War Society Modern World War has been an integral part of the development of our civilization from the earliest times. It is estimated that there are more than 14,000 wars that have occurred since events began to be recorded and this has resulted in the death of billions of people. It was an essential part of the survival and behavior of human beings and the society at large. This attitude continued in our society and was even passed on from one generation to another. As modernization began to evolve, this behavior continued in the society, though the end result was different. During the last two centuries, war was used by countries as a brutal form of handling international relations. Differences with other countries were resolved through armed conflicts rather than peaceful negotiations and war was used as an instrument of foreign policies. Unfortunately, this has resulted in the death of millions of people who otherwise could have contributed to better living conditions today.

Reflections on past wars

As we reflect back on some of the wars that have taken place during the last five centuries such as the Napoleonic Wars, The Crimean War, the Boer War, World War I, World War II, and the Vietnam War, we can understand a pattern that led to it. One common attribute we see through all these wars is greed and the aspiration of one leader to establish his supremacy over other countries and people. The Napoleonic war that took place between 1789 to 1815 was largely a result of the greed of European countries and their leaders to establish their sovereignty over other European countries.

The Crimean war was fought between the Russians and an alliance of the French, British and Ottoman Turkish empire to gain control over the Crimean Peninsula and parts of the Ottoman Empire. This is another example of the need for the leaders of these nations to establish power over other countries for political and economic reasons. It was also due to conflicts among the French and Russian leaders to establish their religion in the Crimean peninsula and again, it occurred due to the insatiable need for men to annex more regions to their existing boundaries.

The Boer war took place between the British and South Africans because the former country decided to exercise their supremacy over the Boers or the farmers in South Africa. The result was an armed fight where millions of people were killed. The first and the second Boer wars also took place due to the greed of the British government and its need to establish its rule over the people of another country.

World wars I and II took place due to the aspirations of Germany and its allies to invade other countries and establish their supremacy. During these turbulent times, millions of lives were lost and there was a feeling of desperation and hopelessness around the world. Lastly, the Vietnam war, the most recent war of such a massive scale, took place from 1955 to 1975 and this was a part of the cold war conflicts that existed between the United States and Russia. Again, the core cause of the war was to establish the power of one country over another indirectly. A close analysis of all these wars would reveal that the fundamental cause of each of these wars was greed and the need for one country to prove that is better than the other.

Present times

However, all that has changed during the last few decades. Since the cold war, the number of wars and its resultant deaths have declined sharply. Today, war still exists in certain regions of the world that have not seen much economic development. These areas continue to be primitive due to a lack of awareness and education and these are the predominant areas where war still rages on. Examples of such places are countries such as Sudan that are relatively untouched by the modernization that has taken the rest of the world...

The good news is that the number of regions that are facing war are continuing to be on the decline due to exposure to technological advancements.
Reasons for the decline in war

There are many reasons that can be attributed to the declining nature of war since the cold war. One of the most prominent reason is the emergence of technology that has given people more opportunities to utilize their talents and skills in a productive manner. This has led to a change in the mindset of the people and they no longer want to channel their time and effort into destruction. This also has given way to a higher understanding and implementation of ethical principles where people do not want to harm other human beings. A radical shift in ideology due to advancements in social and education levels have also resulted in the decline of war. Above everything, technology has been the driving factor for all the change and peace we see in the world today.

Impact of technology

Technology and the resultant modernization has brought about significant political and social changes and this has led to a change in the perception of the people regarding war. One of the biggest aspects of technology that has transformed lives is the Internet. It has opened up a new world full of information and people are better informed about events and happenings taking place around the world. This instant availability of information has changed the way people think and feel about armed conflicts.

Another aspect of the Internet is that it has brought people closer than ever before. Social media helps people to communicate with each other by cutting across geographical boundaries. This helps people of one country to share their thoughts and views on events within their country and letting the world know of all that is taking place in their immediate neighborhood. This instant sharing of information has also impacted the mindsets of the political class and they are more hesitant to take drastic measures such as wars because of the international outcry that it can generate.

Technology has also helped to unify people within the same country and has helped them to fight many of the evils like corruption and suppression without a war. A good case in point is the revolution that took place in many Middle-eastern countries last year. What started as a small movement, gained a lot of momentum because of technology and eventually led to the overthrow of rulers who had been in power for many decades. A central force for this revolution has been the use of social media among the younger generation where they could exchange plans and ideas without the use of arms. This shows the power of technology and how it has helped people to fight for their rights in a non-violent manner. Though the revolution in these Arabic countries resulted in the loss of lives, the number is far less significant when compared to any war and more importantly, it resulted in victory for the people.

As technology evolved, people have been less inclined towards war. Rather, they want to focus on more productive things like building a better life for themselves and their families. The same attitude is reflected by the national governments of different countries as they try to improve their economy and provide better living conditions for its people. They want to spend their existing resources to further their economic interests rather than to win a war with other countries and this change in the mindset of the people as well as the national governments has been primarily due to advancements in technology and the benefits that come with it.

Lastly, technology has ushered in an era of globalization where people work remotely from their respective countries. This trend has erased physical boundaries and people from all parts of…