Excerpt
Introduction: What Is a War and Why Does It Happen?
War is one of those big, heavy words that can mean a lot of things depending on who’s saying it and what’s happening. You might hear about it in history books or on the news, and maybe you’ve heard grown-ups talk about it with serious faces. But what does “war” actually mean? And why do people, countries, and leaders get involved in something that causes so much pain?
Let’s start with this: war is what happens when a disagreement becomes more than just words. Instead of talking things through, one side—or both—decides to use force to get what they want. That force usually means fighting, and it often involves weapons, soldiers, and battles. It’s not like a video game where everything resets when you lose. In real life, war hurts people, damages homes, and changes lives in ways that last a long time.
People don’t just wake up one day and start a war. There’s usually a lot going on behind the scenes. Sometimes, countries argue over land. Other times, they fight over resources like oil or water. And there are times when one country’s leader wants more power and decides to take it by force. These arguments grow and grow until they become something much more dangerous.
Not all wars look the same. Some last years. Others, only a few days. Some involve lots of countries from around the world. Others are between two neighbors. There have even been wars where one side didn’t wear uniforms, or where battles happened mostly from the sky with planes and missiles. The Gulf War, which you’ll read more about later, involved tanks rolling across the desert, planes flying night missions, and countries from all over the globe working together.
Even though war often starts with powerful leaders, it affects people who didn’t make the decision to fight. Think about families trying to get through the day when their town becomes part of a battle. Kids might not be able to go to school. Stores might close. Parents might be too scared to go to work. Some people have to leave their homes and become refugees—travelers without a place to go back to. That’s something no one wants to experience.
Then there are the soldiers. Some are trained for years before they go into battle. Others might be called suddenly, leaving behind their families, jobs, and schools. Many of them are just regular people who felt it was their duty to protect others. They deal with heat, hunger, fear, and danger. But even in the middle of war, they try to help each other. They share water. They write letters home. They carry injured teammates to safety. War is full of sadness, but also full of small moments of bravery and kindness.
War doesn’t only happen with guns and tanks. There’s also cyberwar, where people attack each other’s computer systems. And there’s economic war, where countries use money, not weapons, to hurt their opponents. All these kinds of war share one thing: they are ways of trying to win a fight without solving the problem peacefully.
Most people don’t want war. That might be the most important thing to remember. Around the world, people work every day to stop fights before they grow into battles. They become diplomats, who use words to find peace. They join organizations like the United Nations, which tries to bring countries together. They help write treaties—special agreements that try to make sure war doesn’t happen in the first place.
But even with all that effort, war still happens. And when it does, people have to find ways to protect each other, survive, and rebuild once the fighting stops. That’s one of the hardest parts. War doesn’t just end when the shooting stops. Afterward, there are roads to repair, families to reunite, and promises to keep so that it doesn’t happen again.
Some people say war is a part of human history, and that’s true. But that doesn’t mean it has to be part of our future. Every time people learn from the past—every time they understand why a war started or how it hurt people—they get a little better at building peace.
It’s okay to feel a mix of things when learning about war. It can feel confusing, even scary. But understanding what war means helps you ask better questions. It helps you recognize the signs when countries are getting close to conflict. And it reminds you that there are always people trying to stop war, too—people who believe that peace is worth fighting for, but not with weapons.
Different types of wars
Not all wars look alike. Some are over in just a few days. Others stretch on for years, changing the world in huge ways. Some involve only two countries. Others pull in nations from every continent. Just like there are many ways to solve a problem—or not solve it—there are many kinds of wars.
Then there are long wars. The Vietnam War lasted nearly 20 years if you count all the years of fighting from the first conflict to when the U.S. finally left. The Hundred Years’ War between England and France—yep, it really was close to 100 years—was a series of battles, breakups, and peace talks that started in the 1300s. Long wars wear people down. They drain money, energy, and hope. And they don’t always have a clear winner.
There are also civil wars. These happen within a single country, not between different ones. One part of the country tries to break away or take control. The American Civil War is probably the most well-known example in the United States. It was fought in the 1860s between the North (the Union) and the South (the Confederacy). It ended slavery in the U.S., but it also left huge scars—towns destroyed, families divided, and a long road to healing.
Now think even bigger. World wars are the kind of conflict that involve many countries across the globe. There have been two of them in modern history. World War I began in 1914, and World War II started in 1939. Both were massive, deadly, and had effects that reached almost every country. They weren’t just about one fight or one issue—they involved alliances, colonies, and global power. Even countries far away from the main battle zones were pulled in, often sending supplies, weapons, or soldiers to help.
There are also cold wars. These don’t involve constant fighting with guns or bombs. Instead, countries compete with threats, spies, space races, and military buildup. The Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union lasted from the end of World War II until 1991. The two countries didn’t fight directly, but they each tried to show they were stronger, smarter, and more powerful. That kind of war creates tension, fear, and suspicion—even if there aren’t battles happening every day.
Some wars are called proxy wars. That means two big powers don’t fight each other directly. Instead, they each support smaller groups or countries that do the fighting. It’s like watching a chess game where someone else moves your pieces. The war in Korea during the 1950s and the war in Afghanistan during the 1980s are examples of this. Big countries like the U.S. and the Soviet Union sent weapons, training, and money—but didn’t fight face-to-face.
A few wars are fought over resources, like oil or water. Others happen because of religion, or because one group of people is treated unfairly and decides to fight back. Some are called wars of independence, where a colony or region tries to break free from the country that controls it. The American Revolution was one of those. The United States didn’t want to be ruled by Britain anymore, and it fought a war to become its own country.
There’s also something called guerrilla warfare. That’s when fighters don’t face the enemy in big, open battles. Instead, they move quietly, strike in surprise attacks, then disappear. These kinds of wars are hard to predict and even harder to win. They often happen in forests, jungles, or cities, where the fighters can hide and blend in. Guerrilla fighters don’t always wear uniforms, and they usually know the land better than the army they’re fighting against.
Some wars are fought mostly in the air. Others are fought mostly at sea. And in recent times, war has even moved into cyberspace. That means people can use computers to attack power grids, steal military secrets, or spread false information. These cyberattacks can hurt countries just like bombs can—just in a different way.
No matter what kind of war it is—long or short, loud or quiet—it always brings consequences. The land changes. Governments might fall. New countries can be born. Borders can move. People flee their homes. Soldiers are wounded. Kids grow up without knowing peace. And even when the fighting ends, the pain and problems often stick around.
But understanding the types of war helps us understand how they start, why they matter, and what kind of help people need. If a war is short, countries might recover quickly. If it’s long, it might take generations. If it’s a civil war, the people living side by side might end up on opposite sides. If it’s a world war, the whole planet feels it.
War is one of those big, heavy words that can mean a lot of things depending on who’s saying it and what’s happening. You might hear about it in history books or on the news, and maybe you’ve heard grown-ups talk about it with serious faces. But what does “war” actually mean? And why do people, countries, and leaders get involved in something that causes so much pain?
Let’s start with this: war is what happens when a disagreement becomes more than just words. Instead of talking things through, one side—or both—decides to use force to get what they want. That force usually means fighting, and it often involves weapons, soldiers, and battles. It’s not like a video game where everything resets when you lose. In real life, war hurts people, damages homes, and changes lives in ways that last a long time.
People don’t just wake up one day and start a war. There’s usually a lot going on behind the scenes. Sometimes, countries argue over land. Other times, they fight over resources like oil or water. And there are times when one country’s leader wants more power and decides to take it by force. These arguments grow and grow until they become something much more dangerous.
Not all wars look the same. Some last years. Others, only a few days. Some involve lots of countries from around the world. Others are between two neighbors. There have even been wars where one side didn’t wear uniforms, or where battles happened mostly from the sky with planes and missiles. The Gulf War, which you’ll read more about later, involved tanks rolling across the desert, planes flying night missions, and countries from all over the globe working together.
Even though war often starts with powerful leaders, it affects people who didn’t make the decision to fight. Think about families trying to get through the day when their town becomes part of a battle. Kids might not be able to go to school. Stores might close. Parents might be too scared to go to work. Some people have to leave their homes and become refugees—travelers without a place to go back to. That’s something no one wants to experience.
Then there are the soldiers. Some are trained for years before they go into battle. Others might be called suddenly, leaving behind their families, jobs, and schools. Many of them are just regular people who felt it was their duty to protect others. They deal with heat, hunger, fear, and danger. But even in the middle of war, they try to help each other. They share water. They write letters home. They carry injured teammates to safety. War is full of sadness, but also full of small moments of bravery and kindness.
War doesn’t only happen with guns and tanks. There’s also cyberwar, where people attack each other’s computer systems. And there’s economic war, where countries use money, not weapons, to hurt their opponents. All these kinds of war share one thing: they are ways of trying to win a fight without solving the problem peacefully.
Most people don’t want war. That might be the most important thing to remember. Around the world, people work every day to stop fights before they grow into battles. They become diplomats, who use words to find peace. They join organizations like the United Nations, which tries to bring countries together. They help write treaties—special agreements that try to make sure war doesn’t happen in the first place.
But even with all that effort, war still happens. And when it does, people have to find ways to protect each other, survive, and rebuild once the fighting stops. That’s one of the hardest parts. War doesn’t just end when the shooting stops. Afterward, there are roads to repair, families to reunite, and promises to keep so that it doesn’t happen again.
Some people say war is a part of human history, and that’s true. But that doesn’t mean it has to be part of our future. Every time people learn from the past—every time they understand why a war started or how it hurt people—they get a little better at building peace.
It’s okay to feel a mix of things when learning about war. It can feel confusing, even scary. But understanding what war means helps you ask better questions. It helps you recognize the signs when countries are getting close to conflict. And it reminds you that there are always people trying to stop war, too—people who believe that peace is worth fighting for, but not with weapons.
Different types of wars
Not all wars look alike. Some are over in just a few days. Others stretch on for years, changing the world in huge ways. Some involve only two countries. Others pull in nations from every continent. Just like there are many ways to solve a problem—or not solve it—there are many kinds of wars.
Then there are long wars. The Vietnam War lasted nearly 20 years if you count all the years of fighting from the first conflict to when the U.S. finally left. The Hundred Years’ War between England and France—yep, it really was close to 100 years—was a series of battles, breakups, and peace talks that started in the 1300s. Long wars wear people down. They drain money, energy, and hope. And they don’t always have a clear winner.
There are also civil wars. These happen within a single country, not between different ones. One part of the country tries to break away or take control. The American Civil War is probably the most well-known example in the United States. It was fought in the 1860s between the North (the Union) and the South (the Confederacy). It ended slavery in the U.S., but it also left huge scars—towns destroyed, families divided, and a long road to healing.
Now think even bigger. World wars are the kind of conflict that involve many countries across the globe. There have been two of them in modern history. World War I began in 1914, and World War II started in 1939. Both were massive, deadly, and had effects that reached almost every country. They weren’t just about one fight or one issue—they involved alliances, colonies, and global power. Even countries far away from the main battle zones were pulled in, often sending supplies, weapons, or soldiers to help.
There are also cold wars. These don’t involve constant fighting with guns or bombs. Instead, countries compete with threats, spies, space races, and military buildup. The Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union lasted from the end of World War II until 1991. The two countries didn’t fight directly, but they each tried to show they were stronger, smarter, and more powerful. That kind of war creates tension, fear, and suspicion—even if there aren’t battles happening every day.
Some wars are called proxy wars. That means two big powers don’t fight each other directly. Instead, they each support smaller groups or countries that do the fighting. It’s like watching a chess game where someone else moves your pieces. The war in Korea during the 1950s and the war in Afghanistan during the 1980s are examples of this. Big countries like the U.S. and the Soviet Union sent weapons, training, and money—but didn’t fight face-to-face.
A few wars are fought over resources, like oil or water. Others happen because of religion, or because one group of people is treated unfairly and decides to fight back. Some are called wars of independence, where a colony or region tries to break free from the country that controls it. The American Revolution was one of those. The United States didn’t want to be ruled by Britain anymore, and it fought a war to become its own country.
There’s also something called guerrilla warfare. That’s when fighters don’t face the enemy in big, open battles. Instead, they move quietly, strike in surprise attacks, then disappear. These kinds of wars are hard to predict and even harder to win. They often happen in forests, jungles, or cities, where the fighters can hide and blend in. Guerrilla fighters don’t always wear uniforms, and they usually know the land better than the army they’re fighting against.
Some wars are fought mostly in the air. Others are fought mostly at sea. And in recent times, war has even moved into cyberspace. That means people can use computers to attack power grids, steal military secrets, or spread false information. These cyberattacks can hurt countries just like bombs can—just in a different way.
No matter what kind of war it is—long or short, loud or quiet—it always brings consequences. The land changes. Governments might fall. New countries can be born. Borders can move. People flee their homes. Soldiers are wounded. Kids grow up without knowing peace. And even when the fighting ends, the pain and problems often stick around.
But understanding the types of war helps us understand how they start, why they matter, and what kind of help people need. If a war is short, countries might recover quickly. If it’s long, it might take generations. If it’s a civil war, the people living side by side might end up on opposite sides. If it’s a world war, the whole planet feels it.