The Global War, also known as the War of Wars (German: Krieg der Kriege), was a world-wide war. It is generally considered to have lasted from 1989 to 1993, although some conflicts in South America that are commonly viewed as becoming part of the world war had been going on earlier than that. It involved the vast majority of the world's nations — including all of the great powers — eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the League of Nations and the Coalition of Independent Countries. It was the most widespread war in history, with more than one billion people, from all siz continents, serving in military units. In a state of "total war", the major participants threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, erasing the distinction b