Third World War

The Third World War, also called the Great Asian War, the Great War (in India), and the Great Bolivarian War (in South America) was a global conflict originating in South Asia fought from 12 April 2030 until the unconditional surrender of Venezuela on 19 December 2038. This war was the first to see over a billion deaths by all parties. All in all, 209.7 million troops were mobilised, and of those, 29.7 million were killed, and 37.6 million additional casualties resulted, adding to a total of 67.3 million military casualties. The majority of the 1.29 billion deaths were civilians, mainly from the densely populated areas in South Asia and China.

A skirmish between Indian and Pakistani troops on 12 April 2030 is commonly cited as the start of this war. The skirmish quickly escalated into the Battle of Wagah, which saw a marginal Indian victory. Fearing Pakistan will be overran, Iran and China simultaneously declared war on India on 14 April 2030, and Pakistan formally declared war on 17 April 2030. The Chinese and Iranian entry into the war obliged Russia to declare war (despite taking no military action in the region). The United States declares war on the coalition on 19 April 2030, but takes no action until almost two years after the war began. The South American Theatre started with the Venezuelan Invasion of Colombia on 19 April 2030. Brazil and Argentina declare war on Venezuela on 20 April 2030, and the United States does so on 21 April 2030. This is commonly cited as why America did not participate in India until 2032.

This war, like the two previous global wars, was marked by extreme destruction and loss of life, and, despite many predictions of nuclear war, was conventional war. All of the world's Great Powers were eventually divided between the Eastern Powers, led by China, Russia, and Iran, and the Allied Powers, led by India, the United States, and Brazil. The war was primarily fought in South Asia, with the only other significant theatres of combat in South America and the Middle East and limited skirmishes in Eastern Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa. Despite every nation being part of either faction, no combat was seen in Sub-Saharan Africa and most of Europe.

The joint Iranian-Pakistani forces pushed deep into India, reaching the outskirts of Delhi by 25 June 2030. The Chinese-Bangladeshi-Burmese coalition pushed in from the East, taking Calcutta by 29 June 2030. This two-front war defined the course of the war for India. After the First Battle of New Delhi on the Eastern Front and the Battle of Ranchi on the Western Front, the two sides were settled into a stalemate. The Indians dug in on both fronts, leading to a reintroduction of trench warfare tactics on both sides. Significant sea battles in the Indian Ocean would lead to clashes between the navies of all Great Powers, becoming the largest ocean theatre of war in history.

The South American Theatre saw the largest guerilla warfare campaign in history. The harsh rainforest terrain of the Amazon allowed Venezuelan, Bolivian, Peruvian, and Ecuadorian troops to hold off much more numerous Brazillian, Argentine, Chilean, and American troops on all sides. Despite an American blockade on Venezuela, the occupied Colombian lands created a corridor between Venezuela and Peru that allowed access to the Pacific, allowing the Chinese and Russian navies to protect shipping to Venezuela from the US Pacific Fleet.

The entry of Saudi Arabia was the turning point of the war, allowing American troops to invade Iraq and Iran, quickly disrupting the Western Front in a two-front war against Iran. Iranian troops engaged in guerilla tactics against the Allied invasion, leading to a significant and protracted front in Iraq. Indonesia would also join the war at this point, leading to a massive uptick in troops on the Eastern Front. Chinese bombardment of Indonesia resulted from this.