So here’s a quiz.
Write down the answers to these questions – in a simple single sentence please.
Why were the following wars fought?
1) 1st World War
2) 2nd World War
3) Vietnam War
4) Iraq War
5) War of the Worlds
Have you written them down?
Well done. Easy wasn’t it!
Here are the answers:
1) Well this Austrian duke got shot and various European countries all had these treaties which said they would go to war against some of the other ones if some of their allies did too and they all found themselves fighting each other.
2) Hitler was planning on invading the whole of Europe and exterminating the Jews.
3) Um, well there was North Vietnam, communist, and South Vietnam, pro American capitalist and America got kinda worried that the North might take over the South and then the Americans couldn’t keep their soldiers there.
4) Um, well there were these weapons of mass destruction and all kinds of links between a nasty dictator and the September 11th attacks. No? Oh sorry, um. Well the nasty dictator was nasty? Yes, sure but what was the war about? Dunno – was it something to do with oil?
5) There were these Martians, advanced and cruel warriors from the planet Mars and they invaded the World trying to take it over.
Here’s another question.
Was Saddam Hussein the last of the World’s nasty dictators?
Answer:
No. There is Robert Mugabe from Zimbabwe, Kim Il Sung of North Korea and Omar al-Bashir of Sudan for a start.
Question:
So America and Britain will be invading those countries next then?
Answer:
No. Don’t be silly.
Question:
How many people were killed in the Iraq War?
Answer:
4000 American soldiers
179 British soldiers
Thousands of Iraqis – unfortunately no numbers were kept on record.
The British Prime Minister at the time, Tony Blair, said that history would be the judge.
Today British troops prepare to pull out of Iraq.
Question:
Was it worth it?
Answer:
What do you think!