Sotahistoria

Sotahistoria is the historical study of war and armed conflict. It examines the causes of hostilities, the conduct of warfare, the technologies and logistics that shape battles, and the social, political, and economic consequences for combatants and civilians. The field draws on a range of sources, including chronicles, official records, letters, diaries, and oral histories.

The scope of sotahistoria spans many periods and regions, from ancient and medieval warfare to modern and contemporary conflicts. Researchers consider not only battles and campaigns but also mobilization, diplomacy, governance, economic resources, and the ways societies adapt to or recover from war. The aim is to understand how war fits into broader historical processes and how it transforms states, institutions, and everyday life.

Subfields within sotahistoria include military history (armies, strategy, technology, and tactics), war and society (social impact, demographics, gender, and culture), strategic studies (decision making, doctrine, and comparative advantage), memory and commemoration (how wars are remembered and represented), and war economics (costs, production, and resource allocation). Methodologies range from traditional narrative histories to quantitative and interdisciplinary approaches, incorporating political science, archaeology, and digital humanities.

Sotahistoria seeks to illuminate the complex relationships between conflict and historical change, while acknowledging ethical considerations in researching violence. It is a global field that aims to compare conflicts across times and places, contributing to broader understandings of power, resilience, and the human costs of war.