What are the effects of modern war upon society?

The effects of modern war upon society are varied and profound.

(i) They injure both the victor and the vanquished and impose an increasingly heavy burden on all modern people.

(ii) Certain benefits are derived from war, but these benefits have been completely overshadowed by the untold sufferings and miseries that accompany it.

(iii)The social costs of a modern war are many and impressive.

(a) It causes mental derangement in the armed services by creating strains on the minds of the soldiers.

(b) During war all the important social institutions such as family, school and church, become subordinated to the state and the army. The traditional functions of these institutions are neglected.

(c) Family suffers the severe jolt; war separates many husbands and wives, encourages hasty and often ill-considered marriages and prevents many parents from providing the parental supervision that they would otherwise give to their children.

(iv) War propaganda distorts the minds of individuals and stirs up feelings of hatred, turning whole nations into mobs.

(v) People become brutalized as a result of relentless struggle in which no respect is shown for human dignity and life.