The Great Calamity (Scenario)

It was an accident, as most things are. Sometime around 2023, a North Korean hacking team was testing their abilities in a high stakes mission: hack and enter the United State's outdated nuclear missile launch systems, and leave. Either something went horribly wrong, or something went horribly right, but 300 missiles were launched, and they successfully struck hundreds of unsuspecting national capitals across the globe, killing 10% of the world's population in 30 minutes. The ensuing nuclear conflict would be known by its immediate survivors as World War 3, but as tyrannical governments and pseudo-utopias began to emerge, the war soon became known simply as, The Great Calamity.

2023

 * The Great Calamity occurs, plunging much of the world into nuclear war. WIP
 * America, France, Russia, Germany, India, Pakistan, Israel, Britain and a number of other major and minor nations simply cease to exist. The Chinese Communist Party retains nominal control of north China. The central regions are mostly irradiated as the south is controlled by various former military warlords.

2024

 * The Swiss population emerges from their bunkers mostly unscathed. They go about rebuilding broken infrastructure and private property. A small but stable trading economy emerges between Switzerland and the remaining populations and governments of Euerope.
 * Following the annihilation of Ottawa by nuclear warheads, the capital is moved to Hamilton, Ontario. Quebec illegally secedes as the predominantly Roman-Catholic French-speaking Republic of Quebec but the devastated central government is powerless to stop them. Thousands of English-speakers migrate to Ontario. Alberta threatens secession but this is prevented by the Anglicization of Canada and the repeal of dozens of environmental protection laws.
 * With the government in shambles, the population halved, civil war brewing, and local authorities the only real authorities in the country, national elections are called in the United Kingdom to replenish the non-existent Parliament and government. A plurality of seats are held by the Conservative party with the Red Front (a coalition of Labour radicals, a number of trade unions, and with the support of leftist student populations, all three politically strengthened by the hardship and isolation of communities in England) coming in second. The Labour party, now only left with moderates after radicals deserted for the Red Front during the post-nuclear chaos, joins the Conservative party in a unity government with a slight majority. However, within days of the election results protests turn to riots and soon, civil war. By the end of the year most of the surviving royal family are evacuated to Canada, with the Queen defiantly remaining in England as a final act of public service, shoring up loyalist morale.

2025

 * The British Civil War is lost by the government with a great exodus of loyalist troops (the vast majority of troops stayed loyal), their surviving families, and other civilians, totalling a whopping 4 million, evacuated to Canada in the final weeks of the war, taking almost the entire Navy fleet with them. This leaves the population of Great Britain at a mere 26 million, most of whom secretly oppose the new regime. The Queen succumbs to injuries sustained in a suicide attack on the palace and her body is interred in Hamilton Cemetery Canada, the location of a newly reconstructed Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, after the previous one was destroyed along with the capital. Prince William is crowned King William I of Canada and King William V of the United Kingdom.

2026

 * With all instantaneous communication with the United Kingdom lost and the country plagued by irradiated terrain and a diminished population of a formerly service-oriented Australia starved by a lack of international trade, talk of secession brews in Western Australia and South Australia as their isolated survivors grow unhappy with the Southeast-centric response of the central government.

2028

 * The last straw for many in South Australia and Western Australia comes when the federal government declares Australia a republic, in light of the United Kingdom's own demise. South Australia and Western Australia declare their secession and their representatives and senators, now mostly members of various nationalist parties, resign and return to their new nations. Australia attempts a military response to the secessions but when soldiers from NSW and Victoria are met by survivor militias and defecting South and Western Australian military companies, they refuse to engage. Thus, the nations of Westralia and the Commonwealth of South Australia are born, both declaring the King of Canada to be their King and appointing governor-generals as their representatives.

2031

 * With the collapse of international trade and business, the economy of Singapore free falls and the city-state enters into a Dark Age. A great exodus occurs as millions of expats desert the island like rats from a sinking ship, embarking on (somewhat) hopeless journeys to their homelands. As food imports rapidly decline and the city struggles with water, there is also a large migration of Singaporeans towards Peninsular Malaysia, which, while in no better of an economic state, at least has ample land for agriculture. The population of Singapore sinks to a record low of 900,000, and its society enters into a dark age.

2045

 * Canada annexes Alaska.

2068

 * Having been spared much of the destruction of the Calamity, the tenuous state of the economy of Northern Europe prompts Sweden, Norway, and Denmark to unite as the Kingdom of Scandinavia. Taking inspiration from Malaysia, the monarchs of each of the three component states retain their status as sovereign of their state (eg. High Lord of Sweden) while the position of King of the Scandinavians rotates among the High Lords of the three states.

2075

 * After two generations of fighting in the ruins of Rome, all authority over Rome is consolidated in the hands of Giovanni Ricci, who declares himself ruler of Rome, and assumes the title of King of the Romans. A period of expansion and consolidation of the surrounding countryside follows.

2080

 * The United Socialist (UniSoc) faction of the Red Front of Britain takes control of all facets of government, reorganising the government and beginning a purge of dissidents.

2097

 * After struggling to rebuild for nearly a lifetime, the Republic of China (Taiwan) is a prosperous island nation. With nationalism rekindled, the nation annexes the middling Republic of Hong Kong (with their consent) and proceeds to enter and establish order in southern mainland China, annexing territory from local warlords as far North as southern Henan province, and as far West as the border with Tibet. Tibet's independence is recognised.

2099

 * After two years of "necessary" colonial rule from Taiwan, democracy is introduced in the mainland and, as a concession to those on the mainland who still consider Taiwan to be an occupying force (much to the chagrin of Kuomintang Nationalists), the federal capital is moved to the newly established Fuzhou Federal Territory, with Shanghai, Hong Kong, Nanjing, Xiamen, Chengdu, and Changsha declared "Special Economic Zones" with minimal corporate taxation.

2100

 * The Republic of New York is proclaimed.

2101

 * New York unites all of New England.

2103

 * As Indo-Chinese trade steadily increases, the area around the Straits of Malacca sees the rise of a number of wealthy merchant city states, including Port Dickson, Muar, Batu Pahat, Singapore, and Dumai. More broadly speaking, the area around the Strait's of Malacca and the South China Sea witnesses a revival of coastal trade and export, loosely sharing a similar culture, albeit with variations from city to city, not unlike the city-states of Ancient Greece.

2115

 * The remnants of the French Government, operating out of Versailles, declare the Provisional French Government. Through diplomatic efforts, the PFG comes to control much of central Northern France. However, Brittany and Normandy, having already reestablished their governments, refuse to join the PFG.

2122

 * A diminished South Africa builds a border wall stretching from East to West to keep out refugees fleeing from the anarchic regions of Central Africa.

2127

 * The New California Republic is proclaimed after its military conquest of Oregon, Nevada, and Baja California.

2136

 * Montana becomes an unlikely safe haven for millions of northward-bound survivors as border restrictions imposed by the Canadians increase following a spate of cross-border highway robberies. The lush forests and Missouri river in the territory make a prime place to establish new settlements. The united Republic of Montana is proclaimed with a population of 4.5 million.

2143

 * The first Mongol Empire is declared upon the conquest of Northern Central Asia and Southern Russia by Ganzorig Khan and his horde of nomadic bikers.

2151

 * The Vijayanagar Empire is formed after the Vijayanagar Conquest of South India.

2155

 * Following the reunification of South India by the Vijayanagar Empire, trade between East Asia and South Asia ramps up drastically, and this has a direct effect on the city states and kingdoms of the Straits of Malacca and more broadly, the Malay Archipelago. The Kingdom of Java competes fiercely with the neighbouring Lampung and Bali, a variety of wars are being waged across Sumatra, and Borneo has largely splintered into regional government units. Meanwhile, three main coalitions have developed among the city-states of the Straights of Malacca: the Alliance of Temasek, centred around Johor and Singapore; the Alliance of Klang, centred around Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, and Malacca; and the Dumai Alliance, centred around coastal Riau. All of the above have made extensive efforts to set up colonies around the Western Malay Archipelago. Temasek colonisers have even made it as far east as Southern Borneo. Interestingly, as part of the repopulation of Singapore, a large number of Malay migrants moved south into Johor and Singapore, leading those of Chinese descent and Malay descent to be of roughly equal population, vastly increasing racial harmony and cooperation.

2168

 * The mountain kingdom of Shan Guo forms with the unification of Tibet, Southwestern Qinghai, as well as Western Sichuan and Yunnan provinces.

2169

 * The New California Republic collapses due to corruption as well as logistical, infrastructure, military and communication failures.

2171

 * The tyrannical government of the British Union is deposed by revolutionary forces and the armed forces of Canada, restoring the Royal Family and Parliament to power and reintroducing democracy and Common Law. King Henry II of Canada continues to reign as King of Canada, but is also proclaimed King of Great Britain and moves to London to resume his family's ancient role as head of the Commonwealth.
 * The Alliance of Temasek and the Alliance of Klang unite to form the the Republic of Temasek, which initiates a war with the Dumai Alliance.

2172

 * The Iranian Empire (Greater Iran) is proclaimed with the ascension of the Shahanshah Marduk of Shiraz, after a pledge of allegience and fealty by the surrounding petty shahdoms and city-state republics. Within the year the Empire grows to the size of former Iran.
 * The Dumai wars end with a Temasek victory, leading to the annexation of the territory of Riau by the Republic of Temasek. This is the beginning of a series of expansionary wars and the development of South East Asia's most formidable navy.

2173

 * The Iranian Empire expands into Iraq and Syria, with an ongoing conquest of South-Eastern Turkey.

2181

 * The First Mongol Empire collapses due to infighting and rebellion.

2190

 * A popular uprising of both the landed country aristocracy and the urban poor leads to an overthrow of the Kingdom of Rome and the formation of the Roman Republic. A newly invigorated Republic begins a military conquest of the rest of Italy.

2200

 * Following decades of war and diplomacy, the Temasek Republic, with its unique religious pluralism under the rule of a High Council and Parliament, now controls the provinces and territories known as Johor, Malacca, Negeri Sembilan, Selangor (including the ruins of Kuala Lumpur), Southern Perak, Southern Pahang, Riau, Southeastern North Sumatra (now called Balai), Jambi, and various scattered colonies and allied territories on Borneo. Its fiercest rivals are the Sultanate of Aceh, the Kingdom of Java, the dictatorial Republic of Palembang, the Sultanate of Minangrang and the various non-allied peoples of Borneo.

2203

 * The Republic of New York is renamed the Republic of America just as it unites with Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, North Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.
 * Later than same year, the Southern Union is formed from among the states of the former Southern United States.

2209

 * Mainly industrial East Montana breaks away from the heavily populated but politically grid-locked and significantly decentralised Republic of Montana to form a communist state governed by the People's Socialist Party. The Party's main policy is to halt all exports and begin nationalisation of all industries.

2212

 * Second Mongol Empire is formed under the leadership of Balormaa Khatun, first female leader of the Mongolians. The Mongolians conquer most of Western and Central Siberia, as well as Central Asia. However, they are stopped by the Muscovites and the Iranians.

2237

 * Precipitated by the friendship between King Damianos of Patras and King Loukios of Thessaloniki, the two main leagues of Greek city-states (led by Patras and Thessaloniki respectively) unite to form the Kingdom of Greece. With both cities having previously introduced democracy over a century ago, the new Kingdom of Greece is a democratic constitutional monarchy with two royal families.

2245

 * In response to Roman expansionism, the various communes, republics, and city-states of Southern France unite under the banner of Occitania, a federated nation similar to France before the Calamity. This earns it the ire of the extant Provisional French Government, established in Northern France from the remains of the pre-Calamity government of France.

2258

 * The United Pacific States (UPS) is formed out of California, Arizona, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Utah and Idaho. They are reported to operate the continent's most efficient national postal service.

2262

 * The Kansas Union joins the Southern Union.
 * The New Mexico Union and newly organised Colorado also join the UPS as states.
 * The Republic of United Dakota and the Nebraska Union join the Republic of America.

2263

 * The war-torn people of Montana and Wyoming invite the United Pacific States (UPS) in to invade and expel communist and fascist insurgents in return for joining as states of the UPS.

2264

 * The United Pacific States annexes Baja California as a state.

2266

 * The East Montana Collective joins the United Pacific States (UPS) following an anti-communist revolution.
 * The former contiguous United States is now under the full control of three nations: the Republic of America, the Southern Union, and the United Pacific States.

2267

 * Second Mongol Empire collapses due to clan-based infighting.

2268

 * The various city-states and nationstates of Patagonia unite to form the Patagonian Confederation as a consequence of many years of negotiations and joint military action against pirates from Northern South America. Admiral Tomaz Cochrane is chosen as Chief Director of the Confederation.

2270

 * The Goguryeo Commonwealth is proclaimed with the unification of the Korean Peninsula, Jilin, and northeast Liaoning under the leadership of Generalissimo Jung Nam-Seon.

2271

 * Following extensive years of discussions, high public approval, and encouragement from Canada, the Southern Union, United Pacific States, and Republic of America reunite to reform the United States of America. The newly reformed nation of America enters into a period of national rejoicing.

2287

 * The People's Commissariat (North China) forms through the expansion of the Beijing People's Commissariat into North China. This includes the reunification of the provinces of Heilongjiang, Hebei, Shanxi, Henan, North Jiangsu, North Anhui, Shaanxi, Ningxia, Gansu, and Qinghai (excluding the Southwest). However, the predominantly Muslim people of Gansu, Ningxia, and Qinghai launch an insurgency against the Commissariat that lasts to this day.

2289

 * US Marines and the US Navy participate in an order-restoring military campaign in Panama. With a permanent American presence, the Panama Republic (concentrated around Panama City) retains its stability and democracy. It is able to continue as a prosperous trading city and a gateway from one ocean to the other. However, it is largely dependant on American military support due to the overwhelming presence of pirates in the region due to the ongoing wars in Central America and Northern South America.

2292

 * The Patagonian Republic is proclaimed by Chief Director Oscar Morales César, formed out of the disestablishment of the Patagonian Confederation. Almost immedietely, a number of dissenting states declare their independance from Patagonia, sparking the begining of the Patagonian War of Unification.

2294

 * The People's Commissariat (North China) invades and consolidates its hold over Mongolia and the former Tuva Republic of the former Russian Federation.

2301

 * The Battle of Timbuktu is fought between the Horonya Empire of Mali and a large confederation of Berber/Tuareg tribes over the issue of the trans-Saharan slave trade. A Horonyan victory paves the way for the gradual eradication of the slave trade.

2313

 * The Republic of Bremen-Hamburg is proclaimed with the reunification of Northwest Germany.

2329

 * A brief conflict between Switzerland and the Roman Republic displays the great technological disparity that exists between Switzerland and its heavily affected neighbours in Europe. Against Roman rifles and machine guns the Swiss employ directed energy mounted cannons and experimental plasma artillery.

2341

 * Following months of popular civil unrest and the threat of colonial revolt, the Flavian Reforms (spearheaded by the emergency Dictator Flavio Medici) completely transform the Roman Republic from a colonial Empire into a federated republic, hurling the country into the modern era and granting equality to all Romans.

2350

 * Widespread rioting at a deeply unpopular dissent bill in the Vijayanagar Empire results in over a thousands deaths, including that of a member of the National Assembly after his home of was burned down with his family inside. In response, the Public Assembly is created as a lower house to the Parliament, affording the right to representation to the common people for the first time in the history of the Empire.

2352

 * The German Confederation is proclaimed as a result of the voluntary association of most of the various German-speaking states of Europe. As a confederation, Germany largely operates as a highly decentralised web of cooperating yet autonomous states, more comparable to a customs and monetary union with a shared defence policy than a single unified state. Most citizens strongly identify with their native state over a broader German identiy, but the movement for full German unification grows stronger as time passes.

2360

 * A number of villages in northern Madagascar report cases of a mysterious sickness that causes patients to display extreme agitation and aggression. Within weeks much of northern Madagascar has fallen to roving bands of crazed and cannibalistic infected. A field report, sent to the government from the middle of the crisis, identifies the cause to be a new blood-borne strain of rabies. The government rapidly fortifies the south. By the end of the year nearly every Madagascan is either dead, infected, or in the south. Thankfully, the infected seem to display significantly diminished mental faculties and cannot scale the border wall.

2365

 * After years of rumours, the Madagascan government confirms the situation on their island to South Africa. South Africa sends troops over to try and eradicate the disease.

2367

 * All infected in Madagascar finally starve to death. Reclamation of the island begins.

2370

 * The Moroccan Sultanate (Morocco and Algeria) conquers Tunisia at roughly the same time the Kingdom of Egypt acquires Libya through marriage.
 * Singapore, Malaya, Sumatra, Bali, Spice Islands, Timor, Papua, Vietnam, Thailand, the Republic of China (South China), Japan, and the Philippines establish the Taipei Trade Group, a free trade association. The TTG is soon joined by many others in the region, as well as the Vijayanagar Empire.

2378

 * The People's Commissariat launches an invasion into Siberia and a separate campaign into Xinjiang. The Republic of China and Shanguo protest these actions but are rebuffed.

2380

 * The first internet cables after the Great Calamity are laid from New York and Canada to Britain, marking the end of the Middle Ages and the beginning of a new era of international renewal, one fraught with new and unprecedented dangers.

Modern Nations (as of 2390)

 * Republic of China (South China)
 * People's Commissariat (North China)
 * Vijayanagar Empire
 * Switzerland
 * United Kingdom of Great Britain
 * Roman Republic
 * Kingdom of Scandinavia
 * United States of America
 * Kingdom of Greece
 * Patagonian Republic

Extinct Nations

 * British Union