World War III was a global, and ultimately nuclear, conflict on Earth in the mid-21st century. Over 600 million people died in the war, and human civilization nearly collapsed, resulting in a period known as "the post-atomic horror" that lasted into the early 22nd century. (TNG: "Encounter at Farpoint"; Star Trek: First Contact)
History[]
The flag of Colonel Green and the Optimum Movement.
Historians of later centuries had varying opinions on the exact nature of the war and its origins. Some linked it to the Eugenics Wars of the late 20th century, and while the seeds of the conflict may have been planted then, most scholars agreed it really began with Colonel Phillip Green's ecoterrorism in 2026 which resulted in 37 million deaths. Green and his troops executed hundreds of thousands of people with "impurities" like radiation sickness, claiming that their deaths were for the good of future generations. (TOS: "Space Seed", "The Savage Curtain"; VOY: "In the Flesh"; ENT: "In a Mirror Darkly, Part II", "Demons", "Terra Prime")
Among other parties in the conflict were the Eastern Coalition ("ECON"), which fought against the United States of America and the European Union. Various factions, including Green's cadre and possibly the ECON, used drugs to control their military. (Star Trek: First Contact; TNG: "Encounter at Farpoint"; ST novel: Federation)
Even during this period of global turmoil, the New United Nations worked for peace, and in 2036 declared that "no human being would be held accountable for the crimes of their race or forebearers". However, the group's efforts met with failure. (TNG: "Encounter at Farpoint")
The Mind Control Revolts of 2043-47 occurred during this period. (TOS novel: Star Trek: The Motion Picture)
World War III reached its peak on 1 May 2053, when nuclear weapons were detonated over London, New York City, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Mecca, Beijing and other cities. Asia was hit hardest, followed by the United States. Nearly half a billion people died in the initial blasts; Washington, DC and the surrounding three states were "blown off the map", and Earth was plunged into a nuclear winter that lasted most of the next decade. The post-atomic horror that followed severely destabilized civilization all over the world as governments fell and terrorist groups and rogue states detonated "suitcase nukes" and released biological weapons. The drug-controlled troops were used as cannon fodder in conventional ground battles after much of the global computer systems were sabotaged. Numerous small-scale conflicts erupted across the globe. The economy of the United States was devastated, and most of its citizens were reduced to living conditions worse than the Great Depression of the 1930s. (Star Trek: First Contact; Star Trek: The Lost Era novel: The Sundered)
For two months following the "outbreak" of World War III, Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas served as the operational command center for Colonel Amber's Regimental Volunteers and was the site of the final battle of the Siege of Las Vegas. (DS9 anthology: The Lives of Dax: "Second Star to the Right...")
When the extent of the devastation became clear, the remaining governments gathered in San Francisco to sign a peace accord. Even so, there were those who wished to keep fighting, like Colonel Green and others of his ilk. After Green's death, one of his lieutenants, Colonel Adrik Thorsen, continued terrorist strikes in the name of the Optimum Movement, and by the 2070s, gained control of Great Britain. (ENT: "Demons"; Star Trek novel: Federation)
Aftermath, first contact, and the legacy of WWIII[]
First Contact with the Vulcans in 2063 inspired new hope in humanity and aided in recovery from the war's effects in some areas. Nonetheless, the post-atomic horror raged on in Asia, the Middle East, and the "new third world" sunk into total lawlessness. According to Jean-Luc Picard, these areas remained in "chaos" well into the early 22nd century. (Star Trek: First Contact; TNG: "Encounter at Farpoint", "Up the Long Ladder")
Gradually, as the post-atomic horror declined, new attempts at unified global alliances sprung up, including the European Hegemony, circa 2123. These alliances eventually formed the genesis of the United Earth. (TNG: "Up the Long Ladder", "Attached")
World War III's legacy was far-reaching, and continued to be felt a hundred years later. The war eventually became a popular subject in the recovered film industry. The philosophy of Neo-Transcendentalism was founded to advocate a return to a "simpler life" in response to the devastation advanced technology had brought humanity. Other less-benign schools of thought emerged, including the xenophobia exemplified by the Back-to-Earth movement and its more aggressive "cousin" Terra Prime, an outgrowth of Green and Thorsen's "Optimum Philosophy". (ENT: "Home", "Demons", "Terra Prime", TNG: "Up the Long Ladder"; Star Trek novels: Final Frontier, novel)
Ultimately, World War III and first contact marked a turning point for humanity. In the aftermath, mankind came together, putting aside the differences of race and culture, and unified in a way never before seen. (Star Trek: First Contact)
Appendices[]
Background[]
External links[]
- World War III article at Memory Alpha, the canon Star Trek wiki.
- World War III article at Memory Beta, the non-canon Star Trek wiki.
- World War III article at Star Trek Expanded Universe, the fanon and fanworks Star Trek wiki.