2003 Q.1

I have written an essay which I thought I've done pretty well, so would like to post here to share with you. It's the one of the questions of 2003 UE Section B writing paper.

Question: Is it ever right for a country to fight a war? Write an essay on this topic, Stating your opinion and supporting it with at least three reasons.

My answer is as below. Please kindly give me some advice after reading it. Many thanks.

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Throughout ages, all over the world, men have never been tired of fighting each other. It is impossible for us to find out a period in the history where there was no bloodshed. Some even conclude that our history is formed by a countless number of wars, which may be for land, for power, for freedom or for glory. We often blame that wars take lives away, devastate properties and, most importantly, disrupt peace. Surprisingly, the truth is that war has benefited human society, and is not as evil as we think. The explanation of this will be gone through below.

The most apparent advantage of wars is speed up cultural exchange. If a country launches a conquest on another country, the soldiers of the invader will live at the enemy state for a certain time, bringing their own culture to the opponent and, meanwhile, learning the enemy's. For example, Alexander the Great got the culture from Egypt, Persia and some Asian nations to Greece, and brought his own culture to these countries. It was Genghiskhan who taught the Europeans the importance of logistics and supplies and the might of light cavalry in his conquest of the west. Muslims and crusaders had also mixed the eastern and the western cultures during the religious wars in the medieval age. Since fighting battles is a way to stimulate the exchange of cultures among countries, it is, to a certain extent, right for a country to fight a war.

Another benefit for a country to fight a war is that military campaigns could unite all people in the nation. Try to imagine that if a strong army is marching against us, which threatens the existence of our country, will we sit and do nothing, or join together to defend our home? As a matter of fact, in 480 BC, when Xerxes I and his massive Persian army marched towards the cities of Greece after the victory in Thermopylae, the Greeks united as a nation to protect themselves and successfully defeated the Persians at the Straits of Salamis. In addition, when Japan invaded China in 1937, the Chinese Nationalists and the Communists decided to cease their war against each other, and fought the Japanese back hand-in-hand. These examples showed that war may unite the people in a country and develop nationalism. Therefore, war may not be as bad as we think.

Last but not least, a country fighting a war can let people show their respectable conduct. In 480 BC, Xerxes I of Persia invaded Greece and led his army to Thermopylae, literally "the Hot Gates", near Sparta. In order to let the other cities of Greece have more time to prepare for war, Leonidas I, King of Sparta, and three hundred Spartan finest soldiers marched to encounter the Persian army. The Spartans were all slain, but they seized three days’ time for their countrymen to get ready to crash the Persians. Although Leonidas and his three hundred gave up their lives, they had shown their enormous valour, and their sacrifice has echoed across centuries. Furthermore, on 6th of May, 1527, Duke Charles III, Constable of France, led an army to sack Vatican, the Papal States. At that time, 189 Swiss Guards, who had sworn to protect the Pope, were on duty. 147 of them were massacred by the invaders, but ultimately ensured that the Pope escaped to safety. Obviously, the Swiss Guards had fulfilled their oath, never lost their fealty and integrity. In short, war may wake people's virtue which is deep in their heart.

In conclusion, war is not as evil as we usually think, but, by contrast, may bring us some positive effects, including stimulating cultural exchange, uniting people in the same country and rousing the virtue of human beings. For these reasons, it may be right for a country to fight a war. Starting from today, while mourning for the death and loss of battles, we may also try to look on the brighter side of a war.