The Cost of War

According to the Dictionary of American History, World War II was the most expensive war for our country. This includes veterans' benefits, interest on debts, etc. Here are the costs of American wars:

Revolutionary War - $149 million
War of 1812 - $124 million
Mexican War - $107 million
Civil War (Union side) - $8 billion
Spanish-American War - $2.5 billion
World War I - $66 billion
World War II - $560 billion
Korean War - $70 billion
Vietnam War - $121.5 billion
Persian Gulf War - $80 billion (most of this was paid by our allies)

* These numbers are not adjusted for inflation. If you'd like an idea of the adjusted totals, try here. WWII still ranks at number one.

Posted by Jennifer at September 4, 2003 08:34 AM

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