It is an often used strategy of bankers to use war as a most lucrative source of profit. To have an individual in your debt is powerful, but to have a government in your debt is priceless. Often, in history, bankers will fund both sides of a war. This doubles their business, and as there was a tradition of the victors paying off the debts of the vanquished, the banks were always paid. Moreover, if a bank funds both sides of a war, they can keep the conflict going for a longer time, further increasing their profits and/or subsequent power.
