How did World War I begin? Assassination of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary and his wife, Sophie, by a Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip on 28 June 1914 set off a chain reaction ….. Austria-Hungary issued an ultimatum to Serbia, which impossible to accept. ….. Serbia sought support from Russia, in alliance with Serbia. …… Austria Hungary backed by Germany …… Russia mobilized its forces, Germany declared war on Russia and then on France – Russia’s ally …… and had to invade Belgium to reach France .…. Great Britain jumped into the fray – they had a treaty with Belgium. Forces of the nations moved under their own flags, fought, and the war continued till 1918. World War II began on 1 Sep 1939, when Nazi Germany invaded Poland. Prompted Britain and France to declare war on Germany on 3 Sep 1939. Hitler’s ambitions for territorial expansion and the failure of diplomatic efforts to contain his aggression, set the stage for a global conflict, Italy and Japan formed an axis with Germany. Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on 7 Dec 1941, USA joined the war. Forces moved under their own flags and fought. The war ended on 8 May 1945 in Europe with surrender of Germany and 2 Sep 1945 in the Pacific with surrender of Japan. The only real war in the conventional sense today is the Russia-Ukraine War … opponents are fighting under their own flags, attacking across borders and territories being lost and won ………. why then this talk of World War III? Some Other Major Regions in Conflict: Syrian Civil War, Yemen Civil War, Ethiopian Civil War, Myanmar Civil Conflict, Sudan Conflict, Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Tensions in the Sahel Region, Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict over Nagorno Karabakh, Haiti Political Crisis …….. and other smaller conflicts. When I searched WWW if World War III was on? The standard reply was: while there are numerous conflicts and geopolitical tensions around the world, none have escalated to the level of a global war involving multiple major powers. I have scored out the last bit because this statement is absolutely wrong. Today, the major powers fight their wars from the safe havens through their Proxies, and, they all are involved in all the above listed conflicts e.g: Syrian Civil War: began as civilian protests amid the Arab spring uprisings of 2011. • Russia and Iran support the Assad regime. Russia – airstrikes and advisors, Russia fights to keep it regional hegemony. Iran – ground forces and militias, incl Hezbollah. Iran supports because Assad’s regime is predominantly Alawite, a sect of Shia Islam, which aligns with Iran’s Shia-majority. • The US (assisted by UK and France) support Kurdish forces to combat ISIS. • Israel conducts missile strikes targeting Iran and Hezbollah to keep them away from their borders. • Turkey fights Kurdish groups in Syria to prevent Turkish Kurds from indulging in separatist activities. Yemen Civil War: Since 26 Mar 2015. • Saudi Arabia is leading a coalition of nine countries from West Asia and North Africa (mostly Sunni Arab states) against Houthis (Zaydī Muslims, who belong to a small sect of Shiʿi Islam). • Fighter Jets and Ground Force – Egypt, Morrocco, Jordan, Sudan and UAE. USA, UK and Israel have joined the Aerial Bombing operations. • Oman, Kuwait, Jordan, Djibouti, Eretria, Somalia provide airspace, territorial waters and logistics support. • Houthis are supported by Iran. Aggressive belligerents who now even hold the world to ransom with some exceptional strikes Drone, Missile and Remote-Controlled Ammunition loaded boats against merchant shipping in the Red Sea, while many world Navies deployed in the Red sea watch the spectacles helplessly. • The US has recently increased its military presence in the Red Sea. USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, with over 6,500 sailors, has been deployed to the region; largest overseas deployment of the US Navy since World War II. I searched for many definitions of the ‘Proxy War’, and found this one to be very frank, honest and candid – a war instigated by a major power which does not itself become involved…………..Therefore, While the whole world powers are at war, their forces are not carrying their flag, they are simply propping up their proxies to fight and die while they stir the pans and make profits first with weapons and then with reconstruction. Getting back to the question – Is World War III ON? ……………….. Yes it is ………… by Proxy.