Civ Stories: The Wars of the World

The Dawn of Man (and War)

"The art of war teaches us to rely not on the likelihood of the enemy's not attacking, but rather on the fact that we have made our position unassailable." – Sun Tzu

*****

As the first civilizations began on Earth, humanity had began to ponder on magnificent ideas. Philosophy. Construction. Currency. Mathematics. Science. Life.

War.

In the history of the ancient world, we humans see it as a barbaric timeline: one filled with chaos and conquest, one man wanting to seize all until he dies and another takes his place. War has filled the pages of history, that one could not actually believe if a world existed with no war. Although war has its own negative opinion, we are enticed about the very concept of it. The meaning of it.

What is war? Why does it happen?

To an adult, or to a soldier, this question could be answered in various ways: with guiding passion, or with brutal reality. The people in this very work have chosen the latter. In the world we live in today as well as the world of Meier, the setting of this piece, we've come a long way from destructive and deadly wars....

Or have we?

From Alexander's conquests to the grand expansion of the Roman Empire, war has always been used to justify claims of power and territory. Attila and Genghis Khan may have been the exceptions as they proved that war can be initiated either for barbaric reasons or merely just an invasion. The Crusades saw the extreme amount that the Catholic Church would go to in order to recapture the Holy Land, and spread Christianity throughout the world. As time went on, wars went from wanting more land, to wanting more land, but this time, out of nationalism, grand political philosophies, and ideological differences

Cue in Adolf Hitler.

With the advent of the World Wars, the world was changed forever. The grand technological pursuits of humanity went from industrial factories to destructive weaponry (which, in retrospect, are somewhat linked). Families were destroyed, lives were lost, and soldiers themselves paid the price, most of which knew what they were walking into. Truly, one can potentially say and argue, that war is constant.

War never changes.

The face of war may have, yes, but the very idea of combat in itself is astoundingly complex and simple, both of which still cannot be purely justified as moral, merely only a necessity. Our wars before may have been fought by spears and swords, but they convey the same message as it is today: either for expansion, for glory, for loot, or for ideologies, conflicting until the extreme measure must be taken with or without any consideration. 

As the tide of battles change, with every single new innovative technology presented at a moment's notice, the men who wield them are those that take the brunt of the world's deadliest creations. From the first gun, to the first warplane, to the first nuclear bomb, men (and women) had defended their country and beliefs with these killing machines only to end up being killed by the same technological prowess that their enemies had constructed or reached. In this book, the honor will not belong to the leaders, but would belong to the men that fought deep in towns and cities, all with what they have and what they can

In the world of Meier, the common soldier is much more powerful than one would expect.

To the man who looks at another wielding a weapon, he is either a monster, or their savior. To a different man who possesses the same uniform as he does, he is his friend. To a different man with a different uniform, he is a threat. To those that wait for him at home, he is a loved one. There are many identities that a soldier can take. It is a curse and a blessing to serve. A risky gamble and a certain decision. Nevertheless, as many people would claim, a soldier indeed does fight, not that he hates his enemy, but that he loves his country, his family, and his people.

And stories of those soldiers who fought and died, who lived to survived, who regretted their decisions, who stayed and preached, will all be revealed.....