Saturday, October 19, 2024

World War III?

Simon Webb of History Debunked suggests that World War III has already begun.  In fact, he proposes that the first world war should be the Napoleonic Wars, which spanned a decade (1803-1815) and involved actions from India to the Caribbean, and the Middle East to Scandinavia.  The current situation has recently seen North Korean troops heading to Ukraine to aid the Russians.  The NATO powers are funding and supplying equipment to Ukraine, most notably the United States.  In fact, US soldiers are stationed in Israel to man anti-missile batteries.  Israel's war with Gaza has leaked over into Lebanon.  Iran has fired yet another barrage of missiles, which Israel will soon answer.  Will that draw Iran into the war?  Maybe.  He notes that previous world wars were easily defined thanks to the war declarations by each side.  Few participants are declaring war but certainly engaging in war-making activities.

I would not call this a world war yet.  It is more like a new chapter of the Cold War.  Yes, the Cold War ended more than 30 years ago, but this has the same vibe.  If all that it requires to be a World War is the participation of many countries, the Korean War should count.  The UN (led by the US) was on the side of South Korea and while the Chinese & Russians supported North Korea.  Similar conflicts happened throughout the world during the Cold War.

Cold War II.  For now.

No comments: