I cannot find the book off hand, but there was a fascinating book that argued that throughout history, war has been the norm and peace the exception (and conver

I cannot find the book off hand, but there was a fascinating book that argued that throughout history, war has been the norm and peace the exception (and converted me to that opinion as well). The book argued that the reason that peace happened for so long was because someone held it together. That person (the book argued) was Otto von Bismarck. Bismarck even was quoted in 1987 saying that "One day the great European War will come out of some damned foolish thing in the Balkans."