monarchy collapsed in 1848 in favor of a German national parliament. Not a very militaristic scene to imagine. Russia, meanwhile, was a military power due to shear size and population, but it was an agrarian, feudal society, not a militaristic one.
And if this genius Koning was referring to Frederick the Great, as his misquotation implies, he has the wrong century. Frederick died in 1786. The man who unified Germany under Prussian leadership was Otto von Bismark and he was an aristocrat and politician, not a general.
BTW, Frederick the Great is said to have rallied his troops in battle in June 1757 with the words "Rogues, would you live forever?" Does this guy Koning really think that was some kind of threat issued to unwilling conscripts wishing they had emigrated? A century later, no less?
Oh, and nearly the same words are also attributed to an American Marine from WWI.
I mean, Sheesh! Try quoting someone who knows what the hell they're talking about. |
