Why wars happen

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Why do states go to war even when they have access to mechanisms of alternative dispute resolution? Why do states engage themselves in deadly quagmires without realising the full costs of such endeavours? With 7, US soldiers dead and one million others wounded in both wars, American policymakers still seem to be unaware of the futility of military force in the Middle East.

What explains this puzzle? A number of scholars might argue that wars are unique events and each armed conflict has different, unique reasons.

Despite its merits, this view renders impossible a scientific study of international conflict. As an academic, it is my goal to understand explanations of war in academic literature and fit them into a theoretically coherent and empirically plausible theory that can add to existing understandings of interstate conflicts.

This article is just a first step in that direction. Wars do not occur all of a sudden. They involve a great deal of prior planning and correlation between a host of variables.

Jeremy Black Published in History Review. To continue reading this article you will need to purchase access to the online archive.

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

Certain types of war, for example, a "defensive" war, might be fought with the desired outcome being peace. However, most wars are fought with the intention of beating the enemy and effectively imposing peace on the victor's terms. Answer: Although wars are typically fought between two or more armies, that is not always the case. There are many historical examples of irregular fighters engaging in combat.

In a revolutionary war, for instance, many combatants might not be part of an army, especially in the early stages. Partisan and guerrilla forces can engage in warfare too, without necessarily belonging to a regular army. As technologies advance, wars can be fought increasingly with automated weaponry, such as drones and missiles, with less and less need for a traditional army. Cyber warfare is also on the rise.

Answer: It depends on the political system that the leader operates in, but in most cases, the answer is yes. Answer: There are many potential reasons, including: competition over territory and resources, historical rivalries and grievances, and in self defense against an aggressor or a perceived potential aggressor. Answer: Wars are usually destructive, causing loss of life and damage in many other ways.

Many people consider wars to be ethically wrong and most people consider them to be deeply undesirable. However, wars can also sometimes be considered necessary as a last resort, where no other option seems realistic. Controversy often revolves around those that think a particular conflict to be justified and those that don't.

Answer: Wars don't usually come out of nowhere. They typically though not always begin with some sort of dispute which then turns violent. The mechanisms and developments that lead to war vary considerably, however, and are often complex, only understandable through the study and interpretation of human history. Answer: A "buffer zone" in this context is a neutral area, the purpose of which is to keep apart hostile forces or nations. The Crusades actually fall under defensive wars. The primary goal was to curb Islamic raids on villages in eastern European towns.

Well written, easy to understand, and great examples, Very clear, understandable and to the point, which can be challenging to some that write about History! Thank you!! I've referred back to this website several times already!!

The list goes on, but the objective is always the same As for the Iraqi Conflict being a "defensive" war, it was just the theft of oil. Hi I'm a fifth grader and completely over 10 thank you. This info really helped me with my assignment! I think this is really good for note taking in a history class. But, it does not have direct definitions. Is it true that civil wars do not just happen but are preceded by multiple and varied signals?

Also, why do people choose to go to war instead of taking other peaceful measures to resolve conflict? While Buddhism is less associated with religious warfare than both polytheistic and monotheistic religions, some exceptions exist such as in southern Thailand where the killing of a Buddhist monk is considered such a sacrilege as to prompt a furious call for immediate killing of the murderer.

However, in an area such as that, the Buddhists have been the minority and fear for their lives from militant Muslims. As co-editor of the book, "Buddhist Warfare" he said that, "Buddhism differs in that the act of killing is less the focus than the 'intention' behind the killing" and "The first thing to remember is that people have a penchant for violence, it just so happens that every religion has people in it.

It appears to me that to classify a war as one type or another, one must evaluate objectives of both warring parties. For example the American Indians fought for food and water which required land.

The English fought for resources, land, and economic gain. So the Indians fought for survival while the aggressor fought for economic gain, along with egocentric ideas regarding religion and culture. The Indians did not fight for land. Most had no idea of the concept of owning land until the English introduced it.