War is Peace
In Oceania, Eastasia, and Eurasia, the fighting does not occur because of a shortage in resources or economic gain. The three superstates are self-sufficient. The triumvirs are also equally strong and equally potent. Therefore, no matter what countries may be fighting, it is still the same war: “None of the three superstates could be definitely conquered even by the other two in combination. They are too evenly matched, and their natural defenses are too formidable” (186). Clearly, this ongoing war has no meaning to it. There are no economic issues or competition for raw materials. In the realm of modern warfare, countries bear arms in a fight for freedom, power, and economic growth, yet the superstates of Oceania, Eastasia and Eurasia fight for loyalty among their citizens, the destruction of intelligence, and the maintenance of a hierarchical society.
In order to stay in control of Oceania, the Party needs to make sure they have everybody’s loyalty. The Party uses the war to direct any hatred the citizens may feel away from Big Brother and towards things such as Hate Week and opposing countries. One of the Party’s goals is to: “cut [the citizens of Oceania] off from contact with the outer world” (198). By preventing Oceania’s people from seeing foreigners, the Party becomes stronger. If the citizens of Oceania met with citizens from other countries, then they would all realize everybody is the same and rebel against the Party to stop the war. Therefore, the Party makes the other countries’ citizens look inhumane causing racism amongst the comrades. This ensures the Party that there will always be an interminable hatred of the opposing countries and their citizens. War is peace for the Party when all the citizens rely on Big Brother to save them. If war is peace for the Party, then war is peace to the citizen’s of Oceania, because the Party is always right and there is no proof of them ever being wrong.
An important aim of the Party is to dissipate any thought or intelligence in Oceania. By doing so, the Party will be able to control every possible thought in a human’s brain without much effort. If the citizens begin to realize the Party’s teachings do not have any purpose, then the Party will lose their power; so, “It is a deliberate policy to keep even the favored groups somewhere near the brink of hardship” (191). With hardship, it will be instinctive for citizens to look upon the Party for support. People will stop thinking for themselves and follow every word Big Brother utters. Their minds will slowly empty out and be replaced with the Party’s teachings. Once the Party starts controlling everybody’s thoughts, nobody will know right from wrong. Little things offered by the Party will become extravagant gifts to the citizens of Oceania. The citizens will think they are being helped with such care and concern. The Party’s control will only grow stronger as they oppress the people with hardships. The war allows the Party to show the citizens that Big Brother is taking control of the situation. It also helps the Party gain more power and reverence from the people. In order to stay at peace, the war must go on and the Party must keep brainwashing the citizens’ minds to follow Big Brother.
War gives the Party the power to sustain a hierarchical society: “The war is waged by each ruling group against its own subjects, and the object of war is not to make or prevent conquests of territory, but to keep the structure of society intact” (199). If the citizens all enjoyed the same leisure and security, then they would realize that the privileged minorities such as the Inner and Outer Party really have no purpose. This realization would only cause the people of Oceania to rebel against the Party; or, if they created a society where everybody is equal, it would allow a great mass of the proles to become literate and learn to think for themselves. Once the citizens start thinking for themselves, all the power the Party took years to gain would cease to exist for good; therefore, the Party cannot afford to end the war: “It would probably be accurate to say that by becoming continuous war has ceased to exist” (199). Usually a war ends in victory or defeat, but because the Party’s goals are different, this war is perpetual. By being everlasting, the word “war” has lost its meaning. As long as the citizens do not feel that they should be given equality or question the Party’s teachings, then war is peace.
The Party ensures that Big Brother is omnipotent and infallible by demonstrating that Big Brother has the most power in the world. Nobody would then feel the need to move up in society or attempt to take control, but instead, they would simply accept their position. The Party makes sure all the classes in Oceania’s society are distinguished by the citizens’ attire. Therefore, a person will be able to differentiate who is better and who is inferior to themselves. Clearly, the Party’s dissemination of ignorance and brainwashing has made people feel no desire to become better or higher in Oceania’s society. War is peace when the Party retains their position at the top of society with no revolt from the citizens, when they control every aspect of people’s lives, and when the citizens devote themselves to Big Brother and the Party.
In 1984, the Party alters the purpose of war. It is only used to gain loyalty among citizens, destroy any kind of intelligence, and maintain a hierarchical society. War is only there to benefit the Party and help them overpower the innocent masses of people in Oceania. The Party succeeds in brainwashing their citizens, causing unnecessary hardship, and reliance on a fictional leader. The Party is made up of a group of selfish people. Their heartless minds thirst for power and nothing more. War is peace to the Party because they accomplish their goal of controlling the citizens of Oceania. The Party finds satisfaction in knowing they are on the top of Oceania’s hierarchical society and hold power over the citizens’ minds. As long as the Party’s beliefs and teachings are compulsory, war is peace.
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