World War III (Star Trek) - Definition and Overview

In the fictional Star Trek universe, a nuclear war between the NATO Allies and the Eastern Coalition that devastated much of Earth took place during the mid-21st Century (estimated as 2050-2053, but never definitively stated onscreen). Some 600 million people died during this war. In the post-atomic horror afterwards, much of Earth reverted to a barbaric state, and legal systems were adopted that ended many individual rights including the right to legal counsel and by 2079, the New United Nations was disbanded after failing to end the war through peace efforts. Earth was still recovering from the nuclear carnage of World War III in 2063, the setting of the movie Star Trek: First Contact.