In December 2014, a ceremony was held to mark the end of the War in Afghanistan, more than
13 years after it started.
However, about 11 thousand troops are scheduled to remain in the region, and over 100 airstrikes
targeting terrorists have since occurred.
So, what does it really mean to “end” a war?
Well, a war can end in either a draw, or when victory is claimed by one or both sides.
A draw occurs when neither party wants to, or is able to, move forward with the war.
This stalemate can be officiated through a truce, or emerge after enough time has passed
that fighting naturally stops.
Victories, too, have nuanced meanings.
Winners can still be declared while fighting continues, even if one side hasn’t surrendered.
A famous example of a convoluted victory happened in 2003 when US President George W. Bush effectively
declared victory in Iraq.
Despite standing beneath a banner reading: “mission accomplished”, the war ended
up lasting another seven years.
Earlier in history, wars had an obvious, final ending, when all fighting ceased.
In the 1896 war between Zanzibar and the UK, the British military decimated Zanzibar’s
defences and forced an unconditional surrender within an hour.
In the Serbo-Bulgarian War of 1885, Bulgaria pummeled the Serbian Army and all fighting
stopped after a peace treaty the following year.
But political scientists have noted that on average, decisive endings to wars are no longer
the norm, and draws are far more common.
Furthermore, its suggested that United Nations peacekeeping efforts have something to do
with this trend - because all military action is more intently supervised for human rights
abuses.
The United States, for instance, may not indiscriminately bomb an area in order to achieve its surrender.
However, this means that guerilla warfare, which by nature is sporadic, becomes more
effective.
This, in turn, can prolong a war.
Additionally, modern warfare is less often fought over land, and more often fought over
abstract political differences, which are harder to enforce.
So, currently, how does a war end?
Well, usually the end comes after prolonged years of fighting, and the true victor is
less obviously defined.
Peace agreements, also known as treaties and armistices, are often used to define the terms
for the war’s culmination.
Even when most of the violence stops, a small percentage of troops are often left behind
to keep peace in the area, and prevent the conflict from reigniting.
Currently, the United Nations employs official Peace Keeping forces, which it has stationed
semi-permanently to 15 main areas in the world.
These forces help ensure that, in those areas, the end of the war, is really the end.
One big criticism of the United States’ endless war on terror is that it might have
some unintended consequences…
actually creating more terrorism.
To learn more about this issue, check out our video here.
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