The Great Chaos (Yellowstone: 1936)

The Great Chaos was the period following the Eruption of the Yellowstone volcano and is the reason of being for most nations on the planet today. It began when Yellowstone exploded on Eruption Day, setting off a chain reaction which lead to the deaths of tens of millions of people all over the world, and directly was the cause of.

The Americas
With the explosion of Yellowstone, a large portion of the western United States was destroyed immidiately, with a greater area being affected by the "ash rain" which would fall immidiately after the explosion and choke a large portion of North America. It would also cut off the United States from the west coast and lead to the declaration of martial law in the states which were still under some sort of control. It was uncertain initially how much of the nation had been affected as contact had been rapidly lost. Canada too was effected directly by the explosion, with Vancouver lost to the falling ash rain. Many of its people tried to get out of the city when they saw what was happening but very few would make it out alive or indeed survive.

In the coming winter following Eruption Day, Canada fell to the coldest winter on record and although the nation still had control over its lands, thousands from the north moved into cities in the southern part of the nation due to the abysmally cold temperatures and caused a huge refugee problem for Canada. Thousands died because of the cold. The United States too suffered as many who survived moved east to try to remake their lives. However, the influx of people toward the east was too great and the nation collapsed under the strain of trying to accomadate so many people. Multiple survivor states declared independence from the central federal government and established their own nations in different sections of the country. The United States government relocated from Washington, led by Franklin D Roosavelt, and established the Provisional United States in the southern section of the former nation.

Millions died in the coming years as the cold and cloud cover lead to the failures of multilple crops and the starvation that it brought with it. Cold temperatures also thwarted much work to reconnect many areas and get railroads working once more. However, there was one nation in North America which would actually benefit. Mexico had long become a glimmer of what that nation once was. Although the nation would suffer like everybody else, the lack of a United States would in the long run benefit the nation.

In the following years, there would be thousands who would move around. By the second year post-eruption day - 1937, the British had launched an attempt to rescue Canadians and relocate them to Australia where reports were that the land was becoming easier to farm - a rarity. Many Americans were also desperate to leave the nation, and the British merchant fleets saw an oppurtunity to earn a bit of cash while doing so. The iconic line, "100 Pounds Sterling for a ticket!" would be loudspeakered by a certain (meant to be some name) and it would allow for Americans to flee to Australia along with their northern neighbours the Canadians.

Europe
Europe suffered the most when it came to the extending ice caps. After eruption day, a drastic drop in temperature could be noted all around Europe. It didn't take long for the British to realise things were not going to turn out well for the British Isles, and they quickly made preparations to move as many people as they could. They first readied their South African and Australian dominions for it first, however, for the incoming mass of people. The Great Exodus began in 1837 as the British put every ship they had to the use of evacuating large numbers of civilians to South Africa and Australia. The Royal Navy used its ships for the evacuation effort primarily and the removal of much of the British Fleet from around the world would allow many powers to expand.