How to End a War Part 2

More ways to end a war;


Trickery
War is based on deception.
~Sun-tzu

Lure your enemy to you (promise a treaty, but in reality ambush them), or lie your way to get at them (disguising themselves to sneak into the army's camp and kill the leader.)
Traps and lies are what add flavor to the story. You could even create Dramatic Irony by letting the reader know that the character's walking into a trap.


Defeating source of power
This ties in with defeating the leader.

If the leader's source of power is their army, then separate them from their army. In Martin the Warrior; the hero draws the leader away from the main battle to have a private showdown between the two of them.

In Lord of the Rings, the only way to defeat evil was to destroy The Ring of Power.

Why is the leader so powerful? Take that away and you're sure to win.


Befriending enemy
Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.
~Sun-tzu

This is one of those great betrayal scenes, where the friend stabs a character in the back (literally or figuratively, your choice.)
For example, in the movie Prince Caspian two generals conspire to have the king killed by Caspian. When Caspian spares his life, they do the killing themselves.


Force
The most obvious way of winning, but it can make for some great entertainment.

In this case, someone wins because they've got more people in their army, stronger weapons, better armor.

Personally, as a reader, I think this is okay for a preliminary battle.
But the endings that have stuck with me are the ones where the underdog pulls through because of their friendship and loyalty.


Magic
If your story is set in a magical world, it is okay for people to use magic as a weapon.
But it can't completely solve the war.

Don't just magic your way through problems. If one side has magic, the other side should have defenses against it.

Otherwise it's boring if the good guys just snap their fingers and the other side goes up in smoke.
Believe it or not, I've read a few books where that happens.

It is really frustrating for the reader when there's no battle to prove that good always defeats evil.
One side should not walk away unscathed and victorious unless the other side does too, either through a treaty or a surrender.