North against South

"I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones."
Albert Einstien

Wars do not only bring about destruction but it also promotes the rapid development of technologies. This phenomena is widely observed in the history of our race and the validity is undeniable but now comes the question if World War III occur will the technological advancements of our race be lifted to a higher playing field or it will cause a damage so severe that it will bring us back in time ?