The U.S. Civil War ran from 1861 to 1865 and was the first modern war--shown by the enormous number of people killed and hurt.

We'd have a hard time recognizing medieval and Renaissance European wars as wars like we're used to now.  Not that many killed--partly because of limited killing technology and partly because the participants weren't that into mass killing.

The wars from the era in Northern Italy the approach of which is summed up in Machiavelli's "The Prince" were mostly fought be mercenaries who changed sides for pay as the various city-states changed alliances with and against each other all the time.  The mercenaries were not very interested in killing and dying en masse as part of this musical chairs, not-too-meaningful process.

The wars back then, the leaders spent much energy  on what looks like posturing from here and now--and it was healthier for them and their followers and employees.  Much drama, not so much death.

Another reason for much lower death tolls back then was there were fewer people total to kill and be killed.

Before the US Civil War happened, someone predicted that with more population and democracy the wars would be wars and the people and that people's wars would be terrible deadly wars.

The U.S. Civil War ran from 1861  to    18 65.  Mohandas Gandhi was born in 1869, four years after the end of the U.S. Civil War.

A solution from a whole other place to a problem not yet fully perceived.

/With more people in the world and spreading democracy, one thing needed was someone smart, brave, charismatic to find ways to involve lots of people  in deciding their destiny without killing them and whether or not democracy formally existed.  Gee. and hi, it's Gandhi.