World War III

For the TV story of the same name, see World War Three.

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

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.

Alternative timelines

In one timeline, Shura, a 22nd century anti-Dalek resistance fighter, 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)