World War III

This article is about a hypothetical global nuclear war. The term World War III is sometimes also used to describe the Cold War of the 20th Century.

A mushroom cloud, an archetypal image of World War III. This photo is from the atomic bombing of Nagasaki at the end of World War II.

World War III is the name given to a hypothetical world war, initially supposed to be fought between superpowers with weapons of mass destruction, usually nuclear weapons. Superpower confrontation was deemed to be the major threat in the latter half of the 20th century, where the Cold War saw the capitalist United States face the communist USSR. This conflict was presumed to result in the extermination or technological impoverishment of humanity.

Such a globally destructive war with such pervasive weapons ranks with asteroid impact, a hostile technological singularity, and catastrophic climate change as an "extinction-level event".

Historical scenarios

When asked what kind of weapons World War III would be fought with, Albert Einstein replied:

"I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones."

Not all scenarios for World War III have begun with the use of nuclear weapons. Operation DROPSHOT, a since-declassified US plan, written in 1947, assumed a long period of conventional war between NATO and the Soviet Union before any nuclear weapons would be employed by both sides. The standard NATO war planning scenario assumed a Soviet attack on West Germany, in which tactical nuclear weapons would be used only if NATO forces were losing. In most war games, NATO forces faced extreme difficulty defending West Germany and used nuclear weapons first. Deathlands, a science fiction series by James Axler written in the 80s, is set in the United States a hundred years in the future after a nuclear war between the USA and the USSR in 2001 totally wipes out civilization as we know it. Before the collapse of the Soviet Union and end of the Cold War, an apocalyptic war between the United States and USSR was considered likely. The Cuban missile crisis in 1962 is generally thought to be the historical point at which the risk of World War III was closest. Other potential starts have included the following (see External links below for further examples):

November 9, 1979, when the US made emergency retaliation preparations after NORAD saw on-screen indications that a full-scale Soviet attack had been launched. No attempt was made to use the "red telephone" hotline to clarify the situation with the USSR and it was not until early-warning radar systems confirmed no such launch had taken place that NORAD realised that a computer system test had caused the display errors. A Senator at NORAD at the time described an atmosphere of absolute panic. A GAO investigation led to the construction of an off-site test facility, to prevent similar mistakes subsequently.
September 26, 1983, when Soviet military officer Stanislav Petrov refused to launch ICBMs, despite computer indications that the US had already launched
January 25, 1995, when Russia almost launched a nuclear attack after a Norwegian missile launch for scientific research was detected from Spitzbergen and thought to be an attack on Russia, launched five minutes from Moscow. Norway had notified the world that it would be making the launch, but the Russian Defense Ministry had neglected to notify those monitoring Russia's nuclear defense systems.

OPLAN (Operations Plan) 1000 was the standard US military plan for the first hours or days of a national emergency such as World War III. Unclassified annexes included grounding all civil aircraft in the United States and controlling all navigation beacons. In the 1950s and 1960s, this included CONELRAD (Control of Electronic Radiation), in which all radio stations broadcasting in the US would operate on low power on two frequencies — to prevent Russian bombers from using them for navigation. Certain features of OPLAN 1000 were instituted during the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001. The actual US nuclear response was detailed in numerous Single Integrated Operational Plans from 1960 to the present day.

Certain sources also state that the Eisenhower Interstate Highway System was specifically designed to contain several sections which were flat and straight, to be used as emergency runways for nuclear bombers. This, however, is an urban legend. The United States Department of Transportation strongly denies that such a purpose exists in the Interstate highway system. However, several other nations, such as Finland and Taiwan have done so.

Use of the term

During a press conference soon after the start of the 1991 Gulf War King Hussein of Jordan directly referred to the conflict between the United States and its coalition of allies against Iraq as "the Third World War" but there is no indication of any other world leaders accepting the definition.

Some historians have suggested that the War on Terrorism, sparked by the September 11 attacks, may become known as the Third World War by future generations due to its world-wide scope.

Runaway technology

The term Gigadeath War, first used by Hugo De Garis, described a confrontation not between nations or religions but between Terrans and Cosmists, determined respectively to resist or advance artilect ("artificial intelligence" on a godlike scale) evolution beyond humans — a "technological singularity" out of human control.

This is not an isolated concept — apocalypse literature throughout the late 20th century emphasized lack of human control over war machines, e.g. Dr. Strangelove, the Terminator series, and the Matrix.

The United Nations University Millennium Project participants, in 2001, ranked technological runaways (gene, prion, virus, robot, software or new molecules acting like any or all) as greater risks to human survival than intentional acts by humans.

Artistic treatments

A vast post-apocalyptic science fiction literature exists describing the likely aftermath of either, describing the impact of weapons of mass destruction. None of it describes a very happy world.

The genre of post-apocalyptic science fiction often uses post-World War III scenarios. However, these stories were found only in Western science fiction publications; Soviet writers were discouraged from writing them.

Film and television

Several notable movies have been made based on World War III, including the following:

Akira (film), anime film which took place in Japan after World War III
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964), a black comedy by Stanley Kubrick in which an American general Jack D. Ripper, concerned about fluoridation of drinking water, orders a nuclear attack on the Soviet Union. Peter Sellers plays several roles in this film, including the title character, a parody of Wernher von Braun.
Fail-Safe (1964 and 2000), based on the novel by Eugene Burdick and Harvey Wheeler, involves an American atomic bomber group which mistakenly receives orders to bomb Moscow, and cannot be subsequently recalled due to fail-safe procedures designed to protect against fraudulent radio communications from Soviet imposters.
The War Game (1965), produced by Peter Watkins, deals with a fictional nuclear attack on Britain. This film won the Oscar for Best Documentary, but was withheld from broadcast by the BBC for several decades.
The Bed Sitting Room (1969), a surrealist post-nuclear comedy, adapted from the stage play by Spike Milligan and John Antrobus.
Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970), where two (US and USSR) military artificial intelligences ally to blackmail humans into assembling more artificial intelligences like themselves.
A Boy and His Dog (1975), based on a short story by Harlan Ellison, takes place after World War III.
Mad Max (1979), and sequels such as The Road Warrior, present a post-war Australian outback where the survivors battle for oil.
World War III (miniseries), aired on US network television in 1982. A Soviet invasion of Alaska in order to seize US oilfields escalates to a nuclear exchange.
The Day After (1983) was a controversial ABC mini-series about a full-scale nuclear war and its aftermath, told from the viewpoint of ordinary Americans in the Midwest. The shocking and disturbing content discouraged advertisers but ensured it a tremendous ratings success.
WarGames (1983), starring Matthew Broderick, involves a teenage hacker who challenges an unknown computer system to a simulation game called "Global Thermonuclear War", only to discover that the computer controls NORAD, and the nation's leaders think the simulated Soviet attacks are the start of a real nuclear war.
Red Dawn (1984) is about a successful non-nuclear suprise attack by Russia against America's heartland, and a small band of teenagers that fight the occupation using guerilla tactics. Scenes of Soviet Paratroopers dropping into small towns struck a chord during the final years of Cold War paranoia in the US.
Threads (1984), a movie shown on the BBC, dealing with the short- and longer-term consequences of a nuclear attack on the city of Sheffield, England.
The Terminator series (1984, 1991 and 2003), stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as a cyborg warrior from a post-apocalyptic future. An AI computer starts World War III in order to eradicate humanity, and then resorts to sending killer robots back through time after the surviving humans successfully revolt.
When the Wind Blows (1986), a bleak cel-animated feature based on a Raymond Briggs book, which depicts an elderly couple's attempts to survive World War III through their nostalgic memories of how they survived World War II as children. Features original music by Roger Waters.
By Dawn's Early Light (1990), which depicts a post-Cold War explosion instigated by Soviet rebels, which causes a nuclear war to start between the United States and the Soviet Union (in its dying days). The film follows the crew of a B-52 bomber, the US President, and AWACS as events unfold.
Star Trek: First Contact (1996), where the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E chases the Borg back through time to a period on Earth just 10 years after Star Trek's version of World War III. The Borg aim to attack Earth while it is still crippled from the war.
Blast from the Past (1999) is a comedy about a 1960's family caught in the grip of Cold War paranoia. Falsely convinced that World War III has started, they hide in their fallout shelter, only to emerge 35 years later in the post-Cold War world.
The Matrix series (1999 and 2003) is set in a post-apocalyptic world where humans are controlled and farmed by a hostile artificial intelligence. Heavy use of nuclear arms by the humans did little to damage the advancing AI armies (as seen in The Animatrix).
The Simpsons-Lisa's Wedding, dialogue in this television episode, which took place in the year 2010, mentions World War III, in which Britain saved the United States. It is not known if it was fought with nuclear weapons, which is possibly unlikely since Springfield is still mostly intact and would have most likely been destroyed in a nuclear war as it had been previously declared the "Nuclear Whipping Boy".

Literature

Notable literature dealing with World War III include:

Fail-Safe, a book which was adapted into two movies, described above; ISBN 0070089272.
On the Beach (1957), by Nevil Shute, was also made into movies of the same name (1959 and 2000); ISBN 1842322761.
Alas, Babylon, by Pat Frank, dealt with the survival of the fictional town of Fort Repose, Florida after a Soviet missile strike obliterates most of the United States; ISBN 0060931396.
The Third World War, August 1985, by General Sir John Hackett, set in a 1980s war based on the NATO scenario; ISBN 0025471600. This same scenario was also used in Harold Coyle's novel, Team Yankee; ISBN 0425110427.
Red Storm Rising, by Tom Clancy, presents a detailed, realistic scenario of World War III fought largely with conventional weapons; ISBN 0006173624.
The World Aflame, written by Leonard Engel and Emmanuel Piller in 1947 and set amidst a protracted nuclear war from 1950–5.
Red Army, by Ralph Peters, told from the Soviet perspective; ISBN 0671676695.
Yellow Peril by Wang Lixiong, written under the pseudonym Bao Mi, about a civil war in the People's Republic of China that becomes a nuclear exchange and soon engulfs the world. It's notable for Wang Lixiong's politics, a Chinese dissident and outspoken activist, it's publication following Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, and it's popularity due to bootleg distribution across China even when the book was banned by the Chinese Communist Party.
The city of ember, by Jeanne DuPrau, is set in a post-apocalyptic community, the City of Ember, built underground. The main problem of the story is the protaginists, Doon Harrow and Lina Mayfleet, on their quest to find the way to get out of Ember, because the city is beginning to run out of lightbulbs, the only things keeping the Emberites from dying in darkness.
JLA by Grant Morrison. Under influence by a space-faring entity, populations fight amongst themselves.

Computer games

Command_and_Conquer — real-time strategy game: terrorists (the Brotherhood of Nod) fights against an UN-like organisation (the Global Defense Initiative).
Command & Conquer: the Red Alert Series — real-time strategy game where an alternate time-line leads to conflict between the Soviets and other nations.
Wasteland — computer role-playing game set in a post-nuclear world after World War III in 1997.
Fallout — computer role-playing game set in a post-nuclear world with retro-50s style, after World War III in 2077. Said to be the unofficial sequel to Wasteland.
Superhero League of Hoboken, a tongue-in-cheek lampooning of the genre

Music

The post-rock band Godspeed You! Black Emperor's work largely deals with apocalyptic destruction and its consequences (see the lyrics to their song "The Dead Flag Blues" (http://www.brainwashed.com/godspeed/deadmetheney/monologues/deadflag.htm)).
The punk rock band the Clash wrote a few songs about nuclear war, notably London Calling and Ivan Meets G.I. Joe.
The satirist Tom Lehrer gained renown for several eschatologically-themed songs, including "So Long, Mom (A Song for World War III)" and "We Will All Go Together When We Go".
The heavy metal band Megadeth has numerous songs dealing with nuclear war such as the songs "Set the World Afire", "Rust in Peace... Polaris" and "Black Curtains." Nuclear war is also the inspiration for the band's name.
Weird Al penned a satirical song called "Christmas At Ground Zero" about the Christmas holiday after a nuclear war

External links

20 mishaps that might have started an accidental nuclear war (http://www.nuclearfiles.org/kinuclearweapons/anwindex.html)
Scientific American article about nuclear near-misses (http://www.sciamdigital.com/browse.cfm?sequencenameCHAR=item2&methodnameCHAR=resource_getitembrowse&interfacenameCHAR=browse.cfm&ISSUEID_CHAR=19A8BD2F-4169-443D-8E8F-99CF1ECBA57&ARTICLEID_CHAR=3549D74E-ED92-4ADA-9C26-15ADFB477CD&sc=I100322), dated November 1997

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