It is 80 years since the World War I started. The war lasted from 1914 to 1918 and there were lost 10 million lives. Europe`s map was changed forever. By historical analysis , the World War 1 is known as “the war to end all wars”.
Above: Air Force Combat Controller Unit practicing firing movement
Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) is the official name used by the U.S. government for its military response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. It was previously planned to have been called “Operation Infinite Justice,” but this phrase had previously been restricted to the description of God (among followers of several faiths), and it is believed to have been changed to avoid offense to Muslims. On October 5, 2006 NATO officially took over control of US forces in Afghanistan.
Above: Map of Kabul, the Capital of Afghanistan (click map to enlarge)
Initial Attack
CNN released exclusive footage of Kabul being bombed to all the American broadcasters at approximately 5:08pm September 11, 2001. [14] Who was doing the air raids that targeted the city’s airport, among other things, has never been answered, although one explanation at the time was that Northern Alliance helicopters carried out the attacks.
Above: Allied troops securing borderline near Shuranam, Afghanistan
At approximately 16:30 UTC (12:30 EDT, 21:00 local time) on Sunday October 7, 2001, American and British forces began an aerial bombing campaign targeting Taliban forces and al-Qaeda. Strikes were reported in the capital, Kabul (where electricity supplies were severed), at the airport and military nerve-centre of Kandahar (home of the Taliban’s Supreme Leader Mullah Omar), and also in the city of Jalalabad (training camps). The U.S. government justified these attacks as a response to the September 11, 2001 attacks and the failure of the Taliban to meet any U.S. demands. The Taliban condemned these attacks and called them an “attack on Islam.”
Above: Picture of Minister Tony Blaire & US President George Bush shaking thier hands after the press conference
At 17:00 UTC, President Bush confirmed the strikes on national television and British Prime Minister Tony Blair also addressed the UK. Bush stated that at the same time as Taliban military and terrorists’ training grounds would be targeted, food, medicine, and supplies would be dropped to “the starving and suffering men, women and children of Afghanistan.” [15].
Above: Tomahawk missile launched by an Allied Submarine
A number of different technologies were employed in the strike. US Air Force general Richard Myers, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, stated that approximately 50 Tomahawk cruise missiles, launched by British and U.S. submarines and ships, 15 strike aircraft from aircraft carriers and 25 bombers, such as B-1 Lancer, B-2 Spirit, B-52 Stratofortress and F-16 Fighting Falcon were involved in the first wave. Two C-17 Globemaster transport jets were to deliver 37,500 daily rations by airdrop to refugees inside Afghanistan on the first day of the attack.
Above: Mugshot of Osama bin Laden
A pre-recorded videotape of Osama bin Laden had been released before the attack in which he condemned any attacks against Afghanistan. Al Jazeera, the Arabic satellite news channel, reported that these tapes were received shortly before the attack. In this recording bin Laden claimed that the United States would fail in Afghanistan and then collapse, just as the Soviet Union did, and called for a war of Muslims, a jihad, against the US.
Above: A B-1B Lancer and BLU-109 2,000-pound bombs bay loaded before OEF mission
Air Campaigns
Bombers operating at high altitudes well out of range of anti-aircraft fire began to bomb the al-Qaeda training camps and Taliban air defenses. During the initial build-up before the actual attack, there had been speculation in the media that the Taliban might try to use U.S.-built Stinger anti-aircraft missiles that were the bane of Soviet helicopters during the Soviet occupation in the 1980s. If any of these missiles existed at the time of the air campaign, they were never used and the U.S. didn’t lose any aircraft to enemy fire. Beyond that, the Taliban had little to offer in the way of anti-aircraft weaponry, relying mostly on left-over arms and weapons from the Soviet invasion. U.S. aircraft, including Apache helicopter gunships, operated with impunity throughout the campaign, while cruise missiles pounded the country.
Above: Coffins of US troops who died during the battle of Operation: Enduring Freedom
The strikes initially focused on the area in and around the cities of Kabul, Jalalabad, and Kandahar. Within a few days, most al-Qaeda training sites had been severely damaged and the Taliban’s air defenses had been destroyed. The campaign then focused on command, control, and communication targets which weakened the ability of the Taliban forces to communicate. However, the line facing the Afghan Northern Alliance held, and no tangible battlefield successes had yet occurred on that front. Two weeks into the campaign, the Northern Alliance demanded the air campaign focus more on the front lines. As the war dragged on civilian casualties also began to mount in the affected areas. Meanwhile, thousands of Pashtun militiamen from Pakistan poured into the country, reinforcing the Taliban against the U.S. led forces.
Above: F/A-18 Hornet landing on Allied Aircraft Carrier
The next stage of the campaign began with carrier based F/A-18 Hornet fighter-bombers hitting Taliban vehicles in pinpoint strikes, while other U.S. planes began cluster bombing Taliban defenses. For the first time in years, Northern Alliance commanders finally began to see the serious results that they had long hoped for on the front lines. The Taliban support structure began to erode under the pressure of the air-strikes. U.S. Special Forces then launched an audacious raid deep into the Taliban’s heartland of Kandahar, even striking one of Mullah Omar’s compounds. However, the campaign’s progress seemed to remain very slow. The last week of October had ended, and it was now the beginning of November.
Above: A map showing the location of Mazari Sharif
At this time, the next stage of the air campaign began to fulfill long-awaited Northern Alliance expectations. The Taliban front lines were bombed with 15,000-pound daisy cutter bombs, and by AC-130 gunships. Poor Taliban tactics increased the effects of the strikes. The fighters had no previous experience with American firepower, and often even stood on top of bare ridgelines where Special Forces could easily spot them and call in close air support. By November 2, Taliban frontal positions were decimated, and a Northern Alliance march on Kabul seemed possible for the first time. Foreign fighters from al-Qaeda took over security in the Afghan cities, demonstrating the instability of the Taliban regime. Meanwhile, the Northern Alliance and their CIA/Special Forces advisors planned the next stage of their offensive. Northern Alliance troops would seize Mazari Sharif, thereby cutting off Taliban supply lines and enabling the flow of equipment from the countries to the north, followed by an attack on Kabul itself.
Above: Various of bombs displayed outside the B-52 aircraft, prior Carpet Bombing Operation
Land advances: Mazari Sharif
On November 9, 2001, the battle for Mazari Sharif began. U.S. bombers carpet-bombed Taliban defenders concentrated in the Chesmay-e-Safa gorge that marks the entrance to the city. At 2 P.M, Northern Alliance forces then swept in from the south and west, seizing the city’s main military base and airport. The forces then mopped up the remnants of the Taliban in the gorge in front of the city, meeting only light resistance. Within 4 hours, the battle was over. By sunset, what remained of the Taliban was retreating to the south and east. Mazari Sharif was taken. The next day, Northern Alliance forces seeking retribution combed the city, shooting suspected Taliban supporters in on-the-spot executions. Approximately 520 Taliban, demoralized and defeated, many of whom were fighters from Pakistan, were massacred when they were discovered hiding in a school. Looting was also widespread throughout Mazari Sharif.
Above: Taliban position blasted with Allied aerial bombs
The same day the massacres of former Taliban supporters was taking place in Mazari Sharif, November 10, Northern Alliance forces swept through five northern provinces in a rapid advance. The fall of Mazari Sharif had triggered a complete collapse of Taliban positions. Many local commanders switched sides rather than fight. The regime was beginning to unravel at the seams throughout the north. Many of the their front line troops were outflanked and then surrounded in the northern city of Kunduz as the Northern Alliance drove past them southwards. Even in the south, their hold on power seemed tenuous at best. The religious police stopped their regular patrols. A complete implosion of the Taliban regime seemed imminent.
Above: Corpses of two fighters lying on the street, outside Military base in Kabul
The Fall of Kabul
Finally, on the night of November 12, Taliban forces fled from the city of Kabul, leaving under cover of darkness. By the time Northern Alliance forces arrived in the afternoon of November 13, only bomb craters, burned foliage, and the burnt out shells of Taliban gun emplacements and positions were there to greet them. A group of about twenty hardline Arab fighters hiding in the city’s park were the only remaining defenders. This Taliban group was killed in a brief 15-minute gun battle, being heavily outnumbered and having had little more than some shrub to shield them. After these forces were neutralized Kabul was in the hands of the US/NATO forces and the Northern Alliance.
Above: Map of Afghanistan showing the location of city Herat
Air Force combat controllers send coordinates for air strike (identities censored for security purposes)The fall of Kabul marked the beginning of a collapse of Taliban positions across the map. Within 24 hours, all of the Afghan provinces along the Iranian border, including the key city of Herat, had fallen. Local Pashtun commanders and warlords had taken over throughout northeastern Afghanistan, including the key city of Jalalabad. Taliban holdouts in the north, comprised of mainly Pakistani volunteers, fell back to the northern city of Konduz to make a stand. By November 16, the Taliban’s last stronghold in northern Afghanistan was besieged by the Northern Alliance. Nearly 10,000 Taliban fighters, led by foreign fighters, refused to surrender and continued to put up stubborn resistance. By then, the Taliban had been forced back to their heartland in southeastern Afghanistan around Kandahar.
Above: Tora Bora Cave Complex – Osama bin Laden‘s Fortress (click image enlarge)
By November 13, al-Qaeda and Taliban forces, with the possible inclusion of Osama bin Laden, had regrouped and were concentrating their forces in the Tora Bora cave complex, on the Pakistan border 30 miles (50 km) southwest of Jalalabad, to prepare for a stand against the Northern Alliance and US/NATO forces. Nearly 2,000 al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters fortified themselves in positions within bunkers and caves, and by November 16, U.S. bombers began bombing the mountain fortress. Around the same time, CIA and Special Forces operatives were already at work in the area, enlisting and paying local warlords to join the fight and planning an attack on the Tora Bora complex.
Above: Heavy explosions at Taliban and al-Qaeda mountainous bastion during Tora Bora Bombing
The Fall of Konduz
Just as the bombardment at Tora Bora was stepped up, the siege of Kunduz that began on November 16 was continuing. Finally, after nine days of heavy fighting and American aerial bombardment, Taliban fighters surrendered to Northern Alliance forces on November 25-November 26. Shortly before the surrender, Pakistani aircraft arrived to evacuate a few hundred intelligence and military personnel who had been in Afghanistan previous to the U.S. invasion for the purpose of aiding the Taliban’s ongoing fight against the Northern Alliance. It is believed that up to five thousand people in total were evacuated from the region, including Taliban and al-Qaeda troops allied to the Pakistanis in Afghanistan.
Above: Picture of Mullah Mohammad Omar
By December 6, Omar finally began to signal that he was ready to surrender Kandahar to tribal forces. His forces broken by heavy U.S. bombing and living constantly on the run within Kandahar to prevent himself from becoming a target, even Mullah Omar’s morale lagged. Recognizing that he could not hold on to Kandahar much longer, he began signaling a willingness in negotiations to turn the city over to the tribal leaders, assuming that he and his top men received some protection. The U.S. government rejected any amnesty for Omar or any Taliban leaders. On December 7, Mullah Mohammad Omar slipped out of the city of Kandahar with a group of his hardcore loyalists and moved northwest into the mountains of Uruzgan Province, reneging on the Taliban’s promise to surrender their fighters and their weapons. He was last reported seen driving off with a group of his fighters on a convoy of motorcycles. Other members of the Taliban leadership fled into Pakistan through the remote passes of Paktia and Paktika Provinces. However, Kandahar, the last Taliban-controlled city, had fallen, and the majority of the Taliban fighters had disbanded. The border town of Spin Boldak was surrendered on the same day, marking the end of Taliban control in Afghanistan. The Afghan tribal forces under Gul Agha seized the city of Kandahar while the Marines took control of the airport outside and established a U.S. base.
Below: City Map of Kandahar, Afghanistan
Above: Map during Operation Desert Storm showing military advance (click map to enlarge)
On August 2, 1990, Iraqi forces invaded Kuwait. While Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein had been making threats against Kuwait for a while, his actual invasion caught most of the world by surprise.
Above: Picture of General Norman Schwarzkopf
The extent of the Iraqi invasion was also a surprise. Those who had expected an attack, like Commander of US Central Command General Norman Schwarzkopf, expected just a limited attack to seize Kuwaiti oil fields. Instead, within a number of hours, Iraqi forces had seized downtown Kuwait City and were heading south towards the Saudi Arabian border.
Above: US Aircrafts flying over burning oil field
When word of the Iraqi attack was received and digested in Washington, the first concern was: would he stop at the Saudi border? Initial analysis was not encouraging; Iraqi forces began to assemble at the Saudi border in offensive positions. The United States had contingency plans for coming to the defense of the Saudis, but they were dependent on the Saudis asking for US assistance. Secretary of Defense Cheney and General Schwarkopf met with King Fahd of Saudi Arabia to brief him on American plans; he approved the plans and then asked for American assistance. The minute the meeting ended, orders were issued that began the largest buildup of American forces since Vietnam. Within a short period, forces of the 82nd Airborne division were heading for Saudi Arabia, as well as 300 combat aircraft.
Above: US Battle Tanks passing through an Iraqi tank destroyed during battle
By the end of September, there were nearly 200,000 American forces in Saudi Arabia – enough to successfully defend any Iraqi attack. The question remained, however, how to remove Iraqi forces from Kuwait. The initial plan called for a direct offensive aimed at Kuwait City; but Schwarzkopf and other American commanders thought that too risky against heavily-armed, well-entrenched Iraqis. Instead, they called for additional troops to prepare for an offensive. President Bush, with Saudi approval, ordered additional 140,000 troops, including the 3rd Armored Division with its Abrams M1A tanks. During this period, troops from many other nations arrived, including British, French, Egyptian and even Syrian forces. On November 29, the UN Security Council passed a resolution authorizing the use of force if Iraq did not withdraw from Kuwait by January 15.
Above: Allied armored vehicle launching missile attack against Iraq
On the morning of January 16, Allied forces began the first phase of Operation Desert Storm: the attack on Iraq. American forces systematically destroyed first the Iraqi border radar stations; then other key elements of the Iraqi anti-aircraft network; and finally began bombing key targets in downtown Iraq, including the Presidential palace, communication centers and power stations. The Allied forces lost only 2 planes during the attacks. The attacks continued day and night.
Above: Picture of vehicle carrying a scud missile
On January 17, at 3 AM, the Iraqis fired seven Scud missiles at Israel. Israelis, based on Saddam’s earlier threats to burn half of Israel with chemical weapons, awaited the missiles wearing gas masks. The Scuds only had conventional warheads, but their terror value was immense. The Israelis, following their long-stated doctrine, wanted to retaliate massively immediately. However Washington heavily pressured Jerusalem not to respond. To convince Israel not to respond to the Scud attacks that continued, the US promised to increase the number of aircraft sorties aimed at Scud sites. It also rushed Israel Patriot missile systems, with American crews, that had been modified to intercept incoming Scuds.
Above: Allied aircraft Maverick, firing A-10 Thunderbolt II missile against scud missile carrier vehicles of Iraq
On the evening of January 29, after two weeks of air assaults, the Iraqis mounted their one attack. The Iraqi 5th Mechanized Division attacked southward, capturing the Saudi town of Al Khafji, eight miles south of the Kuwaiti border. The Iraqis repulsed the first Saudi force that attempted a counterattack and, despite massive American air attacks, they held on to the town through the day and night. The next day, however, the Saudis recaptured the town, forcing the remaining Iraqis to flee back to the Kuwaiti border.
Above: Massive bombings and missile attacks commenced by US and British forces against Iraq
On February 24, at 4 AM, led by the Marines, the Allied troops crossed the borders into Kuwait. For the days before the attack, the Iraqi troops had been subjected to merciless air attacks; every possible target was struck. The Allied offensive had three major prongs: the first aimed at Kuwait City, the second to the west aimed at the Iraqi flanks, and the final one far to the west, beyond the major Iraqi lines that would totally outflank Iraqi lines. In the first day of the war, all the major objectives were reached, with the Marines advancing halfway to Kuwait City and the western advances proceeding without difficulty. American casualties in the first day of fighting were incredibly light.
On the second day of the war, the American troops advanced further on all fronts. The Marines approached Kuwait City, while the west prongs began to cut off the Iraqis’ ability to withdraw. Once again, American casualties were extremely low.
Above: Actual scene of tanks battle between US and Iraq during Operation Desert Storm
The third day of the war saw the largest tank battle in history. The American armored forces engaged the tank forces of the Republican guard. The American tanks completely destroyed the Iraqi heavy armor without losing a single tank. During the third day, the Iraqi army began a headlong retreat from Kuwait and southern Iraq. That retreat was cut off by Allied aircraft. Iraqis were told to leave their vehicles and retreat by foot. Their vehicles were destroyed from the air. That night, Allied troops liberated Kuwait City.
Above: US Marines patrolling in the city of Baghdad
The fourth and last full day of the war saw the American forces continuing the destruction of much of the Iraqi Army. A decision had already been taken in Washington to end the war at 100 hours. It had been determined that an assault on Baghdad was impractical, and thus the best that could be done was to destroy as much Iraqi equipment as possible, and that was what was done in the last hours of the war.
Below: City Map of Baghdad (click map to enlarge)
Above: Map during Vietnam War
Vietnam War was one of the longest war fought by America. It started in the year 1954. There were huge numbers of casualties in this war and did cost a fortune to both the countries. There were too many myths surrounding the Vietnam War which ended up the war being misunderstood by the world. There were misunderstandings like the
Above: Vietnamese soldier being tortured by American troop
The American soldiers used inhuman and torture tactics, however the truth was the incidents of American atrocities were so rare that any isolated incident would be taken up by the media and blown out of proportion.
Though there were reports that the soldiers fighting in Vietnam were doing so against their wishes, studies carried out showed that more than 70% of the soldiers were volunteers looking forward for fighting for the country. These soldiers have done better for themselves as compared to the people who did not participate in the War. Also soldiers who participated in the War are held in high esteem by the people of America.
Above: Vietnamese woman weeping over her husband’s dead body
There also have been allegations that there were a large number of blacks who were sent off to Vietnam War. This too is untrue the number of people killed in Vietnam war only 12% approximately were blacks and 72% were Caucasians.
Vietnam War did not see uneducated and poor people dying; instead people who died at the War were highly skilled and highly educated people. The least level of education was at least high school. Some of the soldiers killed were officers and highly skilled pilots, who were assigned to the task of taking fighter planes in the area.
Above: Dead Vietkong soldier inhumanly dragged by US Tank
There were allegations that fighting in Vietnam War was not so intense as the World War II, which again happens to be a myth, there were far more casualties. People who were posted to Vietnam saw almost 240 days of action and combat, which was far higher than the World War II. Since there was heavy usage of helicopters in this war, the injured were taken to the hospitals within one hour of casualty whenever possible; this helped reduce the number of casualties. The people who died were only the ones injured beyond survival, very less number of personnel died because of lack of medical treatment.
Above: Picture of piled dead bodies, an image of Vietnam war tragedy
There were also allegations that the soldiers used in this war were very young. Some of them alleged that the soldiers were as young as 19 years of age. This again has been proven untrue. Study of records show that the minimum age of those enrolled was 22. And the people who were serving in the war were nothing less that 26 years of age, thus making them adults enough.
Above: US troops straining blindfolded Vietnamese soldier
The Vietnam War was misrepresented because it was being fought far from home. There were several facts that were twisted out of proportion to give a very unhealthy image of this War. Newer studies carried out have shown that most of the myths about this war were proven wrong and that there was no bias in selection process, in fact there were more volunteers involved in this war than there were in any other War, this was due to patriotism and people were aware that they might end up wounded for life or also die fighting for their country.
below: Flags of Vietnam – Northern Vietnam (Left) & Southern Vietnam (right)
When looking at the impact wartime has on a nation and the world, there are both the economic and human costs. Governments often fail to consider the human costs until in the aftermath of war.
In World War I, 1914-1918, the direct costs of the war were in the neighborhood of $150 million.
The human cost was 37 million individuals for those involved directly in the conflict and an additional 10 million in civilian populations. While many thought this devastation would end the threat of world conflict, an American statesman and future President, Woodrow Wilson, made the following prophetic statement.
“The war we have just been through, though it was shot through with terror, is not to be compared with the war we would have to face next time.”
Mr. Wilson was right. In World War II, 1941-1945, the second ‘war to end all wars’, over 72 million people lost their lives, 46 million military and 26 million civilians. Some countries, such as Germany, lost over 10% of their total population. In the midst of this, was the horror of the Jewish genocide, accounting for 6 million of the losses. Over 50 countries participated in the loss of life.
Still, the conflicts and the losses mounted. Loss of life in the Korean War, sometimes called the forgotten war, was almost 2.5 million in military personnel and many more in the civilian population.
In the Vietnam War, some 1,250,000 active personnel were loss with many more civilians. This was an unusual conflict, in that children and other civilians were used as shields or pressed into service as human bombs to fend off invading armies. The psychological casualties of those who experienced this and survived are immeasurable.
In more recent times, the mass genocide within countries has accounted for great losses of life. The horror in Rwanda between the Tutsis and the Hutu brought about the death of over 800,000 Tutsi in 100 days. Sadly, the rest of the world stood back and watched ignoring the lessons they had learned from the likes of Hitler and Idi Amin. Saddam Hussein, amongst his many atrocities, ordered the chemical deaths of 400,000 Kurds. Numerous examples exist of ruthless dictators that isolate a sub-population within their own country and disguise their prejudice under some rhetoric that justifies these mass homicides.
Not totaled into the numbers above are the losses that occurred and continue to occur, due to terrorist activity. Civilian losses are realized every minute of every day as those who believe in random violence as a tool for change wreak their havoc worldwide.
War as a means of resolving conflict is almost as old as man himself. Can the world survive without the use of armed conflict? It would appear, that history has taught that we cannot. But history has also shown us the cost to humanity, and that we must choose carefully when and how we must resort to war. Let us weigh heavily the potential for loss, before we begin to experience it. If we do, the lives of those who have died before would not have been in vain.
Of the entire struggle generated by war, technology has been one of its more beneficial offspring.
Submarines – Perhaps many do not realize that the submarine, in its crudest form, was a product of the American Revolutionary war Americans in the Revolutionary and Civil wars pioneered submarine warfare. It wasn’t until World War I, however, when they became an efficient piece of military equipment.
Germany used the submarine as a means of ending Great Britain’s naval dominance. Though submarines are still commissioned in the naval ranks of several nations, undersea exploration has benefited greatly from the maritime technology.
Locating and studying the Titanic, one of the most famous civilian shipwrecks in history, was made possible, as is the study of sea life living below the depths at which man himself can dive.
Aircraft – From the early days of hot-air balloons and dirigibles, war spurred rapid development of aeronautic technology. When the allied forces in World War I developed functioned planes, the German Zeppelins, a previous innovation, became unable to survive. Subsequent developments in aircraft not only provided advances for civilian use, but made war more tactical in allowing targeted strikes on strategic locations. This may well have reduced human casualties of both military and civilian personnel.
Our medical knowledge has benefited from that learned in treating individuals in battlefield situations. In 1939, Dr. Charles Drew set up a blood bank at the Columbia Medical Center in Maryland. His breakthrough finding, that blood plasma could replace whole blood, was a huge leap in blood transfusion research. Whole blood deteriorated in days while plasma could be stored much longer. This knowledge played a major role in saving lives in World War II and to this day. Dr. Drew set up a program for collecting, processing and transporting plasma that in 1941 became the first American Red Cross Blood Bank.
Electronic communications has been catapulted forward from the early introduction of field radios in World War I. Now Global Positioning Systems are used on everything from tracking shipments nationally and internationally to providing directions while on a family excursion. Satellite based phone and television technologies owe much to military innovation. As certain technologies are de-classified by the government, the commercial sector finds a way to capitalize on these and adapt them for everyday civilian use. How strange to see the once futuristic world of George Jetson and James Bond become a reality.
Unfortunately, some of the innovation generated for use in wartime has only served to make men more ‘efficient’ as killing each other. Machine-guns, chemical and biological weapons, and more recently nuclear armaments all have killing as there one and only purpose. Perhaps more than any one threat is the worry over nuclear action. Everyone worldwide seems to understand the massive destruction capabilities of nuclear weapons and some third world countries have sought it out to equalize themselves on the international playing field. Yet, very few seem to be able to see past the motives of the moment and see the lessons of war taught to us by previous generations.
{mosimage}Mankind has claimed a variety of reasons and justifications when declaring war on each other. Human rights and freedom have often been the focus, while skeptics claim a more financial motive.
Colonialism and conquest, the thinking behind the great medieval European wars and conflicts, were to expand empires. While expressing that this was done under Divine direction, the motive had a more ‘earthly’ origin.
As explorers discovered other resources in an ever-expanding world, they sought to claim them for their financiers and themselves. Unfortunately, the new peoples they encountered became a resource. The birth of the slave trade brought low cost labor and allowed land barons to expand.
The humanitarian issues breached in the slave trade of the 1800′s nearly tore apart the United States in its Civil War of 1861-1865. Southern plantation owners rebelled against the ban on slavery, promoted by then President, Abraham Lincoln, and supported by the northern states.
Historically, so-called winning countries have experienced post-war booms in their economies. After World War II, 1941-1945, the United States experienced a post-war surge now referred to as the Fabulous Fifties. Jobs were plentiful, returning servicemen received preferential hiring, and women had started to enter the work force voluntarily after it being a wartime necessity. The advent of a two-income home created a whole new financial and sociologic dynamic.
While some women entered the workforce, others took advantage of the prosperity to have children. A generation called the baby-boomers, (now approaching retirement age), was born.
How does the stock market react during wartime? Our most recent experience was with the events of the World Trade Center bombing in 2001. This was a particularly unusual event because it not only represented an open act of war, but also was targeted at the American financial/commercial world.
In the Iraq War on Terrorism, which is ongoing, the statistics take a turn from the historical trend. Perhaps due to the number of countries involved and the unclear resolution. The total stock market returned between 2001-2003 was 11.18%, with an annualized return of -13.78%. The US was also coming into a slight recession so this may have affected the percentages.
In World War II, the stock market yielded an annualized return of 12.1% with a 98.1% yield over the entire duration of the war. During the Korean Conflict, specifically in the years 1950-1953, the total stock market Return was 70%, with an annualized return of 18.85%. In, l963 to 1975, the Vietnam War period, yields were 3 % annually and 51% overall.
With trade embargoes.
As noted during the Vietnam and Iraq War, when a country is divided as to its role in these conflicts, this lack of confidence has a profound affect on stock market performance.
World trade has changed the face of war. With the post cold war boom of international trade, new tactics are taken before resorting to armed conflict. The purse strings of international trade are tightened when countries have other differences that are not resolved through direct negotiations. While warring nations used to seek the complete defeat of each other, now the ‘war’ begins with economic sanctions. Often the sanctioning country seeks support of other nations in pressuring its nemesis. Unfortunately, these economic sanctions have not been terribly effective because supposed allied countries do not often participate, weakening the effects of embargoes.
While many motives stand for resorting to war, it is evident that financial gain has been a historical result, if not a partial motive itself.
{mosimage}Throughout history, mankind has resorted to armed conflict to resolve cultural, religious, humanitarian, sovereign and economical differences. These conflicts have taken the form of civil, revolutionary, guerrilla and world war. Back in the days of King Solomon, when ‘war machines’ were chariots and armaments were swords and shields, one of the greatest signs of war was the amassing of horses, the fastest transportation of the day.
Civil wars have been the result of internal strife, when a nation finds itself sharply divided. This type of war typically takes the greatest toll on a country. For example, the American Civil War, 1860-1865, fought over the abolition of slavery, was the single largest wartime loss of life in United States history.
Some of the signs of civil war include resistance and underground group formation. This was certainly evident for the cause of freeing slaves. The Northern states formed a resistance group call the Underground Railroad. Slaves were transported secretly through a vast network of peoples’ homes and delivered into Canada. Southern plantation owners sent hired guns to get their human ‘property’ returned. The conflict began to heat up when Abraham Lincoln, a strong opponent of slavery, was elected President.
When political debate and established governmental process cannot resolve internal differences, the obvious follows. Unlike many civil wars, the American Civil War did not spawn subsequent civil wars. Issues of prejudice remained for generations afterward, and were addressed through legislative change and peaceful activists, such as Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks. A phase of rioting took place in the 1960s, when a new generation attempted a more violent approach to addressing the prejudice.
Revolutionary wars present many of the same signs as civil wars, a discontented group that becomes more and more vocal and demonstrative about their discontent. They often circulate written propaganda to insight others to join the cause. Resistance groups form, and work to get sympathizers within the current regime.
World Wars often have a very visible build-up. For World War II, Hitler’s reconstruction of the machines of war, tanks, airplanes, and their strategic placement along borders of peaceful countries, made it all clear. Not reading the scope of Hitler’s intentions with this armament, the appeasement process, conceding of some countries without retaliation, was a first reaction and an ill-conceived one. Truly, had the world acknowledged the scope of the war machine that Germany had constructed, perhaps they would have reacted differently. Or maybe the world was still weary of war from the First World War, under the faulty assumption that it had been the ‘War to End All Wars.’
Today, we look at nuclear enrichment as the most imposing sign of war. While so called third world countries seem to be obtaining materials for this type of build-up, more troubling is the source of these materials, often a modern country. Is the motive of profit or fear of retribution more daunting than the thought of a volatile government having nuclear weapons capabilities?
Truly the statement that if we do not learn from history we are doomed to repeat its mistakes, applies here. The question is, with all of this history staring us in the face, what makes us ignore its lessons? That is perhaps the most troubling thought of all.
{mosimage}Wars are never cheap. Wars are destructive, therefore cause damages to life, businesses and finances for everyone. The one who is involved in the war or the one who is a victim of war, all suffer losses.
America has always been to one war or another, however, Iraq war is the biggest war, in terms of technology used and losses incurred that America has faced. This has been having a negative impact on the American economy.
The fiscal deficit of American economy is increased over the years to almost $8 trillion, this is more than any fiscal deficit the country had to face. With forces and equipment being sent to Iraq it has eaten away into more in the economy of the country.
The cost of war alone is $163 billion in the year 2007. With the troops withdrawing from Iraq, it is expected that the cost of war will gradually reduce to negligible thus reducing the fiscal deficit that the country has been facing all through the years of war.
The national debt has soared from $541 billion in the year 2001 to eight trillion in 2007. It is expected to cross the mark of $9 trillion towards the end of this year. The national debt was projected to be 65.5% of the total GDP.
When there were studies about the losses suffered by USA because of the war, it is being understood that $1 trillion costs of war would have been able to fix the Social Security problems of the country for a long period of time.
The White House did not want United Nations inspectors to finish inspections in Iraq and then invade, now as days pass in war in Iraq it becomes increasingly clear that there were no weapons of mass destructions in Iraq. The public was generally misguided into believing that there were and Iraq was a danger to them.
These costs can be actually measured in dollars, however there are some losses which cannot be measured like the loss of lives of the military personnel in Iraq, and the losses to their families. There also have been losses incurred by those personnel who have been severely injured or damaged in these wars against Iraq.
Iraq too has faced a severe setback in means of development, Iraq which was trying to recover after its long Iran-Iraq war was not in a position to pay off debts it owed to the State of Kuwait, this led to war, after this war again the country was looking forward for development which was given a major set back by the invasion of United States forces.
Iraqi war has also given widespread discontent among the people of USA, most of them want the war to be stopped and their families returned home. This has also been acknowledged by the White House and that the withdrawal of troops will soon start to progress once the country regains its peace and law and order, which is completely missing from the Iraqi scene.
{mosimage}World War II was the largest war ever in the history of mankind. There was a mobilization of 100 million troops and 72 million people were killed in this war. This war involved 61 countries from all over the world.
World War II is the most remembered for its genocide carried out by the Nazis again the Jews and usage of nuclear bomb by America, which is the only time a nuke bomb, was used, thankfully. This war lasted for 12 years from 1937 to 1945.
This war was fought because of the ambitions of the countries like Japan, Germany and Italy. The war began in 1937 with Japan’s invasion of china and in Europe with German invasion of Poland.
The war was not just between the countries. There were ideologies involved in the reasoning of this war. Countries that were and wanted their ambitions, though inhuman fulfilled tried to suppress those who wanted justice and were ready to fight for it. There were several resistance movements actively working in several countries of the World, trying to fight against the dominating powers in the world.
However, it is surprising that though there were attempts of stopping these resistance movements, the movements still found out ways to remain active and involved large number of people. There were several reasons, this was did not just see the large amounts of destruction of life and assets; it also saw a large scale of moral damage.
There were news from world over about abuse of people from the countries which were occupied by the German, Italian and Japanese forces. There were vast amount of killings of people, genocide, which resulted into an international protest against these countries.
World War II saw creation of concentrations camps, exterminations camps and labor camps to eliminate or to deport people from the countries which has a bias against them. This war also saw large number of people from the Imperial Army engage in crimes against women, all among the East there were women from countries like China, Korea, etc. forced to carry out sexual slavery, often referred to as comfort women.
Retreating Japanese armies also carried out mass massacres of the Filipinos in Philippine, which was known to be one of the gravest war crimes in the World War II, this war crime saw deaths of people and especially children in the numbers of one million.
This destruction and mass killings prompted America to involve itself in the War and this resulted into Hiroshima and Nagasaki nuclear bomb attacks. These explosions are yet having effects in the areas where the bombs were dropped.
The war was so intensely fought, that it was not just the armed forces that were involved in the war. The war saw losing of identity between military and civilians, there was a complete participation of all factions of the society namely, industrial, financial, economic and scientific in this war. This was also saw emergence of two superpowers in the world namely, America and Soviet Union; this war also saw Europe losing its powers to these countries.