Claiming that most rewards of victory in modern warfare are exaggerated or false, this discussion demonstrates that when the ostensible benefits of victory are examined a generation after a war, it becomes inescapably evident that defeat rarely means conforming to the demands and expectations of the victor. Consequently, long-term political and military stability is denied to both the victorious and defeated powers, and further outbreaks of war are by no means deterred. From Waterloo to Afghanistan, this account argues that this sobering reality is increasingly the case in contemporary war, and, as the rhetoric of victory becomes more hollow, all countries must adopt creative new approaches to resolving disputes.
