THROUGHOUT the history of humankind, although the time-span of period of war has been relatively short, the havoc and destruction it has wrought on human societies makes it the most devastating phenomenon in history. It is an event that disturbs normal routine of life and suspends all social and cultural activities. The irony is that instead of condemning it, is generally glorified in history. Pacifists are regarded as cowardly and inactive people while warriors are admired, praised and symbolized determination and courage.
Though sentiments are mobilized in favour of war, majority of the people have yearned for peace and wish to live a happy, prosperous and strife free life. Therefore, whenever war brought disaster to societies in the past, philosophers, thinkers, and writers powerfully expressed anti-war sentiments. For example, the war between Sparta and Athens produced anti-war sentiments in both societies. The two great dramatists of this period Aristophanes and Euripides revealed and represented anti-war feelings of people in their dramas. Aristophanes in his Acharnian has an Athenian farmer who makes private peace and eats imported food while his fellow citizens look on longingly. In his Lysistrasa, he incites women to withhold their favour until men make peace. Euripides in his Trojan Women expresses his disgust at the cruelties of war.
However, these voices for peace proved futile and could not prevent war. Moreover, as humankind developed knowledge and experimented in science and technology, more lethal weapons were invented and used for destruction, in Europe and Asia and Africa war became the only solution to solve political disputes and economic problems. However, as war became more destructive, the longing for peace also became stronger and stronger. Thinkers, philosophers and writers proposed number of schemes to save the world from war and its atrocities and maintain permanent peace.
Immanuel Kant (d.1804) was one of those thinkers who made an attempt to outline a scheme to make this world safer. He fully realized that whenever, political and economic interests clashed, countries involved in warfare. He argued that when there was no war between two countries, it was the best time to have diplomatic relations with each other. Diplomacy, in his words, should not be secret but open, so people on both sides know the nature of relationship and share their opinion with ruling classes. He urged, that during peace time standing armies should be dismissed because the institution of army needed war for its existence. To have good and friendly relation between two countries, he believed that there should be trade and commerce and cultural links. These activities would bring people closer and promote understanding.
Oswald Spangler (d.1936) in his book Decline of the West surveys the history of different civilizations and finds one common feature in every culture and human society: that war has always been a favourite sport of men while women vehemently opposed it, because it took away their offspring and offered them to sacrifice for the cause religion or nationalism.
Whatever women created after a long struggle was destroyed by war. Therefore, women appear in history anti-war and against militarism.
First World War brought such a disaster that when it was over; people were shocked when it was known that nine million died on both sides. It was the war in which new weapons such as tanks, shells and machine-guns were used. Thousand of soldiers experienced the life in trenches during the war. That is why there was a strong reaction against war that was expressed in fiction, short stories, plays, poetry and memoirs.
Henri Babusse, the author of Le feu describes life in trenches: “What a life. Mud, earth, rain. We are saturated, dyed, kneaded. One finds dirt everywhere, in pockets, in handkerchiefs, in clothes, in food.” His call to French soldiers was to reject both Deutschland ueber alles and ‘France before all’ He says: “Love France as you love your mother...but don’t place her before justice and morality.”
Karl Kraus in his novel The last days of mankind depicts the condition of soldiers who were sent to the front for fighting: “I saw you on the day when you marched out. The rain and mud of this fatherland and its infamous music were the farewell, as they herded you into the cattle cart! I see your pale face in the orgy of filth and lies in this frightful farewell at freight station from which the human material is dispatched.”
There was a time when people remained unaware of the real cause of war; now with the spread of political consciousness and publication of vast literature against war, more people are aware of the real reason behind it. The best example is the two Gulf wars; although USA and UK, claimed that their purpose was to liberate Iraqi people from the tyranny of Saddam Hussain, however, it is clear to everybody that the real purpose is to control oil wells of the Middle East.
Any hope of preventing war depends on the attitude of people. If they react against war and strongly demonstrate their sentiments, governments have to cease hostilities and find peaceful solutions. If man wants to live a normal life and enjoy the fruits of his labour, he has to choose peace. As Russell writes: “How to live in freedom and joy. At peace with himself and therefore with all mankind. This will happen if man will choose joy rather than sorrow. If not, eternal death will bury man in deserved oblivion.”
