Essay, Paragraph, Speech on “War – A Relic of Barbarism” Long, Short Essay for School, College Students, essay for Class 8, 9, 10, 12 and Competitive Exams

War – A Relic of Barbarism

The law of the jungle is, “Kill, or be killed!” There we see, “Nature red in tooth and claw”. From the times of

“Dragons of the prime

That tore each other in the slime”,

up to now, the stronger beasts have preyed upon the weaker, and these again on the weaker still. From the tiger down to the rat the only right known is that of might and cunning.

Among the savage races of mankind the jungle law prevails. Savage tribes fight each other for pastures and hunting grounds. The stronger tribe conquers the weaker by brute force, and then either destroys it or enslaves it. We superior people call them savages and barbarians ; yet we still uphold and practice that relic of barbarism, war.

In very ancient times, there were great civilizations, such as the civilizations of Egypt, Babylon and Assyria, and later of Greece and Rome. They produced literature and art of a high order, and looked with contempt on the uncivilized “barbarian”. But they still kept that relic of barbarism, war.

By superior force of arms, they subdued weaker peoples and created vast military empires. The law of the jungle was still the law of early civilization.

Then came Christianity, with its creed of the Fatherhood of One just and merciful God, and the brotherhood of man. Its Founder had taught “Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you, bless them that curse you, pray for them that despite fully use you”. In time all Europe accepted this gentle creed, and became nominally Christian. But did war, that relic of barbarism, disappear ? No ; the history of the Middle Ages is largely a history of wars between so-called Christian nations. They honoured the God of love with their lips, but their hearts were far from Him.

So we come down to modern times. The 16th, 17th, and 18th Centuries were full of wars in Christian Europe – wars to which the invention of gunpowder had added new horrors. Even the 19th Century had its wars, big and small. In the meantime, a new civilization had come in. The marvellous discoveries of science had made the world a new place, with its use of steam and electricity. In every way life be-came richer and fuller. But men still clung to war, that relic of barbarism. Indeed they have by science made war a far more horrible and devilish thing than ever the barbarian made of it. With bombing aeroplanes and poisonous gases, war has now become “the mass-murder of civilians”. Europe is now an armed camp. It is a vast open powder-magazine, waiting any chance match to blow our modern boasted civilization to bits. The law of the jungle is still the law of civilized man “Kill, or be killed! “O, the pity of it!