The war to end war facts for kids

The phrase "The war to end war" (or "The war to end all wars") was first used to describe World War I, which happened from 1914 to 1918. It came from a book by H. G. Wells in 1914 called The War That Will End War.

When the war started, people hoped it would be the last war ever. It was an idealistic idea. But now, people often use the phrase in a sarcastic way. This is because World War I was not the last war. In fact, what happened after it even helped cause World War II, which was much worse.

Why the Phrase Started

H. G. Wells and the Idea

Soon after World War I began in August 1914, an English writer named H. G. Wells wrote several articles. These articles were later put together into a book titled The War That Will End War.

Wells believed that the Central Powers (like Germany and Austria-Hungary) started the war. He argued that the only way to truly end wars was to defeat German militarism, which means a strong focus on military power.

How the Phrase Spread

Wells later used a shorter version, "the war to end war," in his 1918 book In the Fourth Year. He noted that this phrase became very popular in late 1914. It quickly became one of the most common sayings during World War I.

How the Phrase Was Used Later

Growing Doubts and Sarcasm

As World War I continued, some people started to doubt if it would really end all wars. After the war ended, it became clear that it had not stopped future conflicts. Because of this, the phrase began to sound more cynical, meaning people used it with a sense of disappointment or bitterness.

A British military leader named Archibald Wavell felt sad about the Paris Peace Conference after the war. He said, "After the 'war to end war', they seem to have been pretty successful in Paris at making the 'Peace to end Peace'." This showed his belief that the peace talks had failed.

Writers and Leaders Use the Phrase

Even H. G. Wells himself used the phrase in a sarcastic way in his 1932 novel The Bulpington of Blup. Later, in 1967, writer Walter Lippmann pointed out, "The delusion is that whatever war we are fighting is the war to end war." This means people often mistakenly believe each war will be the last.

In 1969, U.S. President Richard Nixon gave his "Silent Majority" speech. He said, "I do not tell you that the war in Vietnam is the war to end wars." This showed that he knew the Vietnam War would not be the final conflict.

The "All Wars" Version

Since the late 1900s, the phrase "the war to end all wars" has become more common. Many authors have used this version, including Edward M. Coffman (in 1968), Russell Freedman (in 2010), and Adam Hochschild (in 2011).

See also

• Mutual assured destruction
• Peace for our time
• Never again
• Mission Accomplished speech