Another modern timeline

[Mohoender]

I hesitated sometimes before posting this but as some of you indirectly fueled my thinking I found it fair to share it with you. I know, someone already told me that timelines are very personnal and I agree; it's my timeline, I'm not saying its free of defaults.

This is the timeline I designed after posting the first one at the now defunct RPG host. At that time some told me that it had some weak points and their observations were right or so I think. Therefore I changed it and came up with that one.

Of course, it still has some weak points to it. The first, is that (unlike with my first timeline) I used and kept some texts of the original T2K v2.0 timeline. My apologies for that but I wanted to go faster, had not enough time to do otherwise, and wanted to keep part of the atmosphere given by the original game. Something else, I used several real life political characters for it. No offense intended and their supposed actions don't reflect what I'm thinking about them as this is fiction (actually, I don't really have an opinion about many of them). Over time, I took them out of the picture as I figure that the point made by 93's game studio was well made on that issue. Another thing, some historical facts have been changed on purpose and do not reflect the reality of recent history while some events of 2008 have been changed very recently with the oportunity given by real life events (that's over now as I posted this).

Anyway, thanks to all for your help about this.


THE 1990's

1989
The year the Cold War ended. All across Europe, communist governments topple in response to pro-democracy demonstrations or, in the case of Rumania, armed insurrection. Voting with their feet, East German citizens flood into the west. In Poland, a number of German ethnic organizations form in response to West Germany's policy of accepting as a German citizen anyone who can prove themselves of Germanic descent (it is rumored that membership in ethnic clubs will be good enough).
The Soviet Union's new policy of encouraging political pluralism in Europe makes the end of Bureaucratic Communism a certainty. Mao Tse Tung's forgotten maxim, "Let 10,000 flowers bloom," becomes reality as dozens of new parties spring into being. The only European communist governments which survive the Revolution of 1989 are those outside the Warsaw Pact: Yugoslavia and Albania. The Berlin wall is torn down in spots, and German reunification is now spoken of openly: The question is no longer "If," but rather "When?" Riots in in the soviet republic of Azerbaijan (over alleged repression of Armenians) require intervention by Soviet troops. As a result,
the republic remains a powderkeg for months.
Elsewhere, the Chinese political reform movement is brutally crushed by government military forces and Tien An Men becomes a symbol. An attempted coup against President Aquino of the Philippines is foiled (with the help of American air cover), and the republic of Panama is invaded by the U.S. to remove the government of Manuel Noriega.

1990
A coalition of opposition parties headed by Violetta Chamorro defeats Daniel Ortega's bid for re-election in Nicaragua. Spring elections in the Soviet republics of Byelorussia, the Ukraine, and the RSFSSR sweep local reform candidates into office. Before, during, and after these elections, ethnic unrest continues to simmer in Azerbaijan, and spreads to the minority republics of Tajikstan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, mostly in the form of ethnic demonstrations and occasional riots. Low-level armed violence spreads throughout the Moslem parts of the Caucasus and Central Asia, although most of it fails to come to the attention of the rest of the world, who are distracted by events in Germany.
Iraq stuns the West by invading Kuwait in August. With the Soviet Union in disarray, the world rallies behind US leadership in resisting Iraqi aggression, and troops from three dozen countries, a few of them still formally members of the Warsaw Pact, pour into Saudi Arabia.
The long awaited (and long-feared, in some circles) reunification of Germany becomes reality in October. The four power conferences (representing the United States, the United Kingdom, the USSR, and France) that recognize the inevitable, also guarantee Poland’s territorial integrity. As a part of the agreement, NATO troops will maintain a presence in the newly unified republic (the only way some European nations will agree to the deed). Officialy, the newly united Germany renounces any territorial claims outside of its post-WWII boundaries, but asserts continued interest in the welfare of ethnic Germans living outside of Germany. Membership in German ethnicorganizations in western Poland grows, particularly in Silesia.
Poland attempts to negotiate a border treaty with Byelorussia, but it is rebuffed and the official Byelorussian statement describes the city of Bialystok as “occupied” by Poland. Later in the year, Romania refuses a summit offer by Hungary to discuss the condition of ethnic Hungarians living in Romania. By the end of the year, Soviet troop withdrawals are under way from Germany, Poland, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia.


1991
In January, the Gulf Coalition began a stunning aerial offensive against Iraq and followed it up with a blitzkrieg ground war in February which liberated Kuwait and crushed the flower of the Iraqi Army. Although Saddam remained in power, his authority was reduced to the central third of his nation and his military was no longer capable of aggression against neighboring states.
In March, both Croatia and Slovenia secede from Yugoslavia, and Bosnia-Hercegovenia follows in short order. Violence soon broke out between the Serbian dominated federal government and militias of the breakaway states.
Ethnic and religious violence in the Central Asian republics of the Soviet Union escalates, and the Soviet Union increases its troop withdrawal schedule in order to use the forces inside its own borders. Fighting is particularly heavy between Armenians and Azeris in the enclave of Nagorno Karabak. As the republics seize greater autonomy, Gorbachev continued to vacillate between an all-out drive for reform and an all-out commitment to a strong central government in the old style. Nevertheless, Gorbachev hold to his previous line and the Sino-Russian Border Agreement is signed in May. On July 1 the old Warsaw Pact is formally abolished, the last straw for many Moscow hardliners. In August the hardliners try to seize power.
On August 19th, elements of the Taman Guards and Kantemir Motor Rifle Divisions move into the center of Moscow and seize the most important public buildings and radio stations. An eight-member Emergency Committee deposes Gorbachev (for "reasons of health") and bans strikes, protests, or public assemblies. Defiant protesters gather at the Soviet Parliament building, along with a few dissident military units and a cadre of armed Afghan War veterans, to defend Yeltsin and the Parliament. This move is a success and the troops withdraw.
On August 24th Gorbachev resign from the CPSU and, the following day, President Yeltsin nationalize the properties of the CPSU. The CPSU is disolved on November 6th. On August 24th, Ukraine adopted Declaration of Independence of Ukraine and called for a referendum on support of the Declaration of Independence. On August 27th, Moldava declared independence. On September 6th the newly created Soviet State Council recognized the independence of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. This move continued with Tadjikistan, Armenia and Turkmenistan.
On December 8th, the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus (which adopted that name in August 1991) Boris Yeltsin, Leonid Kravchuk and Stanislav Shushkevich met in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, where they created the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and annulled the 1922 union treaty that had established the Soviet Union. Another signing ceremony was held in Alma-Ata on December 21th to expand the CIS to include the five republics of Central Asia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.

1992
In February and March, democratic governments win elections in both Bulgaria and Albania. At the same time Bosnia demands that Yugoslavian federal troops withdraw from the province, a request which the Serbian-dominated central government refuses. At last, the United Nations Security Council approves United Nations Resolution 743 to send a UNPROFOR peacekeeping force to Yugoslavia. On April 5th, Serb troops, following a mass rebellion of Serbs in Bosnia and Herzegovina against the Bosnian declaration of independence from Yugoslavia, besiege the city of Sarajevo. Meanwhile, Greece and the new government of Albania sign a border treaty providing at least one point of stability in the region.
By mid-year, Slovakian separatists have gained enough seats in the Czech parliamentary elections to force the division of the country into two sovereign states: Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Catalan and Basque separatists in Spain accelerate their demands for independence. Turkish and Iraqi Kurds become increasingly active and Turkish military sweeps of Turkish Kurdistan are hampered by the ability of guerrillas to seek sanctuary in the UN protected northern third of Iraq.

The exposure of long-time links between the Mafia and key figures in the Italian government causes ascandal which shakes the very foundations of post-war Italian politics as well as crippling its economy. As the Lira loses value against every other western currency, there is open talk in industrialized and wealthy northern ltaly of secession from Southern Italy.
During the year, several major treaties are signed. In Europe, the Maastricht Treaty is founding the European Union. The People's Republic of China ratifies the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and it is the first country to admit the idea of not using nuclear weapon against a country which doesn’t hold such weapons. In the meantime, Deng Xiaoping accelerates market reforms to establish a socialist market economy in the People's Republic of China.
Russia meet with general success in holding down the Central Asian unrest and strong ties are built again with these former soviet republics. Boris Yeltsin announces that Russia will stop targeting United States cities with nuclear weapons. On May 5, Russian leaders in Crimea declare their separation from Ukraine as a new republic but they withdraw the secession on May 10.
In the United States, Bill Clinton defeats incumbent U.S. President George H.W. Bush and businessman H. Ross Perot. By the end of the year, UN Security Council Resolution 794 is passed, approving a coalition of United Nations peacekeepers led by the United States to form UNITAF, tasked with ensuring humanitarian aid gets distributed and establishing peace in Somalia. U.S. military forces land in that country on December 4th.
El Salvador officials and rebel leaders sign a pact ending a 12-years civil war.

1993
The year starts upon several major events. On January 1th, Slovakia and the Czech Republic separate in the so-called Velvet Divorce. On the same day, the European Community eliminates trade barriers and creates a European single market. On February 5, Belgium becomes a federal state rather than a kingdom, shortly before Albert II becomes king.
On January 3rd, in Moscow, George H. W. Bush and Boris Yeltsin sign the second Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. This is signed two weeks before Bill Clinton succeeds George H.W. Bush as the 42nd President of the U.S. Later, on September 5th, a war starts in Abkhazia and Eduard Shevardnadze accuses Russia of passive complicity. A month later, a Russian constitutional crisis culminates with Russian military and security forces clearing the White House of Russia Parliament building by force, squashing a mass uprising against President Boris Yeltsin.
There are renewed tensions in Asia when North Korea announces that it plans to withdraw from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and refuses to allow inspectors access to nuclear sites. On an other hand, hope rises again when the Cambodian monarchy is restored, with Norodom Sihanouk as king.
In Africa, at the beginning of the year, Eritrea gains independence from Ethiopia. In October, A large scale battle erupts between U.S. forces and local militia in Mogadishu, Somalia; 19 Americans and 500 Somalis are killed.
In the Middle-East, President Bill Clinton orders a cruise missile attack on Iraqi intelligence headquarters in the Al-Mansur District of Baghdad, in response to the attempted assassination of former U.S. President George H. W. Bush during his visit to Kuwait in mid-April. In September, PLO leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin shake hands in Washington D.C., after signing a peace accord.
Some other major events are marking the year. The World Health Organization declares tuberculosis a Global Emergency. The World Wide Web is born at CERN. Benazir Bhutto becomes the first elected woman to lead a post-colonial Muslim state, in Pakistan.

1994
In January, U.S. President Bill Clinton and Russian President Boris Yeltsin sign the Kremlin Accords, which stop the preprogrammed aiming of nuclear missiles toward each country's targets, and also provide for the dismantling of the nuclear arsenal in Ukraine.

A similar treaty is signed when Russia and the People's Republic of China agree to de-target their nuclear weapons against each other. The situation gets a little hotter for Russia, nevertheless, when, in December, Russian president Boris Yeltsin orders troops into Chechnya.
In Europe, The Channel Tunnel, which took 15,000 workers over seven years to complete, opens between England and France, enabling passengers to travel between the two countries in 35 minutes. The Provisional Irish Republican Army announces a "complete cessation of military operations."
In the USA, on January 1st, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) goes into effect with Between US, Canada and Mexico. On the same day, the Zapatista Army of National Liberation begins their war in Chiapas, Mexico.
In the Middle East, the road to peace seems to continue. Israel and Jordan sign the Israel-Jordan Treaty of Peace, which formally ends the state of war that has existed between the nations since 1948.
In Africa, U.S. troops are withdrawn from Somalia in March. In April 6th, Rwandan President Juvénal Habyarimana and Burundi President Cyprien Ntaryamira die when a missile shoots down their jet near Kigali, Rwanda. This is taken as a pretext to begin the Rwandan Genocide. While this ethnic war goes on, South Africa holds its first fully multiracial elections and Nelson Mandela is inaugurated as South Africa's first Black president. The Angolan government and UNITA rebels sign the Lusaka Protocol in an attempt to end the Angolian Civil War.

1995
The year is relatively quite and most events are taking place in Europe. On January 1st, Austria, Finland and Sweden enter the European Union. The Schengen Agreement, easing cross-border travel, goes into effect in several European countries. On December 14th, the Dayton Peace Agreement is signed in Paris, ending the Bosnian War.
Sadly, this optimistic year is shaded when Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin is assassinated at a peace rally in Tel Aviv.

1996-1998
Outside some minor events in Africa and the taking of Kabul by the Talibans, it seems that the world will enter a long period of Peace. The first Chechnya War comes to an end. At the urging of Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian Liberation Organisation drops its clause calling for the removal of Israel. The Israeli government responds by dropping a similar clause concerning the existence of Palestine. Peace talks begin in Northern Ireland but they are held without Sinn Féin. A permanent peace agreement is signed at the Malacañang Palace between the Government of the Philippines and the Moro National Liberation Front. Guatemala and the leaders of the Guatemalan National Revolutionary Union sign a peace accord that ends a 36-year civil war. Bill Clinton is reelected as president of the U.S.

1999
This year will be a time of change again and it will slowly end the world’s hope for a long term global peace.
This changes can be felt through NATO. It is growing with Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic joining in March 12th and it takes a major turn when it launches air strikes against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia on March 24th. A peace treaty is signed on June 9th.
The world’s attention was kept on Kosovo but some other major events are under way. In South America, Hugo Chavez becomes President of Venezuela. The Indian Air Force launches an attack on intruding Pakistan Army troops and mujahadeen militants in Kashmir and various incidents occur between the two countries as Pervez Mushharraf takes control over Pakistan. Hundreds of Chechen guerrillas invade the Russian republic of Dagestan, triggering a short war known as the second Chechen War. Finally, on December 31st, Boris Yeltsin resigns as President of Russia, leaving Prime Minister Vladimir Putin as the acting President.

2000
As Millennium celebrations are taking place throughout the world, Israel and Syria hold inconclusive peace talks. In July, Israel's prime minister Ehud Barak and PLO head Yasser Arafat meet at Camp David, but fail to reach an agreement. On September 28th, Israeli opposition leader Ariel Sharon visits the Temple Mount, protected by a several-hundred-strong Israeli police force. Palestinian riots erupt, leading into a full-fledged armed uprising called the Al-Aqsa Intifada
On March 26th, Vladimir Putin is elected President of Russia but he will be underestimated by the other world leaders after a major submarine accident. Indeed, on August 12th, the Russian submarine K-141 Kursk sinks in the Barents Sea, resulting in the deaths of all 118 men on board.
In Europe, on October 5th, President Slobodan Miloševic' leaves office after widespread demonstrations throughout Serbia.
In the USA, Republican candidate Texas Governor George W. Bush defeats Democratic Vice President Al Gore in the closest election in history, but the final outcome is not known for over a month because of disputed votes in Florida.
On October 12th, in Aden, Yemen, the USS Cole is badly damaged by two suicide bombers, who placed a small boat laden with explosives alongside the United States Navy destroyer, killing 17 crew members and wounding at least 39.

[Mohoender]

2001
Some crisis appear from the beginning of this year but they will be forgotten when this year becomes a turning point on September 11th. On that day, Almost 3,000 are killed in attacks at the World Trade Center in New York City, The Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and in rural Shanksville, Pennsylvania after American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175 crash into the World Trade Center's Twin Towers in New York City, American Airlines Flight 77 crashes into the Pentagon, and United Airlines Flight 93 crashes into a grassland in Pennsylvania. The world is astonished and hold its breath but the crisis continues when anthrax attacks are launched through contaminated letters.

On October 7th, The United States invades Afghanistan, with participation from other nations participating in Operation Enduring Freedom. Taliban forces abandon Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, ahead of advancing Afghan Northern Alliance troops, who take the city on November 14th. Finally, on December 22nd, Hamid Karzai is sworn in as head of the interim government in Afghanistan.
Things are turning sour in the US and on October 10th, U.S. President George W. Bush presents a list of 22 most wanted terrorists. On October 26th, U.S. president George W. Bush signs the USA PATRIOT Act into law. On December 13th, U.S. President George W. Bush announces the United States' withdrawal from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.

2002
Euro notes and coins are issued in France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Finland, Luxembourg, Belgium, Austria, Ireland and in the Netherlands. Camp Delta is established at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. The UN Security Council unanimously establishes an arms embargo and freezes the assets of Osama bin Laden, Al-Qaeda, and the Taliban. In September, U.S. President George W. Bush addresses the U.N., and challenges its members to confront the "grave and gathering danger" of Iraq, or stand aside as the United States and likeminded nations act. On December 7th, as required by the recently passed U.N. resolution, Iraq files a 12,000 page weapons declaration with the U.N. Security Council.
On May 23rd, the U.S. State Department releases a report naming states state sponsors of terrorism: Iran, Iraq, Cuba, Libya, North Korea, Sudan, and Syria. On October 2nd, The Congress of the United States passes a joint resolution, which authorizes the President to use the United States Armed Forces as he deems necessary and appropriate, against Iraq. A month later, the U.S. Republican Party maintains control of the House of Representatives and gains control of the United States Senate. On November 27th, U.S. President George W. Bush signs the Homeland Security Act into law, establishing the Department of Homeland Security, in the largest U.S. government reorganization since the creation of the Department of Defense in 1947.
Elsewhere in the world, FARC kidnaps Ingrid Betancourt in Colombia while she campaigns for the presidency. On September 19th, a civil war starts in Côte d'Ivoire. On November 7th, Iran bans the advertising of United States products.

2003
The year starts with growing fear about a new war in Iraq. This is opposed by several countries including China, France, Germany, and Russia. Nevertheless, the USA are going on with the project and, on February 5th, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell addresses the UN Security Council on Iraq. On February 15th, there are global protests against the Iraq war: More than 10 million people protest in over 600 cities worldwide, the largest war protest to take place before the war occurs.
On March 1st, The Turkish parliament vetoes U.S. troop access to airbases in Turkey in order to attack Iraq from the north. The Bush administration starts working on Plan B, namely attacking Iraq from the south, through the Persian Gulf. On March 12th, British prime minister Tony Blair proposes an amendment to the possible 18th U.N. resolution, which would call for Iraq to meet certain benchmarks to prove that it was disarming. The amendment is immediately rejected by France, who promises to veto any new resolution.
On March 16th, the leaders of the United States, Britain, Portugal, and Spain meet at a summit in the Azores Islands. U.S. President Bush calls March 17th the "moment of truth", meaning that the "coalition of the willing" will make its final effort to extract a resolution from the UN Security Council, giving Iraq an ultimatum to disarm immediately or be disarmed by force. This path of action changes on the next day when U.S. President George W. Bush gives an ultimatum: Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein and his sons must either leave Iraq, or face military action at a time of the U.S.'s choosing. Finally, on March 18th, the Parliament of the United Kingdom votes in favour of a motion understood as giving the government final authority to join the invasion of Iraq.

On March 19th, The first American bombs drop on Baghdad after Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and his sons do not comply with U.S. President George W. Bush's 48-hour mandate demanding their exit from Iraq. The next day, Land troops from the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invade Iraq. On April 9th, U.S. forces seize control of Baghdad, ending the regime of Saddam Hussein. On May 1st, U. S. president George W. Bush lands on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, where he gives a speech announcing the end of major combat in the 2003 Invasion of Iraq. A banner behind him declares "Mission Accomplished". On December 13th, Saddam Hussein, former President of Iraq, is captured in Tikrit by the U.S. 4th Infantry Division.
On March 23rd, as the world is turned toward Iraq, a new Chechen constitution is passed in a controversial referendum which international observers describes as deeply flawed. It goes into force on april 2nd and on that same day the Russian army launches a major offensive on the Chechen separatist. This end in bloodshed but it fails to attract the world attention except for France and Sweden. As a result, in these two countries, several equipments are stored instead of being scrapped.
In August, the UN authorizes an international peacekeeping force for Liberia and NATO takes over command of the peacekeeping force in Afghanistan, marking its first major operation outside Europe in its 54-year-history.
On November 23th, The Georgian Rose Revolution ends with overwhelming victory and president Eduard Shevardnadze resigns following weeks of mass protests over fraudulent elections. He will be replaced by Mikhail Sakkachvili.
At a very different level, on February 26th, An American businessman is admitted to the Vietnam France Hospital in Hanoi, Vietnam with the first identified case of SARS. On July 5th, SARS is declared to be contained by the World Health Organization (WHO).

2004
In the Middle East, the guerilla war continues in Iraq. Conservatives win a majority in the Iranian parliament election. In April, Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse in Iraq is revealed on the television show 60 Minutes II.
In the USA, CIA admits that there was no imminent threat from weapons of mass destruction before the 2003 invasion of that country. U.S. President George W. Bush defeats Senator John Kerry. Republicans make gains in the House and Senate. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell submits his resignation. He is replaced by Condoleezza Rice.
In Europe, the French National Assembly votes to pass a law banning religious items and clothing from schools. Simultaneous explosions on rush hour trains in Madrid kill 190 people and increase the fear over terrorism. A pogrom-like organized violence breaks out over 2 days in Kosovo. Nineteen people are killed, 139 Serbian homes burned, schools and businesses vandalized, and over 30 Orthodox monasteries and churches burned and destroyed. The largest expansion to date of the European Union takes place, extending the Union by 10 member-states: Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, Malta and Cyprus.
In Russia, Vladimir Putin easily wins a second term. In June, serious tensions begin to rise as the Georgian authorities strengthen their efforts to bring South Ossetia back under Tbilisi rule. Sporading fightings occur with the Russian and Moscow, claiming that it is facing terrorism launches a number of air strike on Geogia. The western world condemn this move and most NATO members put a stop to arm reduction plans when it is proven that Russia is slowly rebuilding its military.
In Côte d'Ivoire, National Army bombings kill 9 people, including French UN soldiers. French UN forces retaliate by destroying the National Army's air force.
On December 26th, one of the worst natural disasters in recorded history hits Southeast Asia when the strongest earthquake in 40 years hits the entire Indian Ocean region. The massive 9.3 magnitude earthquake, epicentered just off the west coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, generates enormous tsunami waves that crash into the coastal areas of a number of nations including Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Malaysia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Indonesia. The official death toll stands at 186,983 while more than 40,000 people are still missing.

2005
In Europe, UK, the controversial Prevention of Terrorism Act of 2005 is given Royal Assent after one of the longest ever sittings by the House of Lords. A French referendum on the European Constitution votes resoundingly to reject it; it is followed by the Dutch. Four explosions - 3 on the London Underground and 1 on a bus - rock the transport network in London, killing 56 and injuring over 700. France experiences several days of civil unrest
In the USA, At least 1,836 are killed, and severe damage is caused along the U.S. Gulf Coast, as Hurricane Katrina strikes coastal areas from Louisiana to Alabama, and travels up the entire state of Mississippi (flooding coast 31 feet/10 m), affecting most of eastern North America. On October 26th, the U.S. death toll in Iraq reaches 2,000.
In the Middle East, Mahmoud Abbas is elected to succeed Yasser Arafat as Palestinian Authority President. A massive suicide bomb blast in central Beirut kills the former Prime Minister of Lebanon Rafik Hariri and at least 15 other people. At least 135 other people are also hurt. After this, facing international pressure, Syria withdraws the last of its 14,000 troop military garrison in Lebanon, ending its 29 year military domination of that country. King Fahd of Saudi Arabia dies, succeeded by his half-brother Abdullah of Saudi Arabia; the reigning family is weakened.
In Asia, North Korea announces that it possesses nuclear weapons as a protection against the hostility it feels from the United States but agrees to stop building nuclear weapons in exchange for aid and cooperation. The People's Republic of China ratifies an anti-secession law, aimed at preventing Taiwan from declaring independence. Peace Mission 2005, the first joint China-Russia military exercise, begins its 8-day training on the Shandong peninsula.
The Pakistan Army opens fire on insurgents in Baluchistan, in the first armed uprising since General Rahimuddin Khan's stabilization of the province in 1978.
The Kyoto Protocol goes into effect, without the support of the United States and Australia. The United Nations warns that about 90 million Africans could be infected with HIV in the future, without further action against the spread of the disease. Pope Benedict XVI (Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger) succeeds Pope John Paul II, becoming the 265th pope.

[Mohoender]

2006
In the Middle East, Hamas wins the majority of seats in the Palestinian Legislative Council elections. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is removed from office after four months in a coma. The President of Iran confirms that Iran has successfully produced a few grams of low-grade enriched uranium and Iran successfully test-fires 3 new models of sea missiles in a show of force to assert its military capacities in the Gulf.. Israeli troops invade Lebanon in response to Hezbollah kidnapping two Israeli soldiers and killing 3. Hezbollah declares open war against Israel 2 days later. 33 days later, the conflict ends with a first true defeat for IDF. On December 30th, Saddam Hussein, former Iraq president, is executed in Baghdad.
In Asia, A state of emergency is declared in the Philippines, after an alleged coup d'état against President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is foiled. North Korea claims to have conducted its first ever nuclear test.
In the USA, the two remaining Iowa-class battleships, along with several smaller ships awaiting scrapping, are now undergoing refit. The population reaches 300 million based on a United States Census Bureau projection. Democrats win control of both houses of Congress for the first time since 1994. In an unprecedented move in modern US history, eight retired generals and admirals call for Rumsfeld to resign in early 2006 in what is called the "Generals Revolt," accusing him of "abysmal" military planning and lack of strategic competence. On November 1st, President Bush states that he would stand by Rumsfeld as defense secretary for the length of his term and the U.S. Defense Secretary is confirmed. Later it will be revealed that he wrote a resignation letter that was refused by President Bush.
In the Caucasus, the former Soviet republic of South Ossetia holds a referendum on independence from Georgia. This is widely condemned by the western world but Moscow and several of the former soviet republic recognize the new country.

In South America, Bolivian President Evo Morales nationalizes his nation's gas fields. President Alvaro Uribe Velez is re-elected in Colombia for a second term and becomes the first president in over a century to serve consecutive terms. Alan Garcia, leader of the APRA (Alianza Popular Revolucionaria Americana), a left wing Peruvian political party, becomes president of Peru. Hugo Chávez is re-elected President of Venezuela.

2007
In Europe, Romania joins the European Union but a crisis strikes Bulgaria. President Georgi Parvanov was not reelected, and the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) assumes full control under the rule of a new President: a young political figure raised in Moscow. As a result, Bulgaria resigns from NATO, turns back to Russia and starts building up its military again, starting the first of what is now known as the European crisis. Britain expels four Russian diplomats in response to a refusal by the Russians to extradite Andrei Lugovoi, suspected to be behind the murder of former KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko in London. British troops were to withdraw from the Basra region of Iraq but this action is cancelled and reinforcements are sent instead. On December 13th, European leaders sign the Treaty of Lisbon in order to reach agreement on the modification of the EU institutions.
Despite what was promised, NATO has kept growing over the year and plans are now made to incorporate Georgia and Ukraine. This is too much for Russia and the presidency issues a decree by which the country withdraws from the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe and several units are deployed to the west again. Moreover, the Prime Minister of Russia issues a statement, revealing that Russia is to resume the flight exercises of its Strategic bombers in remote areas. The flights were suspended in 1991 after the Collapse of the Soviet Union. Finally, On September 11th, Russia unveils the FOAB (Father of All Bombs), a high power conventional bomb with a blast of 44 tons TNT, while several new design are put into production.
In Asia, China successfully tests a ground-based ballistic missile capable of destroying satellites in orbit, drawing criticisms from other countries. North Korea refuses to shut down its nuclear facilities in Yongbyon and turns away from all negociation, turning again on Russia and receiving an energy aid equivalent to 50,000 tons of heavy fuel oil.
In the USA, in Spring, the U.S. President announces a plan to station 21,500 additional troops in Iraq. Then, following the events involving Korea and Russia, he addresses the nation toward the end of the year and states that “The Free World is facing a new challenge as Russia is initiating a new arm race. We need to stand up again as the treacherous forces of the world are revealing themselves to all.”
In Pakistan, Former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto is assassinated, and at least 20 others are killed by a bomb blast at an election rally in Rawalpindi.
In Latin America, the Sandinistas are back in power. The Venezuelan National Assembly gives the President the power to rule by decree for 18 months. Almost at the same moment, the Venezuelian President calls for a regional conference attended by most leaders of Latin America with the notable exception of those from Colombia and Mexico. The conference ends a regional agreement and with the creation of the Latin Socialist Union, an organization including only part of those who attended and intended to promote economical and technical collaboration among its members: Bolivia, Cuba, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Peru and Venezuela.

2008
In January, the price of petroleum hits $100 per barrel for the first time. Stock markets around the world plunge amid growing fears of a U.S. recession, fueled by the 2007 subprime mortgage crisis. The western world slowly enters a major economical crisis. Rising food and fuel prices trigger riots and unrest in the Third World.
In Africa, a peace deal ends the Kivu conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo but peace doesn’t last and rebellions grow again in the eastern part of the country. The UN commits more than 20,000 troops to the region but fails to resolve the conflict. Meanwhile, piracy increases constantly in the Gulf of Aden and Mauritania falls to a military coup.

In Pakistan, on August 18th, Pervez Musharraf resigns from the post of President of Pakistan under impeachment pressure from the coalition government. a moderate is elected in his place but many already regrets Musharraf’s regime. The country is increasingly unstable and the numerous air strike conducted by U.S. over the tribal regions areworsening the situation further. Moreover, toward the end of the year, a massive terrorist attack is launched in Bombay and tensions between India and Pakistan are revived.
In Latin America, PDVSA, a state oil company in Venezuela, suspends sales of crude oil to ExxonMobil. Fidel Castro announces his resignation as President of Cuba, effective on February 24th and a young leader of the party is unanimously elected as President of Cuba by the National Assembly. Venezuela and Ecuador move troops to the Colombian border following a Colombian raid against FARC guerrillas inside Ecuador's national territory in which senior commander Raúl Reyes was killed. In July, an attempt is made at rescuing several hostages from the FARC but that fails and all hostages are killed by Colombian security forces. This results in a local crisis that force Washington to increase its military support to that country.
In Asia, Demonstrations by Tibetan separatists turn violent as rioters target government and Han Chinese-owned buildings. The Chinese repression is condemened by all western countries but the games are not boycotted. However, several political leaders, including the French and American presidents refuse to attend the opening ceremonies and conduct negociations with the Dalai Lama. This is taken as an insult by the Chinese President and by a majority of the Chinese people. Following, the end of the games, there is an increase in military enrollment and China starts its own military built up, increasing its collaboration with Russia.
Moreover, on the opening day of the Olympic Games at Beijing, August 7th, the South Ossetia War begins as Georgia launches an offensive inside that separatist region. Russia reacts with brutal force and the world slowly slips toward global conflict. On August 12th, the Russian President said that he had ordered an end to military operations in Georgia. On the same day, he approved a six-point peace plan brokered by the President-in-Office of the European Union in Moscow; both sides were to sign it by the 17th. Everyone starts to think that the crisis was over but that was far from the truth. The USA and the EU had shown a wide support to Georgia, Russia grows tired of this and, on August 26th, it unilaterally recognizes the independence of the other Georgian breakaway republic of Abkhazia.
In addition, at the beginning of September, Russia receives support from several former soviet republics: Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kirgizhistan, Tadjikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan. On September 9th, the President-in-Office of the EU is again at Moscow where he receives word that the Russians will have withdrawn all their troops by mid-October. However, when October 15th come, the Russian troops remain in place and Syria also recognizes the republic’s independence, getting military support from the Kremlin in return.
In Europe, early in the year, Kosovo formally declares independence from Serbia, with support from EU but opposition from others. As a result, after the Georgian crisis, the Serbian President signs a Mutual Defense Treaty with Russia. Ireland votes to reject the Treaty of Lisbon, in the only referendum to be held by a European Union member state on the treaty and starts the Second European Crisis. Meanwhile, Russia stages the largest naval exercise since the fall of the Soviet Union in the Bay of Biscay. The Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov, along with 11 support vessels and 47 long-range bomber aircraft, practises strike tactics off the coast of France and Spain, and test-launched nuclear-capable missiles on foreign waters.
The financial and economical crisis accelerate toward fall and the stock markets plunged even more than in the Spring. In the U.S. the public plans designed to save the finacial world seem not to be working entirely and several banks are facing bankrupcy. In mid-November, the crisis goes to the large industries and unemployment grows more quickly. In Europe the finacial plan proposed by Nicolas Sarkozy is refused by a large part of the EU members and that starts the Third European Crisis. Christmas time doesn’t change anything and the people consumption goes down tremendously. Moreover, throughout fall, as oil price is going down again, the OPEP reduces its production while Russia switches part of its exports to China, in return for a fixed price.

In November, the world forgets the crisis for a time as it turns its attention to the American presidential elections that are confortably won by a Democrat candidate who gather all the hope on his shoulders. In early December, the elected-President annouces that he will replace Donald Rumsfeld (Secretary of Defense) and the Secretary of State. Both of the new secretaries are Republicans and the President explains that in the face of the current crisis they appeared to him as the wisest choice. In the meantime, multiple actions are still taking place at the diplomatic level: France joins NATO integrated command again and a special U.S. ambassador adresses the UN after the terrorist attack that stroke Bombay in late November. In front of the assembly, the U.S. ambassador states the following: “Again you are witnessing what terrorism is all about. Nevertheless, many still refuse to trust what is right for the people of the world. I’ll add that if people facing an oppressive regime have the right to self determination, democracies are a shield to oppression and democracies’ territorial integrity has to be respected under all circumstances. Anyone opposing democracy with the force of arms is a terrorist. Sadly, UN has often given its support to terrorists”. Several countries, including China and Russia, are outraged and the world starts to worry. Before New Year’s Eve, the stock market goes down even more, the dollars falls down in front of euros, and the oil prices start to rise again.

2009
When the new President gets into office, on January 20th, he is facing a major crisis. U.S. Car makers are going to banckrupcy, the Japanese are closing their factories all over the country and unemployement is now skyrocketing. Washington tries to soften the crisis by taking over part of the car industry but GDP is decreasing fast. As a result, the debt grows to unprecedented level, China gets more and more U.S. state bonds, and even Russia lends money to U.S. administration.
In Europe, the situation is not much better. Ireland and Iceland are both going bankrupt despite help from the FMI. Various industries are suffering and unemployment soon reaches 10% of the population but the general situation remains better than in the U.S. as no major actor goes to banckrupcy. However, at the political level, the EU is more and more devided and it fails to take any cohesive decision .
Then, a diplomatic crisis is appearing in top of that when, on February 22nd, Russian leaders from Crimea declare their independence from Ukraine and ask for Russia’s protection. On the 24th, a number of Russian units enter Crimea but no fightings take place. On the next day, Ukraine calls for NATO assitance but the west is devided and concentrating on their own problems. Nevertheless, U.S. President calls for the Russian troops to leave Crimea but this call is ignored by the Kremlin which, in addition, shut down all gas export to Ukraine. On March 10th, after more than a month of negociation, both the USA and the EU stop all exportations to Russia. This was expected to end the crisis but it only increases it as Russia turns on China. A new commercial agreement is quickly signed between the two giants and that affects even more the world economy. As China increases its exports to Russia, it reduces slightly its exports to the West. As a result, by the end of June, inflation is going up by 10%, the western economy is losing 20% of its monetary value, and oil market is up to 180$ a barrel. Hopefully, India pushes its production and that slows down the effect of the Sino-Russian Trade Union.
Over time, the crisis is putting more and more strain to the ongoing military efforts of the U.S. and NATO in Iraq and Afghanistan. Washington is unable to send the planned reinforcement and, looking for support, the U.S. President, in agreement with the Iraqi government in Baghdad, asks for more authonomy to the Kurdish. Moreover, he strongly warns Turkey about any more actions taht would be taken over the Iraqi border. That infuriates the Turkish President, Turkey resigns from NATO and it closes the Bosphorus to all NATO military shipping.
On August 4th, in the middle of increasing tensions Russia and its allies meet at Astrakhan. On August 9th, the Chinese and Russian Presidents announce the creation of an abusively called Warsaw Pact 2. This military alliance is signed primarily between Russia and China but it includes also several other countries : Belarus, Bulgaria, Kazakstan, Kirghizistan, Mongolia, Syria, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

Immediatly, they forbid NATO to supply its forces in Afghanistan through their territories. In addition to this, a growing instability starts to shake Pakistan and, as a result, NATO high command is facing increasing difficulties and casualties in that country. On December 11th, despite what was said by the U.S. President a year earlier, they withdraw from Afghanistan and Hamid Karzai regime is left to its own.
Another move from the countries in Warsaw Pact 2 is to accelerate their new arm building. In Russia and China the most recent design are going out of the production lines at an increased rate: Type 99 MBT, Balck Eagle MBT, BMP-3, BTR-90, Su-34, Su-30MK, J-10, Borey-class... All countries in the Pact are receiving new equipments and many of their ancient ones are being refited. In addition, China transfers the aircraft carrier Varyag to the Russian Pacific Fleet while Russia starts building a two other aircraft carriers: the “Orel” and “Ulyanovsk”. Meanwhile Russia is sending teams of specialists in order to help the Chinese refit the Kiev and the Minsk.
In the West, all leaders are well aware of the danger, but the reactions are largely different from one country to another. Everywhere, equipments that were to be scrapped are being stored. Germany and the countries of eastern Europe, not as hardly touched by the crisis, are increasing their arm production and expending their arm forces. France renounces to reduce its armed forces any further and a sister ship to the Charles de Gaulle is being built while the Foch is refited in order to be put back in action. The United Kingdom and Spain, more weakened than other EU members, have limited path of actions but UK accelerates the work on the ordered carrier and buys a number of equipements from abroad. In the USA, the financial and economical doom that country is facing forces the U.S. administration to refuse any major changes concerning defense. Nevertheless, the President launches a major naval refitting program and all ships that still can be refited are to be put in reserve. Taking this decision, he forces the various shipyards to draw on the people that had lost their jobs in the car industry.

2010
This is a year of ever growing tensions. The USA are not yet recovering from depression and the GDP growth rate is largely negative and businesses continue to go bankrupt. However, the refiting program launched for the navy has limited the unemployment growth and wages are more stable. Nevertheless, the U.S. President still has to slow down various military programs and the Joint Strike Fighter project is postpone. The sole exceptions are the small nuclear warheads made again to be fitted with tomahawks, and the ABM shield deployed in eastern Europe and in the USA. In addition, plans are made to quickly expand the Army and the Air Force in case of needs. Pulling out of Iraq has proved impossible, however, and the U.S. forces remain overstreched there while the continuous operations are costing all of the available money.
The EU, on the other hand, is already showing some signs of recovering as employment stabilises again while the GDP growth rate remains only slightlly negative. The effects on the armed forces are quick to come and they are now expending in every country if slowly. The Eurofighter and the Rafale continue to come out of production lines and older aircrafts are undergoing refit, allowing for a quick increase in various Air Forces. France launches a third aircraft carrier, modeled on the British design, to be named Clemenceau and the Foch achieves refit. However, the UK pushes again the work on their new aircraft carrier program and launches more Type 45 destroyers. Most European countries expends their military budget and old units are slowly reactivated while new equipment are being built everywhere.
With the increase in the rearming of Western Europe, the members of Warsaw Pact 2 level up their cooperation and the former soviet republics are forming the “Russian Union of Sovereign States” when the 1991 treaty is finally ratified. Moreover, the modernisation of military equipments is quickly accelarating and this allow for the reactivation of several units while cold war figures are met again. In China, the Kiev and the Minsk (renamed Beijing and Shanghai) are achieving their refit while brand new Yak-141 are received from Russia. North Korea finally becomes a formal member of Warsaw Pact 2 and the west discovers that its army has received a fair amount of modern equipments when an american U-2 is shot down by o Korean Su-30.

In Georgia and Ukraine, occasional skirmishes occur between Russians and forces of these two countries but the situation doesn’t degenerate. Also, in the Caucasus, Azerbaijan joins with NATO and its claims on Nagorno-Karabakh are met with increasing support from the West. This is to the dismay of Armenia and Yervan joins with Warsaw Pact 2. Nevertheless, Armenia is surrounded and, in case of conflict, it can only hope for a quick push by Pact forces to escape annihilation. NATO is well aware of this and it increases the sending of advisors and equipments to both Azerbaijan and Georgia while U.S. and NATO forces in Iraq are increased again. This is taken as a a threat by Iran and the President declares his country in favor of Warsaw Pact 2. Nevertheless, Iran doesn’t join the Pact as a full fledge member and consequently receives more limited help than Syria. As an answer to this move by Iran, Egypt and Morocco are confirmed as major non-NATO allies in the Mediterranean.
In Afghanistan, the country is again in a stage of civil war and Hamid Karzai government falls in May. Fightings among the various tribes continue and this civil war quickly spread to Pakistan. That country, has experienced numerous unrest and riots since Musharaff resigned and chaos only stops in October when a new military coup is staged by several generals. The army is moving everywhere but fightings continue in the tribal regions with Talibans and in the southern Baluchi’s region with “Jundallah” (the Sword of Allah). The first is backed by Iran and China but the second receives help from the U.S. as it is seen by U.S. administration as a major actor in the planned destabilization of Iran
In Latin America, the Latin Social Union (L.S.U.) goes from word to action when all members reduce their exportations of oil and raw materials to the West. As a result, oil market rises above 200$, a level it had never reached so far. Moreover, Russian troops (Division “Latin America”) are sent to Venezuela, a major naval base is being built outside Maracaibo, and all countries in the Union are receiving equipments from Russia. As an answer to this new threat, the U.S. reinforces its positions in Panama, reactivates the bases that had been closed in Honduras, and slightly increases again its military aid to Colombia. However, the 4th U.S. Fleet, reformed in mid-2008, remains largely understrength and receives only token reinforcements.
With the world economic crisis still growing all year long, instability rises even more in the third world and insurgent movements that had been down for some times are becoming active again. This is especially true for Africa where most countries are experiencing some kind of unrest while the Second Congo War is heating up again. This results from the slow disengagement of the UN and, by year’end, several other countries and regions are experiencing various level of civil war: Angola, eastern Sahara, Guinea, the Horn of Africa, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Sudan and Zimbabwe. Moreover, the African Union disolve on Christmas Day. In South America, the various guerillas are active again with the support from one side or another : the Guatemalan National Revolutionary Union, the EZLN in Chiapas and the FARC in Colombia (Warsaw Pact 2 and Latin Socialist Union) on one side; the Nuevo Contras of Nicaragua and a new Shinning Path in Peru on the other side. In the Middle East, NATO backs the PKK in Kurdistan and the Baluchis in both Iran and Pakistan (Jundallah) while Russia is supporting Hezbollah in Lebanon as well as the Iraqi Sunny and Shia resistance. In Asia, however, none of the two blocks are directly involved but several insurgencies are gaining strength again: Tamil in Sri Lanka, Moro in the Philippines, Kachin Independent Army in Burma and some growing unrest in Indonesia. Even India, slowly becoming very wealthy, is not going away from this and it faces a growing terrorism from the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (North East) and from the Communist Party of India (Maoist).

[Mohoender]

2011
From the beginning of the year, the global economy shows a few signs of recovering as the various policies engaged by the western countries are bringing their first positive effects. Heavier control are put on all branches of the economy, renewable energies take a larger place, low consumption engines are becoming the rule and some countries (among them Canada and USA) start to exploit oil shale. On March 2, the oil price goes down and stabilizes at about 160$. Meanwhile, It seems that NATO might soon catch up with Warsaw Pact 2.

The situation is very different when one looks at the third world. In these regions the situation is far from improving and the various unrest that evolved toward insurgency continue to grow. Food riots appear again in many countries and the various insurgent movements are quickly getting stronger, putting a heavy weight on most governments. Drug cartels are also increasingly powerful and put more weight on the authorities trying to fight them. In early fall, a nasty civil war erupts in Nigeria, involving both religious and ethnic issues, and the countrie’s oil exportation almost come to a stop (the oil price rises above 200$ again). Ethnic wars are also taking place in Central Africa and northern Cameroon while Asia isn’t spared with fightings in south-western Myanmar.
On April 24th, an Ukrainian Brigade launches an attack on a Russian Battalion in Crimea. The Russians are taken by surprise and no one survives. Three days later, it is realeased that all Russian taken prisoners had been shot in the head and that attack becomes know as the “Easter Massacre”. The Russians are outraged and the army move more units to the Ukrainian border. Claiming that Crimean is illegal, Ukraine launches an offensive on May 3rd. For a week the attack is successful and the siege of Sevastopol is laid. On May 20th, R.U.S.S. troops launch a counter-offensive along the entire Ukrainian border and, within 5 days, the Ukrainians are retreating from all positions except in Crimea.
On June 1st, most of the Ukrainian navy has been sunk, the air force has suffered heavy losses and Russian tanks are closing on the Capital at Kiev. the Ukrainian President (who remained in office despite accusation of corruption in the elections of 2010), claims that his actions were justified by the Ukrainian right to defend its territorial integrity and turns to its NATO partners for assistance. This demand receives support from countries of eastern Europe and a number of troops (Czech, Lithuanians, Poles, Romanians and Slovaks) cross the frontier into Ukraine. Within a week, Albania, Denmark, Estonia, Hungary, Italy, and Slovenia demand that these troops withdraw to their start line and (when these demands have no effect) withdraw from NATO in protest. British, German, and U.S. forces, however, cross the border to Poland and Kaliningrad falls by the end of the month. At that point, the other countries are still partners in NATO but not party to war.
In the Caucasus, Russian troops make a bid for quick victory in Azerbaijan and Georgia. This meet with tremendous success and they link with Armenian forces within three days. NATO advisors chose not to surrender and they enter Turkish Kurdistan despite protest by Turkey.
A similar attempt is made in the far north and Russian forces enter northern Norway. Nevertheless, the troops available are unable to break through to the paratroopers and marines landed in NATO's rear areas. As crack British commandoes, French Foreign Legion and U.S. Marines join the battle, the front line moves east again toward the Russian naval facilities on the Kola Peninsula. Many elite Russian paratroopers and marines are isolated and destroyed while NATO troops are pushing toward Murmansk. They are only stopped 60 miles away from the city by a massive counter-attack conducted with Russian’s third line troops.
At sea, the Soviet Red Banner Northern Fleet sorties and attempts to break through the Greenland-Iceland-United Kingdom Gap into the north Atlantic. For three weeks the opposing fleets hammer each other, and the Russian fleet performs well to western military specialist amazement. The Russians supports their fleet with bombers that prove capable of swarming two U.S. aircraft carriers with a large number of missiles. One of the carrier sunk when its magazine explodes while the other is put ashore on the Norwegian coast. The Russians also use most of their submarine fleet (including all the Delta-class SSBN) in an offensive role. These ships are equipped with a new type of anti-ship missile and they are resonsible for the loss of several NATO vessels, including the HMS Illustrious and the Foch. Finally, receiving reinforcements, the western fleets come out on top, badly bloodied but victorious. Sixty percent of the Russian northern fleet tonnage rests on the bottom of the Norwegian and North seas, the Ulianovsk and the Nakhimov are sunk but the Kuznetsov, the Orel, and the Piotr Velikiy rally Murmansk. These ships have suffered extensive damages but they may be repaired and continue to represent a serious threat to NATO control over the Atlantic. All Typhoon-class SSBN (but one) and all the new Borey-class SSBN as well as scattered commerce raiders break out, however, and by year's end the raiders are wreaking havoc on the NATO convoys bringing reinforcements, ammunition, and equipment across the Atlantic.

In the Baltic sea, while most NATO vessels are fighting off the coast of Norway, various raids are launched against the depleted German and Polish harbours. These attacks are essentiualy conducted by commandoes coming from by sea and by air, using fast assault boats, helicopters, and hovercrafts. Most attacks are highly successful and NATO ports are baddly damaged while many of the remaining ships, through minor vessels, are sunk.
In the Balkan, when Romanian police shoot and kill a man crossing the border between Hungary and Romania, the Hungarian government suspends diplomatic relations. The Romanians claim he was a smuggler, bringing arms to antigovernment forces. Three days later, a Romanian railway station in Cluj is blown up and the Romanians conduct mass arrests of Magyars throughout Romania. However, police sweeps are met with armed resistance and, within a week, a secessionist Magyar government declares independence from Romania. As what little remains of Romanian troops move north to crush the rebellion, the Hungarian government protests, is ignored, and then declares war. This conflict remains local, however, and a cease fire is signed within two weeks, Romanian troops withdraw and Hungarian units enter the secessionist region as peacekeepers.
As Hungarian troops enter Romania, Serbia joins with Warsaw Pact 2 and, within 24 hours, a Serbian expeditionary corps cross into Romania, strengthening the front that had already been opened by Bulgaria. That second front is a real threat to Romania and Greece is charged with breaking the will to fight of the Bulgarians but the modernized Bulgarian army fights well and the Greeks are stuck on the southern mountain range making only marginal gains in the south-east. As the situation slowly evolves toward stalemate, NATO offers full membership to Ushtria Çlirimtare e Kosovës (UÇK), to Croatia and to Bosnia-Herzegovina, which they accept. They launch their own offensive and, despite fierce resistance by the Serbs, they are quickly advancing toward Beograd but, when several Russian units are shipped to Bulgaria, the balance is tipped again.
In Italy, the government’s decision toward NATO results in a major political crisis and huge demonstrations are taking place in Rome and in the south. After two weeks of unrest, a majority of the army moves in on behalf of the Lega Nord (LN) led by a young man named Stephano Rossi. Allmost all of the navy and a fair part of the air foce join with the army in backing up the Lega Nord bid for power and they establishes the Republic of Padania over the industrial north with a capital at Ravenna. In Rome order is restored under an initiative from Pope Benoit XVI and the Catholic Church takes over the Lazio and Sardegna, composing a much wider Vatican state. Over the southern part of the peninsula, including Sicily, the Partito Popolare Italiano (PPI) under Toni Saglione creates the Napoli Republic, immediately reviving the membership to NATO.
In Latin America, over July, a revived and strengthened Sendaro Luminoso (Shining Path) guerillas, claiming that all socialists have betrayed the revolutionary spirit, turns to U.S. for support and make a bid for control of Peru (it is rumored that U.S. special forces were involved). They fail to overthrow the government but they end up controlling about half of the country, however.

2012
In February, the Greeks appears increasingly tired of the war and they start to blame Turkey for their army’s lack of success. Anti-turk demonstrations are held all over the country and in Cyprus. On the island, the Cypriot national guard fires at Turkish units and Ankara reacts by sending reinforcements while Greece dispatches military advisors and diverts a number of combat aircrafts to support the island national guard. More fighting occures and Turkey declares war on Greece, attacking in Cyprus and launching a large offensive in Thrace and East Macedonia. The Turks are quickly progressing in the Greek rear areas toward Thessaloniki and several units are taken out of the Bulgarian front to face this new threat.
In late March, Macedonia and Padania concludes a defense pact with Turkey. While both countries are not obligated by the pact to enter the Greco-Turkish war, both governments declare the war to be a regional conflict unrelated to the more general war raging over Europe, promising to intervene on Turkey’s side if NATO tried to tip the balance in Greece’s favor. Within a week, Turkey declared a naval blockade against Greece and warns the world’s shipping that the Aegean is now considered a war zone.

In an attempt to take advantage of the situation, Russian, Bulgarian, and Serbian troops return to the offensive on the entire front. They make some significant gains when Latvia, Lithuania, and Kaliningrad fall to their advancing forces. With the coming of spring, however, and with more reinforcement coming in (Belgium, Canada, France, and the Netherland are sending troops), the Warsaw Pact offensive comes to an halt and, in April, the first NATO troops cross the frontier into Belarus. By June 17th, Riga is within gun range, Minsk is surrounded, and Belarus army units as well as the citizens of the city prepare for a siege.
By late spring, NATO’s Atlantic fleet has hunted down the last of the Soviet commerce raiders. Attack carriers and missile cruisers move again to northern waters in order to face the continuous threat of the surviving Russian capital units. The NATO drive in the north has been pushed back in and bogged down on the banks of the Tana River, but the Northern Front commander plans on a bold move to destroy the Russian naval and ground power there. While ground units attempt a rapid outflanking move through northern Finland, the NATO Atlantic Fleet close in on Murmansk and Severomorsk. subjecting the Soviet fleet anchorages and air bases to massive bombardments.
On June 7th the ground offensive is launched and the fleet closes in on the Kola Peninsula shortly thereafter. Finland had been expected to offer token resistance to the violation of its territory; instead the Finnish Army fights tenaciously, forcing the flanking move to abort. At sea the plan fares even worse, as coastal missile boats and the remnants of Northern Fleet supported by what was left of the shore-based naval aviation cripple the NATO fleet. By mid June, the Russian capital ships have finally been destroyed but NATO losses are tremandous and, at that moment, two major naval fleet in the world have been shattered.
In the south, the fronts in the Balkans stabilize and enter a period of attritional warfare but as Turkey pressure on the Greek left flank in Thrace builds, it becomes clear that, without aid, the Greek Army will have to fall back or be defeated. On June 27th, a NATO convoy, accompanied by a strong covering force, attempts the run to the Greek port of Thessaloniki with badly needed ammunition and equipment. Fleet elements of the Padanian and Turkish Navy intercept the convoy and, in a confused night action off Thessaloniki, inflict substantial losses and escape virtually unharmed. Two days later, NATO retaliates with air strikes on Padanian and Turks naval bases.
On July 1st, Turkey declares war against NATO while Macedonia and Padania, in compliance with their treaty obligations, follow suit on the 2nd. Then, Padanian airmobile, alpine, and armored units cross the passes into Tyrolia where scattered elements of the Austrian Army resist briefly before being overwhelmed. By mid-month, Padanian mechanized forces are debouching from the Alpine passes into southern Germany and advanced elements are attacking German territorial troops in the suburbs of Munich. In the meantime, Macedonian units are slowly pushing toward Thessaloniki while the Napoli Republic is alreeay reduced to Sicily. For a time, the Macedonian and Padanian armies enjoy tremendous success as most of their opponents had already been at war for six months or more. The Macedonians and Padanians have intact peacetime stockpiles to draw on but, as time goes by, they began feeling the logistical pinch, aggravated by the increasing flow of munitions and equipment from the factories of their opponents.
With the coming of the fall season, it becomes obvious to the Russian central command that the recovering industrial machine of the western countries will soon tip the balance in favor of NATO. Despite the stalemate in the Balkan and in the Arctic, and continuing successes in Ukraine, Moscow will certainly have to commit more troops to the war effort. If victory is not coming quickly, it may even have to draw on mobilization-only divisions that are still largely leg mobile and poorly stiffened with a sprinkling of obsolete tanks and armored personnel carriers. Its own industry is already working at its best but more equipements will quickly be needed and, by late November, a call is made on China for fresh equipments. Beijing, more than happy to remain outside of the conflict comply and Chinese-made weapons are sent in large quantities through the Transsiberian.
In the U.S., the presidential election has been cancelled because of the war and Congress confirmed the current President in office. However, the heavy losses endured by the navy chocked the population and the secretary of defense is arrested on charge of treason while an unknown Admiral becomes the new Secretary of Defense.

2013
When the U.S. citizens get word of Chinese equipments being sent to Russia, they are outraged and the U.S. President send an ultimatum to Beijing, leaving two days for the Chinese President to resign from Warsaw Pact 2. On the following, day, two major offensive are launched in Asia and Russian troops are landing in Hokkaido (Japan) while Chinese and North Korean troops cross the 38th parrallel into South Korea.
The Pact is highly successful in Korea, destroying the South Korean air force, sinking its navy before it can leave to the open sea, and conquering most of country except for a small area covering 50 miles around Pusan. However, the operations in Japan are an entirely different matter as the Russians fail to take the JGSDF by surprise. After, limited initial success, the landing forces is expelled and the retrating troops are shipped back to Vladivostok.
In february, the U.S. navy has gathered an important fleet and launches a joint operation with the Japanese and Taiwanese fleets. This will last for two months but when the operation come to an end the joints fleets virtually destroyed their opposing forces: only small ships survive in China and North Korea while the Russian Pacific Fleet has lost almost ninety percent of its naval surface vessels. At that time, more reinforcements from Japan and ANZUS have been brought to South Korea and they start their own push toward the 38th parrallel, crossing it within weeks and bringing fighting to Pyongyang. The allied naval forces are badly battered but they remain operational and have enough strength to launch a major landing in the Hong Kong area. This is involving troops from ANZUS, Japan, the Philippines and U.K., and they start a push toward central China. Meanwhile, Viertnam has joined with the allied and its army is crossing in Yunnan and Guangxi facing heavy fighting in southern China. The allied enjoy rapid initial success, and tank columns roared deep into southern and central China. However, the Chinese surpassed the expectations of most military analyst in their ability to mobilize reserves from the interior and shift them to the fighting front. While the allied continued to make impressive gains, their losses mounted and the tempo of advance went down.
Pakistan falls to a Taliban regime and the country drift into war with India through a spiral of border incidents, mobilization, and armed clashes. Tensions over the Kargil district of Kashmir are growing quickly and, if the new Taliban regime blame the fighting entirely on independent Kashmiri insurgents, documents left behind by casualties show involvement of Pakistani paramilitary forces, led by Pakistani Generals. As a result, the Second Kargil War is initiated; limited at first, it turns to outright war in the early fall and, by year’s end, the Indian Army is slowly advancing across the length of the front, despite fierce resistance.
This far, the Middle East was spared despite several arm clashes on Iraqi-Turkish border but that changes when China gets into the war. The allied have assembled a large coalition, including troops from Egypt, France, Iraq, Jordania, Saudi Arabia, U.K. and the U.S., and they move against Syria and eastern Turkey with Israel launching its own offensive against Syria and Lebanon. Turkey sends as much troops as it can to face this new threat and the allied are finally stopped on a line running from Batman to Erzurum and Kars. Meanwhile, Syria and Lebanese are doing great and the allied attack is stopped at Dayr-ez-Zor while heavy fightings are taking place in the Bekaa Valley and in South Lebanon. Hezbollah and the regular armies are using small infantry fighting teams equipped with a large number of the best Russian RPGs. Both Tsahal and the allied are losing tanks fast and only the timely arrival of airborne troops prevent total disaster. In April, a major Shia insurgency begins in Baghdad and, at the end of the month, when it becomes clear that Iran is behind it, NATO declares war on Teheran.
By the beginning of May, the Iranians are using land based anti-ship missiles and effectively cut down shipping in the region. Several vessels are taken out of Asia and rushed to the Persian Gulf where landings are made at Bender Busher and Bender Abbas. These are conducted by British, French, and U.S. troops that quiclky move north as other forces enter Iran from the west. Also facing icreasing involvement of Jundullah in the Baluchi’s region, Teheran is well aware that it cannot meet this invasion alone and the Mullahs legalize the Tudeh again (Iranian Communist Party) as Pact units from the Caucasus and Central Asia enter the Middle East.

In Europe, the Pact is bringing in more troops and the progression of NATO is not as impressive as expected. It is only by early october that advanced elements are closing up on the Russio-Belarus frontier, while continuing the siege of Pact-held Minsk. On the Italian Front, with the French still stuck on the Alpine range and the Napoli Republic reduced to the sole Sicily, Padanian forces are holding their grounds and the southern frontier of Germany as well as most of Austria remain under their control.
In Africa, ethnic tensions are now spreading like a plague and only a few countries escape the growing chaos. Latin America, however, remains outside of the conflict but experiences growing tensions and instability. Several people in Europe and in the USA expected the Latin Social Union to ally with Warsaw Pact 2 but they remain neutral and, despite several verbal attack, Venezuela keep selling oil to the western world.

[Mohoender]

2014
Despite continuous efforts from the USA and NATO, the dfficulties in Europe increase when more pact units, partially equipped with Chinese equipments, enter the field. The allied forces are still better trained and equipped but, increasingly outnumbered, they are slowly pushed back and, by mid-year, the siege of Minsk is lifted and Pact units are trying to make the run through Poland and western Ukraine to the Czech Republic, Germany and Slovakia. They also occupy Latvia and Lithuania, forcing their reincorporation within the Russian republic. Romania and Ukraine, quickly isolated and exhausted, see no choice but to surrender. In both countries, several units refuse and form the core of a strong guerilla but the collapse of the Romano-Ukrainian front, nevertheless, frees several Pact units that are immediately redirected toward the other fronts.
In China, large bodies of citizen’s militia are now operating behind the allied front lines, attacking installations and destroying supply convoy. Moreover, the allied fail to disrupt the military industry located in the north and more equipments are coming out every day. As a result, when the main Chinese and R.U.S.S. conventional forces counterattack, to the amazement of western military experts, large pockets of allied troops are formed. The Vietnamese are experiencing the most important losses while the allied units are able to fight their way out of the pockets, losing much in the process. The front is shattered and the allied begin major withdrawals all along the front line as mobile elements of the Chinese Army rush into victorious pursuit.
In July, with Slovakia under Pact control and with several Warsaw Pact units closing on the Czech and German border, Allied High Command is to decide upon the limited use of nuclear weapons. France, Belgium and Luxembourg express a strong oposition to this path of action but, on August 15th, the use of tactical nuclear weapons is accepted by all the other members. The three countries immediately leave NATO, sign a separte peace with Warsaw Pact 2, Padania and China, and their units start pulling out from the various fronts.
On september 15th, the first tactical nuclear weapons are used in Europe. They are used sparingly at first but the forward elements of both armies are hit hard, as Warsaw Pact 2 tries to matched the NATO warhead for warhead. By late october, the Pact forces that entered the Czech Republic, northern Germany and western Poland are engaged in a general withdrawal, practicing a careful scorched earth policy as they fall back. In the Balkan, U.S. and NATO forces also begin a major offensive. The one-sided use of tactical nuclear weapons breaks the stalemate, and by month’s end, the Greeks are racing toward Istanbul. Simultaneously, other troops launch an attack on Macedonia and Serbia. The Macedonian army collapses and the country fall to the Greeks but, if the Serbian Army began to break up, the arrival of Russian reserves stops the allied columns before they reach the first Beograd’s suburb.
Meanwhile, as summer turns to fall, the Italians are facing major air stikes and an overall naval offensive by NATO. In an attempt to conquer the all of Italy, Portuguese, Spanish and U.S. troops, reinforced by remnants of the Napoli army, are landing in the south and start an offensive toward the north. Padanian forces pull out of Austria, establish strong defensive position on the Alpine passes and rapidly bring reinforcements to the south, finally stopping the armied of NATO to the south of Ancona, in the Abruzzo.

At sea, the NATO task force, strengthen by the Egyptian navy, is met by the Padanian fleet which has been joined by the Turkish fleet and Russian Black Sea Fleet. Momentarily, NATO opens the sealane to the Croatian and Greek harbours but the opposing fleet comes up on top in what is to become the only Pact victory at sea, the Principe de Asturias, the brand new HMS Queen Elisabeth, and another U.S. aircraft carrier are sunk while several smaller ships from all countries are lost. On the outcome, if both fleets suffer much, NATO surviving ships have to withdraw.
In the Far East, nuclear strikes are carried out on a more massive scale and Chinese mechanized columns are vaporized, caught in the open on the roads in imagined pursuit. Chinese population and industrial centers are targeted, effectively ending most of the war productions. The Chinese communication and transportation system, already stretched to the near breaking point, disintegrates and the roads are choked with refugees fleeing from the remaining cities. The Chinese response is immediate, but allied forward troop units are dispersed and well prepared. Moreover, the handful of Chinese bombers, trying to conduct low-level penetration raids are all intercepted by the JASDF and destroyed. Ballistic missile attacks on Japan, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam population centers are effective, however, but the ones made at the USA are frustrated by the ABM shield that has been put up over the past years. Within a week, the Chinese riposte is spent, but allied attacks continue. China begin the rapid slide into anarchy and civil disorder. Within a month, the government of Beijing is overthrown and the state of affairs is taken over by local officers who assume the title of Warlords. Within this sea of chaos, Manchuria only remains faithfull to the Pact, getting support from Russian forces and still participating in the war.
Pakistan and India wage their own nuclear war when Pakistan, facing defeat, launches a preemptive strike on India’s economy and nuclear strike force. Although industrial centers are hit hard, enough of India’s nuclear arsenal survive to launch a devastating retaliatory strike. The Indian-Pakistani war soon winds down, as each country’s economy no longer can feed its civilians, let alone supply military units.

2015
With the elimination of China, Warsaw pact 2 finds itself in a even more vulnerable situation when, in the west, NATO air units begin making deep nuclear strikes against communication hubs in Belarus. Warsaw Pact 2 responds with theater nuclear missiles, launching them against an array of industrial targets and port cities in the Czech Republic, Germany and Poland. In turn, NATO uses similar strikes on industrial targets and major port cities in western Russia. Throughout Spring, the exchanges continues, escalating gradually.
Fearful of a general strategic exchange, both sides hesitate to target the landbased ICBMs of the other but, this time, Russia is first to cross the line over mid-year. The ABM shield that has been so efficient against China fails to stop this attack and a handful of SS-18 Satan decapitates all of the U.S. ICBM defense. So far, neither side had wished to cross the threshold to nuclear oblivion in one bold step but after that decapitating strike, the escalation cannot be stopped.
Industrial targets clearly vital to the war effort are targeted, followed by economic targets of military importance (transportation and communication, oil fields and refineries). Then, industrial and oil centers in neutral nations are hit, to prevent their possible use by the other side. The civilian political command structure is first decimated, then eliminated (almost by accident in some cases) and the exchanges keeps on, fitfully and irregularly, until October when it gradually peters out.
In the fields, the situation goes from bad to worse for both sides. The average strength of NATO combat divisions at the front has fallen to about 8,000, with U.S. divisions running at about half of that. Warsaw Pact 2 divisions now vary widely in strength, running from 500 to 10,000 effectives, but mostly in the 2000-4000 range. Lack of fuel, spare parts, and ammunition paralyze the armies and no major actions are taken during the second half of that year. Peace might have come, but there are no surviving governments to negotiate it. Only the military command structures remain intact, and they remain faithful to the final orders of their governments. In a time of almost universal chaos, only the military has the means of securing and distributing rations. Moreover, military casualties have been much lower than casualties among civilians.

In Africa, insurgency continues as a number of nuclear strike hit the continent by years end. In North Africa, many oil fields and various cities are destroyed while Egypt is subjected to a strike that matches the ones conducted over major regions. The ensuing chaos results in an allout civil war launched by various islamist movements that destroys what remained of the legal authorities. Finally, only Libya retains some form of government ruling from Misurata. In Sub-Saharian Africa, the bombings hit Nigera, Cabinda and South Africa and, as this added to the already chaotic situation, several among the few survivng governments collapsed.
Latin America still escapes but, in addition to instability and insurgent movements, the drug cartels influence is expending, as the various governments are gradually loosing strength.

2016
The winter of 2015-2016 is particularly cold. Civilian war casualties in the industrialized nations has reached almost 20 percent by the turn of the year, communication and transportation systems has been wiped out, and food distribution has become almost impossible.
In the wake of nuclear war and global unrest comes famine on a scale previously undreamed of, but the worst is yet to come. The exceptionally cold winter delayed simultaneous epidemics but, with the spring thaw, the unburied dead finally bring on the epidemics the few remaining medical professionals had dreaded but were powerless to prevent. Plague, typhoid, cholera, typhus, and many other diseases sweeped through the world’s population. HIV and Tuberculosis are spreading faster again but the worst comes from SARS and regular flu. By the time they have run their courses, the global casualty rate will be 60%.
In Europe, France and Belgium have been hit the lightest and they stand virtually alone in maintaining a semblance of internal order throughout the cataclysm. Then, the governments of France, Belgium and Luxembourg form the FBU (Franco-Belgian Union). They are quickly joined by surviving African countries (Cameroon, Djibouti, Gabon, Senegal and Tunisia) and by a few States from the Middle-East (UAE and Oman). As refugees begin flooding across their borders, they closed their frontiers, and military units begin turning people back with gunfire. In the Pyrenneans, there are several skirmishes with rogue Spanish units while people are trying to cross into south-western France. In the north, the new government authorizes the army to move west to the Rhine to secure a solid geographical barrier. As refugees pile up on the frontier and as fighting occur with the Dutch, a large lawless zone springs into existence. Unrest and fighting for food are followed by mass starvation and disease, until the lawless zone becomes barren and empty.
Around the Black Sea, the partisan bands in the mountains of Romania and former Ukraine have escaped almost untouched, while many Pact regular units were destroyed in the exchange or have just melted away after it. The Romanians and Ukrainians begin forming regular combat units again, although still structured to live off the land and subsist from captured enemy equipment. At first, there is a great deal of enemy equipment just lying around waiting to be picked up. Meanwhile, in the Balkan, the Greek army directly annexes Macedonia.
In North America, a flood of hungry refugees begin crossing the Rio Grande into Mexico. This is too much for Mexico, the government fell and is replaced by a socialist coalition, led by the PRI, that establishes a number of large refugee camps. Over, summer, with the eat going up, the refugees camps start to be touched by widespread food riots and the new government order this violence to be dealt with military force. The U.S. Joint Chiefs of staff protests, start to move what troops it can gather to the south and, within weeks, fearing retaliation from the US, Mexican army units cross the Rio Grande while the Latin Social Union declares war on its behalf. More U.S.units are quickly shifted south and scattered fighting grow into open warfare. Mexican light armored columns, backed by Cuban units and by the Russian division “Latin America”, drive northeast toward Arkansas and northwest into southern California. Russian troops make a tremendous efforts in the Artic and launch a succesful landing in Alaska. Another one, however, carried out by Cuban and Venezuelian forces in Florida fails as it is repelled by New American fighters and Cuban Americans. At last, the fronts quickly stabilized in southeast Texas and central California while civil disorder and anarchy spead elsewhere in the USA with the withdrawal of army units.

Further south, the U.S. 4th Fleet takes action against LSU naval units and it achieves supremacy. However, it has very reduced assets and that is not done until mid-September. Meanwhile Venezuelian troops are attacking Colombia while the Sandinistas are entering Costa Rica in an attempt to seize the Panama Canal. These military operations all come to a brutal stop when nukes are used against the various countries that compose the Latin Socialist Union. On the outcome Central America is in turmoil, Venezuela is scorched, Ecuador and Peru are facing major insurgencies, Bolivia and Colombia fall to the drug cartels, Panama is still under U.S. control, and Cuba remains organized (except for the Havana which was destroyed by a nuke).
In late June, Pact forces in Hungary and Slovakia try a last gamble and launch an offensive toward Austria and South Germany in an attempt to seize the scattered surviving industrial sites of Europe. Actually, those areas in Austria and south Germany which had been under Italian occupation are still in good shape, as neither side was willing to strike them heavily. At first, NATO forces are largely insufficient but reinforcements are quickly brought from Germany and galvanize the allied into renewed action. The NATO forces make a maximum effort to reform a coherent front and, as a result, the Pact offensive finally stalls along a line that is going from Linz to Spittal and they never enter southern Germany.
In late August, NATO launches its own offensive from the area of Krakow, driving south to penetrate the Pact rear areas in Slovakia. The thinly spread Pact units are quickly overwhelmed and Pact forces in the Czech Republic begin a precipitous withdrawal to Slovakia, laying waste to that country as they retreat. A simultaneous and surprising offensive by remnants of Croatian and Bosnian armies drive north in an attempt to link up with NATO, forcing the Hungarian neutrality. They are halted near lake Balaton, however, and thrown back as Hungarian troops secure their southern border. As more Pact units arrive in Slovakia and eastern Poland, the NATO drive runs out of steam and loses its sense of direction. Troops are shifted west to garrison the devastated Czech Republic, and many lives are wasted in a futile attempt to force the Alpine passes into Padania.
As the autumnal rains begin, NATO and the Pact initiate several high altitude nuclear strike that generate a large amount of EMPs. All of what was left in term of industrial centers over the world are shot downed and civilian equipments suffer to a level that was unthought of. Fighting gradually runs down to the level of local skirmishing and both sides prepare for another winter.

[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.