WHAT IS A WAR?

 A war is typically fought by a country or group of countries against an opposing

country or group with the aim of achieving an objective through the use of force.
Wars can also be fought within a country in the form of a civil or revolutionary
war.

[Ang WAR o sa Tagalog ay digmaan ay karaniwang nangyayari sa pagitan ng mga

bansa o grupo ng mga bansa at ang pangunahing gamit upang manalo ay “pwersa” ibig
sabihin sa digmaan maraming naaapektuhan. Hindi lang sa pagitan ng mga bansa
maaari magkaroon ng digmaan, pati rin sa loob ng mismo ng isang bansa lang.]

What Is the Cause of Conflict?

 There is rarely one single, clear cause of conflict and, ultimately, war. The causes
of a war are usually numerous and can often be intertwined in a complicated
way.
 Many theories have been put forth over the years as to why wars happen, and
some of the greatest minds have offered their take on the subject.In the article
below, I’ll provide a general overview of the eight main reasons for war. Given
the many potential causes for conflict, the list does not attempt to be exhaustive,
but does intend to give the most common reasons.

[Bakit nga ba nagkakaroon ng digmaan, ibibigay ko ‘yung 8 na mga posibleng dahilan o

reason kung bakit nangyari, nangyayari at mangyayari ang isang digmaan.]

Eight Main Causes of War

1. Economic Gain

2. Territorial Gain

3. Religion

4. Nationalism

5. Revenge

6. Civil War

7. Revolutionary War

8. Defensive War

1. ECONOMIC GAIN
 • Often wars are caused by one country’s wish to take control of another country’s
wealth. Whatever the other reasons for a war may be, there is almost always an
economic motive underlying most conflicts, even if the stated aim of the war is
presented to the public as something more noble.

[Ang unang reason is that ‘yung isang bansa ay gusting kontrolin ‘yung yaman ng isang
bansa. ‘Yung desire ng isang bansa na –take over ang isang bansa ay dahil
naghahangad siya na makuha ‘yung yaman. Halimbawa, noong sinakop tayo ng Spain,
sila nakinabang sa mga yaman ng bansa natin.]

 In pre-industrial times, the gains desired by a warring country might be precious

materials such as gold and silver, or livestock such as cattle and horses.

[Noong pre-industrial time, ang gusto ng mga bansang nananakop ay ‘yung ginto, pilak
o ano pa mang yaman]

 In modern times, the resources that are hoped to be gained from war take the
form of things like oil, minerals, or materials used in manufacturing.

[Sa kasalukuyan, ang nais ng mga bansang nananakop na makuha ay langis, mineral at
iba-iba pang mga materials.]

2. TERRITORIAL GAIN

• A country might decide that it needs more land, either for living space,
agricultural use, or other purposes. Territory can also be used as “buffer zones”
between two hostile enemies.

[Sa simpleng salita, gusto ng isang nanankop na bansa na lumawak ‘yung mga lupang
meron o sakop niya.]

HETO ‘YUNG MGA HALIMBAWA:

• Mexican-American War (1846-1848) – This war was fought following the

annexation of Texas, with Mexico still claiming the land as their own. The U.S.
outfought the Mexicans, retaining Texas and incorporating it as a state.

• Serbo-Bulgarian War (1885-1886) – Bulgaria and Serbia fought over a small

border town after the river creating the border between the countries moved.

3. RELIGION

• Religious conflicts often have very deep roots. They can lie dormant for decades,
only to re-emerge in a flash at a later date.
 • Religious wars can often be tied to other reasons for conflict, such as nationalism
or revenge for a perceived historical slight in the past.

• While different religions fighting against each other can be a cause of war,
different sects within a religion (for example, Protestant and Catholic, or Sunni
and Shiite) battling against one another can also instigate war.

[Maaari ding maging dahilan ng isang digmaan ang relihiyon, dahil alam naman nating
noon unang panahon pa lang, marami ng digmaang nag-ugat dahil sa pagkaka-iba-iba
ng mga pinaniniwalaan at sinasamba.]

HETO ANG MGA HALIMBAWA:

• The Crusades (1095-1291) – The Crusades were a series wars sanctioned by the
Latin Church during the medieval age. The aim of crusaders was to expel Islam
and spread Christianity.

• Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648) – When Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II tried
to impose Roman Catholicism on the people of his domains, a faction of
Protestants from the north banded together, sparking war.

• Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990) – The Lebanese Civil War was primarily sparked
from conflicts between the Sunni Muslim, Shiite Muslim and Christian Lebanese
populations.

• Yugoslav Wars (1991-1995) – The Yugoslav wars consisted of the Croatian War
and the Bosnian War. The wars were fought between the orthodox Catholic and
Muslim populations of former Yugoslavia.

• Second Sudanese Civil War (1983-2005) – This ethnoreligious war was caused by
the Muslim central government’s choice to impose sharia law on.

4. NATIONALISM

• Nationalism in this context essentially means attempting to prove that your

country is superior to another by violent subjugation. This often takes the form
of an invasion.

• Dr. Richard Ned Lebow, Professor of International Political Theory at the

Department of War Studies, Kings College London, contends that while other
causes of war may be present, nationalism, or spirit, is nearly always a factor. In
his essay “Most wars are not fought for reasons of security or material interests,
but instead reflect a nation’s spirit,” he writes:
[Alam naman nating positive ang nationalism because alam mong mahal mo ‘yung
bansa mo pero kapag sumobra na at gusto mo ng patunayan na mas malakas o mas
makapangyarihan ang bansa mo kaysa sa iba, doon nag-uumpisa ang conflict.]

HETO ANG MGA HALIMBAWA:

• Chichimeca War (1550-1590) – The Chichimeca war was one of many wars
fought during the Spanish conquest of the Aztec civilization in modern day
Mexico.

• World War I (1914-1918) – Extreme loyalty and patriotism caused many

countries to become involved in the first world war. Many pre-war Europeans
believed in the cultural, economic and military supremacy of their nation.

5. REVENGE

• Seeking to punish, redress a grievance, or simply strike back for a perceived

slight can often be a factor in the waging of war. Revenge also relates to
nationalism, as the people of a country which has been wronged are motivated
to fight back by pride and spirit.

• Unfortunately, this can lead to an endless chain of retaliatory wars being set in
motion which is very difficult to stop.

[Isa rin sa madalas na dahilan ng digmaan ay ang paghihiganti. Nagkakaroon ng

digmaan dahil gusto ng isang bansang ipaghiganti ang kanilang pamilya, mamamayan,
ninuno atbp.]

HETO ANG MGA HALIMBAWA:

 World War II (1939-1945) – The rise of the Nazi Socialist Party and Germany’s
eventual domination of the European continent were direct results of the Treaty
of Versailles, which imposed strict punishments on Germany.
 War on Terror – The September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001
prompted President George W. Bush to initiate a war on terror. This global war
began with an invasion of Iraq and is ongoing

6. CIVIL WAR

• These generally take place when there is sharp internal disagreement within a
country. The disagreement can be about who rules, how the country should be
run or the people’s rights. These internal rifts often turn into chasms that result
in violent conflict between two or more opposing groups.
 • Civil wars can also be sparked by separatist groups who want to form their own,
independent country, or, as in the case of the American Civil War, states wanting
to secede from a larger union.

[Kapag sinabi nating Civil War, ito ‘yung conflict o digmaan na nangyayari sa loob ng
isang bansa lang. Mamamayan laban sa kapwa mamamayan o ‘di kaya mga rebeldeng
tao laban sa gobyerno. Parang ‘yung sa Mindanao lang, hindi pa rin matapos ang away
ng gobyerno at ng mga komunista.]

HETO ANG MGA HALIMBAWA:

• American Civil War (1861-1865) – The American Civil War was fought by the
Union army and the Confederate army as a result of the long-standing
controversy over slavery.

• Russian Civil War (1917-1923) – The Russian Civil War followed immediately
after the Russian Revolution, with the Red Army and the White Army vying to
determine Russia’s political future.

• Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) – The Spanish Civil War was fought between the
Republicans, who were loyal to the left-leaning Second Spanish Republic, and the
Nationalists, a largely aristocratic conservative group led by General Francisco
Franco.

• Korean War (1950-1953) – The Korean War was a war fought between North
Korea, which was supported by China, and South Korea, which was supported
primarily by the United States

7. REVOLUTION WAR

• These occur when a large section of the population of a country revolts against
the individual or group that rules the country because they are dissatisfied with
their leadership.

• Revolutions can begin for a variety of reasons, including economic hardship

amongst certain sections of the population or perceived injustices committed by
the ruling group. Other factors can contribute too, such as unpopular wars with
other countries.

• Revolutionary wars can easily descend into civil wars.

[Ito naman ay nangyayari kapag may isang grupo na gusto mag-reblusyon laban sa
mga namumuno o sa mismong gobyerno.]
HETO ANG MGA HALIMBAWA:

• Portuguese Restoration War (1640-1668) – The Portuguese revolution ended the

60-year rule of Portugal by Spain.

• American Revolution (1775-1783) – The American Revolution gave the 13 North

American colonies independence from British rule and established the United
States of America.

• French Revolution (1789-1799) – The French Revolution was a battle that

represented the rise of the bourgeoisie and the downfall of the aristocracy in
France.

• Haitian Revolution (1791-1804) – The Haitian Revolution was a successful slave

rebellion that established Haiti as the first free black republic.

8. DEFENSIVE WAR

• In the modern world, where military aggression is more widely questioned,

countries will often argue that they are fighting in a purely defensive capacity
against an aggressor, or potential aggressor, and that their war is therefore a
“just” war.

• These defensive wars can be especially controversial when they are launched
preemptively, the argument essentially being that: “We are attacking them
before they inevitably attack us.”

[Sa simpleng salita, ito ‘yung gusto mong ipaglaban ang bansa mo kahit ano pa
mang mangyari. Purop depensa lang, hindi nila napapansin na nag-uumpisa na pala
‘yung digmaan.]

HETO ANG HALIMBAWA:

• Iraqi Conflict (2003-Present) – An international coalition, led by the US, invaded

Iraq on the grounds that the country’s leader, Saddam Hussein, was developing
weapons of mass destruction, and therefore presented a threat to surrounding
countries and rest of the world. The war was controversial as the allegations
made about the weapons of mass destruction made by the US and UK were
shown to lack substance.

[SA MGA PICTURE NA EFFECT OF WAR SABIHIN MO NA LANG, ETO PO ANG MGA
EPEKTO NG DIGMAAN. WALA NG EXPLANATION.]