The Cost of 20th Century Wars

Cost of War America's Most Expensive Wars 1. World War II: $4.69T 2. Iraq War: $1.01T 3. War in Afghanistan: $910.47B 4. Vietnam War: $843.63B 5. Korean War: $398.81B 6. World War I: $381.8B 7. Persian Gulf War: $116.6B 8. Civil War: Union: $68.17B 9. Civil War: Confederacy: $22.99B 10. Spanish American War: $10.33B source Ignored Wars? British-American War of 1812 13 min Mexican-American War 1846-48 17 min Spanish-American War 1898 12 min
Index Ground Wars The Cold War War On Islamic Terror Failures of Colonialism See Hidden Cost of America’s Forever War Exorbitant Dollar Privilege The Real Story of How America Became an Economic Superpower by David Frum 12/24/14 Incredible Advanced Military Technology in Action

		Ground Wars Nineteen-month World War 1 killed 116,516 from all causes with 204,002 wounded in action. The resulting peace treaty severely penalized Germany and divided the Ottoman Empire among the winners. *Gas warfare* was later banned. These winners continued their 19th Century Western Colonialism, which planted the seeds for Arab Unrest.
		Five year World War 2 killed 405,399 from all causes with 670,660 wounded in action. Losers were not punished. Russian Bear having suffered an estimated 26.6 military and civilian deaths used their newly occupied eastern European territory to provide a protective buffer.
		Three year Korean War killed 36,574 with 103,284 wounded in action after North Korea crossed the 38th parallel. South Korea remained free. Japan felt safe and used a small defense budget and weak currency to accumulate industrial capital and rejoined the developed world.
		The very long Vietnam War ² killed 58,220 with over 153,303 wounded with few important positive results. Civilian deaths were about 626,000.
		As of 12/31/14 Afghanistan War killed 2,312 with 20,026 wounded with few important positive results unless you enjoyed serving more than one military tour.
		As of 5/29/12 Iraq War killed 4,425 with 32,223 wounded with few important positive results unless you worked in our Military Industrial Complex.

	Cold War After WW 2 the Russian Communists seized power in Poland, closed access to Berlin and the Western Allies countered with a 1948-49 airlift then. Then Russia exploded an atomic bomb. Communists won the Chinese Communist Revolution. The 1950-53 Korean War had UN forces fighting against North Korean Communists who crossed the 38th parallel. They were pushed back and when the U.S. continued north to unite Korea, the Chinese got involved. New President Eisenhower quickly arrange for peace Russia exploded a Hydrogen bomb, put down 1956 revolts in Czechoslovakia, Poland and Hungary. She launched 2 Sputniks as America satellite launches failed. The 1956 Suez Canal Crisis caused tension between Western allies. Again President quickly arrange for peace. Military and political advisors wanted to use nuclear weapons in the Korean War against China and again wanted them used against China in reference to Taiwan and Formosa. Ike didn't listen. The US 1960 U-2 Spy Plane Incident ended the Eisenhower Administration's chess game with Communism and it also ended the very brief Paris Peace Conference. Ike had been trying unsuccessfully for eight years to control a renegade CIA. The u-2 flights made exposing the contrived CIA missile gap difficult to do as our spying was why we new it was manufactured by the Military Industrial Complex. JFK didn't listen to his advisors who also wanted to use nuclear weapons in relation to the 1961 Cuban Missile Crisis. A more peaceful blockade settled the crisis.


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