Indeed, with the theme of war as the main theme this year, I have come to the conclusion that it certainly brings immeasurable mass destruction. War is an unfortunate event that leads to violence, destruction, slaughter and annihilation. The last few centuries have been marked by a significant period of wars which have killed millions of people. These wars, particularly the American Civil War of 1861 and World War II of 1939, give us a broader understanding of the horrors an individual faced during a period of violence. The American Civil War, a war fought over the issue of slavery, was one that initially began due to the distinct interests between the Northern and Southern states. As it is written in Emancipation in the Civil War: "When the war began, the policy of the Union strictly forbade any interference with the institution of slavery" (Emancipation in the Civil War in Sources, 228) . In other words, the Northern states refused to accept slavery; from the start. Abraham Lincoln, a union leader, announced that he would rebel against slavery by force, if necessary; thus, causing the outbreak of the American Civil War. World War II, a war of the 20th century, was mainly caused by a cruel leader, Adolf Hitler. Following World War I, the Covenant of the League of Nations included the peace treaties signed at the end of the war. As Article 11 states, "Any war or threat of war, whether or not immediately affecting any member of the League, is hereby declared a matter of concern to the entire League and the League will take any measure which may be considered as…” (The Covenant of the League of Nations, 333). In other words, the League of Nations was to deal with any potential war by preventing it from occurring...... middle of paper...... important in that it led to the peace. He states: “We wish that it [Germany] would accept a place of equality among the peoples of the new world – the new world in which we now live – instead of a place of mastery” (The Fourteen Points of the Sources, 358). I agree because there was certainly no way to prevent war when the main goal was to prevent Nazi Germany from attacking. Faced with this Second World War, it was crucial to fight against Hitler; which helps maintain peace with other nations. By studying different aspects of these wars in great detail, I can now say that I find this subject quite interesting. War is always inevitable and will disrupt the lives of many people. Yes, 9/11 marked the start of the 21st century, but should it be the worst incident of this century? and I hope that future generations will not have to experience the atrocities of our century.