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0 pointslabster3y ago0 comments

The Crusades seem an obvious example. Why endeavor to conquer coastal desert a thousand kilometers from your kingdom instead of your neighbor’s farmland and mines. The Trojan war was about a single woman and her prestige. And WWII had fascist ideologies that were centered on proving to the world how great they were, and the proved more important than the economic motives in actually starting the war.

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makeitdouble3y ago

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crusades

> The first Crusaders had a variety of motivations, including religious salvation, satisfying feudal obligations, opportunities for renown, and economic or political advantage.

"prestige" could be close to "renown", but it comes from a different place (renown brings direct advantages, including nobility attribution for instance), and you'll note economic and political advantage are set as anchors of this list.

The reality of it is about conquering territory under a pretense that won't raise hostility among your neighbors (who can even participate in the expeditions under the same religious flag)

> Trojan war

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trojan_War

> Many scholars believe that there is a historical core to the tale, though this may simply mean that the Homeric stories are a fusion of various tales of sieges and expeditions by Mycenaean Greeks during the Bronze Age.

> WWII

> proved more important than the economic motives

Could I ask for more details on your understanding of it as "proved" ?

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