write an essay on war

Essays About War: Top 5 Examples and 5 Prompts

War is atrocious and there is an almost universal rule that we should be prevented; if you are writing essays about war, read our helpful guide.

Throughout history, war has driven human progress. It has led to the dissolution of oppressive regimes and the founding of new democratic countries. There is no doubt that the world would not be as it is without the many wars waged in the past.

War is waged to achieve a nation or organization’s goals, but what is the actual cost of progress? War has taken, and continues to take, countless lives. It is and is very costly in terms of resources as well. From the American Revolution to World Wars I and II to the Crusades and Hundred Years’ War of antiquity, wars throughout history have been bloody, brutal, and disastrous.

If you are writing essays about war, look at our top essay examples below.

1. War Is Not Part of Human Nature by R. Brian Ferguson

2. essay on war and peace (author unknown), 3. the impacts of war on global health by sarah moore.

4. The Psychosocial Impacts of War and Armed Conflict on Children by Iman Farajallah, Omar Reda, H. Steven Moffic, John R. Peteet, and Ahmed Hankir

5. Is war a pre-requisite for peace? by Anna Cleary

5 prompts for essays about war, 1. is war justified, 2. why do countries go to war, 3. the effects of war, 4. moral and ethical issues concerning war, 5. reflecting on a historical war.

“Debate over war and human nature will not soon be resolved. The idea that intensive, high-casualty violence was ubiquitous throughout prehistory has many backers. It has cultural resonance for those who are sure that we as a species naturally tilt toward war. As my mother would say: “Just look at history!” But doves have the upper hand when all the evidence is considered. Broadly, early finds provide little if any evidence suggesting war was a fact of life.”

Ferguson disputes the popular belief that war is inherent to human nature, as evidenced by archaeological discoveries. Many archaeologists use the very same evidence to support the opposing view. Evidence reveals many instances where war was waged, but not fought. In the minds of Ferguson and many others, humanity may be predisposed to conflict and violence, but not war, as many believe.

“It also appears that if peace were to continue for a long period, people would become sick of the monotony of life and would seek war for a changed man is a highly dynamic creature and it seems that he cannot remain contented merely with works of peace-the cultivation of arts, the development of material comforts, the extension of knowledge, the means and appliances of a happy life.”

This essay provides an interesting perspective on war; other than the typical motivations for war, such as the desire to achieve one’s goals; the author writes that war disrupts the monotony of peace and gives participants a sense of excitement and uncertainty. In addition, it instills the spirit of heroism and bravery in people. However, the author does not dispute that war is evil and should be avoided as much as possible.

“War forces people to flee their homes in search of safety, with the latest figures from the UN estimating that around 70 million people are currently displaced due to war. This displacement can be incredibly detrimental to health, with no safe and consistent place to sleep, wash, and shelter from the elements. It also removes a regular source of food and proper nutrition. As well as impacting physical health, war adversely affects the mental health of both those actively involved in conflict and civilians.”

Moore discusses the side effects that war has on civilians. For example, it diverts resources used on poverty alleviation and infrastructure towards fighting. It also displaces civilians when their homes are destroyed, reduces access to food, water, and sanitation, and can significantly impact mental health, among many other effects.

4. The Psychosocial Impacts of War and Armed Conflict on Children by Iman Farajallah, Omar Reda, H. Steven Moffic, John R. Peteet, and Ahmed Hankir

“The damage done by war-related trauma can never be undone. We can, however, help reduce its long-term impacts, which can span generations. When we reach within ourselves to discover our humanity, it allows us to reach out to the innocent children and remind them of their resilience and beauty. Trauma can make or break us as individuals, families, and communities.”

In their essay, the authors explain how war can affect children. Children living in war-torn areas expectedly witness a lot of violence, including the killings of their loved ones. This may lead to the inability to sleep properly, difficulty performing daily functions, and a speech impediment. The authors write that trauma cannot be undone and can ruin a child’s life.

“The sociologist Charles Tilly has argued that war and the nation state are inextricably linked. War has been crucial for the formation of the nation state, and remains crucial for its continuation. Anthony Giddens similarly views a link between the internal pacification of states and their external violence. It may be that, if we want a durable peace, a peace built on something other than war, we need to consider how to construct societies based on something other than the nation state and its monopoly of violence.”

This essay discusses the irony that war is waged to achieve peace. Many justify war and believe it is inevitable, as the world seems to balance out an era of peace with another war. However, others advocate for total pacifism. Even in relatively peaceful times, organizations and countries have been carrying out “shadow wars” or engaging in conflict without necessarily going into outright war. Cleary cites arguments made that for peace to indeed exist by itself, societies must not be built on the war in the first place.

Many believe that war is justified by providing a means to peace and prosperity. Do you agree with this statement? If so, to what extent? What would you consider “too much” for war to be unjustified? In your essay, respond to these questions and reflect on the nature and morality of war.

Wars throughout history have been waged for various reasons, including geographical domination, and disagreement over cultural and religious beliefs. In your essay, discuss some of the reasons different countries go to war, you can look into the belief systems that cause disagreements, oppression of people, and leaders’ desire to conquer geographical land. For an interesting essay, look to history and the reasons why major wars such as WWI and WWII occurred.

In this essay, you can write about war’s effects on participating countries. You can focus on the impact of war on specific sectors, such as healthcare or the economy. In your mind, do they outweigh the benefits? Discuss the positive and negative effects of war in your essay. To create an argumentative essay, you can pick a stance if you are for or against war. Then, argue your case and show how its effects are positive, negative, or both.

Many issues arise when waging war, such as the treatment of civilians as “collateral damage,” keeping secrets from the public, and torturing prisoners. For your essay, choose an issue that may arise when fighting a war and determine whether or not it is genuinely “unforgivable” or “unacceptable.” Are there instances where it is justified? Be sure to examples where this issue has arisen before.

Humans have fought countless wars throughout history. Choose one significant war and briefly explain its causes, major events, and effects. Conduct thorough research into the period of war and the political, social, and economic effects occurred. Discuss these points for a compelling cause and effect essay.

For help with this topic, read our guide explaining “what is persuasive writing ?”If you still need help, our guide to grammar and punctuation explains more.

Martin is an avid writer specializing in editing and proofreading. He also enjoys literary analysis and writing about food and travel.

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Home — Essay Samples — War — Effects of War — World War II

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Categories: Effects of War World History

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Published: Jul 17, 2018

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How to Write War Essay: Russia Ukraine War

Understanding the Purpose and Scope of a War Essay

A condition of armed conflict between nations or between groups living in one nation is known as war. Sounds not like much fun, does it? Well, conflicts have been a part of human history for thousands of years, and as industry and technology have developed, they have grown more devastating. As awful as it might seem, a war typically occurs between a country or group of countries against a rival country to attain a goal through force. Civil and revolutionary wars are examples of internal conflicts that can occur inside a nation.

Your history class could ask you to write a war essay, or you might be personally interested in learning more about conflicts, in which case you might want to learn how to write an academic essay about war. In any scenario, we have gathered valuable guidance on how to organize war essays. Let's first examine the potential reasons for a conflict before moving on to the outline for a war essay.

Economic Gain - A country's desire to seize control of another country's resources frequently starts conflicts. Even when the proclaimed goal of a war is portrayed to the public as something more admirable, most wars have an economic motivation at their core, regardless of any other possible causes.
Territorial Gain - A nation may determine that it requires additional land for habitation, agriculture, or other uses. Additionally, the territory might serve as buffer zones between two violent foes.
Religion - Religious disputes can stem from extremely profound issues. They may go dormant for many years before suddenly resurfacing later.
Nationalism - In this sense, nationalism simply refers to the act of violently subjugating another country to demonstrate the country's superiority. This frequently manifests as an invasion.
Revenge - Warfare can frequently be motivated by the desire to punish, make up for, or simply exact revenge for perceived wrongdoing. Revenge has a connection to nationalism as well because when a nation has been wronged, its citizens are inspired by patriotism and zeal to take action.
Defensive War - In today's world, when military aggression is being questioned, governments will frequently claim that they are fighting in a solely protective manner against a rival or prospective aggressor and that their conflict is thus a 'just' conflict. These defensive conflicts may be especially contentious when conducted proactively, with the basic premise being that we are striking them before they strike us.

How to Write War Essay with a War Essay Outline

Just like in compare and contrast examples and any other forms of writing, an outline for a war essay assists you in organizing your research and creating a good flow. In general, you keep to the traditional three-part essay style, but you can adapt it as needed based on the length and criteria of your school. When planning your war paper, consider the following outline:

Introduction

Definition of war
Importance of studying wars
Thesis statement

Body Paragraphs

Causes of the War
Political reasons
Economic reasons
Social reasons
Historical reasons
Major Players in the War
Countries and their leaders
Military leaders
Allies and enemies
Strategies and Tactics
Military tactics and techniques
Strategic planning
Weapons and technology
Impact of the War
On the countries involved
On civilians and non-combatants
On the world as a whole
Summary of the main points
Final thoughts on the war
Suggestions for future research

If you found this outline template helpful, you can also use our physics help for further perfecting your academic assignments.

Begin With a Relevant Hook

A hook should be the focal point of the entire essay. A good hook for an essay on war can be an interesting statement, an emotional appeal, a thoughtful question, or a surprising fact or figure. It engages your audience and leaves them hungry for more information.

Follow Your Outline

An outline is the single most important organizational tool for essay writing. It allows the writer to visualize the overall structure of the essay and focus on the flow of information. The specifics of your outline depend on the type of essay you are writing. For example, some should focus on statistics and pure numbers, while others should dedicate more space to abstract arguments.

How to Discuss Tragedy, Loss, and Sentiment

War essays are particularly difficult to write because of the terrible nature of war. The life is destroyed, the loved ones lost, fighting, death, great many massacres and violence overwhelm, and hatred for the evil enemy, amongst other tragedies, make emotions run hot, which is why sensitivity is so important. Depending on the essay's purpose, there are different ways to deal with tragedy and sentiment.

The easiest one is to stick with objective data rather than deal with the personal experiences of those who may have been affected by these events. It can be hard to remain impartial, especially when writing about recent deaths and destruction. But it is your duty as a researcher to do so.

However, it’s not always possible to avoid these issues entirely. When you are forced to tackle them head-on, you should always be considerate and avoid passing swift and sweeping judgment.

Summing Up Your Writing

When you have finished presenting your case, you should finish it off with some sort of lesson it teaches us. Armed conflict is a major part of human nature yet. By analyzing the events that transpired, you should be able to make a compelling argument about the scale of the damage the war caused, as well as how to prevent it in the future.

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Russia Ukraine War

Russian President Vladimir Putin started the Russian invasion in the early hours of February 24 last year. According to him. the Ukrainian government had been committing genocide against Russian-speaking residents in the eastern Ukraine - Donbas region since 2014, calling the onslaught a 'special military operation.'

The Russian president further connected the assault to the NATO transatlantic military alliance commanded by the United States. He said the Russian military was determined to stop NATO from moving farther east and establishing a military presence in Ukraine, a part of the Soviet Union, until its fall in 1991.

All of Russia's justifications have been rejected by Ukraine and its ally Western Countries. Russia asserted its measures were defensive, while Ukraine declared an emergency and enacted martial law. According to the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the administration's objective is not only to repel offensives but also to reclaim all Ukrainian land that the Russian Federation has taken, including Crimea.

Both sides of the conflict accuse the other of deploying indiscriminate force, which has resulted in many civilian deaths and displacements. According to current Ukraine news, due to the difficulty of counting the deceased due to ongoing combat, the death toll is likely far higher. In addition, countless Ukrainian refugees were compelled to leave their homeland in search of safety and stability abroad.

Diplomatic talks have been employed to try to end the Ukraine-Russia war. Several rounds of conversations have taken place in various places. However, the conflict is still raging as of April 2023, and there is no sign of a truce.

World War II

World War II raged from 1939 until 1945. Most of the world's superpowers took part in the conflict, fought between two military alliances headed by the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union, and the Axis Powers, led by Germany, Italy, and Japan.

If you'd like to explore it more in-depth, consider using our history essay service for a World War 2 essay pdf sample!

After World War II, a persistent political conflict between the United States, the Soviet Union, and their allies became known as the Cold War. It's hard to say who was to blame for the cold war essay. American citizens have long harbored concerns about Soviet communism and expressed alarm over Joseph Stalin's brutal control of his own nation. On their side, the Soviets were angry at the Americans for delaying their participation in World War II, which led to the deaths of tens of millions of Russians, and for America's long-standing unwillingness to recognize the USSR as a genuine member of the world community.

Vietnam War

If you're thinking about writing the Vietnam War essay, you should know that it was a protracted military battle that lasted in Vietnam from 1955 to 1975. The North Vietnamese communist government fought South Vietnam and its main ally, the United States, in the lengthy, expensive, and contentious Vietnam War. The ongoing Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union exacerbated the issue. The Vietnam War claimed the lives of more than 3 million individuals, more than half of whom were Vietnamese civilians.

American Civil War

Consider writing an American Civil War essay where the Confederate States of America, a grouping of eleven southern states that seceded from the Union in 1860 and 1861, and the United States of America battled each other. If you're wondering what caused the civil war, you should know that the long-standing dispute about the legitimacy of slavery is largely responsible for how the war started.

The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

After over a century, the Israel-Palestine conflict has evolved into one of the most significant and current problems in the Middle East. A war that has claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people destroyed their homes and gave rise to terrorist organizations that still hold the region hostage. Simply described, it is a conflict between two groups of people for ownership of the same piece of land. One already resided there, while the other was compelled to immigrate to this country owing to rising antisemitism and later settled there. For Israelis and Palestinians alike, as well as for the larger area, the war continues to have substantial political, social, and economic repercussions.

The Syrian Civil War

Pro-democracy protests broke out in southern Deraa in March 2011 due to upheavals against oppressive leaders in neighboring nations. When the Syrian government employed lethal force to quell the unrest, widespread protests calling for the president's resignation broke out.

The country entered a civil war as the violence quickly increased. After hundreds of rebel organizations emerged, the fight quickly expanded beyond a confrontation between Syrians supporting or opposing Mr. Assad. Everyone believes a political solution is necessary, even though it doesn't seem like it will soon.

Russia-Ukraine War Essay Sample

With the Russian-Ukrainian war essay sample provided below from our paper writing experts, you can gain more insight into structuring a flawless paper.

Why is there a war between Russia and Ukraine?

Final Words

To understand our past and the present, we must study conflicts since they are a product of human nature and civilization. Our graduate essay writing service can produce any kind of essay you want, whether it is about World War II, the Cold War, or another conflict. Send us your specifications with your ' write my essay ' request, and let our skilled writers help you wow your professor!

Having Hard Time Writing on Wars?

From the causes and consequences of wars to the strategies and tactics used in battle, our team of expert writers can provide you with a high-quality essay!

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How to Write a Perfect Essay On/About War (A Complete Guide)

War is painful. It causes mass death and the destruction of infrastructure on an unimaginable scale. Unfortunately, as humans, we have not yet been able to prevent wars and conflicts from happening. Nevertheless, we are studying them to understand them and their causes better.

In this post, we will look at how to write a war essay. The information we will share here will help anyone craft a brilliant war essay, whatever their level of education.

Let’s commence.

What Is a War Essay?

A war essay is an essay on an armed conflict involving two states or one state and an armed group. You will be asked to write a war essay at some point if you are taking a history course, diplomacy course, international relations course, war studies course, or conflict management course.

When asked to write about a war, it is important to consider several things. These include the belligerents, the location of the conflict, the leading cause or causes of the conflict, the course of the event so far, and the possible solutions to the conflict.

The sections below will help you discover everything you need to know about how to write war essays.

An essay about war can take many forms, including:

Expository essay – where you explore the timeline of the wars (conflicts), losses/consequences, significant battles, and notable dates.
Argumentative essay . A war essay that debates an aspect of a certain war.
Cause and Effect essay examines the events leading to war and its aftermath.
Compare and contrast a war essay that pits one war or an aspect of the war against an
Document-based question (DBQ) that analyzes the historical war documentation to answer a prompt.
Creative writing pieces where you narrate or describe an experience of or with war.
A persuasive essay where use ethos, pathos, and logos (rhetorical appeals) to convince your readers to adopt your points.

The Perfect Structure/Organization for a War Essay

To write a good essay about war, you must understand the war essay structure. The war essay structure is the typical 3-section essay structure. It starts with an introduction section, followed by a body section, and then a conclusion section. Find out what you need to include in each section below:

1. Introduction

In the introduction paragraph , you must introduce the reader to the war or conflict you are discussing. But before you do so, you need to hook the reader to your work. You can only do this by starting your introduction with an attention-grabbing statement . This can be a fact about the war, a quote, or a statistic.

Once you have grabbed the reader's attention, you should introduce the reader to the conflict your essay is focused on. You should do this by providing them with a brief background on the conflict.

Your thesis statement should follow the background information. This is the main argument your essay will be defending.

The introduction section of a war essay is typically one paragraph long. But it can be two paragraphs long for long war essays.

In the body section of your war essay, you need to provide information to support your thesis statement. A typical body section of a college essay will include three to four body paragraphs. Each body paragraph starts with a topic sentence and solely focuses on it. This is how your war essay should be.

Once you develop a thesis statement, you should think of the points you will use to defend it and then list them in terms of strength. The strongest of these points should be your topic sentences.

When developing the body section of your war essay, make sure your paragraphs flow nicely. This will make your essay coherent. One of the best ways to make your paragraphs flow is to use transition words, phrases, and sentences.

The body section of a war essay is typically three to four paragraphs long, but it can be much longer.

3. Conclusion

In the conclusion section of your war essay, you must wrap up everything nicely. The recommended way to do this is to restate your thesis statement to remind the reader what your essay was about. You should follow this by restating the main points supporting your thesis statement.

Your thesis and the restatement of your main points should remind your reader of what your essay was all about. You should then end your essay with a food-for-thought, a recommendation, or a solution. Whatever you use to end your essay, make sure it is relevant to what you have just covered in your essay, and it shows that you have widely read on the topic.

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How to write a war Essay? – The Steps

Several wars have taken place on earth, including:

World War I and II
Russian Civil War
Chinese Civil War
Lebanese Civil War
Syrian Civil War
The Spanish Civil War
The American Civil War
Afghanistan War

The list of wars that have happened to date is endless.

Writing a war essay is never easy. You need to plan your work meticulously to develop a brilliant war essay. If you are assigned to write a war essay or paper, follow the steps below to develop a brilliant essay on any conflict.

1. Read The Assignment Instructions Carefully

You must know precisely what to do to write a brilliant war essay. College professors typically provide multiple instructions when they ask students to write college essays. Students must then read the instructions carefully to write precisely what their professors want to see.

Therefore, when you get a war essay assignment, you must read the instructions carefully to understand what is needed of you entirely. Know exactly what conflict your professor wants you to focus on, what aspect of the conflict (the origin, the chronology of events leading to the war, external factors, etc.), what sources they want you to use, and the number of pages they want.

Knowing what your professor needs will help you to develop it nicely.

2. Do Your Research

After reviewing the war assignment instructions, you should research the topic you’ve been asked to focus on. Do this by Googling the topic (and its variations), searching it in your college database, and searching it in scholarly databases. As you read more on the topic, take a lot of notes. This will help you to understand the topic better, plus its nuances.

Once you understand the topic well, you should start to think about what precisely your essay should focus on. If you like, this will be the foundation of your essay or the thesis statement.

Once you settle on the thesis statement, read more on the topic but focus on information that will help you defend your thesis statement.

3. Craft A Thesis Statement and Create an Outline

At this point, you should have a rough thesis statement . Once you have read more information on it as per the previous step, you should be able to refine it into a solid and argumentative statement at this point.

So refine your thesis statement to make it perfect. Your thesis statement can be one or two sentences long but never more. Once you have created it, you should create an outline.

An outline is like a treasure map – it details where you must go comprehensively. Creating an outline will give you an overview of what your essay will look like and whether it will defend your thesis statement. It will also make it easier for you to develop your essay.

Ensure your outline includes a striking title for your conflict essay, the topic sentence for each body paragraph, and the supporting evidence for each topic sentence.

4. Start Writing the Introduction

When you finish writing your essay, you should start writing the introduction. This is where the rubber meets the road –the actual writing of your war essay begins.

Since you have already created a thesis statement and an outline, you should not find it challenging to write your introduction. Follow your outline to develop a friendly compact, and informative introduction to the conflict your essay will focus on.

Read your introduction twice to make sure it is as compact and as informative as it can be. It should also be straightforward to understand.

5. Write The Rest of Your Essay

Once you have created the introduction to your war essay, you should create the body section. The body section of your essay should follow your outline. Remember the outline you created in step 3 has the points you should focus on in each body paragraph. So follow it to make developing your essay’s body section easy.

As you develop your essay's body section, ensure you do everything nicely. By this, we mean you develop each topic sentence entirely using the sandwich paragraph writing method.

Also, make sure there is a nice flow between your sentences and between your paragraphs.

6. Conclude Your War Essay

After writing the rest of your essay, you should offer a robust conclusion. Your conclusion should also follow your outline. As usual, it should start with a thesis restatement and a restatement of all your main points.

It should then be followed by a concluding statement that provides the reader with food for thought. You should never include new information in your conclusion paragraph. This will make it feel like another body paragraph, yet the purpose of your conclusion should be to give your reader the feeling that your essay is ending or done.

7. Proofread and Edit Your Essay

This is the last step of writing a war essay or any other one. This step is final, but it is perhaps the most important step. This is because it distinguishes an ordinary essay from an extraordinary one.

You should proofread your essay at least thrice, especially if it is short. When you do it the first time, you should look for grammar errors and other basic mistakes. Eliminate all the errors and mistakes you find. When you do it the second time, you should do it to ensure the flow of your essay is perfect.

And when you do it the third and last time, you should use editing software like Grammarly.com to catch all the errors you might have missed.

When you proofread your war essay in this manner, you should be able to transform it from average to excellent. After completing this step, your war essay will be ready for submission.

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Tips for Writing a Brilliant War Essay

Follow the tips below to develop a brilliant essay.

A brilliant topic is always vital.

When you are assigned a war essay, you should do your best to choose or create a brilliant topic for your essay. A boring topic focusing on something discussed and debated a million times will never be brilliant.

A strong thesis statement is essential.

Along with a brilliant topic, you need a strong thesis statement to make your war essay brilliant. This is because a strong thesis statement is like a lighthouse – it will guide safely to the harbor (conclusion).

Do not be afraid to discuss the tragedy.

Sometimes war details can feel too graphic or gruesome, leading to hesitance on the part of students when they are writing articles. Do not hesitate or be afraid to discuss tragedy if discussing tragedy will add to the substance of your essay.

Be impartial.

Sometimes it can be challenging to write an impartial essay, especially if you relate to or strongly support one side in a conflict. Well, this should never happen. As a researcher, you must be as impartial as you can be. You must inform your reader of all the facts available to you without bias so they have an accurate impression of whatever you are talking about.

Ensure your work has flow.

This is one of the most important things you must do when writing a war essay. Since war essays sometimes discuss disparate issues, ending with a disjointed essay is straightforward. You should do all you can to ensure your workflows are well, including using transition words generously.

Proofread your work.

You should always proofread your essays before submission. This is what will always upgrade them from ordinary to extraordinary. If you don’t proofread your work, you will submit subpar work that will not get you a good grade.

Explore unexplored angles.

Chances are, whatever war or conflict you write about has already been written on or reported on a million times. If you want your essay to be interesting, you should explore unexplored angles on conflicts. This will make your work very interesting.

War Essay Sample to Inspire your Writing

Here is a short sample of a war essay on the Russia-Ukraine War.

The most affected cities in the Russia-Ukraine War 2022

The Russia-Ukraine war has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions across Ukraine. It has also led to the destruction of civilian homes and infrastructure across Ukraine. The eastern cities of Bakhmut, Kharkiv, and Mariupol are the most affected cities in the Russia-Ukraine War 2022.

Bakhmut in southeastern Ukraine is the site of the bloodiest and longest-running battle between Russian and Ukrainian forces. The city is strategic as it is close to supply routes that the Russians use in the occupied territories of southern Ukraine. It is estimated that as much as 90% of Bakhmut has been destroyed in Russia’s bid to take over the city.

Mariupol is a Ukrainian port city between Russia and the Russian-occupied Crimea. Russia decided to take the city early on to deny Ukraine a foothold close to its border and operation areas in the south. Yet the city was defended by a fanatic Ukrainian military battalion that swore not to give it up. This led to Russia bombing much of the city to the ground. In the end, Russia won the battle for Mariupol and now controls the city and the surrounding area.

Kharkiv is Ukraine’s second biggest city. It is less than 45 minutes away from the Russian border. Taking the city was one of the top priorities for Russia at the start of the war because of its proximity to Russia. Nevertheless, Ukraine deployed much of its army to defend the city and has managed to do so. Nevertheless, this has come at a cost. Much of Kharkiv’s infrastructure is destroyed. Its power lines, highways, roads, railways, dams, and industries are destroyed.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict has affected much of Ukraine, especially the eastern cities of Bakhmut, Kharkiv, and Mariupol. All three cities have suffered tremendous infrastructure damage in the past few months. Efforts must be made by the two state parties and the international community to prevent further destruction of Ukrainian cities in this conflict.

War Essay Topic Ideas

Not sure what to write about in your war essay? Here are some ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

Causes of Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022
What led to Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014?
Causes of Tigray conflict in Ethiopia
Somalia-Kenya border conflict
Conflict in eastern DRC
Secessionist movements in the UK
Western Sahara versus Morocco
Causes of the Libyan Civil War
The American war of independence
The American civil war
The English civil war
The Napoleonic wars
The French invasion of Russia
Causes of the crusader wars
The German invasion of Poland and its consequences
The battle of Stalingrad and its bearing on the cause of WWII
The causes of World War I
The Japanese invasion of Southeast Asia
What caused America to end the Vietnam War
The Cuban Missile Crisis
The fall of the Berlin Wall
The Arms Race
Role of the cold world war in shaping the world we live today
The causes and consequences of the Syrian Civil War
The role of propaganda in the Iraq War
Implications of the Syrian Civil War

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The Ethics of War: Essays

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Some of the most basic assumptions of Just War theory have been dismantled in a barrage of criticism and analysis in the first dozen years of the twenty-first century. The Ethics of War continues and pushes past this trend. This anthology is an authoritative treatment of the ethics and law of war by eminent scholars who first challenged the orthodoxy of Just War theory, as well as by “second-wave” revisionists. The twelve original essays span both foundational and topical issues in the ethics of war, including an investigation of whether there is a “greater-good” obligation that parallels the canonical lesser evil justification in war, the conditions under which citizens can wage war against their own government, whether there is a limit to the number of combatants on the unjust side who can be permissibly killed, whether the justice of the cause for which combatants fight affects the moral permissibility of fighting, whether duress ever justifies killing in war, the role that collective liability plays in the ethics of war, whether targeted killing is morally and legally permissible, the morality of legal prohibitions on the use of indiscriminate weapons, the justification for the legal distinction between directly and indirectly harming civilians, whether human rights of unjust combatants are more prohibitive than have been thought, the moral categories and criteria needed to understand the proper justification for ending war, and the role of hope in the moral repair of combatants suffering from PTSD.

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Essay on War - A nation or organisation may turn to war to reach its goals, but what is the actual cost of progress? Countless lives have been lost to war and continue to be lost. It costs a lot of money and resources as well. Wars have always been brutal, deadly, and tragic, from the American Revolution to World Wars I and II to the Crusades and the ancient Hundred Years' War. Here are a few sample essays on "war" .

100 Words Essay on War

The greatest destroyers of people in modern times are wars. No matter who wins a war, mankind loses in every case. Millions of people have died in battles during the past century, with World Wars I and II being the worst. Wars are typically fought to protect a nation. Whatever the motive, it is hazardous conduct that results in the loss of millions of priceless innocent lives and has dangerous impacts that even future generations will have to deal with.

The results of using nuclear bombs are catastrophic. The weapons business benefits when there is a war elsewhere in the world because it maintains its supply chain. Weapons that cause massive destruction are being made bigger and better. The only way to end wars is to raise awareness among the general public.

200 Words Essay on War

Without a doubt, war is terrible, and the most devastating thing that can happen to humans. It causes death and devastation, illness and poverty, humiliation and destruction. To evaluate the devastation caused by war, one needs to consider the havoc that was wrecked on several nations not too many years ago. A particularly frightening ability of modern wars is that they tend to become global so that they may absorb the entire world. The fact that some people view war as a great and heroic adventure that brings out the best in people does not change the fact that it is a horrible tragedy.

This is more true now that atomic weapons will be used to fight a war. War, according to some, is required. Looking at the past reveals that war has drastically changed throughout the nation's history. The destructive impacts of war have never been more prevalent in human history. We have experienced lengthy and brief wars of various kinds. There have been supporters of nonviolence and the brotherhood of man. Buddha, Christ, and Mahatma Gandhi have all lived. Despite this, war has always been fought, weapons are always used, military power has always been deployed, and there have always been armies in war.

500 Words Essay on War

If we take a closer look at human history, it will become evident that conflicts have existed ever since the primitive eras. Although efforts have been made to end it, this has not been successful so far. Thus, it appears that we are unable to achieve eternal peace. Many defend wars by claiming that nature's rules require them. Charles Darwin is placed in front of them to illustrate their point. He was the one who created the rule of the fittest. He claimed that everything in nature, whether alive or dead, is constantly engaged in a battle for survival. Only the strongest will survive in this fight. Therefore, it is believed that without battle, humankind won't be able to progress.

Impacts of War

People fail to see that war invariably results in severe damage. They ignored the nonviolent principles taught by Mahatma Gandhi, who used them to liberate his country from the shackles of slavery. They fail to consider that if Gandhi could push out the powerful Britishers without resorting to violence, why shouldn't others do the same? Wars are unavoidable calamities, and there are no words to adequately depict the vast quantity and scope of their tragedies. The atrocities of the two world wars must never be forgotten. There was tremendous murder and property devastation during the battles. There were thousands of widows and orphans. War spreads falsehoods and creates hatred. People start acting brutally selfishly. Humanity and morals suffer as a result.

War is an Enemy

War is the enemy of all humanity and human civilisation. Nothing positive can come of it. Consequently, it should never be celebrated in any way. In addition to impeding national progress, it undermines social cohesion. It slows down the rate of human progress. Wars are not the answer to the world's issues. Instead, they cause issues and generate hatred among nations. War can settle one issue but creates far too many other ones. The two most horrific examples of the war's after-effects are Hiroshima and Nagasaki. People are still enduring the effects of war 77 years later. Whatever the reason for war, it always ends in the widespread loss of human life and property.

Disadvantages of War

Massive human deaths and injuries, the depletion of financial resources, environmental degradation, lost productivity, and long-term harm to military personnel are all drawbacks of war. Families are split apart by war. Both towns and cities are destroyed by it. People become more sensitive, and every industry faces collapse. People’s health declines physically and they lose their sense of security. They won't have any security, and those who win the battle will treat the citizens of the defeated nation as their slaves and prohibit them from the right to work. After the war, there will be a lack of jobs and corruption issues for the nation to deal with.

Russia – Ukraine War

The world saw great turmoil beginning in February 2022 with the Russian-Ukraine War. Russia's invasion of Ukraine was the most serious conventional attack on a nation, bringing a severe economic crisis to the world. India has taken a neutral stance for Russia, keeping in mind the two countries' long-standing alliance, especially in its foreign policies and positive international relationships. Russia was concerned about Ukraine's security due to its intention to join NATO and invaded Ukraine in 2014. Additionally, Russia provided help to the rebels in the eastern Ukrainian districts of Donetsk and Luhansk.

The war between Russia and Ukraine has had a substantial impact on oil prices and other commodity prices, as well as increased trade uncertainty. India has economic troubles due to Western countries' supply disruptions and limited trade with Russia.

War has historically been the worst mark on humanity. Although it was made by man, it is now beyond the power of any human force. To preserve humanity, the entire human species must now reflect on this. Otherwise, neither humanity nor war will survive.

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Contemporary Writing on War and Conflict

World War One: Projects to Mark the Centenary
September 2014 - December 2018

This project examines the contemporary war experience as reflected by writers, poets, journalists and bloggers, and interrogate how we write about war and conflict today in contrast to the writing that was written on WW1.

Thought pieces from leading contemporary UK writers are a starting point for international public discussions. Looking at questions such as: What is the role of the writer in responding to conflict? What feels like an appropriate amount of time before creating an artistic response to war? Who do we trust to write about war? What we accept as war literature today, and how this is influenced by its context and changing global situations. How do we capture the human experience of war?

Caroline Wyatt on reportage

Patrick Hennessey on memoir

Helen Dunmore on fiction,

Owen Sheers on poetry

Ben Hammersley on digital writing

Helen Dunmore was the first winner of the Orange Prize and is also an acclaimed children's author and poet. She has published twelve novels including Zennor In Darkness , winner of the Mckitterick Prize; A Spell Of Winter , winner of the first Orange Prize; The Betrayal , longlisted for the Man Booker prize, shortlisted for the Orwell Prize and the Commonwealth Writers Prize; The Greatcoat (2012) and The Lie (2014). Helen Dunmore has also published three collections of stories, Love Of Fat Men, Ice Cream and Rose 1944 , and her stories have been widely broadcast and anthologised. Her children's novels include the INGO series, published by harpercollins and shortlisted for the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize. Her ten poetry collections include The Raw Garden, Out Of The Blue and The Malarkey , all published by Bloodaxe Books. She spoke on the theme of war in her work at events in Russia at the Krasnoyarsk Book Fair 1-4 November 2014 along with Nigel Farndale (who spoke about the research he undertook on the First World War for his novel The Blasphemer ) and Imtiaz Dharker (who talked about her response to Wilfred Owen’s Anthem of Doomed Youth in the collection of poems 1914 Remembers ).

Patrick Hennessey was born in 1982 and educated at Berkhamsted School and Balliol College, Oxford, where he read English. On leaving university he joined the Army and served from 2004 to 2009 as an officer in The Grenadier Guards. In between guarding towers, castles and palaces he worked in the Balkans, Africa, South East Asia, the Falkland Islands and deployed on operational tours of Iraq and Afghanistan. On leaving the Army he wrote his first book, The Junior Officers’ Reading Club , a memoir of a brief but eventful stint in uniform; followed by Kandak an account of how unlikely alliances can be forged in the intensity of battle. Patrick is now a barrister.

Owen Sheers has written two collections of poetry, The Blue Book and Skirrid Hill , which won a Somerset Maugham award. His verse drama Pink Mist won Wales Book of the Year and the Hay Festival Poetry Medal. Non-fiction includes The Dust Diaries and Calon: A Journey to the Heart of Welsh Rugby . His first novel Resistance has been translated into ten languages and was made into a film in 2011. His plays include The Passion, The Two Worlds of Charlie F and Mametz , which has been longlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize 2014. His second novel, I Saw A Man , is published by Faber & Faber in 2015.

Ben Hammersley is an author, futurist and technologist specialising in the effects of the internet and the ubiquitous digital network on the world’s political, cultural and social spheres. He enjoys an international career as a trends and digital guru, explaining complex technological and sociological topics to lay audiences, and as a high-level advisor on these matters to governments and business. Ben Hammersley is a Fellow at The Brookings Institute in Washington DC, a fellow at the Robert Schuman School of Advanced Study at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy, and Innovator-in-Residence at the Centre for Creative and Social Technologies, Goldsmiths, University of London. He is contributing editor of WIRED Magazine and writes regularly for the international media including The Financial Times .

Caroline Wyatt became the BBC’s Religious Affairs Correspondent in August 2014, having been a BBC Defence Correspondent from 2007. Prior to that, she covered UK operations in Iraq from 2003 and in Afghanistan from 2001. From 2003 - 2007, Caroline was BBC Paris correspondent, and before that spent three years as Moscow Correspondent, charting Vladimir Putin's first term as Russian President. She also covered NATO in Kosovo in 1999, and Russian operations in Chechnya, as well as working in Gaza and the wider Middle East for the BBC in the late 1990s and early 2000s. She is also an occasional presenter for R4 The World Tonight and Saturday R4 PM. She contributed to 'The Oxford Handbook of War', R4’s ‘More from Our Own Correspondent’ and ‘Only Remembered’, a children’s anthology edited by Michael Morpurgo looking at the literature of WW1.

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How To Write an Essay on War Writing Prompts

Writing an impressive piece of paper is always a challenging task, but it becomes even harder if you have to address a delicate and controversial topic, such as war. The thing is that wars are usually fought for some higher purpose, and it is not always easy to find the phrases to express your support or disagreement with a certain conflict.

But at our essay writing service , the experience taught us how to approach war-related essays with all due attention and responsibility. This is extremely important for a number of reasons:

You need to be able to find the right words to express your own opinion on the matter
Presenting different points of view is a must
It is mandatory to be respectful of other people's opinions, even if you don't share them
You need to be able to properly structure your thoughts and present them in a coherent manner
You must never be lopsided in your argumentation

Now that we got that out of the way, it is time to focus on how to write an essay on war. The good news is that there are a lot of war essay writing prompts you can use to get started. So, if you are looking for some ideas on how to write an essay on war, check out the following topics and writing prompts.

What is War Essay

A war essay is an essay that covers the topics of warfare and military history. It can be either informative or argumentative in nature, depending on what you want to focus on. Additionally, a war essay can also discuss the causes and effects of war, as well as different types of warfare.

However, there are many things that can make writing a war essay difficult.

For one, you need to have a strong understanding of the history and causes of the war you are discussing. You must also be able to effectively communicate your thoughts and ideas in writing. Finally, you will need to ensure that your essay is well-organized and flows smoothly from beginning to end.

Types of Essay You Can Use For War Topic

As we mentioned earlier, there are different types of essays you can use to write about war. But before you pick the right one for your academic paper, it is necessary to understand exactly what each type of essay entails. We will go through the five most common war essay types here:

An informative essay - An informative essay is an objective piece of writing that covers the basics of a particular topic. When writing an informative war essay, your goal is to educate your reader about the subject matter. You will need to provide accurate and up-to-date information about the topic, as well as present it in a clear and concise manner. The purpose of this essay is to give readers a general overview of the subject matter.
The cause and effect essay - Cause and effect essays analyze the reasons why a particular event or situation occurred, as well as the resulting effects. When writing a cause and effect war essay, you will need to focus on the causes and effects of a specific conflict. You can discuss the political, social, or economic causes of war, as well as the physical and psychological effects it has on those involved. For example, you could discuss the causes and effects of World War II or the Vietnam War.
An argumentative essay - Argumentative essays are a type of paper that presents a debatable opinion on a particular issue. When writing an argumentative war essay, you will need to take a stance on a specific aspect of warfare and support your position with evidence. You will need to consider both sides of the issue and present a convincing argument for your point of view. Additionally, you must be able to refute any opposing arguments.
Comparative essay - A comparative essay is an essay in which you compare and contrast two or more things. This can be done by analyzing similarities and differences between two or more wars or by comparing and contrasting the causes and effects of different wars. When writing a comparative war essay, you will need to consider both the similarities and differences between the topics you are discussing. It is the only way to make a well-balanced comparative essay.
Persuasive essay - A persuasive essay is an essay that attempts to convince the reader to agree with a particular opinion or point of view. The idea is to write a piece of paper that sounds so credible that no one can dispute it. In such circumstances, it is highly recommended to use rhetorical tricks. Appeals to emotion, authority, and logic are the most common persuasive strategies.

Don't forget that these are just a few of the common types of essays you can use to write about war. There are other essay types that can also be used, such as definition essays, descriptive essays, and process essays. Ultimately, the type of essay you use will depend on your specific topic and what you want to focus on.

War Essay Outline

Let's assume you've chosen to write an informative essay about the causes and effects of World War II. The first step in crafting your essay will be to create an outline. This will help you organize your thoughts and ideas and ensure that your essay flows smoothly from beginning to end.

Here is a basic outline for an informative war essay:

Introduction . Introduce the topic of your essay and provide background information on the conflict you will be discussing. A given topic stretches over many years, so you should limit your focus to a specific aspect of the war. It can be something like the political causes, the social effects, or the economic consequences.
Body paragraphs . This is the core of your paper. Each section should focus on a specific cause or effect of the war. The idea is to present your thoughts and support your thesis statement with evidence. For example, if you are discussing the political causes of World War II, your body paragraphs could focus on specific events like the Treaty of Versailles or the rise of Adolf Hitler.
Conclusion . Remind readers of your thesis statement and summarize the main points of your essay. Discuss the larger implications of the war and how it has affected the world today. You might also want to discuss the lessons that can be learned from the conflict.

How to Write a War Essay: A Short Guide

War is one of the most complex and brutal phenomena in human history. For many people, war is a fascinating subject, full of dramatic stories and lessons about human nature. This short guide offers some tips on how to write a war essay that will engage your reader and offer new insights into this complex subject.

First, it is important to choose a specific focus for your essay. Trying to elaborate on the entire history of the war would be impossible and would likely result in a scattered and superficial paper. It is better to focus on a specific conflict or aspect of war. This will give you the opportunity to go into depth and explore the subject in greater detail.

Once you have picked your focus, you need to do some research. In addition to reading history books, there are many other sources that can provide valuable information for your essay. These include first-hand accounts from participants in the conflict, as well as newspaper articles, government documents, and academic journals.

When you are writing your essay, it is important to maintain a clear and logical structure. Your paper should have a strong introduction that states your thesis, as well as body paragraphs that support your argument with evidence. Remember to back up your statements and claims with specific examples, and conclude your essay with a thought-provoking conclusion.

Finally, keep in mind that war is a controversial topic, and there are many different interpretations of events. When presenting your own view, be respectful of other perspectives and avoid making sweeping statements about right and wrong. By taking these aspects and factors into account, you can write an essay on the war that will offer a fresh perspective on this complex and fascinating subject.

What to Write About in Essay on War

War is an essential topic of discussion and contemplation for many reasons. It is a reality that has shaped our world throughout history and defined the course of nations. It is also a complex subject with a multitude of causes and effects. When writing an essay on war, there are many different angles that you can take.

You could discuss the history of war and its impact on civilization. You could examine the causes of war, such as economic or political interests or religious or ideological differences. You could also explore the personal experiences of soldiers and civilians caught in the midst of conflict.

Whatever direction you choose to take, make sure to back up your arguments with evidence and thoughtful analysis. By doing so, you can create a well-rounded and insightful essay on war.

How To Choose a War Essay Topic

Picking a war essay topic is difficult simply because you have so many ideas to choose from. You can discuss the history of war, the causes of war, and the effects of war, or you can concentrate on a specific conflict. You can also choose to write about a personal experience with war, either your own or that of someone you know. We will help you out by presenting a few interesting ideas.

Essay on War in Ukraine

War in Ukraine is the most recent military conflict in the world - it lasts some 150 days. However, the war already has extreme consequences for the global economy, social life, and political situation. Hundreds of people died, and millions became refugees. So, if you want to write a paper that is more relevant than any other, don't hesitate to write an essay on the war in Ukraine. We can suggest a few interesting aspects of the topic:

The History Of The Conflict And The Events That Led To It
How The War Has Affected Ukraine And Its People
The Power Of Russia: How Long Can It Keep Fighting?
The Role Of NATO In The Ukrainian War
The Future Of Ukraine In Light Of The War

Essay About World War 1

World War 1 is one of the most significant events in human history. It began in 1914 and ended in 1918. The war saw two sides: the Allied Powers, which included Britain, France, Russia, and the United States, and the Central Powers, which included Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire.

It resulted in the death of several million persons, as well as the downfall of empires. It also set foundations for the new era of global conflict, characterized by the rise of nationalism and the use of modern technology in warfare. If you are interested in writing about World War 1, here are a few potential topics:

The Causes of World War 1
The Battle of the Somme: Why Was It So Bloody?
The Impact of World War 1 on Civilian populations
Warfare in World War 1: Trench Warfare, Poison Gas, and Tank Battles
The Treaty of Versailles: What Did It Achieve?

Essay About World War 2

World War 2 was the biggest and most destructive conflict in human history. It began in 1939 and lasted for six years, involving over 30 countries and resulting in the deaths of over 60 million people. The cause of the war was the rise of Nazi Germany and its aggressive expansionist policies.

WW2 resulted in the death of millions of people, as well as the destruction of entire cities, while Holocaust is one of the most tragic events of this war. The war also had a profound impact on the course of world history, leading to the rise of new nations and the fall of others. If you are interested in writing about World War 2, here are a few potential topics:

The Causes of World War 2
The Battle of Stalingrad: Why Was It So Important?
The Holocaust: How Could It Have Happened?
D-Day: The Turning Point of the War
The Atomic Bomb: Was It Necessary?
The Holocaust: The Tragic Fate of European Jewry

Essay About The Vietnam War

This war took place from 1955 to 1975 and is considered one of the most controversial conflicts of the 20th century. This event was a long and costly conflict that pitted the communist regime of North Vietnam against the government of South Vietnam and their main ally, the United States.

More than 2.5 million Americans served in Vietnam, and more than 58,000 were killed. The war had a profound impact on the course of world history, as well as on the lives of those who were involved in it. If you are interested in writing about the Vietnam War, here are a few potential topics:

The History of the Vietnam War
The Causes of the Vietnam War
The American Involvement in the War
How Did the Vietnam War Impact Local Civilians
The Legacy of the Vietnam War

Civil War Essay

A civil war is a military conflict between different factions within the same country. Civil wars can be caused by political, social, or economic differences, and they often have an unprecedented influence on the course of world history. If you are interested in writing about a civil war, here are a few potential topics:

The American Civil War
The Russian Civil War
The Spanish Civil War
The Chinese Civil War
The Lebanese Civil War

Cold War Essay

The Cold War was a period when the world was divided between two superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union. The war was characterized by a lack of direct military conflict, as well as by an intense arms race and a series of proxy wars. If you are interested in writing about the Cold War, here are a few potential topics:

The Causes of the Cold War
The Cuban Missile Crisis
The Fall of the Berlin Wall
The Arms Race: The Danger of Mutual Destruction
The proxy wars of the Cold War: Korea, Vietnam, and Afghanistan
How did the Cold War shape the world we live in today?

All those warfare events and corresponding topics deserve to be elaborated on in separate essays as each of them is very important on its own. That's why you won't make a mistake if you choose any of the topics mentioned above.

It's impossible to find a single person on Earth who understands the phenomenon of war inside out. This is because war is such a complicated, multi-faceted thing. With this in mind, when you're looking for a topic to write about in your war essay, it's important to choose something specific to focus on. This way, you can really delve into the details and offer new insights into this complex subject.

But even if a small topic sounds too intimidating, don't be afraid to give it a try. The writing process is easier than you might expect, while you can always order an essay and get a high-quality paper in record time. So, what are you waiting for? Pick your topic and start writing your war essay today!

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Paradigm Shift: The Consequences of Choosing a War Path, and Leaving It

by Tess Bridgeman

September 11, 2021

Filed under:

9/11 Twentieth Anniversary , Counterterrorism , Detention , Drones , Guantanamo , International Humanitarian Law (IHL) , Laws of War , Military Commissions , Presidential Policy Guidance (PPG) , Targeted Killing , terrorism , War Powers

(Editor’s note: This essay is the last in a Symposium published for the twentieth anniversary of September 11th; co-organized by Just Security and the Reiss Center on Law and Security.)

There is perhaps no choice made in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks that has been more consequential than the decision to respond to those attacks with war. It may be hard to fathom after 20 years of military conflict, but there was a clear alternative path at the time – treating the 9/11 attacks as a criminal act, as most terrorist acts by non-state actors, domestic and international , had been conceived of to that point. As Bec Hamilton writes in her counterfactual narrative on the opening day of this symposium, “[t] here was nothing necessary or inevitable about the U.S. government’s decision to respond to 9/11 through the lens of war.” Once a war path was chosen, the most consequential choices have been to stay on it and to lead with military force to confront terrorist threats. There was nothing inexorable about those choices either.

As a legal matter, one mainstream view in 2001 held that responding with armed force to the 9/11 attacks was not even a lawful option, given the actions were conducted by non-state actors that looked more like a transnational criminal network than an army, without the trappings that generally accompany armed conflict. A few years earlier, a UN court had just reaffirmed the common understanding that “isolated acts of terrorism may not reach the threshold of armed conflict,” which requires instead protracted violence. Another reason the attacks did “ not fit neatly in prevailing conceptions of ‘war’ or ‘armed conflict’” is that those responsible were not vying to take control of any particular territory or of the U.S. government, although they did believe themselves to be at war (but then again, so did Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh ).

That said, the UN Security Council invoking “the inherent right of… self-defense” in its resolution 1368 on Sept. 12, 2001 quickly started to undercut the view that the war model was not a legally justified response option. And regardless of whether the attacks on 9/11 themselves triggered a state of armed conflict, the U.S. military response certainly did. The decision to use armed force not just in Afghanistan but across the globe, the early and ugly decisions to flout the rule of law in an amorphous “war on terror,” and the entrenchment of the armed conflict paradigm by subsequent administrations even as they reined in the worst abuses, have had profound consequences on our society, on our government, on foreign populations directly impacted by the war, and on the international order itself.

The United States is poised to further entrench this paradigm today, in part by force of the massive bureaucratic inertia of war formed over two decades, in part because of domestic politics, and in part as a reaction to the recent tragic events that unfolded as the United States and coalition partners pulled out of Afghanistan. We owe it to the next generation to grapple now with the consequences of remaining at war — as well as the consequences of choosing not to be — lest we find ourselves reflexively handing this decades-long legacy of perpetual war onto them.

The Legal Consequences of War

Let’s first briefly discuss the overarching legal structure of what it means to be at war before turning to detailed examples. A state of armed conflict makes lawful a range of actions that would be illegal outside of war and springs to life whole bodies of law not applicable in peacetime. International humanitarian law (IHL), or the law of armed conflict (LOAC), applies only during war and regulates its conduct. A host of extraordinary authorities in domestic law become available to the President during war, some of which also apply to other types of declared “national emergencies.” States of emergency also make it possible to derogate from certain international human rights laws, and as a practical matter it is easier for states to assert those powers in an emergency characterized as war.

In practice, when the President is exercising war powers, the executive branch tends to receive an enormous degree of deference from the courts and acquiescence in its activities by Congress (despite the Constitution delegating the majority of the war powers to Congress). As Brian Finucane and Steve Pomper write in this symposium: “When the United States went to war after 9/11, it crossed into new legal territory, “ which should have meant the other two co-equal branches of government stepping up to serve their constitutional roles and providing checks and balances. In most cases, they did not. “The president’s war powers are vast and tend to be exercised in secret. They are often deemed unreviewable by the courts and are almost always under-supervised by Congress,” Finucane and Pomper explain. In sum, the President’s power is vastly greater, and exercised much more freely, when the nation is at war.

The resort to these extraordinary authorities, and the ease with which the President may do so in war, are intended to be exceptions to normal order. But 20 years of exercising these powers, bending their frameworks to the particulars of the post-9/11 counterterrorism problem set, and of building entire institutions of government reliant on their continued invocation, have created a new normal of sorts. There is enormous political and institutional pressure to continue a war that has become such a giant commitment and a settled way of doing business. And it has also become almost unthinkable to many in the policy apparatus that the executive branch might forgo exercising these tremendous powers voluntarily (or to be seen as having ceded them if they might be needed to respond to new threats in the future). Presidents live in fear of a successful terrorist strike and having to explain why every military option was not taken to prevent it (even if the truth is that those military efforts would not have made us safer or would have risked being counterproductive).

But as Nick Rasumussen aptly observed in his article for this symposium, there is a need “to consider with an open mind whether the strategy and policy approaches we have been relying on in the past two decades are well-suited to the evolving challenges we face.” In the rest of this essay, I will examine the most fundamental of these policy approaches, the war approach, in three contexts — prosecution, detention, and targeted killing — that highlight the clear choices before us 20 years after the longest American war began.

Prosecution

Going to war after 9/11 put the option of military commissions on the table. But it did not require using them or foregoing the peacetime criminal justice system. The civilian federal court system in the United States has, of course, remained open and operating throughout the post-9/11 period. And these courts have been used to try and convict hundreds of terrorist suspects before and since 9/11, including Zacarias Moussaoui (sometimes called the “20th hijacker”), who was indicted in 2001 and pled guilty in 2005 to helping plan the 9/11 attacks.

Nevertheless, as part of its pivot to the war path, the Bush administration chose to stand up military commissions at Guantanamo Bay, at first through a military order issued just months after the 9/11 attacks. That order, and the commissions still ongoing at Guantanamo Bay today under the Military Commissions Act (MCA) later passed by Congress, directly rely on choosing the “war” paradigm, since they are a type of military tribunal used in a time of war to try offenses against the laws of war. (They are not to be confused with courts martial, which are used to try service members for violations of the UCMJ regardless of whether the nation is at war.)

In U.S. practice, military commissions have historically been used at times and in places where it would be impracticable to use civilian courts. While initial arguments for the post-9/11 commissions relied on the difficulty of trying these international terrorism-related cases in civilian courts, it is military commissions that have proven to be ill-equipped for the task, even as civilian courts have consistently been a useful part of a holistic counterterrorism strategy. Compared to their civilian counterparts, the military commissions at Guantanamo are less adept at handling classified evidence, less experienced with trying complex capital cases (like the 9/11 and USS Cole bombing cases), have less clarity as to what substantive or procedural law applies (including basic constitutional guarantees), have fewer offenses available for charging (the MCA authorizes prosecutions for certain offenses committed during a “conflict subject to the laws of war” ), are plagued by high turnover of judges, and by virtue of their location on an island outside of the U.S. mainland are much more expensive to administer and harder to participate in or observe.

It is no wonder that the civilian court system has secured many hundreds of convictions in terrorism-related cases (by one count , over 660 as of 2018, including over 100 individuals “captured overseas”) as compared to only a handful in the military commissions, several of which were overturned on appeal (including three in which defendants had pleaded guilty). But the most important cases, including the case of those accused of involvement in the 9/11 attacks themselves, remain mired in pre-trial proceedings that seem unlikely to end anytime soon.

Some of the biggest problems with the Guantanamo military commissions, of course, are unique to the trajectory of the armed conflict during which they were convened. Most important, many of the current defendants were not just “battlefield captures” of soldiers (or spies) caught violating the laws of war, but men who were taken captive and tortured by the United States before they were charged with crimes. As Ian Moss explains in his article for this symposium on how to close Guantanamo:

It is open and obvious to any casual observer of the military commission system that much of the reason why trials have been illusive revolves around the issue of torture and mistreatment of detainees in U.S. custody. Torture is the U.S. government’s original sin with regard to the detention of terrorism suspects now at Guantanamo, and it pervades each of the pending military commission cases. In the words of my former boss, the first Special Envoy for Guantanamo Closure Ambassador Dan Fried, “torture is non-biodegradable.”

While the torture problem would not go away completely if the cases now pending before military commissions were tried in civilian courts, those courts would at least have predictable and time-tested rules for handling the issues that arise as a result. And as Moss notes, it is also possible to wind down the current commissions and resolve the pending cases through negotiated plea agreements; “ resolutions present an opportunity to sidestep the most significant issues that have vexed the military commissions while also providing for some measure of accountability.”

Twenty years after 9/11, the inability to bring to trial those responsible for the attacks (or even successfully conclude a plea agreement) is a glaring example of how choosing the war paradigm had grave unintended consequences. It is also an example of where charting a new course does not require exiting the armed conflict paradigm altogether. That is, even if the United States remains at war with some terrorist armed groups, it can responsibly wind down the use of military commissions at Guantanamo and, as it has done for several years already, try any new terrorism-related defendants in civilian courts.

Unlike prosecution, where a state of war does not necessarily require the resort to the use of military commissions, some amount of detention is likely to be required in a large-scale armed conflict. However, it may not be the case that it is the United States that needs to be the detaining power even in conflicts in which it participates — for example, after only a transitory period in U.S. custody, Iraq detained the vast majority of ISIS suspects initially captured by the United States in the recent conflict there, as did non-state partner groups such as Kurdish forces on the other side of the borden in Syria (the United States did sometimes exercise detention authority for a short time period before handing detainees over to its partners, who had their own troubles handling detention operations). Moreover, aside from Afghanistan and Iraq, most of the so-called “global war on terror” has not been fought with boots on the ground and battlefield captures, but with drones or other remotely operated weapons. But with those caveats, let’s turn next to what a state of war permits in terms of detention and U.S. detention practice in its post-9/11 conflicts.

First, what is wartime detention? The fundamental purpose of detention in armed conflict is to “ prevent captured individuals from returning to the field of battle and taking up arms once again” ( see Hamdi v. Rumsfeld ) . The ability to detain does not depend on any wrongful conduct by the detainee — quite the opposite, in international armed conflicts where soldiers have a duty to fight for their country’s side in war, a prisoner of war may have broken no domestic or international laws. Instead, detention is based solely on the status of the individual as a combatant (or in a few other circumstances that can be bracketed here, as a civilian who has participated in hostilities or must otherwise be interned if for security reasons it is “ absolutely necessary ”). The duration of wartime detention matches its purpose — it may last no longer than active hostilities, and in certain cases (such as when detainees are seriously sick or wounded , or “gravely and permanently diminished” in mental or physical health), it must end sooner. Prisoner releases and exchanges are also relatively common in war.

The primary distinction between the purpose of detention in an armed conflict and in the criminal law context is that the former is preventive and the latter is punitive (with the caveat of temporary pretrial detention). It must be recognized, then, that the flip side of the ability to detain a combatant who has broken no laws during war is that the same person likely could not be detained to face criminal charges (whether during wartime or not). In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, while the U.S. criminal code could no doubt have reached those most responsible for the attacks (whether they would eventually have been extradited or rendered to the United States to face trial is a harder question), “foot soldiers” who had not taken part in violent acts against the United States and remained abroad would have remained outside of the reach of U.S. criminal laws (query, of course, whether this meant it was truly necessary to detain them). After 9/11, when Congress amended criminal laws against supporting terrorism or designated foreign terrorist organizations to make them apply extraterritorially, the reach of the criminal justice paradigm is much broader.

With that background, what has U.S. practice been with respect to post-9/11 detention? Hina Shamsi, Priyanka Motaparthy, and Scott Roehm write for this symposium that the years following 9/11 were characterized by the “ Bush administration’s turn to ‘the dark side,’” which when combined with subsequent administrations’ failure to seek accountability, helped ensure the failure of U.S. policies. Nowhere is this more the case than with respect to detention policy. From the CIA’s black sites and rendition of terrorist suspects to torture by other countries, to the shocking abuses at Abu Ghraib , to the early claims that Guantanamo detainees were beyond the reach of any legal paradigm and the purported legalization of torture and other forms of cruel treatment by Justice Department attorneys, post-9/11 detention practices involved a “ repudiation of U.S. values, not by extremist outsiders but by our own hand.” This “ betrayal of America’s professed principles was the friendly fire of the war on terror.”

Alongside the abuses of the CIA’s “rendition, detention and interrogation” (RDI) program and among some of those detained after capture on the battlefield, throughout the entire 9/11 period, the United States also engaged in lawful and appropriate detention — both in the armed conflict setting and through its criminal justice system.

Some individuals detained through one of these modes were transferred into others, and some merged over time — for example, those who were not released from the RDI program were shunted into “law of war” detention at Guantanamo Bay, where some of the battlefield captures from Afghanistan were also sent. And as noted above, the United States also engaged in short-term detention, primarily in Afghanistan and Iraq, before handing detainees over to partner forces.

The Bush administration also experimented in two post-9/11 cases with military detention of individuals initially arrested within the United States. It did not go well. As my former colleagues Christopher Fonzone and Josh Geltzer succinctly summarized on these pages: “Jose Padilla and Ali al-Marri—were suspects captured in the United States and transferred to military custody. In both cases, years of contentious litigation over the Government’s ability to hold the detainees in military custody ensued, before the Government ultimately transferred both men back to federal courts for prosecution.”

Today, the United States no longer runs detention operations in Afghanistan or Iraq. President Obama did not seek meaningful accountability for the CIA’s post-9/11 detention practices, but he did ensure that it would no longer be in that detention business. The last detainee brought to Guantanamo was in 2008 . Neither Obama nor Trump (despite his campaign vow to “ load it up ”) brought a new detainee there. Instead, both used the criminal justice system to prosecute suspected terrorists, including those who planned or attempted attacks against the United States (although it very rarely used war authorities to capture them), and worked with partner countries to boost their counterterrorism prosecution capacity. The post 9/11 terrorism detention picture now consists of the 39 men still at Guantanamo, many more convicted terrorists serving sentences in U.S. federal prisons (including one serving a life sentence, Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani , brought for federal trial from Guantanamo before Congress barred transfers even for trial) , and an active docket of terrorism-related cases in the civilian federal courts.

To be sure, the detention of some individuals in terrorism-aligned cases pursuant to criminal process, and in the immigration system pending removal, is not without controversy or abuse (including the well-documented abuse of “material witness” arrest warrants immediately after 9/11). But these systems, for all of their flaws, are heavily regulated by the U.S. Constitution and other domestic laws, and must also comport with the U.S.’ international human rights law obligations. And while enforcement of those obligations is not always what it should be, there is a greater degree of transparency and accountability for abuses than in armed conflict settings.

Against this backdrop, what, if anything, must change when it comes to detention if the United States were to pivot away from its current wartime footing? The obvious answer is that Guantanamo must close. There can be no “law of war” detainees who are not facing criminal charges (but criminal proceedings, in either the military commissions or federal courts, may continue when a war ends). Given even the Bush administration, as well as Obama and now Biden, have endeavored to close the facility in any event, this change can only be seen as long overdue and all for the better. But what is crystal clear is that it should not be the tail that wags the dog — staying at war to hang onto detention at Guantanamo would be a new round of friendly fire in post-9/11 counterterrorism policy and a misuse of our military. And there is a way to close it responsibly if we try .

The rest depends, in large part, on whether the United States ever again intends to engage in ground combat operations. In the context of explaining his decision to withdraw from Afghanistan, President Biden has made clear that he intends to use “over-the-horizon” strike capabilities as the war continues, stating explicitly that “we just don’t need to fight a ground war” to defeat terrorists militarily. And Biden has justified this approach in part by explaining that it is already how the United States fights other wars, against al Shabaab in Somalia or al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in Yemen, for example. While this simplified overview of U.S. counterterrorism operations beyond Afghanistan elides the fact the United States does, in fact, have special operators “on the ground” in 80 countries , they are not there to facilitate U.S. detention operations. In short, even if there will be a continued reliance on drones and commando raids (discussed in the next section below), no ground wars almost surely means no U.S. military detention operations.

”Direct Action” and Targeted Killing

The most stark difference between times of peace and war is that in war the use of lethal force against combatants, and against enemy property, is lawful so long as the rules of IHL are followed. (It is also lawful to target civilians for such time as they take direct part in hostilities.) The foreseeable effects of civilians killed and civilian infrastructure destroyed as “collateral damage” is also something that the laws of war specially permits (if deemed proportionate to the expected military benefits).

When the Bush administration chose to go to war after 9/11, it commenced the decades-long conflicts, with their enormous toll of civilian and combatant casualties, that President Biden is now seeking to end with the withdrawal of U.S. and allied forces in Afghanistan, and soon Iraq. The duration, human toll, and financial expense of those major ground wars have been extraordinary. The decision to go to war also started the United States down a path that led to the use of lethal force beyond the borders of Afghanistan, but ostensibly as part of the same armed conflict. Those “beyond the battlefield” strikes have in many ways defined the post-9/11 era and shone the greatest light on the stark differences between applying a criminal law or a war paradigm.

What has become known as “targeted killing” or “direct action” beyond “areas of active hostilities” (as Obama described it in his Presidential Policy Guidance governing such activities) began in the years immediately following 9/11 but was ramped up by President Obama, and then again under Trump. According to reports by news and analysis organizations and some U.S. disclosures, it expanded beyond the battlefield of Afghanistan (and later Iraq and Syria), to include Yemen , Pakistan , Somalia , and later Libya and Niger . (I should emphasize that this is not a comprehensive list of all counterterrorism activity the United States has engaged in based on the existence of an armed conflict, which include air strikes, drone strikes, raids conducted by special operators, train and equip programs, and other assistance and intelligence activities.)

The United States undertook these strikes — as well as the “traditional” battlefield operations in Afghanistan and later Iraq and Syria — based on the premise that it was in an ongoing armed conflict against those it was targeting, even if those groups were located thousands of miles from any “hot battlefield” and even if they were not those who attacked the United States on 9/11 but were “associated” or “successor” forces of those groups. These remain, to put it mildly, controversial legal positions, even amongst most close U.S. allies (and even within the offices of some U.S. government lawyers themselves at the time) . But they have also become remarkably durable across U.S. administrations of both political parties.

A thorough cataloguing of the legality of the U.S. position on the scope of the armed conflict since 9/11 — and in turn, who it may kill and where — is well beyond the scope of this essay. Let us turn instead to the question of what the consequences would be with respect to lethal targeting if the United States were to pivot away from the post-9/11 wars.

It should perhaps go without saying that, much more so than in the prosecution and detention contexts, when it comes to counterterrorism targeting, choosing to step away from the armed conflict paradigm would be a seismic shift. The ability to engage in status-based targeting would be over.

No drone wars. No “ decapitation strategy .” No annual tolls of civilian casualties. No levelling of city blocks. The sprawling post-9/11 lethal-action bureaucracy would disappear or be repurposed, as would the funds used to support it. (Of course, strikes outside of ongoing armed conflict, like those Biden has already taken against “Iran-backed militias” in Iraq and Syria , or those the Obama administration took against Houthis in Yemen , could potentially still be taken if there were a valid claim of self-defense under international law and of Article II authority under domestic law.)

The set of questions that lurk on the other side of the ledger are as familiar on the 20th anniversary of 9/11 as they were on the 10th, but they are made more stark by recent events in Afghanistan that could presage a resurgence of its use as a terrorist base of operations. Is “operational disruption” in the form of targeted killing what keeps Americans safe from mass casualty attacks? What should the Biden administration – or a future one — do if it discovers terrorist training camps in unfriendly or ungoverned territory? Are the other instruments of national power the United States (and its partners) have at its disposal up to the task of preventing another 9/11?

These are very real questions, although they can have a tendency to set up false dichotomies (take strikes or “do nothing”) or rely on impossible counterfactuals (does a bombed training camp necessarily avert mass casualty attacks? do mistaken strikes that result in civilian casualties or the wrong person targeted help mobilize adversaries and enemies?). But a major reason why the armed conflict paradigm has been so hard to shift out of – perhaps why President Obama could not take us off of the “ perpetual wartime footing ” he spoke out against in 2013 — is that no political leader, or civil servant, wants to be responsible if a successful attack might have been averted by the use of military force.

If we are to shift away from perpetual war, we must face that it means accepting that risk and countering it with other proven measures. But we must also keep front of mind the very real risks of staying at war in order to keep status-based targeting on the table. These go well beyond the contours of this brief essay, but include at a minimum weighing the long-term costs for our service members and their families , the risks of legitimizing rights-violating actions of other states in the name of counterterrorism, and the costs to our own democracy. Obama reminded us in 2013 to be “ mindful of James Madison’s warning that ‘No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare.’” And there are of course concrete risks to our own security: namely, that a mistaken strike , based on faulty intelligence or other errors , can produce serious blowback and alienate the local populations, and countries, the U.S. needs to win over most if it is to succeed in the long term. Or that it could escalate a conflict rather than de-escalate (as with Trump’s strike on IRGC Commander Soleimani or Biden’s strikes on “Iran-backed militias”). Or that, as Asha Rangappa describes, a “myopic focus” on “Islamist terrorism” will take too much focus away from the growing threat of white nationalism and other forms of violent extremism here at home.

When it comes to non-military measures to deal with what will likely always be a risk of terrorist attack, as Luke Hartig explains , that means building our resilience and relying on our defenses:

[T]o observe the recent debate around the Afghanistan drawdown, some believe it’s inevitable (only a matter of time) before an Afghanistan-based al-Qaeda tries to strike the United States. Even if that is correct, we must begin to believe, and to understand, that it’s okay to play defense , to rely on our law enforcement professionals, intelligence community, international cooperation, or even armored airliner cockpit doors to prevent terrorist attacks. These capabilities have shown their ability to stop terrorism time and again since 9/11, and we should trust in the defenses and networks we have built to keep threats at bay.

A Paradigm Shift?

The 20 years since 9/11 have been marked not just by being at war, but by the way the war began — both in terms of the horrific nature of the 9/11 attacks themselves, and the profoundly mistaken way the Bush administration responded, including in its expansive conception of the “global war on terror” and the methods chosen to fight it. It has become difficult to disentangle the pathologies of still being at war, entrenched as it has become through multiple administrations of both political parties, from the persistent legacies of its worst abuses.

But with 20 years of hindsight, at least one thing is clear: the Pandora’s box that opened in the aftermath of 9/11 has not been shut and the pull to use the powers of war has become almost inexorable. As President Obama warned in a speech intended both to defend his continuing the war started by his predecessor but also make the case for winding it down, the failure to shift out of the war paradigm, however it is fought, has pernicious effects:

We cannot use force everywhere that a radical ideology takes root; and in the absence of a strategy that reduces the wellspring of extremism, a perpetual war — through drones or Special Forces or troop deployments — will prove self-defeating, and alter our country in troubling ways.

It is no longer September 12th, 2001. As Luke Hartig reminds us, “[i]rregular conflicts – whether related to terrorism or not – do not necessarily demand military responses.” There are other policy strategies that “should be properly resourced and used as tools of first resort.” President Obama could have taken us off the war path, swiftly and decisively, upon taking office. President Trump could have done the same, as he promised. Whether or not Congress exercises its constitutional responsibility to decide whether the nation should remain at war, it remains within the power of the president to change course. The choice of whether to pass perpetual war to a fifth president now falls to Biden.

About the Author(s)

Tess bridgeman.

Tess Bridgeman ( @bridgewriter ) is co-editor-in-chief of Just Security and Senior Fellow and Visiting Scholar at the Reiss Center on Law and Security at NYU School of Law. She previously served as Special Assistant to the President, Associate Counsel to the President, and Deputy Legal Adviser to the National Security Council (NSC), and prior to that served at the U.S. State Department in the Office of the Legal Adviser as an attorney adviser in the Office of Political-Military Affairs and as Special Assistant to the Legal Adviser.

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Impact Of Wars On Human Life

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