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Uploaded: December 31, 1969 at 11:59 pm
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The great pain inflicted by World War I was also reflected in the fine arts. Works of postwar art depicted pain and insanity. These works reflected not only the psychologies of the artists, but also that of the entire generation. This generation which felt the impact of the war's misery so deeply was later dubbed "the Lost Generation."As we have seen, war is a great agent of cruelty which has no benefit for people or society. It is a social catastrophe which brings forth great pain and inflicts deep wounds on people which are long in healing, if they can. God, on the other hand, has instructed people to steer clear of wars and to make peace prevail. God gives good news to those who commit good deeds:That abode of the hereafter-We grant it to those who do not seek to exalt themselves in the earth or to cause corruption in it. The successful outcome is for those who do their duty. (Qur'an, 28: 83)Would We make those who believe and do right actions the same as those who cause corruption on the earth? Would We make those who do their duty the same as the dissolute? (Qur'an, 38: 28)So, what was the cause of this disaster which transformed Europe into an ocean of blood? Why did the leaders of powerful countries push their nations into such a meaningless pit of death?Before the war, many people thought that such a war would be very beneficial, and even that it was necessary. Many people welcomed the war and were overjoyed when war was declared. Leaders were proud to send off their soldiers to the battlefields.The main cause of this great mistake was their belief in a concept, namely Darwinism. American historian Thomas Knapp explains this as follows:The war itself was not a surprise. It had been in fact anticipated in wide European circles in the decade or so before 1914. There is even a fair amount of evidence to show that the number of Europeans on all sides welcomed the war. War was to be cleansing, exciting, rejuvenating. Educational systems in most European countries were shot through with the kind of Social Darwinist competitive mentality in which war was seen as exhilarating and ennobling.Social Darwinism was the application of Darwin's evolutionary theory to society.In his theory, which was later disproved, Darwin claimed that all creatures in nature were engaged in a struggle to survive. He claimed that humans were an advanced form of animal which moved ahead through conflict. This mistaken theory, which looked like a scientific fact to many people considering the technological level of that age, formed the foundation for World War I, as well as a number of other social disasters.The diaries and personal correspondence of European leaders from that time show that they were influenced by Social Darwinism. These leaders rejected the path of love and mercy-based morality which God had revealed to the people in favor of Social Darwinism instead.For instance, General von Hoetzendorff, the Austria-Hungarian chief of staff, wrote this in his postwar memoirs:Philanthropic religions, moral teachings and philosophical doctrines may certainly sometimes serve to weaken mankind's struggle for existence in its crudest form, but they will never succeed in removing it as a driving motive of the world... It is in accordance with this great principle that the catastrophe of the world war came about as the result of the motive forces in the lives of states and peoples, like a thunderstorm which must by its nature discharge itself.(James Joll, Europe Since 1870: An International History, Penguin Books, Middlesex, 1990, p. 164)Friedrich von Bernhardi, another First World War general, also drew a link between war and the so-called evolutionary laws of nature:War is a biological necessity. It is as necessary as the struggle of the elements of nature; it gives a biologically just decision, since its decisions rest on the very nature of things. (M.F. Ashley-Montagu, Man in Process, World. Pub. Co., New York, 1961, pp. 76, 77)In sum, World War I was caused by European rulers who believed that fighting, bloodshed, suffering and making others suffer were all part of the "law of nature." It is Darwin's evolutionary theory which pushed an entire generation into these mistaken beliefs. The dark figure of Darwin lurks behind the curtain of war. However, contrary to Darwin's claims, humans are not animals that survive in order to do battle with each other. In the Qur'an, God has this to say about those who start wars: