( CNN ) -- It is widely recognized that the signing of the Armistice in 1918 did not put an end to the drama that began in 1914 . Traditional geopolitical rivalries continued but now overlapped with competing ideologies of fascism and Stalinism to foster a climate of permanent war . That is why many observers at the time described the period 1914-1945 as a modern version of the Thirty Years War . Yet this second Thirty Years War soon gave way to the four decades-long Cold War . For a very brief moment the demise of the Cold War appeared to bring to an end the conflicts unleashed on the battlefields in 1914 . But this `` End of History '' moment was brief . Today we are in the midst of a conflict originally designated as a `` War on Terror '' but which has been rebranded by the American government as the `` Long War '' and more recently as `` Overseas Contingency Operation . '' The conflicts unleashed in 1914 were not confined to the military sphere . They were also a battle of ideas and a clash of cultures . The story that began in 1914 was influenced by a crisis of meaning that afflicted the political and cultural elites of western societies . A powerful mood of estrangement and disorientation dominated cultural life . In this moment of confusion even artists and intellectual sought meaning through fighting for a cause -- even a military one . Some of the most enthusiastic supporters of the war were motivated by a disposition to react against what they took to be the soulless world of capitalist modernity . Stefan Zweig , the renowned Austrian novelist , playwright and well-known pacifist lived to see two world wars . When the Great War broke out in 1914 , he along with almost all European intellectuals , supported his nation 's war effort . Later , with a hint of embarrassment he recalled the sense of excitement and celebration that the news of the impending conflict provoked among people . `` And to be truthful , I must acknowledge that there was a majestic , rapturous , and even seductive something in this first outbreak of the people from which one could escape only with difficulty , '' he recalled . World War I would be the last time that a significant body of intellectuals and artists would seek existential meaning on the battlefield . But conflicts over norms and values , which were crystallized through their quest for meaning continues to this day . Indeed on hindsight it is evident that the Great War was a catalyst for eroding the prevailing system of meaning and helped intensify a clash of values . That is why the origins of what is currently described as the Culture Wars can be situated at some time around August 1914 . Culture became politicized and geopolitical ambitions were framed through appeals to a `` way of life . '' Today , very few respectable intellectuals would be caught waving the flag . Instead of the flag , competing groups flaunt their identity and instead of celebrating their way of life they acclaim their lifestyle . With the demise of old ideologies the politicization of culture has acquired an increasingly unrestrained character . It is worth noting that most of the high-profile divisive issues -- family life , gay marriage , abortion , assisted suicide , multiculturalism -- express conflicts over cultural values . These symbolic struggles over the constitution of legitimate lifestyles continually exacerbate the fragmentation of social life . What 's more disturbing is that such struggles increasingly extend into global affairs . The current conflict between Russia and its Western opponents is almost entirely conducted through the medium of culture . The denunciation of Putin as an authoritarian homophobe is self-consciously countered by the claim that Russia stands firm as the bastion of traditional values . Like Putin , many Muslims also take their stand on hallow grounds of tradition . Young Western Muslims self-consciously reject the values of the communities where they grew up and embrace a call to arms for a war of cultures . Jihadist videos often communicate a simple message -- which is that the Jihad provides quest for meaning . As I write , the war drums are again beating . Abu Bakr al Baghdadi , the head of ISIS , has declared the establishment of a new caliphate in the Middle East . His object is to abolish one legacy of World War I , the border between Syria and Iraq . There is still no end in sight to the Great War .
The period 1914-1945 was once described as a modern version of the Thirty Years War . This second Thirty Years War gave way to four decades-long Cold War , says Frank Furedi . Furedi : Origins of `` Culture Wars '' can be situated at some time around August 1914 . It is not clear when this war began or how it ended but there were two main reasons for its outbreak - one being that Germany had been defeated in World War I and another because Russia wanted to expand