In essence, war is and has always been a matter of significant importance to a state. It has been an element of the human race throughout history. It is a matter of life or death, a road that can lead to ruin or survival. Therefore, societies ought to study it thoroughly. In the olden days, societies engaged in a number of wars, all of which had detrimental effects on the society. In fact, some societies still suffer the effects of those wars to date. However, war was quite significant in the olden days until the end of the ancient era. The fighting groups fought for their rights such as the abolition of feudalism in China or rights of centralized states and equal rights in the U.S and so on (William & Jackson, 2010).
To begin with, China developed war with a sophisticated intensity to meet various demands. The ancient Chinese frequently engaged in the war for purposes of unification, for defense and purposes of expansion of their territories. As for the Chinese Warriors, their role was to control China’s vast territories. The warriors were also responsible for defeating rivals inside and outside China, as it was surrounded by would-be enemies.
On the other hand, Japan also has a history of the war that dates back to many several years ago. Reports indicate that the Japanese community developed from descendants of various groups of people who migrated to the region from other parts of Asia. Indeed, the war played a key role in the history of Japan. The warring communities had the power to control the country. In most cases, the war in Japan was more often than not, about land since only a small fraction of the land was on top form for farming. The warriors in Japan had to struggle to gain control of the land. The Japanese warriors’ primary role was to develop weapons such as arrows, swords, and bows. The warriors also developed armors and codes that guided them during a war.
Europe also has a record of major conflicts that involved its great nations like France, Russia, Austria and Prussia among other eminent European nations. The importance of these wars was primarily an attempt to win back lost territories. For instance, Austria fought with Prussia to win back the territories that the Prussian emperor had taken during a previous war that lasted from 1740 to 1748 (Foner, 2009). Men and women alike played the role of warriors in Europe. The European warriors’ main role was to raid, to restore command and control, to deceive the enemy, to offer relief to injured warriors among other warlike duties.
The Byzantine Empire was a small significant town that separated the Asian and European continent. Growing demands from these continents to control the town resulted in a crisis. War in the Byzantine Empire was primarily for purposes of control and authority. Eventually, the Romans took authority over Byzantine, and since the Romans had increasingly converted to Christianity, the Byzantine Empire also became a Christian state.
Were the tactics and purposes of war the same in these regions?
The above regions employed different tactics during the war in most cases. However, there were times when the warriors would use similar tactics to win the war against their opponents, but such times were rare. The methods also differed depending on the person in authority and the era. Nevertheless, a majority of the fighting groups used similar weaponry that included the use of spears and shields as well as some form of body armor that warriors used to protect themselves from harm. The warriors also fought using ships and boats whenever they fought on the water. On the other hand, the purpose of a war in these regions was the same, which was, to settle disputes, or to get what one desired forcefully. However, the society determined the victor of the war after the opposition had been eliminated through killing or surrender.
The wars had repercussions on the above regions, some of which was negative while other influences were positive. The repercussions shaped the societies differently. For instance, some regions experienced cultural antagonism while other regions developed a mutual fear for one another. To some extent, the wars led to political confrontations, some of which resulted in fresh confrontations.
Furthermore, the wars gave rise to conflicting philosophies that resulted in divergent claims of what freedom meant. There was also economic competition. In fact, some of these wars were the defining moments of the 20th century. Government institutions largely depended on codes from some of the wars to set up new policies that are still in practice.
Indeed, wars have influenced the history of nations across space and time. Wars are more specifically the winners of a war, shaped their institutions from the lessons learned after a war. These institutions include political, economic and even social institutions. Moreover, wars have shaped technology, resulting in developments. The trend is notable in the area of ammunitions where societies developed armory based on their experiences in the battlefield. Another technological development that resulted from these wars is that of communication. People had to develop efficient means of communication with their warriors on the battlefield.
Despite the developments in terms of war necessities like automobiles, some of these regions suffered greatly economically. Europe, for instance, had a difficult time trying to repay a debt it had incurred during World War I. It had a challenging period of immense inflation to the extent that its citizens began to struggle to afford basic commodities. Japan was also left in tatters and ruins owing to several bombings. In addition, Japan’s prominent rulers at that time were convicted of war crimes. As for France, there was minimal loss of lives on its part, but the regions had to take a long time to recuperate from the effects of Nazi occupation.
- Foner, E. (2009). Give Me Liberty!: an American History. 2nd Seagull Ed. New York, NY: W.W. Norton and Company.
- William, J., D. & Jackson, J., S. (2010). World History. Belmont, Calif. : Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.
