War

War has played a significant role in society, since the dawn of time. It has shaped countries, laws and societies. Throughout the ages, nations have disagreed with one another leading to major wars. Technological advancements in warfare have had an impact, but it’s most significant impact has been on the amount of people that can be killed at one time as noted in the article by Gwynne Dyer. The way war is fought today is unchanged from the way war was fought in the 17th and 18th century. Armies and the structure of armies are similar as they were in the past. Why people start wars is unchanged. In the past monarchs waged wars to gain power, as modern leaders do today. War has always been ruthless and violent, but the wickedness of some soldiers has not changed throughout the years. War has merely tweaked, and will never change no matter how much time passes.

The composition and structure of army’s today is similar to earlier times. . From 1648 to 1789, mercenaries replaced feudal armies, which helped to significantly increase the amount of recruits. Mercenaries are soldiers who are paid to go to war. This gave soldiers a motive to be loyal, where as soldiers from feudal had a risk of becoming disloyal. As in present times, soldiers are paid to go to war, they receive a free education, a salary and the military will pay off existing loans.

Civilians are no longer a target in war, and are protected as best as possible not to come in contact with battling armies. An example of this is the war in Afghanistan and Iraq. It is not the armies that are killing the civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan rather it is the terrorists who are .This idea of protecting the civilians gain momentum during the “Thirty Years’ War”, where civilians were kept out of harms way.

In the past, armies were composed of “nobles and vagabonds” and poorer civilians were not permitted. Later, however, peasants were allowed and encouraged to join because they were disciplined. Because they were peasants, they were looked down upon and ordered around by their superior. Today, the army invites everyone to join regardless of your race, colour or gender. . The similarities between the armies of the 17th and 18th century and the present army today are endless. The structure of war was shaped in the 17th and 18th century and the formation is still used today.

King Louis XIV, King Louis XVI, Peter the Great and countless other monarchs’ each waged war for personal gain. Monarchs were seeking to increase their wealth and power. This is why most wars begin. Hitler wanted total domination and it could be said that President George W. Bush is seeking wealth and domination in Iraq and Iran. .Monarchs during the 18th century excluded a great amount of their subjects, because they were thought to be powerless. However, their power was not absolute as they could face anger and internal revolt from the masses. Leaders now, as in the past can decide if their nation will or will not go to war. . The people of the nation do not have a true say and the decision is depended solely on the leader. How ever, if the leader becomes irrational, the people of the nation have the power to revolt and take down the leader. Power and wealth are major incentives for leaders of the past and present to wage war. The motive behind waging a war has always been for power and personal gain and that will never change.

War tends to bring out the worst in people. During the Protestant Reformation, thousands of innocent people were brutally murdered because of their religious beliefs. It is shocking that in our enlightened times, we still are witness to such atrocities as the massacre of millions of innocent Jews in World War II, the genocides in Rwanda and Sudan and the abuse of suspects in the “War on Terror”. The brutality of war is always evident. It has not just begun; it is a reality of war since the beginning of time.

War is still fundamentally the same as it was in 1648 to 1789. The structure of the armies, the motives and the barbaric injustices are part of all wars. The art of war is and always will be the same. Leaders are still power hungry, and men are still patriotic. These ideas have shaped nations and it will continue to shape nations throughout time. Technology will advanced, but war will always be motivated by the need to gain power and dominance.