Posted on Jul 13, 2015
What is the largest cause of war throughout history?
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World history is filled with conflicts arising since the start of recorded history. What do you think the largest cause of war has been throughout history? Do you think the causes have changed over time, or are we still fighting for the same reasons that just look a little different? What do you think will cause the next large scale conflict?
Warfare
Politics
Social
Religion
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 43
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Power is a strong influence. Germany in 1914 wanted to exert power to show it wasn't going to let someone killed the Arch Duke will they did nothing. Look at our one War of Independence. Our forefathers didn't like the power that was being exerted over them.
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PO2 Peter Klein
I meant to add that once a war has been started, each side tells its citizens that their god is behind them, or the war is a good war, or some other crap.
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War is "a failure of diplomacy." You have something I want. I can offer you something in exchange. That would be commerce and diplomacy. If you decline my choice is to leave it be or take what I want. Any excuse used is just a rationale for the aggression. Religious wars are no exception, just the rationale.
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I voted for power. Religion, Politics, and Resources are runners up, but I think power is behind several of these as well -- religion and politics, in particular.
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Sorry. You missed one option. "Weakness" Nothing inspires war more than the perception that your target is weak. Nothing invites aggression more than weakness. I surprised you missed this. We are living in the age of American weakness and aggression is busting out all over...
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CPT Jack Durish you make a very good point. In my humble opinion, you could include this with other categories. For example, if a country does not have desirable resources of some sort would it even be worth while to show aggression toward? I think not, there has to be some sort of gain involved. That is just my opinion however, I thank you for your comment.
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Can you list a new choice; "All of the above?"
But honestly, I think that PEOPLE are the number 1 cause of war!
Can you list a new choice; "All of the above?"
But honestly, I think that PEOPLE are the number 1 cause of war!
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PO1 John Miller I will include that option in future polls!
Indeed you cannot have wars without people causing and fighting them
Indeed you cannot have wars without people causing and fighting them
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More people have Died in the name of a god or multiple god's than any other thing threw in history
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That may be true as of late, but if you go back throughout history you will find that resources (Territories, energy, money, raw materials, etc.) seem to top this list. I suppose they all equal power at the end of the day. I thought the same thing when I researched the question.
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Fear, fear that you will not have enough power... followed by greed or lust for power. The rest is how you justify your actions.
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PO2 Robert Cuminale
Lust for power is based on pride. Pride is the source of all evil. It is the belief that one is entitled to whatever one desires.
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The source of all conflict is pride. In the Garden the serpent convinced Eve she would be as wise as God. The European conflicts of the past were about seizing land belonging to others so they could become as wealthy and powerful. The brothers and cousins who felt more entitled to the crown caused almost all the wars in Europe. The Reformation challenges to the Papacy's assumed authority caused Catholic Europe to make war on Protestants. Henry VIII's pride in his regime and wanting it to continue through a son caused schism in England. The motivating force behind all conflict is pride.
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"War is the continuation of politics through other means". Clausewitz. Think about it for a minute. In every case one group of people wants another group to do or stop doing something. It is all political. Religion, economics and so on are little more than propaganda reasons to get popular support.
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