War

 A war huh!

War, is a violent conflict between groups or nations. The causes and consequences of wars have been discussed by scholars, politicians, and journalists for centuries.

I remember when I first heard the word War. My childhood was filled with war movies like "Saving Private Ryan" where the protagonist goes on a personal crusade to find his best friend's last known location in war-torn Europe, "The Pacific", in which men live and die to defend their island home against an invasion of Japanese forces while harboring hope that they will be reunited with loved ones back home.

I remember it vividly when I first heard the word War, I was in the eighth grade. I heard my teacher mention "World War II" in his lecture. World War II: A war fought from 1939 to 1945 by the Axis Powers (Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, and Imperial Japan) and Allied Forces (British Empire, Soviet Union, and the United States of America) for global supremacy. I was surprised that there even was a war where nations went to war with each other. Naturally, this sparked my interest and I went on to read about all sorts of wars from the Opium Wars to the recent Korean Conflict.

I learned about the foundation of the British empire in Africa and the Caribbean. I learned about Rome's invasions of many different countries in Europe, both by land and sea. I learned about battles throughout history, such as those at Troy, Marathon, and Hastings. I learned that wars aren't just won by force alone; you often can have more casualties in a naval battle than on land. I learned about the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, and of the Mongolian invasion that followed. I learned about war and its cost, such as the hundreds of thousands of lives lost in World War I alone. In my research, I felt as though the knowledge was being accumulated before my eyes and I couldn't wait to share it with others like an excited child christening his new toy.

"War" was a word that intrigued me, much like how "tragedy" is defined as an "eventful occurrence or experience". Events like these excite me because they give my attention to a subject that can be very broad in terms of knowledge.

While I was in the eighth grade, I had various plans for my future. In fact, I already knew that after high school, I intended to go to university and study international studies. This is where I expected to engage in research and analysis for my final two years of education. Now when I look at the subject of international studies in today's society, however, an "eventful occurrence" did not seem appropriate anymore. Instead of engaging with a wide cast of characters from all different backgrounds and cultures as was customarily done in the past; we now tend to find information about whether or not people are talking about war online or over the television or newspaper.

-Unknown