Shermans Hell War
The term ³war² is one that most competent English speaking people are familiar with, and it is one that most of those same people could attempt to define. The only problem lies in the definition that one would receive. War is so complex and multifaceted that it is truly understood by only a few people. Wars date far back into history, and they have been fought for more reasons than could be listed. It seems strange, but untimalely, they are fought for one reason. Freedom has been the issue of every war since the beginning of time, and whenever a group of individuals feels that their freedom has been infringed upon, war is always possibility.
It is only logical that in a war there must be some form of a protagonist as well as an antagonist, but in many cases it is unclear who gets which label. The American Civil War is a perfect example. The South wanted the freedom to make decisions that benefited a largely agricultural society, and when that freedom was denied they withdrew from the Union. The Union, on the other hand, viewed the South as a group of radicals making an attempt to dissolve the unity of states that their ancestors had worked so hard to create. As a result they felt their freedom of unity and nationhood had been taken away. It is difficult to say who was in the right, but when all of the negotiations had been exhausted, war was the result. In this case there was no other option because both sides believed in their cause. Gen. William T. Sherman said ³War is Hell², and that quote has remained famous because even though simple, it is accurate. American men spent weeks at a time in rat infested trenches with lice all over their bodies in both World War One and Two. There are countless examples of horrible war crimes, biological weapons, napalm strikes, and of course nuclear weapons. War has claimed millions of lives throughout history. War is glorified by many, but the people who know see no glory in it, yet they do it...
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