United States (Night of the Living Alternate History Map Game)

The United States is a large nation located in North America. Before the apocalypse the United States was considered one of the most powerful nations in the world, and had influence all across the globe. The United States is a federal republic first formed on 4 July 1776 following the signing of the Declaration of Independence, declaring independence from Great Britain. The current Constitution was adopted on September 17, 1787. The United States first emerged as a superpower after the conclusion World War II, becoming the first country with nuclear weapons. The United States is currently involved in a cold war against the USSR and her allies. The United States Southwest is where the zombie apocalypse first began.===

Pre-Apocalypse Timeline
Before the beginning of the apocalypse the United States was a global superpower. On 1 October 1968 the movie, "Night of the Living Dead" was released in theaters in the United States. Three days later a private team of American scientists would task themselves with creation of a similar infection seen in the movie, possibly as a weapon to be used against the USSR. Later that year it is believed that one or more of these scientists would be identically exposed to the prototype virus. The first signs of infection began on 6 March 1969 when hundreds of citizens across the southwest began showing signs of a mysterious virus. The state of Arizona would declare a state of emergency nine days later.

On 30 March the Arizona state police received intelligence about the scientist team and were able to pinpoint the location of the lab. The case was elevated the federal government who organized a crack down later that day. The remaining scientist group is arrested and contained within Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, infecting the local garrison. By 14 April all states in the southwest declare a state of emergency.

Several former US states would break away from the US officially, remaining loyal to US decisions, but otherwise acting as a sovereign state until the zombie apocalypse could be dealt with. On 20 August President Nixon would begin the Blockade Campaign, a large scale operation with the goal of pushing the zombies back to the Mississippi. With the cooperation of several frontier nations on front against the zombie horde, the United States would begin the campaign, pushing across central North America.

Mississippi
The United States would continue military involvement in the Midwest, ordering ground forces to establish checkpoints along the Mississippi River, and begin sieging the city of St. Louis. A temporary government controlled by the military is established in Nashville for the purpose of properly facilitating fleeing refugees heading east. The United States Occupied Midwest Territory, more commonly known as Mississippi is officially declared in 1970. Excluding the territories’ capitol, Nashville, a loosely patrolled no-man’s-land would emerge between the front along the Mississippi River and the US to the east. Rural and suburban areas in this wasteland begin to fall into disrepair, while urban centers become havens for gangs and looters who control their share of the abandoned former United States.

Delta
Faced with imminent starvation following the lack of agriculture maintained in the former Midwest, many citizens turn to crime to survive while fleeing east. Hundreds are killed from violence along route 64 and 59. In 1970 in an effort to combat the attrition the government establishes the United States Agricultural Delta in the former state of Arkansas and Mississippi. At first very few in their right mind accept the promises of the government to head back west. Some are literally shipped there along route 40 after failing to repay debts while others, unable or unwilling to flee east have no other choice. Many begin purchasing land and other equipment in Nashville which thrives from the new market. Another hub is established at the military outpost of Memphis, which is largely considered the final checkpoint before the infected zone. Sentries and basic patrols are established along the former highways from Washington to Nashville, to Memphis, and military aid to Louisiana and Texas is increased. The former city of Vicksburg, Mississippi also prospers from the farming, becoming the center of the southern Delta. Its markets and gambling centers make quick revenue from the traveling farmers.

Eventually the government in Nashville would begin branching out to protect farmers and traders heading to the Delta region. Many small farms were established, but constant raids from roaming bands of raiders make life on the frontier a nightmare in the early days of the Delta.

Supplies and reinforcements are able to reach St. Louis via the Delta highway, which is patrolled daily by the US army, aiding the development of farming communities to be established in the Delta, growing food to sustain the US campaign.

East Coast
The US currency became almost useless past Franklin except as tinder and in the many automated vending machines, in the early years of the apocalypse, leaving many to adapt a more primitive barter system. Despire the United States best intentiosn to keep its people, many chose a life of looting and crime instead along the frontier, tasking many to govern themselves. US militia began patrolling the east, making sure that no criminals or infected enter the east coast, even if it means the deaths of innocent travelers. Communication and trade would continue between Franklin, the last civilized trading union before the infected zone, and some small nations in the northeast.

Chicago
Following the initial zombie outbreak the United States first made its stand at the Mississippi River. In the north near the former state of Illinois few defenses were created and the zombie horde soon surrounded the region of Greater Chicago. The Chicago territory, an American puppet state, was tasked with the enormous effort of creating a general defense, fast. The US army alongside the people of Chicago would defend the city during the Siege of Chicago, costing thousands of lives. After several months of vicious fighting the Americans were finally able to push the zombie horde out of the reaches of the city.

With cooperation from the Canadian government a northern defense is organized. Canadian forces would push the zombies back past Winnipeg Lake to allow US forces time to reorganize and prepare for a renewed offensive into the heart of the Midwest.

Strategy
In the early months of the zombie apocalypse US military forces found themselves unprepared for such an attack and fell back to major cities to aid in evacuation efforts. US ground forces would fall back east, guarding the refugees, followed closely by the zombie horde. By the end of 1969 the US strategy was firmly embedded in the idea of the Blockade Campaign. Over the next year, ground forces would retake the central United States and establish a front at the Mississippi River. This proved somewhat successful and the city of St. Louis was officially entered by US personnel in Autumn of 1970.

In the Autumn of 1970 a new strategy was organized by the leaders of the Mississippi territory. General Creighton Williams Abrams Jr. was appointed high commander of Mississippi and begins implementing a new Vietnam-style search-and-destroy campaign into the Midwest. Hundreds of areas shown to be of high zombie concentration are targeted by napalm strikes and ground forces are tasked with investigating suspected human populations near the river.

Annapolis Conference
The United States organized and hosted a peace conference in the city of Annapolis, Maryland. The conference helped establish rules for the global anti-zombie effort.

Puppets:

 * Alaska
 * Mississippi
 * Chicago

Good Condition:

 * England
 * Franklin
 * New England
 * Providence
 * Manhattan
 * South Acadia
 * Baxter
 * Canada
 * Columbia
 * Erie
 * York Federation
 * Florida
 * Conch Republic
 * Mexico
 * Bay Republic
 * Louisiana
 * Northern California
 * Texas
 * Northwest Federation
 * France-
 * West Germany-
 * Malta-
 * Italy-
 * Saudi Arabia
 * Turkey
 * Israel
 * South Vietnam
 * India
 * The Commonwealth of Australia and New Zealand:
 * Hawaii
 * South Vietnam

Not Trusted/Hated:

 * USSR
 * China
 * North Vietnam
 * North Korean
 * East Germany