Economics as the Cause of Wars
By: Gregory Viola
Holyoke Community College
Over the years, the causes of wars have been analyzed and disputed. Historians and
politicians alike have researched previous conflicts in order to prevent them from happening in
the modern day. On the surface, it seems as though every war that has taken place in our history
had a different motive to it. Obviously, the time periods between wars caused societies to be
very different and make it seem as though every war had a unique cause. But when researched
deeper, a connection can be made between many wars and conflicts through an economic
motive. Many nations, or portions of a nation, have fought to keep their way of life the way it
was before the disputes so that business could thrive and grow the way it had been for so long.
Other nations were in a state of economic distress and found ways to use war as an economic
stimulant to thrust their economies into a thriving state of the market. Maybe not all wars are
economically driven, but for the sake of the discussion and picking a side to support, I feel like
