WWIII: Outbreak, Order of Events and Outcome

WWIII: Outbreak, Order of Events and Outcome

January 25, 2022: Russian and separatist forces stationed along the Dnieper River respond to "provocations" by Kiev and launch a multi-pronged assault on strategic locations in Ukraine. An emergency meeting of NATO is called, and a special session of the UN Security Council convenes to discuss the invasion. Meanwhile, Poland and Lithuania put their forces on maximum alert. Belarus and Russia make progress on unification.

February 28: Communications go offline across Taiwan, and there are reports of loud explosions at key military locations on Taiwanese-owned islands/outposts. After several hours the Pentagon confirms it is monitoring what appears to be the initial phase of a Chinese assault on Taiwanese forces. US Pacific Command goes on high alert, and President Joe Biden flies to Camp David along with the Joint Chiefs of Staff to discuss how the US should respond. China warns the US that once it "reunites" Taiwan with the mainland, it will be Chinese territory and any attempt by outside forces to "liberate" it will be considered an attempt to invade China. To emphasise its seriousness, Beijing puts its nuclear forces on the PLA's equivalent of DEFCON-2.

March 15-21: Russia pushes further into western Ukraine than NATO had anticipated and encircles Kiev. The Ukrainian government falls and Russia facilitates a "caretaker government" until new elections are held (this secretly includes a referendum on reuniting with Russia). In the interim, Russian forces occupy Ukraine but make assurances that it will withdraw once the security situation is stable.

April 30: Despite suffering heavily losses at sea and in the air, China completes its invasion of Taiwan. No outside powers intervened, allowing a quick and decisive victory for Beijing. Xi's ominous reminder that China regards its newly-conquered territory as its own soil gave the US Pacific Command enough pause to hold off on intervening. Later, General Milley would admit, "We didn't want to trigger a nuclear war over Taiwan". Chinese forces hold a victory parade, and Xi flies to the island to proclaim the "Chinese Century".

May 9: Russia holds its Victory Day parade and includes a military parade in occupied Ukraine, announcing on the same day that the new Ukrainian parliament will hold a referendum within six months on whether Ukraine should be reabsorbed into Russia. This follows similar referendums in previous years held in Abzhazia and South Ossetia (formerly part of Georgia) as well as Donbass, Luhansk and Crimea (formerly part of Ukraine). NATO explains its decision not to intervene in the war by saying that doing so would have triggered a full-scale war with Russia - something that would have had "apocalyptic ramifications on a global scale".