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| + | ''Also called "'''World War Three'''" and "'''WWIII'''", this was the last world-wide war on the planet [[Earth]].'' |
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| − | Rising from the ashes of the [[Eugenics Wars]] of the mid-[[1990s]], the era of '''World War III''' was a period of global [[conflicts|conflict]] on [[Earth]] that eventually escalated into a [[atomic bomb|nuclear]] [[nuclear holocaust|cataclysm]] and [[genocide|genocidal]] war over issues including [[genetic engineering|genetic manipulation]] and [[Human]] genome enhancement. World War III itself ultimately lasted from [[2026]] through [[2053]], and resulted in the death of some 600 million Humans. By that time, many of the planet's major cities and governments had been destroyed. ({{ENT|In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II}}; {{film|8}}; {{VOY|In the Flesh}})
| + | [[File:Phillip Green% 2C 2269.jpg|thumb|right|Phillip Green: madman or visionary?]] |
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| − | [[File:Q 21st Soldier.jpg|thumb|[[Q]], as a soldier of one of the armies of World War III.]]
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| − | The war was fought in an era where various factions were known to control their [[military]] with [[narcotic]]s. ({{TNG|Encounter at Farpoint}}) Among the parties involved was the [[Eastern Coalition]] (also referred to as "the ECON"), whose direct attacks included those against the [[United States of America]]. ({{film|8}}) In 2026, at the start of the war, [[Colonel]] [[Phillip Green]] led a faction of [[ecoterrorism|eco-terrorists]] that was responsible for the loss of 37 million lives. ({{TOS|Bread and Circuses|The Savage Curtain}}; {{ENT|In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II}})
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| − | {{bginfo|Some of this information, such as when the war started and its basic causes, comes from an [[:File:Historical archive, Starfleet (production resource).jpg|historical archive]] screen in "In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II". The death toll matches the "despotic" deaths mentioned by [[Spock]] in "Bread and Circuses" as being from WWIII. See the [[Eugenics Wars]] for a discussion of Spock's comment on the "last so-called world war" from "Space Seed."}}
| + | '''WWIII''' ([[2026]]-[[2053]]) was the most devastating of [[Earth]]’s world-wide wars, and left an estimated 600 million [[Human]]s dead, with virtually all of the planet’s major cities destroyed. |
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| − | [[File:Phillip Green, TOS.jpg|thumb|left|Colonel Green as recreated by the [[Excalbian]]s in 2269]]
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| − | Colonel Green's activities during the war were often cited as "genocidal" and treacherous. He and his troops personally killed hundreds of thousands of individuals affected with [[radiation sickness]] and other "impurities," using as a rationale that it was necessary in order to prevent their passing on such traits to later generations. ({{ENT|Demons|Terra Prime}}) He was notorious into the [[23rd century]] for striking at his enemies in the midst of negotiating with them. ({{TOS|The Savage Curtain}})
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| − | Despite an escalating and ongoing global conflict, manned space exploration continued into the early [[2030]]s with at least one mission to [[Mars]]. ({{VOY|One Small Step}}) The [[New United Nations]] was also founded during these early years of World War III, and was among the first attempts to rebuild humanity during this era; for instance, by [[2036]], it had declared that no Human being would be held accountable "for the crimes of their race or forebearers." But not everyone heeded or respected this decree and some parts of the world later "abolish[ed] all United Earth nonsense." ({{TNG|Encounter at Farpoint}})
| + | In the aftermath of the [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Eugenics_Wars Eugenics Wars] in the [[1990|1990s]], Humans continued to experiment with genetic engineering and selective breeding, continuing to create what they would call “[[Augment|Augments]]” in the name of bastardized evolution. The political conflict of these “superhumans” caused destabilization, and countries began to control their armies using narcotic drugs. The first official act of the war was an act of terrorism by economic radicals [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Eastern_Coalition “ECON”] against the United States, initially killing 37-million people. |
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| − | [[File:Phillip Green, ENT.jpg|thumb|Colonel Green in 2055]]
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| − | Humanity eventually turned over a new leaf when a few courageous people began to realize that they could make a difference. ({{ENT|Judgment}}) The war culminated circa 2053, when several of Earth's governments met in [[San Francisco]] to declare a cease-fire, effectively ending the war. ({{ENT|Demons}}) As a result of this world war, like the two before it, whole generations were nearly wiped out. ({{ENT|Judgment}}) The subsequent use of nuclear weapons engulfed Earth with an immense dust cloud, resulting in numerous [[nuclear winter]]s. ({{TNG|A Matter of Time}}) When it was over, Earth's [[atmosphere]] was irradiated with a detectably heightened amount of [[radioactive]] [[isotope]]s. ({{film|8}})
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| − | [[2056|Three years later]], Colonel Green gave an impassioned speech asking for the impure to once again be purged from society. ({{ENT|Demons}})
| + | Near the end of the war, Earth's atmosphere was revealed to have been severely damaged by radioactive isotopes, causing radiation sickness in countless people. As the harmful radiation was in the atmosphere, there was no escape, and Acute Radiation Syndrome was wide-spread across the planet. Populations suffered from skin burns, intestinal distress, cardiovascular problems, sterilization, and painful death. The radiation also harmed the soil and water qualities in certain areas, making those areas uninhabitable. |
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| − | [[File:PostAtomicHorrorTrial.jpg|thumb|left|A trial in an area heavily affected by World War III]]
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| − | In [[2063]], a short time after Earth emerged from this global war, [[First Contact]] was made with the [[Vulcan]]s, leading to increased recovery from the war for parts of the world. ({{film|8}}) When news of this event reached [[Vulcan (planet)|Vulcan]], some Vulcans, including [[V'Lar]], were fascinated by humanity, but also worried, believing the idea that Humans had deemed themselves ready to join the interstellar community, so soon after the war, seemed premature. ({{ENT|Fallen Hero}}) Indeed, for several years after first contact, various parts of Earth were still affected by what became known as the "[[post-atomic horror]]." In [[2079]], one such culture reverted to a state of near-barbarism that followed the credo "[Kill] all the lawyers," and "[Guilty] until proven innocent." ({{TNG|Encounter at Farpoint}}) Due to these and other factors, parts of Earth continued to be in – as Captain [[Jean-Luc Picard]] put it in [[2365]] – "chaos" well into the early 22nd century. ({{TNG|Up The Long Ladder}})
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| − | The post-atomic horror gave way to the stirrings of new attempts at establishing various unified world alliances, including the [[European Hegemony]] in [[2123]]. ({{TNG|Up The Long Ladder}}) These alliances were eventually instrumental in the establishment of the [[United Earth Government]] in [[2150]]. ({{TNG|Attached}})
| + | [[2050]] saw the rise of two major powers: '''New United Nations''' and '''Eastern Coalition.''' Simply put, the New UN believed in living at peace, whereas ECON was in favor of experimental eugenics for the advancement of the human race. While the war came to an official end in [[2053]], ECON leader [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Phillip_Green Phillip Green] continued his violent attacks. (Green's post-war killings of radiation-damaged people was met with mixed feelings: many regarded him as a genocidal maniac, whereas others saw him as a pragmatist, who was humanely euthanizing radiation-damaged individuals, preventing those afflicted from passing on deadly mutations to future generations.) |
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| − | By the early [[2100s]] – less than two generations of the post-atomic horror – humanity was finally able to eliminate most if not all poverty, disease, war and hunger. Along with it a lot of other things disappeared from humanity, including hopelessness, despair, and cruelty. ({{TNG|Time's Arrow, Part II}}; {{film|8}}; {{ENT|Broken Bow}})
| + | [[File:Vulcan contact with Cochrane.jpg|thumb|right|First Contact is made between the Vulcans and the pilot of Earth's first warp-capable ship]] |
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| − | The legacy of the war was felt in many ways during the hundred years after its conclusion. It was the subject of many films during that time, and in [[2153]] one of these epics won a majority of [[movie awards]]. ({{ENT|Home}}) In the early [[22nd century]], the philosophy of [[Neo-Transcendentalism]] was founded by [[Liam Dieghan]]; he advocated "a return to a simpler life" in response to the war's carnage. ({{TNG|Up The Long Ladder}}) The war additionally influenced the powerful [[xenophobia|xenophobic]] movement of mid-[[22nd century]] Earth known as [[Terra Prime]]. Led by [[John Frederick Paxton]], the organization drew inspiration from the war through adoption of Colonel Green's goals and teachings concerning a "pure" Human race. It also blamed the Vulcans for not stopping the war with their superior technology, and thereby saving the lives of hundreds of millions of people. This blame was then channeled into a general distrust of all non-Humans. ({{ENT|Demons|Terra Prime}})
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| − | In [[2372]], [[Admiral]] [[Leyton]] described the threat of the [[Founder]]s of the [[Dominion]] infiltrating Earth and its facilities as being "maybe the greatest danger it's faced since the last world war." ({{DS9|Homefront}})
| + | Ten years after war ended, [[Vulcan]]s saw it fit to initiate [[First Contact]] with the Human species. Though the war had devastated the planet, Humans had continued to strive in the field of space travel. [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Ares_IV Ares IV] went to [[Mars]] in [[2032]], [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Charybdis Charybdis] left the solar system in [[2037]], and the [[Phoenix]] became the first vessel to reach Warp 1 in [[2063]]. Initially written off as “too primitive,” the Vulcan people could not ignore Humans reaching the warp threshold, and thus being on the precipice of interstellar space travel. |
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| − | {{Earthwars}}
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| − | ==Background==
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| − | [[File:World War III flag.png|thumb|A flag seen in the mirror universe]]
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| − | Following [[Kira Nerys]] and [[Miles O'Brien]]'s visit to [[San Francisco]] during an [[alternate timeline|alternate]] [[2048]] (where the [[Bell Riots]] had not occurred) ({{DS9|Past Tense, Part II}}), O'Brien noted that ''that'' was "''not the mid-21st century that [he] had read about in school,''" adding "''[[Human history|Earth history]] had its rough patches, but never ''that'' rough.''" It would be interesting to know what O'Brien saw that was more "rough" than a nuclear war responsible for 600 million casualties.
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| − | Like the [[Earth-Romulan War]], very few details have been presented in ''Star Trek'' on this event. In {{y|1996}}, World War III received a [[Trekker's Choice Awards|Trekker's Choice Award]] for the 'Oft Heard but Never Seen' Award, as being "the favorite historical moment only alluded to in Star Trek."
| + | First Contact between Vulcans and Humans took place on '''April 5, 2063,''' between survey ship [https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/T%27Plana-Hath_(starship) T'Plana-Hath] and the pilot of the '''Phoenix,''' [[Zefram Cochrane]]. |
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| − | According to the [[40 Years of Star Trek: The Collection]] auction catalog, during the middle of [[ENT Season 4]], plans were in place for an episode to feature Colonel Green. It was planned to link [[Q]]'s World War III uniform to the Colonel by having the emblem on Q's hood appear on flags representing Green. Such a flag was created for {{e|In a Mirror, Darkly}}, and seen in the [[briefing room]] aboard
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| − | the {{ISS|Enterprise|NX-01}}. When ''Enterprise'' was canceled, plans for the episode fell through and all that remains of the link between Q's uniform and Colonel Green is the flag seen in the [[mirror universe]].
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| | + | To Humans, the realization that they were not alone in the universe was a moving uniting factor. Within fifty years, Earth residents were able to eliminate such hardships as poverty and disease. They began to heal their scarred planet, and a new faction arose of xenophobic farmers, calling their beliefs "[[Terra Prime]]." Believing that isolation from the rest of the galaxy was the best way to heal their plant and their people, Terra Prime eventually faded into the background, as Earth became a founding member of the [[Coalition of Planets]], which would later morph into the [[United Federation of Planets|Federation.]] |
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| − | [[Category: Star Fleet Historical Documentation]] | + | |
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| | + | '''See also:'''<br> |
| | + | * [[World War I]] ([[1914]] - [[1918]]) |
| | + | * [[World War II]] ([[1939]] - [[1945]]) |
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| | + | <br> |
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| | + | [[Category:Historical Archives]] |
Also called "World War Three" and "WWIII", this was the last world-wide war on the planet Earth.
Phillip Green: madman or visionary?
WWIII (2026-2053) was the most devastating of Earth’s world-wide wars, and left an estimated 600 million Humans dead, with virtually all of the planet’s major cities destroyed.
In the aftermath of the Eugenics Wars in the 1990s, Humans continued to experiment with genetic engineering and selective breeding, continuing to create what they would call “Augments” in the name of bastardized evolution. The political conflict of these “superhumans” caused destabilization, and countries began to control their armies using narcotic drugs. The first official act of the war was an act of terrorism by economic radicals “ECON” against the United States, initially killing 37-million people.
Near the end of the war, Earth's atmosphere was revealed to have been severely damaged by radioactive isotopes, causing radiation sickness in countless people. As the harmful radiation was in the atmosphere, there was no escape, and Acute Radiation Syndrome was wide-spread across the planet. Populations suffered from skin burns, intestinal distress, cardiovascular problems, sterilization, and painful death. The radiation also harmed the soil and water qualities in certain areas, making those areas uninhabitable.
2050 saw the rise of two major powers: New United Nations and Eastern Coalition. Simply put, the New UN believed in living at peace, whereas ECON was in favor of experimental eugenics for the advancement of the human race. While the war came to an official end in 2053, ECON leader Phillip Green continued his violent attacks. (Green's post-war killings of radiation-damaged people was met with mixed feelings: many regarded him as a genocidal maniac, whereas others saw him as a pragmatist, who was humanely euthanizing radiation-damaged individuals, preventing those afflicted from passing on deadly mutations to future generations.)
First Contact is made between the Vulcans and the pilot of Earth's first warp-capable ship
Ten years after war ended, Vulcans saw it fit to initiate First Contact with the Human species. Though the war had devastated the planet, Humans had continued to strive in the field of space travel. Ares IV went to Mars in 2032, Charybdis left the solar system in 2037, and the Phoenix became the first vessel to reach Warp 1 in 2063. Initially written off as “too primitive,” the Vulcan people could not ignore Humans reaching the warp threshold, and thus being on the precipice of interstellar space travel.
First Contact between Vulcans and Humans took place on April 5, 2063, between survey ship T'Plana-Hath and the pilot of the Phoenix, Zefram Cochrane.
To Humans, the realization that they were not alone in the universe was a moving uniting factor. Within fifty years, Earth residents were able to eliminate such hardships as poverty and disease. They began to heal their scarred planet, and a new faction arose of xenophobic farmers, calling their beliefs "Terra Prime." Believing that isolation from the rest of the galaxy was the best way to heal their plant and their people, Terra Prime eventually faded into the background, as Earth became a founding member of the Coalition of Planets, which would later morph into the Federation.
See also:
