20th Century Wars Were Costly

Part 1

 

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 rstimated 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 War2 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.  

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Part 2

  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 IndustrialComplex.

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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