Civilian Population as an Object and Subject in Wars Introduction: Rethinking the Role of Civilians in Military Conflicts In classical war theory, from Clausewitz to the beginning of the 20th century, the civilian population was primarily considered as an object: a demographic and economic resource ("rear"), a source of recruitment for the army, and as a passive victim ("collateral damage") or a tool of pressure on the enemy. However, historical practice, especially since the era of total wars and national liberation movements, has shown that civilians often become subjects – active participants in resistance, bearers of legitimacy, and a key factor in achieving political goals of the conflict. This evolution reflects the transition from wars of cabinets and regular armies to wars ideological, networked, and hybrid. 1. Historical Evolution: From Object to "Total Mobilization" Antiquity and the Middle Ages: Civilian population (urban inhabitants) often became the main object of violence (massacres, enslavement) after the capture of a fortress. This was a tactic of intimidation and a form of payment for the troops. However, in peasant uprisings (Jacquerie, Hussite Wars), civilians themselves became subjects of armed resistance. The Era of "Cabinet Wars" (17th-18th centuries): With the development of regular armies and the law of treaties (beginning of codification in the treatises of Hugo Grotius), the civilian population began to be distinguished as a protected category, although this was rarely observed in practice. War was considered the affair of professional armies. Napoleonic and "Total" Wars (19th-20th centuries): A turning point. Napoleon introduced conscription – mass recruitment of civilians into the army, making them subjects in the form of soldiers. In World War I and especially World War II, the blurring of the boundary between the front and the rear led to the concept of "total war," where the civilian population was deliberately made an object of influe ... Read more