History as the Record of Humanity's Wars

History is the record of humanity's wars.
Describe a specific situation in which history might be the record of something other than humanity's wars. Discuss what you think determines when history should be the record of humanity's wars and when it should be something else.

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It is often stated that one who does not learn from history will be apt to make the same mistakes. Viewing history in the abstract, these mistakes amount to wars and its devastating consequences. Apparently, leaders of nations do not pay attention to history because the amount of wars occurring during our written history are innumerable. History, as a field, is multi-disciplinary--covering the range of topics such as art, science, and mathematics. However, the record of humanity's wars has largely defined a nation's history because of their wide-reaching implications. That is, wars affect all aspects of human life, including culture and economics.

Historical periods are often organized by periods of war. For example, text books recording the United State's history divide sections into the Revolutionary War, Civil War, World War I and II, etc. War is often quipped to be a necessary evil and the history supports that. After all, the United States came into existence as a result of war with the British. In the majority of cases, the United States expanded its territory using war as a tool---whether against other nation's claims or forcing out native inhabitants. War has also been the cataclyst of major cultural changes, including women's entry to the work force during World War II and the peace and free speech movement in reaction to the Vietnam War. Wartime has also had huge effects on the economy--sometimes boosting a nation and leading it into becoming a major economic player in the world or contributing to national debt and recession periods. Indeed, war may possibly be the one of the most significant factors in what moves a country toward "progress" or downfall.

Periods of peace--that is, time between major wars-- have existed. However, one may argue that humanity is always undergoing a state of conflict or war even though there exists no official war. For example, the Civil Rights movement made a lot of headway between the Korean War and Vietnam War. This was not a war per se but it was a movement for change that dramatically opened opportunities for people of color in future generations. There are also historical records of major inventions and discoveries--while many resulted from war efforts, others really had nothing to do with war.

History is an all-encompassing discipline that tells the story of diverse developments throughout time. However, it has largely been defined by humanity's wars and its ramifications which crossed over to all aspects of society. It is important, indeed, to not only learn about human follies, which largely constitute war, but to also recognize aspects of human accomplishment, including artistic and scientific developments.