The Financial Incentives of War: Poverty Draft, Mercenaries, and Volunteers in Foreign Armies

There are essentially two ways to staff the armies of the world: conscription and voluntary service. Military service is a genuinely popular choice for young men in districts afflicted by poverty. Financial incentives, such as enlistment bonuses or promises of an education, may also lure those from slightly more favorable economic backgrounds into the armed forces. Perhaps not as common knowledge is the fact that governments have used similar tactics in their attempts to get foreign governm...