WAR THEORY & HISTORY A war is typically fought by a country or group of countries against an opposing country, Wars can also be fought within a country in the form of a war civil or revolutionary
War is a state of armed conflict, a state of competition or hostility, Or a sustained campaign against an undesirable situation or activity Wars have been fought for thousands of years of human history, And become increasingly destructive with advancing technology Experts claim there is rarely one single, clear cause of conflict and war escalation, The many reasons for conflict can intertwine in a complicated culmination Causes of war could be economic/territorial gain, nationalism/religion, And include Civil/Revolutionary/Defensive War or revenge/retribution There is usually an economic motive underlying most conflicts global, Even if the stated aim of the war is presented as something more noble Wars fought for Economic Gain include Anglo-Indian Wars (1766-1849) that gave Britain unrestricted access to valuable resources of Indian subcontinent, And the Finnish-Soviet War or "The Winter War" (1939-1940) when Stalin wanted to mine nickel & Soviet Union waged war on Finland when it did not consent Wars for Territorial Gain are fought for more land or for use of territory as “buffer zones” between two hostile enemies with distrust, Proxy wars are 'buffer zone' conflicts fought indirectly between opposing powers in a 3rd country to suit logistical, military & economic interest Territorial wars include Mexican-American War (1846-1848) fought following annexation of Texas, with Mexico still claiming the land as their own, And Serbo-Bulgarian War (1885-1886) fought over a small border town, after the river creating the border between the countries moved contention bone, Also Arab-Israeli War or "Six Day War" (1967-1988) Israeli forces took the territories of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, from Jordan Religious conflicts have deep roots that lie dormant for decades, only to re-emerge in a flash at a later date for supposed aspersions' cast, Religious wars can often be tied to other reasons for conflict, such as nationalism or revenge for a perceived historical slight in the past The Crusades (1095-1291) were a series of wars sanctioned by Latin Church during medieval age to expel Islam & spread Christianity, Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) was sparked when Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II tried to impose Roman Catholicism on Protestant community Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990) sparked from conflicts between Sunni Muslim, Shiite Muslim & Christian Lebanese populations, Yugoslav Wars (1991-1995) consisted of Croatian War & Bosnian War and fought between orthodox Catholic & former Yugoslavia's Muslim populations, Second Sudanese Civil War (1983-2005) was ethnoreligious war caused by Muslim central government's choice to impose sharia law on non-muslim southern populations Many wars are fought for nationalism translated into invasion & subjugation, Racism & imperialism intent reflected in Hitler's attempt for supremacy & domination Chichimeca War (1550-1590) fought during Spanish conquest of Aztec civilization in modern day Mexico, Extreme loyalty & patriotism caused many countries to become involved in the 1914-1918 First World War scenario Seeking to punish, redress a grievance, or simply strike back for perceived slight can be a factor in the waging of war retaliatory, Revenge also relates to patriotism when people wronged are motivated to fight back with pride & nationalism spirit for their country In World War II (1939-1945), rise of Nazi Socialist Party & Germany's eventual domination of Europe were direct results of Treaty of Versailles punishing, Global War on Terror prompted by September 11 attacks on World Trade Center in 2001 began with an invasion of Iraq & is still continuing & ongoing Civil Wars take place when there is sharp internal disagreement within a country about who rules, how country should be run or people's rights, Many of these internal rifts turn into chasms that result in fights between two or more opposing groups can also spark off separatists American Civil War (1861-1865) fought by Union army & Confederate army was a result of long-standing controversy over slavery, In Russian Civil War (1917-1923) post Russian Revolution, the Red Army & White Army vied to determine Russia's political imagery Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) fought between left-leaning Republicans and the aristocratic conservative Nationalists, Korean War (1950-1953) fought between North Korea & South Korea respectively supported by China & United States Revolutionary Wars occur when large section of population revolts against individual or group that rules the country when dissatisfied with its leadership, Other revolutions sparked by unpopular wars with other nations or perceived injustices by ruling group or by those suffering extreme economic hardship Portuguese Restoration War (1640-1668) revolution ended 60-year rule of Portugal by Spain earlier on, American Revolution (1775-1783) freed 13 North American colonies from British rule & U.S.A was born French Revolution (1789-1799) was a battle that represented rise of bourgoise & downfall of aristocracy in France, Haitian Revolution (1791-1804) was successful slave rebellion that established Haiti as the first free black republic chance Many of the maneuvers during Cold War (1947-1991) had a defensive or preemptive flair, Like when U.S. forces attempted to invade Cuba to prevent establishment of nuclear warheads there In contemporary times many countries argue they are fighting in a purely defensive capacity against potential aggressor & so their war is a “just” war, Defensive wars launched preemptively with argument that “We are attacking them before they inevitably attack us" symbolizes many a modern aggression scar Whatever be the theory of war & its causes, The result is brutality & battered bloody corpses Destruction, heartache, grief, desolation & futility, Loss, unease, dread, sacrifices & martyrs' reality Yet despite their tragic theory & history, Battles & wars seem to be evils necessary For when the battle is brought to the doorstep, No alternative but to respond with deterrent next step We are seeking progress & prosperity for our people and nation, We have been steadily progressing towards such dispensation, But we are facing hurdles in our way by desperate formations, We have no option but to counter & crush their evil intentions History & geography may have chosen our neighbours, But if they mess with us, they must beware of our powerful vapours Oscar Wilde said one can't be too careful in the choice of our enemies, National pride & honour demands defeating our nemesis' energies SALONI & SURI February 28, 2019