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OPPOSITION

125

formerly exist. Military alliances and political combinations
 are only two instances of this phenomenon, which is
manifest in all aspects of human life. This blending force
of conflicts is illustrated not only in the formation of new
combinations, but also by the fact that the termination of
the struggle often leads to a split in the victorious party.
Combinations made especially for the purpose of fighting
a common opponent often contain elements which could
not combine for peaceful pursuits. As long as the struggle
lasts, the individual differences are suppressed, but, once
the conflict is ended, the divergence between the elements
reasserts itself and leads to separation or even perhaps to
a mutual antagonism.!

The Termination of the Conflict
The termination of a conflict is a special undertaking
which differs both from the actual struggle and from a
condition of peace. It involves more fundamental changes
in the social relationships than the actual outbreak of a conflict.
 The latter is usually merely an outburst of a latent antagonism
 due to already existing frictions and oppositions.
But the termination of the conflict involves fundamental
sociological changes. The sociology of conflict demands
therefore as an appendix at least a short analysis of the
forms in which conflicts are terminated.
Among the many forms in which conflicts come to an
end there may be distinguished three main groups, according
 to whether the termination is due to victory, to compromise,
 or to conciliation. The love of peace will be present
 as a subjective element in the termination of most conflicts,
 just as a certain pugnacity plays a role in the outbreak
 of most conflicts: but neither is an immediate determinant
 of form.
The simplest and most radical form of passage from
! Soz., pp. 306-23.