I disagree. The correct approach is to sway them to join your side, when the command structures of the army are sufficiently weakened. That is what made the Russian Revolution successful. That follows from your first propostion that soldiers are professional killers. You can't neutralize these profesionals by simply putting flowers in thier guns, you need them _and_ their guns on your side.
As to your earlier comments on anti-war movement, I am not denying that there were some truly dedicated anti-war activists back then. What I am suggesting is that the majority of the followers were most likely self-serving, middle class draft dodgers unhappy about the idea of giving up their privileged life style. Or perhaps folks who just wanted to blend-in, have some sex, smoke some weed err.. grass, and have a good time.
By the same token I also do not think that most latter-days 'conservatives' are true right-wingers -- they are GOP-groupies or Jesus-groupies because Gingrich and Jesus are pronounced cool by the media.
regards,
Wojtek