The Evolution of War: A Cross-Cultural Study

Abstract

In the fall of 1964 initiated a cross-cultural study of primitive war, the objective of which was to devise and test a series of hypotheses as to the causes of war and the conditions under which wars occur. The Evolution of War , which reports the major results of the cross-cultural study of primitive war, was written during the summer and fall of 1967. The concepts of political community, cultural unit, and level of political centralization will be used throughout this study whenever theoretical issues are being considered. The approach employed in this chapter focuses upon military organizations, their structure, the activities they perform, why they perform them, and the results of their actions. The cross-cultural research method consists of testing hypotheses, which are stated in such a way that they are applicable to a wide range of societies. The chapter also demonstrates that societies which wage war efficiently are likely to be militarily successful.

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