Comprehension: Effects of War

A war is an act of fighting between two or more countries or opposing groups within a country, involving large numbers of soldiers and weapons. When a war breaks out, a lot of tragic consequences usually flow.

     Wars have short-term and long-term effects. The immediate effect of war is the death of people in large numbers, especially the youth. Soldiers not only suffer on the battlefield, but veterans also suffer physically and psychologically. Because people were so close during wartime conditions, diseases such as tuberculosis could easily spread. Some emissions that come out of the weapons used in war can cause asthma, heart, and respiratory conditions. Nerve gas leads to instant death.

     War also breeds emotional problems. The First World War is often associated with the syndrome called shell shock. This was originally believed to have a physical origin caused by the impact of loud shelling however, it became clear that soldiers who had never been exposed to shells were developing the same symptoms. Because of its psychological origins, shell shock was defined as a neurosis and there was little sympathy for shell-shocked soldiers.

     War can also have a dramatic impact on the health of Civilian populations. The atomic bombs dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki had a horrendous immediate effect, killing thousands. The radiation sickness and birth defects of children were problems experienced long after the buildings destroyed by the bomb were rebuilt. In the same vein, the Nigerian Civil War of 1967 was estimated to have cost the people of Nigeria, especially those from the southeastern part of the country a lot. Up to three million people may have died due to the conflict, most from hunger and disease. The old ethnic and religious tension has remained a constant feature of Nigerian politics.

     Wars also have environmental impacts. The application of weapons, the destruction of buildings and oil fields, fires, military transport movements, and chemical spraying are all examples of the destructive effects of war on the environment. Air, water, and soil are polluted, humans and animals are killed, and many health problems are left for those still living to nurse.