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The military use of children refers to children being placed in harm's way in military actions, the desire being to protect a location or provide propaganda. (This is sometimes referred to as child sacrifice, though not equivalent to the religious variety.) It may also refer to the use of children as child soldiers or saboteurs.
History Polish Boy Scouts fighting in the Warsaw Uprising. Throughout history and in many cultures, children have been extensively involved in military campaigns, even when such practices were supposedly against cultural mores.
In medieval Europe, young boys were used as military aides ("squires"), though in theory their role in actual combat was limited. The so-called Children's Crusade in 1212 recruited thousands of children as untrained soldiers under the assumption that divine power would enable them to conquer the enemy, although none of the children actually entered combat.
On August 1, 2004 this commemoration cermony was held to remember children who fought and fell in the Warsaw Uprising. Popular insurrections like the Warsaw Uprising employed children. Nazi Germany instructed the Hitler Youth in fighting, strategy and Nazi ideology. As Germany was invaded members of the HY were taken into the army at ever younger ages; during the Battle of Berlin in 1945 they were a major part of the German defenses. The Hitler Youth fought with great courage during the battle. One group of Hitler Youth even managed to hold off a Soviet tank division for three days. Many soldiers said that no one scared them more than the Hitler Youth.
Modern Developments It is alleged that children have been sacrificed in military actions in modern times. Soldiers use children as cover, and if the enemy holds fire because of this practice, they are at a disadvantage. If the enemy soldiers open fire, this can be valuable for propaganda purposes.
Accusations of using this practice have been levelled at Palestinians (Article: in Vietnam reported that Vietnamese children were sometimes sent with hand grenades strapped to their bodies under their clothes to cause death to unsuspecting American soldiers. However, it should be noted that both of these accusations have sometimes been decried as false; some allege that such stories are used to justify the atrocities committed by a military force against children. The use of unarmed women and children as human shields and spotters was noted in the Battle of Mogadishu. This is also a tactic used by some IDF soldiers durring raids of Palestinian towns, notably in the invasion of Jenin. *[1] (http://www.hrw.org/reports/2002/israel3/israel0502-06.htm) *[2] (http://www.btselem.org/English/Human_Shield/index.asp)
The recruitment of children as soldiers is a practice that has survived into modern times. In one instance, during the later stages of the Iran-Iraq War, both sides were accused of using teenaged children to fill out the ranks of soldiers depleted by years of warfare. During that war, Iran was accused of using children to clear minefields by having them run in front of the soldiers. In Africa, the use of children as warriors in civil wars and tribal conflicts is vast and common.
In other cases, the recruitment of children is a regular occurrence. Guerrilla movements, in particular, are often accused of recruiting or even forcing children into military campaigns. Children are taken as sex slaves and aides, and male children are put into armed service. Lighter guns are preferred for children since they are weaker than adults. To counter their reluctance, the children are dulled by forcing them to commit brutalities and to take drugs that inhibit guilt and fear. Propaganda, revenge and fear of being left alone influence children to "voluntarily" stay in the army. According to United Kingdom has been criticised for its practice of allowing boys to join the armed services at the age of 16, and to fight at 17, something which human rights campaigners decry as hypocritical, given Britain's stance against human rights violations elsewhere. However, this military service is entirely voluntary, not compulsory, so it can be distinguished from the involuntary participation in the military as is documented regarding other countries. The argument bases on whether a teenager has the free will and clear mind to decide joining the army.
Recently a strong international movement has emerged to put an end to the practice. See, for example, Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers.
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