Why War Happens essays

Why War Happens essays Most wars result from a combination of causes. Three of the most common causes are conflicts over resources, clashing ideologies, and struggles over power. Conflicts over resources are the most basic and enduring causes of war. Resources include land, minerals, energy sources, and important geographical features. The world's first wars probably were fought over resources. Location and geography can provide great benefits to one community and not to another. Examples of conflicts over resources are numerous. In the Crimean War (1853-1856), the United Kingdom, France, and the Ottoman Empire fought against Russia for control of the area around the Black Sea. The Persian Gulf War (1991) resulted in large part from Iraq's attempt to seize control of Clashing ideologies can also lead to war. Ideologies are sets of ideas that define different communities. Religious teachings are often central to a society's ideology. Sometimes, these teachings are different from-or even openly hostile toward-those of neighboring communities. In these cases, religious wars can erupt. From 1096 to the late 1200's, for example, Christians from Europe waged war on Muslim rulers in Palestine as part of the series of military expeditions known as the Crusades. Ideological conflicts can also involve political concepts. An example of such a conflict was the Cold War between Communist and non-Communist nations in the latter half of the 1900's. The conflict between capitalist democracy and Communism fueled the tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union Struggles over power. Power involves the ability to control other people or to control the outcome of a situation. War often results when one country seeks to expand its power at the expense of others. In some cases, a decline in the strength of a powerful nation may prompt a war of opportunity, in which rival nations try to take adva ...