Sino-American War

The Sino-American War was a war involving the People's Republic of China and the United States as the two superpowers clashed in a struggle to control the last remaining resources on Earth. The two key participants and their client states and annexed nations engaged in total war against each other, as both civilian and military resources were harnessed to achieve victory over the other side, in a struggle that was as much about resources as it was about ideology. The war was marked by atrocities on both sides, both against foreign and domestic populations, steady escalation of hostilities up to and including the use of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons, and gradual transition of both states into totalitarian dictatorships no different from each other.

Resource shortages made this a war of position, rather than maneuver. Trench warfare was common, particularly in Alaska, and until new models of power armor were introduced into the fray by United States forces, stalemates were extremely common.

The Sino-American War, culminating in the Great War, was the most destructive war in human history, resulting in unprecedented casualties among soldiers and civilians alike, due to the deployment of nuclear weapons on a global scale. The Sino-American War can be therefore understood as the war that ended the Old World.

Background
The immediate cause of the war was resource shortages. In 2060, available fuel reserves ran out worldwide. Traffic on the streets died as fuel became too valuable to waste on automobiles. The automotive industry desperately tried to come up with a solution to the problem, but electric and early fusion cars were too little, too late to help solve the growing needs of society. The fuel problem was further emphasized by the collapse of the European Commonwealth and the Middle Eastern oil powers, as the oil fields were allegedly exhausted.

The situation across the United States worsened, both as a result of the deteriorating economy, and as a result of the New Plague continuing to wreak havoc despite increased quarantine measures. The federal government attempted to use the increasing national paranoia to control the situation by discouraging assemblies, fueling the anti-communist sentiment, and encouraging the reporting of subversive elements. The Vigilant Citizen's Hotline was even established to allow hysterical citizens to report neighbors to the government for any behavior that could be construed as in support of communism. The Third Red Scare unfolded as a response to the increased hostility of the People's Republic of China and its operations on American soil. Research efforts were undertaken that could have alleviated the resource crisis entirely. The military, seeking to increase the mobility of its mechanized cavalry units, initiated a research program seeking to develop power armor in 2065. Research, development, and prototyping paved the way for future advances in military, construction, and most importantly, fusion technology. Research in other areas continued as well, including more powerful nuclear weapons.

However, these efforts would lead to Chinese conflict with the United States. As the economy of the communist state was dependent to a much greater degree on fossil fuels than that of the U.S., China found itself on the brink of collapse by spring of 2066, with oil fields finally drying up globally. With the United States unwilling to export its own reserves of crude oil, China had become more aggressive in its negotiations. Adding further insult to the world-crises, the first crude fusion cell developed for the power armor project was revealed to the American public in the summer of 2066.

In desperation, China launched an invasion of Alaska to seize its oil reserves. This daring military operation marked the beginning of the Sino-American War.

Invasion of Mexico (2051)
Though predating the Sino-American War by more than two decades, the invasion of Mexico was the first of the Resource Wars waged worldwide to counter the shortage of critical resources, like oil. In 2051, when the United States began exerting pressure on Mexico, in order to protect their economic interests there, primarily the crude oil supply. The U.S. deliberately destabilized the country using economic sanctions, paving the way for a military invasion. American military units seized oil refineries and infrastructure to ensure that the flow of crude oil did not cease. A year later, a landmark television documentary revealed the depth of the energy crisis.

War in the Middle East (2052)
Rising oil prices bankrupted smaller nations, leading to the European Commonwealth attacking the Middle East for its oil reserves; the United States was also severely affected by the skyrocketing prices of oil, which led to further aggression and contributed to the clash with China and its economy reliant on fossil fuel. The dissolution of the United Nations in July marked the beginning of the chain of events that would lead to the Great War 25 years later.

New Plague (2053)
Another blow was struck in 2053, when the New Plague virus emerged. The virulent nature of the plague and the speed at which it had spread led to the first ever national quarantine and the closing of American borders, as tens of thousands died. In 2055, the government commissioned West Tek to develop a cure for the virus. Though no cure was known to have ever been found, the research into a cure paved the way for subsequent biochemical research efforts.

Project Safehouse (2054)
The global security situation, in particular the nuclear exchanges in the Middle East, the Euro-Middle Eastern War and the New Plague resulted in the federal government initiating Project Safehouse in 2054, which created fallout shelters that would protect a percentage of the United State's population in the event of a nuclear war or fatal plague. Vault-Tec Industries won the contract, and this massive national defense project was set in motion. Breakthroughs in construction technology allowed for these gargantuan bunkers to be constructed at a rapid pace, although Vault-Tec's status as a critical defense contractor, and the classified nature of its enterprises, lead to many instances of fraud and mismanagement.

Anchorage Front Line (2059)
By the end of the decade, in 2059, the United States started to prepare for war, as the global situation continued to worsen. The Anchorage front line had been established in Alaska, to protect its oil reserves from foreign invaders. Canada had also begun to feel the pressure exerted by its increasingly hostile neighbor.

Niagara Sabotage (2062)
Chinese intelligence efforts and attempts to penetrate the civilian and military sectors in the United States played a part in beginning the War. Wan Yang, a major Chinese intelligence asset, was apprehended following the Niagara Sabotage.

Invasion (2066-2067)
Under the command of General Jingwei, Chinese forces landed in Alaska with a large parachute assault. Carried out in winter, the landing allowed the Chinese to usurp control of Alaska's oil pipeline, derricks, and reserves, and secure the flow of resources to the homeland, propping up its economy. The American military retreats on all fronts as the Chinese gamble pays off. Unable to sustain the war effort without establishing safe supply routes on land, away from the Chinese Navy, the United States pressures Canada into granting military access on land and its airspace. When Ottawa yields, despite initial resistance, the stage is set for the subsequent occupation and annexation of Canada ten years later.

With the pressure for a functional suit of power armor greater than ever, the United States military and its contractors created the first model of power armor using available technologies. Designated T-45, it was a crude construction. However, its ability to wield heavy weapons with ease greatly increased the firepower and mobility of American troops, allowing them to counter Chinese tanks and infantry. After the first suits are deployed in January 2067, China rushes to create its own versions but is unable to come up with a counter. The crude nature of the armor only allows for stabilizing the front. The situation devolves into a stalemate rapidly. General Constantine Chase and his command of the newly formed power armor units became instrumental in stabilizing the front and even retaking land from the Chinese army.

The Chinese nuclear threat was thought contained at the time, as an ideal nuclear first strike scenario (according to DIA intelligence at the time) would only succeed in destroying 41% of the American nuclear stockpile.

Stabilization and escalation (2068-2073)
The war effort in Alaska continued to consume ever-increasing amounts of resources. With the Chinese occupying and exploiting the resources and infrastructure of Alaska, the United States drew on Canadian resources to support its war effort. Entire stretches of timberland are destroyed as the military consumes Canadian wealth to battle the Chinese across the western front, in an eerie retreading of the horrors of World War I. By 2069, the pressure became unbearable, but Canadian protests went unheard. The entire country slowly became Little America in the minds of U.S. citizens. The tensions between Ottawa and Washington culminated in a sabotage attempt on the newly-reclaimed Trans-Alaskan Pipeline by Canadian forces. Faced with open hostility and rioting in several Canadian cities, the United States responds by beginning the annexation of Canada on June 3, 2072. The sabotage attempt is cited as casus belli. The United States Army also commissioned the development of Liberty Prime, intended to be as a superweapon meant to establish the dominance of the United States on the Alaskan front. However, despite significant resources poured into the project, it failed to produce usable results, only drawing assets away from the war.

Drawn into a war of attrition in a remote theater of war, China authorized the use of biological weapons on the front. In response, the American government ordered West Tek to develop a Pan-Immunity Virion on September 15, 2073. This research eventually evolved into the Forced Evolution Virus project. Since West Tek was effectively nationalized two years prior, the scientists had no other choice but to obey their military masters.

Stalemate (2074-2076)
One of the turning points of the War came in 2074, as despite claims of fighting a defensive war, American infantry and mechanized divisions landed in Shantou through the Philippines, in a counter-invasion of Chinese mainland. The American economy strained as American soldiers, Marines, sailors, and airmen fought a war on three fronts: Canada, Alaska, and mainland China. Neither side was willing to yield, despite eight years of constant warfare. The situation rapidly deteriorated into a stalemate, just like in Alaska. Ambitious flanking maneuvers such as the Gobi Campaign, and the Yangtze Campaign, where U.S. Marines rapidly overran Shanghai and Nanjing, did little to tip the scales in favor of American forces. Even as late as 2077, American troops would struggle to control supply routes, forcing permanent garrisons in remote locales such as Mambajao in the Philippines. The key issue at hand was the undoubted Chinese superiority in stealth technology. In 2075, the DIA even posited that the Chinese were able to develop stealth submarines, explaining reports of the Ghost Fleet submitted by field agents. The reports were buried as outlandish.

By 2076, the war had raged for a decade. For both soldiers and American citizens alike, the long war caused intense psychological effects, several soldiers returning home with post-traumatic stress disorder. Both China and the United States teetered on the brink of collapse, increasing production in an effort to outdo the opponent and cutting experimental project turnarounds in half. The annexation of Canada in January bolstered the sagging economy. As American units swarmed the country like locusts, its provinces were put under martial law, and all protesters and rioters were shot on sight. Atrocities committed in the name of the Union made their way stateside, fermenting anti-governmental sentiment. The completion of the T-51 power armor model in June heralded change. After the first batch of T-51 model B units arrived in China, the new series performed exceedingly well against the remaining Chinese tanks, armored vehicles, and infantry. So well, in fact, that enemy soldiers were reported to be surrendering upon seeing these units. However, the situation soon deteriorated, and hatred, fear, and patriotic fervor, possible executions of Chinese prisoners of war by American troops, among other factors, led the Chinese to rally and resist the invasion, even as supply lines began to break down across the board, with nations annexed by China beginning to break down and revolt. However, the United States was unable to fully exploit this advantage, as food and energy riots broke out in urban centers across the United States in August. A state of emergency and eventually martial law was declared, with U.S. military forces being deployed on the domestic front to fight their own countrymen. The United States effectively became a military junta.

Mutually assured destruction (2077)
Through a combination of attrition, loss of supply routes, and offensives conducted by the United States across the front, Chinese units in Alaska found themselves surrounded and cut off from reinforcements. The liberation of Anchorage spearheaded by winterized T-51 power armor units under the command of General Constantine Chase marked the end of the Anchorage Reclamation, after a decade of war. Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition p.43: "Chinese Army (Simulated) U.S. Army (Simulated) With conditions deteriorating between the United States and China, a military presence in Alaska was established to prevent a possible invasion across the Bering Strait. With increasingly scarce oil reserves, a last deep-sea deposit below the Pacific Ocean was claimed by China before allegedly being sabotaged by American special operatives. Strained relationships spiraled downwards into escalated conflict, as China marched on Alaska, and the Sino-American War of 2066—2077 erupted. Under the command of General Jingwei, the Chinese Army usurped control of Alaska's oil pipeline and reserves. In response, the Americans had begun what came to be called "The Alaskan Reclamation Operation" (2067—2077). ''Under the leadership of General Constantine Chase, the U.S. Army battled fiercely to the front lines of the conflict before General Chase deployed specialized power armor units that began pushing the Chinese back. Future power armor suits were further refined as the conflict dragged on, and the Trans-Alaska Pipeline was reclaimed. With resources flowing through Canada, strained diplomatic tensions between Canada and the United States becoming problematic, and as the Canadian forces attacked the pipeline, the country was annexed.'' ''A combination of inclement weather, constant American bombardment and trench warfare, and U.S. powered armor unit attacks sweeping through mainline China, the Chinese supply lines weakened and finally broke down completely. By the beginning of 2077, the city of Anchorage was finally liberated, the Chinese invaders eradicated, and the operation had been deemed a success. A commemorative memorial was erected in Washington, D.C., in honor of the soldiers who fought and perished for the greater American good. Violence between America and pockets of Canadian freedom fighters continued throughout 2077, until the Great War obliterated almost all infrastructure, commerce, and human life."'' (Fallout 3 Official Game Guide faction profiles) General Jingwei, commander of the Alaskan theater, was killed in action.

The campaign in mainland China was reinvigorated by the victory in Alaska and the deployment of T-51 units. Army troops clad in T-51 regularly witnessed Chinese troops surrendering upon sighting them and their miniguns. However, the effect did not last. As American troops pushed deeper into the mainland, Chinese resistance increased. By October, the situation transitioned from a rout into a stalemate. After a decade of war, there was no end in sight. Billions of dollars and thousands of casualties were spent in vain, despite taxes and various wartime revenues ensuring the United States government has been able to fund a standing army the likes of which the United States has never before seen. To bolster the offensive, bases across the United States were sealed and troops redeployed to provide more men for the front lines.

The situation was made worse by the fact that the oligarchs ruling the United States retreated to remote locations around the globe, expecting a last-ditch nuclear strike from China at any moment. The oil rig was claimed by the president and key members of the junta, becoming the foundation of the future Enclave. Though contingency efforts were made, the United States was effectively leaderless, continuing on simply through inertia.

Ultimately, the stalemate was resolved with nuclear weapons. Pressed against the wall, the Chinese launched a nuclear first strike in a last-ditch effort to knock America out of the war. First Chinese subs were identified by the Pacific Fleet at 00:03 EST off the coast of California. At 03:37 EST, a squadron of high-altitude bombers was sighted off the Bering Strait. Six hours later, at 09:13 EST, the Integrated Operational Nuclear Detection System detected the first four missile launches and the United States went to DEFCON 2. Four minutes later, NORAD confirmation sealed the fate of the world. At 09:26 EST, the President ordered a retaliatory strike according to scenario MX-CN91. As American weapons were launched, the first Chinese nukes hit in Pennsylvania and New York at 09:42 EST. By 09:47 EST, the Great War pulled most of the American facilities offline- effectively ending the world.

Aftermath
With the destruction of the United States and China through nuclear weapons, the slate was effectively wiped clean. The disintegration of political and social structures would lead to the establishment of new tribes, nations, and organizations on the North American continent, such as the Brotherhood of Steel, Enclave, New California Republic, and Caesar's Legion.

The Sino-American War is the direct cause of the nuclear apocalypse of 2077 and the subsequent climate change brought by the destruction of the environment and human civilization. Many of the tools developed for war and technological breakthroughs that occurred remain in use by post-nuclear societies, and are, in fact, a major contributor to the preservation of civilization despite the destruction.