The concept of war is interpreted differently among generations and cultures. Older generations may associate war with the titanic struggle against fascism in World War II; subsequent generations have limited exposure to war and may view it as something that happens ‘somewhere else’. War is a political act, and defining it precisely is challenging since it involves enormous human cost, and uncertain political outcomes.

The United Nations Charter forbids war, and they have no specific definition of it but instead identifies ‘aggression’. The French definition views war as a state of armed conflict between several constituted political groups, such as states, making it an act of foreign policy or defence. The French define war as the last resort after diplomatic negotiations.

Defining war in various countries’ constitutions is difficult since there are no clear guidelines or definitions. The U.S. Constitution contains fewer words devoted to Congress’s role in declaring war than the issue of copyrights and patents. The U.S. Department of Defense has a publication entitled ‘DOD Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms’, which contains no definition of war. Similarly, the United Kingdom constitution, being largely uncodified, has no specific guidance on the subject.

Warfare, on the other hand, is the practice of conducting war on the battlefield or war-space. It is the realm of soldiers, sailors, and airmen, of munitions, logistics, and geography, and increasingly, cyber-warriors. The media’s general portrayal of war focuses on ruined cities or discussions on defence budgets rather than politics and social considerations. For example, the bombing of Libya in 2011 ignored the tribal divisions that were only kept under control by the dictator, Muammar Gaddafi, and removing him inevitably resulted in carnage.

No two wars are the same since and their outcomes unknown – some social scientists hold that only half of wars achieve the original objective. What the Americans call the ‘blood and treasure’ costs are considerable and unknown at the start of the conflict.. For instance, the Football War fought between El Salvador and Honduras in 1969 had about 3,000 casualties compared to Nazi Germany versus Soviet Russia, which had more than 14 million military deaths and 20 million civilian deaths.
In conclusion, war is a complex concept that is almost impossible to define precisely. War is a political act, and warfare is the practice of conducting war on the battlefield or war-space.

Media’s portrayal of war often focuses too much on the consequences rather than politics and social considerations, leading to a limited understanding of the overall concept.