See query. First, does it hold the record for highest number of wars in succession in different theaters within 50 years? And to add to that: Does it hold a record for the most simultaneous military operations/wars in different theaters? The Romans? Sassanids?
What interested me most when I saw the list was trying to imagine the political system and environment–you know, write your congressman–where the amount of people’s blood and money could such a history be prolonged.
Obviously not an original question. …
The OP is a spinoff from a spinoff (with a weird sideturn) in the thread 1914 - what kind of war were they expecting? prompted by the long and careful post by Dissonance, with linked citations above and beyond the bare minimum (or none) ordinarily posted by the rest of us scholars:
Most of those wars would have only involved a few regiments — and some jolly Jack Tars on steam ships. France would have been fighting the same petty bush wars at the time like any of the European empires, such as the Netherlands or Russia, plus actual European wars. Even, say, the Boers in the First Anglo-African, were not a formidable power — yet the British still managed to get beaten.
It’s more the Price of Empire as modern America finds ( without thinking about it much ): how many citizens write their congressman over the fact Obama was at war somewhere every single day of his administrations, and protest these wars ?
In Rome, the Gates of the Temple of Janus were closed during times of peace, and open when Rome was at war.
The Gates were first opened during the reign of King Tullus Hostillius when he led Rome in battle against Alba Longa, in mid-7th century BC.
The Gates remained open for the next four centuries, until they were closed after the end of the Second Punic War, in 235 BC. They remained closed for about 8 years, when war broke out with the Gauls and the Gates were opened again.
They stayed open until 29 BC, being closed once Augustus emerged victorious from the Civil Wars. Augustus claimed to have closed the Gates on three separate occasions.
Really that is probably been the case through much of history. The medieval historian Philip Contamine once noted that is his long reign ( 1180-1225 ) there was very few years when Philip Augustus was not on campaign against someone. That was likely typical of many/most medieval monarchs, even if said campaigning didn’t necessarily amount to a “war” per se ( it might have just be internal action to forcibly beat some recalcitrant noble into line ).
