Thanks Raellus for the link to the Mail Thread.
So... on the subject of other armies... I've made some mention of the Soviets and Germans and even Brits... The French and Belgian Armies would suffer fairly normal rates of desertion on the grounds that there really is a life of comparative ease for them to slink off to. Although it's beyond me why you would forgo a regular paycheck, a functional mail system and access to government facilities (which are likely in slightly better shape than civilian ones in France) only to have the French Security Services on your tail for desertion when you aren't exactly having to fight anything more challenging than Dutch guerrillas and German refugees.
I'm presuming that any other NATO army not facing enemy forces on their home soil is going to be hemorrhaging troops as everyone heads off to look after their families and form local defense militias. The Pact forces will have this same problem but will be none-too-gentle when it comes to discouraging deserters. However, I think that making brutal examples of deserters is only going to encourage mutinies among truly desperate troops.
(I'm repeating myself now)
Just thought of another belligerent that is worth looking at. Mexico (per the canon) would have a pretty serious desertion problem on account of several factors.
1) Deserters can actually get home on foot.
2) With the Civil War going on, there will be strong political reasons for Pre-war army units to disintegrate and reform as civil war "banderas" loyal to one civil war faction or another. Units will declare for one side or another or disintegrate into factional warfare within the unit. Those units that turn on themselves will cause their troops to either seek out banderas that match their political loyalties, turn marauder, or make their way home to look after their families.
3) The chaos of the Civil War will endanger the lives of loved one back home, so deserters will be under even more pressure to return home and look after loved ones.
4) Those Mexican soldiers fighting in America may have soured on the "glorious cause" of returning the lands stolen by the "Colossus of the North" to Mexico. Abandoned by headquarters in America, cut off from resupply, forced to live off the land, many of these Mexican soldiers may just say "enough" and go back to Mexico.
Any other thoughts on Mexico and it's armed forces vis-a-vis the issue of desertion? How would Mexican units handle troops rejoining units? How would they punish attempted desertions or attempted mutinies?
A. Scott Glancy, President TCCorp, dba Pagan Publishing
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