this is for overt events. This is the rough political situation I worked out: State of the Major Powers, 1995. Russia: fragmented, economically troubled China: unreformed, dictatorship Europe: closer alliance, though still autonomous. England, Germany dominate the alliance. U.S.: economically troubled, but still high technology producer and military machine Japan: Economy still incredible. Rather than spend on defense, it, for the most part, pays other nations to protect it. -Japan sees the end of the Cold War as an excuse to open relations with Russia. The US objects but not strenuously. As part of a final WWII peace treaty between them (i don't think a real one has ever been signed) Russia gets bases on Japan. Japan starts paying Russia to protect it, because Russia needs money and Japan sees this as a valuable opportunity to buy friends. Japan also has very large amounts of money invested in the U.S. at this point. (1998) -U.S. and Russia, as economically troubled nations, start a new kind of rivalry, for the attention of wealthy foreign nations. They are the military machines of the world and become something like paid mercenary forces. (2002) -U.S. and Germany work out a deal/alliance. American monetary interests finally looking up. Japan has been becoming more and more pro Russian and less pro American. (2009) -Dreyson/Montgomery team win election on a Republican ticket (2010) -The American debt is enormous, especially that to Japan. The gross national product is receding. Dreyson calls the US Economic Emergency Conference (USEE Conf.) to discuss the state of the American economy. (2010) -Debts to Germany are sizable too, but much anti German sympathy is there. Most sentiments are against Japan, who we once controlled. Hate groups against Japanese form in America. Rumors are floating about that the Japanese concentration camps of WWII have begun to operate again. (2010) -Military budget, for calendar year 2011, is record high for American history. The motivation is behind Joint Chiefs Chairman General William Christopher Hannon who claims that America is being threatened from without with economic weapons and that military means can repair the damage. (January, 2011) -Germans, and the European Alliance, warn America that Hannon is a warmonger and a madman. They go so far as to draw allusions to Adolph Hitler. -American sentiment turns against Europe for assaulting their hero. Anti-foreigner rallies occur more and more often. (March 4, 2011) -Landmark legal case where a KKK member is declared innocent of murder of a Japanese man. the vote is unanimous somewhere in here Teresa and Tailor leave. (Summer 2011) -Chaos and anarchy spread throughout America. Many foreign governments disallow their citizens visas to the United States. -Hannon calls out for Congress to stop the foreign menace from taking over our country from within. (August 4, 2011) -U.S. freezes Japenese assets in America, stating that it is a security risk to be owned by foreign nations, after a speech by Terrence Campbell, speaker of the House (August 5, 2011) -Many foreign nations seize American assets. Wall Street crumbles. (August 6, 2011) -Hannon calls for war. Dreyson speaks to Congress. (August 7, 2011 7:00 pm EST) -Preemptive conventional strike on Japan. Five Russian battleships destroyed, plus the carrier "Gorbachev". Tokyo financial district is mauled. Over 250,000 civilian injuries reported and estimates of over 50,000 civilian dead. (August 7, 2011 8:30 pm EST) -Congress declares war on Japan. (August 8, 2011) -War is declared on America by Japan and Russia. The European Alliance supports the Japanese-Russian alliance, but there is no formal declaration of war. (Mid-September, 2011) -Battle of Juneau won decisively by Russians. Battle of Seattle begun using Juneau as a launching point. -General Hannon appeals to the patriotism of Americans to defend their native soil. This is what this war is all about, he claimed. The honor of America is at stake! (October, 2011) -American troops push back an offensive on the southern front. The Northwest front remains stable. Japanese cities are taking a beating all the while. (October 24, 2011) -Russians claim they have liberated a group of Japanese in a concentration camp in northern Washington state. (November 25, 2011) -Seattle, the headquarters for Russian operations, explodes in nuclear fire. General Hannon praises the brave suicide squads that set off the blast and set the Russian efforts back months. (December 1, 2011) -China accuses Russian troops of menacing its northern defenses, and puts its entire army on alert (December 8, 2011) -Russia mobelizes armies on the Chinese border, and accuses China of attempting to assinate its President (December 17, 2011) -border skirmishes start between China and Russia. both their nuclear systems go on alert (December 25, 2011) -In the Battle of Christmas Day, the American forces drive south to capture the Panama canal. The General makes an impressive speech and everyone is proud to be an American. (December 27, 2011) -President Dreyson is shot, and retires to a safe house for recovery. His location is kept secret for security reasons. Terrence Campbell, Speaker of the House is killed this same day. (January 1, 2012) -Congress passes an (unconstitutional) resolution putting Hannon as acting commander in chief, with extended War Powers. (January 4, 2012) -The European Alliance enters the war against America. The United Nations Assembly denounces America and ejects it from the UN. The attacks on America become officially UN supported. China withdraws from the UN, claiming that they have ignored its legitimate protests against Russia. (the week of January 23, 2012) -Russia captures several important Chinese cities (February, 2012) -The war goes bad for the Americans, not helped by the fact that chaos seems prevalent inside the country. Patriotic fervor is strong across the nation. Hannon has totally eclipsed Dreyson. Hannon declares that America must act swiftly and strongly or be forever destroyed. (February 10, 2012) -China destroys two of its own cities, devestating the invading Russian army (February 12, 2012) -Russia unleashes bio-weapons in China and begins to withdraw its army (February 14, 2012 5:00pm EST) -General Hannon comes on the air saying that the US has launched a preemptive strike against its enemies and their allies. He suggests that all Americans take refuge from the potential retributive strike. (February 14, 2012 5:10pm EST) -Most of the world is destroyed in radioactive nuclear flames. When America launches its weapons, China does the same. ********************************************************* Other things to be inserted: Assassination attempt on Dreyson Plagues of the Witherer. anything else?