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As young members of society, we must be aware of the world's history, particularly the lowest of lows such as World Wars and the scars they leave on various countries. Through this photo essay, we aim to thoroughly examine how conflict escalates and leaves many scars or marks all around the world. By learning and studying about these conflicts, it can teach us how to prevent them in the future with the lessons these big wars have provided.

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Adolf Hitler, then-Chancellor of Germany, as he gives a speech to the German people.

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In my eyes, conflict in our society is something that, although it seems avoidable, is actually inevitable. During our social science discussions, we learned that conflicts arise for a variety of reasons, including differing objectives, position and influence, interpersonal issues, and others. Given our (and the world’s) rich historical background, this fact should be common knowledge. However, as the saying goes, "Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it," since this issue is still widespread in our society, with innumerable cases of divisiveness and conflict bedeviling us after countless levels of global conflict that have afflicted our civilization for ages.

To put things into perspective, let’s use post-World War I Germany as an example. Following the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, Germany was deemed guilty for initiating the war, and harsh consequences were imposed on them, including territory loss, large reparations payments, and demilitarization. To protest and in retaliation for the harsh treatment Germany had experienced in the wake of World War I, the German forces under Adolf Hitler rearmed the country's fragile political and economic situation.

By targeting their own undoing under the Jews (who were blamed for Germany’s economic misery during the depression as well as the claim that the Jews had betrayed Germany during World War I and were responsible for its defeat), Hitler was able to influence the German public by taking advantage of the results of these events and once again be a force to reckon with. Hitler was able to rally the nation's support behind him and the Nazi party by exploiting the populace's rage through convenient scapegoats such as a pledge to restore Germany's former greatness.

Although the prejudices about the role of the Jews in the war were false, Hitler argued for an "antisemitism of the mind." He stated that the influence of the Jews would never disappear without removing its cause from our midst. (Why Did Hitler Hate the Jews?, 2022) These radical ideas paved the way for the mass murder of the Jews in the 1940s. What happened next infamously changed the course of history, as Germany used this sense of "nationalistic pride" to take over various European nations, effectively starting World War II.

This example demonstrates how quickly a conflict may arise and how a course of action that was initially intended to restore a country’s former glory instead served as the fuel for yet another major conflict, which just goes to show the inevitability of conflict in our society.

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President Manuel Roxas shakes the hand of General Field Marshal Douglas MacArthur then Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers during his inauguration 

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The Good, the Bad... And Somehow We’re Involved.

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The Good, the Bad... And Somehow We’re Involved.

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Given the belligerent nature of most modern conflicts, it is only natural that conflicts, whether major or minor, have an impact on various aspects of a nation.Looking at the grand scale of the conflicts in the 20th century, we can observe both the negative and positive impacts they have on society.

Take the effects of the Second World War on our country, the Philippines, as an example. Our country was in a serious recession following the war. For starters, our country's economy has been steadily declining as Filipinos' earnings have plummeted and their means of subsistence have been drastically diminished. Apart from that, poverty was rampant as a result of two factors: one, slow production due to a lack of capital to finance the rehabilitation of destroyed or partially destroyed machineries, which contributed to the depreciation of the Philippine peso, and two, widespread destruction of property (caused by both the Japanese and the Americans), which was estimated to cost 582,500,000 pesos.

Despite seeming negative, our country's post-war economic situation resulted in much-needed aid from the United States, which aided in our country's resurgence under the new republic. The United States was able to provide immediate help to all of the people of Manila and other provinces liberated from Japanese domination through the PCAU (the Philippine Civil Affairs Unit) by providing much-needed employment to laborers. Aside from that, the United States provided us with $100 million in aid for rehabilitation and repair of the devastation caused by the Second World War. In addition, pre-war trade contacts between the Philippines and the US were maintained for a period of 3–5 years, strengthening both nations' relationships.

This helped spark a conversation about our nation's becoming truly independent (as a result of the guidance given by the US). The New Phillipines Republic was established on July 4, 1946, under the administration of Manuel Roxas, with the goal of rebuilding the country, implementing industrialization, maintaining close ties with the United States, and finally restoring the role of law and government in the country.

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Ukrainian soldiers fire at Russian positions

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"History Repeats Itself, Trying to Succeed"

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"History Repeats Itself, Trying to Succeed"

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Although the world has undergone many changes over time, it should be noted that there are many similarities between the wars that happened in the past and the wars the world is currently experiencing. One could make the argument that the Cold War (during the late 1970s and early 1980s) was similar to the Russia-Ukraine War.

The Cold War was an ideological battle between the United States and Russia, in which both parties supported two contrasting beliefs (the United States supported the more democratic approach, and Russia favored the more communist approach). As a result, tensions between the two superpowers increased. Although there was never a direct confrontation, there were numerous occasions when the United States and Russia would disagree on a variety of issues, such as aid to their allies, technical superiority, and more. In a more modern sense, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is more of a continuation of the Cold War in terms of philosophies, as Putin sought to reestablish the Russian world, which NATO obstructed because of its expansion into other countries and its opposition to democratic values (Nye, 2022).

From these two examples, we can observe a consistent tendency in terms of the cause of wars: conflict is produced by opposing perspectives and differing ideologies on the world. In addition to this, the two wars are similar in the sense that they both inflicted damage on populations, economies, territories, and natural resources, among other things.

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Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan signing the INF Treaty.

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I believe that with the correct circumstances and measures, every conflict can be resolved. Although some people believe that using violence is the best way to resolve a conflict, I believe that the correct way to resolve an issue or conflict is to listen to what the other party has to say, think logically about it, and then offer solutions to both parties so that everyone benefits in some way, sort of like a peace treaty. An example of such would be the United Nations, who use diplomacy to resolve current conflicts, allowing all parties to express their opinions and provide workable solutions.

Another example of this takes place during the Cold War, when the United States and the Soviet Union (along with their respective allies) engaged in an intense political rivalry in which they sought to disseminate their beliefs throughout the world (the US spreading capitalism while the USSR spreading communism). Despite the fact that there was no armed combat between the two nations throughout the Cold War, they were able to make enormous advances in human progress and technology. This contest of one-upmanship between the two countries ended suddenly in the early 1980s due to the Soviet economy's inability to cope with the ever-increasing costs of the arms race. With nowhere to go, the Soviet Union disintegrated into its constituent nations, effectively ending the Cold War. In December 1987, US President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev signed the INF Treaty, in which both superpowers agreed to a nuclear and conventional missile ceasefire, effectively ending the Cold War.

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There Is No I in Team, but There Are a Lot in Social Media

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There Is No I in Team, but There Are a Lot in Social Media

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As young members of society, there are plenty of things that I can do to contribute to addressing societal conflict at the present. For starters, I can be more aware of the current state of afairs both locally and internationally. Following the news and being aware of what's around us not only expands our view of the world, but it also gives us a scope of the world’s various issues. Throughout the Russia-Ukraine War, especially during its precipice, there was a massive flare-up of news and information concerning the said war and all the events happening on the field. The news about the war seemed to follow you everywhere, and at the time, a plethora of media outlets seemed to be pleading for our help in spreading awareness of the crisis. This renewed my passion and inspired me to keep fighting for remedies to societal challenges by bringing to light a very obvious reality. I know I keep saying it, but I truly feel that by utilizing social media and other forms of multi-media, we would be able to tackle the various political and economic issues facing the world. No of the size of our actions, if we tapped into the power of our platforms (from social media), we would be able to make even the tiniest difference, which may unintentionally have a positive impact on our society.

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I discovered and learnt many important lessons on why we should avoid conflict and how to prevent conflict after investigating and learning about it via this assesment.  Conflict is somewhat unavoidable, but in order to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past, it's vital to understand how it affects society. Everyone, especially the younger generation, should take use of these opportunities to help create a better future for not just themselves but also for the future generations.