The Causes of War
Summer Hansborough
POL 300 004016

What causes opposition? Imperialism, nationalism, Social Darwinism, and militarism are causes of war, and I narrowed it down to the following; freedom, money, ideologies, race, religion and land. Although these are causes of war, in most cases, the ultimate cause of war is an elitist mentality. One believing their ideologies, race, policies and beliefs are superior to those that do not fit in or follow that particular system.

What are the causes of war? An age old question that no one has yet to give a definitive answer. What is war? One definition explains war as an aggressively armed battle between conflicting people. Another definition explains war as fighting between nations, or groups in a nation, using weapons. To sum it all up, war is a condition of active animosity or contention and it is not exclusive to people. There are many kinds of war, such as is the war on drugs, the war on terrorism, political wars, and the war on AIDS. The war on AIDS is interesting, because it’s not a war apposing people, but a virus, a disease. According to the bible, our war is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, wickedness and power in high places. (bible, 2005)

A system, which is designed to bring order and uniformity, is an attribute to the causes of war. A system is vital to administer order to society. In the early days, before America established its own money system, America used English, Spanish, and French money. America had not established an independent monetary system. “The federal monetary system was established with the creation of the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia, which was the first American coin in 1793.” (Pfeister, 2007)

Benjamin Franklin, an American statesman produced that debt free money, reported the real cause of the Revolutionary War was the fact that America’s monetary-system was created. Is it precise to say new systems cause war? No. New systems are established and agreed upon by our national leaders all the time. British and other countries were satisfied as long as America used their money, but when America established its own system that established a sense of independence, by creating their own money, that became a problem because it negated the system and mentality of those America depended upon. America needed order, its own identity, and to not rely on neighboring allies so heavily. By America creating its own money, that open doors to America’s freedom and independence, which were the causes of the Revolutionary War. The system was the attribute, but the cause was the money, solely because the money gave America power that would make them equal to or greater than those that support them under their monetary-system. Just like the Revolutionary War, The Civil War and the War of 1812 have one common cause. Freedom. Freedom from colonialism with the Revolutionary War, freedom from slavery in the Civil War, and freedom of the seas with the War of 1812. The Civil War was a war divided by the North and South. The North argued for freedom, while the South argued proslavery. The North argued the “Slave Power” theory to aid in abolishing slavery. The South argued the “Black Republican” theory to aid in pro-slavery laws. The biggest problem for the South was a theory contrived by abolitionist, called, “The Great Slave Power Conspiracy.” It stated: “There was a secret agreement, among Southern slave holders, to foist slavery upon the nation, destroy civil liberty, extend slavery into the territories (possibly whites), reopen the slave trade, control the policies of the Federal government, and complete the formation of an aristocracy founded upon and fostered by a slave economy.” (Stamp, pg 20)

The Slave Power threat embodied the proslavery argument, and clearly presented: “The controversy into a dispute between good and evil, freedom and oppression, democracy and aristocracy.” (Stamp, 1991, 23)

With the idea of the entire nations’ liberties being at stake, including whites, and “dividing the nation into the haves and have-nots, or masters and slaves,” (Stamp, 23) was a major threat. The Civil War was a war of freedom for all Americans, and to secure the rights of the first Amendment of the Constitution equally to all citizens. The War of 1812 was caused by a series of conflicts dating back to 1783. Nevertheless, America wanted its free trade and sailor’s rights of the seas. Madison persuaded Congress to pass a law where as the U.S. agreed that if, the restrictions on American shipping were repealed, by either Britain or France; America would continue the prohibition against the other nations. France agreed, but Frances’s leader, Napoleon, breached the agreement. America’s freedom was at stake; France continued to take hold of American ships. France primarily instigated the war, by not honoring the freedom of the seas that America and France agreed upon. Every war is about having something to gain. Money is another cause of war. The Spanish-American War, the War of 1812, and the Iraq War are wars whose interest is in money. One cause of The Spanish-American War was an economic desperation in Cuba and America wanted to acquire the land of Cuba. The land was valuable to America. One author state: “America’s demand for Cuban sugar cane declined due to the 40% tax on imports, which is the Dingley Tariff of 1894.” (Hendrickson, pg 17)

With the decline of income for Cuba, living conditions worsened, and that triggered violence. In response, America tried to acquire Cuba again. (Hendrickson, pg. 6) The 40% tax on imports did not lead to the war, nor did the publication of the letter, or the destruction of the battleship Maine in Harana’s Harbor. They were element as to why America went to war. The war was inevitable due to the fact America tried several times to buy Cuba from Spain, and Spain declined. Spain then created the Dingley Tariff of 1894, which put America in a situation of not purchasing the amounts of sugar they wanted, due to the tax, and that effected the revenues and markets in America. The War of 1812 was about shipping. With America having restrictions on where they can go on the seas, and having there time dictated by another was a hindrance in America’s currency. America wanted freedom of the seas in order to trade cargo. (Greenblat, pg.24) The problem was Britain and France knew America was smaller and presumed them weaker because the country was new. By restricting America’s freedom of the seas, it also restricted their financial resources, which in turn limited their power. (Greenblat, pg. 29) The Iraq War is very interesting. Originally, the American people were misinformed and misled to believe we were going to war because of the events of 9/11. Secondly, the people were led to believe that Saddam Hussein had “Weapons of Mass Destruction” (WMD’s) and to remove a dictator from the people of Iraq and build a democratic government. Lastly, oil. What does America gain by going to war with Iraq? Control over the government? An Ally? Oil companies? Better oil prices? Alan Greenspan believes it was essential removing Saddam Hussein because it secured world oil supplies. What is most interesting as a cause of war are ideologies. Some would not consider ideologies such a bad thing. While keeping them in perspective it is not a bad thing. It is bad when it infringes on someone’s freedoms or birthright. World War II and the Vietnam War were based on ideologies. These wars were fought in vain and there were no winners. Adolf Hitler’s fascist ideologies were insane. He had no desire to have children and told several people that if he had children, they were certain to disappoint him because in his own mind, he was a genius and his children would never be as great as him. (Simpkins, 1997, Internet) Hitler was a nationalist. He believed that Germany was the end all be all. One of his ideologies was; destroy anyone who was not German because they were inferior to the Aryan race. (Koenigberg, 2007) Hitler started World War II with the hopes of conquering the world. He committed acts of genocide on the Jewish people. His acts of genocide were horrendous, yet in his mind valid. He believed that all other races were inferior to the Nazis. Another ideology was to create a superior race. Hitler was willing to sacrifice himself and his people for what he believed in. (Koenigberg, 2007) Hitler was willing to die for Germany and these ideologies place him in the same category as Saddam Hussein and other Islamic Muslims that are willing to die for their beliefs. Saddam Hussein ideologies were very similar to Hitler’s. Hussein believed that those Iraqi’s who sacrificed themselves for the love of God, were placed above the rest of the world. (Koenigberg, 2007) Hussein had the Iraqi people believing they were God’s favorite people. Hussein committed the same kinds of acts as Hitler by starting wars and committing genocide. His ideologies were that the Iraqi people were superior to all other people, and were chosen of God. Lastly, the Tutsi genocide in Rwanda, governed by Hutu’s Mathieu Ngirumpatse,
Edouard Karemera, and Joseph Nzirorera, was based on ideologies. (Genocide Face Trial, Internet, 2005) The Hutu’s believed the Tutsi’s didn’t belong in their country. The Hutu’s believed the Tutsi’s were foreigners and had no right to live there. They also believed the Tutsi’s were place in a higher class than they were in society, and were the reason why the Hutu’s stayed in poverty. Germany and Belgium’s policies in Rwanda, is what caused tensions between the two groups. Nevertheless, the Hutu’s obtained governmental power and resented the Tutsi’s status based on their ideologies. These ideologies caused the genocide of 1994, which killed hundreds of thousands of people. (Genocide, Ideologies and Org.) This was an ethnic cleansing, just like Hitler with the Jews and Saddam Hussein with the Iraqi people. These kinds of ideologies start wars and are very detrimental to the world as a whole because nothing is won. Nothing is accomplished for the betterment of mankind. Race has been another cause of war. One believing their race is superior to another’s. This has been happening for years. In America whites believing they were superior to blacks caused the Civil War, and the Civil Rights Movement. In Cuba, whites believing they were superior to Afro-Cubans caused the Race War of 1912. The Germans believing they were superior to Jews, and all others, who were not German led to WWII. In America Blacks have endured for over 400 years, breaking forth out of slavery, into freedom after the Civil War. The cause of the Civil War was race related. Prior to the Civil War blacks were bought and sold as property. They had no rights as human beings. Blacks were property. Blacks were hanged, tortured, raped, slaughtered, and forbidden to learn how to read and write. There was no justice system on there behalf because they were treated like property. These were people who came to America without a choice and freedom. Although President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, during the Civil War, not all slaves were freed. The freedom was given to all Blacks after the Union conquered the Confederacy in 1865. (Stamp, 1991) Although they were legally free, blacks still endured racism. Blacks, whose name has changed several times, from Blacks, to Negroes, to Colored, and now African-Americans, also encountered many inequalities. Blacks were not allowed to eat in certain restaurants, use restrooms, or drink out of water fountains labeled for whites only. Blacks weren’t allowed to ride in the front of the bus, nor did they have voting rights. Blacks were not permitted to attend white schools, nor were they allowed in the same hospitals. Jobs were scarce, and so were opportunities for those who obtained college degrees. These events inspired Affirmative Action, as well as the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Affirmative Action is a policy designed to eliminate discrimination based on race, religion, color and gender. Throughout the Civil Rights Movement, violence was enacted upon African Americans despite, their non-violent notions. Blacks were beaten, lynched, sprayed with the water hose, locked up, and despised by those whites, with an elitist mentality, who thought they were superior to blacks. Although the Civil Rights Movement was a movement, it was still a war, it was a struggle between apposing groups. One side stands firm in the belief that our race is equal to yours, while the other side stands in the belief that our race is better than yours. In Cuba, Afro-Cubans endured inequality because of their race. They were denied equal rights and justice. They were denied jobs and equal pay. Cubans were starved to death and abused. (Golay & Boman, 1995) Jews in Germany endured cruel punishment for being Jews. Hitler and the German regime set out to annihilate all those who were not of the same race as the Germans. The Jews were put in concentration camps, starved, beaten, jailed and stripe of all there possessions and dignity. Race is a major cause of war. It has divided people for centuries. For many years people have fought wars over religion. Which in some sense is an ideology. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a very peaceful man. Although he had his beliefs of faith, he never brought harm or denounced someone else because of theirs, and that is what makes him such a staple in the United States culture. He fought for civil rights for all mankind, and unity of black and white people, Jews and Gentiles, Catholics and Protestants.

Unlike Martin Luther King, Jr. there are many wars that have broken out since the dawn of time because of religion. The Christian and Muslim wars have been going on for centuries. The French Wars of Religion, which were fought by the Catholics and Protestants, from 1562-1598, were the first major wars fought over the new churches in France. (Hooker, 1995) At that time, the French Protestants were called Huguenots.

The turning point in French and European Christian history was The St. Bartholomew Massacre. Protestants saw the Catholic Church as workers of evil, based on wars exacted in the past, by the Catholics, on innocent, unarmed Protestants. Protestants soon realized their battle was to stay alive. The Thirty Years War from 1618-1648 was the most destructive war in Europe before the 19th century. (Hooker, 1995) Every country in Europe was involved. Many lives were lost and the only thing that stopped the war was with the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648. (Hooker, 1995) The treaty reiterated the Treaty of Augsburg and it permitted all states in the Holy Roman Empire to choose its religion. (Hooker, 1995) During this process, Calvinism was documented, which was a new improvement for Europe.

The ideological belief of Arabs was fashioned by the truism “Kill or be killed,” prior to the founding of Islam. Arabs were polytheistic, worshipping gods and goddesses. Allat, and Mannat were daughters of Allah and were worshipped by Arabs. One of the male gods worshipped by Arabs was Hubal, referred to in the bible as (Baal). Jihad for some Muslims is all they live for. Under the truism, kill or be killed, Jihadist are willing to war against heretics and infidels, meaning those who appose their god and beliefs.

Jihad means holy war. Muslims with a jihadist mentality set out to take over and occupy lands. Arabs and Jews have been warring over land in the Middle East for centuries. Muslims have expanded the conquest onto other territories. Muslims have conquered Christian lands in Africa, such as Sudan and Somalia. The Spanish Re-conquistadors ejected the Moors from Spain. (Hist. of Jihad, Internet, 2007)

Muslims ruled only in Arabia prior to Prophet Mohammed’s death in 632. (Internet, 2007) The Jihad wars on the world began soon after. Within ten years the Arab-Muslims conquered territories from the Byzantine, which included: Syria, Egypt, and Palestine. (Internet, 2007) Then they conquered Persia and Iraq from the Persians. (Internet, 2007) These Jihadist forced people to convert to Islam and speak Arabic. After converting, people only spoke Arabic, forgetting their own cultures and assuming the Arabic identity and lifestyle. This is very prevalent in Palestine, known today as Israel, Jordan and Syria. This continued everywhere in the Middle East and North Africa except Persia. Persia regained their language despite the Arabic oppression.

Many wars have been, and are being fought in the name of “Religion,” such as this so called, Jihad. This war has touched every continent and civilization. With Osama Bin Laden leading the Jihadist movement, they are still killing and conquering in Sudan and other parts of Northern Africa. Many Christians and other non-Muslims have lost their lives and families because of Jihad. Because of Jihad, many Christians converted, it’s stated:

“Another aspect the convergence of Christian warriors, who were either mercenaries in Islamic armies or who converted to Islam and turned renegade after capture…convincing Christian Knights, sergeants, and others of the injustice of their cause throughout their own defeat in battle.” (God’s Warriors p. 196)

Jihad struck America on 9/11, changing the lives of many U.S. citizens forever. In addition to that event, the Muslim population is ever increasing in America.

There are many religious wars in the bible. Moses and Pharaoh, David and Goliath, Gideon and the Medianites, Moses and the Amalekites and The battle of Armageddon, are a few wars that were fought. The war between Moses and Pharaoh was about freeing, Israel, believed to be God’s chosen people, and whose God was more powerful and true. The war between Gideon and the Medianites again was about freeing Israel, believed to be, Gods chosen people, and destroying the altars of other gods. The war between Moses and the Amalekites was a battle about the strength and power of the God of Israel. Although these wars seemed to be based on freeing the Jewish people, according to the bible, they were based on the religious aspects of the God the Israelites served; which are their religious beliefs. (Bible, 2005)

The battle of Armageddon has been referred to in movies for years. Although there is no place on earth named Armageddon, the Hebrew transliteration from Greek is most commonly used to translate the actual meaning of Armageddon into, “Mount of Meggido.” (Internet, 2007) Mount of Meggido is located in the Southwest of Nazareth. Apostle John has prophesied Armegeddon, and many believe it will take place. This apocalyptic word, Armageddon, refers to the earth’s final battle. This war is believed to be a religious war. (Internet, 2007)

Religion has been the cause of wars since the beginning of time. Money, land, ideologies, and race pale in comparison to religion when it comes to causes of war. People will fight and war over things they believe in, more so than things they can see, and are tangible.

After researching the causes of war it has been interesting observing different places in the world and different races, religions, and creeds of people, who go to war with the same causes. Imperialism, nationalism, Social Darwinism, and militarism are causes most people look at when discussing war. War is a necessary evil. Most people know when there is a war brewing and in each one of these cases presented here, there were events leading up to war. Maybe war is an innate sense within mankind.

War, being a necessary evil has its place. Many civilizations have obtained freedom and independence, due to war, including America. Many leaders have prospered economically and territorially, and have provided more resources for their people. New laws have been created and implemented to ensure equality and justice. Treaties have been made, allies have been acquired, and new systems have been implemented, due to the outcomes of war. On the other hand, treaties have been broken, enemies have been gained, systems have been torn down, and laws have been vetoed.

War will continue to go on, with no remedy and in some cases, no sense of the matter. Wars will continue to cause pain and suffering towards mankind. In war there is a winning side and a losing side, which makes the law worth having, to establish and maintain order. Whether it is Imperialism, Militarism, Nationalism or any other –ism, it is still an elitist mentality. It is one side believing they are superior to the other. That is what causes war. War has its place and when the outcome benefits society morally, ethically and legally, the outcome is worth it.

Works Cited

Stamp, Kenneth M. & Litwack, Leon F. (1991). The Causes of the Civil War. New York: Simon Schuster.

Golay, Michael & Bowman, John S. (1995). Spanish-American War. New York: Facts on File.

Hendrickson, Jr., Kenneth E. (2003). The Spanish-American War. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press.

Bowman, John S. (1994). War of 1812 – America at War. New York: Facts on File.

Nicholson, Dr. Helen & Nicolle, Dr. David. (2005). God’s Warriors. Osprey.

Ferguson, Niall. (2006). The War of the World. New York, The Penguin Press.

Miller, Bud & Miller, Betty. “Bible.com.” 2005. Internet. www.bible.com

Pfiester, Ron. “History of The US Paper Money.” December 2007. Internet. www.roncurrency.com/rhist.htm Hooker, Richard. “Reformation: Religious Wars – The War of Religions.” June 6, 1999. Internet. www.wsu.edu/dee/Reform/Wars.htm
“History of Jihad Against the Berbers of North Africa: Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco (640-711).” November 2007. Internet. www.historyofjihad.org/africa.html.
Human Rights Watch. “Genocide: Ideology and Organization.” April 2006. Internet. http://www.hrw.org/backgrounder/africa/rwanda0406/4.htm
Associated Press. “Leaders During Rwandan Genocide Face Trial.” September 2005. Internet. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9399852
Simkin, John. “Spartacus Educational.” September 1997. Internet. http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/GERhitler.htm
Koenigsberg, Richard. “Ideologies of War and Terror – History and Sacrificial Death. ” October 16, 2007. Internet. http://www.ideologiesofwar.com/docs/rk_history.htm
Chapman, David. “War, Money and Oil.” November 19, 2002. Internet. http://www.gold-eagle.com/editorials_02/chapmand111902.html
November 2007. Internet. www.rapturechrist.com/armegeddon.htm