[Mohoender]

2017
When the even harsher winter is over and once spring planting is finished with, the United States Congress reconvenes for the first time since the exchange of nuclear missiles. Several senators among the surviving ones don’t attend, however, but that doesn’t forbid Senator John Broward (D, Ark), the former governor of Arkansas who appointed himself to fill one of the two vacant senatorial seats, to be elected President by the House of Representatives. General Jonathan Cummings, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, refuses to recognize the constitutional validity of the election, citing the lack of a proper quorum and irregularities in the credentials of the attending congressmen.
(Although Cummings' decision will later be widely criticized, there is much validity to his position. Many congressional seats are disputed; several of the congressmen in attendance are merely self-appointed local strongmen who have gained control of large parts of the old congressional districts, and some have never seen the districts they purport to represent. There is at least one confirmed gunfight between rival claimants to a seat while Congress is in session.)
General Cummings declares a continuation of martial law until such time as a new census is practical, that being necessary for a meaningful reapportionment of congressional seats and presidential electoral votes. President Broward responds with a demand for Cummings' resignation, which Cummings declines to submit. While some military units side with the civilian government, a majority continue to take orders from the Joint Chiefs, particularly those overseas, for two simple reasons. First, the habit of obedience is deeply ingrained, and, in many cases, is all that had allowed units to survive thus far. Second. the Joint Chiefs controls virtually all surviving telecommunications networks.
In North America, the main effect of the split is a further erosion of central authority. Forced to choose between two rival governments (CivGov/Milgov), both with considerable flaws in their claims to legitimacy, many localities simply choose to ignore both. Alaska and Hawaii are de facto independent but support MilGov, Utah and Texas declare independence, and the Confederate Sovereign States (CSS) are formed by Alabama, Geogia, Mississippi and Tennessee. Moreover, New America increases its actions nationwide and establishes protectorates over Maine and Florida. In Canada, Quebec, backed by the Franco-Belgian Union, declares independence.
The surviving foreign and national organizations dealing or concerned with the United States choose between the rival governments. The German government and Her Majesty’s Government in UK continue relations with the Joint Chiefs, while France, the UN office at Geneva, and the various commands from the Balkan recognize the civilian government. The remnants of the Central Intelligence Agency obey the orders of the civilian government, while the National Security Agency, loyal to the Joint Chiefs, organize a field operations branch to replace the CIA "defectors." Officially, forces of the two governments refrain from violent confrontation, but there are sporadic local clashes over key installations, occasional bloody coups within military units, and numerous assassinations and "ditty tricks" by rival intelligence agencies.
In the autumn, the dispatch of troops to Europe resumes, although only as a trickle. A few warships are available as escorts, and various old merchant vessels are pressed into service as transports. Initiated by the civilian government, both governments briefly compete in a struggle to outdo the other, viewing success as a litmus test of their ability to mobilize the nation. In fact, the call-ups affect only the Atlantic coast and lead to widespread resistance. The dispatch of troops, supplies and equipment to Europe makes little sense to most, considering the appalling state of affairs in the United States. The reinforcements send include a small number of light vehicles and ammunition but consist mostly of light infantry. Mortars are becoming the most popular support weapon for troops, as they can be turned out in quantity from small machine shops and garages.
In Europe, the fronts are static for most of the year. Low troop densities mean that infiltration raids become the most common form of warfare. The "front" ceases to be a line and becomes a deep occupied zone, as troops settle into areas and begin farming and small scale manufacturing to meet their supply requirements. Local civilians are hired to farm and carry out many administrative functions in return for security from the increasing numbers of marauders roaming the countryside.

In other areas, the security the military unit provides to its civilians was from the unit itself, a post-nuclear version of the ancient "protection" racket. Many units stationed in barren areas drift apart or turn to marauding when supplies do not arrive. Although a large scale offensive is conducted by the Russians in the scandinavian peninsula but this fails rapidly except for the conquest of Gotland island. The New Kalmar Union is signed between Finland, Norway and Sweden and that provides for some stability in the region.
In Latin America, a short but violent war between Argentina and Brazil results in the last nuclear exchange of the war. Brasilia, Porto Alegre, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, and Sao Paulo are destroyed in Brazil while Bahia Blanca, Buenos Aires, Mar del Plata and Santa Fe are grounded. Large scale riots, then, strike both countries and, as what is left of their respective armies is too weak to face the civil disorder, governmental structures are wiped out. When everything is over, Gangs have taken over the surviving cites, drug cartels are leading the countrysides, and the only legal government that subsist rules over the Amazonas with its capital city at Manaus. Elsewhere in Latin America, guerilla groups and cartels increase their pressure on the remaining governments and only a few islands of stability remains over South and Central America.
In the Middle-East, there still are some continuing operations but the various oponents are slowly reaching some kind of equilibrium. Nevertheless, as this region keeps exploiting a few oil rigs, all commands can maintain some kind of true air cover and naval operation.
In Asia, the fronts are static as in Europe, Japan is devastated and part of its population enters a diaspora, China is in chaos as is most of South East Asia. That part of the region has been spared by the nukes but it follows a path similar to that of Latin America. Finally, a civil war strikes Indonesia and Australia gets and remains involved.
Whatever, the effects of the chaos ensuing from the destruction of world trade and the death of a sizable portion of the population are felt globally. Africa is hit particularly hard, as the war cuts off production and shipment of the HIV anti-virus just as the AIDS active infection rates tops 50%. No territory though, however remote, remains untouched by the war. Even scientific stations in the antarctic, and orbiting space laboratories are abandoned as the war draggs on.

2018
By the spring of 2018, most armies, worldwide, have settled into their new "cantonment" system. Civil authoriiy has virtually ceased to exist. Most military units are practicing extensive local recruiting in an attempt to keep up to strength, and stragglers are often incorporated into units regardless of nationality. Thus, U.S. units contain a wide variety of former NATO and Warsaw Pact soldiers in addition to Americans. Nominal titles of units (brigades. divisions, etc.) have little bearing on the actual size of the unit.
In early summer, the German Third Army, spearheaded by the U.S. Eleventh Corps, moves out of its cantonments on what is to become the last strategic offensives of the war.