The Great Collapse

Though the true "defining" event of this timeline happens later on, the (rough) point of divergence for this timeline begins with the collapse of the soviet union and the eastern bloc happening slightly differently, but moreso following the formation of new factions even prior to its collapse. The shift in the balance of power during and after the fall of the iron curtain leads to worldwide tensions, further exasperated by several nuclear terrorist attacks, exploding into numerous initially non-nuclear wars. However, on October 9th 1994, the wars degenerate into a worldwide nuclear exchange, devastating humanity. However, despite the devastation, the Nuclear exchange does not in fact end the human world, but simply push it into a new chapter.

NOTE: This timeline will try to treat the fallout of these events in a scientifically realistic way, though by no means will it follow it perfectly, and may purposely contradict it if it works better for the story.

A rough synopsis will be displayed (separated between "Pre-Collapse" and "Post-Collapse") on this page, though a more detailed account of specific events and nations will be found on their respective pages.

Pre-Great Collapse Overview
As the Soviet Union began to enter its final decline and collapse with Mikhail Gorbachev's rise to power, a relatively obscure ideology came to the forefront in America: Producerism. In response to the increase of Corporate power and the beginning of outsourcing, a concerned American named Anthony Vance began calling out for a revolution, becoming heavily entwined with the growing producerist minority. Eventually the Producerist Party of America would be formed in early 1986. Within 6 months of its formation, the party had swelled in numbers, setting records for growth rates. Whilst the corporately minded Republican Party and the debased Democrats both attempted to smear the Producerists and push them under the rug, their efforts ultimately came with no fruits.

In 1987, despite having only existed for barely a year, the Producerists had grown in numbers to such an extent that they closely rivaled both the Republicans and Democrats. Mere months later, mass congressional defections had begun, with shifts in party memberships leaving a drastically different congress. Alongside this, a massive paramilitary force called the Maroonshirts came to being, supporting the Producerist Party whilst unofficially remaining separate from it. partisanism and corruption in the military and the various intelligence branches also led to the Producerists (as well as the other parties to far lesser degrees) having unofficial, if direct, power over considerable parts of the government. However this would be overshadowed during America's transformation in 1988 when Anthony Vance would be elected President and the Producerists winning a super-majority. Shortly thereafter, in an illegal but popularly supported move, President Vance officially dissolved the Legislative bodies of the Federal Government and the states, appointing various party councils to replace them at the different levels. By 1990, Vance had complete control of the government and nation and had cultivated fanatical loyalty from the populace and party. To this end, he officially reformed the United States of America into the North American Union, declaring that he would make good on bringing about the Manifest Destiny of America.

Throughout this time, Anti-Americanism and Latin Pride in South America had led to the formation of the Pan-South American Alliance (PSAA), which sought to remove the presence of American Corporations and political influence from South America. The Producerist Reforms of the Vance Administration served to, unintentionally, aid this. The PSAA, whilst initially a private group unaffiliated with any South American Government on an official level, was soon elevated to the status of a Continent spanning supranational government with widespread power after the formation of the North American union. Though unwilling to call it Producerism due to its American connotations, the PSAA adopted a similar model to Vance's in order to further liberate themselves from foreign influence.

Meanwhile, as a result of an uncovering of a corporately backed plan to remove Vance from office, Vance ordered the arrest of nearly every higher up (and former higher up) in American Corporations. Alongside this, he declared that while all corporations would function as they did before the purge (and even slightly more like they did before rise of Producerist Reforms), they would be the property of the people (and therefore the Government). At this time, various surviving corporate officials, pushed underground, put their remaining (considerable) wealth together and formed a terrorist ring disguised as a Romano-American Styled Neo-Fascist and Pro-White group, which they called the Western Imperium (often simply referred to as "The Imperium". They immediately began a quest to obtain nuclear weapons from the collapsing Soviet Union. At this time, they also aligned themselves with the corporate elite of Western Europe, Bankrolling the campaign's of politicians in favor of furthering of European economic and political ties, as well as bribing additional officials to support it. Thus, in 1992, right as the Soviet Union Prepared to Dissolve itself, the European Union was formed by the Treaty of Dijon. From the get go, all true power in the Union, which initially encompassed Western and some of Central Europe, was in the hands of European and Exiled American Corporate Giants. Two months after its formation, the former Eastern Bloc of Europe was incorporated into the union, alongside the Balkans another month later. These areas very quickly were converted into areas of cheap labor for the wealthier Western Zone of the Union, which increasingly became infused with it's controllers' Western Imperium.

As a result of its controllers' power over Europe and the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Imperium eventually managed to acquire a small arsenal of nuclear weapons. With secret launch sites built in the disputed Territories of Western Sahara in the previous year to render the arms usable once acquired, the Imperium was able to, on November 29th 1993, launch its newly acquired arsenal at various targets. Whilst some were able to be intercepted, most reached their targets successfully.