Are Empires and World Wars possible anymore?

[Trytostaydead]

Could a country like the United States or any other remaining superpower begin another round of Imperialism? While it's more than likely that the U.S. could easily overcome most other countries militaries, could it HOLD the territories that they gained?

Furthermore, would World Wars be possible anymore, or would the threat of someone resorting to throwing nukes around prohibit it or any other imperialist actions for that matter?

So are countries effectively the way they are unless popular dissent or apathy are against them?

[TrailerParkJawa]

I think the cost of true imperialism or a world wide convential war is so prohibitive now, that its unlikely. Nukes, keeps the peace as well. I also think there is a change in attitude, at least among the western democracies that such things are not acceptable anymore.

[Knife]

The consequences of taking extreme amounts of land anymore are prohibitive. Between the US, Russia, India, UK, France, and Pakistan there are plenty of nukes skattered around to deter massive imperialism.

That being said, there probably is plenty of room in say, Africa for an Empire to appear. Yet what Empire in Africa would challenge world suprmecy in such a way to attracted the ire of the 'superpowers' with the nukes?

[Exonerate]

It would depend on how you define world war... I personally think that a large scale war (Possibly nuclear) involving several countries is still a possibility. If one were to happen, I'd bet on the India/Pakistan region.

However, in a few decades, it might not be possible at all, without destroying one own country's economy, considing that economic ties will inevitably strengthen with time. A good example might be the EU, which is a loose confederation of European states. If they were to fight amongst themselves, a heavy toll would take place because there are so many economic ties, if one country goes down, the rest will be affected as well.

[Sea Skimmer]

The US has the resources available to carve out an overseas Empire and garrison it. However it would take a radical change in politics to allow those resources to be turned lose on the military and there simply isn't much point in physically capturing an empire these days.

World wars lasting long enough to be worth of the name really aren't possibul. Any war is basically stuck with what's in the arsenals when the fighting starts. We can't ramp up production to meet demand like we could in WW2. Indeed it could take six years simply to being accelerated production of modern jet fighters.

Though I suppose something like the British blockade of Napoleonic France might be possibul for quite a few years.

[Knife]

The US has the resources available to carve out an overseas Empire and garrison it. However it would take a radical change in politics to allow those resources to be turned lose on the military and there simply isn't much point in physically capturing an empire these days.

World wars lasting long enough to be worth of the name really aren't possibul. Any war is basically stuck with what's in the arsenals when the fighting starts. We can't ramp up production to meet demand like we could in WW2. Indeed it could take six years simply to being accelerated production of modern jet fighters.

Though I suppose something like the British blockade of Napoleonic France might be possibul for quite a few years.

The US is well with in its 'war stock' and while its supplies could easily outlast most nations stock of goods and ammo, we can't go to war for ever. World War is defuncted as far as I am concerned. The only possible way for it to happen is in a nuke fight. Even this way, it will be somewhat short in rounds coming down range.

[The Duchess of Zeon]

Of course. Both world wars (though not like the Great War round one and two, which were heavily reliant on mass production and mass labour) and world-wide empires are entirely possible. The economic and political factors to make them exist, still exist themselves, and always will exist. Major conflicts have been fought with relatively small professional armies before; that in itself does not invalidate large-scale war. Neither does the fact that the Empire as such is more commercial hegemony today than the conquest of territory. That, too, has been seen before.

[Enforcer Talen]

tis my thought that with nukes a world war would be a few hours long affair.

assuming they were not used, a war is certainly possible. usa decreasing in power, china increasing, going for a little expansion? lots of things possible.