World War IV

World War IV, 3109 - 3112AD, is the final intra-human conflict and by far the most deadly, killing over two billion people in its short three year expanse.

Often called Humanities Unification by other species, it united all the worlds planets under a single nation. Humanity, in respect to its historical timeline, was late in achieving this. With the Vitosi and Yi'puli among many others unifying their entire homeworld relatively early in their histories.

Humanity by this time had already spread out among many other star systems, with the "off earth" population overtaking the "on earth" population in the late 30th century. However tensions over the control of these colonies and the Moon led to a build up of tensions among the four major powers. Europe, Asia Superior, The American Supercontinent (ASC) and Union of African Nations (UAN).

By this time the number of minor nations had dwindled from around 200 in the 21st century, to only 27 independent countries in the 31st century. This was due to economic dependence, the need to maintain a large population and the slow absorbtion of smaller nations by the ever expanding powers.

State Actors
The American Supercontinent (ASC): Comprising all of North America, Mexico and all South American nations, aside from areas of Southern Argentina and Chile which claimed singular independence under the Mapuche nation.

Europe: All of continental Europe, Britain and the Scandinavian nations. The Northern African territories of Algeria, Morocco, Tunsia, Egypt and Libya were also part of the superstate, However, Southern areas of Libya and Algeria belonged to the African Union.

Asia Superior: Most of the Asian continent, along with Indonesia and surrounding territories. Despite Australia remaining independent, it was heavily linked in trade and diplomatic good will to Asia.

Africa: The entire African continent has been unified by Ghanian Hegemony Leader, Anum Ufi, during the African Rebirth of the 29th Century. It lacked only the very Nothern extremities of the continent.

Build Up
Tensions were first raised in 3098 upon the suspension of trade between parts of the Moon claimed by the ASC and Europe. In response European troops hijacked several ASC convoys, killing many onboard. The two nations then cut of diplomatic ties.

In 3102, the European President, Marcus Lawrence, took up emergency powers, in response to public pressure to do so, to respond to "outside threats." These threats, are believed to have been what remained of Russia that had not already been absorbed forcibly or otherwise into the European Superstate and areas of the Northern Middle East.

In 3104, in coalition with Asia Superior, what remained of Russia was taken up, aside from a fifty mile strip in the middle, which was to act as a border between Europe and Asia, it was to be co-governed as mark of co-operation.

3105, Marcus Lawrence held up a book, "The Universe and Humanity." A controversial scholar had written it ninety years previous, arguing that, like most other space fairing races, humanity should put aside their differences to create a single world state, to be run by a democratic, federal government. During Lawrence's speech, which last forty minutes, he outlined his vision for a Unified World and believed that it would become a reality in his life time. This was seen by all 26 other nations as a direct threat against them. In response the build up in arms began.

In 3109 Lawrence launched the infamous "4-part offensive," this was the assault on the Moon, on which Europe held the largest share regardless. The next was the attack on ASC held superstations orbiting Earth. The next was the capturing of the four remaining nations in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia, Jordania, Israel and Persia. Finally was the attack on the American homeland, involving co-ordinated Sea, Air and Space attacks with specific targetting of New York, Los Angeles, Rio de Janeiro and Mexico City.

The Immediate War
This was the immediate period of time after Europe launched its first attack on the ASC. Historians agree that this period was one of the most bloody in terms of civilian deaths aside from the Apocolyptic period of 3112AD.

After the full scale assault on ASC territories on the Moon and orbiting superstations. The attempt to protect the, still under construction, prototype anti-matter cannon on American superstation Freedom, meant that less forces could be used to protect those areas on Earth.

Within six months of the first invasion, Europe held much of the Eastern Coast of North America, the Carribean and several beach heads in South America, along with the temporary alliance struck up between the European armies and the fiercely independent Mapuche nation in the very southern extremity of the continent.

By 3110, only the ASC and Europe were at war. However historians know that the build up of weapons in Africa and Asia was common knowledge. In early 3110, the African-Asian war began. Asia superior, supported by Europe, invaded the African continent, hoping to gain significant ground. However, after early wins in the North for Europe and the East for Asia, it turned into a stalemate, with estimations of troop death in the first month of the conflict ranging from 800,000 to 1 million military dead on both sides.

The Space War
The Moon, held only by the original "Big Three" Asia, America and Europe, was still predominantely held by Europe. (Europe 62%, Asia 24% and America 14%). This meant that a European led attack quickly turned against the ASC and within only four months Europe had won control of the Moon from the ASC early in 3110.

The Superstructures orbiting the Earth were a lot more difficult. American troops were throwing their entire Space fleet forces into battle around the ASC Superstation Freedom, which contained a prototype weapon of mass destruction, based on the much earlier World War III's EU-552. It was capable of wiping out huge amounts of population using anti-matter collisions.

Total War Period
On March 22nd 3110, the first nuclear weapon detonated in anger was launched by America on its own soil. This was to wipe out a large segment of a predominantly British regiment. Despite there being higher tactical value targets available, this was done to cause British President, Lawrence, grief. It is said upon hearing the news, Lawrence utter the words "It is done. For now, we are; total war."

Europe began expending more resources to capture the orbital superstations controlled by the ASC, which gave them a tactical advantage in certain areas. On July 1st, Asia attempted to capture a superstation it believed was being held by the ASC. Only to discover it had been held by European forces. (Note: The fact that Asia superior got this intelligence so wrong has made historians think that in fact it was done on purpose to enter a war with Europe while they were tied up.) War then broke out between Europe and Asia, meaning that all major powers were now at war with one another, aside from the ASC and Africa -- Despite this, an alliance was never formed.

Four days after the capture of European held superstation, Alpha-six, European forces mounted a high-risk assault on American held station, Freedom, in an effort to gain control of it. They succeeded, only for a limited time. A Captain, Hans Frusche, gained control of what he thought was a fully operational prototype weapon. His team then aimed it towards Alpha-six, now under Asian control, and fired. The cannon, despite only operating at 9%, destroyed the superstation, killing all aboard. The deaths are believed to have been around 3 million military and civilian deaths. Captain Frusche was court martial for this an executed by firing squad six days later, in his defence he put forward that he had misunderstood the full power of the weapon and believed he would only damage the superstation, rather than destroy it.

Lucifer Cannon
After a structured European retreated from the area controlling the cannon after an American counter-attack, the weapon was now fully operational, despite some slight damage from an improper firing. After another year of fighting it was clear the American forces on Earth were losing the fight, it seemed only a matter of time until the European forces overan the country. So, in desperation, the President of the American Supercontinent, Edward Fitch ordered the first and final anti-matter cannon shot against an area of Earth. The use of it was experimental, scientists at the time had suggested that a full 100% shot could kill millions -- but were ultimately unsure.

On November 5th 3111 at 4:00am GMT the anti-matter cannon fired on co-ordinates  51.5072° N, 0.1275° W, Central London, population: 23 million. The impact, 1.3 teratons of non-radiactive material was equivalent to an 11.2 Richter scale earthquake, with the cannon operating at 73%. However the cannon did misfire, causing the impact at 47.9899°, -18.6602° instead, meaning an impact about 400 miles from the Brittany in France. The impact did have a major effect. It caused the direct deaths of nearly 80 million people, with several million more effected in a series of major eathquakes and tsuami's that were triggered in the immediate aftermath. The total deaths, across the world from the firing is between 500 million and 1 billion.

Anti-Matter aftermath
After the detonation of what became known as the Lucifer Cannon, Europe, Asia and Africa ended their war in an effort to eradicate the ASC after the sheer number of deaths caused by the cannon. on December 7th 3111, the ASC officially surrender.

The firing of this weapon had a dramatic effect on the thought process of those fighting. Humanities technological advance had now reached a point that meant humans could actually destroy their own homeworld. A war fought on Earth could now leave it utterly devestated, even destroyed entirely.

On January 27th 3112, a peace summit was held in Tokyo. The war had culminated in nearly 2 billion dead over less than a three year course of human history. The planet had been damaged by the Lucifer cannon and all agreed that in response to this, there should be a single human country, with those nations still existing forfeiting their full soverignty in return for limited control of their country however benefiting from a wider economy and a united Earth in the galaxy. Nations such as the Mapuche nation resisted this, however after severe threats and economic embargos, all nations eventually agreed and on February 27th, 3112, the single Earth nation was created.