War

"War is a racket. It always has been. [...] A racket is best described, I believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of the people. Only a small "inside" group knows what it is about. It is conducted for the benefit of the very few, at the expense of the very many. Out of war a few people make huge fortunes."

- Major General Smedley Butler, USMC

War is the continuation of Politik through other means. It kills people by the thousands, guilty and innocent alike, leaves entire swathes of territory devastated, and only breeds misery and destruction.

It is also very, very profitable to the banks.

Overview
Starting at turn 10, countries can go to war against each other for control of regions. The outcome is abstracted and boiled down to simple numerical values representing the capital behind each of the warring sides. Although the military potential of a country matters greatly, what matters most are allies and which banks throw their weight behind the warring sides. Even if one side has a single gold coin's of an advantage, it will be victorious.

The change in territory is meaningless if banks don't hold licences and property in the conquered area. If they do, it's generally a Bad Thingtm as:
 * Looting takes place and all property loses half value for the following turn.
 * If the bank does not have a license to operate in the territory, all assets are frozen until they do.

Manipulating wars
This means wars are opportunities to capitalists, pardon, bankers:


 * Selling weapons provides hard, cold cash and is one of the most reliable sources of income (depending on your industry, of course).
 * Wars can be used to expand countries you have licences in, by using diplomacy to convince them to attack (and providing the right monetary incentive).
 * They are also good at interfering with other banks, for the above mentioned reasons.

Selling weapons is profitable - and the most profitable right before the conclusion of a war. Do note that sometimes you need to invest for several turns to tip the scales of battle. Alternatively, you can invest money into the war and receive real estate, industry, or luxury workshops in return.