World War III 第三次世界大战
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![If activated, Operation Reforger would have largely consisted of convoys like this one from Operation Earnest Will in 1987, though much larger. While troops could easily fly across the Atlantic, the heavy equipment and armor reinforcements would have to come by sea.](/Images/godic/202502/21/Earnest_Will_Gas_King4949.jpg")
![A Warsaw Pact invasion would have come via three main paths through Germany](/Images/godic/202502/21/Probable_Axes_of_Attack4949.jpg")
![](/Images/godic/202502/21/FS_Redoutable4949.jpg")
World War III (WWIII), also known as the Third World War, is a hypothetical worldwide military conflict subsequent to World Wars I and II. Because of the development and use of nuclear weapons near the end of World War II and their subsequent acquisition and deployment by many countries, it is feared that a Third World War could cause the end of human civilization and most or all human life on Earth. A common hypothesis is that a small number of people could survive such an Armageddon, possibly in deep underground blast shelters or away from Earth, such as on the Moon or Mars or in space vehicles. Another major concern is that biological warfare could cause a very large number of casualties, either intentionally or inadvertently by an accidental release of a biological agent, the unexpected mutation of an agent, or its adaptation to other species after use.