ABSTRACT
Background The First World War was thought to be the ‘war to end all wars’, but proved rather to be just the prelude to the even greater blood-letting of 1939-1945. From 1945 to 1990, Western Europe and North America were engaged in a prolonged struggle for dominance with the communist world led by the Soviet Union, a struggle which often erupted into violence. Following the collapse of communism, new wars, such as that in Iraq, continue to break out. War remains a constant in international relations.
