World War III

World War III (WWIII or WW3), also known as the Third World War, is the name given to a possible third global conflict subsequent to World War I (1914-1918) and World War II (1939-1945) which could happen.

A world war might be fought by multiple countries of the world against one other, sometimes across different continents. An all-out war fought between two or three major superpowers would be a world war.

Because technology and weapons have become so advanced, most people agree that if World War III ever happens, nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons may be used. Biological weapons are living things, usually bacteria or viruses. Chemical weapons might not kill quickly but poison people or their land. Nuclear weapons release vast amounts of stored energy through nuclear reactions. Together, nuclear, biological and chemical weapons are called weapons of mass destruction. Conventional weapons, on the other hand are "normal" weapons like guns or chemical explosives.

Mass destruction could damage much of the Earth, kill many humans, animals and other living things, and cause the collapse of modern civilization. Albert Einstein is often quoted as having said: "I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones". Einstein might not have actually said this, but other things that he said show that he believed the weapons used in World War III might be so devastating that they would end civilization as we know it.^[1]

Some events, for example the Cold War, have been called "World War III." US President George W. Bush compared the War on Terrorism to World War III.^[2]

• Eschatology
• Nuclear war