General Jonas Žemaitis Military Academy of Lithuania, Lithuania
Culture
Summary
The Cultural Element in the Modern Warfare
The article aims to review the change in the security environment after the Cold War. This change led to the growing importance of the cultural element in warfare and its inclusion in the military planning This element reflects the increase in the importance of soft power in the current interpretation of state and military power and can be related to the expanded range of military operations. The first part discusses how the cultural element in modern warfare has become part of the military arsenal. More specifically, it discusses the influence of the security environment and the new war paradigms that explain this change. The second part analyses the changes in the concept of the soldier and the need for a soldier diplomat in modern warfare. This need reflects the establishment of the cultural element and of cultural competences of military personnel both in the scientific and the military context.
Key Words: cultural element, military cultural competence, weaponization of culture, military paradigm, ‘New wars’