The Financial Cost of Modern War

During the 20th and nascent 21st centauries, the United States has engaged in seven major wars, two of which are currently ongoing. Since only a portion of one war, World War II, was actually fought on United States soil in the Hawaiian Island and the Southern Pacific Islands, including Guam and the Solomon Island, this country has not suffered large damage to its infrastructure.

Therefore, the U.S. has not faced the huge costs of rebuilding that other countries have had to contend with. Therefore, the costs of war have been limited to the actual price of employing and sustaining troops and the mechanics of providing equipment and war machinery. What follows is a brief review of the wars that the United States has engaged in since 1900 and the cost, as adjusted to reflect today’s dollar currency values.

The United States had maintained an Isolationist foreign policy since the late 1800’s. However, the United States joined the forces of France, Great Britain, and Italy toward the end of World War I and fought from 1917 to 1918. During this time, the airplane was developed as a war machine. Airplanes, ships and conventional land troops were used to fight the war. Chemical warfare was developed and gas was an insidious weapon that was used during this war; its use was banned after the armistice was signed. In the short term of this war, the United States spent an estimated 26, billion dollars.

The United States‘ involvement in World War II lasted from 1941 until 1945. The United States did not immediately enter the war that was being fought on the European front against Hitler, but entered the war against Japan after the United States fleet in Honolulu was bombed. Soon thereafter, it joined in the European struggle. The arms used during this war included all those from the previous wars but also included the submarine, an underwater vessel. When the Armistice was signed on both the European and Pacific fronts, the United States has spent about 288 billion dollars.

In 1950, the Police Action in Korea was reclassified as a war, which lasted until 1953.

This war defined the modern countries of North and South Korea and cost 54 Billion dollars during its three-year duration.

A decade later, the United States engaged one of its longest conflicts, the Vietnam War which lasted from 1964 to 1972. This was primarily fought as a strategic effort against the domino effect, which theorized that if one country fell to communism, many others in the Far East would follow suit and the balance of power would shift to the Soviet Union. This war lasted for eight years and cost 111.1 billion dollars.

The Gulf War of 1990 lasted just under one year and was waged in the Persian Gulf by the senior George Bush. This war had costs of 61 billion dollars.

There are, at present two ongoing conflicts. In 1991, The United States instigated war with Afghanistan and, in 1993, with Iraq. Both in the war against terrorism, an effort in retaliation to the September 11 suicide attacks on the United States. The costs for these conflicts are currently estimated, since they are still in progress. The figures are combined for the two wars. Thus far, the estimates are in the range of 60 billion dollars per year, making it the most expensive war fought within modern times.

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