Can History Be Condensed into Formulae?

Abstract

Wars and the destruction that they bring are violent caesurae in human history. One goal of a general theory of history could be to model in some way the structural changes that accompany historical upheavals. But what are the determinants of historical processes? Is it conceivable that the unique course of history is determined by laws? What kind of explanations may be expected with regard to the overwhelming complexity of historical events? In short: are there any precise answers to the unending quest concerning the essence of history?