There can be no doubt that modern nation states give rise to total war.  The market involves peaceful cooperation, and it turns to aggressive behavior when the market is destroyed.  A battle fought between small states does not affect the rest of the world.  Especially, when that small state is the size of a town.  Cooperation can still exist with the rest of the world.  As J.F.C. Fuller pointed out, “National armies fight nations, royal armies fight their like, the first obey a mob, always demented and the second a king, generally sane.” 

Wars between small states are generally inheritance disputes.  In this, there is a clear goal.  The fighting doesn’t have to go on forever.  Neither can it be afforded, but that is for another article.  Modern super states, they fight over vague terms and there is not a clear goal, the fighting can go on endlessly.  Contrary to dynastic rule, it can be afforded.  Under an inheritance dispute, the war is the ruler’s war and no one elses’.  Under modern super states, everyone becomes expendable.

War is limited under small states.  It is unlimited under large states.  Many view the shift away from dynastic rule to democracy as beneficial.  However, it is quite the opposite.  A dynastic ruler will go to war over an inheritance dispute with a clear goal.  A democratic leader will go to war over vague terms with no clear goal.  The war can go on endlessly with no goal for the aggressive behavior.  All war is brutal.  I’m just saying one style of war is less brutal than the other.

What if evil people come into power?  They have and they will.  The ones that can do the most damage are in control of large nation states.  A dynastic ruler in charge of a town has to confine his evil to just his town.  A leader in charge of a modern nation state doesn’t have to confine his evil nearly as much, he has millions of people under his control.  The people will vote with their feet if they see the dynastic ruler is evil.  The masses in a large state cannot vote with their feet, or its much more difficult.

What if a dynastic ruler is evil?  His own family will surround him with advisors.  If that doesn’t curtail his evil desires, the family will put an end to it.  After all, the family is worried about keeping power in the family.  Maybe, it will get to the masses, regicide is possible.  A modern leader of a large nation state does not have these checks.  Modern civilization is the product of social cooperation.  It is not the product of large states or democracy.  Both are the antithesis of peace.

Reference

Ludwig von Mises; Human Action