The Great Collapse (Square One)

The Great Collapse was the slow breakdown of society and order in many countries following the impact of Square One (nominal designation 2024 DS14) and the consequent Modern Ice Age. A worldwide famine in the late 2020s, as well as a severe economic collapse, lead to the slow breakdown of society. The Great Collapse is marked by anarchy, severe looting, and rampant crime. Often referred simply as "The Fallout", the Great Collapse led to the deaths of at least 200 million people worldwide.

While the famine that resulted because of the impact of Square One did kill millions, the real reason the Great Collapse occurred was the inability of the global economy to function in a world with short supplies of basic and necessary goods and services. The resulting shortage of goods lead to the breakdown of international trade, as export-reliant countries rushed to hoard what they had left for themselves, in turn furthering the Great Collapse.

Death Toll
The estimated death toll of the Great Collapse is estimated to be 120 million people. Most died due to malnutrition, starvation, war, and disease that can be indirectly attributed to the Great Collapse. Areas in extreme northern and southern latitudes suffered the most, due to inability to produce food following the breakdown of international trade. War and political skirmishes also led to a large number of deaths, mostly in unstable areas such as Africa and former Indonesia. The death toll due to war is also large in North America, due to the near complete breakdown of society in that continent.

Europe
The immediate effects of the impact on Europe were little, however the resulting blockage of sunlight, like most other areas, resulted in the 2026 harvest being Europe's least productive harvest in centuries. This would result in chaos across the continent.

While the European Union approved the Berlin Protocols in late April, the Berlin Protocols were preparations for if the asteroid hit an EU member state or near Europe. As such, only some measures outlined by the Berlin Protocol were followed. However, this was not enough to ensure everything would run smoothly.