When the war of the giants is over the wars of the pygmies will

"When the war of the giants is over, the wars of the pygmies will begin." These prophetic words, spoken by Winston Churchill, offer us a profound reflection on the cyclical nature of conflict and power. Churchill, a statesman who saw the devastation of two world wars and the rise and fall of empires, understood that the conclusion of one great conflict often leads to the emergence of smaller, more localized struggles. The giants he refers to are the massive powers that clash on the world stage—the great wars that shape the fates of nations. But when these titanic struggles cease, the smaller conflicts, the struggles between lesser powers, often emerge in their wake, fueled by ambition, fear, and the unsettled scars of the greater wars that preceded them.

The First World War, often considered a war of giants, was fought between massive empires—Britain, France, Germany, and Austria-Hungary—with armies numbering in the millions. The war, though it ended in 1918, left the world in a state of upheaval, with political borders redrawn and entire empires collapsing. It was a cataclysmic event that shattered the old order, but in the peace that followed, something insidious began to stir. The Treaty of Versailles in 1919, which sought to end the conflict, instead sowed the seeds of further war. The humiliation of Germany and the harsh terms imposed on it left a nation wounded, angry, and looking for retribution. The giants of the First World War were brought low, but the wars of the pygmies soon followed—conflicts between smaller nations, such as the rise of fascism in Italy, the Spanish Civil War, and the tensions that led to the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939. These were the wars of the pygmies, struggles of smaller nations fighting for dominance, influenced by the greater giants' collapse.

Similarly, after the end of the Second World War, the world witnessed the end of the great powers that had once dominated the global stage. Germany was defeated, Japan was devastated, and Britain and France saw their empires crumble. The victory of the Allied powers in 1945 led to a new era of global tensions, but it also saw the rise of new conflicts. The Cold War, a war of ideologies, emerged as the United States and the Soviet Union—two superpowers—vied for global supremacy. While the giants of the Second World War had waged a devastating struggle, the wars of the pygmies began shortly thereafter: the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Suez Crisis, and various proxy wars fought between smaller nations under the shadow of the global giants. These smaller wars, often fought by regional powers, were the consequences of the larger struggles between the giants. The global superpowers had laid the groundwork for these smaller, often brutal conflicts, where the fates of individual nations were played out far from the eyes of the world’s most powerful leaders.

Churchill’s words carry a warning: peace may follow the collapse of great powers, but it is a fragile peace, one that cannot be sustained if the underlying issues of power and control are left unresolved. The giants may fall, but they leave behind a legacy of unresolved grievances, national aspirations, and political instability that fuel the next series of conflicts. It is not enough to end the great wars of the giants—true peace requires that the underlying causes of the smaller wars, the struggles of the pygmies, be addressed. Churchill, understanding this, sought to warn future generations that the peace after great wars is often temporary, and that the real work of creating a lasting peace lies in addressing the tensions that will inevitably follow.

One of the great lessons from history is that power—once it has shifted, once the giants have fought and the dust has settled—does not simply disappear. Instead, it fragments, creating new power dynamics and new conflicts. In the aftermath of the Cold War, we have seen this fragmentation in the rise of regional conflicts across the globe. From the Balkans to the Middle East, the remnants of the old world order have given rise to smaller struggles, often driven by ancient ethnic, religious, or political divisions. These are the wars of the pygmies, where smaller nations and groups fight for control, resources, and influence—often with devastating consequences.

The lesson that Churchill’s words impart is one of vigilance and wisdom. To prevent the endless cycle of war, we must recognize that peace does not end with the victory of the giants, but requires a deeper, more sustained effort to address the grievances and ambitions of all nations, great and small. Just as the giants of the ancient world, such as Rome, crumbled and left behind fractured nations fighting for survival, so too will the powers of today eventually fall, leaving in their wake new struggles for control. We must be mindful of these smaller conflicts and work to prevent them from escalating into larger wars. Diplomacy, understanding, and cooperation must replace the desire for domination and revenge.

In our own lives, we can learn from the wars of the pygmies by understanding that the smaller struggles we face—whether in our relationships, workplaces, or communities—often have their roots in larger, unresolved conflicts. The path to lasting peace, both on a global scale and on a personal level, requires us to confront these smaller conflicts with wisdom and empathy rather than allowing them to fester into more destructive forces. Let us seek to understand, to resolve, and to build peace not just after great wars, but in the everyday struggles that shape our world. By addressing the pygmies' wars with the same resolve as we would the giants' battles, we can create a more just and peaceful future for all.