Why does war happen

The most recent clusters of security-related wars were associated with the run up and conduct of the two world wars of the twentieth century. They were in turn a product of the dislocations brought about of modernisation in an environment where great power competition and the drive for hegemony were conducted primarily by violent means.

Now that this era has passed in Europe and is receding in much of the Pacific Rim, and hegemony achieved by force is no longer considered a legitimate ambition, the security requirements and fears of great powers should decline. Wars of standing can also be expected to decline. During the post-war era, and even more since the end of that conflict, war and standing have become increasingly disengaged in the sense that successful war initiation no longer enhances standing.

The Anglo-American intervention in Iraq—a war in which territorial conquest was not an issue—is a case in point. Changing values and norms encourage rational leaders to find other, peaceful ways of claiming standing. To the extent that this happens, the frequency of war involving either rising or great powers can be expected to diminish sharply. I contend that three shifts in thinking have dramatically affected the frequency of war and its associated motives. The first concerns the nature of wealth.

When political elites learned that wealth could be augmented by the division of labour, mechanical sources of energy and economies of scale, and economic cooperation, war increasingly came to be seen as detrimental to wealth. This recognition all but put an end to wars of material aggrandisement.

The second shift concerns collective versus unilateral pursuit of security. Alliances assumed new meaning at the Congress of Vienna as they had the goal of conflict prevention. Later congresses helped great powers ease regional tensions through agreements and moral persuasion.

Following World War I, the League of Nations was given the more ambitious task of preventing war by means of collective security, but failed miserably. The principle of collective security endured and the United Nations, established in , made it the principal mission of the Security Council. It and other international groupings have played a prominent and arguably successful role in keeping the peace or terminating wars in the post-Cold War world.

Collective security has become the norm and an important source of regional and international stability. The third and most recent shift in thinking concerns the nature of standing in international affairs.

Historically, military success was the principal means of gaining standing and recognition as a great power. There are now other ways of achieving status. The European Union, Scandinavia, Canada, Japan and Brazil all claim standing on grounds that have nothing to do with military might. They emphasise their wealth, how they use it to help their citizens and less well-off countries and the public goods they provide for their regions or the international community.

The more robust regional and international orders become, the more multiple hierarchies of standing will also emerge at the international level.

States will feel more confident about seeking standing in diverse ways and devoting resources toward this end that might otherwise be reserved for the military. If peace continues among the major powers, claims for standing on the basis of military power will become even less persuasive.

As standing confers influence, states will have additional incentives to shift their foreign policies to bring them in line with the dominant incentive structure. International Actor And Situation 7. International Sociocultural Space-Time 8. Interests, Capabilities, And Wills 9. Latent International Conflict The Balancing Of Power Comparative Dynamics Of International Conflict Empirical Dynamics Of International Conflict There is rarely one single, clear cause of conflict and, ultimately, war.

The causes of a war are usually numerous and can often be intertwined in a complicated way. Many theories have been put forth over the years as to why wars happen, and some of the greatest minds have offered their take on the subject.

In the article below, I'll provide a general overview of the eight main reasons for war. Given the many potential causes for conflict, the list does not attempt to be exhaustive, but does intend to give the most common reasons. Often wars are caused by one country's wish to take control of another country's wealth.

Whatever the other reasons for a war may be, there is almost always an economic motive underlying most conflicts, even if the stated aim of the war is presented to the public as something more noble. In pre-industrial times, the gains desired by a warring country might be precious materials such as gold and silver, or livestock such as cattle and horses.

In modern times, the resources that are hoped to be gained from war take the form of things like oil, minerals, or materials used in manufacturing.

National Museum of the U. A country might decide that it needs more land, either for living space, agricultural use, or other purposes. Related to buffer zones are proxy wars. These are conflicts that are fought indirectly between opposing powers in a third country. Each power supports the side which best suits their logistical, military, and economic interests.

Religious conflicts often have very deep roots. They can lie dormant for decades, only to re-emerge in a flash at a later date. Religious wars can often be tied to other reasons for conflict, such as nationalism or revenge for a perceived historical slight in the past.

While different religions fighting against each other can be a cause of war, different sects within a religion for example, Protestant and Catholic, or Sunni and Shiite battling against one another can also instigate war. Russian soldiers in ceremonial uniforms. Most military groups have traditions, customs, special dress and awards that provide soldiers with recognition within a wider cultural framework.

Public domain image via Pixabay. Nationalism in this context essentially means attempting to prove that your country is superior to another by violent subjugation. This often takes the form of an invasion. Richard Ned Lebow, Professor of International Political Theory at the Department of War Studies, Kings College London, contends that while other causes of war may be present, nationalism, or spirit, is nearly always a factor.

In his essay " Most wars are not fought for reasons of security or material interests, but instead reflect a nation's spirit ," he writes:.

Following Plato and Aristotle, I posit spirit, appetite and reason as fundamental drives with distinct goals. There can be little doubt that the spirit is the principal cause of war across the centuries. Related to nationalism is imperialism, which is built on the idea that conquering other countries is glorious and brings honor and esteem to the conqueror.

Adolf Hitler went to war with Russia partly because the Russians and eastern Europeans in general were seen as Slavs, or a group of people who the Nazis believed to be an inferior race. Seeking to punish, redress a grievance, or simply strike back for a perceived slight can often be a factor in the waging of war.

Revenge also relates to nationalism, as the people of a country which has been wronged are motivated to fight back by pride and spirit. Unfortunately, this can lead to an endless chain of retaliatory wars being set in motion which is very difficult to stop. African American soldiers fighting in the American Civil War. The American Civil War saw the first signs of mechanized warfare, which would become more apparent with the onset of World War I later in Europe. These generally take place when there is sharp internal disagreement within a country.

The disagreement can be about who rules, how the country should be run or the people's rights. These internal rifts often turn into chasms that result in violent conflict between two or more opposing groups. Civil wars can also be sparked by separatist groups who want to form their own, independent country, or, as in the case of the American Civil War, states wanting to secede from a larger union.

These occur when a large section of the population of a country revolts against the individual or group that rules the country because they are dissatisfied with their leadership. Revolutions can begin for a variety of reasons, including economic hardship amongst certain sections of the population or perceived injustices committed by the ruling group. Other factors can contribute too, such as unpopular wars with other countries. Answer: There is a multitude of causes of war, and they can only be learned through an extensive study of human history.

Usually, but not always, it starts with a dispute between countries, or groups within a country, which subsequently becomes violent. Answer: In the modern age, people rarely think that war is good, but often they can see it as necessary.

Examples of a necessary war might be defending your country against foreign invasion, or fighting a revolution against an unjust government.

Answer: Nobody knows for sure. Answer: It really depends what you mean by "solve". What is true is that periods of violent conflict can be followed by extended periods of peace. If the source of a conflict doesn't go away, however, there is every possibility that the conflict will erupt again, violently or otherwise.

As human technology has advanced and warfare has become increasingly destructive, there has been an increased urgency to resolve conflicts non-violently. Answer: The roots of the Napoleonic wars lie in the French Revolution.

Napoleon seized power from the revolutionary government and attempted to stabilize a country that had suffered from years of chaos and excess. There were also numerous conflicts associated with the revolution and in an attempt to resolve these, Napoleon ended up fighting the other major European powers, especially the United Kingdom.

It's difficult to know exactly what Napoleon's original intentions were, but eventually, the wars became a struggle to be the dominant power in Europe. Answer: The different types of war include civil wars, revolutionary wars, wars to achieve economic gain or capture territory, wars of revenge, religious wars, nationalistic wars, defensive or preemptive wars.

Answer: War is a state of armed conflict between two or more countries or groups within a country. Answer: Wars have numerous different purposes.