Nah, your thinking of nationalism. WWI and WWII had very little to do with religion but in terms of body count far exceed the likes of the crusades. If you ask your average soldier throughout history why they're doing what they're doing patriotism will come up more often than God. Naked self interest would probably be the actual top reason but people don't usually say the quiet part aloud.
Nationalism has only been a thing for a few hundred years, though. We've been murdering each other over religion for millenia. I still think religion "wins".
ask your average soldier throughout history why they’re doing what they’re doing patriotism will come up more often than God.
Country/Nation is a rather new concept - most people throughout history would say which village/area they were from. It didn't have to be a Holy War for the leader to say "we have to fight (invaders) because they are an affront to (whatever god.)"
I don't imagine the average peasant would care the nation of the person taking taxes from them, so long as those taxes were low and that's all they took. (I mean obviously they didn't love paying taxes.) And remember, one of the reasons used for the taking of taxes was that leaders were ordained by God.
Nah, your thinking of nationalism. WWI and WWII had very little to do with religion but in terms of body count far exceed the likes of the crusades. If you ask your average soldier throughout history why they're doing what they're doing patriotism will come up more often than God. Naked self interest would probably be the actual top reason but people don't usually say the quiet part aloud.
Nationalism has only been a thing for a few hundred years, though. We've been murdering each other over religion for millenia. I still think religion "wins".
Country/Nation is a rather new concept - most people throughout history would say which village/area they were from. It didn't have to be a Holy War for the leader to say "we have to fight (invaders) because they are an affront to (whatever god.)"
I don't imagine the average peasant would care the nation of the person taking taxes from them, so long as those taxes were low and that's all they took. (I mean obviously they didn't love paying taxes.) And remember, one of the reasons used for the taking of taxes was that leaders were ordained by God.