Map on the right is the perfect representation of my current CIV session, with my being Germany/Austria desperately kicking away warmongering neighbours.
Around 1300 AD when I noticed that some AIs have started running away with the game on the score ladder (but still had chariots vs my musketeers), I declared war on civ #1, which was Khmer, to my east.
This war lasted approximately 550 years, and as a result I capped three of his cities, razed another three.
Of course in the meantime the Khmer called a bunch of my neighbours to help, which resulted in a short-lived conflict against Lmao Dadong (no actual common borders, but close by) and Pacal II (north) - though outnumbered, my technological superiority in warfare proved to be the deciding factor (cannons vs trebuchets, grenadiers vs macemen). Pacal would declare war twice more in the coming years, and would lose two cities.
In the meantime Lmao conquered Rome and made Augustus (my west neighbour) his vassal. 3 or so turns later they both declared war on me. It was roughly at that time when I finally called for a ceasefire with the Khmer because I couldn't be bothered to massacre them more and stretch my forces west to east. Fortunately at this point it was infantry vs cuirassiers... and horse archers... in 1864 AD. I think my war with the Khmer turned the entire world retarded considering Gilgamesh still had a warrior running around exploring at this time. I think he has them still in fact.
Out of all the civs I only never waged war with Asoka (north neighbour, with whom I had friendly relations all the time) and Gilgamesh (faraway, no borders, no problems). Eventually I knocked out Augustus, who had only 3 cities. Wanted to continue murdering Lmao and take over Rome, but meanwhile Pacal declared war yet again, so I had to cease fire - especially since Lmao upgraded to infantry overnight, so the scales got a bit better balanced.
In the middle of razing Mayan cities, I see that the Khmer, who have somehow despite losing 6 big cities, including the capital, managed to climb back to the first place in the ladder, have vassalised that idiot Asoka. Knowing full well what that meant, I started mass producing tanks and tactical nukes everywhere.
It is now roughly 1950 AD. I knocked out the Mayan capital, captured one more city, razed another, am about to cap yet one more. Obviously the Khmer have declared war, taking Asoka with them.
The only civ that Trump, the emperor of France, has never waged war against is Gilgamesh. I get -5 to happiness in all cities because "the world thinks I'm a villain". Over the last 650 years I've had only 30 years of peace. Yet I swear on me mom I dindu nuffin and this is all just self-defence.