 War and Conflict: The Last 5000 Years of Human HistorySangaralingam Ramesh ()
Chapter Chapter 7 in The Political Economy of Contemporary Human Civilisation, Volume II, 2025, pp 219-268 from Springer Abstract: Abstract This chapter examines the historical and contemporary drivers of warfare over the last 5000 years. It highlights the evolution of conflict from resource-driven skirmishes in early societies to large-scale ideological and geopolitical wars. Early human conflicts were centred on competition for essential resources like water, land, and trade routes, which later evolved into struggles for political dominance and territorial expansion, say, of the Roman and Mongolian Empires. Ideological motivations, as seen in the Crusades, often intertwined with economic interests, shaping the nature of conflict through history. Modern wars, including the World Wars and Cold War, were driven by nationalism, industrialization, and ideological rivalries. The chapter also explores emerging challenges such as climate change and technological advancements. Climate-induced resource scarcity and advancements in AI, quantum computing, and autonomous systems introduce new risks and opportunities for conflict. The chapter underscores the importance of equitable technological governance and international cooperation to navigate these complex dynamics and foster global stability. Date: 2025 There are no downloads for this item, see the EconPapers FAQ for hints about obtaining it. Related works: Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:sprchp:978-3-031-84185-9_7 Ordering information: This item can be ordered from DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-84185-9_7 Access Statistics for this chapter More chapters in Springer Books from Springer |
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