History does not repeat itself – so we cannot simply take solutions from the past and apply them to the present day. But history does provide us with a vital reservoir of political illustrative material. It shows which constellations led to which outcomes, and it reveals patterns and recurring problems. Anyone who wonders how the war in Ukraine will end should make use of this reservoir. Because there is hardly anything in world history as common as wars. Historically, what has driven people to continue fighting wars? How have windows for diplomacy opened up? What has led to lasting peace, and what to fragile peace? And why have the final stages of war often been the most bloody? The path to peace has frequently been a long and winding road, repeatedly delayed and interrupted. The longer a war lasts, the more victims there are over the months and years and the more complex and contradictory this path is. And even once a treaty is signed, the real work of peace has yet to begin.

• How do wars end? History holds answers

• The lessons we can learn from the wars of the past

• Examples from world history, focusing on the 19th and 20th centuries

• Trenchant and knowledgeable theories about the different directions we can take in times of war