ABSTRACT
War generally refers to a state of armed conflict, usually involving armies, and most often between nation-states (see state and state reform). A variety of other definitions may be used, however, referring to the use of diplomacy, propaganda, economic pressure and other means of hostility. Moreover, the common definition of war ignores situations in which political violence is widespread and even endemic without quite meriting the name of war. Similarly, one state can exist in a condition of declared war against another state but this does not necessarily mean that actual armed conflict will occur between them.
