The past and our present

A long story

When we see or read international news, they often describe violent acts committed by a group of people against another group in some part of the planet. These actions provoke strong reactions among us: sometimes of horror, of indignation, of incomprehension. In any case, the images of war, explosions, acts of violence, men and women beloved or armies of children are spread throughout the globe and cause great embarrassment in many people.

But war is not a matter only of the present. In our schools, in our history classes, we learn about the wars of the past and their repercussions on the history of nations and the world. Without going very far: Mexico would not be an independent nation had it not started a war against Spain; likewise the revolutionary struggle of 1910 was also a bloody warlike confrontation that claimed the lives of many Mexicans. For some countries, warlike confrontations are the main theme of their history as a nation.

War has existed for thousands of years; there are even some who maintain that it is inherent in humanity. According to these arguments, human beings (particularly younger men) have ties to violence and aggression. These have been organized socially in an organized way.

The war represented with an Assyrian warrior

Villages with simple social organizations attacked their neighbors to take prisoners and/or to avenge the death of the members of their communities. The best warriors gained prestige and fame, so all the young people aspired to imitate them. Frequently war is associated with power, heroism and nationalism. For 5000 years we have had historical testimonies of the battles between armies of different empires and the conquests carried out by powerful sovereigns. The representations of these wars have been reflected in art. In engravings, sculptures and paintings it was common to portray kings and sovereigns with the different attributes of power: sword, armor, horse and crown.

Heroism is another element that is linked to war, principally with soldiers, generals and commanders. An example could be the Native American chief warriors Crazy Horse or Sitting Bull, both this men won important battles in favor of their peoples against the armed forces of the nation that we now know as the U.S. Many of the heroes of our own country fought against Spain to achieve independence and that is the reason we respect and honor them.

Usually, we celebrate the heroism of soldiers or warriors who go to war and are willing to risk their lives for their country or for a cause they consider fair for their people. Often, the admiration we feel for them is fueled by the memory of past wars or by nationalism.

  War and power

Countries that declared more wars between 1945 and 2005
Country	Number of wars
United Kingdom	22
France	19
The United States of America	17

In the 21st century, war is still associated with power; therefore, the most powerful countries in the world are the ones that do the most wars.

Contemporary wars, like those of the last centuries, have had two main objectives: to dominate other people in their towns or countries and to conquer new territories. These two elements are also the fundamental objectives of political groups of many nations. That is why a famous war theorist, the German soldier and writer Carl von Clausewitz, wrote in his book On War (1816-1830) that "war is politics continued by other means".

Countries with the highest military spending in 2016
Country	Billions of dollars expenses	% of world spending
United States of America	611	36%
China	215	13%
Russia	69	4%
Saudi Arabia	64	4%
India	56	3%

In the 21^st century, for example, the United States is the most powerful country on the planet because it is capable of imposing its will on the entire world through the means of weapons. Only this country spends 36% of all the money that goes to the acquisition/construction of weapons and armies in the world.

Their troops are active in 170 countries stationed in military bases and check points around the world. In one way or another, this country has been involved in all the major international conflicts of recent years.

US ships navigate the world’s oceans, ensuring that the trade and military routes essential to their economy are kept open for them. They also dominate the air and near-Earth space, where their spy and communication satellites are the most numerous and powerful.

Other global powers, such as Russia, China, also spend immense amounts of money to maintain and build their armies. Thus they hope to defend their power in the world and counteract that of the United States in the process.

The types of wars

In summary, we can define war as a violent and prolonged confrontation between two sides or armies in which one seeks to defeat and dominate the other; sometimes, even, exterminate them. Within this definition, however, several types of war can be distinguished.

In decreasing order of magnitude are:

• ·         The world wars that faced great alliances of countries all over the world, or that confronted powerful empires with their enemies.
• ·         International wars between independent nations.
• ·         Civil wars between political parties or human groups within a nation.
• ·         The wars between nations and smaller populations that live in their territory as can be conflicts with the indigenous population.
• ·         Local wars between human groups or small groups

   War and Peace

    Another way to define war is as the opposite of peace. In turn, we can understand peace as a state in which people and groups within a country do not use violence to resolve their disagreements, and in which countries do not resort to it to resolve them.

    In theory, the difference between war and peace is absolute. When two nations decide to wage war, they must declare it legally. After this the fighting starts. Then, when the conflict ends because one of the two parties has triumphed over the other, or both agree to stop the hostilities. Ideally, there is a peace treaty that restores calm between both parties and resolves the conflict that provoked it.

  

    In peace there are no conflicts or differences, but these are resolved differently: through law and dialogue. Throughout history there have been great international meetings whose objective has been to create peace agreements; These, through international law, have put an end to the great wars and have laid the foundations to maintain the status quo (or the original state) of modern nations. However, many powerful countries continue to produce countless weapons in the event of a war coming.

The Arms Race

When there is a state of war between two countries, they use the greatest force they have to defeat their enemies. In warlike conflicts, the one that has more soldiers wins, but especially the one that can use more lethal weapons. Thus, the history of war is also the history of progress.

Countries with nuclear weapons in 2017
Country	Number of estimate weapons
Russia	7000
The United States	6800
France	300
United Kingdom	215
Pakistan	140
India	130
Israel	80
North Korea	10

From the nineteenth century and especially in the twentieth century, this arms race reached its maximum development. In the Civil War of the United States (1861-1865) new weapons were used as powerful cannons and submarines. In addition, the combatant armies attacked the civilian population in the first "total war", which involved some and others. In the First World War (1914-1918) combat aircraft, tanks and chemical weapons (mainly poisonous gases) were used. In the Second World War (1939-1945) massive city bombers, rockets and the atomic bomb were used.

This last instrument, the first capable of destroying all of humanity, set the limit of armament, because it was difficult to invent something worse. it also reduced the number of wars, because the danger of any confrontation ending in a nonclear combat was too high.

Therefore, during the Cold War (1948-1989), the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) never fought directly. However, the threat that the war between these countries could produce the total destruction of humanity caused fear among the inhabitants of the planet

During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, there were frequent international wars among European countries. Almost every generation of young people had to fight in the army of their nations and many of them died in combat. The next French song, "The deserter", was composed in 1945. The lyrics are by Boris Vian. This piece reflects the discontent of some young people forced to risk their lives for the political decisions of their rulers.

Reference:
• Federico Navarrete, Eulalio Rubio, Álvaro Vázquez, Edith Llamas, Secundaria Infinita Historia 1, Ediciones Castillo, México, 2017. pp. 32-36.