On the brink of cataclysm - Professor Brands: The wars happening are reminiscent of conflicts in the two world wars

(Patria) - The world could be on the verge of a major global conflict, but this time its characteristics would have very little in common with those of World War I and World War II.

However, how such a conflict will begin will be very reminiscent of the way previous wars did. Hal Brands, a professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, recently stated in an article for Foreign Policy that the regional conflicts currently being waged around the world today strongly resemble those that occurred in those wars.

''We will certainly not see large military alliances begin to conquer large swaths of territory, an aspect that was characteristic of World War I and World War II, but on this occasion, a situation would arise in which regional conflicts would lead to a clash of these powers. Professor Hal Brands argues that "due to the wars raging in Eastern Europe and the Middle East and the tightening of ties between revisionist states, only one conflict in a disputed area of the Western Pacific is needed to bring us into another terrible situation."

Worrying situation from 1945 The situation that worries Professor Brands is one in which "intense, interconnected regional problems spill over into the international system." This could lead us to a scenario that would be on par with the problems the world faced in 1945. Steps towards world war "A world in danger can become a world at war," added Hal Brands.

But the professor is not the only expert warning of the dangers facing world leaders. Sherelle Jacobs of The Telegraph also believes that regional conflicts could lead to a world war. Sherelle Jacobs argued that weakened authoritarian regimes around the world threaten global security.

The pattern is mirrored, for example, in Iran and its allies in the Middle East, and in Ukraine with the Russian invasion. Russia had to act to correct its international position For example, journalist Jacobs argues that Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine was an attempt by the Russian president to suppress the economic and demographic problems the country faced under his leadership and to divert attention from his domestic policy failures through conquest.

The Telegraph journalist explained that "if current trends continue, then Russia will become a small political minnow in just a few decades." This is a situation that could reveal what might happen in East Asia, where China is trying to stem the tide of its own economic troubles.

Possible multi-front wars

China and Taiwan could be the next point of concern for the free world, Jacobs believes, because going to war could be the best solution for Beijing after the collapse of the growth strategy in which the Chinese state found itself. "Xi knows he has little time to act; although it is believed that Beijing will achieve military superiority against the United States in the Taiwan Strait by 2027, given the declining population and stagnant economy, the question remains how long this could last," wrote Sherelle Jacobs.

This type of conflict fits precisely into the crisis described by Hal Brands, one that could lead to a larger conflict that would pit the rest of the global profiles and pariahs against the Western world and its alliance in a broader war. Possible multi-front war in 5 years Although it may seem like a future far from reality, it is not only journalists and military analysts who are concerned about the current uncertain situation in the world. Government leaders in many countries are also warning of a possible war. In mid-January 2024, British Defense Minister Grant Shapps warned, during a speech at Lancaster House in London, that Britain and the West could go to war with Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea within 5 years.

"We are at the dawn of a new era. The Berlin Wall is a distant memory. And we have come full circle. We have moved from a post-war world to a pre-war world. The age of idealism has been replaced by a period of stubborn realism," said Shapps. Old and new enemies prepare for war "Today, our adversaries are busy rebuilding their barriers. Old enemies have awakened. New adversaries are taking shape. Battle lines are being redrawn," said the defense minister, adding: "The foundations of the world order have been shaken to their core."