The Benefits of War

 by Sophie Haworth

Munitions factory, First World War

War has been, and will inevitably continue to be, a prevalent force in human society. It can be argued that the aggressive approach is defined by our animalistic pasts, but physical conflict resolution is still a significant issue in modern international relations. Though often framed in a highly negative light, it is important to highlight the positive societal impacts that war makes, as well as the obvious physical territorial and political gains. As outlined in Miguel Centeno’s course ‘Paradoxes of War’, conflict can catalyse social advancement and fight for equality and cooperation on a national and global scale. In this article I will discuss the benefits of war in three areas of society - industry, equality and political consensus.

Firstly, times of conflict catalyse industry and the economy within a country. There is no better event for industry; unemployment rates significantly decrease, albeit temporarily, and a nation’s efficiency rate skyrockets. In 1916, the unemployment rate was its lowest, around 1%, compared to the current figure which is fluctuating around 4%. War is a time for innovation and industrialisation, with heavy industries such as steel and coal acting as the lifeline for the nation. With such a heavy reliance on material resources, wartime governments can scarcely afford striking affecting production, and thus many nations introduced wartime legislation limiting the rights of unions - in Britain, striking was banned just eight days into war, under the Defence of the Realm Act 1914. Though arguably this restriction on liberties is not a benefit of war, the increased productivity that it brought was a positive implementation. The production pressure exerted by the strain on resources forces industrial innovation and creativity, which has encouraged the invention of many things used in our daily lives; even the concept of canned food was produced during the Napoleonic wars. The invention of stainless steel was provoked by attempts to improve rifles, and eventually became one of the most common and utilised materials on the planet. In many ways, war forces our hand and coerces efficient and required innovation, but the long lasting impacts of war-time discoveries cannot be underestimated. Not only does it give economies a significant boost, but it switches focus to often neglected and underfunded industries and sectors, protecting domestic interests by inadvertently saving home manufacturing. From a purely economic perspective, war has clear benefits. 

Additionally, times of conflict seek to effectuate increasing rates of social mobility. As prominently demonstrated following the close of the first world war, women, especially in Britain, significantly benefited from events in war. Through the nation’s collective ‘war effort’, women were drafted in under the initiative of Lloyd George, then Minister of Munitions, to cover the worker shortage in munitions factories. Subsequently, women began to fill in many roles left vacant by soldiers, including the land army, the civil service and tram drivers. Some women even went to work on the front line as nurses, and were duly rewarded for their efforts after the war ended with the Representation of the People Act, 1918, signifying the beginning of the end of the fight for equal suffrage. However, though this legislation is the most obvious change on the road to equality, in general, the war was significant in fuelling a greater sense of social mobility. Now, not only was gender of diminishing importance, but social class was too. Previously, social standings were rigid, with limited interactions and mobility between classes. This, however, had been significantly changed by the war. Though higher ranks were more prevalent among the elite classes, upper class and working class men could fight side by side in the trenches, and such stark class separation and suspicion of others did not arise as prevalent after the end of the conflict. The overarching sense of camaraderie arguably began to dissolve the impenetrable class barriers, and began to form the class system of diminishing prevalence that we see in British society today. 

Similar ideas were not only prevalent in Britain - following their heavy involvement in the First World War, Indigenous Americans were granted citizenship in the Indian Citizen Act of 1924. Over 11,000 Native Americans served in the US Military during the conflict, and often in more dangerous roles, such as snipers. Many believe that the Act was a direct result of this contribution to America and her aims, proving the prevalence of war for advancements in equality. War began to integrate minority ethnic groups into society, most prevalently in America, with multicultural militias and troops commonplace since the Revolutionary War in 1776, paving the way for the eventual abolition of slavery ninety years later. It has catalysed lasting change for many areas of society, and encouraged higher tolerance across all groups and backgrounds.

Finally, times of international war often create an unprecedented sense of political consensus and efficiency foreign to peacetime arrangements. A common scene in a modern day parliament such as Westminster is often one of intense partisanship and distrust for the perceived ‘other’. However, in recent times, especially demonstrated by the war in Ukraine, conflicts act to galvanise political unity to propose a collective stance against a perceived aggressor. There is often intense cross-party support for bills seen as in the national or international interest, such as the recent support for military aid for Ukraine, including plans to send 14 British Challenger 2 tanks to the front line. These events reflect historic trends, in which bipartisan cooperation has been reflected strongly; during WW1, the Liberals and Conservatives formed a strong wartime coalition, in which collaboration and consensus were highly valued. Being seen to undermine the government in times of conflict is often seen as unpatriotic, thus encouraging many to put aside positional differences and work for agreement in the political domain. The increased unity between the normally divided political parties occurs often in wartime, and is a clear political benefit of conflict. The features of wartime collaboration often carry over to the post-war political sphere, for example with the continued Liberal-Conservative coalition that lasted until 1922. However, it is clear that the union and bipartisanship become less prevalent and fragile without the motivating factor of war and patriotism. Conflict works to significantly unify political partisanship.

Overall, though it is unavoidable that war creates incredible tragedy and loss, it is also important to recognise its positive lasting legacies. It acts to unify nations internally and externally, catalysing social movements and increasing social mobility and cohesion. Often it works to protect and entrench the rights of minorities, such as Native Americans and women, whilst also creating a greater sense of unity within the political sphere, seen both in modern day and during the World Wars. It also acts to fuel innovation and fund industry, proving its power as a galvanising force in society. War has many benefits, whose impact we still see in and on society today.

Sources

‘The Paradoxes of War’ Course - Miguel Centeno, Princeton

Economic impact of war - Economics Help

American Indians' service in World War I, 1920 | Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History

7 War-Time Inventions That You Use Every Day (allthatsinteresting.com)