World War III was a major global conflict between the United States and a coalition consisting of the Soviet Union and China. An unprecedently disastrous conflict, it soon thereafter led to a rampant increase in crime in the United States, and the subsequent rise of authoritarianism within the country's government, leading to the formation of the United States Police Force. Snake Plissken is a veteran of this conflict, having served in battlegrounds in the Soviet Union. It is implied to still be occurring during the events of the first film. The extent and scale of the war is not elaborated on, and it is not known if it is a conventional or nuclear war, although it is possible that New York City was abandoned and turned into a prison due to destruction from the conflict. By the time of the second film, it is not known if the war is ongoing or has ceased. However, given the fact that no mention of this war is made in this installation of the franchise, with the government much more concerned with an impending attack by several Latin American countries under a revolutionary movement, it is presumable that the war ended. The United States territory of New Vegas, in Thailand, could've possibly been an acquired territory from a victory in this war.