Selling War: Justifications from Caesar to the Modern Times
Throughout history, from ancient civilizations to the modern era, leaders have relied on a consistent set of justifications to rally their populations for war. These narratives, such as defending freedom, protecting the homeland, pre-emptive self-defence, and civilizing or liberating the enemy, are tailored to exploit the cultural anxieties of their times.
If we examine ancient examples, such as Julius Caesar’s Gallic Wars, the Greek resistance in the Persian Wars, Alexander the Great’s conquests, and Qin Shi Huang’s unification of China, alongside modern conflicts like World War I, World War II, and key Middle East wars, we can trace the persistence of these themes. If we study history, it is clear that leaders use strategic communication to mobilize public support, and more than often they do so by leveraging emotional appeals that obscure critical scrutiny. It is also clear that that society continuously fails to question these narratives…
To make myself clear, this is not to suggest that all wars are unjustified. Some conflicts arise from genuine existential threats or moral imperatives. But the repetition of similar narratives across time, both in just and questionable wars, certainly demands closer scrutiny!
