War Is Inevitable, Therefore We Should Work to Be Good at It.

War is taken to mean a conflict often carried on by force of arms between nations or parties within a nation. It is carried on by force of arms in a series of battles or campaigns. There have been a great many wars throughout history. Since the earliest recorded history, human beings have been effective and organized at making war. The technology of war has also improved, to the point that today, weapons exist that cannot be used without risking the complete destruction of both sides. This was the basis of the cold war during the second half of the twentieth century. War is costly, both in human and material terms. History might show that war is inevitable and there seem to be a number of possible causes. Increasing population, Religion, differing ideologies and competition for resources, all appear to play a part in the cause of war. Desire for greater freedom and human rights has, in more recent years, been a driving force in civil wars. Finally, there is the fundamental question – do human beings naturally tend to make war? This essay will attempt to examine war and its causes in order to come to a conclusion as to whether it is inevitable. Today, with the United Nations trying to settle disputes peacefully and actively trying to protect human rights, war is not inevitable. However, if war is inevitable, a nation should work to be good at it. As the cold war has shown, to be very good at war may actually work to avoid major conflict and its associated costs. Being good at war means being strong enough so that nations can defend their territory and making it less likely they will be threatened. In the 21st century, being good at war means possessing the latest technology for conducting war.

Keegan (1993, p. 1) states that warfare is almost as old as man himself. Since the earliest recorded history, there have been wars. Conflict has always been a part of humanity. The reasons for every war will be different but overall, in ancient times, as farming practices