Vision of territory has always been the leading force of warfare. The ancient empires and medieval kingdoms were eager to increase the boundaries capturing the land and strongholds. Conquest brought along power, resources and safety. This physical grandeur was a motive behind wars since ancient times till the colonial period defining the borders of the world using force.
War has always been generated by the need to acquire needed resources and domination of trade routes. It was important to implement the protection of the basic commodity, such as grain, metals or water. It was a question of dominating profitable trade relations. Countries fought because they sought a chance to financially benefit, loot resources or deprive opponents of the essential resources, which is why economies have a direct connection to conflict.
Religious and ideological zeal became very strong war causes. Conflict based on basic principles was invulnerable: conflicts between competing gods or political doctrines or religious schisms. The wars such as the Crusades or the Cold War did not fit in the field of compromise and sold the war as a noble war against evil which warranted tremendous sacrifice.
Nationalism greatly transformed the influences on warfares. Searing patriotism over nation-states, stirred up by real or imagined insults or wrongs, turned into a powerful catalyzing power. At the same time, complicated politics and power interests, domestic strife, a sense of alliance commitment, or the need to achieve prestige, caused aggravations. At times, the issue of geopolitical Leverage and standing was the main objective, and not the improvement of material benefit.
Contemporary warfare is all about economic domination, military superiority and international balances. Though grabbing of territory is still the order of the day, conflicts are frequently breaking out over territory control of markets, energy security or geopolitical advantage. Leading technological advancements and projections of power around the globe are major contributors. However, the historical drivers such as ideology and nationalism are still applicable in the modern confrontations.
Conclusion
The motivation behind war has changed whereby new rationale is added to existing motivations. Ancient conflicts began through territorial conquest and competition in resources. Later the scale of warfare was increased by ideological vasermania, nationalism, and political manipulation. The world today is characterized by economic superiority and operational necessities that tend to prevail over other factors but the roots of territory, resources, ideology and power still reign supreme as seeds of conflict are still strong grounds to war though history may have changed.
