It is no exaggeration to say that the whole history of mankind is based on battles and bloody battles. Therefore, to understand how wars begin is very important in order to become aware of historical processes throughout the world. Of course, each war had its own reasons, but if we analyze various situations, it turns out that they are very similar to each other. Especially if you make a discount on different temporary realities.
What is the basis?
Understanding how wars begin, one should dwell on what is generally understood by this concept. As a rule, a conflict between religious or political entities leads to war, which translates into open armed confrontation.
Simply put, hostility is always at the core. This is a confrontation based on various contradictions. If you try to generalize, figuring out how the wars begin, why they happen, then you can come to the conclusion that the reason always lies in the contradictions that arise between tribes, states, and political blocs.
Resources
At all times, one of the main causes of wars was resources. People have been fighting for survival since ancient times, in fact, they have not stopped it so far. Uniting in communities, and then - in tribes, people always exterminated strangers so that their clan would get prey.
When states began to appear in the world, this problem did not disappear. So, each ruler sought to become more influential than the rest. To do this, he needed to be the owner of as many resources as possible.
Stages of human development
German philosopher Karl Marx wrote about the stages or formations of the development of mankind in his writings. Today, his ideas are criticized, but it is worth recognizing that three of them can determine which resource was the main in a given period of time.
In the era of the ancient world, the slave system prevailed. The main resource was people who could be enslaved. The state that owned a large number of slaves became more influential.
The Middle Ages are known as the era of feudalism. At that time, land was the main value. Wars were often fought between dynasties. It was the land that was considered the main means of expanding possessions. Almost all the wars of the Middle Ages ultimately led to a change in territorial boundaries.
Also at this time, religious wars were widespread. However, a closer look reveals that they were based on the same "selfish" interests of dynasties, individual monarchs or chivalric orders. Higher and spiritual ideals served only as an external cover. Of great importance is the fact that the church was considered the most influential landowner at that time.
Recent and modern history is the era of capitalism. In fact, it lasts from the 17th century to the present. The basis of this political system is financial gain and material profit. Therefore, in the last few centuries, wars have been waged mainly for the economic power of a state.
Vivid examples of how wars begin, the reasons that lead to them can be found in Russian history. In the 18th century, both Peter I and Catherine II sought to gain additional access to new seas. This was necessary for them to develop the merchant fleet, which contributed to strengthening the economic power of the state. For this reason, they constantly fought with the Turks. The economic and strategic importance for Russia was represented by the Dardanelles and Bosporus straits.
Today, resources remain one of the key causes of all conflicts. Today they are minerals and capital. All this is a means of achieving economic power.
Is it possible to get rid of wars?
Even in the Middle Ages, Enlightenment philosophers developed projects for a fair world order. Their authors tried to find at least some unifying factors. For example, in this capacity they considered world trade or the Christian faith. But in the end, all projects were utopian.
Among the first who began to think about how the wars begin, how this can be avoided, was the Dutch reformer and philosopher Erasmus of Rotterdam. The basis of his project was the problem of "goodwill" of man, which was close to the ideas of Plato, who argued that philosophers should play a paramount role in society.
In his projects, as well as in the writings of the German philosopher Immanuel Kant, the idea of imperfection of man is embedded. They believed that this is what leads to the appearance of the worst qualities that provoke war. Envy, anger and vanity become characteristic not only for ordinary citizens, but also for monarchs, who were invited to educate in a new way.
Modern history
In the 20th century, the similarity of the project of a fair world order was developed by the American philosopher Francis Fukuyama. In his famous work “The End of History,” he writes about the onset of a milestone, after crossing which the historical development of society stops. Having reached a certain level of world order, further changes become meaningless. Therefore, the need for contradictions and wars disappears. For Fukuyama, the criterion for such a world order was liberal democracy.
The period of liberal values came after the victory over powerful ideologies, which at one time had captured many powerful powers. This is fascism and communism. If you follow the theory of Fukuyama, then the war will disappear from the face of the Earth, when liberal democracy is established everywhere. Then all countries will enter into a free and united globalized world.
The concept of liberal democracy has been central to American ideology since the days of Bill Clinton. But with this example, you can make sure that politicians perceive the concept one-sidedly. The reason lies in the fact that the Americans seek to impose liberal democracy where it does not exist, exclusively from a position of strength, starting new wars. Obviously, this will not lead to a positive result in the long run.
Moreover, experts see in the struggle for liberal values the same desire to seize strategic resources that ensure the economic power of the state, in particular, oil.
Reasons for wars
If it is abstracted to look at how wars begin, then we can make sure that their causes lie in the nature of man himself. Going to the interstate level, they only take on a large scale.
It is worth recognizing that in most cases, wars between states, as well as conflicts between individuals, are provoked by a struggle for resources, a desire to obtain material benefits. In the historical perspective, the concept of such a “resource” may change, but the essence remains the same.
Another set of reasons lies in the imperfection of the very essence of human nature, in its unseemly desires and vices.
Finally, one can often see how the role wars begin, when it is known in advance what each side will be.
World War I
How wars in history begin, you can make out with illustrative examples. As you know, the First World War was provoked by the Serbian terrorist Gavrilo Princip, who killed the heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sofia in Sarajevo.
How do wars start? There is an interesting fact regarding this confrontation. It is believed that in Europe, many wished for a great war. In particular, London, Berlin, Paris. And Vienna has long been looking for an excuse to replace Serbia, which every year it feared more and more. The Austrians did not unreasonably consider it the main threat to their empire, the main concentration of pan-Slavic politics.
The Serbian conspirators, who lit the wick, sought to divide Austria-Hungary, which could allow them to begin to implement plans to create Greater Serbia.
As a result, as soon as it became known about the murder of Franz Ferdinand, Berlin immediately decided that it was impossible to procrastinate. Kaiser Wilhelm II even wrote in the margin of the report: "Now or never."
The behavior of the Russian Empire
It is noteworthy that the Russian Empire in 1914 behaved very carefully. Emperor Nicholas II held lengthy meetings with ministers of war and commanders. The head of state took preliminary measures, not wanting to provoke a war too violent preparations.
It was these fluctuations for Berlin that became a sign that Russia is not in the best shape that can be used. Indirect evidence of this was the failed Russo-Japanese War, which demonstrated the unsatisfactory state of the armed forces.
Hitler attack
How did the war begin in 1941? Some historians believe: this was due to the fact that the Red Army showed its poor combat readiness. As you know, the non-aggression treaty (the famous Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact) was originally signed between the USSR and Germany. The Germans started the war in September 1939, but the Soviet Union intentionally did not intervene.
It is believed that Hitler decided to attack the USSR just after the unsuccessful Soviet-Finnish war, which demonstrated the weakness and poor preparation of the armed forces. On June 22, 1941, Nazi Germany, without declaring war, violating the previously concluded treaty, invaded the territory of the Soviet Union. By that time, she already had many European allies. These are Italy, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, Croatia, Finland.
Historiographers have recognized that this was the most bloody and destructive war in world history.
Retreat on all fronts
Over the years, historians have been trying to establish why the war started unsuccessfully for the Soviet Union. Of course, the suddenness factor played a role. It should be understood that the Soviet leaders always had in mind the likely scenario of the attack by the Nazis, despite the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.
Therefore, experts believe that one of the main reasons why the war started unsuccessfully was a miscalculation of the political and military leadership of the USSR in assessing the timing when the Nazis could attack.
Stalin, realizing that war was unlikely to be avoided, tried in various political ways to delay its beginning until 1942. Like Nicholas II, he did not want to provoke an enemy by excessive activation on the border, so the troops, even in the border districts, did not have the task of switching to full combat readiness. Until the attack, the army did not occupy the lines intended for defense. In fact, the army remained in peacetime, which predetermined the lost first battles and retreat on all fronts.
The military clash between the USSR and Germany was the main episode of World War II. The whole world saw how the superpower wars begin.
Will there be a third world?
After the defeat of the Nazi camp, the problems in the world have not disappeared. For several decades, discussions have been ongoing about whether to wait for World War III. What will it be if it starts?
Many people believe that nuclear weapons or military-space forces will play a key role in it. One thing can be stated with certainty: the reasons will not differ much from those for which all the wars in the history of mankind began.