Franco-Belgian Union

[Mohoender]

I have to put a bit of background and explanation here. I already put up 2 timelines on this forum to finally come up with the final definitive timeline of my own (that I haven't post yet, if you want me to post it, say it).

What you'll find here fits my timeline (nothing to do with canon) and therefore, don't pay attention to dates. For my part the Twilight War starts in 2000 and the PCs are acting in 2009 (a year not chosen on purpose, promise). In addition, the Soviets (the 1991 coup was successful) are allied to China, regular fightings last longer and the nuclear exchange is entirely different.

Now that this is stated, I'm now going one step further and start to describe what the world has become and what the situation is region by region. You'll find here what the result is for France and Belgium. Don't take this as an aboslute but I thought it could inspire some of you.

Unlike my timeline which is largely inspired by the original game this is entirely my home except for a few inspiring facts (among them the Zone Morte). Still it gives credit to the original game version v2.2.

[Mohoender]

Good reading. I hope my english isn't too bad.

Franco-Belgian Union

Since the beginning of the Twilight War, Belgium and France have done more than their share, sending troops and units whenever it was needed. In fact, by 2003, after three years of a sustained conflict, the “Red Devils” Brigade, a Belgian parachutist formation, has become the most decorated unit among NATO.

The French are fighting both in Europe and in the Middle-East but, as for every NATO member, the strain of war is increasingly high. Human losses have been important but conscripts are soon supplemented by volunteers. The national territory has been subjected to a number of conventional strikes by the Warsaw Pact while Padanian artillery regularly shells the border region. Destructions are there to be seen but damages are not that important and the production network is now fully working to produce more weapons. Most AMX-30s have been upgraded to the “Brenus” standard, more Leclerc and Rafale are delivered every month, and the Richelieu was commissioned a year ago. This ship was welcome especially after the important damages sustained by the fleet in 2000-2001 : the “Foch” and “Colbert” had been sunk while the “Charles de Gaulle” and the “Clemenceau” had needed extensive repairs, leaving the French navy with the Jeanne d’Arc as its sole major unit for a full year.

Whatever, by mid-2003, NATO finds itself in an increasingly bad situation and its forces are outnumbered everywhere. Faced with the eventuality of defeat, Central Command decides upon the use of tactical nuclear strikes but this is refused by Belgium and France. After a week of hard talk in the heat of early august, both countries withdraw from the alliance and within ten days they sign a separate peace with the Warsaw Pact, Padania and China. Immediately after, both ask NATO to leave their respective soils while their troops are quickly withdrawn from the front line. Then, as the first nuclear strikes are carried out, France, Belgium and Luxembourg open their borders to refugees.

It changes again in the early summer of 2004 when the Exchange that has been escalating for month enters into its last phase. True to its word, Moscow doesn’t target the two countries but Washington, considering that both France and Belgium could chose to supply the Pact, does so and two missiles are targeted at these countries. They wreak havoc to Lille, Le Havre and the northern industrial region (8x100kt) and to several other targets (each hit by a 475kt MIRV): Anvers, Bordeaux, Brest, Brussel, Lorient, Nice, Strasbourg and Toulouse. Paris has been spared, however, and the French retaliates immediately, ordering one of their SSBN to target Canada, the UK and the US. That submarine had not been constantly tracked by NATO and launches ten of its sixteen missiles before being sunk: 2 missiles have been targeted to Canada, 1 has hit the UK while the last 7 penetrate the US defenses. The effects are devastating while human losses are minimal: NATO has lost 15% of its remaining production network.

Still an active member of the alliance only a few months before, with knowledge of things that remain foreign to the Kremlin, France proved a much immediate threat. The lesson is hard learnt and no more missiles are targeted at it or at Belgium. Nevertheless the effects of that sole action leave a deep mark.

Belgium is in turmoil, its central government has vanished with Brussel and civil unrest is quickly turning to ethnic fighting between Flemish and Walloon. France is experiencing a situation that is almost as hard with more than half of its production capability down, power supplies shortage, several millions dead and wounded. Civil unrest is spreading fast and, on several occasions, crowds turn on refugee camps. Knowing that it won’t have a second chance, the government issues a martial law order that remains in effect to these days, suspends the constitution, grants full judicial power to army court and deploys large security forces: CRS, Gendarmerie and even the Army.

Before year’s end, the situation improves in France and civil unrest is now bleeding memory. The damages remain huge, nevertheless, and the country fails to bring back its production level to what it was. People are leaving the cities and much of the economy slowly turns toward cottage industry and farming. Fields that had not been exploited for half a century are now back in production. Power supply is enough but there are cuts daily and it is rationed as it has been ordered to the population to limit its electricity consumption. Anyone not taking care of that order sees its electricity supply shot down while the requirement of additional supply is answered only after the introduction of a motivated demand. Army troops and security forces are everywhere and movements outside of a given “Département” are only allowed with a special permit. Still, life is more than bearable.

In January of 2005, answering a call for help by the Walloon authorities, France move north to Belgium and its army cross the border. In the French speaking area, the soldiers are welcome as saviors but the situation is entirely different in Flanders. A good portion of the population there is openly hostile and several skirmishes end up with civilian casualties. Nevertheless, because of the nukes they Walloon are more numerous again and their support gives an apparent legitimacy to the French rule. A month later, Belgium, Luxembourg and France unite and form the Franco-Belgian Union (FBU for short). Military forces are reorganized under French command and before June, several countries outside of Europe apply for membership to the new state: Cameroon, Djibouti, Gabon, Oman, Senegal, Tunisia and UAE. In return for economical exclusivity an expansion treaty is signed, military support is granted to every one of these states and French units are deployed or reinforced abroad.

In the meantime, the internal situation over Europe changes again. Order is effectively enforced but corruption and black market is growing. Energy delivery is granted only in exchange for bribery and, if the countryside doesn’t suffer much, cities soon find themselves in a situation that can compare to that they had experienced during the German occupation of World War II. In addition, more refugees are trying to come in everyday and that weight proves unbearable for the government. As a result, on May 4th, the acting president issues what is now referred to “l'Ordre du Mois Sanglant”, an order giving instruction to the army to turn down refugees by all means.

This is immediately carried out and refugees are turned down at gunpoint. Thousands are killed, other are directed toward concentration camps, but this is not enough and despair still brings more to the gate. Aware of the danger, FBU military command makes a swift proposal: a security zone has to be established on and outside of the borders. Of course, this looks nice on paper but it also means that fighting with NATO will have to be resumed again and the acting president is more than aware that this time, France could be obliterated. As a result, military command is advised to come up with a more detailed plan while negotiations are conducted with the various US authorities. On the outcome, FBU agrees to support and supply US troops whenever possible in exchange for US neutrality in the limited conflict to come. Badly in need of supplies, the Joint Chief of Staff reluctantly agrees provided that the French don’t try to cross the Rhine River.

As soon as this secret agreement is reached, French units move north and to the various borders. Within days, the borders with Padania, Spain and Switzerland are closed while French military units are quickly pushing north to the Rhine in Netherlands and Germany. Both of these countries try to resist but what units they have available are no match for the French Army. Germany and Netherlands call for US intervention but, despite verbal support, US troops remain in place. At last, after some heroic fighting on the part of isolated Dutch and German units, the French secure the Rhine River within two weeks and establish a 50km deep free fire zone now called “La Zone Morte”.

Saarland is simply annexed by the FBU as its population mostly welcomes the French soldiers. Elsewhere, the region is emptied of its population by force and those who try to resist are gunned down. Military positions are established everywhere and patrols are conducted daily.

Finally, when the EMP attack is launched toward the end of 2005, FBU is taken by surprise as the rest of the world. Power supplies industries are shot down, communications are disrupted and civil unrest start to grow again. The martial law remains into effect but crowds gather to several city centers and face the security forces. However, still disciplined, most security forces don’t give in to panic and the situation is back under control by early 2006. In the meantime, the government manages to bring back a good part of the power supply in line and industries are put back to work. Nevertheless, production rates have been reduced again, non-strategic productions have ceased and civil rights are shrinking. As a result, anyone contesting the State is immediately brought to court and prosecuted under the charge of treason.

France which once claimed to be a “Land of Freedom and Human Rights” doesn’t care anymore and the government has become a dictatorship.

Nowadays, in 2009, the situation hasn’t changed much. Rationing is still in place, industrial output remains low, public liberties are long gone memories and several terrorist groups (freedom fighter depending on your point of view) are operating on the national soil. Several harbors are active to a limited level with the main one being Marseille on the Mediterranean. On the Atlantic, major harbors have all been destroyed but smaller ones are functional and see some commerce: Cherbourg, La Rochelle, Saint Malo and Saint Nazaire... They are also home to the few French privateers that now operate on all seas. The “Zone Morte” is still in place and the borders are still mostly closed but this is not entirely the case anymore. Two checkpoints are permanently open with Switzerland, an additional checkpoint is occasionally open with Padania and a thriving black market exists with Germany and Spain. Basically, bribery will get you in. In addition, negotiations are currently taking place with Catalonia in order to get that Spanish region to join, at least as an ally, with the FBU.

[Dog 6]

wow good work. I'd love to see your final time-line alone with any obo's/toe's you have.

[Cdnwolf]

Ever read Larry Bond's book "The Cauldron". He had a German-France alliance with Russia taking on Poland, UK and the USA.

[Mohoender]

Originally Posted by Cdnwolf

Ever read Larry Bond's book "The Cauldron". He had a German-France alliance with Russia taking on Poland, UK and the USA.

No but I'll put it in my book list.

[Mohoender]

Franco-Belgian Union

With the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, Belgium and France find themselves plenty of hope for the future. In the following year and until the August Coup of 1991, both governments start reducing their military expenditure and already plan over more reduction for the mid-1990’s and several projects are either slowed down or canceled. Even after the coup, this move toward a slow reduction of the military continues and things didn’t really change in 1992. France continues to plan a reduction of its military forces and Belgium prepares the path toward a professional army.

Things change, however, in 1993 at least for France. The French government increases its military budget and several military programs that were to be cancelled are maintained. In addition, plans are made to increase the amount of military equipments in reserve. The French negotiate with countries such as Belgium the return of the Mirages that are to be phased out. These aircrafts are now to be brought back to France where they will be refitted to the modernized-50 standard. Actually such modernization is already underway for surviving French Mirage III. The French are also expending their land force, reactivating units that had been disbanded sometimes years ago. The Foreign Legion Benefits from this and quickly expends but other units are formed, among them Division “Daguet”. That special division formed specifically for the Gulf War is, then, created into a true active unit by mid-year and becomes the heart of the FAR (Force d’Action Rapide). New equipments are also fielded: the Leclerc tank production program is accelerated while the AMX-30s are all to be brought to the Brenus standard. Finally, the navy is not forgotten and gets the most important share of this. When the Charles de Gaulle is to be launched next year, building of the Richelieu will start. Belgium for its part doesn’t change anything on that year and the government announces that the army will become professional in 1995 as planned. However, as in other countries within NATO, several equipments that were to be scrapped are put in storage.

1994 is characterized by a continuous heating up of the Neo-Cold War and France is no exception to this. When the state budget for 1994 is voted in late fall 1993, the French deputies have the disastrous military policy of the 1930’s in mind and they vote an increase of the defense budget. Nevertheless, they also want to avoid a decrease of the other budgets and rely heavily on international loan. As a result, the national debt increases significantly. All arms are benefiting from this and new weapons are entering service while more units are created. Again, when fall comes, that military budget is increased with the main focus on the nuclear force. Consequently, it is announced that the BA200 on the Plateau d’Albion will be modernized and its missiles replaced. It is also announced that the remaining Pluton SRBM will all be replaced by the new Hadès in order to bring the French SRBM force to its full complement. Belgium follows a similar path, although in a much reduced proportion, and the government announces that military service will be maintained.

1995 is particularly quiet on the international scene but that is not true on the domestic front in France. The defense budget has been maintained and the strain on the French society starts to be felt. Almost as soon as the election ends, the country enters a period of turmoil and the country faces a general strike as early as late August. This movement starts within the school system but quickly spreads to other parts of the society. People working in the public transport are the next one on strike, almost immediately followed by private truck drivers. By October 1, France is paralyzed and it remains so almost until Christmas. Finally, the government issues a new budget in which the army receives a much reduced share of public money. Several projects that had been accelerated are again suspended and it seems that France will quickly reduce its military again. In Belgium the state didn’t increase its military spending significantly and only maintained the level of expenditure it had before the fall of the Berlin War. As a result, there is less pressure on the various elements composing the economy and Belgium is not contaminated by the social movements plaguing France.

The following year shows a very different face as the international situation gets tense again. Almost immediately, Belgium follows most other NATO members and the government votes for a slight increase in military spending. As a result, military industries (nationals and foreign) on Belgian soil increase their productions and job’s offers by weapon manufactories increase. France, on the other side, is an exception and its national policy is characterized by a low defense budget for a second consecutive year. Nevertheless, things changed toward the end of the year as the population appears worry. The recent events that have marked the international scene in Asia, the adhesion of the Czech Republic to Warsaw Pact 2 and, more importantly, the political crisis in Italy have changed the public opinion. As the budget for 1997 is going to be voted, the French express a large support to more military spending. The Presidency jumps at the occasion and the government presents the most important military budget in thirty years. As a result, the various programs that had been suspended over 1995 and 1996 are revived while plans are designed to expend them much further.

The year 1997 opens on continuous tensions. In addition, while the events taking place at that moment of history seem less impressive than these preceding them they are often more meaningful on the long term. China and Russia engage in a tighter alliance, Italy achieves its dissolution and the dismissal of Turkey further weakens NATO. Finally, the trouble in Albania and the failure of that government to control its arm stock plant the seeds of the coming war. As a result, if nothing changes in Belgium, the French government announces that it will again increase the military budget. The Leftists are outraged and call for a popular mobilization against the government. This is to occur on May 1, ten days after the President dissolved the parliament, but it is a failure and the mobilization is only marginal. Then, the situation of the leftist parties gets even worse on June 1 after the parliament is elected. Only 167 seats go to Left while 409 go to the Right, including 18 to the nationalist party of Jean-Marie Le Pen. On the next day, the President makes a public declaration and states the following:

In the 1930’s France has made a terrible mistake that led to the ignominious defeat of 1940 and to our surrender to Nazi Germany. The reasons for that defeat are not be found anywhere in the brave hearts of our citizens but it was the fault of our policies. In these trouble times, plans should have been made to provide our military forces with enough of the best equipments. Sadly, if many had been developed they came too late when we already had lost the battle. We are again facing trouble times. Of course, we all pray and hope for a peaceful resolutions of future conflicts to come but we should not be naïve and repeat the errors of the past. Consequently, I order that more funds are to be given to military programs already underway. I also ask our engineers and military thinkers to develop the new equipments we need in regard of the recent combat development that we could have witnessed during the Gulf War and during our operations in Bosnia.

Following that declaration by the French President, the country increases its foreign debt which is now well above 800 billions and expected to grow above 1000 billions by the end of 1998. Several public sectors see their funds being reduced but the strain on the economy is not that obvious. Indeed, the level of employment is rising as the military and weapon manufactures recruit heavily. More important, several new military programs are designed and started: A400M, ASMP-A, PVP, VBCI, Vextra-105… For the next two years, the continuing degradation of the international situation convince the French that they have made the good choice and when the year 2000 begins, their military forces have never been so effective. The navy has increased tremendously and now operates ten SSBN and three aircraft carriers with a fourth one under the final stages of completion. The air force grew also but the Mirage 2000 remains its main workhorse as priority was given to the Rafale M. Nevertheless, the first Rafale C should be delivered before 2001 and, in the meantime, several older aircrafts undergo a deep modernization: Mirage F1, Mirage 50 and Jaguar. The army grew also in term of both manpower and equipments introducing several new designs. In addition, France has been part of the air operations over Serbia and its air force drew much experience from this.

Everything changes in late fall of 2000 when the Soviets attack in the Far North. Until that, Belgium and France had remained party to NATO but refused to get involved during the first stage of the Twilight War. Both parliaments pointed out that Germany had attacked first and, therefore, they were not entitled to intervene. The attack on Norway changed that and when the Norwegians called for help, all NATO members answered. The Belgian government sends a division and two brigades in Germany where they are to join NATO forces already fighting there. Several fighter squadrons are also dispatched with most being sent to Germany and one arriving on Norway a day after the attack begun. In Norway, the Belgian Navy is quite heavily engaged with three of its four frigates operating with the Royal Navy. France, for its part, engages fully and quickly. Indeed, if France had remained out of the conflict for nearly six months it conducted extensive preparations for the war. On the very day of the attack on Norway, a full corps enters Germany and its units join the battle three days later. Two days after the attack begun, the French have been able to coordinate their action with that of other NATO members and two regiments of the Foreign Legion (1st and 3rd Régiment Étrangers de Parachutistes) are spearheading the attack. The 1st REP was recreated in 1992 while the 3rd REP joined it in 1997 and both display the general level of excellence that one expect from the Legion. Then, on November 12 in the early morning these two regiments are dropped directly on top of advancing Soviet paratroopers and fight alone for a little more than 36 hours. As NATO reinforcements finally break through the Russian lines and make contact with them on November 14, the Legionnaires have created so much confusion among the Soviets that many surrender immediately. However, the 3rd REP almost made Cameron and counts no more than 62 survivors while the 1st REP has lost a third of its manpower. At sea, La Royale has dispatched the entire Atlantic Fleet to the Norwegian Sea with three aircraft carriers reinforced by the modernized cruiser Colbert. French naval units will be very active and score several hit on Soviet ships but they will also lose the “Clem” (Clemenceau) and its entire crew. Part of its air complement will survive, nonetheless, and will remain in Norway until the French withdrawal of 2003.

France increases its commitment to the war in 2001 and dispatches more units (essentially air force) to Germany while the Corps already fighting there is doing very good. Indeed its units are instrumental in stopping the Soviet offensive over Southern Germany. The Belgian are doing great has well, fighting hard and spearheading several counter attacks. For example, their paratroopers, the Red Devils, are the first NATO soldiers to reach Warsaw on June 2. For the French, another important commitment should have been their participation in the naval attack targeting the northern Soviet seaports. However, the French naval command judges this operation to be highly hazardous and is not entirely convinced. Nevertheless, the French government is willing to fulfill its commitment to the war effort and orders the Atlantic Fleet to join again with other NATO naval forces in the Norwegian Sea. As the huge NATO Fleet is about to reach the North Cape, several French intelligence reports are received and contradicts these of the CIA and MI6. According to these reports, several Soviet naval units have been repaired and should represent a serious threat to the final success of the operation. France immediately informs the UK and the US but both countries discard these reports. Despite this, the French Naval Command transmits these reports to the Admiral in charge of the Atlantic Fleet who, in turn, inform the US admiral in charge of the entire operation. Again the warning is ignored and the entire naval forces are ordered forward. As the first units gets into the Barents Sea, the French admiral orders his own units to remain where they are. The French aircraft carriers will provide long distance air cover and only a small rear-guard force counting the Colbert is allowed to continue. As expected, the US admiral complains but the French admiral answers that France is not part of NATO combine command and, consequently, his decision is perfectly legitimate. A few hours later, this decision proves to have been the wisest. Without it, the US Navy would have lost all of the four aircraft carriers it had engaged and NATO would have failed to sink the last remaining Soviet ships. In the process, France loses the Colbert and its entire destroyer division. Sadly, this doesn’t prevent the French decision from being condemned in UK and US. People and politicians accuse France of treason and anti-French demonstrations take place in both countries as in the Netherlands. This even has severe consequences at the fronts where French units, seen as unreliable, are now held in reserve.

These units are missing and their reduced involvement deprives NATO of the punch it needed in Eastern Europe. When, NATO high command finally orders the French back to the first line, it’s already too late and progress in the fields continue to slow down. They are unable to change the situation and NATO advance finally stops as winter comes. The situation evolves more favorably in the Middle-East where the French are fully committed to the naval landing taking place in Iran and their units fight bravely but again they are facing an enemy that is by far too numerous. In addition, the French are committed elsewhere. They are facing the Padanian forces in the Alps where both sides remain unable to make any significant gains. They remain also fully involved on several African theaters where their troops are backing local governments facing civil unrests resulting from the breaking of international trade.

The Belgian and French commitment doesn’t fade away in 2003 and they remain fully engaged on all fronts, fighting continuously as NATO starts to fall back in Europe. This is so true that, by 2003, after three years of a sustained conflict, the “Red Devils” Brigade, a Belgian parachutist formation, has become the most decorated unit among NATO. They are fighting both in Europe and in the Middle-East and, as for every NATO member; the strain of war is increasingly high. Human losses have been important but conscripts are soon supplemented by volunteers. The national territory, at least for France, has been subjected to a number of conventional strikes by the Warsaw Pact while Padanian artillery regularly shells the southern border region. Destructions are there to be seen but damages are not that important and the production network is now fully working to produce more weapons. Most AMX-30s have been upgraded to the “Brenus” standard, more Leclerc and Rafale are delivered every month, and the Richelieu was commissioned a year ago. This ship was welcome especially after the important damages sustained by the fleet in 2000-2001: the “Clem” and “Colbert” had been sunk while the “Charles de Gaulle” and the “Foch” had needed extensive repairs, leaving the French navy with the Jeanne d’Arc as its sole major unit for a full year.

Whatever, by mid-2003, NATO finds itself in an increasingly bad situation and its forces are outnumbered everywhere. Faced with the eventuality of defeat, Central Command decides upon the use of tactical nuclear strikes but this is refused by Belgium and France. After a week of hard talk in the heat of early august, both countries withdraw from the alliance and within ten days they sign a separate peace with the Warsaw Pact, Padania and China. Immediately after, both ask NATO to leave their respective soils while their troops are quickly withdrawn from the front line. Then, as the first nuclear strikes are carried out, France, Belgium and Luxembourg open their borders to refugees.

It changes again in the early summer of 2004 when the Exchange that has been escalating for month enters into its last phase. True to its word, Moscow doesn’t target the two countries but Washington, considering that both France and Belgium could chose to supply the Pact, does so and two missiles are targeted at these countries. They wreak havoc to Lille, Le Havre and the northern industrial region (8x100kt) and to several other targets (each hit by a 475kt MIRV): Anvers, Bordeaux, Brest, Brussel, Lorient, Nice, Strasbourg and Toulouse. Paris has been spared, however, and the French retaliates immediately, ordering one of their submarines to target Canada, the UK and the US. That SSBN has not been constantly tracked by NATO and launches ten of its sixteen missiles before being sunk: 2 missiles have been targeted to Canada, 1 has hit the UK while the last 7 penetrate the US defenses. The effects are devastating while human losses are minimal: NATO has lost 15% of its remaining production network.

Still an active member of the alliance only a few months before, with knowledge of things that remain foreign to the Kremlin, France proved a much immediate threat. The lesson is hard learnt and no more missiles are targeted at it or at Belgium. Nevertheless the effects of that sole action leave a deep mark. Belgium is in turmoil, its central government has vanished with Brussel and civil unrest is quickly turning to ethnic fighting between Flemish and Walloon. France is experiencing a situation that is almost as hard with more than half of its production capability down, power supplies shortage, several millions dead and wounded. Civil unrest is spreading fast and, on several occasions, crowds turn on refugee camps. Knowing that it won’t have a second chance, the government issues a martial law order that remains in effect to these days, suspends the constitution, grants full judicial power to army court and deploys large security forces: CRS, Gendarmerie and even the Army.

Before year’s end, the situation improves in France and civil unrest is now bleeding memory. The damages remain huge, nevertheless, and the country fails to bring back its production level to what it was. People are leaving the cities and much of the economy slowly turns toward cottage industry and farming. Fields that had not been exploited for half a century are now back in production. Power supply is enough but there are cuts daily and it is rationed as it has been ordered to the population to limit its electricity consumption. Anyone not taking care of that order sees its electricity supply shot down while the requirement of additional supply is answered only after the introduction of a motivated demand. Army troops and security forces are everywhere and movements outside of a given “Département” are only allowed with a special permit. Still, life is more than bearable.

In January of 2005, answering a call for help by the Walloon authorities, France move north to Belgium and its army cross the border. In the French speaking area, the soldiers are welcome as saviors but the situation is entirely different in Flanders. A good portion of the population there is openly hostile and several skirmishes end up with civilian casualties. Nevertheless, because of the nukes the Walloon are more numerous again and their support gives an apparent legitimacy to the French rule. A month later, Belgium, Luxembourg and France unite and form the Franco-Belgian Union (FBU for short). Military forces are reorganized under French command and before June, several countries outside of Europe apply for membership to the new state: Burkina-Faso, Cameroon, Djibouti, Gabon, Mali, Senegal, Togo and Tunisia. In return for economical exclusivity an expansion treaty is signed, military support is granted to every one of these states and French units are deployed or reinforced abroad. In the meantime, a ore limited alliance is signed with three countries of the Middle-East (Oman, UAE and Yemen).
As the FBU slowly constitutes itself, the internal situation over Europe changes again. Order is effectively enforced but corruption and black market is growing. Energy delivery is often granted in exchange for bribery and, if the countryside doesn’t suffer much, cities soon find themselves in a situation that can compare to that they had experienced during the German occupation of World War II. In addition, more refugees are trying to come in everyday and that weight proves unbearable for the government. As a result, on May 4th, the acting president issues what is now referred to “l’Ordre du Mois Sanglant”, an order giving instruction to the army to turn down refugees by all means.

This is immediately carried out and refugees are turned down at gunpoint. Thousands are killed, other are directed toward concentration camps, but this is not enough and despair still brings more to the gate. Aware of the danger, FBU military command makes a swift proposal: a security zone has to be established on and outside of the borders. Of course, this looks nice on paper but it also means that fighting with NATO will have to be resumed again and the acting president is more than aware that this time, France could be obliterated. As a result, military command is advised to come up with a more detailed plan while negotiations are conducted with the various US authorities. On the outcome, FBU agrees to support and supply US troops whenever possible in exchange for US neutrality in the limited conflict to come. Badly in need of supplies, the Joint Chief of Staff reluctantly agrees provided that the French don’t try to cross the Rhine River.

As soon as this secret agreement is reached, French units move north and to the various borders. Within days, the borders with Padania, Spain and Switzerland are closed while French military units are quickly pushing north to the Rhine in Netherlands and Germany. Both of these countries try to resist but what units they have available are no match for the French Army. Germany and Netherlands call for US intervention but, despite verbal support, US troops remain in place. UK could have moved but it lacked sufficient reserve and the deployment to the north of one of the French artillery regiment equipped with Hadès missiles forces HMG into neutrality. At last, after some heroic fighting on the part of isolated Dutch and German units, the French secure the Rhine River within two weeks and establish a 50km deep free fire zone now called “La Zone Morte”. Within this, Saarland is simply annexed by the FBU and its population mostly welcomes the French. Elsewhere, the region is emptied of its population by force and those who try to resist are gunned down. Military positions are established everywhere and patrols are conducted daily.

Finally, when the EMP attack is launched toward the end of 2005, FBU is taken by surprise as the rest of the world. Power supplies industries are shot down, communications are disrupted and civil unrest starts to grow again. The martial law remains into effect but crowds gather to several city centers and face the security forces. However, still disciplined, most security forces don’t give in to panic and the situation is back under control by early 2006. In the meantime, the government manages to bring back a good part of the power supply in line and industries are put back to work. Nevertheless, production rates have been reduced again, non-strategic productions have ceased and civil rights are shrinking. Anyone contesting the State is immediately brought to court and prosecuted under the charge of treason. France which once claimed to be a “Land of Freedom and Human Rights” doesn’t care anymore and the government has become a dictatorship.
Nowadays, in 2009, the situation hasn’t changed much. Rationing is still in place, industrial output remains low, public liberties are long gone memories and several terrorist groups (freedom fighter depending on your point of view) are operating on the national soil. Several harbors are active to a limited level with the main one being Marseille on the Mediterranean. On the Atlantic, major harbors have all been destroyed but smaller ones are functional and see some commerce: Cherbourg, La Rochelle, Saint Malo and Saint Nazaire... They are also home to the few French privateers that now operate on all seas. The “Zone Morte” is still in place and France, which left NATO in response to the use of nuclear weapons, launched two Hadès on Germany when the Bundeswehr tried to retake the “Zone Morte”. Borders are still mostly closed but this is not entirely the case anymore and the FBU is involved in many areas. Two checkpoints are permanently open with Switzerland, an additional checkpoint is occasionally open with Padania and a thriving black market exists with Germany and Spain. Basically, bribery will get you in. Negotiations are currently taking place with Catalonia in order to get that former Spanish region to join, at least as an ally. FBU troops conduct cover operations in the Middle-East and continue to supply the US in that area. Trade is conducted openly (Ireland, Denmark …) or clandestinely (Québec, Scotland…).

[Abbott Shaull]

Really nice work.