Why do soldiers fight?

Soldiers in any war do not highly regard the Generals or Politicians but rather fight for their countries, families, loved ones, and honor. They do not care about the strategies and policies as most of them do not factor in their concerns. 

The statement is true as it depicts the attitude of many soldiers when out there in the battlefield. Sam R. Watkins was born in 1839 in Columbia and enrolled as a private in the First Tennessee Infantry Company H after training at the Jackson College of Columbia. After surviving the war during the Battle of Atlanta, he was attached to the Aytch Company and shared his memoirs regarding the mindset of soldiers.

According to Private Sam, troops on a battlefield are treated as automatic machines which are supposed to work by the command of the Generals whether good, bad or indifferent without questioning. They are presumed not to know anything going on during the war. They are supposed to avail themselves and be on standby for loading and shooting off machine guns. On the other hand, their seniors may be sleeping or enjoying themselves whereas they die on the battlefield. Once the soldiers die their obituaries will be written together with an epitaph without much ado and only their families, agonize about the demise of their loved ones. However, whenever they emerge victorious in any war the glory and honor go to the Generals, and the brigades or company they were in-charge.

Therefore, most of the soldiers in any war do not care about their Generals or the strategies put in place by politicians. Instead what motivates them to continue fighting is the love for their hometowns, family and loved ones. They are always obliged to fight for their countries and ensure that peace and harmony are restored. The Generals and Politicians are focused on receiving the honor and glory. They rarely, acknowledge the efforts of the soldiers who do most of the work during the war. It is this perception that the working relationship between the two groups is strained.