Is history anything more than the study of warfare?

If one were to ask the man on the street about historical events, many would probably build on their knowledge of the wars fought in the past. Indeed, warfare is one of the few events that span the history of all cultures, and more often than not, one that is remembered and discussed by individuals in the years after the  warriors who waged it have passed on. Yet it would be foolish to simply think of history as the study of warfare alone. History is the attempt by man to record the events of a generation to preserve it in our cultures so that those who come after us would be able to relive our times through the lenses of historians. History at its best is the story of the progression of mankind from simple existences shaped by nature's will to the sophisticated beings who have learnt to change the world around us. It is the collection of such revolutionary events that forms what we now know as history.

The history of mankind is one of his triumph over more than himself. History shows us how mankind has learnt repeatedly over the centuries about pandemics, from the black death plague that wiped out more than 30% of the population of 14th century Europe to the 1918 flu pandemic that killed between 20 to 50 million people. These catastrophic events have shaped the world in profound ways, teaching mankind lessons that served as guidelines for the generations that came after. For example, it was not until the peak of the 1918 flu pandemic that medical practitioners realised that the flu virus was spread via droplets of body fluid inhaled by individuals near a patient. Prior to that, masks worn by physicians had only covered their mouths but not their noses, rendering them vulnerable to the disease. By studying history teaches us to review the events and the knowledge that our forefathers had sacrificed their lives to learn as they soldiered on to adapt to the fickle mood of mother nature.

History is also a study of the cultures of the world. More often than not, it is the events of the past that shape the mindsets of conservative member in society, who make up the bulk of many societies even in the western world that most consider to be modern and liberal in embracing new age thoughts on alternative lifestyles, innovation and immigration. The conflict between Israel and the Arab states may be a relatively recent conflict, but its roots in religion is not. The competition of opposing forces to gain control of Jerusalem had been an ancient conflict that runs back to medieval times, into the crusades, and into the rise of Islam and Christianity. In and East Asia, the powerful thoughts of Chinese philosopher Confucius still defines social norms such as the young taking care of their retired elders. Around the world, it could be argued that almost every region works on a patriarchal society because the social norms had become part of society since the invention of agriculture which put women out of their roles as gatherers and effectively made men the providers of the family. If we are to explain the trends of today few would argue that the best place to begin searching from is the very texts that describe our humble beginnings.

History is also a source of inspiration for individuals and states. Nation states with a rich history are known to tap into their wealth of historical achievements to forge a national identity and establish the a sense of national pride that unites the nation. It is understandable that if history was to serve as a reference for our cultures, it would also reflect the common ancestry shared by majority of the people in nations due to the geographical limitations to immigration until recent times. At the individual level, the use of characters displaying heroic qualities have often been used as a motivation for people in sectors like the military, governance and healthcare. 

Finally, the study of history is the study of human nature. History, through its collection of stories on characters and organisations, reveals to us the way people think and act. The study of warfare mentioned previously is but a portion of this. The study of warfare shows us how conflicts arise from the contrasting views and conflicting interests of different civilisations and nations. It has shed light on the rational and irrational behaviours of people that have lead to changes in society. The Taiping revolution in Qing dynasty China, an example of warfare, would be an example of how irrational behaviours have fuel conflicts that had such a profound impact that a page in history had been specially dedicated to it, while the intricate twists and turns of strategies employed in warfare the epitome of the potential of the human mind. It is no wonder that students who study history are taught about conflicts and their resolutions (if any has been reached), for history is the very embodiment of what the humanities aim to do: to reveal to us more about ourselves.

Thus, the study of history is not merely about warfare. Warfare is but a rich source for us to understand and extract lessons to apply to our current contexts. Warfare is only studied in history because we have understood that history is about the developments that have shaped the world of man that we see today, and wars are arguably the strongest forces that have pushed us to the pinnacle of all organisms, forcing us to innovate and create in order to best our opponents and promote development of our societies. History by itself is more subtle, yet more profound. It is the collection of all that has made the world what it is today.