chaos of war; turmoil of battle
Literary or formal noun describing the confusion, disorder, and upheaval of warfare. Often used in historical or dramatic contexts.
The suffering of civilians caught up in the chaos of war is immeasurable.
That novel depicts people who lived through the turmoil of war.
Compound of 戦 (war) and 渦 (whirlpool, vortex), literally 'war whirlpool'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the image is of being caught in a swirling vortex of conflict.