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War is caused by territorial and or political gain at the expense of the innocent civilian populations of the countries involved, throughout human history. For instance, the 23 year long Napoleonic Wars (1792-1815) were caused by the first and only socialist country, France, feeling threatened by their autocratic and monarchist neighbours. Napoleon outfought and then invaded each and every neighbouring country in turn. Napoleon's armies laid waste the countryside and lived off the land, proving a scourge to the inhabitants. The Russians adopted a scorched policy which destroyed the Grande Armee on their retreat through the devastated land.

The Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871) was fought over the long disputed Alsace-Lorraine coal mining region. This war humiliated the French Army. The Germans built railroads up to the front line and fought a highly industrialised, logistical war. This was the only war the Germans ever won. Alsace-Lorraine changed hands from 5 times between 1870 and 1945, finally returning to France. Was it worth it?

World War One was caused by Gavrilo Princip's assassination of the Archduke of Austro-Hungary because he did not want Serbia remaining in that empire. One shot caused the 14-18 war, 20 million died and new countries were created all over the world. 18 million weakened war survivors succumbed to influenza.

World War Two was the first and only world wide war. Germany, chastened by having to pay crippling war reparations and with the industrialised Ruhr occupied by France, attacked Poland and dominated all of Europe until May 1940, when on invading France and the low countries the stage was set for Europe to defend itself. World War Two was fought on the eastern front by the Russians, without respite, from 1941-1945. This world war set the conditions for the present European Union.

Korea was invaded by Chinese backed North Korea. China expected a war weary United States would not defend South Korea. They were wrong.

Vietnam endured a 45 year long war caused by France reclaiming her pre-war colony of Indo-China. War without end - amen. The United States invaded Vietnam in 1965 landing at Da Nang and establishing fire bases and areas of US influence. Unfortunately the areas of US influence turned out to be havens for the Viet Minh where they built an intricate network of tunnels as at Chu Chi. The Tet offensive of 1968 cost the North Vienamese 40,000 dead, a military defeat, however, their ability to attack the US embassy in broad daylight was ominous.

Iraq, falsified documents, weapons of mass destruction, Saddam Hussein's unproven links with Al-Qaeda etc., etc. In 2009 Iraq is the first three trillion dollar war.

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