Board Thread:Episode Discussion/@comment-4141313-20181110034633/@comment-4141313-20181114194435

ChishioKunrin wrote: I had thought that Salem started the Great War, in order to get mankind to tear each other apart. It matches the implications that have been made that Salem is not just trying to divide the kingdoms but also start a war between them. Would certainly benefit her goals if that were the case. If Remnant was locked in a World War while dealing with the Grimm when she summoned Darkness and Light back, then they'd be all too willing to deem Remnant a failure and nuke the fuckers.

It may actually explain why the King of Vale assemdly wielded two relics during the Vacuo campaign, Salem's plan was dangerously close to working, so Ozma was left with no choice but to use Destruction and Choice. Destruction to eliminate the Grimm there and establish his might, Choice to coerce the Leaders into following his lead. The WOR did have Qrow say:

''But it all ended in the Vacuo campaign. Mistral and Mantle knew that if they could take the Dust mines of Vacuo, they would effectively cut off the supply of Dust to their enemy. It was to be a final devastating blow to Vale and Vacuo. They were only half right. The king of Vale personally led his army into battle alongside the soldiers of Vacuo and decimated the enemy forces. Crown atop his head and armed only with a sword and his scepter, he laid waste to countless men.''

''As the sand was soaked red with blood, the Grimm came in droves. It was the single deadliest battle of the war, and legends of the greatness and terror of the Warrior King were born that day. Historians will tell you that most of these stories are nothing but grandiose hyperbole. Unusually violent weather conditions, combined with Mantle's unfamiliarity with desert combat, are likely what led to such a high death count. But whatever the reasoning, everyone bowed to the king of Vale by the time it was over.''

They all bowed, even Vacuo who was Vale's ally at the time. It could be Ozma had no choice but to use the Relic of Choice to influence them so the Academy system would flourish.

Its also not unreasonable to think Salem is the direct cause of the war. From the short again, it was said:

''Eventually, Mistral made the jump across the sea to the eastern coast of Sanus. The small islands and peninsulas in the area were perfect to establish a settlement. They were so perfect, in fact, that Vale had just begun settling the area themselves. I think we can all guess what happened next. The king of Vale did everything he could to avoid armed conflict. Despite cries from his people, he insisted on sharing the land with the settlers from Mistral. But... (sigh) To this day, no one knows who shot first, but what began as a riot between two bands of settlers... would suddenly become the first battle of the Great War.''

We've already seen Salem was a skilled orator when it came to amassing her army against the gods, it isn't unreasonable to think she, or one of her agents, was sent to either the Emperor of Mistral, or one of the Mistralian Generals, and influenced them into starting the War.