Questions

No matter how the various rulers felt about war, it was undeniable that war brought disaster, destruction, and death to the common people. 

Nicolas was an accomplished politician, but when it came to war, no one had the time nor effort to care about ordinary people; Nicolas was no exception. Besides, Nicolas's military discipline was nowhere near stringent. After all, how could one make his subjects fall in love with war? Simple: entice them with gold and glory! The winning side often had the absolute power to plunder and abuse, and human morals often became powerless in that kind of situation. If a general cut down ten enemies by himself, he would be hailed as a hero by his own people, but his enemy would shun him as a demon.