During that time, the government used new methods to raise the required funds and succeeded in accomplishing its goal. The following infographic takes a closer look at the wars of the 21st Century and how they stack up to the wars of our past. The disparity in spending is partially explained by the fact that US soldiers fought for just a year during World War I, while they were actively engaged in fighting during tge final 4 years of WW II. Fifty-five years later, the cost of war has been much less: 1. Consider these figures in light of the Gross Domestic Product and budgets as they are established in each generation represented. War spending in the first instance amounts to The number of mae and women deployed to fight these wars during the same three periods mke 4.