Possible Clues:

• Water sports dismissing protest as struggles with a number of general employers
• See 15-Across
• 'Ring out the thousand ___ of old': Tennyson
• Service-academy studies
• 'So long as there are men there will be ___': Albert Einstein
• See 31-Across
• Battles it out
• Treaties end them
• "Star ___" (Lucas film)
• Armed conflicts against enemies