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desertion
Sign in to saveAlso known as AWOL, absent without leave, absent without official leave, unauthorized absence, absence without leave, absence without official leave
thumb|The Defector, by Octav Băncilă, 1906 thumb|Deserteur (Дезертир), by Ilya Repin, 1917
Desertion is when a soldier abandons their military duty and leaves without permission, typically during wartime. It matters because it has been treated as a serious crime throughout military history, as shown in historical artworks depicting deserters as significant subjects worthy of artistic attention.
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Article
47 sectionsContents
- Desertion versus absence without leave
- By country
- Australia
- Austria
- Afghanistan
- Canada
- Colombia
- France
- Germany
- Ireland
- Italy
- New Zealand
- Rhodesia
- Russia
- Somalia
- Soviet Union
- Russian Civil War
- World War II
- Soviet–Afghan War
- Inter-ethnic explanation for desertion
- Soviet disillusionment upon entering the war
- Problems in Soviet army structure and living standards
- Soviet deserters to the mujahideen
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom
- Napoleonic Wars
- First World War
- Second World War
- Iraq War
- United States
- Legal definition
- War of 1812
- Mexican–American War
- American Civil War
- Philippine–American War
- First World War
- Second World War
- Vietnam War
- Iraq War
- Penalties
- Legal status of desertion in cases of war crime
- See also
- Notes
- References
- Works cited
- Further reading
- External links
thumb|The Defector, by Octav Băncilă, 1906 thumb|Deserteur (Дезертир), by Ilya Repin, 1917
Desertion is the abandonment of a military duty or post without permission (a pass, liberty or leave) and is done with the intention of not returning. This contrasts with unauthorized absence (UA) or absence without leave (AWOL ), which are temporary forms of absence.