Countries that could start WW3
It's become clear that many of you believe that World War III could be just around the corner. But what is also clear is that most of you can't agree on who's to blame. Some of you blame China. Some of you are sure the United States will be the ones to doom us all. While others are absolutely certain that Putin and Russia will be the ones to finally end the world as we know it. So, to help resolve the debate once and for all we've put together a list of 10 countries that are most likely to cause World War III. So when everything goes to hell, you'll know who to blame. Coming in at number 10 is Russia. After the Cold War, US-Russian relations were relatively stable. In the 1990s, President Boris Yeltsin of Russia and US President Clinton developed a strong relationship that brought the two former adversaries closer together. Yeltsin's successor, Vladimir Putin, also enjoyed a similarly warm relationship with former US President George Bush. The two leaders even stood side by side during Russia's 2005 Victory Day parade. Today however, Putin's fear of influence in Ukraine and Syria is being threatened, and Putin and President Obama are quickly becoming sworn enemies of each other. While President Putin likely has no desire to start a third World War, recent events have pushed Russia onto the brink of open conflict with the United States and NATO, which as of this video's release, include the devastating Syrian civil war and the Ukranian conflict. Inside Syria, Russian fighter jets and US Predator drones often fly within meters of each other, and Russian jet fighters have done point blank flybys on US frigates on more than one occasion. And to top it off, Russia's recent tensions with Turkey have only served to further complicate matters. Number nine is Israel. No matter which side of the Israeli-Palestinian debate you fall on, it cannot be denied that if a third World War were to ever break out, there's a high probability that Israel would be involved it. In many ways, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a powderkeg that is waiting to explode. This is because Israel's strategic relationship with the United States guarantees US involvement in any serious Middle Eastern conflict. In the future, Israel could either start or become involved in a Middle Eastern dispute that could easily trigger it's alliance with the United States. From there, any local Middle Eastern conflict could easily spiral out of control and veer right into a third world war. The question is, how likely is a Middle Eastern conflict involving Israel? There's no way to know the answer for sure, but time will likely tell. What we do know is that Israel's mere existence elicits unparalleled vitriol and hatred from its critics. We also know that dozens of terrorist organizations around the world are dedicated to the destruction of the state of Israel, and that Israel has been at war with its neighbors eight times. This number will only become larger as time goes on. Number eight is Iran. In media outlets across the western world, Iran is often painted as an unstable and aggressive regime that is always on the cusp of starting a war in the Middle East. However, this portrayal does not entirely fit with Iranian history, as the last time the country started a war with anyone was in 1838. However, it is entirely possible that Iran could end up in conflict with any number of countries it competes with. These include Turkey, Israel, and Saudi Arabia, which are Iran's main competitors in the Middle East. At the time of this video's release, Iran is currently attempting to extend its influence into southern Iraq, which could drag Iran into a war. Iran is also directly in competition with Israel, in both Palestine and Lebanon, because of it's policy of supplying Hamas and Hezzbollah with supplies and weapons. And, as mentioned previously, any conflict involving Israel could easily drag in the United States. However, Iran isn't without it's own allies, as it's found itself pushed further and further into alliances with China and Russia as time goes by, as both Russia and China's desire to limit US influence in the Middle East, while countering Turkey's ambitions in the future. Number seven is China. Many of those who've been following China's expansionist moves in the South China Sea remain absolutely certain that if another world war were to ever break out, China will certainly be the cause of it. China's policy of sudden claims on foreign territory as well as its artificial island program has brought China into direct confrontation with Vietnam, South Korea, the Philippines, and Japan. And because of heightened tensions in the region, Vietnam has vowed to build up its army to match the strength of China's, and at the same time, Japan is considering rearming as well. On top of this, the reintegration of Taiwan has long been a goal of Beijing, and China has threatened invasion numerous times in order to reclaim its quote unquote, rogue province. An invasion of Taiwan could force a US response and quickly spiral out of control before a peaceful solution could be found. While an invasion of Taiwan is not likely, China is still a much bigger candidate for starting a global conflict than most other nations are. Number six is North Korea. North Korea for all its bluster, makes threats towards South Korea and the United States every year, and these threats never amount to much. Still, Kim Jong Un and the state of North Korea possess nuclear weapons, hydrogen bombs, and thousands of rocket launchers and artillery batteries. One mistake in this tense region could trigger a devastating conflict. North Korea also has strong ties with Russia, as well as with China, both of which supported North Korea during the Korean War, and continue to support it to this day. North Korea's direct opposition to the United States and friendly ties with two of the world's major super powers could quickly escalate what would have normally been a local Korean conflict into a global dispute. Number five is Turkey. As of this video's release, the ongoing Syrian civil war has brought tensions between Turkey and Russia to a boiling point. Over the course of just two months, Russian jets have violated Turkish airspace numerous times, which has caused Turkey to retaliate by destroying both a Russian drone and a Russian Sue 24, while the two were on combat missions in the Syrian civil war. Russia's response has only further escalated the crisis, as Putin has placed sanctions on Turkey, as well as ordered an airstrike on a Turkish convoy near the Turkish border. These developments have brought the world closer to war because Turkey is a member of NATO, and according to Article V of the NATO Charter, all NATO members are obligated to come to Turkey's aid in the event of a conflict. Any Turkish escalation could drag NATO, no matter how unwilling they are, into a confrontation with Putin's Russia, and thanks to recent events, it seems that a showdown between Russia and Turkey is becoming a real possibility. Number four is India. While India has remained neutral during most conflicts, the country still has the potential to become a catalyst for a third World War. This is because of India's numerous territorial disputes with China and Pakistan. To further complicate matters, India and Pakistan have been at war four times since 1947, and have skirmished numerous times since then. Despite the best diplomatic efforts, India's territorial disputes have not been resolved, meaning that they still have the potential to break out into an open conflict. As India continues to expand its army and modernize its navy, the potential for India to become embroiled in a devastating war, is only to become greater. Number three is Pakistan. Alternatively, Pakistan could decide to, or could be forced to pick a fight with India in the near future. Pakistan possesses nuclear weapons which would have devastating consequences if they were ever to be used. This possibility isn't that far-fetched, as Pakistan has threatened to use its nuclear arsenal on India multiple times. However, the chances of another Pakistani-Indian conflict remain remote, as both nations have been at peace since 1999. Regardless though, tensions remain high along India and Pakistan's borders, and both nations continue to search for ways to secure control over their disputed regions. Number two is Syria. While President Assad's main goal has been to quickly wipe out his opposition and to prevent the Syrian civil war from escalating any further, the exact opposite has occurred. For example, President Obama has repeatedly threatened to take decisive action against Assad's government because of its alleged use of chemical weapons. And, at the same time, many in the US government have openly called for a direct intervention in the Syrian civil war. To counter these threats, Putin, at the invitation of President Assad, has begun airstrikes against the Syrian rebels in hopes of quickly eliminating Assad's opposition. As a result, Syria has become one of the most likely countries to cause World War III, because the Syrian civil war has both destabilized the Middle East, and pitted the United States and Russia against each other. The sheer proximity of so many major powers in this dangerous region has brought the world closer to war than any other point in recent history. And number one is the United States of America. Whenever there's a conflict anywhere in the world, nine times out of ten the United States is involved in some capacity. The United States maintains hundreds of military bases that are stationed in numerous countries, and has been at war nine times in just the past 20 years. The United States also has a long history of engineering coups, overthrowing governments, and backing military dictatorships all around the world. Some examples of this interventionist foreign policy include, but are not limited to, Iran in 1953, Guatemala in 1954, Congo in 1960, the Dominican Republic in 1961, South Vietnam in 1963, Brazil in 1964, Chile in 1973, Iraq in both 1992 and 2003, Syria in 2011, and finally, Ukraine in 2014. This policy of world policing and constant warfare could easily escalate into a world conflict. Modern geopolitics is a delicate balance of power, and in many ways is similar to a game of chess. The pieces move quickly, and powers can quickly rise and fall. The fact is that the more conflicts the US instigates, the more likely it is that it will be responsible for starting a third World War. For more top lists just like this, be sure to leave a like and subscribe if you haven't already, and if you wanna keep up with our latest videos, hit that bell icon on mobile. Or if you're on desktop, hit the gear icon and check send me all notifications, it really helps us out. 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