World War

Abstract

Although the concept of a “world war” has been a topic of debate between the theorists of Moscow and Peking, nowhere in their polemical literature has there appeared a definition of it. It may be referred to as a war which is neither local or civil, nor national liberatory. But this merely begs the question, for those latter concepts have not been fixed either. Before suggesting our definition, it may be useful to take a quick look at what ideas have been formed by the communists with respect thereto. Jen-tnin jih-pao has spoken of a “major” or “general war”;¹ Pravda, of a “war against the socialist camp.”² The appellation of “new world war” (or simply “world war”) has also been used to specify the nuclear variety.³ In addition, the communists have used “imperialist war” and “world war” interchangeably. This is a poor usage, for the first term, as conceptualized by Lenin, is simply a war among the colonial powers.⁴ Also denoting world war is the phrase “imperialist military gamble,”⁵ or “predatory war,”⁶ often seen in propaganda organs. Further, the communists have referred to the “war between states,”⁷ or “international war,”⁸ or “inter-state war,”⁹ all intimating world armed conflict. From these expressions several points stand out. In the first place, world war has its definite ideological implications and, in this sense, is unprecedented. In the second place, the battle front is drawn between East and West, each representing an alliance. In the third place, the dimension of conflict is truly universal, for no country can stay out of it. In the last place, the war will be thermonuclear. We may, thus, call “world war” a military competition between the socialist and capitalist states which will be carried out with the newest weapons and “will involve millions upon millions of men,”¹⁰