World War III
The Third World War or World War III was a collection of large-scale global conflicts that took place from 2065 to 2069 between the Global Peace Treaty Organization, the Republic of India and its allies, and the Russo-Chinese Alliance. The war is generally considered to have begun in 2065, however, some historians argue that it begun in 2064 or even 2062, since those years saw the beginning of regional wars that contributed to the escalation of World War III.
Theaters
Middle Eastern War (2062 - 2068)
The Middle Eastern War begun on the 5th of May 2062, when Iraq declared war on Iran, and ended on the 18th of October 2068 with the signing of the Treaty of Baghdad. The war is itself made up of several smaller wars.
Third Iran-Iraq War (2062 - 2068)
The Republic of Iraq declared war on the Islamic Republic of Iran on the 5th of May 2062, following years of escalating tensions over Iran’s renewed nuclear program. Iraq, estimating that Iran would have functional nuclear weapons by 2064, committed to an invasion to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program. Iraq was supported by the Levant states, while Iran was supported by Saudi Arabia, the Gulf states, and to a lesser extent, Pakistan.
Gulf Campaign (2066 - 2067)
Following their declaration of war with Iraq on the 27th of February 2066, Saudi forces crossed the border on the 5th of March. Simultaneously, Kuwait began to block all imports to Iraq. Saudi Arabia aimed to take control of Iraq’s southwestern border before moving east towards Baghdad. On the 6th of March, the North American Federation declared war on Saudi Arabia, along with the rest of GPTO. By the 10th of March, Al Bașrah and An Nāșirīyah had been captured.
On the 20th of March, the Saudi offensive was fully halted by the combined forces of Iraq, Jordan, Israel, and Syria. The next day, North America declared war on Kuwait, and half an hour later, landed forces in the country to little resistance. The Levant states declared war on Saudi Arabia over the following week, and Saudi forces quickly retreated out of Iraq during that time. On the 27th of March, all of Iraq had been liberated, ending Saudi Arabia’s four week campaign.
African Front (2064 - 2069)
The African Front was primarily fought between East Africa, Ethiopia, Nigeria, South Africa, and the Congo. The fighting was triangular, meaning that there were three distinct alliances that all fought against each other at different times.
First East African War (2064 - 2066)
Following the formation of the East African Federation, there were people who called for South Sudan to join the federation. The desire for unification grew in both countries, but was opposed by the government of South Sudan, which preferred to stay aligned with Ethiopia, East Africa’s regional rival. On the 3rd of August 2064, the government of South Sudan was overthrown by protesters, and was replaced by a pro-unification government. On the 8th of August, Ethiopian troops crossed the border to restore the old government, and East African troops crossed the border the next day to defend the new government.
Second East African War (2066 - 2069)
Rwanda and the Congo had a history of border disputes going back to before the unification of the Congo and the federalization of East Africa. Rwandan-backed rebels had been occupying parts of the Kivu regions of the Congo since the 2020s, and the federal government of East Africa continued to support them over the next few decades. As East Africa's attention was occupied in their war with Ethiopia, the Congolese government decided to invade the separatist-held regions.
The invasion began on the 21st of July 2066, and the first rebel lines were broken by the 24th of July. Uvira was captured on the 2nd of August, and Bukavu was captured on the 13th of August. By August 15th, the rebels had retreated to their final defensive positions, only controlling Goma and Rutshuru. They held these positions alone for two more months.
The rapid retreat of the rebel forces was a leading motivator for the end of the First East African War. After the ceasefire was declared on the 6th of October, East African troops rushed into the rebel pocket and the Congolese border. Thirty minutes after the signing of the Treaty of Hargeisa, East Africa declared war on the Congo and moved troops into the rebel lines around Bukavu.
Ethiopian Invasion of Eritrea (2067)
In the Treaty of Hargeisa, East Africa gave Ethiopia a blank cheque to invade the Republic of Eritrea, which had broken away from Ethiopia over 100 years earlier. East Africa had traditionally been a guarantor of Eritrean security, so the abandonment of their ally was widely viewed as a stab in the back. On the 9th of January 2067, Ethiopian forces entered the country.
