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:''For the TV story of the same name, see [[World War Three]].''
{{Cleanup|This page should be about the concept of the third world war, given the [[London UFO crash]] is definitely a contender for that title. The specific war currently covered on this page should be moved to a dabbed title.}}
{{wikipediainfo}}
{{World Wars}}
{{you may|World War Three (TV story)|n1=the TV story}}
'''World War III''', also known as the '''Third World War''', was a conflict that broke out on planet [[Earth]]. Both it and [[World War IV]] occurred prior to the [[25th century]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Frostfire (audio story)|Frostfire]]'')
 
== History ==
=== Preparations ===
During the second half of the [[20th century]] and into the [[21st century]], fear of a third world war was usually connected to the potential for civilisation-destroying [[nuclear war]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Protect and Survive (audio story)|Protect and Survive]]'') Much of these tensions were caused by the [[Cold War]]. ([[TV]]: ''[[Cold War (TV story)|Cold War]]'')
 
In the [[1960s]], the [[United States of America|United States]] government built [[Moonbase Eisenhower|a moonbase]] on the far side of [[the Moon]] using [[alien]] [[technology]]. It was named after [[President of the United States|U.S. President]] [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]]. The moonbase was designed to contain a viable minimum population. In the event of a nuclear war, the plan was for its inhabitants to eventually return to Earth and rebuild [[human]] civilisation. It was destroyed by the [[Sixth Doctor]] on [[23 November]] [[1963]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[1963: The Space Race (audio story)|1963: The Space Race]]'')
 
The [[United Kingdom]] kept open the four [[World War II]] "citadel" bunkers in [[London]], so the [[British government]] could continue operating in a nuclear war. (The [[British Secret Service]] quietly built a fifth) [[Toby Kinsella|Sir Toby Kinsella]] darkly noted that the government wouldn't be interested in fighting aliens after World War III, instead wanting all the help it could get. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Fifth Citadel (audio story)|The Fifth Citadel]]'')
 
=== Thwarted wars ===
[[Citadel Five]] threatened that unless Britain disarmed its nuclear arsenal, they would flood their reactor and leave the [[London Underground]] radioactive. They knew this could trigger a nuclear war with the [[Soviet Union]]. This was prevented through deception by Sir Toby. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Fifth Citadel (audio story)|The Fifth Citadel]]'')
 
[[The Doctor]] prevented this war from breaking out prematurely on several occasions in the late 20th century, ([[TV]]: ''[[The Mind of Evil (TV story)|The Mind of Evil]]'', ''[[Robot (TV story)|Robot]]'', [[PROSE]]: ''[[Revolution Man (novel)|Revolution Man]]'') in two occasions ensuring that an alternate timeline where the war ''did'' happen never occurred. Due to the actions of the psychic "Revolution Man" from [[1967]] to [[1969]], the nuclear powers grew tenser until missiles were actually fired on [[18 May|18th May]] 1969; the [[Eighth Doctor]] stopped the missiles from impacting. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Revolution Man (novel)|Revolution Man]]'')
 
Later, though ''earlier'' for the Doctor, war almost broke out between [[China]] and the [[Soviet Union]]; fighting broke out in southern [[Asia]] and [[South America]] before Sir [[Reginald Styles]] was able to negotiate peace and the crisis cooled, but the [[Dalek]]s sought to ensure war broke out to weaken Earth. In the [[Time Paradox Incident]], the [[Third Doctor]] prevented a group of time-travellers from accidentally [[assassination|assassinating]] Styles and causing the war. ([[TV]]: ''[[Day of the Daleks (TV story)|Day of the Daleks]]'') The [[United States of America|United States]] was also involved and the conflict started over [[Middle East]]ern spheres of influence. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Doctor Who and the Day of the Daleks (novelisation)|Day of the Daleks]]'')
 
In [[1974]], [[American]] [[President of the United States|President]] [[Richard Nixon]] intended to destroy Britain through nuclear war in order to prevent the [[Remoraxian]]s from invading Earth. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[In With the Tide (comic story)|In With the Tide]]'')
 
[[Adam Mitchell]] claimed that he nearly caused World War III in the late [[1990s]], when he hacked into [[United States of America|American]] [[Department of Defense]] computers. ([[TV]]: ''[[Dalek (TV story)|Dalek]]'')
 
The [[Slitheen family]] tried to cause World War III in [[2006]] so they could sell Earth's radioactive remains as fuel. They nearly succeeded but were foiled when [[Mickey Smith]] blew up [[10 Downing Street]] with a [[missile]] on the [[Ninth Doctor]]'s orders, killing them. ([[TV]]: ''[[World War Three (TV story)|World War Three]]'')
 
In [[2017]], [[US Army|American]], [[Russian army|Russian]] and [[Chinese army|Chinese]] armies were about to meet in [[Turmezistan]]. [[Monk (species)|The Monks]] showed the commanders of the three armies possible future events that would happen if they would not accept Monks' help. Thinking that those events were the result of World War III, [[Xiaolian]] proposed other commanders to promise that they will not fight against each other. [[Don Brabbit]] and [[Ilya Svyatoslavovich]] agreed and shook each other's hands, preventing possible war. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Pyramid at the End of the World (TV story)|The Pyramid at the End of the World]]'')
 
In [[2084]], the [[Silurian]]s attempted to start a war between the contemporary (human) superpower blocs. The [[Fifth Doctor]] stopped them firing [[Sea Base 4]]'s [[nuclear missile]]s. ([[TV]]: ''[[Warriors of the Deep (TV story)|Warriors of the Deep]]'') [[Tegan Jovanka]] would say they prevented the war breaking out. Shortly after, however, a Breaking News tweet reported: "[[Minister for Peace]] says world war is now 'inevitable' following discovery of wrecked Sea Base 'full of corpses'." ([[PROSE]]: ''[[When It Was Fun (short story)|When It Was Fun]]'') The [[Time Lord]]s believed that the war had in fact been averted. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[A Sourcebook for Field Agents]]'')
 
=== Alternative timelines ===
In an [[alternate timeline]], [[WOTAN]] was successful in taking over the minds of much of the population in [[1966]]. It was destroyed in an uprising in [[1969]] but left behind a broken world in which international communication and cooperation became non-existent and numerous factions struggled for control. In response to the incident, Britain made radio communications illegal, which later proved to be a large disadvantage. World War III began in the following years, the main fight being between the United Kingdom and [[South Africa]]. South Africa made agreements with the [[Cyberman (Mondas)|Cybermen]] who occupied the [[Arctic]] in [[1986]], gaining [[Cyber-gun|weapons]] and [[Cyber-Technology|technology]] which gave them a huge edge in the fighting. Outmatched, the British, led by the [[Fascism|fascist]] [[General]] [[Louise Bamford]], sought to win the war with [[time travel]] using [[Imperial Dalek]] artefacts recovered from the [[Shoreditch Incident]]. In [[2006]], the South Africans occupied [[France]] and began launching [[bomb]]ing raids against [[Great Britain|Britain]] as a precursor to an invasion, and when said invasion did come, the British were quickly overcome. Refusing to surrender, Bamford was [[Murder|killed]] by [[Griffiths]], a [[Spy|double agent]] working for the South Africans. Their leader dead, the British hurridly began looking for someone to elect so that they may come to armistice terms with South Africa.
 
The [[First Doctor]], with his [[companion]]s [[Susan Foreman|Susan]], [[Ian Chesterton|Ian]] and [[Barbara Wright|Barbara]], as well as Griffiths, averted this timeline when they used Britain's time travel hoop to travel back to [[October]] [[1972]]. There, they both destroyed the [[Dalek]] artefacts before the time travel experiments could properly begin and had a more positive influence on a younger Bamford, convincing her to aid in the reconstruction of a more positive Britain and more positive world. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Time Travellers (novel)|The Time Travellers]]'') Later in his personal timeline, the First Doctor defeated both WOTAN ([[TV]]: ''[[The War Machines (TV story)|The War Machines]]'') and the Cybermen ([[TV]]: ''[[The Tenth Planet (TV story)|The Tenth Planet]]'') before either of them could contribute to a third world war.
 
In another alternative timeline created by the [[Great Old One|Elder Gods]] in the hope of destroying [[Earth]], [[Vladimir Kryuchkov]] became the [[General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union]] instead of [[Mikhail Gorbachev]] in [[1985]]. On [[9 November]] [[1989]], World War III broke out between the [[United States of America|United States]] and its allies including the [[United Kingdom]] on the one hand and the [[Soviet Union]] on the other hand. Given that [[nuclear weapon]]s were used by both sides, hundreds of millions of people were killed in the conflict. This timeline was ultimately negated by the [[Seventh Doctor]] except for in a [[pocket universe]] where the Doctor trapped the two Elder Gods responsible and, accidentally, his companions [[Ace]] and [[Hex]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Protect and Survive (audio story)|Protect and Survive]]'')


'''World War III''' was a nickname given on [[Earth]] to a potential [[nuclear war]]. [[The Doctor]] prevented this war from breaking out on several occasions. ([[DW]]: ''[[The Mind of Evil]]'', ''[[Robot (TV story)|Robot]]'') [[Adam Mitchell]] said he nearly caused World War III when, in the late [[1990s]], he hacked into [[American]] [[Department of Defense]] computers. ([[DW]]: ''[[Dalek (TV story)|Dalek]]'') The [[Slitheen family]] tried to cause World War III so they could sell the Earth's radioactive remains as fuel. ([[DW]]: ''[[Aliens of London]]'' / ''[[World War Three]]'')  
In a third alternative timeline, it was thought that [[President of the United States|U.S. President]] [[John F. Kennedy]] would have started a [[nuclear war]] on [[22 January]] [[1964]] if he had not been [[Assassination of John F. Kennedy|assassinated]] on [[22 November]] [[1963]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Who Killed Kennedy (novel)|Who Killed Kennedy]]'')


:''Mention of [[World War V]], which happened prior to [[5000]] ([[DW]]: ''[[The Talons of Weng-Chiang]]'') indicate that World War III did occur at some point in Earth's history.''
In another timeline, a [[22nd century]] anti-Dalek resistance fighter named [[Shura]] [[time travel|travelled back]] to the [[1970s]] and set off a [[dalekanium bomb]] which destroyed the [[World Peace Conference]]. World War III started as various global factions accused each other of having done so. In the aftermath, the Daleks conquered and ruled over the survivors, resulting in the world that Shura had tried to prevent from coming to pass in the first place. However, the [[Third Doctor]] undid the damage by ensuring that when the bomb went off, the delegates had already left. The Daleks and [[Ogron]]s who had travelled back to the conference were killed by Shura's bomb. ([[TV]]: ''[[Day of the Daleks (TV story)|Day of the Daleks]]'')


==Alternative timelines==
== Behind the scenes ==
In one timeline, [[Shura]], a [[22nd century]] anti-[[Dalek]] resistance fighter, [[time travel|traveled back]] to the late [[20th century]] and set off a [[dalekanium bomb]] which destroyed the [[World Peace Conference]]. World War III started as various global factions accused each other. In the aftermath, the Daleks took over Earth, ruling over the survivors, resulting in the world Shura tried to prevent. However, he un-did the damage by ensuring that when the bomb went off, the delegates had left safely. ([[DW]]: ''[[Day of the Daleks]]'')
* ''The Time Travellers'' highly implies that the British and South African world war caused by WOTAN was 'supposed' to happen, taking place an original timeline of Earth's history. The First Doctor averting this war and then later defeating WOTAN changed history, creating an 'alternate' timeline in which this third world war never happened, and this became the prime timeline for the ''[[Doctor Who universe|Doctor Who]]'' [[Doctor Who universe|universe]]. The proper Third World War therefore became the pre-25th century war alluded to in ''Frostfire''.


{{wikipediainfo}}
[[Category:Conflicts]]
[[Category:Earth-based conflicts]]
[[Category:World Wars]]

Latest revision as of 23:38, 4 August 2023

This article needs a big cleanup.

This page should be about the concept of the third world war, given the London UFO crash is definitely a contender for that title. The specific war currently covered on this page should be moved to a dabbed title.

These problems might be so great that the article's factual accuracy has been compromised. Talk about it here or check the revision history or Manual of Style for more information.

World War III

You may be looking for the TV story.

World War III, also known as the Third World War, was a conflict that broke out on planet Earth. Both it and World War IV occurred prior to the 25th century. (AUDIO: Frostfire)

History[[edit] | [edit source]]

Preparations[[edit] | [edit source]]

During the second half of the 20th century and into the 21st century, fear of a third world war was usually connected to the potential for civilisation-destroying nuclear war. (AUDIO: Protect and Survive) Much of these tensions were caused by the Cold War. (TV: Cold War)

In the 1960s, the United States government built a moonbase on the far side of the Moon using alien technology. It was named after U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The moonbase was designed to contain a viable minimum population. In the event of a nuclear war, the plan was for its inhabitants to eventually return to Earth and rebuild human civilisation. It was destroyed by the Sixth Doctor on 23 November 1963. (AUDIO: 1963: The Space Race)

The United Kingdom kept open the four World War II "citadel" bunkers in London, so the British government could continue operating in a nuclear war. (The British Secret Service quietly built a fifth) Sir Toby Kinsella darkly noted that the government wouldn't be interested in fighting aliens after World War III, instead wanting all the help it could get. (AUDIO: The Fifth Citadel)

Thwarted wars[[edit] | [edit source]]

Citadel Five threatened that unless Britain disarmed its nuclear arsenal, they would flood their reactor and leave the London Underground radioactive. They knew this could trigger a nuclear war with the Soviet Union. This was prevented through deception by Sir Toby. (AUDIO: The Fifth Citadel)

The Doctor prevented this war from breaking out prematurely on several occasions in the late 20th century, (TV: The Mind of Evil, Robot, PROSE: Revolution Man) in two occasions ensuring that an alternate timeline where the war did happen never occurred. Due to the actions of the psychic "Revolution Man" from 1967 to 1969, the nuclear powers grew tenser until missiles were actually fired on 18th May 1969; the Eighth Doctor stopped the missiles from impacting. (PROSE: Revolution Man)

Later, though earlier for the Doctor, war almost broke out between China and the Soviet Union; fighting broke out in southern Asia and South America before Sir Reginald Styles was able to negotiate peace and the crisis cooled, but the Daleks sought to ensure war broke out to weaken Earth. In the Time Paradox Incident, the Third Doctor prevented a group of time-travellers from accidentally assassinating Styles and causing the war. (TV: Day of the Daleks) The United States was also involved and the conflict started over Middle Eastern spheres of influence. (PROSE: Day of the Daleks)

In 1974, American President Richard Nixon intended to destroy Britain through nuclear war in order to prevent the Remoraxians from invading Earth. (COMIC: In With the Tide)

Adam Mitchell claimed that he nearly caused World War III in the late 1990s, when he hacked into American Department of Defense computers. (TV: Dalek)

The Slitheen family tried to cause World War III in 2006 so they could sell Earth's radioactive remains as fuel. They nearly succeeded but were foiled when Mickey Smith blew up 10 Downing Street with a missile on the Ninth Doctor's orders, killing them. (TV: World War Three)

In 2017, American, Russian and Chinese armies were about to meet in Turmezistan. The Monks showed the commanders of the three armies possible future events that would happen if they would not accept Monks' help. Thinking that those events were the result of World War III, Xiaolian proposed other commanders to promise that they will not fight against each other. Don Brabbit and Ilya Svyatoslavovich agreed and shook each other's hands, preventing possible war. (TV: The Pyramid at the End of the World)

In 2084, the Silurians attempted to start a war between the contemporary (human) superpower blocs. The Fifth Doctor stopped them firing Sea Base 4's nuclear missiles. (TV: Warriors of the Deep) Tegan Jovanka would say they prevented the war breaking out. Shortly after, however, a Breaking News tweet reported: "Minister for Peace says world war is now 'inevitable' following discovery of wrecked Sea Base 'full of corpses'." (PROSE: When It Was Fun) The Time Lords believed that the war had in fact been averted. (PROSE: A Sourcebook for Field Agents)

Alternative timelines[[edit] | [edit source]]

In an alternate timeline, WOTAN was successful in taking over the minds of much of the population in 1966. It was destroyed in an uprising in 1969 but left behind a broken world in which international communication and cooperation became non-existent and numerous factions struggled for control. In response to the incident, Britain made radio communications illegal, which later proved to be a large disadvantage. World War III began in the following years, the main fight being between the United Kingdom and South Africa. South Africa made agreements with the Cybermen who occupied the Arctic in 1986, gaining weapons and technology which gave them a huge edge in the fighting. Outmatched, the British, led by the fascist General Louise Bamford, sought to win the war with time travel using Imperial Dalek artefacts recovered from the Shoreditch Incident. In 2006, the South Africans occupied France and began launching bombing raids against Britain as a precursor to an invasion, and when said invasion did come, the British were quickly overcome. Refusing to surrender, Bamford was killed by Griffiths, a double agent working for the South Africans. Their leader dead, the British hurridly began looking for someone to elect so that they may come to armistice terms with South Africa.

The First Doctor, with his companions Susan, Ian and Barbara, as well as Griffiths, averted this timeline when they used Britain's time travel hoop to travel back to October 1972. There, they both destroyed the Dalek artefacts before the time travel experiments could properly begin and had a more positive influence on a younger Bamford, convincing her to aid in the reconstruction of a more positive Britain and more positive world. (PROSE: The Time Travellers) Later in his personal timeline, the First Doctor defeated both WOTAN (TV: The War Machines) and the Cybermen (TV: The Tenth Planet) before either of them could contribute to a third world war.

In another alternative timeline created by the Elder Gods in the hope of destroying Earth, Vladimir Kryuchkov became the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union instead of Mikhail Gorbachev in 1985. On 9 November 1989, World War III broke out between the United States and its allies including the United Kingdom on the one hand and the Soviet Union on the other hand. Given that nuclear weapons were used by both sides, hundreds of millions of people were killed in the conflict. This timeline was ultimately negated by the Seventh Doctor except for in a pocket universe where the Doctor trapped the two Elder Gods responsible and, accidentally, his companions Ace and Hex. (AUDIO: Protect and Survive)

In a third alternative timeline, it was thought that U.S. President John F. Kennedy would have started a nuclear war on 22 January 1964 if he had not been assassinated on 22 November 1963. (PROSE: Who Killed Kennedy)

In another timeline, a 22nd century anti-Dalek resistance fighter named Shura travelled back to the 1970s and set off a dalekanium bomb which destroyed the World Peace Conference. World War III started as various global factions accused each other of having done so. In the aftermath, the Daleks conquered and ruled over the survivors, resulting in the world that Shura had tried to prevent from coming to pass in the first place. However, the Third Doctor undid the damage by ensuring that when the bomb went off, the delegates had already left. The Daleks and Ogrons who had travelled back to the conference were killed by Shura's bomb. (TV: Day of the Daleks)

Behind the scenes[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • The Time Travellers highly implies that the British and South African world war caused by WOTAN was 'supposed' to happen, taking place an original timeline of Earth's history. The First Doctor averting this war and then later defeating WOTAN changed history, creating an 'alternate' timeline in which this third world war never happened, and this became the prime timeline for the Doctor Who universe. The proper Third World War therefore became the pre-25th century war alluded to in Frostfire.