Explain what you think the author is saying, and disscus why the ideas found in

Question

Explain what you think the author is saying, and disscus why the ideas found in the quotation might be historicaly important or interesting.

Heinrich von Treitschke said

"The idea of perpetual peace is an illusion supported only by those of weak character. It has always been the weary, spiritless, and exhausted ages which have played with the dream of perpetual peace. A thousand touching portraits testify to the sacred power of the love which a righteous war awakes in noble nations. It is altogether impossible that peace be maintained in a world bristling with arms, and even God will see to it that war always recurs as a drastic medicine for the human race."

Explanation / Answer

Peace has never prevailed in the world because of three reasons, resources, women and land. People kept fighting among themselves for all these three from the beginning of time. So, Heinrich von Treitschke is right in telling that perpetual peace is only an illusion because every person, every region, every state, every country, every race, every ethnicity etc. fight for their survival and resources with one another. Another reason is that people fight for supremacy with one another. Now that all the countries are accumulating more weapons and allocate more budget for their security, peace will remain an illusion. Some even do it for their political survival and keep certain political issues alive, so that they could advance their political career and fight elections. Most of the wars were fought for religious reasons and that's why the speaker says that even God's see it as a medicine. So, perpetual peace will remain a dream and illusion as long as the differences among the people remain.

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