Throughout human history, wars and conflicts have been a constant occurrence. While these terms often imply tension and violence in some form, war is more severe — it is longer-lasting and officially declared. This article will focus on the concepts of war and conflict and discuss the main differences between the two.
War refers to open, declared, and intentional armed struggles between nations or political entities. Over 3,000 wars have been fought on Earth so far, and despite efforts by civilized nations, wars continue to be used as a means of settling disputes between countries. Civil wars within countries are also considered wars. Fights between individuals, gang wars, and mafia killings are not classified as wars; however, armed rebellions against a nation by a section of its population that feels oppressed are sometimes called wars of independence by the rebels and terrorism by those in power. To be classified as a war, the conflict must be widespread, intentional, and declared. It requires the mobilization of personnel and soldiers moving to front positions to defend territories.
Key Takeaways
- War is an intentional, declared, widespread, and long-lasting armed conflict between countries, requiring the mobilization of troops and use of arms and ammunition to destroy enemy targets.
- Conflict arises from disagreements between parties where they perceive a threat to their needs and interests, and can be between individuals, communities, or even countries.
- There are mechanisms to resolve conflicts, but when they fail, conflicts can give rise to full-scale wars (when involving countries).
