War- what is it good for?

Recently I just finished reading Band of Brothers. I got interested in it after I watched the mini series on the History Channel. Both were really well done and they helped to personalize the second world war by telling the story of E Company in the 101st Airborne Division. However, as I was reading it struck me how odd it is that winning or losing is determined by killing other people and that is what war consists of, is killing others of the human race. If you think about World War II I believe that there were many good German soldiers who were fighting for the honor of their country, just like our boys were. Of course Hitler was an evil dictator and had to be stopped, just as Saddam Hussein was, but it's just sad and puzzling that the way to solve these problems is through blood shed. I have come to realize that war is a necessary evil. Weak people need to be protected from those who would try to control them but it just makes me really sad to think of all the thousands, actually more like millions, of men who have died, on both sides fighting and killing and suffering. Perhaps the title of this rant isn't fully appropriate because I am perfectly aware what the purpose of war is but you'd just think there would be another way.