Friedman predicts that a third world war will take place in the middle of the 21st century, close to the year 2050. He asserts that the United States will be allied with the "Polish Bloc", Britain, India, and China in this conflict, and will face a coalition of the Turkish and Japanese empires. He asserts that the war will probably be started by a coordinated Turkish-Japanese sneak attack against the United States and its allies. In the specific scenario discussed in the book, Friedman hypothesizes the attack will place on November 24, 2050, at 5 p.m.[1] He foresees a form of limited war, very different in its conduct than a total war, such as World War II of the 20th century. Friedman asserts that the primary weapons of the war will be long-range hypersonic aircraft, and infantrymen with highly sophisticated, powered body-armor. Friedman predicts control of space will be crucial over the course of the conflict. Friedman states in the book that Germany and France may enter into the conflict during its later stages, probably on the side of the Turkish and Japanese empires. Nonetheless, he assesses that the United States and its allies will win, that the war will last two to three years, and that it will cost somewhere around 50,000 lives. Friedman predicts that after the war the United States will enjoy a prosperous decade in the 2060s due to its overwhelming political and military power at the time, and that new technologies developed during the war will foster dramatic economic growth, especially in the United States.