| dc.description.abstract | This year, 2015, marks the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II
(WW II). It was the deadliest war fought in the history of mankind,
both in terms of the number of people killed — over 50 million —
and the number of countries and continents involved in the hostilities. No
less mind-numbing was the fact that, for the first time, and prayerfully for
the last time in human history, an atomic weapon was used in a war.
The most important lesson of WW II is that a war of that kind must never
again be fought. But there is good news. Mankind may well be learning that
lesson, at least some important parts of that lesson. There has been no world
war in the past seven decades, whereas the interval between the First and
Second World Wars was just about two decades. Moreover, although there
have been some horrific localized wars and civil wars since 1945, there are
no signs on the horizon that World War III could happen.
What accounts for this optimistic development? Briefly, four reasons.
Firstly, at a time when many nations possess weapons of mass destruction,
awareness about the catastrophic consequences of a globalized war is acting
as a deterrent factor. If it all World War III were to happen, there would be
no more wars since the human race itself could suffer extinction. Secondly,
after 1945, the international community has devised institutions, the United
Nations being the foremost among them, which provide platforms for
inter-governmental dialogue. | |
