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THE TIMELINE 2028 – Zero Hour. The United States have withdrawn all their overseas forces and China has put an end to the GLA insurrection that swept across Central Europe. While the 'invasion' never had any chances of lasting success, it managed to kill, injure and dislocate thousands, destroyed the urban infrastructure of major economic centres and polluted large swathes of land through chemical and nuclear attacks. With the already troubled European Union at the brink of total collapse, the national militaries, backed by the numbers of China's PLA, assume temporary control in order to prevent a continental civil war. Meanwhile, the Russia Federation, which was left unscathed by the GLA attacks, inaugurates its new president, a charismatic visionary called Nikolai Suvorov. He openly declares his goals to be the elimination of all infighting and corruption and 'to create a new Eurasian hegemony with Mother Russia at its helm'. Western analysts dismiss the young leader as an ineffectual, chest-thumping mouthpiece of post-Soviet oligarchy. 2029 – China and the EU form the Eurasian Unity League (EURA), in essence a Chinese Marshall Plan for the broken economy of Europe. China lends cheap credits in exchange for military bases on EU territory while providing guidance in the reconstruction of infrastructure, armed forces and domestic security agencies. The EU uses the Chinese funds to buy large amounts of fossil fuels and raw materials from Russia which invests the newfound wealth to overhaul its own infrastructure, educational system and military, triggering a period of great economic growth in Russia and establishing Suvorov as a smart statesman with the appeal of a film star. 2031 – Having long been fed up with the empowerment of the now-weakened Brussels central government, the nations of Eastern Europe seize the opportunity to break away from the Union and turn to Russia as a future strategic partner and protector. The Federation, newly liberalised and increasingly prosperous as a result of Suvorov’s effective policies, gladly steps in, allowing the smaller nations to benefit from its rapidly growing economy. Soon, eastern Europe finds itself on the same level of development as Russia itself and drifts away from the EU sphere of influence. Meanwhile, with the US having severed all ties and the Russian economy on the rise, China uses its new global prestige to strong-arm several neighbouring countries into a hegemony, the Greater Asian People’s Alliance (GAPA), which is largely seen as a mere puppet of Beijing and acts as a buffer to the economic downturn that China managed to delay for the duration of the war after the GLA attacked Beijing, Hong Kong and the Three Gorges Dam. 2032 - In North Africa, GLA leader 'Deathstrike' dies at the hands of an unknown assassin. His former lieutenant Anwar Sulaymaan assumes control and goes on a personal quest to re-unite the warring splinter factions under his banner. Due to being disunited and busy among itself, the GLA soon disappears from the perception of both the general public and intelligence agencies. 2033 – Weakened by years of economic isolationism and civil discontent, the new US government launches an initiative to form a unified, continental American trade-bloc. The plan is regarded sceptically by the nations of South America, but Mexico and Canada decide to join in, forming the North American Union (NAU). The reforms take effect and the US return to global prominence over the following years. 2034 – In a grand ceremonial act, the EU is radically reconstituted into the European Continental Alliance. The ECA is a clearly defined military, economic and scientific partnership; decentralised and with less law-making power than the late EU, seeking to rebuild the core of Europe as a small fellowship of equal but different partners as opposed to a large, unified super-state. Soon, the ECA pompously declares that Europe is strong enough to fend for itself and that Chinese assistance is no longer required, putting a cold but predictable end to the EURA. 2035 – Afraid of being economically outpaced by the newly founded NAU and the resurgent US, the nations of South America attempt to create their own trade-bloc. Under the leadership of Brazil, the South American Pact (SAP) comes into being despite a constant atmosphere of distrust among the member states and grows to include all of South America in the next few years. While the metropolitan areas develop into global economic super-centres, violent crime cartels and far-left rebel groups run rampant across the shanty towns and rural regions for years to come. 2036 – Tensions between the Western and Eastern European nations escalate into a brief proxy war between pro-ECA and pro-Russian forces in Ukraine. As a result, the country splits into two. In the East, the short-lived Donetsk Republic pledges allegiance to Russia and is quickly annexed by its neighbour after a popular referendum while European politicians draw comparisons to the German annexation of Austria and Czechoslovakia in the years leading up to World War II. 2037 – In a wholly unexpected move that baffles the international community and leads to heated discussions at the virtually powerless UN in New York, the ECA nations launch Operation Nemesis, a massive retaliatory invasion of North Africa in an attempt to dislodge the governments that approved of and supported the GLA incursion into Europe nearly a decade ago. Military puppet governments are installed and European entrepreneurs manage to secure profitable deals, triggering a global rush for Africa's untapped quantities of diamonds, rare earths and oil. 2038 – Africa finds itself divided among NAU corporate holdings, Chinese occupations, Russian military expeditions and ECA puppet states. Resistance to foreign influence is fierce and some factions openly identify themselves as the vanguard of a ‘new GLA’. 2039 – ESA launches its long-awaited Solaris satellites into space. They use large mirrors to project sunlight onto ground-based power stations and regulate the sunlight exposure of huge, automated mega-farms to maximise continental food production. As a result, Europe is no longer reliant on foreign food exports and fossil fuels. The demand for Russian coal, oil and natural gas plummets, hurting the economy and straining diplomatic relationships due to the sudden abolishment of long-standing cooperation treaties. Due to their mutual interest in containing the Federation’s expansion in Africa, China and the US form the Pacific Peace Alliance. It is later revealed that the agreement was skewed largely in favour of the Americans, who used the PPA as a fast-track out of their geo-strategic isolation, resulting in heated arguments between the two 'allies' behind a facade of superficial friendship. 2040 – Chinese forces in Kurmuk, Sudan come under attack from a hidden Russian research base on their territory. The US side with China, resulting in a massive joint Sino-American assault on the facility. The Russian commander, General Nikita Aleksandr, uses cutting-edge experimental weapons to repel the attack, humiliating the PPA. Washington and Beijing subsequently push the blame on each other, putting an end to the ill-fated alliance after a series of political assassinations. 2041 – After almost a decade in hiding, the re-armed, re-united and re-organised GLA rises in Central Africa under the leadership of Anwar Sulaymaan. What starts out as a series of attacks on Russian forces in South Sudan soon escalates into a theatre-wide insurrection. Elements of the German 10th Panzerdivision mount an unauthorised diversionary attack to relieve the Russians, but are called back by high command for acting without official orders. The Federation, still weakened by its costly victory over the PPA, suffers heavy losses and is forced to hurriedly abandon its African territories. Russian national pride takes a major blow and economic development comes to a crashing hold. For the first time in his extended presidency, Suvorov sees himself threatened by dissent and opposition. The government begins to channel aggression onto 'European traitors'. 2042 – A Russian expeditionary force enters South America on request of the struggling SAP in a haphazard attempt to restore confidence in the military and acquire new trading opportunities. The rebel uprisings are crushed within a year by pure brutality. The SAP rewards Russia with plentiful resources and the privilege to set up military installations in South America, but the economic stimulus manifests itself in baby-steps. 2043 – A malfunctioning Solaris satellite crashes in the Alaskan wilderness, near the city of Anchorage. Russian Spetsnaz and French 2e REP paratroopers are dispatched to recover and scuttle the wreckage respectively. A brief three-way skirmish ensues when elements of the Alaska National Guard arrive to investigate. The following diplomatic battle severely damages the already-strained relationships between Russia, Europe and the US. 2044 – Russia goes through one of the hottest, most dry summers in its recent history, resulting in large forest fires and a near-total country-wide crop failure. Government officials openly blame European Solaris satellites, calling them 'a nefarious weapon of mass destruction in the guise of a power source'. European politicians dismiss the claims as 'ridiculous slander' and blame Russia’s heavy reliance on coal and oil as a major contributor to climate change. Meanwhile, SAP-cooperation fails to re-vitalise the Russian economy. Hunger revolts and violent clashes between Russians and Chinese immigrants in the Far East threaten national unity. Suvorov orders preparations for 'national self-defence', boosting armor and aircraft reserves to several thousands. State propaganda puts the population into a fighting frenzy while the military is ordered on high-alert. Suvorov declares that the coming events will either make or break the future of the Russian nation. 2045 – Russian Shock Trooper forces raid and sabotage a Federation missile base in Kaliningrad while posing as European special forces. President Suvorov, who personally ordered General Aleksandr to stage the false flag operation, blames the ECA and uses the incident as pretence to declare all-out war on Europe. On the same day, Russian air armadas launch a massive series of raids, destroying most of the European air assets in their hangars while the ground forces launch a full-scale invasion. Whereas the fighting in Scandinavia and the Baltic Sea is initially fierce, the ECA’s easternmost ally Ukraine, as well as neutral Hungary and Slovakia fall within a matter of days, allowing Russia’s armies to sweep into Central Europe en masse. 2047 – Present day. The Russians have overrun and occupied most of the European mainland with the battle lines currently in France. While the frontline has degenerated into a bloody stalemate in and around Paris, the British are under a tight naval blockade with their army tied up at home for fear of an amphibious landing. With France on the verge of collapse, the remaining European exile-governments urge China and the United States to intervene while high command contemplates the nuclear option. THE FACTIONS
RUSSIAN FEDERATION  Leader: President Nikolai Suvorov Capital: Moscow Active Troops: 3.902.000 Tactical Focus: Frontal Assault, Heavy Weapons EUROPEAN CONTINENTAL ALLIANCE  Leader: Prime Minister Norman Fitzgerald Capital: Brussels Active Troops:1.210.000 Tactical Focus: Defensive Operations, Artillery Support UNITED STATES OF AMERICA  Leader: President Willie Bradford Capital: Washington D.C. Active Troops: 1.423.000 Tactical Focus: Air Superiority, High-Tech Weapon Systems PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA  Leader: Chairman Cheung Liu Capital: Beijing Active Troops: 6.658.000 Tactical Focus: Overwhelming Numbers, Propaganda Use GLOBAL LIBERATION ARMY  Leader: Warlord Anwar Sulaymaan Capital: N/A Active Troops: Unknown Tactical Focus: High Mobility, Guerilla Warfare |
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