Syria, Israel, Ukraine - A New Decade of War

About this Video

• Video Title: Syria, Israel, Ukraine - A New Decade of War
• Channel: Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell
• Speakers: Narrator
• Duration: 12:38

Introduction

This video revisits Kurzgesagt's 2014 video predicting the decline of war, contrasting it with the reality of the past decade. It analyzes global conflict trends since 2014, examining the accuracy of previous predictions and highlighting the emergence of new challenges to global peace and stability.

Key Takeaways

• Increased Conflict Deaths: The number of deaths from state-based conflicts rose sharply from 2014 to 2024, reaching levels not seen since the Rwandan genocide. The war in Ukraine and the Tigray War are primarily responsible for this increase.
• Persistence of Civil Wars: Civil wars remain the most common form of conflict, with many ongoing since 2014, often ending in stalemates rather than diplomatic resolutions. Several new civil wars have erupted.
• Return of Interstate Wars: Interstate wars have reappeared, challenging the 2014 prediction that such wars were declining. The 2020 war between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and the ongoing war in Ukraine are examples.
• The End of the Rules-Based World Order: The video suggests a shift away from a rules-based international order due to the rise of multipolarity (China and Russia challenging the established US-led order) and increased interstate tensions.
• Geographic Concentration of Conflicts: Most armed conflicts are concentrated in countries formerly under foreign occupation (colonial or Soviet), indicating the long-lasting effects of historical power imbalances.