Changes

'''War''' is a prolonged state of violent conflict between two or more states.  War has been conducted for many purposes, such as the acquisition of goods, seizing enemy territory, to satisfy the honor of the [[sovereign]], eliminating a threat to the homeland, stamping out rival religious sects (see [[Religious_war]]), or exporting political ideologies.  Warfare between factions within a single [[state]] is called [[civil war]].

'''War''' is a prolonged state of violent conflict between two or more states.  War has been conducted for many purposes, such as the acquisition of goods, seizing enemy territory, to satisfy the honor of the [[sovereign]], eliminating a threat to the homeland, stamping out rival religious sects (see [[Religious_war]]), or exporting political ideologies.  Warfare between factions within a single [[state]] is called [[civil war]]. Wars motivated by selfish or irrational reasons, such as German aggression in world war 2 or Al Queada attacking America on 9/11 are widely regarded as evil. War can however also bring about positive changes and be motivated with good ideals, such as the American revolution, American involvement in WW2 and the current war to liberate Iraq.

Wars have often been periods of great technological innovation as each side finds itself faced with the necessity of creating new methods of offense and defense to ensure national survival.  The [[American Civil War]], coming only a decade after the [[Industrial revolution]] took root in the United States, introduced mechanized warfare to the world with metal [[warship]]s, [[railway|railroad]] transportation of forces and material, and instant communication via the [[telegraph]].  The conflict known as the Great War (later called [[World War I]]) introduced air combat, [[chemical warfare]], [[submarine]] and [[tank (military)|tank]] warfare, and the large scale deployment of the [[machine gun]].  [[World War II]] refined tank tactics in the form of the [[Blitzkrieg]] as the [[aircraft carrier]] took mastery of the seas.  It ended with the first use of [[nuclear weapon]]s in wartime.

Wars have often been periods of great technological innovation as each side finds itself faced with the necessity of creating new methods of offense and defense to ensure national survival.  The [[American Civil War]], coming only a decade after the [[Industrial revolution]] took root in the United States, introduced mechanized warfare to the world with metal [[warship]]s, [[railway|railroad]] transportation of forces and material, and instant communication via the [[telegraph]].  The conflict known as the Great War (later called [[World War I]]) introduced air combat, [[chemical warfare]], [[submarine]] and [[tank (military)|tank]] warfare, and the large scale deployment of the [[machine gun]].  [[World War II]] refined tank tactics in the form of the [[Blitzkrieg]] as the [[aircraft carrier]] took mastery of the seas.  It ended with the first use of [[nuclear weapon]]s in wartime.

The decades after World War II saw America's military emerge as a powerful force, but vulnerable to a new type of [[asymmetrical warfare]] against an enemy who shuns uniforms, hides among the populace, and employs cheap but effective improvised weapons against multi-million dollar U.S. hardware.{{fact}}

The decades after World War II saw America's military emerge as a powerful force, but vulnerable to a new type of [[asymmetrical warfare]] against an enemy who shuns uniforms, hides among the populace, and employs cheap but effective improvised weapons against multi-million dollar U.S. hardware.{{fact}}

[[category:sociology]]

[[category:sociology]]