The Consequences: What Kind of Peace?

The allies could win the war but lose out in the region if Saddam's defeat fuels extremism or undermines existing states

World War I led to the Bolshevik Revolution, a power vacuum in Central Europe that was eventually filled by Adolf Hitler, and a British-French carve- up of the Middle East that 72 years later still forms the background for bloodshed. World War II boosted the Soviet Union to the status of a superpower dominating Eastern Europe and challenging the other superpower, the U.S., in a cold war that began almost as soon as the bombs stopped falling. The Korean War ended with U.S. forces stationed approximately on the line along which the shooting began. In the almost 38 years that have...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!