The Train Wreck of Revolution - Essay Example

roader historical engagements2, without examining historical motivations for war, he exposes himself as failing to recognize the social context of any given era. Whilst recognizing that history exposes tumultuous change and evolution, the fundamental principles driving war remain consistent and one of those principles is cause. For war to occur, causality is integral to how a war campaign is waged, how it is won or lost and how decisions are made which ultimately determine the outcome. War can be defined as any aggressive movement towards an adversary, from the threat of force to coerce an opponent into submission to conflicts which ensure the annihilation of any resistance from the targeted enemy.

Both can ensure the deconstruction of the military and political power of an enemy, which is the principle outcome of any conflict, civil or international. The characteristics of war remain consistent: they are similar to any social interaction between individuals whereby human defects and virtues are employed to achieve a particular end. However, the ultimate focus of war is ‘an act of force to compel our enemy to do our will’. 3 In this respect, the motivation for war is clear. From the 1600’s onwards, wars have been conducted in the name of colonialism, expansionism, domination, economic gain, social imperialism, religious persecution, political forms of government and resistance.

In essence, all of these sub-themes can be condensed down into the prevailing motivation of imposing one’s will on a perceived adversary. However, to succeed in war, it must be intelligently executed. Whilst Clausewitz viewed war in a social form, he conceded that tactics could be perceived as being scientific in nature while strategy was a form of art. He further advocated that war was both social and political in nature, a contention that is certainly applicable to contemporary conflicts.

This theory is further supported by a case study on the war by Shah Abbas, the