When you read about WW2 you see the same thing in the German side and also sometimes on the Allied side. Generals and politicians knew that the battle was lost but instead of giving up they made the front soldiers fight to a certain death. That while the leaders who made decisions lived in splendor.

Same with the current American wars. When they invaded Iraq in 2003 the military was understaffed and it took years for the leaders to admit that and adjust. So solders were dying while at the same time a lot of defense companies made good profits and there were tax cuts for higher incomes.

I always wonder how wars would go if as soon as a country was at war, leadership had to live in conditions like a front soldier and nobody would be allowed to make a profit from war related business. I bet we would have much less wars.