Whom will WW3 most likely be fought against?

Question

My guesses, in order of likelihood:

1. East Asian Crisis: China vs. India or India vs. Pakistan, with Japan soon joining in.

2. Middle Eastern Disaster: US, Europe, and Israel vs. Iran, leading to a very weird situation in which Arabs feel torn between religious affinity with the Persians and ethnic nationalism.

3. China vs. Russia, after China becomes aggressive.

Answer 1

i'm a writer and been looking at various possibilities

here's a couple of ideas i drew up last few years alone:

Russia faces civil war when seperatists, tired of the present government sieze vital locations in russia. However neither Moscow or the sepratists are able to collect total victory over the other.

With world oppinion growin on the crisis, NATO, China, and the United Nations begin looking at ways to help stop the crisis. But not everone wants just peace and return to status quo.

the United States is the main force to send in any help, and must try to stop the crisis as other interests in Russia's future grow.
NATO wants to build up their growth in Europe, and China would love access to the resources of eastern Russia (one of the biggest concerns for a major war today).

That could start world war 3

here's the second

China is a importer of at least 70% of its natural resources. And like Japan in the 30's it would love to become independent.

Problem is that China has the world's biggest army, but not the technology.

So, what if they suddendly got a technology beyond anything we have.



As for other possible starters:

I dont see Africa becoming a World war 3 situation but maybe crisis within.

N. Korea and China are still threats: Taiwan is a big danger, Spratleys are said to be a major oil location, but no direct owner. As a good friend of mine Tom Clancy once said about those islands: If a country wants the islands bad enough, all he has to do, is land a force on the islands, plant a flag and be able to defend it.

I promise chinese growth is a danger to world peace.


Germany as you might not think, is a danger. Germany is the capitol of Euorpean technology. They export most of the goods Britian, france, and other countries use.

Lets say they suddendly close down all trade.

It wouldnt be immediate, but sooner or later Europe would break down.

Germany wouldnt even need a army to win that war.

Answer 2

The USA vs. The world. It won't happen anytime soon. But somewhere down the line the US will become more aggressive and will take upon themselves to police the world. As a result they'll upset a lot of people and alienate and scare their allies. Eventually the other nations of the world will band together for mutual protection. China will remain neutral, hoping to be the only major power after a bloody war in the rest of the world. Russia will be deep in an economic depression, or even another revolution. So the US will be the only active super power and will end up at war with everyone else.

Answer 3

World War III isn't exactly the right name to apply to any future conflict between the West and "the Middle East". The scenarios you discuss in your questions are mostly unlikely - here's why. Iran is currently the USA's biggest concern, but the US is unlikely to start a war with it because of domestic political factors - this year is an election year in the US and it's unlikely Obama will want to start a war no sooner than Iraq has finished. If the Republicans win in November, it'd still be pretty unlikely that the US would initiate conflict. Israel may well start a conflict with Iran, but that may not mean full scale war. Israel has carried out heavy strikes on other countries without declaring war before - they bombed Iraqi nuclear installations in 1980 and a Syrain nuclear facility in 2007, without a war breaking out. However, with Iran, it seems most likely that if Israel started a fight, they would not receive direct support from the US or its allies - no-one in the West is as keen for a fight as the Israelis. However, if in 2013 Iran commits an act of aggression it is very possible that the Israelis will retaliate and be supported by their allies - this means the US, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and Azerbaijan. The US's EU allies would probably not be of much use apart from preventing a naval blockade - only the UK and France have the force projection to commit to such a move anyway, so their participation, if at all, would only be small. However, this conflict would not mean world war III - the Iranians' allies, the Russians and Chinese, would not intervene to protect them if the Iranians started the fight, and you can guarantee that the US would not want to invade on the ground. This would mean that Israel and its allies would bomb the Iranian military to destruction, remove its capability to fight, and hope that the war would cause the Iranian government to collapse and be replaced by one sympathetic to Israeli interests. What definately would NOT happen would be: -nuclear war (the Iranians do not have nuclear weapons or the means to deliver them, and the Russians and Chinese do not want to sacrifice the gains they have made in the last 30 years over some dust-up in Iran) -war in Europe (France and Germany are close allies now - world war II is seen as "water under the bridge" and anyway partnership is vital to both their economies) -commonwealth involvement in any UK military action. The commonwealth is much less of a military alliance than it was 70 years ago, and if there was a war with Iran, no commonwealth country has the reach or the will to engage them. Face it. War with Iran is likely but will not spell "World War". All other scenarios for large-scale warfare between the US and its rivals are unlikely and being actively prevented by US foreign policy and the UN.

Answer 4

WW3 will probably never happen. I may be wrong of course -but in WW2 a lot of leaders learned that they cannot hide their activities from the public anymore. Guerilla warfare, in which the second tenant (after 'win') is remain unknown, us the deal form of warfare.

After the current Guerilla war -I think the next one involving more than 2 - 5 nations would be in Africa. If not Zimbabwe then certainly Congo or Sudan.

There wont be fighting in other hotspots from Capitalist forces thanks to political reasons, i'll name a few for completions sake.

Chechnya - Dissatisfies Russia, nobody wants to dissatisfy Russia at this time thanks to it's oil reserves and political influence over it's neighbors (Cold War residue)

Tibet - Dissatisfies China, despite recent U.S arrogance, not even they will seek war with China. Their economy could match the US's (striping the Americans primary advantage right from it).

Timor - despite recent independence and political troubles. Taking either side involves angering Indonesia ( large, island nation) or Australia (huge resource-based economy). And indirectly China (who relies on Australias resources by and large to supplement it's economic boom).

Cuba - Even if Castros death leads to a power struggle -not many nations have a direct investment in Cuba any more. the USA and perhaps the few remaining communist nations would not account for a world war -and i doubt even closest allies Australia and Great Britain would follow the US blindly into another offensive battle field.

Answer 5

I believe the next world war will be fought between a coalition of Arab States and the United States and European allies to include Israel. As time goes on Islam becomes more and more radical with every Tom, Dick, and Harry thinks he is the next great prophet or mulah and democratic and stable powers in the Middle East fall to these radicals. Ossama bin Ladin said it all convert to Islam the one true faith or die.

Answer 6

I don't think there'll be one - there's too much money to be made in peace.

The next world war will be a war of ideas, and will be linked to the rise of the internet and other communications technologies. It will be the process of people renegotiating their social contract with governments and corporations - cause so far we've had a pretty lousy deal.

'The next world war will be a global information war - there will be no division between military and civil participation' - Marshall Mcluhan

Answer 7

4. China vs. America. Clash of the Titans. Two very different
superpowers battle for world dominance.

Answer 8

I think China and Russia in a loose alliance against the rest.

Answer 9

Aliens :o)

No I think World War Three will be the US against Korea and Russia.

Answer 10

The Haves versus the Have Nots.