The origins of major war

the long version

"One of the most important questions of human existence is what drives nations to war - especially massive, system-threatening war. Much military history focuses on the who, when, and where of war; in this book, Dale C. Copeland brings attention to why governments make decisions that lead to, sustain, and intensify conflicts. Copeland presents detailed historical narratives of several twentieth-century cases, including World War I, World War II, and the cold war. He highlights instigating factors that transcend individual personalities, styles of government, geography, and historical context to reveal remarkable consistency across several major wars that are usually considered dissimilar. The result is a series of challenges to established interpretive positions and provocative new readings of the causes of conflict."--BOOK JACKET.