Magazine content is available exclusively for TIME subscribers.EUROPE: War Machines
In 1933, the last effective year of the Versailles-League of Nations system, the world's armies numbered 7,000,000 men, its navies totaled 3,000,000 tons, its military planes were 14,000, and $4,000,000,000 was spent to keep the men and machines of war. Pacifists considered these figures pretty horrible. As it turns out they were small potatoes.
In 1938, the year of Munich, armies had increased to 10,000,000 men, naval tonnage had jumped to 8,000,000, military planes had possibly trebled in number and $17,000,000,000 went slithering down the gullet of the hungry god of war-to-be....
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