Scenario: Third World War (No Category)

The Third World War is a global military conflict taking place in the early 21st century as the Russian Federation takes advantage of decreased involvement in the international community by the United States to begin a campaign of expansionist military activity against its neighbors in Europe and Asia.

Background
The Russian Federation under Vladimir Putin had taken advantage of the reduced involvement in the international community by the United States under the Obama administration, bolstering their military forces and engaging in bullying tactics against other nations similar to provocative acts taken by he Soviet Union during the height of the First Cold War in addition to cyber-attacks and espionage against political and infrastructure targets. This activity ultimately resulted in the invasion and annexation of Crimea and a Russian-backed insurgent campaign in eastern Ukraine along with strained relations between Russia and the NATO alliance, leading to what became unofficially known as the Second Cold War.

Opening Stages
In early 2017, The Russian Federation launches a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainian military forces, already weakened from fighting Russian-backed insurgents, are overwhelmed by the superior Russian forces. The United States refuses to intervene, the newly-inaugurated pro-Russian Trump administration going on record saying the conflict "isn't any of our business". Emboldened by America's inaction, Putin's regime launches similar attacks against other contested territories in Europe and Asia, including Belarus, Chechnya, Georgia, and the Kuril Islands. NATO and the United Nations desperately urge the United States to take action to halt the Russian expansion, but despite mounting international and domestic pressure, the Trump administration again refuses to act.

American Entry to the Conflict
In late 2017, the Russian Federation launches an invasion of the Aleutian archipelago in western Alaska. The United States demands that Russia withdraw its forces from sovereign US territory. The Putin regime rebukes President Trump, and seizes his financial assets in Russia. The Trump administration declares war on the Russian Federation, with NATO following suit under the Mutual Defense Assistance Act.

In response to a combined American and Canadian counteroffensive in the Aleutian Islands and attacks against Russian forces in Europe by NATO countries, Russia launches a massive invasion of the US and Canada, and retaliatory strikes against NATO. The Trump administration responds with nuclear weapons with Russia responding in kind; with the United States' anti-ballistic missile defense system taken offline by Russian cyber-attacks, both sides suffer catastrophic losses in the ensuing exchange.