When did nations stop conquering each other?

Question

I've read about wars between rival nations for territory, and how this nation gave up so much territory because it lost the war. The Romans made an empire, the Mongols made an empire, the Ottomans made an empire.

But today you don't have countries going to war with each other and taking each other's lands. No countries are making empires today. And nobody tell me the war in Iraq is really a war, it's just a series of skirmishes.

When did the conquering stop and boundaries became absolute?

Answer 1

I think that the question isn't "When did nations stop conquering each other?", but rather 'Why did nations stop trying to expand their influence by expanding the territory of their empires?'

The glib response is that militaristic expansion hasn't ended - (China/Nepal, India/Pakistan, Iraq/Iran, Iraq/Kuwait, Serbia/Bosnia, Israel/et al. In reality conquering peoples and lands started to decline at the end of the 19th century. At this point in history we see the emergence of 'nationalism', where people who have a shared history and territory begin seeing themselves as a single cultural entity with claims on ancestral lands. This is when the Zionist movement began taking a more organized form, the Franco-Prussian war, the unification of Germany. Having a strong national identity makes truly 'conquering' an area very difficult as the inhabitants will strongly oppose cultural conversion (see the many 'hot spots' in the world). Couple a strong sense of nationalism and the advances in military technology and you get a strong resistance force that will imped any unification.

Then you look at the increase in transportation and commerce that made conquering new lands less needed and wars of expansion begin to decline. We still see WWII, the aforementioned wars, and many others but empire building is finished (see the outcome of the last two attempts in WWII).

Instead we see the last of the empires breaking apart - (Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Russia) into there ethnic components. At the same time there is an increasing global economy and countries banding together in economic ties (NAFTA, EU, SAARC, etc).

All this is a long way of saying that there is little gain and large costs associated with the attempt to forcibly annex territory.

Answer 2

What in the hell are you talking about? You clearly don't know anything about current events. The war in Iraq is not 'a series of skirmishes.' Middle Eastern countries have continually tried to conquer Israel in the past century and as soon as the US pulls out of the Middle East, they will attempt to do so again. Various African nations are trying to take each other over, China may expand, Russia may expand again, etc. Go educate yourself before posting such inane questions.

Answer 3

I believe that you're in error.

China taking over Nepal and Russia acquiring some of its past empire of the USSR that tried to go independent.

The restructuring of Europe with the recent European Union.

The continual war for land between Israel and other mid-eastern nations.

Ongoing wars in Africa that are no more than wars over land.

They haven't stopped.

Answer 4

Iraq took over Kuwait recently - which is what got us involved there to begin with. We had to run them out or there would be no more Kuwait today - it would be part of southern Iraq.

Answer 5

Forgot some key areas, at the same time with Darius, Cyrus, Zoroastrian faith, Persia...etc yet greater importantly is the off-ended depiction of the Crusades and Islam customarily. First i'm going to handle Islam in its relation to Judaism and Christianity. Islamic texts provide credence to the two religions, even to Jesus and Abraham, they settle for them as prophets yet see their message of God (Allah) as distorted, even as acknowledging Jesus,Abraham and Muhammed have been all given the authentic message from God(Allah) Islam in its thought observed Cyrus' ideals of humanity and tolerance, Christians no longer in basic terms lived in Jerusalem maximum advantageous as much as the Crusades yet have been waiting to coach Christianity without being compelled. It became whilst Islam started out to unfold west in direction of Byzantine that Emperor Alexius I triggered Pope city II to act, and so he did, fueling rumors of Musclims slaying Christians and different barbaric practices that have been customarily unfounded the 1st marketing campaign started out in 1095. The crusaders have been a mixture of pious knights and convicted felons, murderers, rapists and outlaws, the dregs of western eu society (Pope city II observed this as a thank you to rid his land of those villains) The holy crusaders have been cruel, murdering and rampaging for the duration of the middle east and installation place of abode there till Saladin finally sacced Jersualem. Saladin taken aback the christian international by utilising showing mercy to the Christians interior of Jerusalem, allowing them to stay or bypass away very corresponding to Cyrus did with the Jews interior an analogous area. this could later end with diverse Crusades, such by way of fact the third,4th and newborn's marketing campaign that could carry-on a returned and forth between Roman Catholics and Muslims. somewhat.. The Jews have been there Then the Byzantines Then the Zoroastrians then the Muslims Then the Christians then the muslims then the jews and the muslims If everybody lays declare to that area, it somewhat isn't Christianity. Islam, Judaism and Christianity are very comparable religions, and that's probable why there's a lot vicious debate between the three. in an attempt to respond to your question, it can be a terrible thought for everybody to make a self-righteous declare to a community that is seen holy by utilising diverse religions, quite one which has already tried by way of brutal tension. we are able to all desire for peace in that contested land, even though it is not going to come returned on the hand of aggression, by utilising Muslims, Christians, Jews or everybody else.

Answer 6

Around the same time as they stopped being conquered.

By the way, you seem a little confused...
an ottoman is something you put your feet on, silly!

Answer 7

Please write my friends and tell them their son died in a "series of skirmishes."
It has not stopped.
It WILL not stop.