French Trafalgar, British Waterloo (1978-1997)

The World in Balance
With the collapse of and her allies in the aftermath of the, the so-called "" became the ". Sorelist , under the strong handed leadership of Prime Minister Charles de Gaulle, the real power in the French Empire, and the democratic , currently lead by President , who was elected in 1977 after the 11 year presidency of.

However, the alliances represented by the and the  still struggled to try to gain the upperhand among the undecided nations of the world. And since the US and her allies had "won" the Venezuelan War and the California Revolt, and had tied France in the -Scotish Missile Crisis, many assumed that the Democracy's were in the lead in the "Cold War." France, though with the worlds most powerful military and largest economy, had yet to ultimately challenge America, the California Revolt and notwithstanding.

Changing of the Guards
In the spring of 1979, the moderate Prime Minister Charles de Gaulle died of a burst blood vessel in the neck, and a new primer was needed. Ultimately, his protege Jacques Chirac took power, and instituted a new program to win the "victory" over America, and to emerge as the strongest nation in the world. A plan to modernize and re-equip the army, as well as expanding it, was put into place. New tanks and aircraft that outclassed everything that America or her allies had at the time were designed and rolled off the assembly line.

Recently elected President Kennedy, who campaigned on bringing a "New American Golden Age" knew that America was in a weaker position: an economic slump in the later years of the Morrow Administration had nearly shuddered the American economy, and the effects of the California Revolt were still being felt throughout the nation: the high casualty's, the massive military involvement, civilian protests and riots due to the unpopular draft and the terrorist attacks even outside California, including the devastating New Years Eve Bombings that shook New York, Boston, Chicago and Philadelphia minutes before Midnight in 1979 by former, disgruntled members of the, that killed nearly 650 and injured 2,300 more.

Tremor's in the Middle East
The rise of Islamic fundamentalism in and other Muslim nations around the Middle East in the aftermath of the  had established themselves as the national government of the Arabian peninsula up to the border of Persian Mesopotamia. Although considered a poor and economically backwards country at the time of Muhammad Rashid Rida's seizure of Mecca in 1924, the discovery of oil in 1937 lead to development in 1939 by American and French companies, and the Arabian agreement to provide oil to defeat the gave them enormous clout in the world, further helped by massive loans and oil wealth that was wisely invested in further economic diversification.

However, by the 1960's, the friendly relationship with both France and the US had deteriorated, and the new leader of Arabia,, broke completely with the west, due to their "capitalistic, godless beliefs" that was "leading the Muslim's of the world astray." In 1978, Maududi announced that Arabia was cutting its production of oil, to reduce Western influence on the nation. This resulted in skyrocketing oil prices, and the first time rationing had been used in North America and Europe since the 1950's.

The effect in France was even worse: with little in the way of an oil supply, Imperial France had been wholly dependent on Arabian oil, as both Persian and Russian sources where effective in easing the burden on America by 1980, but they did not help France due to an unofficial embargo. If it was sold, it was usually at prices that were sometimes marked up to 200% higher than it was sold even in the United States. This, combined with the fact that oil reserves in French controlled Libya, though some of the largest in the world, were not sufficiently developed at this point, effectively crippling the French Empire.

Siege of American Embassy in Mecca
France decided the only way that the oil crisis could be resolved was to subvert Arabia. However, subtle pressure from Russia and America kept forcing Prime Minister Chirac to postpone the day of attack.

However, what little American trust was left in Arabia was soon destroyed, with riotous crowds storming the American Embassy in Mecca on January 12, 1980 and isolates the diplomats and staff inside, including Ambassador Richard Nixon. President Kennedy, running for re-election that Fall, and wishing to show a strong foreign policy stance that he has had problems showing before, announces that a "line in the sand" has been drawn, and that, if Arabia continues to aggravate America, Arabia will face the full wrath of American arms.

However Maududi, realizing that Arabia was pushing both superpowers to conflict with Arabia, decides it would be best to try to back track, and step down from his bellicose stance. But Arabia had already gone to far, and the mob surrounding the American Embassy starts to riot when they find out, whipped up by extreme mullah's and religious leaders, believing that their leader was falling to the Western Powers. A daring rescue attempt by Persia and is only partially successful, with Ambassador Nixon and about half of the 235 staff are successfully evacuated, with a couple helicopters crashing in the desert on their way to Jerusalem, and the mob storming the facility and seizing 25 hostages.

The "United Response"
Once the result of the American Embassy stand off becomes known in the West after a couple days of silence, President Kennedy announces that Arabia had "done the unthinkable." France, their own embassy also having been evacuated that week, raises the issue, and the appropriate response at a meeting of the Organization of Sovereign Nations in St. Petersburg, Russia. Both Russia and the United States agree that the nation must be dealt with, and a OSN negotiation team, composed of the representatives of, and , embark to  to try to resolve the dispute.

But now Maududi was up against the wall. Arabia was on the verge of violent outbursts, with those that are part of the Modernization and the Isolationism crowd trying to seize control. When he leaves for Constantinople to meet the OSN reps, Maududi is overthrown in a coup by Army colonel Osama bin Laden, who is the leader of the extreme Islamic sect in the Arabian Army. Bin Laden and his supporters begin rounding up opponents, and deposes those that believe that Arabia needs to adopt more Western Ideals. He also announces that he he will give the hostages back to America, if the US will give them arms and money. President Kennedy, although wary of negotiating with bin Laden, is prepared to make the deal, which would still end up being a victory, with him rescuing the hostages. But France realizes their one attempt to secure an oil source is vanishing rapidly, so accelerates operations with the resistance in Arabia, and supplies them with arms, resources and advice to attack the bin Laden regime in the making.

Arabian's that wish to modernize and open up to the rest of the world assume the title of "Arabian National League" and mounts attacks on convoy's, military bases and oil wells in a "Day of Resurrection" on February 1, 1980. Bin Laden, though originally stunned by the attack, brutally cracks down. Prime Minister Chirac in France uses this excuse to say that Bin Laden could not be trusted, and advocated an immediate response.

Operation Crusader
French military officials at last now have the excuse needed to go into Arabia. On February 14, the first airplanes start flying from North African bases to Arabia, striking at military installations and bases. The campaign continues for a week, which is then followed by the first landings of French soldiers. By the end of the month, Mecca and Medina, the two major cities, were in French control, although Bin Laden and his higher council managed to escape.

However, despite easily defeating the Arabian army, which was divided due to the internal strife that had rocked Arabia for months, the French was soon up against the Arabian people. The Arabian National League, although they had taken control, the Sorelist members of the alliance soon managed to come out on top, driving the moderates out of power and installing a hardliner dictatorship, which was immediately recognized by France and her allies. It took until 1984, and many casualties that have never been publicly revealed by the French, until Arabia was considered pacified, and the majority of combat troops returned home, leaving a permanent force behind.

Aftermath
America and Russia were shocked that they had basically allowed France a major foothold in the Middle East. Despite protests, however, both President Kennedy and President Leonid Brezhnev knew that they couldn't effectively respond, as they had given France carte-blanche in dealing with Arabia.

But France knew they had achieved a great coup: not only had they secured a source of oil and an ally in the Middle East to counter American and Russian allied Persia. Also, France started to believe that the Democracies were pushover's: so long as they were given a reason, Imperial France could achieve whatever they want. Primer Chirac decided that it was time to prod American defenses even more than Charles de Gaulle had.

Chinese Revolution
At the end of the Third Global War, the nation of China was divided into three: a Japanese controlled North based on Manchuria, a French dominated south, and an American/Russian sponsored central section. However, the government controlled by Chiang Kai-shek in the Central part of the nation was likened to a dictatorship, with his Liberation Party violently suppressing anyone who opposes him.

But the Chinese Communist Party, lead by Mao Zedong since it was founded in 1924, was marginalized in the aftermath of the war and the end of the Chinese Civil War that followed, and continued to try to bring down Chiang's government and put a Marxist government in its place. The continued guerrilla campaign put continued pressure on the Liberation Party to try to restore order: however, America and Russia continued to exert pressure on them to restrain themselves, leading to half-hearted measures in order to continue skimming off a large portion of the foreign aid they received.

Marxist Prevalence
The death of the Marxist leader in 1975 lead to a change in leadership under Mao's chosen successor Hua Guofeng, and an even more intense series of attacks, while at the same time doing their best to provide the people, was launched. The tottering government of China was under pressure when Chiang died the same year as Mao, and a series of ineffectual leaders took his place. By 1978, the Marxist's had dominated the majority of China, and in 1979 overthrew the remaining government in Shanghai, ending the Liberation Party's rule of central China, which resulted in the massacre of those that supported the Liberation Party in the "Week of Revenge", in which upwards to 250,000 people, many of whom were accused of nothing more than being associated with those that were in power, or had been associated with the regime.

However, Guofeng, instituted as the new leader of China, knew it would be best to continue good relations with America and Russia, as France and Japan were considered a more series and immediate threat. The Chinese opened their border's to trade, and, in contrast with Marxist doctrine, became a more capitalist nation in order to rebuild the shattered economy. In a decade, China quickly grew from one of the most backward nations economically to a rival of, and other "developing" nations.

The "Decade of Progress"
The 1980's, despite political actions and the constant fear of a nuclear exchange that continued to threaten the security of the world, was considered one of the greatest economic and cultural times. Huge international corporations started springing up, encouraged by tax incentives, which helped propel the economies of India and Ethiopia into the modern era, and lifting millions out of poverty by "enlightened" government action. The Organization of Sovereign Nations also helped, granting loans to nations to upgrade crumbling infrastructure.

The French Empire also experienced a resurgence, driven by the effects of the. Massive projects to rebuild the cities of the empire into modern centers of trade and commerce were developed. New ideas in architecture were also tested, leading to blocks of rundown and barren areas transformed into chic and stylish high rises, beautifully landscaped green areas and modern transportation systems, including expansions of the famous Paris Metro and light rail systems in Berlin and Turin.

North American Revival
After stagnation under President Morrow in the seventies and the early presidency of Edward Kennedy, the mid Eighties was when the American economy at last managed to turn the corner and started growing exponentially. Many factors had been sighted: Kennedy's social welfare programs and some make work projects similar to the Socialist programs of the 1930's after the Great Depression. Other's have cited the Nationalist majority in Congress, which passed from Socialist to Nationalist control in the 1980 election, though the president won in a huge landslide. The Nationalist's started dismantling the regulation structures that previous president's had put in place, and though Kennedy tried to veto them, Congress would often pass the law over the veto. Later, Kennedy would compromise on economic issues so that he could pass further civil rights laws that had been tackled (but often times failed) before.

The 1984 Election of on the Socialist ticket was considered a shoe in for him, coming on the tails of the still very popular President Kennedy, and the Socialist party managed to retake the Senate. However, Dukakis wasn't able to use his support effectively enough, and was dominated by the Nationalist controlled House, who continued to use Neo-Liberalism ideals as a guideline for reforming America. Under the leadership of Senator Barry Salder, the Nationalist Party experienced a huge surge in support, while the Socialist Party continued to struggle to find its voice, Dukakis being isolated politically by the 1986 mid-term elections, considered the last chance that the Socialists could challenge the power of the Nationalists. However, lackluster campaigning and several scandals destroyed what little chance they had, and Dukakis would spend the remainder of his term as a "lame-duck" president.

South American Resurgence
The end of the had left the strongest nations in South America, most notably  and, in chaos. This also lead the Brazilian superpower in ruins, and ultimately a puppet of France, while Colombia became American aligned. However, the economies of both nations had virtually collapsed during the war, the prosperous nations reduced to chaos, with a wildly fluctuating currencies and the stagnation of its export driven economy.

But, by 1985, the first signs of rebounding were taking place. French francs flowed into Brazil, allowing much needed infrastructure improvements, while American dollars sent to Colombia helped to restore peace and order, and rebuild factories and such that allowed the nation to revive. Other South American nations, like and  soon experienced the ripple effects of the revival of the stronger nations, and their own economies rapidly grew.

The Descent to Chaos
Despite what many would say, the 1980's and 1990's were not as peaceful as the leaders would have you believe. A series of minor crisis, most of which were either covered up or relegated to the back pages of newspapers and the last minutes of television newscasts, continued unabated, if not happened with increasing regularity. Tensions between the allied groups, and even within the faction's, rose to a crescendo. Only the fears of what would happen if their alliance broke apart or the devastating, hypothetical effects of full scale, world wide nuclear warfare prevented most of these crises from breaking out.

In the 1988 US election, Micheal Dukakis found himself fighting for his life. The Nationalist candidate, Barry Salder, was easily able to sweep the polls, and captured the White House on his promises of continued de-regulation of the economy and standing up to Sorelist France. Within months of being swore into the Presidency, Salder and the Nationalist controlled Congress passed as series of new defense laws, where old equipment that had not been upgraded since President Edward Morrow would be scrapped or sold off, and newer weapons would be put into service. As well, the Navy would be modernized, with newer systems and more effective armaments being put on ships, as well as overhauls that had been long put off due to budget cuts. These military modernization programs were mostly paid for by cuts to the welfare system and minor tax increases, as well as efforts to streamline the various federal bureaucracies.

In France, Prime Minister Jacques Chirac was confident in his power. France had managed to basically step in and overthrow Arabia into its own sphere, with no outside interference. The Imperial economy was booming, and the military had some of the best weapons in the world, and newer, technologically advanced designs were already on the board. But he was nervous of American resurgence, especially after the economic decline of the late 1970's and early 80's that had left France alone. And with America increasing in power, that could only mean the Juneau Pact was also getting stronger, especially Russia under President Mikhail Gorbachev. And with nations like Scotland, Poland and Greece perched on the outer edges of Europe, and allied with America, Chirac knew they had a very strong foothold in the continent. In comparison, he had only the and  to threaten America, but they were at the end of a long supply route that the superior American Navy could block easily. Therefore, Chirac believed that only by trying to get Poland and Greece to join the Sorelist Community could France be safe from America and Russia.

Secret Affairs of the Powers
However, along with the American military build up came a more bellicose stance with France and Japan. Covert operations by the Service (USFIS, or more often the FIS) were ratcheted up with Salder's order that "Anyone that opposes Sorelism and what they stand for deserves our help to fight them." Weapons and know-how flooded to different groups around the world that were fighting against their oppressive governments around the world, with the help of the Russians and the Persians as well, who established secret training camps in the remote areas of their lands. These were well used in the various French colonies and the weaker puppet states, especially Brazil and Arabia to create a bloody and never-ending partisan movement.

At the same time, the French also ratcheted up their secret services, hoping to undermine Juneau Pact allies. Focus was especially placed on nations like Ethiopia,, the and , all of which were developing economies in Africa with close ties to America, as well as Greece and Poland. The African nations were still very undeveloped (most having been former British colonies), and discontent was rife among the populations, which France was quick to foster and support. Many of there efforts lead to multiple insurrections throughout the 1970's and 80's, though they were all beaten back. They did, however, showcase the weakness of these states, and only help from America (in the form of airpower and the various "Rapid Response Teams" each branch of the military had) made sure that they still stood, and lead to increasingly paranoid and drastic measures to be taken.

The Crisis on 1991
All of these different events lead to increasingly tense relations between the major powers, as America and Russia knew that France and Japan were behind some of the "incident's" that affected their allies, and vice versa. They all knew that these little proxy conflicts would not result in nuclear war, but they also knew that they would lead to increasingly hostile tensions, making a direct conflict a much more serious event.

On June 4, 1991, the first direct confrontation between the powers since the Quebec-Scottish Missile crisis flared up over the defection of French General François Mitterrand to Russia, who claimed that the Empire was planning to attack Poland and Greece if covert operations did not succeed in sparking a coup to overthrow the said nations. Prime Minster Chirac denied the "rubbish", but President Sadler, a day later in a speech to military personal, said that "...America will not tolerate any attack on any peaceful, free nation," and even went so far to say that "...actions might have to be undertaken to ensure this does not happen." The French were furious at both announcements, and on June 7 demanded that Russia return General Mitterrand to France, which President Gorbachev refused.

On the 10th, an American naval group, with two of the newest and most powerful aircraft carriers, the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS George Custer, composing the core of the force, entered the Mediterranean and conducted drills as they sailed past the east of Spain toward Greece. The French, already nervous of what President Sadler had said, demanded that the US fleet leave or cease drills, but Admiral George Bush claimed they were in International waters, so they did not have to comply. The next day, the French flew warplanes over the fleet for most of the day, and held "live" ammunition that could be launched if they became "hostile." When one missile armed cruiser, the USS New York turned northward toward France, one French pilot saw cruise missiles being prepared to launch. He took this as a "hostile" action and fired his weapons on the New York, and though the majority were shot down, one missile did slam into the side of the ship, piercing it bellow the waterline and crippling the ship.

News quickly raced through both the American and French commands, and both took the action to mean that were prepared to attack. President Sadler ordered the DEFCON 2, having been a stage lower since the 5th, and that the US Nuclear Weapon Deterrent Force prepare all missiles. Prime Minister Chirac ordered similar measures throughout the Empire, and both escalations soon were followed by other nations around the world. TV Networks around the globe were ordered to prepare to cease operations and switch to emergency alert services. This had the effect of causing panic in some areas, and leading to schools, hospitals and other major public areas being closed and evacuated.