Losing wars (war, influence, general, 60s)

[majoun]

The level of religiosity in the Northern and Southern US before and during the Civil War was about the same. One could argue that historically the North had been more religious than the South prior to that time, given that several Northern states were founded as religious colonies. Yet, after the Civil War, the South became the most religiously devout and pious part of the US, and in particular the most devoted to political fundamentalism.

This pattern is not unique to the USA: Bavaria before World War I was politically similar to the rest of Germany. However, the wartime experience of Germany - and the Bavarians losing their special privileges after Versailles - empowered a nasty, far-right brand of resentment and hate-mongering in Bavaria more than in even the rest of Germany. It proved fertile soil for Nazism. Likewise, Pakistan losing the 1971 war with India resulted in the rise of political Islam, as the defeat was seen as the result of a dissolute, decadent general staff and thus the power of Allah was needed to root out the impious.

Is it fair to say losing wars give rise to political-religious fundamentalism and xenophobic politics? Are there other examples of this happening besides the Southern US, Germany, and Pakistan?

[majoun]

Originally Posted by abd el krim

Not particularly related with loosing wars...but with failed societies of any kind. You must take into account that religious dictatorships and extremely religious societies are not really religious at all, religion is used as an excuse.

Take the case of Inquisition, the inquisition was civil, not religious, and could not care less about Catholic religion, but was a civilian organization backed by the church (dominicans) and nobility to remove dissent under the form of dissenters of any kind.

Or take the Jesuits, they just used religion to destroy, conspire and gain power.

In reading about the Inquisition, I did read that the fall of Byzantium influenced the Cathoilc Monarchs and Inquisition.

[Frihed89]

The Ante Bellum Democratic Party, whose members were later known as Dixiecrats, to a large extent supported Progressive and New Deal Era reforms. The movement to the Republican Party started in the late 1960s-early 1970s and gained momentum for 2 decades after that.

[majoun]

Originally Posted by abd el krim

But I always heard, excuse me if I'm wrong, that Southern Democrats were the most conservative politicians of them all!!!

What the south needs is a better press, and Hollywood is not playing his part.

The "Solid South" was a one-party region (except for Tennessee and North Carolina) and thus both conservatives and progressives were Dems.

[bofamet]

When people fall in moral squalor they resort to irrational beliefs. Christianity in itself is irrational, a ridiculous myth dowgraded to obtain acceptance of desperate people.

There was a Pope, I believe around the year 1000, that said...."an impossible myth that has allowed us to live in a luxurious way in troubled times".