# War buff in need of your answers



## lucifer_principle

I'm sort of a war ethusiast. Which major war in any part of history fascinated, hurt, or touched you the most?


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## littlemissattitude

World War II, because my father fought in it and he told me all kinds of stories about it, including about the two years he spent as a "guest of the Reich" (he was a POW).

But your request brings up a question. You use the word "enthusiast". Does that mean that you are interested in wars in a historical sense? Or does it mean that you "like" war? Because, in my experience, some people do actually like the idea of war - of having them and of fighting in them. That is something that I cannot comprehend, personally, because I think war, even the "good" ones (in the sense that they worked to eliminate some evil) are in the final analysis a flawed way of dealing with political, social, or religious conflicts.

Oh, and by the way, welcome to the forum.


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## lucifer_principle

Thanks. My condolences about your Father. I just kind of like the stories on wars not necessarily the carnage. Its also kind of emotional when so many people come together for a common cause, its an exemplification of human nature and potential. Thannks


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## Leto

War kills common people just for the profit of few ones. How can anyone be enthousiastic about it ? War is mainly blood, guts spilled and sh*t. 

The ones who directly touched me were WW2 because I had family fighting there, and the Yougoslavian one because I had friends there. Hopefully most of them came back with their whole body.


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## Tsujigiri

War isn't something you should be enthusiastic about, maybe you meant that you maintain an interest in military history?

The wars I have the most interest in are WWI & WWII because I had family involved, several of the historical Scottish battles, again because of family, and the Japanese period known as Sengoku Jidai.


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## Winters_Sorrow

The conflicts I have an interest in are WWI & II (modern warfare with modern weapons but turn of the century morals & beliefs - strangely inspiring despite the horrors involved)

I also have an interest in ancient historical battles (Rome, Greece etc) as the strategies used are still as relevant today as then. 
Plus, whether we like it or not, war has shaped the world in which we find our selves (and I suppose still shapes it)


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## LadyFel

In a purely historic sense, the war between Stephen and Maude and the Wars of the Roses between York and Lancaster fascinate me the most - not because of the carnage bur because of the psychological and political aspects of them - all the intrigue and coat-turning that went on, every time I read about them I'm amazed once more at the fact that people were capable of allying themselves with those they hated from the bottom of their soul...

On a really personal note, the war in Croatia and Bosnia - I'm a Croat, a kid who lived on the top floor of my building was more or less the first casualty, I have family in a part of Serbia which has always been predominantly Croat-populated and plenty of friends who fought...I don't want to go on about it because if I do there'll be some very hard words from me on the subjest of tribunals, peacekeeping forces and the current situation...


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## lucifer_principle

Firstly, war is by no means a game and its probably the worst times of humanity. However we are still animals and social animals to make things worse, all animals just happen to have conflicts once in a while. For humans its perhaps also a psychological release because many people are always happy and celebrating when going to war, just before the war starts.I certainly don't pray for wars and not in support of them but you really have to appreciate the motivation involved. I am a war ethusiast because I like to read about strategies, stories, and consequences of wars. No different from those who see hollywood war movies. Its all sort of a token of respect for all those who have fought and died in every war.


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## nixie

World war's I & II , sort of interest me as my grandfather served in both,and I was fascinated with story's my granny used to tell me about rationing and been evacuated with my mum and uncle during the Clyde air raids.I also like to read up on battles fought on British soil.One thing that saddens me is that we don't seem to have taken any lessons from world war II.


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## ommigosh

"Which major war in any part of history fascinated, hurt, or touched you the most?"

Not a war enthusiast at all.  It seems to represent humanity at just about his very worst.
Hearing about the terrible WWI slaughter at Gallipoli for the first time probably touched me the most.  I have always been strangely fascinated by King Alfred's (of Wessex) battles against the Viking warbands which harried this island.
I think I can genuinely say that the UK's involvement in the recent Iraq conflict has hurt me.


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## Foxbat

I have an  interest in war in the historical sense - partly for the same reasons as littlemiss gave (all the tales I was told as a nipper). My family has been involved in WW2 (Uncles, Grandfather etc.) Thankfully my own father was too young. 

Also, my great-grandfather was killed in the slaughter of WW1 in France. Another Great Grandfather ran away from home and lied about his age. he fought in the Boer War(and lost a leg). My own particular interest is probably more geared towards WW1 because of the way it changed the world (the fall of 4 empires and the rise of Communism).


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## Monty Scott

The war that facsinates me the most is the war in Heaven between the angels. (Yes even the angels war.) The ancient writings speak of an awesome war between the "Sons of Light" and "The Sons of Darkness" I can't help but think that they refer to some intergalactic war, and I want to know the details.

*Yes, I know this may seem a little nuts.


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## GOLLUM

I have no like for any wars!!!   

What a waste as Leto says for the profit of a few.....


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## Stalker

War is war. "The last argument of the kings"...
And as it absolutely rightfully pointed out above here, it kills thousand people to benefit of few, or for some obscure 'natrional interest" which is quite the same.
I generally hate wars and don't see any romanticism in them - only blood, stench, guts spilled all over, anger and mersilessness. If you have any illusions on so called "civilised warfare", take them away, should war come to you (which I by no means would wish ever happen to you), it will not show any civilised feature.
WW II is what touches me the most. It touches to this or that extent every family of ex-USSR. There's no family in Ukraine which didn't suffer loss in that war. Ladies and gentlemen, you only think of that number - 27 million sitizens of the USSR that war were killed in that war! The population of an average European country!!!
How can I take that easy?
That bloody ******* Hitler left this world too easily (I am not bloodthirsty - only just). I wish he and that murderous son of the bitch Himmler were before the court in Nuremberg!!! I wish Stalin was also judged, and Truman to accompany him (for Hiroshima and Nagasaki) but victors are not judged.


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## Foxbat

> One thing that saddens me is that we don't seem to have taken any lessons from world war II.


 
I agree. War is something that must be learned from. To dismiss it is merely to learn nothing and invite another.


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## Monty Scott

The Russian, British and Japanese people showed incredible strength and resilience both during and after WWII, as well as the many people that rose above the struggle to keep their humanity.


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## Hypes

Lucifer, I have a book I'd like to recommend for you, it's called War Is A Force That Gives Us Meaning . I think you might find it interesting as it deals with the psychology of war and how it shapes us, both prior to conflict and in its aftermath. And once you've seen war, or what it can do first-hand, you know there is very little to be enthused about.


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## fallenstar

The War of the Ring..no just kidding.

I am fascinated in most ancient wars fought in China..I liked to read about the wars between the lords of China in Zhou Dynasty (app. 1000 BC I think...I am probably off by a lot by it's before the first century for sure). Also the Three Kingdoms period in China..(Read the Romance of the Three Kingdoms..you can actually learn some military manueaver stratgy)

In European history I like the War of Roses, for the political aspect. But another reason is really the name...The War of Roses, such a romantic name for such a bloody war, which is what made me interest in this war at the beginning. 

To be honest, I really don't like modern wars, I mean WWI's trench warfare is the most weird and inefficient way of fighting a war I have ever seen. (ok maybe too much ancient Chinese war stories for me). I don't like guns or tanks or fighter planes whatsoever, I find wars fought with swords and shields more interesting.


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## lucifer_principle

Thanks Hypes for the recommendation, I will certainly buy the paper.


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## cyborg_cinema

lucifer_principle said:
			
		

> I'm sort of a war ethusiast. Which major war in any part of history fascinated, hurt, or touched you the most?


Omaha Beach—first wave. A powerful example of the hellish aspects of war.


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## Spook

The 101st Airborne and 1st ARVN Divisions assault on Hill 937 (Dong Ap Bai) in the A Shau Valley in Vietnam, as depicted in the movie Hamburger Hill. The casualties were horrendous; and after a weeks fighting and taking the Hill it was abandoned 24hrs later.

Just a horrific and senseless waste of human life to be honest.


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## dreamwalker

I've never been in a war or combat situation, but I have served in the Armed servies under the royal airforce for 18 months straight out of college. 
It wasn't for any sort of blood or ultra violence lust . But long before, war always excited me, the situation, the technology and equipment, one vs the over, man and machine vs man and machine, state vs state and the pride humans take in it.
Since i've left, I can say that I respect war more than I admire it. War gave our jobs meaning. I now say I admire the millitary, our gruop as with many others had a histroy and honour to uphold in which previous battles and wars where responsible. 

The transparent and irresponsible way the politics has made media represent war has made many intelligent people hate and detest wars without actually repecting them. Thats just as dangerous as the gun ho attitude bush currently has at the moment.

As for me personally, I have alot of interest in the Vietam war mainly because it exposed the challenges new technologies poised instead of solutions. How new technology certainly didn't make "the horrors of war" less atrocious. How the cavilery had helicopters instead of horses *and how we didn't just use nuclear weapons - Possibly one lesson learnt from WWII. *And how it can be used as a model for all wars present and future.


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## Gwydion

Napoleonic wars, Civil War, and WWII. I can tell you anything you want to know about the Civil War.


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## Cyril

The two world wars (for me linked and indissociables) because these wars link modern and ancient worlds. In these wars, we saw things from cavalry assaults to atomic warfare. And also, they're one of the most major conflict in history (I see the 20 years between them as a break in the same conflict) by their consequences. Like Alexander conquest of the persian empire or barbarian invasions of the roman empire, I think it's a change between two historic eras.


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## Spartan27

This is Spartan27, my dad fought in WWII in Europe as a "freedom fighter" against the Reich.

He survived WWII and never did talk much about it but did say he shot down a Messerschmidt using a 30 cal machine gun over greece actually saw the ball of flame when it hit the ground.....

The Reich didn't get him...but cancer did....


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## HoopyFrood

To start off: I hate war. Nay...I loathe war.
Anyway...A couple of years ago, we studied World War One for English and we went on a very moving trip to the battlefields in France and Belgium, and visited the monuments and graveyards of the men who died there. It was incredibly poignant. So many graves...one of them alone had over 7,000 in it. And the Thiepval monument has around 72,000 names on it and these are just the people who haven't been found. It's terrible. And even worse is on one of the monuments in Belgium, there are bullet holes in the stone made during the Second World War. Will we ever learn learn?

On a completely different note...I'm quite clued up (although not as much as I used to be) on the Napoleonic Wars.


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## cornelius

i live in Ypers so WWI effects me , and when I look out the window I can see about five world war cemeteries . to think that so many men died...


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## geordie bob

Before joining the armed forces when younger i was also a war enthusiast,however after serving a tour of northern ireland and two in bosnia ive come to learn theres no glory in armed conflict of any kind and sadly its generally the civilian population that suffers the most,war is a pointless and tragic.


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## SpaceShip

GOLLUM said:


> I have no like for any wars!!!
> 
> What a waste as Leto says for the profit of a few.....


That is so true.  My grandfather (my dad's dad) fought in WWI - he lost a leg in the conflict and came to live with us.  He didn't talk much about what happened but we knew it was awful - men going into they knew not what, thinking it a glorious thing to do - there had never been mustard/nerve gas before and so this was a shock to them and was awful.  My dad served in WWII and was invalided out as well.  He died before his father (who still lived with us) of leukaemia - which, in these days, we would attribute to what happened to him during his time as a soldier.  He was my mother's second husband; the first went off to war on the afternoon of the day they got married and was lost in action.

As GOLLUM says: what a waste!  And I'm sure a few made a mint out of it!


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## MemmoN

The French and Indian war, Thermopalaye, The mediicine wars.


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## Varangian

I think we have learned something from WWII, and that is the ability to stand up as an international group (the U.N., NATO, ANZSUS etc.) and place pressure on Hitler like personalities. It doesn't always work, but sometimes it does. We are much more of an international community now than we were pre WWII.


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## Oskari

War is wrong on every account, but if someone is enthusiastic (i.e. Great excitement for or interest in a subject or cause) doesn't mean they condone it. I share a certain enthusiasm about the nature of warfare because, as a writer, I embrace conflict. I also have an interest in psychology and that adds to my enthusiasm.

Am I interested in any particular war? Hmmm. I think it would be naive of me not to be fascinated by the events of WW2, but my early childhood enthusiasm for medieval warfare tends to suggest that nothing but the weapons change. So, the answer is I am fascinated by the nature of conflict. Thinking about it a little more, the most interesting wars seem to be the ones within my inner circle, especially around Christmas time. Fascinating!


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## J-WO

The Spanish civil war and the role of the International brigades fascinate me from a social viewpoint. Firstly, its possibly the only war where the losers got to write the history, simply because they were better writers.

And secondly, its an example of common people drawing a line in the sand against fascism long before their respective governments had the guts to do so. 'If you tolerate this then _your_ children will be next' as a poster said at the time and time and the blitz proved it and the International Brigades right.

 Interestingly, the U.K's history syllabus quickly leaps over this fact to get to all that Churchill stuff.


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## J-WO

I'm also into the ancient world's warfare on account of the cool helmets and catapults.


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## Vargev

I like the Napoleonic war, for it's romance, it's intensity, the heroes that fought within it Napoleon, Blutcher, Wellington, and Nelson. The Gigantic naval battles like at Trafalgar.

Also WWII, as my uncle (sadly deceased now) was a navigator flying a Lancaster bomber. And the Korean war, as my grandfather (also passed away) fought in that, gathering a fair tally of medals, and its mysticism at being called "the forgotten war".


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