The End of Everything: How Great Empires Perished

War can overthrow tyrants, change the map of the world, and even alter the course of history. However, often, war ended with the total destruction of nations, marking the end of political systems, cultures, and eras. Although much has changed over millennia, human nature has remained the same. Contemporary societies are not immune to the horrors of wars of total extermination.
In the book «The End of Everything», military historian Victor Davis Hanson tells the story of the demise of four civilizations: from antiquity to the conquest of the New World. The author convincingly shows how quickly, in wartime conditions, society descends into barbarism and complete destruction. In the stories of the fall of Thebes, Carthage, Constantinople, and Tenochtitlan, he reveals the tragedy, brutality, and madness of war. Emphasizing the helplessness of the defeated and the insanity of mass killings, Hanson addresses modern readers with a sober warning: learn the lessons of the past to avoid repeating the catastrophe again.
The stories of the downfall of these four civilizations serve not only as a reminder of the tragic consequences of wars but also as a warning for the modern world. They show how quickly thriving societies can descend into chaos and destruction when dialogue and reason give way to rage and a thirst for annihilation. These lessons of the past are like a mirror in which we can see the reflection of our own vulnerabilities and mistakes to avoid repeating catastrophes in the future.