Another war was just starting, or restarting, in reality. Is war avoidable? Violent conflicts have been avoided over long periods in the past. History tells us that there are two types of civilization: the warrior-based and the merchant-based societies. The commerce-based civilizations don’t want war, bad for business. The warrior-based types of societies need the war, it is their DNA.
At the origin of conflicts, there is territory, or nations and religions, though often used as a pretext for territorial expansion.
One of the author’s preferred examples of peaceful and successful societies is the Hanseatic League, which lasted at least 500 years, and is somehow still alive, at least in spirit. It happens that your author Rosho is a direct descendant of these noble merchants, also called Patricians. His grand-grand father was the mayor of one of the important Hansa nodes or hubs, the city of Danzig, or Gdańsk in modern Polish.
The Hanseatic League, or Hansa, was a commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and their towns that dominated trade in Northern Europe from the 12th to the 17th centuries. The Hanseatic League was not a centralized state, but rather a loose association of independent cities and towns that cooperated to protect and promote their trade interests.
The Hanseatic League was generally peaceful and avoided war whenever possible. This was because war disrupted trade and economic activity, which was essential for the League’s prosperity. Additionally, the Hanseatic League was often able to achieve its goals through diplomacy and economic sanctions rather than war.
However, the Hanseatic League did engage in a few wars during its history. For example, the Hanseatic League fought a war against Denmark from 1426 to 1435. The Hanseatic League was victorious in this war, and it gained important trading privileges in the Baltic Sea region.
The Hanseatic League also fought a war against England from 1469 to 1474. This war was less successful for the Hanseatic League, and it resulted in the loss of some of its trading privileges in England.
Overall, the Hanseatic League was a peaceful organization that sought to avoid war whenever possible. However, the Hanseatic League was also willing to fight war to protect its trade interests and economic prosperity.
In conclusion, it is true that commerce-based civilizations generally do not want war. However, there are exceptions to this rule. The Hanseatic League is an example of a commerce-based civilization that did engage in war, although it did so sparingly and only when its vital interests were threatened.
There were other examples of commerce-based civilizations in history that have sought to avoid war:
- The Phoenicians: The Phoenicians were a maritime civilization that flourished in the eastern Mediterranean region from around 1200 to 539 BC. They were renowned traders and seafarers, and their civilization was based on commerce and trade. The Phoenicians were generally peaceful and avoided war whenever possible. They were known to pay tribute to more powerful empires in order to maintain their independence and trade routes.
- The Carthaginians: The Carthaginians were a Phoenician colony that became a major power in the western Mediterranean region from around 550 to 146 BC. They were also a commerce-based civilization, and their economy was based on trade and agriculture. The Carthaginians were initially reluctant to engage in war, but they were eventually forced to fight several wars against the Roman Empire. The Carthaginians were defeated in the Punic Wars, and their city was destroyed by the Romans in 146 BC.
- The Dutch Republic: The Dutch Republic was a maritime power that flourished in the 17th and 18th centuries. It was a major trading nation, and its economy was based on commerce and trade. The Dutch Republic was generally peaceful and avoided war whenever possible. It was only involved in a few major wars, such as the Thirty Years’ War and the Anglo-Dutch Wars.
Why are we looking at these examples? Because the non-territorial Qaori Cooperative could well help in the future to create more peace. How? For the first time in the history of Humanity, we have instant digital communication, and we can connect with merchants globally, using the same money, at no fee. Qaori could become the foundation of a digital merchant league, just like the Hanseatic League.
Is it worth trying? The future will tell us…
Rosho, Bangkok, 13/10/2023
