[Reporter’s Reading] War Always Lives Beside Humanity

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] "During this period, Gojoseon was gaining power on the Korean Peninsula. Initially, small regional groups were scattered here and there, but as they unified into a single kingdom, their sphere of influence gradually expanded. (Omitted) It appears to have grown through early exchanges with ancient Chinese states. Records indicate that around the 7th century BCE, it traded with the State of Qi. (Omitted)"

This is from pages 86-87 of '3,000 Years of Power Struggles.' The author, Jonathan Holslag, is a professor of international politics at the Free University of Brussels in Belgium. Born in 1981, this is a story of Gojoseon history from a young Belgian scholar not yet 40 years old. It feels both unfamiliar and awe-inspiring.

Regarding the fall of the Chinese Han dynasty, there is mention of Goguryeo. "This state (Goguryeo) strengthened royal authority during the reign of King Gogukcheon. The historical record 'Samguk Sagi,' which compiled ancient Korean records, describes King Gogukcheon as a capable general and a just ruler. (Omitted) After the collapse of the Han Empire, Goguryeo briefly expanded but then retreated again under pressure from the newly established Wei dynasty." About Joseon, it is introduced as follows: "Joseon, named after the ancient kingdom Gojoseon, adopted Confucianism as its governing ideology to justify a social hierarchy in which about 40% of the population were slaves."

'3,000 Years of Power Struggles' is not a book that introduces our history alone. However, the author starts from Gojoseon and briefly covers our history without omission, demonstrating how extensively he has researched the history of a vast region.

This actually makes one dizzy. Stories of unfamiliar states continue. The Olmec civilization, introduced as being at the forefront of Central American continental history, is a representative example.

Holslag criticizes that the history dealt with in international politics has been limited to a few obvious case studies, always biased toward the small region of Europe. In his book, he treats the histories of Europe, the Middle East, China, and India with almost equal weight. Therefore, the prominence of the Roman Empire, the most representative empire in human history, feels smaller compared to other history books.

The idea that human natural state is 'infinite peace' is a misconception
Desire for power... fear of occupation...
All causes of war in the '3,000-year history of humanity'

Holslag summarizes 3,000 years of history as "the natural state of humans is not infinite peace." In short, war is universal. China was at war for at least 1,100 years during its 3,000-year history. The Roman Empire was marked by war for more than half of its history. The United States, established in 1776, has been at war for over 100 years to date.

Even peaceful times were not truly peaceful. During the period known as 'Pax Romana,' many conquered peoples on the Roman Empire's periphery lived precarious lives. Pax Romana was established through exploitation of surrounding countries. Therefore, hostility, resistance, and confrontation were inevitable.

Holslag surveys the past 3,000 years of history, introducing the most significant events and explaining the functions and roles of international relations. The causes of war are countless. The most fundamental is the desire for power. Ultimately, the author says, the causes of war lie on both sides. Thucydides summarized the cause of the Peloponnesian War as follows: "Athens grew strong, and because of that, Sparta grew fearful, making war inevitable."

Holslag treats the histories of each region spatially evenly and also divides the 3,000 years from 1000 BCE into exact 250-year segments. Since the first chapter covers before 1000 BCE, the book consists of 13 chapters.

Holslag does not explain why he chose 250-year segments. However, just as he did not focus on any particular region spatially, it seems he aimed to provide an overall perspective without concentrating on specific periods temporally.

Even with 250-year segments, distinct characteristics can be summarized depending on the period. For example, 250?500 CE was an era of imperial crisis. In Europe, Rome was divided into East and West in 395 CE, and the Western Roman Empire fell in 476 CE. In China, the Han dynasty collapsed earlier in 220 CE. Holslag explains that although there is a time difference between the fall of the Han and Rome, their patterns are remarkably similar. Both empires experienced severe internal polarization and lost power from within.

The period from 1750 to 2000 is summarized as an unprecedented explosive development in Europe. Holslag explains that European global domination did not begin with Columbus's discovery of the Americas in 1492, but that from 1500 to 1750, Europe began accumulating power while even stronger forces still existed. European domination began after 1750.

(3,000 Years of Power Struggles / Jonathan Holslag / Translated by Oh Yoon-sung / Booktrigger)