status quo ante bellum

     "Status quo ante bellum" is a Latin phrase you might encounter in a history book.  It means "the state of things before the war". As part of the terms of a peace treaty, it means that no territory will change hands--the borders will be where they were before the war began.  Most wars are fought by countries that are next to one another, so during the war one army might have taken over the other country's territory.  A peace treaty in which the two countries agree to the "status quo ante bellum" means that the occupying army will have to retreat from the neighboring country. This might seem like the two countries have fought a war to no purpose, but there might be other concessions made to the "winner"--if there is a winner. Sometimes both countries just agree to stop fighting, conceding nothing.