Resource Wars

The concept of resource wars has a long history, dating at least to the advent of phrases such as “the spoils of war,” which are claimed by victors from the vanquished. Indeed, the quest to attain control over resources may be viewed as among the most basic causes of war in the annals of history and common perception alike. Such constructions have persisted into the modern era, even as our understanding of war has grown more complex by including factors such as religion, ideology, ethnicity, and power. Still, it remains the case that wars generally devolve upon political and economic factors that entail either overt or covert desires to acquire and exploit resources. Exploring these notions in historical and contemporary contexts reveals the ongoing centrality ...