The Astonishingly Incomplete History of World War III--Introduction.

Of all the wars in history, few provoke as much controversy and confusion as World War III. The Hitler War? Yawn. Pretty cut and dried, overall. That first World War nobody cares about? Big deal. "Hey, we all built up these huge armies, we're gonna have to have a war at some point." Any child of three can understand those wars, and don't think I'm lying. No, it's a war like World War III that takes real balls to understand. (Huh?)

For those who lived through the war, so many decades ago, it all seems like a strange nightmare, filled with twisted apparitions and multiple bedwettings. Some moderately credible scientists have claimed that no one human mind can comprehend the myriad causes of the Third World War. Here, in this multi-part series, we'll examine some of the causes and major events of the War. However, this is by necessity incomplete. To give a full account of this remarkable period in history would take over 4 million posts!! Well, that may just be a guess.

In this series, we'll pay special attention to the personalities of the major figures of the War. For most readers, the events of World War III were so long ago that the names which were once seared into the world's consciousness have now faded into the mists of time. It is the author's hope that the nearly ancient days of the late 1980's-early 1990's will live again for the reader.

In the next post, we'll examine the first pivotal event which signaled the march to war--the U.S. Presidential election of 1988. We'll witness the unexpected rise to power of America's most controversial president, a man beloved by some for his toughness, derided by others as a warmonger--President Orville Reddenbacher.