“Only the dead have seen the end of war”

Quote attributed to the Greek philosopher Plato

The quote is a reflection of Plato’s belief that war and conflict are constant companions of human existence. It also suggests that peace is an elusive ideal that may be unattainable in the world of the living.

Cain and Abel – the Origin Story of male violent conflict – is found in the Book of Genesis, which is the first book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament.

Cain and Abel were the sons of Adam and Eve, the first humans according to the Bible. Cain was a farmer, and Abel was a shepherd. Both brothers made offerings to God, but God favored Abel’s offering of the best of his flock, while Cain’s offering of fruits of the soil was not regarded as favorably.

Out of jealousy and anger, Cain lured Abel into a field and killed him. When God asked Cain about Abel’s whereabouts, Cain famously replied, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” God then cursed Cain, placed a mark on him and banished him from the land.

Cain was condemned to be a restless wanderer on the earth.
He went on to live in the land of Nod, “East of Eden”.

A short timeline of wars, invasions & armed conflicts. And some other human – mostly male – follies.

The earliest known wars and violent conflictsin human history date back to prehistoric times.

Prehistoric Tribal Conflicts: As early humans transitioned from hunter-gatherer societies to settled agricultural communities, competition over resources likely led to conflicts between different tribes or groups. Evidence of interpersonal violence, such as skeletal remains with signs of trauma, has been found in archaeological sites dating back tens of thousands of years.

Neolithic Warfare (circa 10,000 BCE – 2,000 BCE): During the Neolithic period, as communities began to establish permanent settlements and engage in agriculture, conflicts over land, resources, and territorial boundaries likely arose. Some of the earliest evidence of organized warfare, including fortified settlements and mass graves containing individuals who died violently, comes from this period.

Mesopotamian Wars (circa 3,000 BCE – 539 BCE): In ancient Mesopotamia, one of the earliest known civilizations, city-states such as Sumer, Akkad, Assyria, and Babylonia frequently engaged in wars and conflicts over control of land, trade routes, and political dominance. The earliest recorded conflict is the Sumerian War of the Kings, documented in cuneiform texts dating to around 2500 BCE.

Ancient Egyptian Military Campaigns (circa 3,000 BCE – 332 BCE): The ancient Egyptians conducted numerous military expeditions to expand their territory, defend against invasions, and secure valuable resources. Wars and battles are depicted in Egyptian hieroglyphs and inscriptions, including conflicts with neighboring kingdoms such as the Hyksos, Nubians, and Hittites.

Bronze Age Warfare (circa 3,000 BCE – 1,200 BCE): The Bronze Age witnessed the development of advanced metallurgy and military technologies, leading to the emergence of powerful kingdoms and empires across regions such as the Near East, Mediterranean, and Asia. Wars during this period were often fought with bronze weapons and chariots, and conflicts were driven by factors such as trade, expansionism, and political rivalries.

Greco-Persian Wars (499-449 BCE)
 – Series of conflicts between the Greek city-states and the Persian Empire.

Peloponnesian War (431-404 BCE)
 – Conflict between Athens and its empire against the Peloponnesian League led by Sparta.

The Wars of Alexander the Great (336-323 BCE)
 – Military campaigns led by Alexander the Great, resulting in the expansion of the Macedonian Empire.

Punic Wars (264-146 BCE)
 – Series of conflicts between Rome and Carthage, resulting in the eventual destruction of Carthage.

Roman conquest of Italy (5th-3rd centuries BCE)
 – Expansion of the Roman Republic through conquests in the Italian peninsula.

Gallic Wars (58-50 BCE)
– Campaigns waged by Julius Caesar to conquer Gaul (modern-day France).

Roman–Parthian Wars (53 BCE – 217 CE)
– Series of conflicts between the Roman Republic/Empire and the Parthian Empire.

Jewish-Roman Wars (66-136 CE)
– Series of conflicts between the Jewish people and the Roman Empire, including the Great Jewish Revolt and the Bar Kokhba Revolt.

Roman–Persian Wars (92 BCE – 629 CE)
– Series of conflicts between the Roman Empire and the Persian Empire (Sassanian).

Crisis of the Third Century (235-284 CE)
 – Period of political instability and civil war within the Roman Empire.

Roman-Parthian Wars (53 BC – 217 AD)
– A series of conflicts between the Roman Republic/Empire and the Parthian Empire.

Han-Xiongnu War (133 BC – 89 AD)
 – A series of military campaigns between the Han Dynasty of China and the Xiongnu Confederation in Central Asia.

Byzantine-Sassanid Wars (224 – 628)
– Conflicts between the Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Empire and the Sassanid Persian Empire.

Arab–Byzantine wars (629 – 1050)
– Series of conflicts between the Arab Caliphates and the Byzantine Empire.

Viking Raids and Invasions (8th – 11th centuries)
– Norse raids, invasions, and settlements across Europe, including England, Ireland, France, and the Mediterranean.

Crusades (1096 – 1291)
 – A series of religious wars sanctioned by the Latin Church in the medieval period, primarily against Muslims in the Holy Land.

Mongol Invasions and Conquests (1206 – 1368)
– A series of invasions and conquests by the Mongol Empire under Genghis Khan and his successors, leading to the largest contiguous empire in history.

Hundred Years’ War (1337 – 1453)
– A series of conflicts between the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of France, along with their respective allies.

16th Century:

Italian Wars (1494-1559)

Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire (1519-1521)

Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire (1532-1533)

French Wars of Religion (1562-1598)

Eighty Years’ War (1568-1648) – Also known as the Dutch War of Independence

Ottoman-Habsburg wars (16th century)

Anglo-Spanish War (1585-1604)

Anglo-Dutch Wars (17th century)

Japanese invasions of Korea (1592-1598)

17th Century:

Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648)

English Civil War (1642-1651)

Franco-Spanish War (1635-1659)

Franco-Dutch War (1672-1678)

Wars of the Three Kingdoms (1639-1651) – Including the Bishops’ Wars, the Irish Confederate Wars, and the Scottish Covenanters’ Wars

Ottoman-Venetian War (1645-1669)

Cossack-Polish War (1648-1657)

Russo-Polish War (1654-1667)

Great Turkish War (1683-1699)

Dzungar-Qing Wars (17th century)

War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714)

18th Century:

War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714)

Great Northern War (1700-1721)

War of the Austrian Succession (1740-1748)

Seven Years’ War (1756-1763)

American Revolutionary War (1775-1783)

French Revolutionary Wars (1792-1802)

Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815)

19th Century:

War of 1812 (1812-1815)

Latin American Wars of Independence (early 19th century)

Greek War of Independence (1821-1832)

Crimean War (1853-1856)

Indian Rebellion of 1857 (also known as the Sepoy Mutiny)

American Civil War (1861-1865)

Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871)

Anglo-Zulu War (1879)

First and Second Anglo-Afghan Wars (1839-1842, 1878-1880)

First and Second Opium Wars (1839-1842, 1856-1860)

Maori Wars in New Zealand (1845-1872)

Paraguayan War (1864-1870)

Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878)

Mahdist War (1881-1899)

Spanish-American War (1898)

20th and 21st centuries.

World War I (1914-1918)

   – Casualties: Approximately 10 million military deaths and 7 million civilian deaths.

World War II (1939-1945)

   – Casualties: Approximately 70-85 million people, including military and civilian deaths.

Korean War (1950-1953)

   – Casualties: Approximately 2.5 million people, including military and civilian deaths.

Vietnam War (1955-1975)

   – Casualties: Approximately 1-3 million Vietnamese deaths, including both military and civilian, and around 58,000 American military deaths.

Gulf War (1990-1991)

   – Casualties: Estimates vary, but it is estimated that tens of thousands of people died, including military and civilian casualties.

Iraq War (2003-2011)

   – Casualties: Estimates vary widely, with hundreds of thousands of deaths, including military, civilian, and insurgent casualties.

War in Afghanistan (2001-present)

   – Casualties: Over 100,000 Afghan civilian deaths, along with thousands of military personnel and insurgents.

Syrian Civil War (2011-present)

   – Casualties: Estimates range from 400,000 to over 500,000 deaths, including civilians, rebels, and government forces.

Yemeni Civil War (2014-present)

   – Casualties: Estimates vary, but tens of thousands of people have been killed, including civilians and combatants.

Wars and armed conflicts in the Middle East.

Israel-Palestine Conflict (ongoing)

   – Casualties: Tens of thousands killed and hundreds of thousands wounded since the mid-20th century.

Arab-Israeli War of 1948 (1948-1949)

   – Casualties: Estimates vary, with thousands killed on both sides.

Six-Day War (1967)

   – Casualties: Approximately 10,000-20,000 killed or wounded.

Yom Kippur War (1973)

   – Casualties: Approximately 8,000-20,000 killed or wounded.

Lebanon Civil War (1975-1990)

   – Casualties: Estimates range from 150,000 to 250,000 killed, with many more wounded.

Gaza War (Oct.7 2023 – ongoing)

   – Causalities: At least 42,510 Palestinians have been killed. Of those killed, 38,621 were civilians. Additionally, about 77,575 Palestinians have been wounded. At least 97 journalists and media workers were killed or injured during the conflict. Tens of thousands of Palestinians were reported missing.

Wars and armed conflicts in Africa during the 20th and 21st centuries:

First Italo-Ethiopian War (1895-1896)

Second Boer War (1899-1902)

Maji Maji Rebellion (1905-1907)

World War I (1914-1918) – African theaters of the war

Second Italo-Ethiopian War (1935-1936)

World War II (1939-1945) – African theaters of the war

Mau Mau Uprising (1952-1960)

Algerian War of Independence (1954-1962)

Angolan War of Independence (1961-1974)

Congo Crisis (1960-1965)

Nigerian Civil War (1967-1970)

Ogaden War (1977-1978)

Western Sahara conflict (1975-present)

Uganda-Tanzania War (1978-1979)

Somali Civil War (1991-present)

Rwandan Civil War (1990-1994) and Rwandan Genocide (1994)

First Congo War (1996-1997)

Second Congo War (1998-2003)

Eritrean-Ethiopian War (1998-2000)

Darfur conflict (2003-present)

Boko Haram insurgency (2009-present)

South Sudanese Civil War (2013-present)

Burundian unrest (2015-present)

Major colonial wars and armed conflicts.

French and Indian War (1754-1763)

   – A conflict between Great Britain and France, with Native American allies on both sides, fought mainly in North America.

American Revolutionary War (1775-1783)

   – The war between Great Britain and its thirteen colonies in North America, which resulted in the independence of the United States.

Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815)

   – A series of conflicts involving Napoleon Bonaparte’s French Empire and various European powers, including Great Britain.

Boer Wars (1880-1881 and 1899-1902)

   – Conflicts between the British Empire and the Boer settlers in South Africa over control of territory and resources.

Scramble for Africa (1881-1914)

   – A period of intense colonization and territorial acquisition by European powers in Africa, leading to numerous conflicts and wars among colonial powers and indigenous peoples.

First Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895)

   – Conflict between the Qing Dynasty of China and the Empire of Japan over influence and control in Korea and Taiwan.

Spanish-American War (1898)

   – Conflict between the United States and Spain, primarily over Spanish colonial possessions in the Caribbean and Pacific regions.

Rif War (1920-1926)

   – Conflict between Spain and the Rif tribes of northern Morocco, arising from resistance to Spanish colonization.

Vietnam War (1955-1975)

   – A protracted conflict between communist forces in North Vietnam, supported by the Soviet Union and China, and the government of South Vietnam, supported by the United States and its allies.

Algerian War of Independence (1954-1962)

    – Conflict between France and the National Liberation Front (FLN) seeking independence for Algeria.

Mayor Terrorist Attacks in the 20th Century:

9/11 Attacks (2001) – New York City, USA

   – Deaths: Nearly 3,000

   – Wounded: Over 6,000

Oklahoma City bombing (1995) – Oklahoma City, USA

   – Deaths: 168

   – Wounded: Over 600

Tokyo subway sarin attack (1995) – Tokyo, Japan

   – Deaths: 13

   – Wounded: Over 1,000

Lockerbie bombing (1988) – Lockerbie, Scotland

   – Deaths: 270

Pan Am Flight 73 hijacking (1986) – Karachi, Pakistan

   – Deaths: 22

Beirut barracks bombings (1983) – Beirut, Lebanon

   – Deaths: 307

Air India Flight 182 bombing (1985) – Off the coast of Ireland

   – Deaths: 329

Munich Olympics massacre (1972) – Munich, Germany

   – Deaths: 17

   – Wounded: 5

Entebbe hostage crisis (1976) – Entebbe, Uganda

   – Deaths: 4

Aldo Moro assassination (1978) – Rome, Italy

    – Deaths: 5

Mayor Terrorist Attacks in the 21th Century:

Manchester Arena bombing (2017) – Manchester, UK

   – Deaths: 22

   – Wounded: Over 800

Paris attacks (2015) – Paris, France

   – Deaths: 130

   – Wounded: Over 400

Brussels bombings (2016) – Brussels, Belgium

   – Deaths: 32

   – Wounded: Over 300

Mumbai attacks (2008) – Mumbai, India

   – Deaths: 166

   – Wounded: Over 300

London bombings (2005) – London, UK

   – Deaths: 52

   – Wounded: Over 700

Madrid train bombings (2004) – Madrid, Spain

   – Deaths: 191

   – Wounded: Over 2,000

Garissa University attack (2015) – Garissa, Kenya

   – Deaths: 148

   – Wounded: Over 100

Baghdad bombings (2006) – Baghdad, Iraq

   – Deaths: 335

   – Wounded: Over 700

Istanbul airport attack (2016) – Istanbul, Turkey

   – Deaths: 45

   – Wounded: Over 230

Westgate shopping mall attack (2013) – Nairobi, Kenya

    – Deaths: 67

    – Wounded: Over 175

Hamas terror attack (Oct 2013) -Gaza/Israel

– Death: 1200

– Hostages taken: over 200

Uffff!

😯

“crown of creation”