Quote by Michael Walzer, Just and Unjust
According to other writers, it is the women who last longest in sieges, the young men who soonest fall into that deadly lethargy that precedes actual death. But the account is accurate enough: that is what a siege is like. Moreover, that is what it is meant to be like. When a city is encircled and deprived of food, it is not the expectation of the attackers that the garrison will hold out until individual soldiers... drop dead in the streets. The death of ordinary inhabitants of the city is expected to force the hand of the civilian or military leadership. The goal is surrender; the means is not the defeat of the enemy army, but the fearful spectacle of the civilian dead.
Summary
This quote implies that in times of siege, it is often the women who exhibit the greatest resilience and endurance, outlasting the young men who succumb to lethargy and death. The quote also acknowledges the grim reality that a siege is intentionally designed to be a brutal and destructive experience. The attackers aim to exert psychological pressure on the besieged population by cutting off their access to food and resources, with the ultimate goal of forcing surrender. In this context, the death of civilians acts as a catalyst for the leadership to make difficult decisions, ultimately leading to the end of the siege.
Topics
War
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