What is the first recorded instance of child soldiers? The first recorded instance of child soldiers was in the American Civil War. As the number of casualties increased, the enlisting of young children became somewhat normalized. Many times children would lie about their age because they were so eager to serve their country as patriots or were in search of adventure. On December 21, 1861, a bill was passed and signed by President Abraham Lincoln that "authorized the production and distribution of 'medals of honor.'" On September 16, 1863 Willie Johnston, a boy of only 13, was awarded the highest medal for his bravery during the Peninsula Campaign when he was 12. Johnston had enlisted in the army at the age of 11. All the potential awards give insight into why children were so interested in being a part of the war. Children want to join the war in order to get the respect and honor in the society. The medal of honor was one of the ways they saw it possible to achieve that goal at such young ages. They only saw the benefits and didn’t realize the adverse effects it would have in their lives. Initially, kids were enlisted as reserve troops, but then later as regulars, in both domestic and international wars. Geneva Declaration In 1924--not long after World War I, and only a year after the creation of the Hitler Youth--The League of Nations adopted the Declaration of Geneva. The Geneva Declaration was the first document to declare the rights of a child and to introduce the idea that action must be taken to ensure those rights are upheld and maintained. The document stated that, “The child must be given the means requisite for its normal development, both materially and spiritually; The child that is hungry must be fed; the child that is sick must be nursed; the child that is backward must be helped; the delinquent child must be reclaimed; and the orphan and the waif must be sheltered and succored; The child must be the first to receive relief in times of distress; The child must be put in a position to earn a livelihood, and must be protected against every form of exploitation; The child must be brought up in the consciousness that its talents must be devoted to the service of fellow men."
World War I Throughout history, children have been used as soldiers because they seen as easy targets since they can be easily manipulated. The most common ways in which children were used during World War I are as follows - boy scouts, girl guides, sea scouts, money raisers and salvagers. They also worked in war industries and created propaganda. Others would serve as watch guards for bridges and railroads, as a source of information for the officials if they saw any suspicious activities. Women or girls were mainly trained to work in hospitals and munitions factories. Girls would also be given training so that they could provide soldiers with clothes. To attract more children, badges would be awarded to the outstanding workers. They were used in both direct and indirect ways to assist in the war effort.
World War 11 The Hitler Youth, organized by Adolf Hitler in 1923, was an organization created to get the youth involved in the Nazi mission for Germany. Hitler believed that the children were the future for Germany and he wanted to encourage the Nazi ideology at a young age. The organization started off quite small, based in Munich, with a little over a thousand members. In 2 years, the membership had more than doubled. It grew quickly; by 1933, only 10 years after its creation, “the Hitler youth had 2,300,000 members.”. The typical age group was males of fourteen to eighteen years old. However, in later years, a branch was formed for girls, along with a separate branch for boys ten to fourteen. The girls branch was important because it was a way to integrate women into the Nazi movement. One requirement of the organization enforced in 1927 was that when a member of turned eighteen, he was to immediately join the storm troops. “In 1937, a Hitler Youth rifle school was also established,” to train boys in “rifle shooting and military field exercises.”. In 1939, the organization began conscripting any German children who had not yet joined, with the threat that if they refused, they would be sent to orphanages. Three years later, special military training camps, called W-E Lagers were formed. From members of the Hitler Youth, the 12th SS-Panzer Division was built and deployed during the Battle of Normandy. Surviving soldiers of the group comment on the indoctrination they experienced and how strongly it motivated them. Children were enthusiastic to join the war. Dieter Steiner, a thirteen year old boy, went to try on his first uniform at a store and proudly cheered, “I am all grown up. I’m a Pimpf!” when he saw himself. Additionally, “when boys who were born in 1929 were called to arms to defend the city in April of 1945, several of the boys had jumped up, shouting ‘Finally, Finally!’ Crying ‘Who needs this silly Latin?’ they mocked the weeping teacher who told them that they were to report for duty.” UN Convention of the Rights of a Child In 1945, right as World War II was coming to a close and negotiations were being made, the UN was established to maintain world peace and create better relations between countries. After analyzing the Geneva Declaration, it decided that changes needed to be made. Consequently, the Declaration of the Rights of the Child was adopted and opened for signature in 1989. “The Convention on the Rights of the Child is the most rapidly and widely ratified international human rights treaty in history.” The document defined a child as, “every human being below the age of eighteen years,” unless stated as an alternate age by said country. However, the UN urged those countries who have an age of adulthood as less to increase the age to eighteen, which increased child protections and rights. The document made explicit the natural rights of children, including those of equality, protection, nutrition, education, and love. Among the rights listed, the document declared that governments should be working diligently to decrease abduction and the sale of children within their respective countries. The convention reiterated that children have all the same rights that adults do and that because of this, their opinions should be heard and considered, especially when the outcome has a large effect on their lives. In Article 38, the document directly comments on child soldiers saying, “Governments must do everything they can to protect and care for children affected by war. Children under 15 should not be forced or recruited to take part in a war or join the armed forces. The Convention’s Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict further develops this right, raising the age for direct participation in armed conflict to 18 and establishing a ban on compulsory recruitment for children under 18.”
Impact of Armed Conflict on Children report In 1996, following the use of of child soldiers in the Sierra Leone civil war, Graca Machel formed a report entitled “The Impact of Armed Conflict on Children.” Machel is the former wife of Nelson Mandela and was previously married to the Mozambican president Samora Machel. She is now the Minister of Education and Culture of Mozambique. In her 1996 report, presented to the UN, she addressed the ways in which children can be affected by war, both physically and psychologically. She also offered ten recommendations of how to proceed. One of her recommendations stated that, “A global campaign should be launched to stop the recruitment of children under age 18 into armed forces and to ensure that governments and opposition forces demobilize all such children immediately and incorporate their needs into peace agreements and demobilization programmes.” She highlighted the intensity of the issue, as well as the need for international awareness and intervention. Machel acknowledged the interconnectivity of physical and psychological well-being. In her report, she urged countries to focus on the reintegration of children back into society after times of war. She referenced the significance of helping children in ways that are culturally appropriate and beneficial in the long term. Additionally, she commented on the incidents of sexual abuse and violence during wartimes. Although she does not directly reference child soldiers in her comments, the ideas can be extended to child soldiers because they are often taken advantage of after abduction. Girls as young as ten, and sometimes younger, are kidnapped and forced to be sex slaves for other soldiers and military leaders. She addressed the issue saying, “Whether committed by a soldier or an official, whether as a matter of public policy or individual behaviour, all incidents of wartime rape and other sexual torture must be prosecuted as war crimes.” Her suggestion that all sexual abuse during wartime be considered and treated as a war crime demonstrates how strongly she feels about the subject and how big the problem actually is, despite the lack of real action taken against it in the past.
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