Wars lasting a long time, especially before modern warfare technology.
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Country A wants land that Country B occupies so they march a bunch of young boys over to try and claim it. Country B gathers it’s young boys together and fights back. The fighting lasts a long time.
Before modern technology (roughly 1850s level), wars COULDN’T last a long time. Although there were very long wars such as the hundred years war, they were really more of a series of short wars that get lumped together in history textbook. Countries didn’t have the resources to feed and supply an army over a long war, or to replace lost soldiers and equipment. Wars often were often decided by one single large battle.
The only other way that long wars could occur was if one army kept winning, thereby allowing them to continue gathering more soldiers and supplies from the territories they invaded.
Few things to consider about medieval wars.
1) Armies weren’t that big. Usually a few thousand versus a few thousand.
2) Armies were usually quick to cut and run if things started turning against them. Some of the most decisive battles were when the losing side was prevented from running away and the losing army got destroyed in place.
3) Leaders were quick to sue for peace when shit went against them, and then use that time to build up more armies.
4) You had more sieges than actual battles, because raising an army was expensive and leaders would rather lose a castle or region far away from the capitol rather than spend that money.
5) Armies took a long time to build up and training.
6) Disease was quick to spread and a lot of armies fell apart when disease started in their ranks.
7) Armies could go rogue and just go into business for themselves, so the Nobility had to pay the leaders fairly regularly. This made raising armies risky for the leadership caste.
In some cases, like in medieval Europe, you had times of war where war would just…go on…for decades. With battles occasionally, but mostly just one side or the other pillaging one another’s regions, villages and such. It’s not even really fair to call it a time of war, when it was mostly just…
Well, imagine a Mad Max era, just with horses instead of cars.
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