World War III (Scenario: After Dawn)

World War III, also known as the Third World War, WWIII, or Armageddon, was a global conflict taking place in the latter half of the 2050s (more specifically from October 17, 2057 to January 23, 2059). It was the deadliest and costliest conflict in human history, with around 5.3 billion casualties (out of a total 9.8 billion people pre-war), the firing of approximately 5,400 nuclear bombs, entire cities destroyed, and severe environmental damage to much of Earth.

Events leading up to World War III
Most historians see World War III as the culmination of tensions that started in the First Cold War, and were amplified during the Second Cold War.

The Second Cold War is generally agreed upon to have begun upon the inauguration of US President Cory Booker, along with his vice president Tulsi Gabbard. In Cory Booker's inauguration, he attacked former president Donald Trump's soft stance on Russia, however commended his stance on China. Vladimir Putin, then president of Russia, a few days later authorized the annexation of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic, thus inheriting their claims on the Ukrainian provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk. This was seen as a show of force against the new Booker administration, however was largely ignored by Booker and Gabbard, not wanting to incite war between the two nuclear powers. This however, is usually believed to have culminated in the creation of the Pacific Rim Defense Initiative, which enlarged the ANZUS protocol to include Thailand, The Philippines, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan.

Proxy wars between the Russia/China led Chongqing Defense and Mutual Assistance Bloc and the US led NATO and PRDI led to include minor conflicts in the nations of Mozambique, Georgia, and Nicaragua; to more well known conflicts.

North Korean Civil War
Main Article: North Korean Civil War

The North Korean Civil War was a conflict lasting from 2029 until 2033, with small conflicts occurring until the end of the Pre-Armageddon Era. The North Korean Civil War is generally agreed upon starting upon the abrupt end of the Kim Dynasty, via political assassination generally viewed as a CIA plot to finally end Korean division. The war was fought mainly between Juche loyalists, including much of the surviving government along with people still under the assumption of the Kim Dynasty's divinity; and the Unificationists, which included the majority of the North Korean people. The Juche loyalists were supported internationally by China and Iran, while the Unificationists were supported by South Korea and the United States. Japan was a supporter of the Unificationists, however, due to the generally negative view of Japan on the peninsula, they were forced to mainly provide logistical support under the guise that it was support from Canada. The war ended with South Korean annexation of former North Korean territory, and the beginning of a guerilla movement by Juche loyalists that persisted until the end of the Pre-Armageddon Era.

Nigerian Civil War
Main Article: Nigerian Civil War

The Nigerian Civil War was a conflict lasting from June 2045 until October 2049. Hausa and Izon nationalists, dissatisfied with their treatment under the US backed dictatorship, rose up against what they claimed to be "western imperialists". Quickly, Russia and China supported the fledgling independence movements, and sent troops in via the Cameroon-Nigerian border. The US backed dictatorship completely collapsed in 2047, and the war shifted from Govt. loyalists and Ethno-linguistic regionalism to just whichever tribe would pledge loyalty to either coalition. The war concluded in October 2049, with the complete withdrawl of US forces to nearby Ghana, and the creation of several states which were loyal to the Chongqing Pact.

Iran Crisis
Main Article: Iran Crisis

The Iran Crisis is generally regarded to be the catalyst for World War III, when Iranian ships blocked the Persian Gulf, trapping US forces in Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain. The crisis lasted from September till October 2057, ending in the declaration of war upon Iran by the United States, and the simultaneous declaration of war by Russia upon the United States.