War is an extreme manifestation of human desires and contributes to the development of civilization. The various forms of modern warfare also have a profound impact on social and technological development.
Two of the most devastating wars in history are World War I and World War II. World War I was fought from July 28, 1914 to November 11, 1918, primarily in Europe. It was a massive conflict between the Allied powers of Great Britain, France, and Russia and their allies, including Germany and Austria. More than 9 million soldiers died in the war, making it one of the deadliest wars in history.
World War II, which lasted from September 1, 1939, to September 2, 1945, and resulted in the greatest loss of life and property in human history, began with the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany. It ended when the United States dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The war resulted in an estimated 25 million combatants and 25 million civilian casualties.
The history of mankind is also the history of war. Large and small wars have been fought throughout world history and continue to be fought today. Because most wars have had devastating consequences, many people tend to focus on the negative aspects of war. However, I would argue that wars have contributed greatly to the development of humanity, and furthermore, that the competitive nature of human beings that is expressed through war has driven human progress. Of course, this argument is not meant to encourage war. Looking back at the past, we can see that war has had a positive impact on the development of humanity and civilization, and understanding this can help us prepare for the future.
The dictionary definition of war is “the act or state of being between two or more opposing nations or equivalent groups of people who seek to impose their will on each other by means of military force or other means.” As you can see from this definition, there are many different purposes and forms of war, not just those involving physical military force.
In the past, before territories were defined between states, wars were primarily fought to advance national interests through territorial expansion. In the modern era, when capitalism was established, wars were also fought to gain access to resources or to create a hierarchical relationship between nations. In some cases, wars were also fought to create mental unity among the members of a nation. Until the modern era, most wars have been physical conflicts involving military force, with only the tools and technologies used changing. However, in the modern era, there are many other forms of warfare that go beyond the use of physical force. For example, the Cold War, which was a conflict between a coalition of nations due to the ideological differences between the United States and the Soviet Union, is a form of warfare. In addition, as technological advances have allowed information to be stored in virtual space, wars over information in cyberspace, or cyberwarfare, are also occurring.
I would characterize any confrontation between two groups with a specific purpose and form as war. War has been prohibited by international law since World War II because modern technology is too advanced and dangerous to wage physical warfare. Since war is defined as the use of physical violence, war in its various forms is still possible and does occur. The actions of terrorist organizations such as IS also fall under the category of war, as they are confrontations between groups that are equivalent to states.
It is undeniable that war has caused great and small harm to humanity. However, I would argue that war has had a positive impact on the development of human civilization. There are many examples in history where war has had a positive impact on modern civilization. It’s no exaggeration to say that modern civilization and science and technology were born out of war.
Modern warfare, represented by World War I and World War II, was accompanied by rapid advances in science and technology. New war-related technologies developed during this period have since become the backbone of modern civilization. For example, the growing importance of pi identification in warfare led to the development of radar. Radar, a war technology, was adapted to use microwaves and is now widely used in modern life, such as the microwave oven. The importance of supply in warfare also spurred advances in food processing and preservation. This led to the growth of the processed food industry, the widespread distribution of processed foods like Spam, and the spread of fast food like hamburgers around the world. The importance of communicating and processing information also grew in warfare, and the information processing technologies developed during the war led to the development of point-to-point communication networks and the internet. Computer technology was developed to process information quickly, and encrypting and decrypting information led to internet security and search technology. In the modern era of capitalism, technological development has led to the development of civilization, so it is undeniable that world wars have contributed to the development of human civilization.
Past wars have also contributed to human progress. The Crusades in medieval Europe were a series of battles that took place from the 11th to the 13th centuries, and as Christian societies in Europe sought to recapture Jerusalem from Islam, they brought new items from the Islamic world, such as compasses and gunpowder, which helped develop European civilization. The introduction of gunpowder allowed for the production of cannons and firearms, which led to the downfall of the knight-centered feudal society. Going even further back in time, we have the Battle of Isis by Alexandros the Great. This battle led to Alexandros’ conquest of Persia and western India, and the birth of Gandhara art, a fusion of Greek and Indian cultures, in the Gandhara region of India. The process and outcome of war has taught us lessons and advanced civilization.
Of course, in some cases, wars have led to cultural and technological regression. For example, the Inca civilization near Peru was destroyed in a two-year war with the Spanish in 1531 and its social system collapsed. This could be considered a regression of the Inca civilization due to war. However, from the perspective of humanity as a whole, the war was a process of the Inca’s relatively slow development being eliminated and replaced by Western civilization. This is similar to how Homo sapiens drove out the Neanderthals. Eventually, through war, the Inca civilization was replaced by a better civilization, which was an advancement on a global level.
War is an example of human desire taken to the extreme. Our desire for power and possession to gain more power has led to competition between individuals and groups, and when conflict between groups escalates, it leads to war. Humans have developed civilization through competition, and war is part of that process.
War is not necessary to fulfill human competition or desire. War is an extreme way to do this, not a necessity. However, war can accelerate the development of civilization by maximizing competition between groups. This is because technological development, which is slow in peacetime, is more efficient in times of war due to the large-scale and concentrated commitment of resources. It is no coincidence that many technologies are developed in the course of war. Technologies are later commercialized and made available to the masses, leading to the advancement of civilization, so the technologies developed during wars are ultimately the driving force behind human progress.
War is an extreme example of human desire, and it has contributed a lot to the development of civilization. This applies not only to traditional wars involving physical conflict, but also to many modern forms of warfare. For example, trade wars for economic gain or information warfare in cyberspace have emerged as new forms of warfare that go beyond the traditional concept of war.
In the modern world, the nature of warfare has changed, giving rise to various forms of conflict, including asymmetric warfare, terrorism, and information warfare. These conflicts are not just military conflicts, but also have complex effects on social, economic, and political levels. They drive the efficient allocation of resources and technological advances, and sometimes reshape the international order.
In the end, war is an inevitable consequence of humanity’s pursuit of its own interests, and in the process, humanity creates new technologies, cultures, and social structures. Despite the negative aspects of war, humanity has always evolved along the way, and this evolution has often taken place in the context of war. Therefore, it may be incomplete to view war solely in a negative light, and it is important to look at the lessons learned and advancements made.
In conclusion, war reflects the complex desires of humanity, and the various forms of conflict that arise from it are important factors that can contribute to the development of civilization. Humanity should build on these historical facts to prevent future conflicts and promote peaceful development.
