In the envisioned 1950 of High Treason, the world has coalesced into two massive, competing power blocs: the United States of Europe (spanning Europe, India, and Africa) and the Empire of the Atlantic States (comprising the Americas). Earth is a high-tech, highly urbanized landscape where Art Deco skyscrapers dwarf historical landmarks and the skies are filled with buzzing passenger aircraft and personal rocket-cars. Despite the sleek exterior, the world teeters on the edge of a second global conflict, fueled by arms manufacturers and shadowy agitators who view peace as a threat to profit.

Societal dynamics are defined by a sharp tension between state-mandated militarism and a powerful, grassroots pacifist movement known as the Peace League. A notable shift from the 1920s reality is the film's depiction of women's roles; women are shown as politically active leaders and are subject to the same mass conscription as men. Technology serves as the primary tool for both control and communication, with the President of Europe utilizing a centralized television network to mobilize the populace for war, while border security relies on advanced "tele-radiography" to monitor movement between the rival empires.

The film contains several striking technological parallels to real-world developments. Its most famous prediction is the Channel Tunnel, a rail link connecting England and France that wouldn't be realized until 1994; in the film, it serves as the catalyst for war after a terrorist bombing. Additionally, the "televisor" screens used for instantaneous video calling bear a remarkable resemblance to modern services like Skype or Zoom. While its geopolitical prediction of a "United States of Europe" mirrors the eventual formation of the European Union, the film's vision of a prolonged American Prohibition lasting into the 1950s proved to be a significant divergence from actual history.