War. We may not be aware of it, but every day there is war somewhere in the world. But every war is not the same. They often take place for different reasons, with different people and between different states. What types of war are there, and what are the characteristics of these wars? The term war cannot actually be described precisely. Many different activities are often labeled war. It is often impossible to say exactly how many wars are taking place on earth at the moment. Yet there are some criteria that a war must meet in order to really be called a war. An example of this is a minimum of a thousand war victims. When this is not the case it is often called an uprising.
Hegemony war (World War)
A war for world hegemony is a war waged to gain power in the entire world. We also call this a world war. The last hegemonic war was World War II. This type of war could no longer take place in this day and age without destroying the entire society. The weapons are now so advanced that this type of war would destroy the entire world.
Total war
A total war is a war waged by one state with the aim of conquering and capturing another state. The goal is to capture the capital and force the government to resign. After this, the victor can take over the place of government. The total wars started during the time of Napoleonic Wars. Another characteristic of total war is that the entire economy of a country becomes subservient to the war, as was the case with France during the time of Napoleon. All civilians are also involved in the war. They are mobilized for the war and are both victims.
Limited war
This war does not have as its goal the complete surrender and destruction of the enemy, but a smaller goal. This could include taking over a piece of land. An example of a limited war is the United States in the First Gulf War. The United States regained the territory of Kuwait, but did not go to Baghdad to overthrow the government of Iraq. Many border wars have the same character as a limited war; the goal is just to take over a piece of land.
Civil war
A civil war is a war between groups or peoples within a state. This war often aims to create a new government or prevent a new government from coming to power. It may also be that citizens want to change the entire government system or want their own state. Ethnic conflicts are often the cause of such wars. An example of this is the war in Chad in 2007, in which rebels wanted to stage a coup.
Guerrilla (war)
The Spanish word guerra means war. The word guerrilla is a diminution of that. Literally, a guerrilla means a small war, or a small war. In a guerrilla, a war is waged without front lines. The troops often hide or are protected by the civilian population. The goal of a guerrilla is not a direct confrontation with the enemy, but to gradually attack and punish the enemy. By attacking unexpectedly, the guerrillas can regain territory. An example of such a war is the Vietnam War in the sixties and seventies of the last century. The United States had to fight the Viet Cong guerrillas in this war. This totally failed.
Of course, every war is not so easy to categorize. Wars often have diverse characters and sometimes also characteristics of several types of war. But with this classification you can still get an idea of how different a war can sometimes be.