§ 260. The normal condition between two States being peace, war can never be more than a temporary condition; whatever may have been the cause or causes of a war, the latter cannot possibly last for ever. For either the purpose of war will be realised and one belligerent will be overpowered by the other, or both will sooner or later be so exhausted by their exertions that they will desist from the struggle. Nevertheless wars may last for many years, although of late European wars have gradually become shorter. The shortening of European wars in recent times has resulted from several causes, the more important of which are:--conscription, the foundation of the armies of all the great European Powers, Great Britain excepted; the net of railways which extends over all European countries, and which enables a much quicker transport of troops on enemy territory; and lastly, the vast numbers of the opposing forces which usually hasten a decisive battle. [Sidenote: Three Modes of Termination of War.] § 261. Be that as it may, a war may be terminated in three different ways. Belligerents may, first, abstain from further acts of war and glide into peaceful relations without expressly making peace through a special treaty. Or, secondly, belligerents may formally establish the condition of peace through a special treaty of peace. Or, thirdly, a belligerent may end the war through subjugation of his adversary.[494] [Footnote 494: That a civil war may come to an end through simple cessation of hostilities or through a treaty of peace need hardly be mentioned. But it is of importance to state the fact that there is a difference between civil war and other war concerning the third mode of ending war, namely subjugation. For to terminate a civil war, conquest _and_ annexation, which together make subjugation, is unnecessary (see below, § 264), but conquest alone is sufficient.] II SIMPLE CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES Hall, § 203--Phillimore, III. § 511--Halleck, II. p. 468--Taylor, § 584--Bluntschli, § 700--Heffter, § 177--Kirchenheim in Holtzendorff, IV. p. 793--Ullmann, § 198--Bonfils, No. 1693--Despagnet, No. 605--Rivier, II. pp. 435-436--Calvo, V. § 3116--Fiore, III. No. 1693--Martens, II. § 128--Longuet, § 155--Mérignhac, p. 323--Pillet, p. 370. [Sidenote: Exceptional Occurrence of simple Cessation of Hostilities.]