Why Do You Think People In The Past Had Such An Unrealistic View Of War?

Question

Europeans in 1914 were not the first to misunderstand the horrors of war. When the American Civil War began in 1861, some Northerners thought it would be over by the end of the first year. In fact, many people who lived in Washington D.C., rushed out to see the first major battle, hoping the Union Army would quickly destroy the Confederates. They even packed their carriages with picnic baskets! Like wise, one hundred years later, when the first American troops joined the Korean War in June 1950, people expected them to quickly " wrap things up" and return home for the holidays. AND ALSO, For what kind of causes, If any, might you be willing to fight in war?

Answer 1

People likely assume wars would end quickly because they underestimate the resolve of their enemies. More importantly, propaganda convinces people that the enemy is weak and inferior.

People will be willing to fight a war if something/someone they care about is at risk, for money, pride, they like to kill, want to die, family tradition, love the country or ideology.

Answer 2

I am not sure how unrealistic they were. Notice the effort that went into motivational propaganda. It goes back a long way. At least a quarter of the Bible psalms are to incite the believers to war. The psalm about the rivers of Babylon was written to incite people into battle against the Edomites( a related tribe to Judah) after the tribe of Juda returned from the Babylon exile. Look at the media left from the WWI telling why the "Hun" had to be stopped. The poster of German Imperial Army soldiers with babys on their bayonets.
That brings a second point. We only have the Warmonger media left. We have very little antiwar material because it was never published or it was destroyed quickly. If you think the Us or Them attitude is strong now it was worse before.

Answer 3

Wait, didn't most Americans expect the war with Iraq to last a few months or a year tops? Didn't they expect 0 casualties? Weren't they "misled" by President Bush? I'm pretty sure people are still as clueless as ever. As for your last question, any cause that I believe is just.

Answer 4

It has a lot to do with the technology. Every new war brings bigger, badder & more deadly weapons: Civil war it was the rifled barreled muskets that doubled the range, WW1 it was the machine gun, WW2 it was the tank, Iraq it's the IED, etc...Once people realize how deadly these new weapons are it's too late to stop the war.

Answer 5

People do not have a real view of the duration of war because the peoples government leads them to believe that it will end quickly in order to gain acceptance to the idea of war.

Answer 6

No media outlets covering the real action. Plus the laps between wars and generations could cause the war stories pasted down to seem more exciting than horrific

Answer 7

people unrealistic view war

Answer 8

well people think they will win so they start war, but its not that easy so they start crying.

korean war, US was winning, but then china helped and it got messy.

i would fight war if its right, or at least right in me.

but war is caused by the worst leaders, if you are good leader you will not loose any of your citizen's life, and political objects have to be solved politically, not by war.

Answer 9

Wow. You're a walking example of "a little information is a dangerous thing." My brain would hemorrage if I tried to point out all the things wrong in your alleged question.

Answer 10

we still have an unrealistic view of war...we cant win in iraq....there is no clear enemy....and theres no reason to fight them....

i would fight in no war, because it rarely solves anything