Dimension Delta Zeta 17-46

Work In Progress

This page is frequently updated to add material and make retroactive corrections for consistency.

Summary

Dimension Delta Zeta 17-46 is an alternate dimension where the United States and Great Britain diverged into hated enemies and eventually destroyed their world in a nuclear apocalypse.

This world presents a backdrop for deep background histories for several characters including Samantha Grey.

Author's Note

American and British in this timeline are different than those in the Primal (or Real) dimension in their ethics, morals, attitudes, and prejudices. In some ways they may seem backward, primitive and or brutal, and in other ways they may seem more civilized, intelligent, or advanced. This world history is centered on Western nations who rapidly outstrip other world-wide competitors industrially and technologically. Imperialism and Colonialism go into overdrive, and with only a few exceptions, other cultures and peoples are assimilated, enslaved, or destroyed. The morals and prejudices of the characters in and from this dimension run counter to our real-life norms in many ways; please do keep in mind this is a fictional dystopian scenario and does not represent the views of the author.

This is a closed-RP setting; please do not make characters who are from this setting without coordinating in advance with the author.

Early Times

There were few divergences between the Primal Dimension and Delta Zeta 17-46 before the American Revolutionary War.

One notable difference was the attitude of colonists in the Croatoa and Salem communities during the Witch Trials. In both, severe pogroms erupted against the magical and fae creatures preexisting on the North American continent.

Main Divergence

The main divergence of the Delta Zeta 17-46 Timeline is a stronger personage of King George III. In October of 1760, George III took the throne of England. In Primal Dimension, his reign was somewhat spotty heavily checked by Parliament. In Delta Zeta 17-46, we was a vastly more competent and strong ruler, but also unable to prevent the American Colonies from revolting. However, the revolutionary war was fought longer and more severely under his direction, leaving great mutual hatred in its wake.

Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars

Timeline 1776 to 1830

1776: Beginning of the Revolutionary War in British North America.

1780's: In Britain, Georgian Reforms to the Aristocracy instituted, partly as a response to the situation in the colonies, which tie British social classes together and strengthen national will to power.

1783: The Revolutionary War continues in North America, with the Continental Army facing a Loyalist insurgency and the British adopting a more aggressive strategy. The war becomes a stalemate, with both sides suffering heavy losses.

1790-1800: American settlers and frontiersmen, acting outside official American boundaries, start to take control over former French territories in North America (Louisiana). This is done through a combination of migration, land purchases from indigenous peoples, and sometimes by force against competing European claimants.

1799: French Revolution occurs. Napoleon Bonaparte leads a military coup to depose and execute the French Monarch and establishes dictatorial control over France in the name of the masses.

1802-1803: Napoleonic Wars begin with the formation of the Second Coalition against France. The Thirteen Colonies in North America continue to fight with British forces for their independence in an increasingly brutal war.

1803-1806: British forces are hard-pressed to fight in North America and continental Europe simultaneously. Napoleon makes initial gains on the continent, taking advantage of British weakness.

1806: British forces reluctantly abandon colonies in North America. The United States is established, and it declares formal ownership of former French Louisiana.

1806: A wave of large numbers of immigrants flee war-torn Europe for North America.

1810: Napoleon's empire reaches its zenith, with his armies controlling much of Europe. The British, still reeling from their American ordeal, are slow to respond to his expansion.

1812: The British finally begin to counter-attack against Napoleon's empire, but their efforts are initially hindered by their weakened military and lack of resources.

1815: The British, having recovered somewhat, launch a more concerted effort against Napoleon. The war becomes a brutal, grinding struggle, with both sides suffering heavy losses.

1818: Immigration wave from war-torn Europe to North America subsides.

1819: Napoleon is killed on the battlefield, and the Napoleonic Wars begin to wind down. The British, exhausted and depleted, are unable to capitalize immediately on their victory.

1820: The British begin to consolidate their gains, using a combination of diplomacy, trade agreements, and strategic alliances to maintain their position.

1821: The Napoleonic Wars officially end, with France devastated, Russia in the throes of revolution, and Great Britain in control of most of Western Europe. King George III declares the establishment of the Empire of Europe, with himself as Emperor.

1825: The British Empire begins to take shape, with the establishment of a formal administrative structure and the appointment of governors and viceroys to oversee its territories.

1825, Mexico become independent nation under a dictatorship.

1830: The Empire of Europe is formally declared, with the British English at its helm. The empire's borders are still somewhat fluid, but its influence is undeniable.

1830 World Overview

In 1830, North America is a complex and dynamic region, shaped by the prolonged Revolutionary War and the subsequent Napoleonic Wars. The United States, established in 1806, has expanded its territory through the Louisiana Purchase and the influx of settlers, but its growth is marked by tensions with Native American tribes, British loyalists, and Spanish Florida. The British, though defeated in the Revolutionary War, still maintain a presence in North America, with British North America (now comprising modern-day Canada) serving as a buffer zone between the US and British territories. The region is also home to a diverse array of indigenous peoples, many of whom have formed alliances with Britain in a bid for survival and self-determination. As the British Empire consolidates its power in Europe, its influence in North America is tempered by the growing assertiveness of the US, setting the stage for future conflicts and power struggles in the region.

Britain has consolidated its hold on Europe, transforming its subject states into colonies, deposing or removing their aristocratic elites, and exerting direct imperial control over the territories that used to be Spain, Portugal, France, the low countries, Germany, Austria, and Northern Italy. Only the Scandinavian countries and lower Balkan states remain independent, and the northern nations will inevitably fall within the British sphere and face annexation.

Many refugees from former French and Spanish upper classes have escaped to Mexico and Central America; worsening the divide between the peasantry and the ruling Creoles. However, the increased military and police strength of the ruling classes keep the peasantry in serfdom.

Russia and Britain share a contested border through eastern Europe, from the Baltic Sea stretching down to the Balkans. Britain claims control of all former overseas colonies of Spain, France, and Italy, including South America, large swaths of Africa, most of the Middle East outside the Ottoman Empire, and large portions of South East Asia. Russia's losses in the Napoleonic wars present great difficulties for the Romanov dynasty, but they are beginning to meet it head on with substantial reforms.

Europe is a continent transformed by the Napoleonic Wars and the subsequent rise of the British Empire. The French Empire, once the dominant power, lies defeated and conquered. The British Empire, having emerged victorious but at great cost, has established itself as the preeminent power in Europe, with King George III declaring himself Emperor of Europe. The continent is now a complex web of British-dominated territories, vassal states, and buffer zones, with the British Navy maintaining a tight grip on trade and commerce. The German states have been devastated and now are ruled by Britain; while the Russian Empire, having survived the Napoleonic Wars, looks on warily at British dominance. The continent is marked by a sense of unease, as the British Empire's influence is tempered by the simmering resentments of defeated powers and the nationalism of various European peoples, overseen by the increasingly domineering British Empire.

First and Second North American Wars

Timeline 1830 to 1880

1830-1850. Emperor Daoguang of China leverages its political stability and enables the country to focus on internal development and expansion. This stability allowed the government to implement reforms and modernize the country's infrastructure, which in turn facilitates economic growth and military modernization.

1834. The Great North American War begins. Emperor George IV attempts to seize former French and Spanish territories from the United States.

1834-1835. Former Spanish and Portuguese possessions in South America are quickly taken by British Imperial expeditionary forces.

1835-1836. Major battles are fought in Detroit, Baltimore, and New Orleans, as well as American assaults on the British colonies in southern Canada. The British attempt to overthrow Mexico, but American forces intervene. Naval fighting intensifies as Americans devise new ironclad warships to defend their coastlines and harbors from the Imperial British Navy.

1837. The Great (First) North American War ends. The British assault on Mexico is beaten back, and the war in North America ends in a draw. The United States takes over some Canadian areas of Ontario and southern Quebec. South America is taken over by the British European Empire and subjugated. Mexico retains its nominal independence, and Central America remains in a chaotic state, controlled by local warlords.

1838. The British Empire begins to develop and deploy ironclad warships, giving them a significant naval advantage.

1840. The introduction of the telegraph allows for faster communication across the British Empire, facilitating the coordination of military efforts and the transmission of intelligence.

1842. The British Empire begins to develop and deploy breech-loading rifles, which become the standard issue for British soldiers.

1845. The first steam-powered warships are introduced, further increasing the British Navy's dominance over the seas.

1847. Internal combustion engines invented.

1848. The Americans and British begin to develop and deploy early machine guns, which are used to devastating effect in colonial conflicts.

1850. The construction of massive ironclad battleships, such as the HMS Imperator, begins. These ships will become the backbone of the British Navy. America follow suit, focusing on industrialization and naval power.

1851. The Russian Empire begins to expand into South and East Asia, engaging in a series of proxy and border wars with the British Empire in regions such as Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Ferghanas, Mongolia, and Manchuria.

1852. Tensions between the United States and the British Empire escalate as the British attempt to restrict American trade and commerce in the Caribbean and Central America. The British Navy's dominance of the seas and its ability to blockade American ports creates a sense of vulnerability among American policymakers.

1854. The British Empire begins to develop and deploy early forms of tanks, which are used to break through enemy lines in colonial conflicts.

1855. The United States begins to mobilize its military and economy in preparation for a potential war with the British Empire. The government invests heavily in infrastructure development, including the construction of new railroads, canals, and roads.

1858. The widespread use of trench warfare becomes common in ongoing skirmishes between the British and Russian Empires. Conflict between Britain and Russia takes on a long term low-intensity nature.

1860. The British Empire begins to develop and deploy more sophisticated artillery, including rifled cannons and howitzers. Widespread and large scale resource extraction industries develop world-wide.

1861. The British Empire, seeking to expand its territories and influence in the Americas, begins to make secret overtures to the Empire of Mexico, offering military and economic aid in exchange for territorial concessions.

1862. The British and Russian Empires are engaged in a high-stakes game of imperial rivalry, with both powers vying for dominance in Eastern Europe and the Balkans, the Middle East, and South Asia. Secret British overtures to Mexico become known publicly, and there is outrage among nationalist citizens in the United States. Public calls for war with Britain and Mexico. The British Empire, feeling threatened by American expansionism, begins to mobilize its military and naval forces in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico.

1862-1873. Second North American War. American patriots provoke industrializing United States into colonial war with Empire of Mexico by staging a massacre in San Antonio which is blamed on Mexican agents. British Imperial forces intervene, and American government nationalizes all slave populations in the south, forcibly inducting all healthy males between 16 and 50 into military service.

1865-1872. The war rages on, with major battles fought in the southern United States, Mexico, and the Caribbean. The British Navy blockades American ports, and the American military responds by developing new ironclad warships and submarines.

1872. The war begins to turn in favor of the United States, as the British Navy is unable to sustain its blockade and the American military gains the upper hand on land with massive military manpower advantage gain from conscription of slaves and Mexican peasant refugee volunteers, and shorter strategic supply lines. Widespread peasant revolts in Mexico overthrow the ruling Creoles who were seem as responsible for allowing the British to goad them into the devastating war with the US.

1873. The Second North American War ends with the signing of the Treaty of Washington, in which the British Empire begrudgingly recognizes American sovereignty over the entirety of Canada and Mexico north of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.

1874. China enters a period of rapid economic growth, driven by increased trade and industrialization. The country's vast population and abundant natural resources provide a strong foundation for economic expansion, and the government is able to implement policies that encouraged the growth of key industries such as textiles, ceramics, and tea. British colonialism within Chinese territories is expelled as British are preoccupied with fighting the Americans. Emperor Tongzhi begins a new policy to find and educate the best and brightest Chinese children of any social class, and sends agents abroad to bring back western knowledge and technologies. Japan, in rivalry to China, follows suit.

1874. President Lincoln manumits all slaves in aftermath of war, uses seized wealth of Canada to compensate former owners. Amendments to constitution forbid slavery and civilian forced labor except by national government in times of declared war. Military conscription of whites and blacks alike continues for decades. French language speakers and culture forcibly repressed after attempted succession of Quebec. British European Empire loses control of India to mass uprisings sponsored and supported by Manchu and Russian Empires – nearly a million former colonists killed. Gratitude of Americans for role of Mexican peasantry in concluding the war creates mass citizenship grants and literacy and regional development programs in Mexico.

1875. First heavier than air flight.

1880. Propeller driven monoplanes, widespread truck transport, mass artillery, early armored vehicles and early mechanized warfare.

1880 World Overview

The aftermath of the Second North American War war sees a significant shift in American society, as former slaves are integrated into mainstream culture and society. Many former slaves take advantage of the government's offer of land grants and education, and begin to establish themselves as farmers, businessmen, and professionals. Mexican peasants see ways forward from under the heel of rump Spanish and begin to adopt a distinct hybrid of Mexican social culture and American economic drive. Multi-lingual education is becoming a norm.

American social culture is becoming rapidly anti-British and and Manifest Destiny has become an imperative, to the detriment of the native tribes of North America. In the wake of the war in which most indigenous peoples had been used by the British as proxies, the Americans began to abrogate existing treaties, remove reservations, and forcibly assimilate all native peoples. Those which refuse are exterminated. The divide between English-ancestry Americans and hated English imperials is so great that white Americans begin to see more commonality with African-American former slaves and Mexican Peasants. The winds of change blow hot.

In Europe, Britain has continued to oppress the conquered peoples of Spain, France, Germany, and Italy; dividing the regions into new British colonies and expanding their aristocracy to rule them. Industrial development races ahead, and the older systems of agricultural feudalism are replaced with a modernized, brutal, industrial serfdom. Heavily hierarchical society results, with English Britons at the top, with their own relatively mobile systems of commoners and nobility, and with subject populations of technical workers, janissary military conscripts, land/factory attached serfs at the bottom. Chattel slavery does not formally exist, but serfdom is severe enough in cases to be indistinguishable.

The Russian Empire, in stark contrast to the British, have begun to liberalize, and under several enlightened Czars, brings mass social change to their imperial subjects. Czarist rule in Eastern Europe becomes substantially positive, with Polish people experiencing something of a two-generation long Golden Age under his rule. The Czar's grip on India and Pakistan is less enlightened, and those regions remain backward. In a friendly overture to the US, the Czar has sold all the territory of Alaska to the Americans, and substantial trade between the two has begun.

Manchu China continues to catch up to the western powers at their best speed, but border clashes with both the Russians Empire and the disorganized nations of Southeast Asia occupy the Manchus. Reports of 'dragons' being employed by the Manchus against the Russians are discounted.

Science and technology around the world proceed rapidly, as all major nations participate in a race to develop industrially and technologically to ensure their dominance, or at least, survival.

The Ottoman Crisis and The Great World War

Timeline 1880-1920

1880-1903. Continued Imperial militarization of Europe, reports of brutal repressions of unrest and local rebellions in Central Europe by Internal Imperial Security come out. Nations of world progress technologically and economically; large-scale national identities coalesce in protracted cold war between American, British, Russian, and Manchurian Empires. Further refinement and intensification of industrial serfdom in British Empire. British society coalesces into a wider aristocracy to rule directly over the entire Empire. British Imperials begin to practice large scale Janissary recruitment from subject populations of Europe, and later, all reaches of the Empire.

1880. Tensions between Britain and the Ottoman Empire come to a head when the Ottoman government defaults on its debts to British investors. This sparks outrage in London and prompts calls for military intervention to protect British interests.

1880's. The aftermath of the Second North American War war sees a significant shift in American society, as former slaves are integrated into mainstream culture and society. Many former slaves take advantage of the government's offer of land grants and education, and begin to establish themselves as farmers, businessmen, and professionals.

1881. Britain declares war on the Ottoman Empire, citing the need to protect its citizens and investments. The British army, bolstered by its industrial and technological advantages, quickly gains the upper hand in the conflict. The Ottomans, caught off guard by the sudden attack, struggle to mount an effective defense. Their outdated military equipment and tactics prove no match for the modern British force, which include armored vehicles and biplane aircraft.

1882-1890. The war drags on, with the British steadily advancing through Ottoman territory. Key battles include the Battle of Gallipoli, the Siege of Istanbul, and the Battle of Adrianople. The Ottomans suffer heavy losses, both in terms of personnel and territory. Their economy is devastated by the conflict, and their political system becomes increasingly unstable.

1890's. The United States experiences a period of rapid industrialization and economic growth, driven by the expansion of its territories and the growth of internal trade. The government invests heavily in education and infrastructure development, and the country begins to take shape as a major world power.

1890's. High performance propeller aircraft, armored vehicles. Early experimental jet engines.

1891-1895. The British, sensing victory, launch a final push to take Constantinople, the Ottoman capital and symbolic heart of the empire. After a long and bloody siege, the city falls in 1895, marking the end of the war and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. The remnants of the Ottomans are absorbed into the British Empire, which now extends its reach across the Middle East and North Africa.

1897. The United States, seeking to expand its own global influence, purchases Alaska from Russia in exchange for industrial aid against the British. This deal strengthens the American economy and military, and gives the US a foothold in the Pacific region.

1900. The American military, having emerged victorious from the Second North American War, is now one of the most powerful and modern in the world. The country's economy is booming, and its people are confident in their nation's destiny.

1901. Tensions between the British, Russians, and Manchus continue to escalate, with sporadic skirmishes and border incidents occurring in the Balkans, Mongolia, and Indochina. The situation in India remains volatile, with ongoing fighting between rival factions and militias. Mass famines in India and within zones of conflict.

1902. The British, seeking to assert their dominance over the region, launch a series of military campaigns against Russian forces in former Romania and former Poland. These campaigns are met with fierce resistance, and the fighting becomes increasingly brutal and bloody.

1903. The Americans, seeking to prevent Imperial Britain from conquering Russia, begins to provide military and economic aid to the Russians. The Manchus see continued development of Russian infrastructure and power in Siberia and North Asia, as well as American establishing a greater presense in the North Pacific as a grave threat. Relations Manchus and Japan, a third-tier power in the region, continue to sour over Japanese cooperation with American efforts to supply Russia with arms.

1904. The situation in the region reaches a boiling point, with all sides mobilizing their forces for a potential conflict. There are widespread fears that a full-scale war between the British, Russians, Manchus, and Americans is imminent. Nationlists and militarists on all sides prevail, and widespread war breaks out.

1904-1911. Heavy fighting in the Balkans. British and Russian Empires fight for control of Slavic nations in Eastern Europe. Both sides suffer heavy losses, and the conflict becomes increasingly brutal and bloody. Americans secretly send agents to stir up dissent, strife, and rebellion among slavic serf populations to interfere with British war efforts. Rebellions eventually crushed by British Janissary legions.

1905-1907. Major naval campaign fought between the Manchus and Japanese Empires for control of key trade routes and resources in the Pacific region. The conflict is characterized by massive naval battles and the widespread use of submarines. Japanese and American cooperation is strained -- America's true priorities are supporting Russia and fighting in Central America.

1906-1909. A series of battles fought between the British and American Empires for control of Central America. The conflict is characterized by brutal trench warfare and the widespread use of poison gas causing widespread death and injury among soldiers and civilians alike. With plans for a canal across Panama never having been executed, the Americans have difficulty coordinating their separate Atlantic and Pacific fleet to support ground operations. Both sides suffered heavy losses in Central America, and the use of poison gas and other chemical weapons left a lasting impact on the region and its people.

1900-1911. Heavy investment into industrialization of Mexico to support the conflicts and widespread war in Central America jumpstarts economic development and catches Mexico up to the economic level of the core of the United States around the Great Lakes. The war effort has driven significant investment in key industries such as steel, textiles, and chemicals, which has helped to modernize and expand the Mexican economy. The U.S. government has also invested heavily in infrastructure projects such as roads, railways, and ports, which has helped to support economic growth and development. As a result of these investments, the Mexican economy has become more diversified and less reliant on agriculture and natural resources. The region has become a major exporter of manufactured goods, including automobiles, electronics, and machinery. The service sector has also grown significantly, with the development of industries such as finance, telecommunications, and tourism.

April 19, 1919. United States formally reconstitutes itself as the North American Federal Republic. Spanish and English declared national languages. Nominal legal and civil equality between Americans, Mexicans, and Canadians but ethnic stratification of society persists; with White and Black Americans as an informal elite, former Mexicans being the bulk middle class, with British and French Canadians becoming the oppressed lower strata.

1920 World Overview

One key factor in the formation of the NAFR was the growing sense of economic and political integration between the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The war effort had driven significant investment in key industries and infrastructure, as well as closer cooperation between the three countries on a range of issues such as trade, defense, and immigration. This led to a growing sense of shared identity and common purpose, which paved the way for the formation of the NAFR. Another key factor was the desire to address longstanding social and economic inequalities between different groups within the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

The war had highlighted the need for greater social and economic justice, and the formation of the NAFR was seen as a way to promote greater equality and opportunity for all citizens. The formation of the NAFR was ultimately seen as a necessary step towards greater economic and political integration, as well as a way to address longstanding social and economic inequalities. The establishment of the NAFR marked a major turning point in the history of North America, and set the stage for a new era of cooperation and collaboration between the former countries and provide them the might to resist the growing British Imperial domination of the rest of the world.

After the Great War the practices of adoption and eugenics in the NAFR spread widely. It became common for lower-class parents to offer their young children up for cross-ethnic fostering and adoption under social and economic pressure. This practice was seen as a way to promote greater social integration and understanding, as well as to create a more genetically diverse and resilient population. The high casualty rates of the wars contributed to a sense of urgency to promote eugenics and to create a more "perfect" society, better able to confront Britain's emerging system of Industrial Serfdom. However, the element of forced adoption of children had significant negative consequences for individuals and families, contributing to a sense of social dislocation and instability, and having long-lasting impacts on mental health and well-being. NAFR social theorists argued the long-term benefits would offset the short term issues these practices raised. The fostering process, however, grew widely, with most families exchanging children for periods of up to several years at a time; many prominent NAFR persons in later years considered themselves to have had four parents, and the practice led to rapid cross social integration and a high degree of lower class upward mobility.

The intense struggle to match manpower potential of the British Empire, with its inexhaustible ranks of conscripted Janissary soldiers led to encouragement of large families and huge social pressures which kept women in domestic and low-risk, non-combat, professions, also leading to conservative gender role and public behavior moralities.

In the aftermath of the Great War, the British Empire has strengthened its hold on its subject populations and developed a system of industrial serfdom to support its rapidly growing military-industrial system. The Empire's economy has become increasingly centralized and focused on resource extraction and industrial production, with the goal of supporting the Empire's military ambitions and maintaining its global position as a first-tier power. The evolving social aristocracy in the British Empire is characterized by a growing divide between the wealthy English elites and the non-English subject peoples in Europe, who are increasingly marginalized and oppressed through serfdom. The English benefit from the empire's economic growth and political power, while the subject peoples and serfs are relegated to lives of servitude and poverty. Widespread use of child labor, suppression of basic rights, brutal working conditions, and forced Janissary conscription is the norm.

The Empire's resource extraction efforts in remote parts of South America, Africa, and the Middle East have become increasingly central to the functioning of its military-industrial system. These regions are subjected to intensive resource extraction and use of slave labor, with little regard for the environmental or social impacts of these activities. The aristocracy argues that the denial of basic human rights and freedoms to those who are deemed to be of lower status or value is necessary to maintain social order and stability within the empire and necessary to maintain the empire's military and economic power in the face of constant and existential geopolitical struggles.

In 1919, the world was still recovering from the devastation of the Great War, which had resulted in over 16 million deaths and significant political and economic upheaval. The Treaty of Reykjavik been signed, officially ending the war but tensions remained high between the two superpowers.

The North American Federal Republic, formed from the United States, Canada, and Mexico; had a strong centralized government and a commitment to promoting social and economic equality. It also was pursuing eugenics and child-exchange adoptions between ethnic groups and social classes. Society in the NAFR was becoming conservative and somewhat regimented.

The British Empire, which had emerged from the war as one of the most powerful nations in the world, was facing significant economic and social challenges. The war had taken a significant toll on the British economy, and the country was struggling to rebuild and recover. Social unrest was also on the rise, with many workers demanding better wages and working conditions, and being countered by increasingly severe repression by Imperial Internal Security. Their aristocratic elites and English upper class have a very intense sense of mission and destiny to rule over the entire world.

The Russian Empire, which had been one of the major combatants in the war, was in a difficult position. The war had resulted in massive losses in male population, but through aid from the NAFR, Russia held on and retained its monarchy. It will be focused on rebuilding its economy and military, and dig in all along its borders with the Empire of Britain to fortify against inevitable future conflicts.

The Manchu Empire, which had been contending with the Empire of Britain in south Asia, was facing significant economic and social challenges. The war had taken a significant toll on the Manchu economy, and the country was struggling to rebuild and recover. Social unrest was also on the rise, with many workers demanding better wages and working conditions.

The smaller nations still remaining, such as Japan and the small nations in Central America, were in increasingly untenable conditions, with poverty on the rise and failing ruling classes unable to keep pace with the rapidly industrializing and militaristic great powers.

Overall, the state of world affairs in 1919 was one of uncertainty and tension, with the NAFR emerging as the preeminent opposing power. The British, Russian and Manchu Empires were all facing significant economic and social challenges, with tensions between nations remaining high.

Atlantic War, Guatemalan and Honduran Wars, The October War, Manchu Dissolution

Timeline 1920-1980

1920-1924. Early Advances in Atomics.

July 3, 1920. Building on research breakthrough in atomic theory and particle discoveries during the Great War, the first self-sustaining nuclear reaction occurs at the secret NAFR Montana Buttes Atomic Research Center.

March 14, 1921. British experimental scientists develop their own nuclear reactor at the secret Imperial Research Station Vulcan's Forge in the South Atlantic in the Tristan da Cunha islands.

1923-1924. Both the Americans and British run crash programs to develop and test atomic weapons.

1924. First atomic tests by both Americans and British. Both powers push into nuclear weapons production and prioritize research into delivery means such as heavy strategic bombers and long-range rockets.

1921-1922. The Atlantic War

September 1921. The British Empire, seeking to disrupt the North American Federal Republic's (NAFR) growing trade with Russia through the Barents Sea and Murmansk, begins to blockade Russian ports in the Barents and Whiet Seas. This move is seen as a direct challenge by NAFR President Marcella Thompson.

October 1921. In response to the British blockade, the United States Navy, led by Admiral Augustus Ryder, sets sail from Norfolk with a fleet of warships to escort merchant vessels through the British blockade. The British Empire responds by sending additional naval forces under Vice-Admiral Reginald Pembroke.

November 1921. A series of skirmishes erupt between American and British warships in the Atlantic Ocean, resulting in several ships being damaged or sunk on both sides. Washington, DC is briefly shelled by Imperial Navy battleship demonstrating their ability to disrupt NAFR's capital city.

December 1921. The Battle of Denmark Straits takes place as a massive fleet engagement occurs between American and British warships. Fifty dreadnoughts from both sides are sunk or damaged in the battle, which ends inconclusively with neither side able to gain a decisive advantage.

January-April 1922. The Russian Empire completes its Siberian Rails and Roads project, allowing for increased trade across the Pacific Ocean and Bering Route. This development is seen as a major blow to British efforts to disrupt NAFR-Russian trade as the Russian and American domination of the Bering Sea is unchallengeable.

March-April 1922. Tens of thousands of European prisoners from the Great War die in forced labor camps while working on rail and road construction projects in Siberia, Alaska, and northern Canada. World leaders and militarized and nationalistic populations care little about such attrocities.

May-June 1922. The NAFR Capitol is relocated to Detroit-Windsor due to concerns over previous British naval attacks on Washington, DC.

July-August 1922. Trade resumes across the Pacific Ocean and Bering Route as merchant vessels begin to move trade from the Transyukon Railway across the the Siberian Road and Rail. This development further strains relations between the NAFR and British Empire, but ensures the British Empire will see little headway in its struggles against the Russians in eastern Europe, the Balkans, and the Caucuses.

1923-1924. Both the Americans and British run crash programs to develop and test atomic weapons.

1924. First atomic tests by both Americans and British. Both powers push into nuclear weapons production and prioritize research into delivery means such as heavy strategic bombers and long-range rockets.

1922-1945. Guatemalan and Honduran Wars. British and Americans fight proxy wars in Central America; region's already poor populations undergo continual famines, millions die. Much economic progress and industrialization in North America, especially Mexican areas under Federal control; British Europe, and Manchu Empire in Asia. Stark difference between the rich, industrialized NAFR Mexican States north of the Tehuantepec Demilitarized Cease Fire Zone, and the subsistence poor living in hovels south of it.

1946-1950. Rapid technological advances in short interregnum cold war. Both sides intensively research and develop rocketry and nuclear technology towards weaponry and power systems. Principles of direct nuclear-electric conversion discovered.

1950-1955. East Asian War. Manchu Empire conquers Japan and most of Southeast Asia with American Support. British Imperial troops clash with Federal Expeditionary forces in Thailand. War escalates, with naval and aerial clashes over Western Atlantic. War finishes with most territories in region under Manchu control, but with heavily fortified British Imperial strongholds remaining in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, and Bali.

August 3rd, 1950. First Space Satellite.

February 2nd, 1951. First American in Space.

March, 1952. First Imperial in Space.

1950-1955. South Asian War. British European Empire attempts to reconquer Russian puppet-states of Pakistan and India. Fails with high casualties on all sides, especially Russian Empire. Use of sub-orbital reconnaissance platforms and long-range missile bombardment show utility of space systems, further accelerating space race between the two superpowers.

1951-1960. Establishment and rapid growth of large scale industrial support systems for space programs by both NAFR and Imperials. Development of advanced chemical rocket motors, kinetic launch systems, modular space platforms, and in-space nuclear-electric ion propulsion.

1957. In the North American Federal Republic, the Nuclear Force is established, with control over all short and long-range nuclear weaponry now deployed by the NAFR. Intense intra-service rivalries between Navy, Army, and Nuclear forces for budgets and prestige.

1961. Permanent orbiting laboratories and reconnaissance facilities established. Massive Federal Space Launch facilities in Baja and Cuba; similar scale Imperial facilities in East Africa and Diego Garcia. Expansion of space presence by superpowers. Moon landings, space rock capture experiments, and initial space industrial developments.

October, 1962. The October War. Short nuclear exchange between NAFR and Imperial Britain occurs due to radar malfunction mistaking American satellite launch as a ballistic missile attack. New York, Baltimore, and Mexico City hit, millions dead. Several other cities spared by Spartan ABM system. British cities of London, Manchester, Paris, and Berlin hit in retaliation strikes before rational minds on both sides bring conflict down from the brink. Both publicly disavow accidents, blame each other. Tensions rise; all-out nuclear war becomes a constant threat but both sides restrain from using nukes against each other's core areas.

1964. Moonbase Omega founded by NAFR near Thorium and other heavy metals anomaly at the Lunar North Pole. Rapidly becomes source of highly automated resources mining and subcomponent manufacturing for NAFR Space Force. British establish smaller outposts on Lunar surface, but NAFR head-start on Luna proves difficult to overcome.

1963-1970. Major world powers greatly expand nuclear programs, pursue many wild-eyed research projects for advanced weaponry and systems in secret; anti-missile defenses, chemical and nuclear-pumped directed energy weapons, nuclear rockets, miniature nuclear-electric batteries and gamma lasers. Stirrings of concern over atmospheric radiation levels from widespread deployment of nuclear technologies; dismissed due to security concerns. First meta-humans with extraordinary powers noticed; most 'disappeared' by national governments. Use of nuclear weapons in space and on Moon in minor skirmishes not uncommon.

1964-1969. British Imperials attack South East Asia from their Singaporean Holdout. Numerous small tactical nuclear weapons used against Manchu forces in the field, and three strategic weapons used against Manchu cities in southern China. War ends with American retaliatory strikes against Imperial strongholds. South-east Asia falls into total chaos, Manchu empire breaks up into numerous smaller warring states, major powers withdraw.

1965-1975. Further militarization of space. Orbiting missile defense stations, space control facilities buried on the Moon, and entire constellations of orbiting nuclear weapons. Plans for orbital high-power bomb-pumped ground attack radiation weapons in development.

1967. Imperial Space Station Hades construction begun at the Earth-Moon L5 point.

1972. Deployment of Aurora fractional orbital bombardment system by Imperial Orbital Command. NAFR responds with Space Superiority Fighter program to develop small, agile spacecraft able to hunt down and destroy FOBS systems on short notice. High-G nuclear engines developed for SSF.

1979. Nuclear spaceflight engines successfully refined and converted into radiation beam projectors.