Endless War.

There's always a precedent.  I've just rediscovered the Hundred Years' War.  It was basically the French versus the English (although back in those days the English elite were French).  They "engaged in hostilities" for a period of more than 100 years, off and on.

They did this while the Black Plague was raging.  It was a war over territory, control of resources, and partly a pissing match.  It was a war between the elite classes, fought by the peasants.  It wasn't the peasants' fight- the peasants had nothing in particular to gain or lose by who they worked for.

We still fight their wars, only the elite aren't titled "kings" and "dukes" anymore.  The wars are still about territory, control of resources, and who has the bigger dick.

plus ça change...