Throughout history language has done a great job of uniting people, since they are able to communicate and share stories that bring them closer together. It has also divided, however, since people who speak a certain language can sometimes feel a sense of national or ethnic pride that leads to violence against people who speak other languages.
It's a thing called "scorched earth". the russians would rather burn their fields and slaughter livestock to the ground than have the french successfully take over their houses and farms and eat and steal their food, etc. it's a way to let the french starve!
The Babylonian captivity was when the jews were exiled to babylon. Hope it helps
