Why do people enjoy war? I believe that people enjoy war because, like war itself, it provides an opportunity to test one’s mettle and to prove oneself by overcoming obstacles. While wars are sometimes fought over trivial matters, such as land or trade routes, it is a general belief that even wars fought with noble motives are always fought to prove something. Thus, even wars for noble purposes have a common element of competition, and people enjoy testing themselves by proving their worth in war. This view, while not necessarily wrong, is flawed because it overlooks the fact that sometimes wars are fought over completely trivial matters. People do not generally enjoy fighting these wars, and thus they do not enjoy the competition that war serves to engender.

The belief that wars are a competition between nations has a kernel of truth to it. Countries often compete for power, territory, and wealth, and there is nothing inherently wrong with that. However, not all of those wars have noble intentions. In fact, many of the wars fought throughout history have been fought with entirely selfish motives. The Thirty Years War between 1618 and 1648 in Europe was fought over avarice and territorial gain. The rivalry between France and England that led to their War of the Roses was fought over control of the precious English throne. The War of 1812 between Britain and the United States was fought for trade. The Napoleonic Wars between Britain and France were fought over control of the Mediterranean Sea. Fighting over land or trade routes between nations is not inherently wrong, but fighting wars for purely selfish motives is an eyesore for humanity, and history has many examples of wars fought over irrelevant disputes.

Throughout history, many wars have been fought between nations that had nothing to do with one another. The Aztecs and Incas fought a series of battles over access to trade routes. The Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta in Greece was fought over territory. The Boer War between Britain and the Boers in South Africa was fought over a trade embargo. Even the American Revolution was fought over trade. These wars were not fought over noble objectives, but instead over matters as petty as trade embargoes and land claims. These wars served to incite resentment, which could have led to further hostilities, and were simply not worth fighting. Therefore, wars to fight over trivial matters do not deserve the praise that people give them as proof of character.

Ultimately, wars are fought by people. The motives of those fighting the war are of little consequence. While wars fought over trade or territory can be fought with noble intentions, wars fought over relatively minor matters are nothing more than an opportunity for war profiteers. Their motivations may be noble, but war itself is still an inherently brutal and bloody affair. War is not a competition that humans should enjoy; it is merely one to be endured.