Sunday, November 2, 2008
The Hundred and...er... Seventeen Years' War
The Hundred Years' War, which ironically was actually 117 years (In the span of time, what's a few years here or there anyway) started over what? You guessed it, money. Just going off the top of my head here...why did Japan enter WWII? Yep, money, or oil to be exact, but economic concerns nonetheless. So many wars are fought for economic reasons, but it seems that most people condemn them, as if we could run our country without a strong economy. We're getting a taste of that reality now, aren't we? I don't know how many times I've heard someone complain that we are in Iraq for oil or something similar, but it's been quite a few. The truth is, economic reasons are perfectly legitimate reasons for going to war and no civilization is so far above economic concerns or good ol' supply and demand to not have to think about it anymore. We are more fragile than we realize and will always be at risk of entering a conflict for similar reasons. I know it's a bit cliche, but the one thing about history that keeps me coming back is that the more things change, the more they stay the same. A war that starts with real economic concerns for England seems to turn into a bit of a land/power/prestige/fame grab and proves that the feudal knight is an antiquated idea that simply doesn't work anymore. If the definition of insanity really is doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result, (I think attributed to Einstein) then the French were insane. They charged their knights at the English, got decimated, did it again, and then did it again about ten years later. You would think that they would have got a clue and added some new plays to the playbook. There is a lot to talk about concerning the Hundred Years' War.
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2 comments:
I agree - people don't seem to realize the outcome of wars (or a lack thereof) in the sense of economy and other business. Right now the economy's taking a pretty big hit, but I think a good chunk of that is just pure panic. Many wars are fought over money and power, as you stated. Maybe one day people will understand there's more to war than just the fighting.
I agree that the almighty dollar has alot of weight when it comes to war. I did my narrative on the 400s to 900s in France and the ruling class was no different then. The Franks went to war in a large part to fill their treasuries. War was a great money maker as long as you won.
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