In this activity, you will learn that wars were fought when a group was interested in expanding its territory.

During ancient times, wars were fought when one group tried to expand its territory and others defended their lands. Many of the wars in the ancient world occurred in the Middle East and Europe. Civilizations such as the Greeks, Romans, and Huns developed and dominated certain areas for various periods. Evidence of the Roman Empire is still found throughout much of Europe and Great Britain.

Between the ancient civilizations and the next phase of expansionism, knights fought for their king instead of a civilization. People lived in a feudal system where peasants lived and farmed on the estates of lords or nobles who lived in castles and controlled their armies of knights. These lords/nobles were loyal to the king or queen of that time, and in exchange for their lands, they sent their knights to fight for the crown if they were needed.

During this time, much fighting occurred as a result of religion, another reason for wars. Many of the events and sites that were important to Christians were located in the Holy Lands, which had fallen under Muslim control. European kings and queens were Christians, so they raised huge armies from their lords to fight to regain control of this region. These Crusades were fought in eight battles over almost two hundred years from 1095 until 1272 to regain control of the area. Today, this region is known as the Middle East, and control of these lands is still in dispute.

As groups grew and spread beyond their boundaries, conflicts over territory occurred. This happened if one group encroached onto the other's territory or if two groups wanted to expand into the same territory. As civilizations developed and people travelled to other lands, news spread of precious metals, spices, and fine silks. The desire for these was very high, so nations fought to control the lands that held them and other resources.

In Theme 2, you learned about the struggles among Britain and France for control of North America. This struggle also included Spain. Toward the end of this period, from about 1750 to 1900, the concept of nationalism grew in Europe. From 1805 until 1812, French armies led by Napoleon Bonaparte conquered much of western Europe until a disastrous invasion of Russia led to the defeat of his army. When countries began to get stronger, people became loyal to their country rather than to a lord. This led to the next aspect of war that occurs when a group or nation has to protect itself.