WWIII Alternative Outcome (Atlantic Resolve)

WWIII Alternative Outcome is an alternate history page within the alternate history world of Atlantic Resolve and gives an overview on what might have happened had the All Russian Federation won the Third World War. The second "point of divergence" was the Russian General Staff choosing to assign Colonel General Vyacheslav Borisov to command the North American Front instead of being the second in command of the European Front. Meanwhile, Colonel General Sergei Surovikinis was given command of the European Front.

Conventional War Timeline

 * 28 September 2016: Russian military invaded the US Pacific Northwest and NATO Eastern Europe. Colonel General Vyacheslav Borisov led Russian Forces in North America while Colonel General Sergei Surovikinis led Russian Forces in Eastern Europe.
 * 25 October 2016: Federation Occupational Authority - North America was formed by Russian commanders to govern the local population. General Borisov - Prefect of the occupational government - determined Alternative Right member Lana Lokteff to be far too unstable and instead choose to appoint someone more moderate as the top ranking US representative in the FOA.
 * 8 November 2016: The 2016 United States presidential election is held with the Republican ticket of John McCain and Ted Cruz defeated the Democratic ticket of Jim Webb and Joe Manchin.
 * 30 November 2016: Russian forces occupying the Pacific Northwest coast launched a major ground offensive. With the Pacific Northwest insurgency deemed a minor nuisance, majority of combat units took part while security is primarily handled by the FSB and the Military Police of Russia.
 * 20 January 2017: John McCain became the 45th President of the United States with inauguration taking place inside Cheyenne Mountain for security reasons.
 * 28 January 2017: Russian forces won the Battle of Tszew and secured a bridgehead across the Vistula River.
 * 5 February 2017: Russian reinforcements arrived in Gdańsk, preventing a German-led NATO counterattack which was scheduled to begin that same day.
 * 14 February 2017: Russian forces won the Battles of Okanogan, Yakima, Bend, Klamath Falls, Yreka, and Arcata, thereby breaking through US National Guard lines.
 * 25 February 2017: Russian forces won the Battle of Gdańsk and secured their first significant foothold west of the Vistula River. NATO quickly shifted its frontline forces to the north in order to contain the Russian breakthrough.
 * 17 March 2017: Russian forces in Eastern Europe won the Battles of Toruń, Płock, Warsaw, Tarnobrzeg, and Kraków, thereby securing multiple bridgeheads across the Vistula. Around the same time, Russian forces in North America successfully reached the Columbia River in Washington State and the mountain passes of Central Oregon.
 * 25 March 2017: Russian forces in Eastern Europe and North America resumed offensive operations after spending the past week consolidating and regrouping. NATO threw everything they had to hold back the Russian offensive.
 * 8 April 2017: Russian forces broke through NATO lines along the western bank of the Vistula River and began their push towards the Oder-Neisse line. NATO attempted to slow the Russians with hit and run attacks. Meanwhile, Russian forces in the United States had reached Redding, California and Spokane, Washington.
 * 22 April 2017: Russian troops occupied several Polish cities including Wrocław and Poznań. NATO defenses throughout western Poland began to crumple. The Russians also overran the Czech capital city of Prague. On the North American Front, the Russians had also secured a majority of Redding and Spokane. The United States threatened to use "all available means" to stop the Russian offensives in both Europe and North America.
 * 25 April 2017: Russian forces reached the Oder-Neisse line and the German-Polish border in several locations. Even as the Russians secured the remainder of Poland, multiple reconnaissance in force assaults were carried out across the border into Germany. The Russian forces on the North American Front won the Battles of Redding and Spokane after just over two weeks of intense urban warfare.

Nuclear escalation
In a bid to halt Russian advancements, US President John McCain authorized the use of tactical nuclear weapons. The attack was carried out on 25 April 2017 with multiple battlefield nuclear warheads airburst over advancing Russian troops in Poland and Germany, resulting in tens of thousands of casualties. Unwilling to use the same on their own soil, the US Air Force in North America instead hit Russian forces on the Pacific Northwest Front with conventional MOABs. Russian forces on both fronts immediately halted all offensive operations and assumed defense positions. In retaliation for the use of tactical nuclear weapons, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an immediate nuclear counterforce strike against the United States. RSM-56 Bulava submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) launched from Russian Borei-class submarines off the US West and East Coasts were launched against early warning radar sites, key points of communication, and strategic bomber bases throughout the United States. A number of the warheads were detonated at high altitudes for EMP effect. This was quickly followed up by RT-2PM2 Topol-M intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) being launched against hardened strategic targets including Cheyenne Mountain Complex and all three of America's LGM-30G Minuteman III ICBM bases. Nuclear-armed TU-160 Blackjack strategic bombers also took part in the attack. Simultaneously, the Russians launched nuclear-armed anti-ship ballistic missiles (ASBMs) against all confirmed and suspected locations of US Ohio-class submarines as well as multiple US carrier strike groups. US President John McCain started to issue a strategic launch order against the All Russian Federation but was cut off when the Cheyenne Mountain Complex was destroyed from multiple direct hits, killing the President as well as the Secretary of Defense. By the time Vice-President Ted Cruz was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States and a new Secretary of Defense appointed, it was too late: America's entire strategic nuclear triad was destroyed, millions of Americans were dead, three quarters of the country was darkened by the EMP, and the United States faced the prospect of disproportionate annihilation. To prevent this, President Cruz ordered all US forces worldwide to ceasefire.

End of the War
With the Americans effectively knocked out of the fighting, all NATO and other Allied countries sued for peace over the following days with the All Russian Federation accepting limited surrender from all except one: Russian President Vladimir Putin harshly declared that the United States started World War Three as the primary aggressor and that Russia would therefore accept nothing but unconditional surrender from that country. On 30 April 2017, the United States of America surrendered unconditionally to the All Russian Federation. Following the signing of the instrument of surrender, US President Ted Cruz resigned after only five days in office along with all 17 officials along the United States presidential line of succession. Tulsi Gabbard, the U.S. Representative from Hawaii's 2nd district, was subsequently sworn in as the 47th President of the United States. The new US President addressed the nation with the news of America's surrender and acknowledged that the United States of America were the aggressors in the Third World War, stating that Obama had approved an off-the-books military campaign through the private military company Academi, formally Blackwater, in an effort to destabilize the All Russian Federation. She also indicated that she greatly objected to the decision made by the late President John McCain to order the use of tactical nuclear weapons to stop Russian military advancement and accused him of forcing Russia to mount a nuclear attack against the United States which resulted in the deaths of millions of Americans. She then announced that American sovereignty was temporary suspended and that the United States was under the provisional control of the All Russian Federation. The President's speech was followed by a playing of the State Anthem of the Russian Federation instead of the Star-Spangled Banner. The American "Stars and Stripes" was also lowered across the nation and the Russian white, blue, and red tricolour flag was risen in its place.

Europe
The All Russian Federation occupied the Baltic States, Poland, Czech Republic, and Slovakia. Additionally Hungary and Romania were jointly occupied by Russia and Serbia while Turkey occupied North Thrace (Bulgaria) and West Thrace (Greece). The Turkish Republic of North Cyprus occupied the entire Cypriot island. NATO was required to dissolve itself with immediate effect as per terms of the peace agreement. The All Russian Federation was given expedited membership in the European Union as the new dominant political and military power within the supranational organization. As a result the All Russian Federation had achieved de facto economic control over Europe and used its new position to avoid the economic collapse the pre-war Russian government feared. The Serbian Commonwealth was formed as a loose coalition between the Republic of Serbia, Republika Srpska (formerly Bosnia and Herzegovina), and Republic of Serbian Krajina (formerly Croatia).

North America
In North America, the Russians solidified their occupation of the western Pacific Northwest region and deployed additional forces into the area. Additionally, UN peacekeeping missions were conducted in hot spots throughout the United States and in areas that were effected by the Russian nuclear attack. Notably the peacekeepers primarily consisted of members of the Commonwealth of Independent States and other Russian allies, making it an unofficial extension of Russia's occupation of American soil. The United States was also required to pay trillions of dollars in war reparations which greatly increased the national debt.

Asia
Despite Russia winning the Third World War, their North Korean allies weren't so fortunate. After failing to take Seoul, being driven from South Korean soil, and ultimately facing a joint US-ROK invasion of Kaesong, North Korea was on the verge of launching a full-scale nuclear counterattack. That was prevented when North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un was overthrown in a Chinese-sponsored coup which led to a re-establishment of the armistice with South Korea gaining control of Kaesong. When America unconditionally surrendered to the All Russian Federation, Russian military officers arrived in South Korea to take command of United States Forces Korea and to oversee their withdrawal back to the States. Though North Korea was significantly weakened, they still posed a significant threat due to being reinforced by half a million Chinese troops. With the Americans no longer around to defend them, South Korea signed a mutual defense pact with Japan and eventually entered into an alliance with the Commonwealth Realms which had become an EU-like entity to counter Russian dominance of much of the northern hemisphere.

All Russian Federation
The All Russian Federation became the most powerful nation in the world following its victory in World War Three and America's unconditional surrender. Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania were annexed into the All Russian Federation as member states on par with Belarus and Novorossiya. The Armed Forces of the All Russian Federation continued to grow in numbers and strength due to economic boost from war reparations and dominance over the EU allowing for a much bigger defense budget. By November 2019, the Russian military had reached Soviet-era strength levels this time as a modernized professional fighting force. As such the Russians were able to further reinforce their occupational forces in the United States while still maintaining enough forces for homeland defense and keeping its hegemony in Eastern Europe in line.

Union of Sovereign States
A joint summit for the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) in Sochi, Russia on 11 October 2017. It was during this meeting that all members opted for the Creation of the Union of Sovereign States through the merger of both groups thereby resurrecting the vision of Mikhail Gorbachev. The Union of Sovereign States flag was temporarily the CIS flag though there have been proposals including the old Soviet flag, a red version of the CIS flag, and several flags previously proposed for the EAEU. Eventually one of the previous proposals was offically adopted as the Official Flag of the Union of Sovereign States. The Sovereign Union of Nations was adopted as the State Anthem of the Union of Sovereign States which played to the tune of the State Anthems of the Soviet Union and the Russian Federation. The All Russian Federation retained the latter anthem with Vladimir Putin outright rejecting a proposal from a moderate minority to restore the Patriotic Song. All individual European member states retained membership in the European Union which heightened Russia's dominance over that supranational organization. The Russian-occupied United States of America was given provisional membership in the Union of Sovereign States.

Collective Security Treaty Organization
Following the end of World War Three, all remaining Soviet Republics not yet members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) joined the Russian-led alliance. CSTO membership had also expanded outside the former Soviet Union to include Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, the Serbian Commonwealth, Turkey, the Turkish Republic of Cyprus, Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan. CSTO peacekeeping missions also took place in the United States as part of the overall UN mission there.

European Union
Following the end of the Third World War, the All Russian Federation joined the European Union as per terms of the peace treaty which ended the fighting. Due to being the top political and military power within the European Union, the All Russian Federation had achieved de facto control over nearly all of Europe. Russia's control over Europe was first challenged when the United Kingdom left the European Union and created the Commonwealth Union. Relations between the All Russian Federation and the post-NATO French Republic greatly improved over the years until eventually France had achieved equal partnership with Russia in running the European Union.

Occupation of the United States
While open military occupation was initially limited to the Pacific Northwest territory seized by the Russians during the war, Russian military officers quickly assumed command over all major United States military units worldwide while FSB officers took charge of most law enforcement agencies around the country. Over time, the All Russian Federation and, later, the Union of Sovereign States gradually expanded their military presence throughout the United States. Several US military installations along the Eastern Seaboard were garrisoned by the Russian military including Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (Maine), Governors Island (New York) Naval Support Activity Hampton Roads (Virginia), and Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point (North Carolina). Russia also assumed complete control of Vandenberg Air Force Base and Naval Air Station Alameda in California. Russia's also led a UN peacekeeping mission in the United States Mid-West with the primary goals being restoring order and evacuating areas affected by radioactive fallout. Tulsi Gabbard was allowed to remain President of the United States though her office was now considered mainly symbolic with the true executive power resting with the Prefect of the Federation Occupational Authority. The Federal Unity Party (United States), aka United America, was founded through the official merger between the Republican and Democratic Parties. Since the new political party was clearly pro-Russian, several members from both parties refused to comply with the changes and vowed to continue to do everything in their power to bring an end to Russian occupation and depose the pro-Russian Gabbard Administration. War crimes tribunals were also held with many US political and military leaders being forced to stand trial including former US President Barack Obama, former Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph Dunford, etc. Due to the "Stars and Stripes" flag becoming the symbol of the American Resistance which was officially considered a terrorist organization by the Russians and the Gabbard Administration, the flag was temporarily banned from both public and private display. Eventually the old United States flag was replaced by a modified version of the United States flag with the Russian Coat of Arms included in the center, which was first introduced during the war. The Star-Spangled Banner was immediately banned at the start of the occupation and was officially replaced by the State Anthem of the Russian Federation for the duration of the occupation though Hail, Columbia was eventually reintroduced as the unofficial national anthem of the United States.

Independent Republic of Texas
The Republic of Texas seceded from the United States of America on 28 April 2017 three days following the destruction of America's strategic arsenal and the subsequent cease-fire. When Russian Vladimir Putin vowed to accept only unconditional surrender from the United States, the Texas state government rightfully concluded that Russian military occupation was inevitable so Governor Greg Abbott gave a speech declaring that the Republic of Texas was once again an independent nation. US President Tulsi Gabbard declared that the Republic of Texas was in violation of the Constitution for trying to secede while Russian leaders reiterated that unconditional surrender applied to the United States as a whole not just the federal government. Eventually Russian ground and Airborne forces invaded the Republic of Texas, resulting in a large-scale insurgency comparable to the Chechen War. The Texan War continues to this day with a significant portion of the self-proclaimed country still controlled by the Texan rebels. As a consequence of the conflict, all US citizens with a Texas birth certificate, Texas ID card, or Texas driver's license were subjected to additional restrictions not faced by other US citizens, up to and including disenfranchisement, being kept under extra scrutiny by occupation forces, subject to be detained without legal counsel, internment in labor camps, etc.

American Resistance Government
Following the unconditional surrender of the United States of America to the All Russian Federation, the American Resistance had become a nationwide organization seeking to bring an end to Russia's gradually increasing occupation of US soil. Eventually, the American Resistance created its own government which they declared was the one true government of the United States of America. The Battle Cry of Freedom was selected as the official anthem of the American Resistance Government. The American Revolutionary Party was founded by Republicans and Democrats who rejected the creation of the Federal Unity Party by the pro-Russian government. Jeb Bush, former Governor of Florida, was elected President of the American Resistance Government with Chelsea Clinton as his Vice-President. In his inaugural address, President Bush denounced the current administration as a puppet regime that was collaborating with a hostile foreign power occupying American soil. US President Tulsi Gabbard declared in a counter speech that the federal government remained sole legitimate government in the country and then proceeded to condemn the so-called American Resistance Government as a domestic terrorist organization.

Commonwealth Union
The withdrawal of the United States from the international scene triggered a power vacuum throughout the West. In an effort to fill in the void, the Commonwealth Union was founded by the post-EU United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms. Another goal was the creation of a new global superpower meant to replace the United States and to counter Russia's growing domination around the globe. The Commonwealth Union also aligned with Japan and South Korea to defend both countries from a potential attack from the Chinese.

People's Republic of China
Having been neutral during World War III with the exception of a military incursion into North Korea in coordination with a coup there, the People's Republic of China was able to solidify its hold over the East and South China Seas including further construction of artificial islands and military adventuralism in the disputed Spratly Islands. A border skirmish between China and Russian-backed Vietnam took place during the height of the war which resulted in a steady decline in Sino-Russian diplomatic relations. Following the end of World War III and the dissolution of NATO, China was able to take advantage of the vacuum left by the American withdrawal by invading Taiwan. The All Russian Federation, the Commonwealth Union, and the People's Republic of China are currently in an undeclared tripolar cold war.