Great War

The Great War was a global thermonuclear war caused by the Sino-American War. It resulted in the destruction of all participating nations and abroad, global disruption of climate and billions of casualties as a result of nuclear blasts, exposure to radiation and subsequent collapse of social and government structures in the span of just two hours. The Sino-American War raged for eleven years, eventually culminating in a nuclear exchange between China and the United States. Both nations had built up huge stockpiles of nuclear weapons, and the mutual attack drew in enemies and allies from all around the world, igniting every hatred forged throughout the century-long cold war. Although the conflict lasted only two hours, the destruction it brought was staggering and complete. More energy was released in the early moments of the exchange than in all previous global conflicts combined. This global nuclear conflict came to be known as the "Great War".

The Conflict

Prelude

The nuclear holocaust was a direct result of the decade-long conflict that left both the United States and China exhausted. By 2077, a combination of attrition, loss of supply routes, and offensives conducted by the United States across the front left Chinese units in Alaska stranded and cut off from reinforcements. The liberation of Anchorage spearheaded by winterized T-51 power armor units under the command of General Constantine Chase marked the end of the Anchorage Reclamation, after a decade of war. The campaign in mainland China, which began with the amphibious landings at Shantou in 2074, was reinvigorated by gaining ground in Alaska and the deployment of T-51 units. However, as American soldiers pushed deeper into the mainland, Chinese resistance increased. By October, the situation transitioned from a rout into a stalemate. Despite a decade of war, there was no end in sight. Billions of dollars and thousands of casualties were spent in vain, despite taxes and various wartime revenues ensuring the federal government was able to fund a standing army the likes of which the United States had never seen before. In a desperate attempt to bolster the offensive and break the stalemate, bases across the United States were sealed and troops were redeployed.

The Engagement

The war began and ended on October 23, 2077. Chinese subs were identified by the United States Pacific Fleet at 00:03 EST off the coast of California, moving into position. At 03:37 EST, a squadron of high-altitude bombers was sighted off the Bering Strait. At least one Chinese stealth submarine, the Yangtze, moved close to the American East Coast, launching all warheads, save for one malfunction. Six hours later, at 09:13 EST, the Integrated Operational Nuclear Detection System detected the first four missile launches and the United States went to DEFCON 2. Four minutes later, NORAD confirmation sealed the fate of the world. At 09:26 EST, the president ordered a retaliatory strike according to scenario MX-CN91. Nuclear bombs hit Pennsylvania and New York at 09:42 EST. By 09:47 EST, most American facilities went offline.
The nuclear exchange continued for two hours, until silence fell across the land.

Outcome

Earth’s militaries coordinated a global-scale intercontinental ballistic missile nuclear strike against each other, destroying a significant amount of the planet. The following years of war would see the collapse of every nation-state, the reduction of global infrastructure to pre-industrial conditions, and the destruction of a majority of the global infrastructure. The entire world was blanketed with multiple nuclear strikes, most cities being hit multiple times, and the world and its entire ecosystem were irrevocably changed for centuries to come.

Aftermath

The results of the nuclear war were devastating, as they combined with biological and chemical weapons that saw widespread use during the Sino-American War. The changes in climate led to widespread alterations of the ecosystem. The new climate meant that many plants could no longer grow or be cultivated, ranging from common vegetables to specialized crops, such as coca plants or opium poppies. Due to necessity, crop variants mutated by radiation were adopted by survivors, including mutated cabbage and maize. These cultivars thrived in the warm weather of the Southwest, with similar mutations proliferating across the colder climates of the northern reaches of the continent. Animals were also adversely affected. The combination of radioactive fallout and various local mutagens, particularly the Forced Evolutionary Virus in New California, led to widespread mutation. By 2080, new species were created almost overnight, replacing animals that died out or were out-competed. 
The world that remained was harsh and unforgiving. Ninety years after the Great War, humanity struggled to survive. On the surface, bandits and organized gangs fought over the crumbling remains of once-great cities, and mutants prowled the irradiated wastes. Underground, a fortunate few enjoyed the relative safety and comfort of the Vaults, designed before the war, with the proclaimed purpose of protecting residents and their descendants from the nuclear annihilation. Some planned to keep the world out, others sought to connect with and repopulate the outside. Wherever humanity survived, it was under constant threat by ravenous mutants, rogue machines, vicious raiders, and all manner of hostile mutant creatures.

Historical Significance

Legacy

The Great War's enduring legacy was the radiation that spread in its wake. Many of the plants and animals that survived the nuclear fire were killed by the irradiated rain that fell a week later. Of those that survived, many were mutated by 2080. As these regions rose from the ashes, so too did new societies. The New California Republic was established in 2186 and would control all of New California a century later. The Brotherhood of Steel was founded days after the Great War and would become a technological powerhouse by 2150. The Enclave—descendants of the United States government and the military-industrial complex—made their presence felt in New California in 2237 and then in the Capital Wasteland in 2277. The Rome-obsessed slavers of Caesar's Legion arose in 2247, forged from the conquest of 87 tribes, and would control most if not all of Arizona and New Mexico, along with some holdings in eastern Utah and parts of southern Colorado.

Conflict Type

War

Battlefield Type

Planetary

Start Date

October 23, 2077

Ending Date

October 23, 2077

Conflict Result

Global societal disruption, including the collapse of existing nation states -Severe damage to the environment and accelerated global warming -Widespread radioactive pollution leads to the emergence of mutations

Location

Earth

Belligerents

United States and Allies

Communist Bloc

Strength

By the time of the Great War, the United States military was the most powerful military in the world, thanks to its overwhelming technological superiority. T-60 power armor, T-51 and the older model, the T-45 provided superb protection and the ability to carry heavy weapons into combat, including rotary cannons usually mounted on gunships or fighters. Power armor units were usually issued to mechanized cavalry formations operating on critical fronts. Low-frequency signals, which can travel far-reaching distances through many geographic obstacles, were used during the Sino-American War to transmit messages to submarines. Other materiel utilized by the Armed Forced included energy weapons, robotics, and military transport vehicles.

The Communist military enjoyed significant reserves of manpower and focused on technologies that capitalized on it. Although the individual Red soldier was less protected than his American foe, they had access to high powered weapons and acted as part of a large unit capable of withering the enemy through superior firepower and tactical flexibility afforded by their large numbers. Political training and ruthless officers resulted in a powerful, disciplined force that was a match for American units until the introduction of power armor. Due to little success in creating a power armor of comparable performance, Chinese researchers focused their efforts elsewhere and managed to create practical active camouflage technology, commonly referred to as stealth technology. Due to an intelligence apparatus that outclassed its U.S. counterparts, the Communist Bloc managed to conceal its large scale research operations from American operatives for years. The development of Hei Gui stealth suits allowed for easy penetration of enemy lines and hamstringing American offensive operations where possible. While some units were captured and reverse-engineered, the Bloc's efforts continued apace and by 2075 was rumored to possess an entire fleet of stealth submarines, developed in the Shaanxi Province, nicknamed the "Ghost Fleet." As such, stealth suit equipped Crimson Dragoon units stabilized the frontline, while the stealth submarines ensured that the Soviet Union would retain nuclear capability even in the case of a total frontline collapse. Other methods used included the deployment of pulse fields, capable of literally frying power armor operators alive in their suits.
The Communist Bloc had also implemented its own biochemical research programs, including bioweapons and human enhancement programs, which inspired American scientists and prompted the establishment of the Pan-Immunity Virion Project (PVP).

Casualties

Billions

Billions

Objectives

Curtail the Communist Red Menace

Bring down capitalist oppression