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'''Morale''', also known as '''''esprit de corps''''' when discussing the morale of a group, is an intangible term used to describe the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others. The second term applies particularly to [[military]] personnel and to members of sports teams, but is also applicable in business and in any other organizational context, particularly in times of stress or controversy. While the term is often used by authority figures as a generic [[value judgment]] of the [[willpower]], [[obedience]] and [[self-discipline]] of a group tasked with performing [[duty|duties]] assigned by a [[Superior_(hierarchy)|superior]], more accurately it refers to the level of individual [[faith]] in the collective benefit gained by such individual sacrifices.

According to [[Alexander H. Leighton]], "morale is the capacity of a group of people to pull together persistently and consistently in pursuit of a common purpose".<ref>[[Alexander H. Leighton]], ''Human Relations in a Changing World: Observations on the Uses of the Social Sciences'' (1949)</ref>

Morale is unrelated to morality (the ability to distinguish right and wrong).

==Military==
In [[military science]], there are two meanings to morale. Primarily it means the cohesion of a unit, task force, or other military group. An army with good [[Military Supply Chain Management|supply lines]], sound air cover and a clear objective can be said to possess, as a whole, "good morale" or "high morale." Historically, elite [[military unit]]s such as special operations forces have "high morale" due to both their training and pride in their unit. When a unit's morale is said to be "depleted", it means it is close to "crack and surrender", as was the case with Italian units in North Africa during World War II. It is well worth noting that generally speaking, most commanders do not look at the morale of specific individuals but rather the "fighting spirit" of squadrons, divisions, battalions, ships, etc.

===Influences===
Despite the intangible nature of morale, improvements in material factors (such as [[remuneration]], food and shelter) can improve morale. However, history is filled with stories of the self-will and determination of a poorly supplied army maintaining morale to the very end, such as the [[Army of Northern Virginia]] in the [[American Civil War]].

===Factors===
*Adequate quantity, and quality of food, water, and shelter.
*The quality of military [[leadership]].
*The quality of military [[training]].
*Having a [[volunteer]] military, as opposed to a force made up of potentially less motivated draftees.
*A belief in the [[values]] the military represents, and fights for.
*A belief in, and [[loyalty]] towards the [[nation]] and [[culture]] the military fights on behalf of.
*How often the army wins or loses a confrontation with the enemy.
*A sense of pride, belonging and inheritance by its members of the [[Military tradition|traditions]] and honour of a military unit or corps and a determination to live up to those traditions.
*[[Facing colour|Distinctive uniforms]], [[badges]], [[insignias]] or any exclusive regimental [[emblem]]s contribute to built a strong esprit de corps.
*Creating a sense of [[Comrade|camaraderie]] between the members of a unit. In the past this has been done by recruiting units locally, for example the [[Pals battalion]]s of WWI with brothers and friends fighting in the same unit, or other selection criteria for example the [[Sacred Band of Thebes]]. The advantage of such units is that since [[cowardice]] or [[desertion]] would mean the abandoning of friends, loved ones, and family to die, such units would continue fighting long after the call of prudence. The disadvantage of such units is that any disaster will have disproportionate effect on a community. In modern militaries camaraderie is fostered through shared experiences, hardships and deprivations in training.

===Home Front===
A nation's population is likely to retain high wartime morale when:{{Citation needed|date=February 2010}}
*The [[goal|objectives]] of a war are clearly understood by the [[public]].
*The objectives of a war are valued by the public.
*A public believes the war can be won.
*A public believes the war is worth winning.
*A public fears the consequences of losing the war.
*Clear signs of success in the war show.

The morale of a [[civilian]] population can also increase or decrease due to exposure to [[propaganda]] from their government or [[Opposition (politics)|opposition]] forces, respectively. [[Psychological warfare]] is a major part of modern warfare. [[Nation states]], politically motivated individuals, [[religious]] [[activists]], and [[secular]] [[pressure group]]s employ psychological warfare to target the minds of citizens in nations and cultures they are opposed to.

Since at least the time of [[Carl von Clausewitz]]'s ''[[On War]]'', maintenance of morale has been considered one of the fundamental "Principles of War"{{Citation needed|date=October 2007}}<!--too sweeping, according to whome?-->. Sir [[B. H. Liddell Hart|Basil Liddell Hart]] regarded morale even more fundamentally:

:''The aim of a nation in war is to subdue the enemy's will to resist,...''{{Citation needed|date=October 2007}}

[[Sun Tzu]], in his book ''[[The Art of War]]'', also mentions morale of nations, as well as armies.