The Relationship Between War and Man

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War dates back to the earliest of ages. Leaders have come out triumphant and countries have come out ravaged. Entire generations have been extinguished and humanity’s morale destroyed; all at the cost of a victory. Everyone is familiar with war, however we are not so quick to understand the lasting toll it takes on those who experience it for themselves. War has been fought through out many countries for various reasons since the beginning of times, the tactics and warfare themselves may have changed, but the meaning of war remains the same. In turn the soldiers, whom give it all in the name of their countries, never come back the same. It is glittered with words like glory, honor and devotion, however war, in my eyes, is anything but. It brings about many more problems, one of which is the substantial psychological effects it has on those who experience war first hand.

World War I was said to have been the war to end all wars. We now know that not to be true as there have been countless wars since that proposition. The attitudes surrounding the initiation of World War I were very distinct from that of proceeding wars to come. Citizens were excited, families were proud to know that their sons were enlisted and patriotism and brotherhood were alive and well. Young men were very much encouraged to join the war effort and advertisements soliciting the call to arms were seen in a positive light. Enlistment was something expected of these young men, they wouldn’t dare be the ones to be “ostracized” or called “coward” . With no way around the Great War many did indeed join the armed forces; little did they know what they were in for. “A word of command” , and a powerful one at that, put these young men on the path to destruction. ...

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...rd we take, as a war to end all wars was virtually never in sight. We must become human again; as it seems to be the only way to make existence worthy once again.

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