World War III (The Great Cataclysm)

World War III (WW3 or WWIII) or the Third World War, also referred to as the "Final War", or the "Brink of Apocalypse", was a global conflict that lasted between 2027 and 2031, marking the end of "Pax Americana". It saw participation from over half of the world's countries—including all nuclear powers—engaging either through economic means or direct military effort, eventually forming two opposing alliances: the Allied Coalition and the CSTO. 
The Third World War saw fighting occur on every continent, including minor operations within the Antarctic Circle, making it the most widespread war in history. In a state of total war, almost 2.2 billion people from over 100 nations were mobilized, making it the largest war in human history at the time, surpassing its predecessor, World War II. The main participants invested all available economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities into the war effort, blurring the line between civilian and military resources. The war was marked by the extensive use of ballistic and cruise missiles, automated and autonomous weapon systems, cyber-warfare, hypersonic weaponry, chemical and biological weapons. Nuclear weapons were deployed for the first time since World War II, albeit on a tactical level that stopped short of strategic exchanges. The conflict reached a critical point on 15 March 2031, during the crisis colloquially known as the "Near Apocalypse of '31", when it was thought that, at the time, humanity stood closest to nuclear annihilation. This was narrowly averted through intense diplomatic efforts—and a series of miscommunications—ultimately leading to the cessation of hostilities, and the eventual signing of an armistice. The Third World War was the deadliest conflict in human history, with over 275 million direct casualties, including the victims of various war crimes. Millions more perished in the years after the war, due to famine, disease, massacres, follow-up conflicts, or the long term effects of nuclear, chemical and biological warfare. 
World War III upended the political alignment and social structure of the world, causing the decline of U.S. hegemony on the global stage, increased European military independence from the U.S., the temporary halt of Sino-Russo expansionism, and the strengthening of the Eastern World in terms of economic, political, and military power. Innovation continued during and after the war, setting the foundations of scientific advancements that benefited humanity, but also led to the eventual creation of the next-generation strategic weapon. It also set the stage for the Second Cold-War, various humanitarian crises, and the prevalence of proxy wars. 
== Background ==
== 2027 ==
=== War Begins: Chinese Blockade of Taiwan ===
Category:The Great Cataclysm
Category:World War III