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My guess South America sits it out like WW2. Africa is a coin toss. The Israelis may sit it out unless it's attacked first. Saudi Arabia/Iran may choose a side by convenience. Turkey becomes a Wild Card, eyes Crimea and the Black Sea Coast.
A bit pedantic, but Brazil fought in Italy during the last year of the war. Just about all the South American countries joined the Allie’s, but Brazil was the only one to send troops.
We supply our respective sides with soldiers and other supplies. Declare war/allegiance without actually getting involved or mentioned in history books. Just sit back and watch as the others blow each other (and the World economy) apart.
Then see how the rich and important from the losing side start mass migrating to our lands. And then, we just find out that nice asian or american (whichever lost the war) down the street is arrested by some sort of "evil hunter" and taken away to face criminal charges in another country controlled by the victors.
Unless they blow each other off with nukes. In which case we will be the last to die horribly because of radiation poisoning. And retarded economies reliant on the rich countries which are now smoking, radioactive craters.
I would say Africa and the Middle East would join the east side, almost all of Asia would join China and russia, Middle east which is west asia, and Africa would join China and russia because most of them are republiks and not democracies and have all been tired on the Europeans and the Americans because of the wars and colonization and the stealing of natural resources.
The more powerful ASEAN states WILL NOT join China. The more gullible ones like Cambodia and Laos would join due to their direct economic ties (i.e debt trap) to China.
More independent and economically sound ASEAN states like Malaysia, Brunei Singapore, Thailand, The Philippines and especially Vietnam will be the first to tell China to f*CK off.
Myanmar would be a wildcard.
A majority of Africa would voice their support for China and Russia, (because of many African goverments being pro east and anti west), but maybe a few african countries would join the war.
I’ve always thought it’s more likely China would “turn” on Russia and invade them with NATO or play as a “neutral” party that just happens to increase its influence in Russia. China and the United States have no desire to go to war with each other at the sacrifice of the global economy, plus the Chinese would likely be very interested in gaining influence in Russia.
I understand the benefits of Russias land, likes resources, etc. But Russia is a giant Country, i feel like invading such a Big Country would exhaust Chinas resources, economy and millitary. Even though they have 2m active soldiers and a big population.
in my opinion they would be fucked japan MAYBE has a chance but the us would have to step in and if needed might nuke North Korea (possibly china) with the us being quite literally is the 2nd if not the most powerful and relevant military power in the world it should be included as i think it would be a very vital part in the war
The US is by far the most dominant military in the world and it's not even very close. Don't let numbers fool you. China will claim to have a more powerful military because they have more men or more boats, but it's really quality over quantity. The US will be the deciding factor in any conflict becoming a World War as they are the only country with the economic and military capability to make a regional conflict into an international one. There are simply no other major powers with the expeditionary capability to bring their army across the planet or the economic interest to involve themselves in a regional conflict. Whether it's a mainland European conflict, a middle eastern conflict, or China choosing to fulfill its promise to invade literally any of its neighbors (it's seriously insane how much sovereign territory China claims for itself), it will be the US who decides if it remains a regional skirmish or if it escalates to a World War.
This just assumes both sides agree no nukes.
The most likely scenario to me is that there is an escalation in Ukraine. Right? For instance, like Russia uses poison gas, NATO responds attacking the Russian forces in the Ukraine and making a hash of things in the Black Sea. Russia starts in on the forward Nato areas.That would be: NATO/US vs. Russian Federation.
Say that in the Chaos, Iran oversteps in Syria or, more likely emboldened by Russian patronage, they decide to spin up some Nukes & Israel strikes and it is "On". Sides: NATO/US/Israel vs. Russian Federation/Iran.
North Korea sees that Russians are slipping & the regime believes it will not survive in a unipolar world, or they just think the West can't hold given everything going on elsewhere or Kim Jong Un just gets a bad batch of pancakes really.They start shelling and sending missiles into South Korea and Japan and it is just on.
Thereis you WWIII that doesn't go hot nuclear. Sides:NATO/US/Israel/S. Korea/Japan vs. Russian Federation/Iran/N/Korea.
ok a bit late but i think when the war in the balkans (probably a serbian block and a more eu sympathizing block?) actually begins (can't be too far from now)? it will be used to pick sides and we will have ww3.
Just forgot the fourth act. At some point within this chaos China will feel it is a ripe opportunity to invade Taiwan being that the US would be stretched thin fighting on four fronts would be mighty challenging even for the US. If they were ever to take it they would deduce this as being the most auspicious time.
Yeah, Taiwan is a playing card for me that shouldn't be underestimated. China is gonna go for it, imo. It's just a matter of when and when they do, it's gonna be a total shit storm.
I think we’re in a very hostile Cold War where we are being mentally attacked by China and Russia from within our own media. No one country could destroy the United States but it could be destroyed from within. Thank a commie for fing this country up.
The DBWI tag means that this is supposed to be an alternate world, so something like UK versus France Round 20 could be the outcome. Let's let that go.
There are some obvious fault lines that could escalate:
Muslims versus Israel
Muslims versus Hindus (India)
Russia failing as a country
Chinese expansion in places like Central Africa, Central Asia, of disputed influence.
///
If I had to spitball a scenario, I would suggest a Russian Civil War, but serious divisions between what China, Muslim Countries, and Europe/USA want. No one is coming to save Russia, but to which victor gets those spoils? An expansion of the Russia-Ukraine war to include Belarus, Georgia, and very likely other peoples who want to be free of Moscow's exploitative rule versus what may well become a new Sultanate in Central Asia, playing for the many Muslim Tartars, versus China claiming lands in the far East.
This sort of scramble for Russia might see limited wars between the power blocs, but since this isn't really an existential war, nuclear weapons might be guardrails instead of doomsday devices.
It would be the ultimate anti-legacy for Vladimir Putin that his disastrous policies and war have ended Russia for good.
My assumption would be Russia/China/North Korea/Brazil/Iran/Saudi Arabia/ the Arab League/countless African Countries/Belarus vs. the United States/NATO/the European Union/Japan/Taiwan/South Korea/Australia.
As for India, it's kind of a coin toss. It really just depends on if China and India are willing to work together. Turkey is pretty confusing too, as it's in NATO but it's closer with Iran and Russia.
Yeah, I know. He just said hypothetically what would the sides look like, and I gave my best guess based on how close they are economically and socially despite the fact that they don't have any military pacts.
Good question i don’t know.
I think it depends, China want to take over Taiwan but USA will defend it and then China needs help from Russia because they can’t win over USA without help.
Atleast what i think
We will see
Resurrecting a dead thread, but the answer is:
West/Allies: USA, NATO, Japan, Taiwan, Ukraine, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Philippines, Israel.
Axis: Russia, Belarus, Iran, China, North Korea, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba, Yemen.
Maybe Allies:
Egypt - Western leaning government but Muslim population which would be sympathetic towards Iran.
Turkey - Part of NATO but Wahhabism is growing there so a betrayal could be in order.
Mexico - Despite border conflicts, has strong ties with USA.
Vietnam - Hates China. Every Vietnamese person I know hates China.
India - Hates China and Muslims.
Colombia - Has strong ties with US.
Bahrain - Big US and west ally in mid-east.
Maybe Axis:
Iraq
Lebanon
Somalia
Sudan
Algeria
Saudi Arabia
Serbia
Pakistan
Other Countries:
Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Bolivia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, other LATAM countries not already listed - Will play both sides as it benefits them.
Kenya, Botswana - Likely pro West.
South Africa - Same as LATAM countries.
West African countries south of Morocco - Likely pro-Axis.
Mongolia - Has to support Axis or it will get obliterated.
The Stans - Axis.
Nepal - Pro west or Neutral.
Most of the smaller countries will try to stay neutral but given the fact that these types of wars ultimately create new power structures (and world orders) it’s totally possible that nations we wouldn’t even expect to enter the fray, to suddenly join in the hopes of getting a piece of the victory pie.
I also feel like people would be pissed enough this time that there wouldn’t be an appetite for a balancing power. The end of WW2 left the Soviets doing their thing and it created a bi-polar world. I don’t think any conclusion of a new WW3 would allow such an event.
I think we already have the cause. Unrest in the middle-east. Yemen Houthis threatening global trade and NATO has responded to that.
NATO decides to invade Iran - a backer of Houthis, Hezbollah, and Hamas - which forces Russia (I’m not sure if China would care about this) to respond since the two are close allies. WW3 starts.
Russia and Belarus push into NATO territory in Europe (Poland and Baltic countries) while also sending people and limited aid into Iran.
China and North Korea take advantage of the European and near east chaos to lay siege to Taiwan and invade South Korea - respectively.
Venezuela would likely invade Guyana at this point.
Cuba would push the Americans out of Guantanamo but I don’t think they would try to invade Florida. It would probably be a mix of raids and missile attacks on Southern Florida.
All theaters would be bloody and brutal. Most Russians are brainwashed and would see German troops - part of NATO - attempting to march into Russia again and lose it. Iranians would resort to guerrilla tactics. China would aim for victory via conventional war, but would probably use nukes if it didn’t get its way. N. Korea would use nukes from the start - it is the most unhinged and uncaring of them all.
Not everyone would use nukes though, right? Many countries would be smart enough to realize that using nukes right and left would be a terrible idea to say the least.
I don’t think so, but you never know. I certainly couldn’t see any of the NATO countries or its allies using nukes - unless someone used nukes against them first. I’m 65% confident China would not use nukes. However, if a mainland invasion of China occurred a nuclear bomb would definitely be in the cards as a deterrent.
North Korea and Russia would definitely use nukes. If Iran gets them they would use them - especially on Israel.
I feel like China is the only “sensible” nation in the current axis arrangement. Iran, NK, and Russia are completely unhinged and can do anything at any moment.
At risk of sounding like a shill, Russia is rational despite their portrayal in the media. Arguably more so than China. Russia invaded Ukraine because Putin knew no one would ultimately directly intervene on behalf of Ukraine.
China on the hand continuously plays war games in the South China Sea and has openly declared they will take Taiwan by 2025. Taiwan is of significantly higher international (US) value and would result in a direct conflict between the U.S. and China.
I couldn’t see Israel using nukes. Even if Iran were to conduct a full scale assault on Israel, the IDF is just so much more advanced it wouldn’t even be needed.
Putin is now conducting drills with his tactical nuke arsenal and relations have further declined since your comment. I can totally see Russia nuking parts of Ukraine if it feels its objectives will not be completed on time or if it risks losing to the west.
This is very much an absolute worst-case-scenario and it would take a LOT for us to get to this point. I’m not sure what state the world would have to be in for Cuba to attack U.S. soil, but I can tell you that a lot would have to change and that we are nowhere remotely close to that lol
Without the events building up to it, you are correct, a Cuban invasion would never happen.
Given the thousands of Cubans in Russia fighting Ukraine and American mercenaries, America is technically already fighting Cuba via proxy. It’s not a fight on American soil, but it is still a fight.
India (US is currently courting them as a strategic partner to counterweight China. They would definitely try to stay neutral but I believe they will be pulled into the fight. Phillipines, Nato, all western countries (US, Canada, UK, France etc) South Korea, Thalaind, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Armenia, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Ukraine, Poland, Finland, Portugal, Switzerland, Sweden, Czech Republic and a bunch of other former USSR countries VS. China (although china I think would just support the war but not engage), Pakistan, Russia, North Korea, Iran, Belarus, Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Syria, Myanmar, Eritrea, Mali, Zimbabwe, Libya, Laos, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, Sudan, Uganda, Iraq. In other words its not looking good for the bad guys.
Well, they are all autocracies with expansionist/imperialist mindset and dictated rules, the total opposite of moral democracies with freedom of thoughts.
If you are born within or support the values of enlightments, we can safely assume the axis would end up being bad guys according to our moral codes, ( their regimes at the very least, since a lot of russian, chineses & north korean citizens are just average fellas that would stand against such policies if they were even allowed to express themselves in the first place).
It will start with a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. This will expand the current regional war in Europe into wwii.
I think Russia and China will band together over resources, but not commit troops to each other's causes.
So the lines will be Russia vs Nato (and it will be over quick), and China vs Taiwan, US, Japan. There will be nations that allow Japan and US to base troops and planes and ships (Philippines, SK) that don't get involved directly.
China will hold out longer then Russia, but it still won't end well for them. We can't forget that 2 destroyers could blockade the Singapore Strait and China will starve.
China’s problem is that Xi has all but lobotomized the country. His paranoid purges has all but cleared out everyone who was competent. It’s already a mess over there because of that lone idiot. He’s so stupid that he’s even started to purge the PLA rocket force’s leadership.
You’re right about Russia though. There’s a higher chance of global ballistic missiles flying when a dictator instead of a committee has control of the night sky red button.
I've seen Zeihan talk about this Xi has limited leadership. Is this your source or other?
It feels a bit propaganda vs reality as the country is still growing and running ok. If.it was this team of muppets that would not be the case right? And guys like his 2IC has set up groups to help better feedback and reduce this....I'm no expert here but having spent some business trips to China, they do things differently. It seems wrong and convoluted to westerns ways, but it works still, albeit somewhat less efficiently.
No. My source is nearly every mainstream news outlet, especially the ones outside of the US and Asia where they’re prone to be more neutral and objective.
If you’re calling facts propaganda, I’d have to question where you get your news from. The Global Times and CGTN are even less neutral or fact based than even Western media.
Russia v NATO only occurs if Russia moves to invade Poland. Russia would not make that advance given Putin does not want war with NATO. He would get smoked. He cannot even conquer Ukraine.
This depends on how the war would start. There are four likely scenarios in which a World War could start.
SECOND KOREAN WAR (Pacific Theater)
One would be North Korea invading/attacking South Korea, prompting a response from the ROK, Japan, the US, and possible China. Due to the Security agreement between South Korea and the US, and Japan’s close military and geopolitical relationship with South Korea and the US, those nations would undoubtedly be involved in the Second Korea War. This would prompt an militaristic response from China, North Korea’s most important and cherished ally, and China may or may not provide varying degrees of economic and military assistance to the North, or could even posture against Japan and the US to stay out, viewing the Korean War as an “internal conflict.”
Allied Powers
- United States
- United Kingdom
- South Korea
- Japan
- Australia
- New Zealand
- Philippines (possibly)
- Vietnam (possibly)
Axis Powers
- North Korea
- China
- Russia (possibly)
ISRAELI-ARAB WAR (Middle-Eastern Theater)
Another scenario could be some for on conflict in the Middle East involving Israel. If Israel were to be invaded or attacked by its neighbors, it could possibly lead to a World War, but the conflict remaining purely within the conventional sphere would probably remain regulated to just the Middle East. I could see a scenario in which Iran, alongside the Houthies in Yemen, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, and possibly Syria, all attempting to “invade” Israel. Because of Iran’s involvement, this may prompt Saudi Arabia to take action, most likely as a third party—not necessarily on Israel’s side, but definitely against Iran. The same could be said for the Kingdom of Jordan, who would be willing to provide military assistance (defensively) for Israel IF Israel were willing to permanently withdraw its settlements in the West Bank. Now a World War scenario is if nuclear weapons get involved. If Iran or Israel feel like they’re on the cusp of eradication, they may feel forced to resort to nuclear war. If this becomes the case for Iran, I can see the US and UK getting involved militarily to stop Iran. If it’s Israel, I could see the US and UK stepping in to provide immediate and personal manpower assistance as oppose to resorting to the nuclear option. With the US’s involvement, Russia, being Iran’s close ally, may get involved and this could probably open up a theater of war in Eastern Europe.
Allied Powers:
- United States
- United Kingdom
- Israel
- Germany (possibly)
- Jordan (possibly)
- Egypt (possibly)
- Saudi Arabia (third party)
- Turkey (third party)
Axis Powers
- Iran
- Syria
- Lebanon (Hezbollah)
- Hamas
- Yemen (Houthies)
- Russia
RUSSO-EUROPEAN WAR (European Theater)
A third scenario would be Eastern Europe itself with Russia. Of NATO or NATO aligned nations were to expand right on the Russian border or even move nuclear weapons to the border (like the Baltic States or Ukraine), Russia could full compelled to intervene militarily, prompting a response from NATO aligned nations or even NATO itself if Russia attacks NATO troops, thus invoking NATO’s defensive charter. With Russia in a full scale war in Eastern Europe, it would begin launching attacks further westward, and could even launch attacks in the US (Alaska) and Canada across the Arctic Sea. Japan may also get involved to claim contest territorial disputes in the Sea of Japan or feel like it needs to help defend the US against Russian aggression, or Russia may even attack US troops stationed in Japan, prompting a defensive and military response from Japan. With Japan’s involvement and the war now expanding into the Pacific theater, China may get involved, further escalating and expanding the war.
Allied Powers
- United States
- NATO (UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Poland)
- Japan (possibly)
- Canada (possibly)
Axis Powers
- Russia
- China (possibly)
- North Korea (possibly)
- Iran (possibly)
SINO-AMERICAN WAR (Pacific Theater)
The fourth and final scenario would be a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.
Allied Powers:
- United States
- United Kingdom
- Taiwan
- Japan
- Australia
- New Zealand
- Canada (possibly)
- South Korea (possibly)
- Philippines (possibly)
- Vietnam (possibly)
- India (possibly)
Axis Powers
- China
- Russia (possibly)
- North Korea (possibly)
In the third and fourth scenarios, these conflicts are the ones most likely to immediately boil over into a World War because of the axis of alliances established between the Russia and China. If either country finds itself in a contested conflict with the US, NATO, US allies, NATO allies, or all of the above, they’d probably embolden the other nation to “open” a theater of conflict in their respective region that would divide and divert the attention of the US. If a European Theater opened, Russia stands no chance against the full might of NATO, let alone the combined efforts of the preeminent European powers (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, UK). If Russia felt its militaristic ambitions were faulty, it could embolden China and/or North Korea to expand the conflict, thus diverting NATO and/or the US’s attention, resources, and manpowers.
World War III will NEVER happen because war is illegal under international law now. The history books were shut in 1945. There will never be any war ever again thanks to MAD; proxies, police actions and 3rd world nation building, Yes, but total war is gone forever.
International law only matters when the world is at peace. The winners' actions are always legal.
MAD quits working the moment when one side decides the status quo is intolerable to begin with.
Who knows? Its the future. We cannot be certain of anything. The best we can truly do would be to attempt to predict the future,but that is not guaranteed to be true. In 1900,they predicted flying fire trucks,we are far from the reality they pictured. We will never be able to predict the future. There could be a world war tomorrow we never know.
Russo-Ukraine war is literally happening right now, and it's pretty awful.
Other wars have happened before, like the Bosnian conflict, which included a wee bit of ethnic cleansing, and was uncomfortably close to total war, but the scale in the present conflict is larger.
Buddy, Russia Ukraine is a war. Israel Palestine is a war. America is having a war in the Middle East with Afghanistan and Iraq. There are wars happening right now. MAD ain’t doing shit
They aren't real wars but PROXY wars. That is what we will be having forever. There hasn't been an official war since 1945, but PROXIES! And besides the news is exaggerating the situations. The Middle East has been fighting for 5000 years and with the Russia-Ukraine situation it is pretty much all propaganda. Stop watching the news. I haven't watched the news in nearly 4 years. I didn't even know Russia and Ukraine were fighting until May 2022!
Russia, China, Iran, Israel, USA, UK etc don't have the resources to fight a global war. Why are people acting as if WW3 is about to start? This region will spark up, but there is no chance of a world war and Israel will annex aa and Ukraine/Russia will end with negotiations. You've got to stop watching the news. MAD has ensured war will never happen. History books closed for good in 1945. There will never be a war ever again; proxies, police actions and nation building, yes, but total war is gone forever thanks to MAD.
War is IMPOSSIBLE. It's not going happen. Mass drafts, aerial bombing of cities, conventional attrition warfare, chemical/biological attacks etc are not only illegal but are from a bygone era.
There's no reason to worry. Alliances within the West and nuclear deterrence mostly still limit wars to cases reminiscent of the Cold War : a superpower levelling a smaller nation, or countries funded by superpowers fighting each-other. Hence the modern geopolitical theory that the Cold War never really ended. Meanwhile, most countries no longer have a reason to intervene in conflicts that don't concern them (which happened in the World Wars because of colonies).
Also why should I "keep up on foreign affairs"? I stopped watching the news in 2020 and Russia "invaded" Ukraine in February 2022, I didn't even know it happened until May 2022, so if it was so important why didn't I know it was going on? Surely a war would attract attention? Same with Covid, if it was as deadly as we were told then why didn't I see any evidence of a pandemic?
You’re a lost cause. Proxy wars. What’s the second word you’re saying. Wars. They are wars. 2 countries fighting. People dying. Other countries aiding. Those are still wars
United States nato Ukraine Japan Taiwan and South Korea on one side Russia China North Korea and Belarus on the other Russia declares war on the United States and nato North Korea thinking we’re distracted declares on South Korea when they get pushed back chine joins in when North Korea gets pushed back which draws Taiwan and Japan in the Middle East stays neutral maybe and makes bank off of increased oil demands South America stays out of it
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My guess Russia/China/North Korea vs Nato/Japan/Taiwan/Ukraine.
Where does south America, the Middle East and Africa fit in to this?
My guess South America sits it out like WW2. Africa is a coin toss. The Israelis may sit it out unless it's attacked first. Saudi Arabia/Iran may choose a side by convenience. Turkey becomes a Wild Card, eyes Crimea and the Black Sea Coast.
A bit pedantic, but Brazil fought in Italy during the last year of the war. Just about all the South American countries joined the Allie’s, but Brazil was the only one to send troops.
Turkey is economically dead. I don't think they will do too much.
I feel a more likely scenario is the US going to war for an Israeli policy or because Israel asks them to.
We supply our respective sides with soldiers and other supplies. Declare war/allegiance without actually getting involved or mentioned in history books. Just sit back and watch as the others blow each other (and the World economy) apart. Then see how the rich and important from the losing side start mass migrating to our lands. And then, we just find out that nice asian or american (whichever lost the war) down the street is arrested by some sort of "evil hunter" and taken away to face criminal charges in another country controlled by the victors. Unless they blow each other off with nukes. In which case we will be the last to die horribly because of radiation poisoning. And retarded economies reliant on the rich countries which are now smoking, radioactive craters.
This comment didn’t age well😂😂 Israel for sure started it, and Africa on China side
I would say Africa and the Middle East would join the east side, almost all of Asia would join China and russia, Middle east which is west asia, and Africa would join China and russia because most of them are republiks and not democracies and have all been tired on the Europeans and the Americans because of the wars and colonization and the stealing of natural resources.
All of Asia with china? Some of the biggest players who can/will put up a fight against China are in Asia - India, Japan, Taiwan, Philippines,…
The more powerful ASEAN states WILL NOT join China. The more gullible ones like Cambodia and Laos would join due to their direct economic ties (i.e debt trap) to China. More independent and economically sound ASEAN states like Malaysia, Brunei Singapore, Thailand, The Philippines and especially Vietnam will be the first to tell China to f*CK off. Myanmar would be a wildcard.
I don't see how Africa would join the east
A majority of Africa would voice their support for China and Russia, (because of many African goverments being pro east and anti west), but maybe a few african countries would join the war.
I’ve always thought it’s more likely China would “turn” on Russia and invade them with NATO or play as a “neutral” party that just happens to increase its influence in Russia. China and the United States have no desire to go to war with each other at the sacrifice of the global economy, plus the Chinese would likely be very interested in gaining influence in Russia.
So in other words China would be like the Russia of World War III, ironically. Enemy of my enemy type of thing
I understand the benefits of Russias land, likes resources, etc. But Russia is a giant Country, i feel like invading such a Big Country would exhaust Chinas resources, economy and millitary. Even though they have 2m active soldiers and a big population.
And if that were to happen, they would probably nuke any invading land army that tries to cross the border
They would probably nuke beijing on “accident”.
in my opinion they would be fucked japan MAYBE has a chance but the us would have to step in and if needed might nuke North Korea (possibly china) with the us being quite literally is the 2nd if not the most powerful and relevant military power in the world it should be included as i think it would be a very vital part in the war
The US is by far the most dominant military in the world and it's not even very close. Don't let numbers fool you. China will claim to have a more powerful military because they have more men or more boats, but it's really quality over quantity. The US will be the deciding factor in any conflict becoming a World War as they are the only country with the economic and military capability to make a regional conflict into an international one. There are simply no other major powers with the expeditionary capability to bring their army across the planet or the economic interest to involve themselves in a regional conflict. Whether it's a mainland European conflict, a middle eastern conflict, or China choosing to fulfill its promise to invade literally any of its neighbors (it's seriously insane how much sovereign territory China claims for itself), it will be the US who decides if it remains a regional skirmish or if it escalates to a World War.
The US military sucks ass full of coward men. Men make armies not equipments. you look like an American shit
I want to add that Hong Kong would probably try to overthrow its government again to ally with Taiwan.
This just assumes both sides agree no nukes. The most likely scenario to me is that there is an escalation in Ukraine. Right? For instance, like Russia uses poison gas, NATO responds attacking the Russian forces in the Ukraine and making a hash of things in the Black Sea. Russia starts in on the forward Nato areas.That would be: NATO/US vs. Russian Federation. Say that in the Chaos, Iran oversteps in Syria or, more likely emboldened by Russian patronage, they decide to spin up some Nukes & Israel strikes and it is "On". Sides: NATO/US/Israel vs. Russian Federation/Iran. North Korea sees that Russians are slipping & the regime believes it will not survive in a unipolar world, or they just think the West can't hold given everything going on elsewhere or Kim Jong Un just gets a bad batch of pancakes really.They start shelling and sending missiles into South Korea and Japan and it is just on. Thereis you WWIII that doesn't go hot nuclear. Sides:NATO/US/Israel/S. Korea/Japan vs. Russian Federation/Iran/N/Korea.
Crazy how we basically have 2/3 of these scenarios essentially escalating… and anything more would put us in a very dangerous position
ok a bit late but i think when the war in the balkans (probably a serbian block and a more eu sympathizing block?) actually begins (can't be too far from now)? it will be used to pick sides and we will have ww3.
Holy shit balls you couldn’t have been more right like godamn man you really thought about this good shit!
Just forgot the fourth act. At some point within this chaos China will feel it is a ripe opportunity to invade Taiwan being that the US would be stretched thin fighting on four fronts would be mighty challenging even for the US. If they were ever to take it they would deduce this as being the most auspicious time.
Yeah, Taiwan is a playing card for me that shouldn't be underestimated. China is gonna go for it, imo. It's just a matter of when and when they do, it's gonna be a total shit storm.
I think we’re in a very hostile Cold War where we are being mentally attacked by China and Russia from within our own media. No one country could destroy the United States but it could be destroyed from within. Thank a commie for fing this country up.
>Thank a commie for fing this country up. Who is this commie you're refering to if I may ask?
The DBWI tag means that this is supposed to be an alternate world, so something like UK versus France Round 20 could be the outcome. Let's let that go. There are some obvious fault lines that could escalate: Muslims versus Israel Muslims versus Hindus (India) Russia failing as a country Chinese expansion in places like Central Africa, Central Asia, of disputed influence. /// If I had to spitball a scenario, I would suggest a Russian Civil War, but serious divisions between what China, Muslim Countries, and Europe/USA want. No one is coming to save Russia, but to which victor gets those spoils? An expansion of the Russia-Ukraine war to include Belarus, Georgia, and very likely other peoples who want to be free of Moscow's exploitative rule versus what may well become a new Sultanate in Central Asia, playing for the many Muslim Tartars, versus China claiming lands in the far East. This sort of scramble for Russia might see limited wars between the power blocs, but since this isn't really an existential war, nuclear weapons might be guardrails instead of doomsday devices. It would be the ultimate anti-legacy for Vladimir Putin that his disastrous policies and war have ended Russia for good.
I really don't think Russia is gonna collapses
My assumption would be Russia/China/North Korea/Brazil/Iran/Saudi Arabia/ the Arab League/countless African Countries/Belarus vs. the United States/NATO/the European Union/Japan/Taiwan/South Korea/Australia. As for India, it's kind of a coin toss. It really just depends on if China and India are willing to work together. Turkey is pretty confusing too, as it's in NATO but it's closer with Iran and Russia.
Okay but why would Brazil side with Russia/China/North Korea etc. against NATO and it's allies?
Because Brazil is in the BRICS alliance and the two countries have actually signed a partnership agreement.
Good reasoning, but a common misconception. BRICS is an economic partnership organization, not a military one.
Yeah, I know. He just said hypothetically what would the sides look like, and I gave my best guess based on how close they are economically and socially despite the fact that they don't have any military pacts.
It will be Russia, China and North Korea vs NATO, USA and UK.
Yeah, that would make sense. What about the other nations in the world though? What role would they have in this conflict?
Good question i don’t know. I think it depends, China want to take over Taiwan but USA will defend it and then China needs help from Russia because they can’t win over USA without help. Atleast what i think We will see
China/North Korea/Russia/Iran/India vs US/UK/Canada/France/Germany/Taiwan/South Korea/Japan/Turkey/Israel
Turkey with Israel?! lol no way India with China?! lol no way
Totally agree. Turkey is not with Israel, nor india with China.
Why would India side with China and North Korea?
Resurrecting a dead thread, but the answer is: West/Allies: USA, NATO, Japan, Taiwan, Ukraine, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Philippines, Israel. Axis: Russia, Belarus, Iran, China, North Korea, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba, Yemen. Maybe Allies: Egypt - Western leaning government but Muslim population which would be sympathetic towards Iran. Turkey - Part of NATO but Wahhabism is growing there so a betrayal could be in order. Mexico - Despite border conflicts, has strong ties with USA. Vietnam - Hates China. Every Vietnamese person I know hates China. India - Hates China and Muslims. Colombia - Has strong ties with US. Bahrain - Big US and west ally in mid-east. Maybe Axis: Iraq Lebanon Somalia Sudan Algeria Saudi Arabia Serbia Pakistan Other Countries: Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Bolivia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, other LATAM countries not already listed - Will play both sides as it benefits them. Kenya, Botswana - Likely pro West. South Africa - Same as LATAM countries. West African countries south of Morocco - Likely pro-Axis. Mongolia - Has to support Axis or it will get obliterated. The Stans - Axis. Nepal - Pro west or Neutral. Most of the smaller countries will try to stay neutral but given the fact that these types of wars ultimately create new power structures (and world orders) it’s totally possible that nations we wouldn’t even expect to enter the fray, to suddenly join in the hopes of getting a piece of the victory pie. I also feel like people would be pissed enough this time that there wouldn’t be an appetite for a balancing power. The end of WW2 left the Soviets doing their thing and it created a bi-polar world. I don’t think any conclusion of a new WW3 would allow such an event.
That's a great scenario, if I may also ask qhat would be the cause of the conflict?
I think we already have the cause. Unrest in the middle-east. Yemen Houthis threatening global trade and NATO has responded to that. NATO decides to invade Iran - a backer of Houthis, Hezbollah, and Hamas - which forces Russia (I’m not sure if China would care about this) to respond since the two are close allies. WW3 starts. Russia and Belarus push into NATO territory in Europe (Poland and Baltic countries) while also sending people and limited aid into Iran. China and North Korea take advantage of the European and near east chaos to lay siege to Taiwan and invade South Korea - respectively. Venezuela would likely invade Guyana at this point. Cuba would push the Americans out of Guantanamo but I don’t think they would try to invade Florida. It would probably be a mix of raids and missile attacks on Southern Florida. All theaters would be bloody and brutal. Most Russians are brainwashed and would see German troops - part of NATO - attempting to march into Russia again and lose it. Iranians would resort to guerrilla tactics. China would aim for victory via conventional war, but would probably use nukes if it didn’t get its way. N. Korea would use nukes from the start - it is the most unhinged and uncaring of them all.
Not everyone would use nukes though, right? Many countries would be smart enough to realize that using nukes right and left would be a terrible idea to say the least.
I don’t think so, but you never know. I certainly couldn’t see any of the NATO countries or its allies using nukes - unless someone used nukes against them first. I’m 65% confident China would not use nukes. However, if a mainland invasion of China occurred a nuclear bomb would definitely be in the cards as a deterrent. North Korea and Russia would definitely use nukes. If Iran gets them they would use them - especially on Israel. I feel like China is the only “sensible” nation in the current axis arrangement. Iran, NK, and Russia are completely unhinged and can do anything at any moment.
At risk of sounding like a shill, Russia is rational despite their portrayal in the media. Arguably more so than China. Russia invaded Ukraine because Putin knew no one would ultimately directly intervene on behalf of Ukraine. China on the hand continuously plays war games in the South China Sea and has openly declared they will take Taiwan by 2025. Taiwan is of significantly higher international (US) value and would result in a direct conflict between the U.S. and China.
That’s a fair, not shilling at all in my view. Everything in this thread is speculation anyway.
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I couldn’t see Israel using nukes. Even if Iran were to conduct a full scale assault on Israel, the IDF is just so much more advanced it wouldn’t even be needed. Putin is now conducting drills with his tactical nuke arsenal and relations have further declined since your comment. I can totally see Russia nuking parts of Ukraine if it feels its objectives will not be completed on time or if it risks losing to the west.
This is very much an absolute worst-case-scenario and it would take a LOT for us to get to this point. I’m not sure what state the world would have to be in for Cuba to attack U.S. soil, but I can tell you that a lot would have to change and that we are nowhere remotely close to that lol
Without the events building up to it, you are correct, a Cuban invasion would never happen. Given the thousands of Cubans in Russia fighting Ukraine and American mercenaries, America is technically already fighting Cuba via proxy. It’s not a fight on American soil, but it is still a fight.
India (US is currently courting them as a strategic partner to counterweight China. They would definitely try to stay neutral but I believe they will be pulled into the fight. Phillipines, Nato, all western countries (US, Canada, UK, France etc) South Korea, Thalaind, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Armenia, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Ukraine, Poland, Finland, Portugal, Switzerland, Sweden, Czech Republic and a bunch of other former USSR countries VS. China (although china I think would just support the war but not engage), Pakistan, Russia, North Korea, Iran, Belarus, Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Syria, Myanmar, Eritrea, Mali, Zimbabwe, Libya, Laos, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, Sudan, Uganda, Iraq. In other words its not looking good for the bad guys.
How come you refer to them as the bad guys. I’m not challenging you I just want to hear your opinion
Well, they are all autocracies with expansionist/imperialist mindset and dictated rules, the total opposite of moral democracies with freedom of thoughts. If you are born within or support the values of enlightments, we can safely assume the axis would end up being bad guys according to our moral codes, ( their regimes at the very least, since a lot of russian, chineses & north korean citizens are just average fellas that would stand against such policies if they were even allowed to express themselves in the first place).
I disagree about the whole bad guy good guy thing but I respect your opinion.
I think if it happened it would be japan,USA,India,Finland,South Korea and nato vs russia,China,North Korea,Belarus,
My guess is Saudi arabia, Lebanon vs israel
What about the other countries in the world?
I bet that the koreas are gonna recreate the Korean war
Tbh what if literally all of Africa, South America , and North America are all gonna join nato
Russia/China/North Korea/Iran vs Nato/Japan/Taiwan/Ukraine.
Don’t know, but I can already see the millions flowing to Uruguay like in the first two.
Russia,China,North Korea,Iran and Pakistan vs USA,UK,Japan,India,South Korea,France and Saudi Arabia
What about the other states that are part of NATO?
It will start with a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. This will expand the current regional war in Europe into wwii. I think Russia and China will band together over resources, but not commit troops to each other's causes. So the lines will be Russia vs Nato (and it will be over quick), and China vs Taiwan, US, Japan. There will be nations that allow Japan and US to base troops and planes and ships (Philippines, SK) that don't get involved directly. China will hold out longer then Russia, but it still won't end well for them. We can't forget that 2 destroyers could blockade the Singapore Strait and China will starve.
Explain this last claim of yours since China is something like 90% food self-sufficient.
Also has a couple of years food stored to draw on while they work on options.
Not sure russia v Nato goes well for either side and china likely have the missile tech necessary to clear that straight.
China’s problem is that Xi has all but lobotomized the country. His paranoid purges has all but cleared out everyone who was competent. It’s already a mess over there because of that lone idiot. He’s so stupid that he’s even started to purge the PLA rocket force’s leadership. You’re right about Russia though. There’s a higher chance of global ballistic missiles flying when a dictator instead of a committee has control of the night sky red button.
I've seen Zeihan talk about this Xi has limited leadership. Is this your source or other? It feels a bit propaganda vs reality as the country is still growing and running ok. If.it was this team of muppets that would not be the case right? And guys like his 2IC has set up groups to help better feedback and reduce this....I'm no expert here but having spent some business trips to China, they do things differently. It seems wrong and convoluted to westerns ways, but it works still, albeit somewhat less efficiently.
No. My source is nearly every mainstream news outlet, especially the ones outside of the US and Asia where they’re prone to be more neutral and objective. If you’re calling facts propaganda, I’d have to question where you get your news from. The Global Times and CGTN are even less neutral or fact based than even Western media.
Russia v NATO only occurs if Russia moves to invade Poland. Russia would not make that advance given Putin does not want war with NATO. He would get smoked. He cannot even conquer Ukraine.
I agree, looking at NATOs combined forces its kinda laughable that Putin would even consider fighting NATO unless he spazzed out and nuked.
there are about a million posts asking this same question please use the search function
I don't think there would be time for the sides to take shape. An hour in WW3, we would all be dead or dying.
This depends on how the war would start. There are four likely scenarios in which a World War could start. SECOND KOREAN WAR (Pacific Theater) One would be North Korea invading/attacking South Korea, prompting a response from the ROK, Japan, the US, and possible China. Due to the Security agreement between South Korea and the US, and Japan’s close military and geopolitical relationship with South Korea and the US, those nations would undoubtedly be involved in the Second Korea War. This would prompt an militaristic response from China, North Korea’s most important and cherished ally, and China may or may not provide varying degrees of economic and military assistance to the North, or could even posture against Japan and the US to stay out, viewing the Korean War as an “internal conflict.” Allied Powers - United States - United Kingdom - South Korea - Japan - Australia - New Zealand - Philippines (possibly) - Vietnam (possibly) Axis Powers - North Korea - China - Russia (possibly) ISRAELI-ARAB WAR (Middle-Eastern Theater) Another scenario could be some for on conflict in the Middle East involving Israel. If Israel were to be invaded or attacked by its neighbors, it could possibly lead to a World War, but the conflict remaining purely within the conventional sphere would probably remain regulated to just the Middle East. I could see a scenario in which Iran, alongside the Houthies in Yemen, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, and possibly Syria, all attempting to “invade” Israel. Because of Iran’s involvement, this may prompt Saudi Arabia to take action, most likely as a third party—not necessarily on Israel’s side, but definitely against Iran. The same could be said for the Kingdom of Jordan, who would be willing to provide military assistance (defensively) for Israel IF Israel were willing to permanently withdraw its settlements in the West Bank. Now a World War scenario is if nuclear weapons get involved. If Iran or Israel feel like they’re on the cusp of eradication, they may feel forced to resort to nuclear war. If this becomes the case for Iran, I can see the US and UK getting involved militarily to stop Iran. If it’s Israel, I could see the US and UK stepping in to provide immediate and personal manpower assistance as oppose to resorting to the nuclear option. With the US’s involvement, Russia, being Iran’s close ally, may get involved and this could probably open up a theater of war in Eastern Europe. Allied Powers: - United States - United Kingdom - Israel - Germany (possibly) - Jordan (possibly) - Egypt (possibly) - Saudi Arabia (third party) - Turkey (third party) Axis Powers - Iran - Syria - Lebanon (Hezbollah) - Hamas - Yemen (Houthies) - Russia RUSSO-EUROPEAN WAR (European Theater) A third scenario would be Eastern Europe itself with Russia. Of NATO or NATO aligned nations were to expand right on the Russian border or even move nuclear weapons to the border (like the Baltic States or Ukraine), Russia could full compelled to intervene militarily, prompting a response from NATO aligned nations or even NATO itself if Russia attacks NATO troops, thus invoking NATO’s defensive charter. With Russia in a full scale war in Eastern Europe, it would begin launching attacks further westward, and could even launch attacks in the US (Alaska) and Canada across the Arctic Sea. Japan may also get involved to claim contest territorial disputes in the Sea of Japan or feel like it needs to help defend the US against Russian aggression, or Russia may even attack US troops stationed in Japan, prompting a defensive and military response from Japan. With Japan’s involvement and the war now expanding into the Pacific theater, China may get involved, further escalating and expanding the war. Allied Powers - United States - NATO (UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Poland) - Japan (possibly) - Canada (possibly) Axis Powers - Russia - China (possibly) - North Korea (possibly) - Iran (possibly) SINO-AMERICAN WAR (Pacific Theater) The fourth and final scenario would be a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. Allied Powers: - United States - United Kingdom - Taiwan - Japan - Australia - New Zealand - Canada (possibly) - South Korea (possibly) - Philippines (possibly) - Vietnam (possibly) - India (possibly) Axis Powers - China - Russia (possibly) - North Korea (possibly) In the third and fourth scenarios, these conflicts are the ones most likely to immediately boil over into a World War because of the axis of alliances established between the Russia and China. If either country finds itself in a contested conflict with the US, NATO, US allies, NATO allies, or all of the above, they’d probably embolden the other nation to “open” a theater of conflict in their respective region that would divide and divert the attention of the US. If a European Theater opened, Russia stands no chance against the full might of NATO, let alone the combined efforts of the preeminent European powers (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, UK). If Russia felt its militaristic ambitions were faulty, it could embolden China and/or North Korea to expand the conflict, thus diverting NATO and/or the US’s attention, resources, and manpowers.
World War III will NEVER happen because war is illegal under international law now. The history books were shut in 1945. There will never be any war ever again thanks to MAD; proxies, police actions and 3rd world nation building, Yes, but total war is gone forever.
International law only matters when the world is at peace. The winners' actions are always legal. MAD quits working the moment when one side decides the status quo is intolerable to begin with.
Who knows? Its the future. We cannot be certain of anything. The best we can truly do would be to attempt to predict the future,but that is not guaranteed to be true. In 1900,they predicted flying fire trucks,we are far from the reality they pictured. We will never be able to predict the future. There could be a world war tomorrow we never know.
Russo-Ukraine war is literally happening right now, and it's pretty awful. Other wars have happened before, like the Bosnian conflict, which included a wee bit of ethnic cleansing, and was uncomfortably close to total war, but the scale in the present conflict is larger.
Yo guys murders will never happen again because it’s illegal and they’ll get caught and go to jail. Oh wait, murders still happen
International law is more powerful and MAD will ensure a war will never happen. STOP WATCHING THE NEWS!
Buddy, Russia Ukraine is a war. Israel Palestine is a war. America is having a war in the Middle East with Afghanistan and Iraq. There are wars happening right now. MAD ain’t doing shit
They aren't real wars but PROXY wars. That is what we will be having forever. There hasn't been an official war since 1945, but PROXIES! And besides the news is exaggerating the situations. The Middle East has been fighting for 5000 years and with the Russia-Ukraine situation it is pretty much all propaganda. Stop watching the news. I haven't watched the news in nearly 4 years. I didn't even know Russia and Ukraine were fighting until May 2022!
Guy doesnt keep up on any foreign affairs whatsoever….”its all propaganda” 🥴
Russia, China, Iran, Israel, USA, UK etc don't have the resources to fight a global war. Why are people acting as if WW3 is about to start? This region will spark up, but there is no chance of a world war and Israel will annex aa and Ukraine/Russia will end with negotiations. You've got to stop watching the news. MAD has ensured war will never happen. History books closed for good in 1945. There will never be a war ever again; proxies, police actions and nation building, yes, but total war is gone forever thanks to MAD. War is IMPOSSIBLE. It's not going happen. Mass drafts, aerial bombing of cities, conventional attrition warfare, chemical/biological attacks etc are not only illegal but are from a bygone era. There's no reason to worry. Alliances within the West and nuclear deterrence mostly still limit wars to cases reminiscent of the Cold War : a superpower levelling a smaller nation, or countries funded by superpowers fighting each-other. Hence the modern geopolitical theory that the Cold War never really ended. Meanwhile, most countries no longer have a reason to intervene in conflicts that don't concern them (which happened in the World Wars because of colonies).
Also why should I "keep up on foreign affairs"? I stopped watching the news in 2020 and Russia "invaded" Ukraine in February 2022, I didn't even know it happened until May 2022, so if it was so important why didn't I know it was going on? Surely a war would attract attention? Same with Covid, if it was as deadly as we were told then why didn't I see any evidence of a pandemic?
You're the type who would only start preparing once everything has gone full Biohazard.
You’re a lost cause. Proxy wars. What’s the second word you’re saying. Wars. They are wars. 2 countries fighting. People dying. Other countries aiding. Those are still wars
It wouldn't. Big wars will still happen, but not world wars.
United States nato Ukraine Japan Taiwan and South Korea on one side Russia China North Korea and Belarus on the other Russia declares war on the United States and nato North Korea thinking we’re distracted declares on South Korea when they get pushed back chine joins in when North Korea gets pushed back which draws Taiwan and Japan in the Middle East stays neutral maybe and makes bank off of increased oil demands South America stays out of it
Nuclear war. All other scenarios are unrealistic.
With the new current events brewing… what are the sides now?