The Historical RP Group HQ

[Aldelxane]

Question: Why is Iran funding Al Qaeda in that TL if it isn't an Islamic Republic in that TL?

[Kryskov]

Question: Why is Iran funding Al Qaeda in that TL if it isn't an Islamic Republic in that TL?

Because Iran has grown to be anti-US over the years.

[Aldelxane]

Question: Why is Iran funding Al Qaeda in that TL if it isn't an Islamic Republic in that TL?

Because Iran has grown to be anti-US over the years.

Then why did you bother with the whole America invades Iran and successfully institutes a democratic government schtick if Iran is essentially the same as OTL in the end?

[Bujahla]

Because Iran has grown to be anti-US over the years.

Then why did you bother with the whole America invades Iran and successfully institutes a democratic government schtick if Iran is essentially the same as OTL in the end?

If it's a democratic government they would be anti-ISIS. Hell, they are anti-ISIS atm anyhow and they are anti-US.

[Aldelxane]

Then why did you bother with the whole America invades Iran and successfully institutes a democratic government schtick if Iran is essentially the same as OTL in the end?

If it's a democratic government they would be anti-ISIS. Hell, they are anti-ISIS atm anyhow and they are anti-US.

But in the timeline that he created the US essentially invaded Iran and created a Republic, and then essentially said Republic decides to bite the hand that feeds it by funding Al Qaeda while still remaining a democracy, after which America invades Iran yet again. It doesn't make sense to me.

[Bujahla]

If it's a democratic government they would be anti-ISIS. Hell, they are anti-ISIS atm anyhow and they are anti-US.

But in the timeline that he created the US essentially invaded Iran and created a Republic, and then essentially said Republic decides to bite the hand that feeds it by funding Al Qaeda while still remaining a democracy, after which America invades Iran yet again. It doesn't make sense to me.

No it really doesn't....

[Kryskov]

Get off my back, okay?

Iran was still largely Islamist, even though they had a democratic government. This sort of answers to the US' policy of making unstable republics. Iran would have a democratic government, but the US and CSS agreed to keep out of Iran because they knew the ME was a powder keg. America doesn't really feed Iran. It's a sort of Pakistan-like relationship, except less US involvement.

[The Grand Republic of Hannover]

If it's a democratic government they would be anti-ISIS. Hell, they are anti-ISIS atm anyhow and they are anti-US.

But in the timeline that he created the US essentially invaded Iran and created a Republic, and then essentially said Republic decides to bite the hand that feeds it by funding Al Qaeda while still remaining a democracy, after which America invades Iran yet again. It doesn't make sense to me.

Very true. If in that history, the US invaded Iran and instituted a republic it is evident that that republic would be very friendly to the US. The US most likely would fund that republic and keep it in power.

[Kryskov]

Very true. If in that history, the US invaded Iran and instituted a republic it is evident that that republic would be very friendly to the US. The US most likely would fund that republic and keep it in power.

You assume incorrectly.

[The Grand Republic of Hannover]

Very true. If in that history, the US invaded Iran and instituted a republic it is evident that that republic would be very friendly to the US. The US most likely would fund that republic and keep it in power.

You assume incorrectly.

That is the logic behind these kinds of invasions. At that time, the US wouldn't walk into a country if at the end it would remain against the US and even hate it more than before.

[Bujahla]

Very true. If in that history, the US invaded Iran and instituted a republic it is evident that that republic would be very friendly to the US. The US most likely would fund that republic and keep it in power.

You assume incorrectly.

Kry, hate to break it to you, but that part of your history makes no sense.

Get off my back, okay?

Iran was still largely Islamist, even though they had a democratic government. This sort of answers to the US' policy of making unstable republics. Iran would have a democratic government, but the US and CSS agreed to keep out of Iran because they knew the ME was a powder keg. America doesn't really feed Iran. It's a sort of Pakistan-like relationship, except less US involvement.

Iran wasn't even that largely "islamist." Muslim? Yes, of course. But Islamist? No. The extremists high-jacked the revolution that was meant to be for democracy, and even to this day, the Iranian people have complained and have called for democracy (i.e. how the recent president came to power). They wouldn't support ISIS.

[Kryskov]

*ugh*

Listen, I'm not changing the end result. If you guys want to rewrite how to get there, feel free. I didn't even want to work on this today, much more argue about it.

[The Grand Republic of Hannover]

Get off my back, okay?

Iran was still largely Islamist, even though they had a democratic government. This sort of answers to the US' policy of making unstable republics. Iran would have a democratic government, but the US and CSS agreed to keep out of Iran because they knew the ME was a powder keg. America doesn't really feed Iran. It's a sort of Pakistan-like relationship, except less US involvement.

Iran wasn't even that largely "islamist." Muslim? Yes, of course. But Islamist? No. The extremists high-jacked the revolution that was meant to be for democracy, and even to this day, the Iranian people have complained and have called for democracy (i.e. how the recent president came to power). They wouldn't support ISIS.

That is actually very true. I learned that the Iranian Revolution wanted democracy and secularism above all but the Islamic sector of the country took over the revolution's goals and basically did what they wanted.

[Bujahla]

*ugh*

Listen, I'm not changing the end result. If you guys want to rewrite how to get there, feel free. I didn't even want to work on this today, much more argue about it.

Mkay. So the end result would be Iran supports ISIS, no? That'll be difficult, but I think it's possible. Keep much of IRL history and change recent stuff. Say that the US doesn't push for a dual-engagement policy with Iran. India, CSS, and China still buy oil from Iran as the US couldn't convince them not-to. In the recent elections, in the massive debate fiscal, many of them are ostracized by the Supreme Leader. When the election results are in, the president-elect Hassan Rouhani is kicked out and the government goes extremely authoritarian following a wave of "arab spring" protests. Now the government is dealing with internal conflicts, but also is propping up ISIS as the US Secretary of State comes out in favor for the 'rebels' in Iran and Iran believes that it was a foreign incident that is hurting them.

[Rephesus]

Why would Iran, the largest and most powerful Shia state in the world, support a Sunni terrorist group that wants to kill Shia Muslims? I mean, if anything they'd be funding Hezbollah, who is actually also fighting ISIS.

[Kryskov]

Why would Iran, the largest and most powerful Shia state in the world, support a Sunni terrorist group that wants to kill Shia Muslims? I mean, if anything they'd be funding Hezbollah, who is actually also fighting ISIS.

Because they don't like Iraq and the US.

[The Grand Republic of Hannover]

Why would Iran, the largest and most powerful Shia state in the world, support a Sunni terrorist group that wants to kill Shia Muslims? I mean, if anything they'd be funding Hezbollah, who is actually also fighting ISIS.

There are many things that don't make sense in that history to be honest.

[Kryskov]

Change Iran to Iraq *problem solved*

[Skaldia]

Gasoline, petrol, motor oil, plastic, cosmetics, and a hundred other products were made from oil. There was a push during the early part of the 21st century to conserve resources, and diversify materials used. Bio-plastic and other synthetics offered a promising future, as did the proliferation of wind farms, and many green-energy initiatives. It was all quite sadly in vain. Despite the effort, demand for power rose steadily despite conservation efforts. There was constant speculation about when the oil would run out, when production would peak. Speculation was rampant, and as China, South Africa, and Brazil emerged as true industrial powers, the supply was stretched ever thinner.

War By Proxy

Nigeria, the biggest shithole in the world. That was what we thought. By damned, we were right. I lost my leg to a land mine, lost my hand to a secondary infection because a camel crapped on top of the mine without setting it off. Funny huh?

The first round of the resource wars were fought by proxy. The real combatants were the United States, the European Union, and China, but none of those powers were quite desperate enough to get their hands dirty. Instead, the wars were fought in second and third world nations, with troops trained and supplied by the various backing parties. The first round wars are easily forgotten: the Sri Lankan Bloody Monday, the 3rd Afghan War, the Russian Republic Wars, and so on. These conflicts were by far and large minor skirmishes, and a handful of atrocities. The resolve of the combatants was being tested in these early engagements. The real fighting would not begin until the Nigerian Conflict exploded.

Nigeria, one of the poorest nations in the world was the battleground for the first real Resource War. The war was long and marked by high casualties on both sides of the conflict, and eventual victory for the European Union and South African powers at the cost of China and independent African nations. The war spilled into nations surrounding Nigeria, the most violent being in Chad and spilling into Sudan. Somali warlords and mercenaries made a killing, literally and figuratively fighting for both sides in the conflict. The United Nations saw some action with UN troops defending neutral groups and civilian centers from roving war bands. In political circles, it is referred to as the African Problem. As the Nigerian Conflict ends, the next war erupts in Central and South America.

Similar wars are fought in Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Argentina.

The United States at War

In local news, more violence flares across the South west. Armed bands of militants have destroyed miles of border fence, and in two separate incidences, border militias have been killed in vicious gun battles. The State governor has promised more local support for the border militias as well as increased cooperation with the military. In areas affected, residents should stay indoors after nightfall, and not answer their doors unless they know who it is.

For years, central and South America were commonly felt to be the back yard of the United States. The Americans by extension felt a certain ownership of the resources contained within. There was always the Save the Amazon sentiment, but the real prizes of the continent were the oil fields and extensive sugar-ethanol fields. The war was fought in three different locations: Venezuela, Columbia, and Mexico. The war in Venezuela was marked by a dogged Venezuelan defense based on outlasting the American will to fight and bloody jungle warfare. The Columbian campaign sought to support what was increasingly seen as the Satrapy of Columbia, puppets of America. Most of this war was reminiscent of Vietnam, helicopters and soldiers rather than tanks and stealth bombers. The Mexican campaign was the longest lasting, and the most ruinous of the three. Venezuela proved tougher than expected, and after the American navy seized Gulf of Mexico assets, the Venezuelan was was abandoned. This had the effect of bolstering Latin American morale, and demoralizing American troops. Veterans of the Venezuelan war were seen as inferior or ineffective, despite the level of the conflict.

Columbia proved much the same, with both the terrain and populace resisting attempts to control them. A third part was involved in the Columbian War, the drug Cartels. Bloated on American and European drug trafficking, the cartels supplied and fielded their own armies, often to superior effect. The Columbian conflict was eventually declared a victory in American favor, but was more of a withdrawal to deal with the war in Mexico.

For more than a century, no conflict had been fought on American soil. Then the door was kicked in. Mexico was thrown into a civil war between drug lords and the Mexican government. The United States intervened and was drawn into a non-resource war. The Cartels struck targets across the nation and suddenly war wasn't something seen on TV in other countries. The unexpected violence of the war, and its eruption into America caused several changes in policy. Troops were called back from Venezuela and Columbia to hold the border and eventually annex both Baja states, Sonora, Coahuila, Chihuahua, and a good portion of Mexico's east coast. Protests erupted, there were riots, and after a while, everyone calmed down.

China at War

Contrary to what most Occidental people think, China is not a gigantic single state nation. There are many states within China, Yunnan, Xinjiang, Gansu to name a few. They are not familiar names to you, they are not California or Burgundy. We are all just little Red Chinese people scurrying around in factories and rice paddies. We love you long time, some other insulting jokes, whatever you see fit. The truth is that China is a powerful and diverse nation. And as a powerful nation, we are surrounded by enemies. America fights with Mexico, no one protests. America invades Venezuela, no one protests. South Africa invades Congo, no one complains. The European Union invades Iran, yet again, no one complains. China, surrounded by foes, defends itself, and the world raises its arms in outrage. China says to you, go home. Go home and buy your low priced shirts, and Chinese made cars and televisions. Go home and shut up.

War with China was seen by many analysts as inevitable, and they were correct. But rather than a war between the United States and China, the war has two major fronts, India and Russia. The Sino-Petroleum Wars are disastrous for all parties involved. The Chinese lost many men and a great deal of equipment and fuel for dubious gains, while the European Union, and Federation of Russian Republics were mauled militarily and economically by the war. Several times these two wars edged towards going thermonuclear. It was only by the work of Canadian Prime minister Calvin Shelley and a series of peace talks held in New Zealand that prevented a nuclear exchange. After the war finally ended, with the involved parties exhausted, China had gained Afghanistan and a good chuck of Pakistan, while India survived, but with hideous human losses. Russia fared poorly as well, and China gained a windfall of land, but also the difficulties faced by the Russians; frozen tundra is still frozen tundra.

During this time, China vied with the United States in the Pacific. This remained a cold war, as both parties were a bit more involved with border wars to start another across an ocean. China was extending its first tendrils towards Japan, Korea, and other Pacific island nations.

The European Union at War

The news from Tel Aviv is dismal, more Arab troops have besieged the Israeli capital. Only the dogged IDF holds them at bay, how long must the lone democratic nation in the Middle East suffer before we act in its behalf? For a century, Israel has counted on the support of America. Where is America now? It is fighting on its very doorstep, and cannot send its brave men and women to fight on the coast of the Mediterranean. We are here, we are capable, and we will see the end of the Arab tyranny over the oil that we need!

During the Cold War of the 20th Century, Europe steeled itself for an invasion from Soviet Russia. Instead, the Union ended up being the aggressor, not invading Russia, but the Levant. Union forces invaded the Middle East, breaking out from bases in Israel. The Arab nations fought viciously, but could not match the Union for technology or equipment. A few Arab nations were either able to repel Union advances, or were wise enough to remain neutral. Saudi Arabia and other Pro-American nations were largely ignored, with the worst of the fighting being fought in Syria, Iran, and Iraq.

Two different forces eventually drug the Union-Arab war to a halt: oil production and America. With its Arab allies threatened, tensions rose between the US and the Union and the conflict was scaled back, lest it break out into a feared WWIII scenario. The second issue, oil production, was striking at the heart of both war machines. Without oil, neither military could move tanks and warships to fight.

The War Electric

In wars of the past, we have had the luxury of fighting for ideals, with the benefit of expansive supplies and resources. We could fight for lofty aims and goals, such as bringing the American way to the dismal and dank corners of the world, liberty justice and the pursuit of prosperity. In those days we could squander gasoline by the ton, and even use petroleum itself as a weapon. Who hasnt seen a napalm attack and wondered how many tanks of gas that would have been? The days of the bomber are gone, the days of the fantastic fighter jet are gone. Their turbine scream and afterburner flames are the roars of dinosaurs, echoes for our imagination. We will have to fight the enemy on the ground, with guns and bayonets so that our loved ones can have lights, and running water, and food to eat. Instead of winning wars with multi-billion dollar campaigns and endless jet sorties, we will have to fight as our ancestors did, face to face, on the ground.

Electric and hybrid vehicles came into military use during the resource wars. The finest war machines of the previous combat paradigm were fuel hungry beasts. With domestic demand for fuel being high, there were only so many 4 gallon to the mile tanks that any army could field. And in an increasingly technological and information based age, attempts at rationing, misinformation or media black-outs were simply doomed to fail. Fuel prices soared, shortages started, and gas lines and kerosene riots broke out across many countries. The worst outbreaks were in the European Union, with its diverse cultures and many member nations. China was the most silent, as its one state government didn't allow for dissidents or riots. When such did break out, lethal force was commonly used.

Hybrid tanks, IFVs (infantry fighting vehicles) and APCs (Armored Personnel Carriers) quickly became commonplace. As fuel stocks dwindled, some went completely electric, charged by generator trucks, mobile wind farm vehicles, and in coastal areas, umbilical from nuclear reactor equipped warships. Large scale warfare was uncommon, most battle were fought between ground troops with minimal air support. With fuel running short, even the wealthy United States could ill afford to fuel bomber fleets, or squadrons of fighters for constant patrols and air support. Aerial drones and missiles became the main mode of aerial warfare, while stealth aircraft delivered precision weaponry on the highest priority targets.

The Grinding Halt

After nearly two decades, the Resource Wars ground to a halt. The petroleum reserves were not gone, but it was simply not worth the effort to get the last few drops from the bottom of the proverbial cup. The tanks no longer rolled, and the drones were grounded. A new technological dark age had settled over most of the world. The lights didn't go out, there were still nuclear power plants, solar and wind farms, hydroelectric dams, and ethanol and bio-diesel. By the time the tanks were stopping, most of the automobiles had been parked for months. Gas stations were dry, and soon a new desperation started to set it.

The Biggest Bubble

The Great Depression, the Dot Com Bubble, the Housing Bubble, the Great Recession, the North American Recession, none of these disasters held a candle to the Global Depression. Most historians could only draw parallels to either the fall of Rome, or the Black Plague. A huge number of people died, most not even in the two decades of wars. The food exporting nations stopped shipping food, and the aid to foreign countries dried up. Famine and disease were rampant, for a while. Then, enough people were dead that there was enough food to go around. The world divided in half, the ultimate haves versus have-nots. The Haves had alternate energy, electric trains and electric cars and electric tractors and Internet porn streaming to 84 inch HD televisions. The Have-Nots reverted to a stone age existence of subsistence farming, and in some places, gathering wild food. There wasn't much hunting, unless you hunted dog, or other people. It was a time of death and suffering. We expected the eggheads to come up with the magic bullet that would solve all of our problems. They did, but it took much, much longer than most people expected.

The End of the Resource Wars saw the onset of the Global Depression. Commerce failed, nations collapsed, currencies devalued to nothing, and travel all but died. This was the end of the era of Instant Gratification and Instant Stimulation. The great military and economic powers either faltered, or simply failed. There were also a large number of veterans from the wars. The United States saw many wounded soldiers from Venezuela, Mexico, and Nigeria. The European Union had substantial losses in the Middle East. Many died in the battle of Tehran, or the bloody day to day fighting around Bagdad. China's losses were never known, as the government there claimed total victory in every battle, from the occupation of Myanmar, to the Korean debacle.

The stage was set for the 2nd Renaissance

[Photana]

Gasoline, petrol, motor oil, plastic, cosmetics, and a hundred other products were made from oil. There was a push during the early part of the 21st century to conserve resources, and diversify materials used. Bio-plastic and other synthetics offered a promising future, as did the proliferation of wind farms, and many green-energy initiatives. It was all quite sadly in vain. Despite the effort, demand for power rose steadily despite conservation efforts. There was constant speculation about when the oil would run out, when production would peak. Speculation was rampant, and as China, South Africa, and Brazil emerged as true industrial powers, the supply was stretched ever thinner.

War By Proxy

Nigeria, the biggest shithole in the world. That was what we thought. By damned, we were right. I lost my leg to a land mine, lost my hand to a secondary infection because a camel crapped on top of the mine without setting it off. Funny huh?

The first round of the resource wars were fought by proxy. The real combatants were the United States, the European Union, and China, but none of those powers were quite desperate enough to get their hands dirty. Instead, the wars were fought in second and third world nations, with troops trained and supplied by the various backing parties. The first round wars are easily forgotten: the Sri Lankan Bloody Monday, the 3rd Afghan War, the Russian Republic Wars, and so on. These conflicts were by far and large minor skirmishes, and a handful of atrocities. The resolve of the combatants was being tested in these early engagements. The real fighting would not begin until the Nigerian Conflict exploded.

Nigeria, one of the poorest nations in the world was the battleground for the first real Resource War. The war was long and marked by high casualties on both sides of the conflict, and eventual victory for the European Union and South African powers at the cost of China and independent African nations. The war spilled into nations surrounding Nigeria, the most violent being in Chad and spilling into Sudan. Somali warlords and mercenaries made a killing, literally and figuratively fighting for both sides in the conflict. The United Nations saw some action with UN troops defending neutral groups and civilian centers from roving war bands. In political circles, it is referred to as the African Problem. As the Nigerian Conflict ends, the next war erupts in Central and South America.

Similar wars are fought in Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Argentina.

The United States at War

In local news, more violence flares across the South west. Armed bands of militants have destroyed miles of border fence, and in two separate incidences, border militias have been killed in vicious gun battles. The State governor has promised more local support for the border militias as well as increased cooperation with the military. In areas affected, residents should stay indoors after nightfall, and not answer their doors unless they know who it is.

For years, central and South America were commonly felt to be the back yard of the United States. The Americans by extension felt a certain ownership of the resources contained within. There was always the Save the Amazon sentiment, but the real prizes of the continent were the oil fields and extensive sugar-ethanol fields. The war was fought in three different locations: Venezuela, Columbia, and Mexico. The war in Venezuela was marked by a dogged Venezuelan defense based on outlasting the American will to fight and bloody jungle warfare. The Columbian campaign sought to support what was increasingly seen as the Satrapy of Columbia, puppets of America. Most of this war was reminiscent of Vietnam, helicopters and soldiers rather than tanks and stealth bombers. The Mexican campaign was the longest lasting, and the most ruinous of the three. Venezuela proved tougher than expected, and after the American navy seized Gulf of Mexico assets, the Venezuelan was was abandoned. This had the effect of bolstering Latin American morale, and demoralizing American troops. Veterans of the Venezuelan war were seen as inferior or ineffective, despite the level of the conflict.

Columbia proved much the same, with both the terrain and populace resisting attempts to control them. A third part was involved in the Columbian War, the drug Cartels. Bloated on American and European drug trafficking, the cartels supplied and fielded their own armies, often to superior effect. The Columbian conflict was eventually declared a victory in American favor, but was more of a withdrawal to deal with the war in Mexico.

For more than a century, no conflict had been fought on American soil. Then the door was kicked in. Mexico was thrown into a civil war between drug lords and the Mexican government. The United States intervened and was drawn into a non-resource war. The Cartels struck targets across the nation and suddenly war wasn't something seen on TV in other countries. The unexpected violence of the war, and its eruption into America caused several changes in policy. Troops were called back from Venezuela and Columbia to hold the border and eventually annex both Baja states, Sonora, Coahuila, Chihuahua, and a good portion of Mexico's east coast. Protests erupted, there were riots, and after a while, everyone calmed down.

China at War

Contrary to what most Occidental people think, China is not a gigantic single state nation. There are many states within China, Yunnan, Xinjiang, Gansu to name a few. They are not familiar names to you, they are not California or Burgundy. We are all just little Red Chinese people scurrying around in factories and rice paddies. We love you long time, some other insulting jokes, whatever you see fit. The truth is that China is a powerful and diverse nation. And as a powerful nation, we are surrounded by enemies. America fights with Mexico, no one protests. America invades Venezuela, no one protests. South Africa invades Congo, no one complains. The European Union invades Iran, yet again, no one complains. China, surrounded by foes, defends itself, and the world raises its arms in outrage. China says to you, go home. Go home and buy your low priced shirts, and Chinese made cars and televisions. Go home and shut up.

War with China was seen by many analysts as inevitable, and they were correct. But rather than a war between the United States and China, the war has two major fronts, India and Russia. The Sino-Petroleum Wars are disastrous for all parties involved. The Chinese lost many men and a great deal of equipment and fuel for dubious gains, while the European Union, and Federation of Russian Republics were mauled militarily and economically by the war. Several times these two wars edged towards going thermonuclear. It was only by the work of Canadian Prime minister Calvin Shelley and a series of peace talks held in New Zealand that prevented a nuclear exchange. After the war finally ended, with the involved parties exhausted, China had gained Afghanistan and a good chuck of Pakistan, while India survived, but with hideous human losses. Russia fared poorly as well, and China gained a windfall of land, but also the difficulties faced by the Russians; frozen tundra is still frozen tundra.

During this time, China vied with the United States in the Pacific. This remained a cold war, as both parties were a bit more involved with border wars to start another across an ocean. China was extending its first tendrils towards Japan, Korea, and other Pacific island nations.

The European Union at War

The news from Tel Aviv is dismal, more Arab troops have besieged the Israeli capital. Only the dogged IDF holds them at bay, how long must the lone democratic nation in the Middle East suffer before we act in its behalf? For a century, Israel has counted on the support of America. Where is America now? It is fighting on its very doorstep, and cannot send its brave men and women to fight on the coast of the Mediterranean. We are here, we are capable, and we will see the end of the Arab tyranny over the oil that we need!

During the Cold War of the 20th Century, Europe steeled itself for an invasion from Soviet Russia. Instead, the Union ended up being the aggressor, not invading Russia, but the Levant. Union forces invaded the Middle East, breaking out from bases in Israel. The Arab nations fought viciously, but could not match the Union for technology or equipment. A few Arab nations were either able to repel Union advances, or were wise enough to remain neutral. Saudi Arabia and other Pro-American nations were largely ignored, with the worst of the fighting being fought in Syria, Iran, and Iraq.

Two different forces eventually drug the Union-Arab war to a halt: oil production and America. With its Arab allies threatened, tensions rose between the US and the Union and the conflict was scaled back, lest it break out into a feared WWIII scenario. The second issue, oil production, was striking at the heart of both war machines. Without oil, neither military could move tanks and warships to fight.

The War Electric

In wars of the past, we have had the luxury of fighting for ideals, with the benefit of expansive supplies and resources. We could fight for lofty aims and goals, such as bringing the American way to the dismal and dank corners of the world, liberty justice and the pursuit of prosperity. In those days we could squander gasoline by the ton, and even use petroleum itself as a weapon. Who hasnt seen a napalm attack and wondered how many tanks of gas that would have been? The days of the bomber are gone, the days of the fantastic fighter jet are gone. Their turbine scream and afterburner flames are the roars of dinosaurs, echoes for our imagination. We will have to fight the enemy on the ground, with guns and bayonets so that our loved ones can have lights, and running water, and food to eat. Instead of winning wars with multi-billion dollar campaigns and endless jet sorties, we will have to fight as our ancestors did, face to face, on the ground.

Electric and hybrid vehicles came into military use during the resource wars. The finest war machines of the previous combat paradigm were fuel hungry beasts. With domestic demand for fuel being high, there were only so many 4 gallon to the mile tanks that any army could field. And in an increasingly technological and information based age, attempts at rationing, misinformation or media black-outs were simply doomed to fail. Fuel prices soared, shortages started, and gas lines and kerosene riots broke out across many countries. The worst outbreaks were in the European Union, with its diverse cultures and many member nations. China was the most silent, as its one state government didn't allow for dissidents or riots. When such did break out, lethal force was commonly used.

Hybrid tanks, IFVs (infantry fighting vehicles) and APCs (Armored Personnel Carriers) quickly became commonplace. As fuel stocks dwindled, some went completely electric, charged by generator trucks, mobile wind farm vehicles, and in coastal areas, umbilical from nuclear reactor equipped warships. Large scale warfare was uncommon, most battle were fought between ground troops with minimal air support. With fuel running short, even the wealthy United States could ill afford to fuel bomber fleets, or squadrons of fighters for constant patrols and air support. Aerial drones and missiles became the main mode of aerial warfare, while stealth aircraft delivered precision weaponry on the highest priority targets.

The Grinding Halt

After nearly two decades, the Resource Wars ground to a halt. The petroleum reserves were not gone, but it was simply not worth the effort to get the last few drops from the bottom of the proverbial cup. The tanks no longer rolled, and the drones were grounded. A new technological dark age had settled over most of the world. The lights didn't go out, there were still nuclear power plants, solar and wind farms, hydroelectric dams, and ethanol and bio-diesel. By the time the tanks were stopping, most of the automobiles had been parked for months. Gas stations were dry, and soon a new desperation started to set it.

The Biggest Bubble

The Great Depression, the Dot Com Bubble, the Housing Bubble, the Great Recession, the North American Recession, none of these disasters held a candle to the Global Depression. Most historians could only draw parallels to either the fall of Rome, or the Black Plague. A huge number of people died, most not even in the two decades of wars. The food exporting nations stopped shipping food, and the aid to foreign countries dried up. Famine and disease were rampant, for a while. Then, enough people were dead that there was enough food to go around. The world divided in half, the ultimate haves versus have-nots. The Haves had alternate energy, electric trains and electric cars and electric tractors and Internet porn streaming to 84 inch HD televisions. The Have-Nots reverted to a stone age existence of subsistence farming, and in some places, gathering wild food. There wasn't much hunting, unless you hunted dog, or other people. It was a time of death and suffering. We expected the eggheads to come up with the magic bullet that would solve all of our problems. They did, but it took much, much longer than most people expected.

The End of the Resource Wars saw the onset of the Global Depression. Commerce failed, nations collapsed, currencies devalued to nothing, and travel all but died. This was the end of the era of Instant Gratification and Instant Stimulation. The great military and economic powers either faltered, or simply failed. There were also a large number of veterans from the wars. The United States saw many wounded soldiers from Venezuela, Mexico, and Nigeria. The European Union had substantial losses in the Middle East. Many died in the battle of Tehran, or the bloody day to day fighting around Bagdad. China's losses were never known, as the government there claimed total victory in every battle, from the occupation of Myanmar, to the Korean debacle.

The stage was set for the 2nd Renaissance

I like.

[Skaldia]

Gasoline, petrol, motor oil, plastic, cosmetics, and a hundred other products were made from oil. There was a push during the early part of the 21st century to conserve resources, and diversify materials used. Bio-plastic and other synthetics offered a promising future, as did the proliferation of wind farms, and many green-energy initiatives. It was all quite sadly in vain. Despite the effort, demand for power rose steadily despite conservation efforts. There was constant speculation about when the oil would run out, when production would peak. Speculation was rampant, and as China, South Africa, and Brazil emerged as true industrial powers, the supply was stretched ever thinner.

War By Proxy

Nigeria, the biggest shithole in the world. That was what we thought. By damned, we were right. I lost my leg to a land mine, lost my hand to a secondary infection because a camel crapped on top of the mine without setting it off. Funny huh?

The first round of the resource wars were fought by proxy. The real combatants were the United States, the European Union, and China, but none of those powers were quite desperate enough to get their hands dirty. Instead, the wars were fought in second and third world nations, with troops trained and supplied by the various backing parties. The first round wars are easily forgotten: the Sri Lankan Bloody Monday, the 3rd Afghan War, the Russian Republic Wars, and so on. These conflicts were by far and large minor skirmishes, and a handful of atrocities. The resolve of the combatants was being tested in these early engagements. The real fighting would not begin until the Nigerian Conflict exploded.

Nigeria, one of the poorest nations in the world was the battleground for the first real Resource War. The war was long and marked by high casualties on both sides of the conflict, and eventual victory for the European Union and South African powers at the cost of China and independent African nations. The war spilled into nations surrounding Nigeria, the most violent being in Chad and spilling into Sudan. Somali warlords and mercenaries made a killing, literally and figuratively fighting for both sides in the conflict. The United Nations saw some action with UN troops defending neutral groups and civilian centers from roving war bands. In political circles, it is referred to as the African Problem. As the Nigerian Conflict ends, the next war erupts in Central and South America.

Similar wars are fought in Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Argentina.

The United States at War

In local news, more violence flares across the South west. Armed bands of militants have destroyed miles of border fence, and in two separate incidences, border militias have been killed in vicious gun battles. The State governor has promised more local support for the border militias as well as increased cooperation with the military. In areas affected, residents should stay indoors after nightfall, and not answer their doors unless they know who it is.

For years, central and South America were commonly felt to be the back yard of the United States. The Americans by extension felt a certain ownership of the resources contained within. There was always the Save the Amazon sentiment, but the real prizes of the continent were the oil fields and extensive sugar-ethanol fields. The war was fought in three different locations: Venezuela, Columbia, and Mexico. The war in Venezuela was marked by a dogged Venezuelan defense based on outlasting the American will to fight and bloody jungle warfare. The Columbian campaign sought to support what was increasingly seen as the Satrapy of Columbia, puppets of America. Most of this war was reminiscent of Vietnam, helicopters and soldiers rather than tanks and stealth bombers. The Mexican campaign was the longest lasting, and the most ruinous of the three. Venezuela proved tougher than expected, and after the American navy seized Gulf of Mexico assets, the Venezuelan was was abandoned. This had the effect of bolstering Latin American morale, and demoralizing American troops. Veterans of the Venezuelan war were seen as inferior or ineffective, despite the level of the conflict.

Columbia proved much the same, with both the terrain and populace resisting attempts to control them. A third part was involved in the Columbian War, the drug Cartels. Bloated on American and European drug trafficking, the cartels supplied and fielded their own armies, often to superior effect. The Columbian conflict was eventually declared a victory in American favor, but was more of a withdrawal to deal with the war in Mexico.

For more than a century, no conflict had been fought on American soil. Then the door was kicked in. Mexico was thrown into a civil war between drug lords and the Mexican government. The United States intervened and was drawn into a non-resource war. The Cartels struck targets across the nation and suddenly war wasn't something seen on TV in other countries. The unexpected violence of the war, and its eruption into America caused several changes in policy. Troops were called back from Venezuela and Columbia to hold the border and eventually annex both Baja states, Sonora, Coahuila, Chihuahua, and a good portion of Mexico's east coast. Protests erupted, there were riots, and after a while, everyone calmed down.

China at War

Contrary to what most Occidental people think, China is not a gigantic single state nation. There are many states within China, Yunnan, Xinjiang, Gansu to name a few. They are not familiar names to you, they are not California or Burgundy. We are all just little Red Chinese people scurrying around in factories and rice paddies. We love you long time, some other insulting jokes, whatever you see fit. The truth is that China is a powerful and diverse nation. And as a powerful nation, we are surrounded by enemies. America fights with Mexico, no one protests. America invades Venezuela, no one protests. South Africa invades Congo, no one complains. The European Union invades Iran, yet again, no one complains. China, surrounded by foes, defends itself, and the world raises its arms in outrage. China says to you, go home. Go home and buy your low priced shirts, and Chinese made cars and televisions. Go home and shut up.

War with China was seen by many analysts as inevitable, and they were correct. But rather than a war between the United States and China, the war has two major fronts, India and Russia. The Sino-Petroleum Wars are disastrous for all parties involved. The Chinese lost many men and a great deal of equipment and fuel for dubious gains, while the European Union, and Federation of Russian Republics were mauled militarily and economically by the war. Several times these two wars edged towards going thermonuclear. It was only by the work of Canadian Prime minister Calvin Shelley and a series of peace talks held in New Zealand that prevented a nuclear exchange. After the war finally ended, with the involved parties exhausted, China had gained Afghanistan and a good chuck of Pakistan, while India survived, but with hideous human losses. Russia fared poorly as well, and China gained a windfall of land, but also the difficulties faced by the Russians; frozen tundra is still frozen tundra.

During this time, China vied with the United States in the Pacific. This remained a cold war, as both parties were a bit more involved with border wars to start another across an ocean. China was extending its first tendrils towards Japan, Korea, and other Pacific island nations.

The European Union at War

The news from Tel Aviv is dismal, more Arab troops have besieged the Israeli capital. Only the dogged IDF holds them at bay, how long must the lone democratic nation in the Middle East suffer before we act in its behalf? For a century, Israel has counted on the support of America. Where is America now? It is fighting on its very doorstep, and cannot send its brave men and women to fight on the coast of the Mediterranean. We are here, we are capable, and we will see the end of the Arab tyranny over the oil that we need!

During the Cold War of the 20th Century, Europe steeled itself for an invasion from Soviet Russia. Instead, the Union ended up being the aggressor, not invading Russia, but the Levant. Union forces invaded the Middle East, breaking out from bases in Israel. The Arab nations fought viciously, but could not match the Union for technology or equipment. A few Arab nations were either able to repel Union advances, or were wise enough to remain neutral. Saudi Arabia and other Pro-American nations were largely ignored, with the worst of the fighting being fought in Syria, Iran, and Iraq.

Two different forces eventually drug the Union-Arab war to a halt: oil production and America. With its Arab allies threatened, tensions rose between the US and the Union and the conflict was scaled back, lest it break out into a feared WWIII scenario. The second issue, oil production, was striking at the heart of both war machines. Without oil, neither military could move tanks and warships to fight.

The War Electric

In wars of the past, we have had the luxury of fighting for ideals, with the benefit of expansive supplies and resources. We could fight for lofty aims and goals, such as bringing the American way to the dismal and dank corners of the world, liberty justice and the pursuit of prosperity. In those days we could squander gasoline by the ton, and even use petroleum itself as a weapon. Who hasnt seen a napalm attack and wondered how many tanks of gas that would have been? The days of the bomber are gone, the days of the fantastic fighter jet are gone. Their turbine scream and afterburner flames are the roars of dinosaurs, echoes for our imagination. We will have to fight the enemy on the ground, with guns and bayonets so that our loved ones can have lights, and running water, and food to eat. Instead of winning wars with multi-billion dollar campaigns and endless jet sorties, we will have to fight as our ancestors did, face to face, on the ground.

Electric and hybrid vehicles came into military use during the resource wars. The finest war machines of the previous combat paradigm were fuel hungry beasts. With domestic demand for fuel being high, there were only so many 4 gallon to the mile tanks that any army could field. And in an increasingly technological and information based age, attempts at rationing, misinformation or media black-outs were simply doomed to fail. Fuel prices soared, shortages started, and gas lines and kerosene riots broke out across many countries. The worst outbreaks were in the European Union, with its diverse cultures and many member nations. China was the most silent, as its one state government didn't allow for dissidents or riots. When such did break out, lethal force was commonly used.

Hybrid tanks, IFVs (infantry fighting vehicles) and APCs (Armored Personnel Carriers) quickly became commonplace. As fuel stocks dwindled, some went completely electric, charged by generator trucks, mobile wind farm vehicles, and in coastal areas, umbilical from nuclear reactor equipped warships. Large scale warfare was uncommon, most battle were fought between ground troops with minimal air support. With fuel running short, even the wealthy United States could ill afford to fuel bomber fleets, or squadrons of fighters for constant patrols and air support. Aerial drones and missiles became the main mode of aerial warfare, while stealth aircraft delivered precision weaponry on the highest priority targets.

The Grinding Halt

After nearly two decades, the Resource Wars ground to a halt. The petroleum reserves were not gone, but it was simply not worth the effort to get the last few drops from the bottom of the proverbial cup. The tanks no longer rolled, and the drones were grounded. A new technological dark age had settled over most of the world. The lights didn't go out, there were still nuclear power plants, solar and wind farms, hydroelectric dams, and ethanol and bio-diesel. By the time the tanks were stopping, most of the automobiles had been parked for months. Gas stations were dry, and soon a new desperation started to set it.

The Biggest Bubble

The Great Depression, the Dot Com Bubble, the Housing Bubble, the Great Recession, the North American Recession, none of these disasters held a candle to the Global Depression. Most historians could only draw parallels to either the fall of Rome, or the Black Plague. A huge number of people died, most not even in the two decades of wars. The food exporting nations stopped shipping food, and the aid to foreign countries dried up. Famine and disease were rampant, for a while. Then, enough people were dead that there was enough food to go around. The world divided in half, the ultimate haves versus have-nots. The Haves had alternate energy, electric trains and electric cars and electric tractors and Internet porn streaming to 84 inch HD televisions. The Have-Nots reverted to a stone age existence of subsistence farming, and in some places, gathering wild food. There wasn't much hunting, unless you hunted dog, or other people. It was a time of death and suffering. We expected the eggheads to come up with the magic bullet that would solve all of our problems. They did, but it took much, much longer than most people expected.

The End of the Resource Wars saw the onset of the Global Depression. Commerce failed, nations collapsed, currencies devalued to nothing, and travel all but died. This was the end of the era of Instant Gratification and Instant Stimulation. The great military and economic powers either faltered, or simply failed. There were also a large number of veterans from the wars. The United States saw many wounded soldiers from Venezuela, Mexico, and Nigeria. The European Union had substantial losses in the Middle East. Many died in the battle of Tehran, or the bloody day to day fighting around Bagdad. China's losses were never known, as the government there claimed total victory in every battle, from the occupation of Myanmar, to the Korean debacle.

The stage was set for the 2nd Renaissance

I like.

I have the next installment. Titled the Population Contraction. Interested?

[Photana]

I like.

I have the next installment. Titled the Population Contraction. Interested?

Yup.

I hope you start the OOC for this idea soon.

[Skaldia]

I have the next installment. Titled the Population Contraction. Interested?

Yup.

I hope you start the OOC for this idea soon.

The Population Contraction was a massive depopulation event that surpassed the Black Death both in numbers and percentages in terms of loss of population.

Setting the Stage

By the zenith of the Petroleum Era, the world population had grown to somewhere between nine and ten billion people. The arcologies were being built to handle the rapidly growing population, as were a variety of green technologies to keep that many people fed. Famine and human suffering also remained fairly high as there were a number of regions that had populations that vastly outstretched the local resources to feed and support them, such as some serious hellholes in Saharan and Sub-Saharan Africa, SE Asia, and large sections of the Muslim World, but most prominently, Indonesia. This massive population is one of the key factors that pushed the Resource Wars to the level of escalation they reached. The Federal Superstates had massive appetites for cheap energy and goods, and had the military hardware and will to use it to ensure their low cost way of life. It is most often blamed on the United States of America but India, China, Russia, and the European Union were all also involved to one extent or another.

The wars erupted in South America and Africa, areas with the lowest level of resource exploitation and the largest amounts of remaining oil. Many people were killed in the Resource Wars but as a percentage of population, this number was relatively unimportant. It was also considered unimportant as most of the people killed were either African or South American. 

Out with a whimper

The Resource Wars ended not on a hard preset date,but in a general sense that military operations ceased around most of the world. Tanks and aircraft required copious amounts of fuel as did the ships that supported them. The aircraft were grounded, and thousands of tanks and other hardware was abandoned as many factions sought to bring their troops home on the last trips of many non-nuclear ships. The high waste of the Petroleum Era was somewhat offset by Green Energy Initiatives, but these were simply not enough. By the end of the Petroleum Era there were approximately 135 nuclear reactors in North America, and more than half of them had previously been dedicated to maintaining internet servers, while as an example, one existed to pump water over the mountains to one city in California. This was simply not enough to light the homes of almost 600 million Americans. The situation was in many cases worse in other nations. Power rationing went into effect, internet curfews went into effect, but none of it could deal with the fact that an era had ended. This is all seen in hindsight, as during the post war collapse few nations were willing to accept what was coming. None had adequately prepared for it, not on the level that was required.
The lights went out, the internet went down, and the Second Dark Age had begun.

Let us Revive Ancient Hatreds and Let Slip the Dogs of War

Bloody massacres and riots quickly followed as foreign aid ended and famines went from bad to desperate. In some places, bad blood had been held in check by the threat of Global Peacekeeping forces, economic sanctions, and bribe like supplies of sundry goods. All of that was gone and in short order the gloves came off and violence erupted. Israel nuked Tehran and several other major Arab cities, and most of the Levant was watered with blood in a religious genocide between the better armed Jews and more numerous Muslims. Tribal violence, such as the sort that exploded in Rwanda boiled over again and again in Africa. China went through several rounds of crack downs and purges as the country started to break up. Riots were common across Europe and America. Racial violence between caucasians and hispanics was endemic across large portions of the disintegrating country.

By the end of a generation, the Federal Superstates were gone. There was simply no way for a modern superpower to exist in the Post-Petroleum age.

But in the background, a different threat had appeared. With cheap fuel gone, industrialized agriculture was butchered. Since the 1960s, global food production depended on machines working fields that were artificially fertilized and artificially irrigated. All this was done with petroleum or electricity. Phosphate mining for cheap fertilizer dried up, crop yields started falling dramatically, and soon large swaths of formerly productive farmland were fallow and being reclaimed by prairie grass and other steppe plants. Hunger was a common theme in the Second Dark Age. But mankind hadn't collectively forgotten everything from the last 12,000 years of civilization. Gardening went from ornamental to food production, and local produce became the only produce.

Some areas around the world saw some deplorable practices and conditions, local warlords reinstating slavery to man their fields. Other places saw a brief resurgence of feudalism, with the neo nobility being the ones who held alternate energy sources, such as hydroelectric dams, nuke plants, or being Navy admirals and such who could still command the loyalty of a nuke powered warship. The Arcologies remained, and with their high return recycling systems and self contained power supplies, remained as the embers of hope for a new age.

There are, however, dissenting opinions on the matter.

A Scared Old World

Without cheap food, cheap energy and cheap medicine, the world was a much darker and more serious place. Topical matters like television talent shows, social media and the like were blown away by concerns like food and self preservation. It was not the brave new world that parents wanted for their children. Across much of the globe it was a painfully uncertain future. Where there were 500 television channels, if there was one or two in an area it was a gift even if the shows were syndicated. Commercials were just salt in the wound, there weren't going to be new import autos next year, no one was going to play the sweet new computer game, and that hot movie coming to theatres soon came and went. Time to get back to trying to figure out how to get a horse to pull a plow. 

People didn't have children. 

The population went into decline, and this decline lasted for almost a century. The matter was compounded by the fact that infant mortality increased, so that of the decreasing number of infants being born, percentage wise, fewer were surviving. Formerly benign illnesses such as chicken pox and influenza returned to being killers, especially of the elderly and the young. In previous human eras, calamity and the collapse of nations did not have such an impact on the common populace. When Rome fell, farmers continued farming as they had before. After the fall of the Petroleum era, those folk who had access to alternative fuels continued farming with machines, albeit on a much smaller scale. Other places were forced to relearn millenia old farming techniques, often painfully so.

The Good Old Amish Way

Eventually the Contraction bottomed out, bringing the world population down to somewhere in the vicinity of 1.65 billion, or the world population of 1912. This left vast sections of the planet empty of human population. Then, the Second Renaissance started blooming. This spread would take another two generations before it was fully realized, but prepackaged food started being shipped out from the arcos, new arcos were being built, and the new nations started seriously forming by that point. Prior to that, there were regional governments, usually along the lines of city-states, and leagues of cities that shared their remaining resources, or pooled their common goods. 

The lights started coming back on and the internet had gone through its second and third generations isolated in arco to arco networks, connected by satellites. The third generation started being phased out while the fourth generation Cognitive Network was being integrated to the system and was expanding. There was hope again, there was media entertainment, and tinned meat that didn't spoil, and then electric trucks starting showing up, doling out medications, food goods, and protection where it was needed.

People started having children again.
The Manpower Shortage

New nations had appeared, such as the Commonwealth of New England, as old nations had also restored themselves, such as Germany and South Africa. This created new demands for workers, new demands for soldiers, and there simply were not enough people to go around and do all the jobs that were needed. 

The population contraction was over, and Population Augmentation Projects started. By the current date of the Cosmic Era, the population has grown to around 3 billion and is starting to show signs of leveling off rather than following it previous growth. By the time of the current era, there are still senior citizens around who remember the pre-Renaissance days, and there is a large amount of Dark Age literature that covers the trials and suffering of that bleak era, as well an almost conscience like cultural rejection of the ideals and moralities of the Petroleum Era.

And if I was to make an OOC of this it would require a factbook first. Maybe even a wiki.

[Photana]

Yup.

I hope you start the OOC for this idea soon.

The Population Contraction was a massive depopulation event that surpassed the Black Death both in numbers and percentages in terms of loss of population.

Setting the Stage

By the zenith of the Petroleum Era, the world population had grown to somewhere between nine and ten billion people. The arcologies were being built to handle the rapidly growing population, as were a variety of green technologies to keep that many people fed. Famine and human suffering also remained fairly high as there were a number of regions that had populations that vastly outstretched the local resources to feed and support them, such as some serious hellholes in Saharan and Sub-Saharan Africa, SE Asia, and large sections of the Muslim World, but most prominently, Indonesia. This massive population is one of the key factors that pushed the Resource Wars to the level of escalation they reached. The Federal Superstates had massive appetites for cheap energy and goods, and had the military hardware and will to use it to ensure their low cost way of life. It is most often blamed on the United States of America but India, China, Russia, and the European Union were all also involved to one extent or another.

The wars erupted in South America and Africa, areas with the lowest level of resource exploitation and the largest amounts of remaining oil. Many people were killed in the Resource Wars but as a percentage of population, this number was relatively unimportant. It was also considered unimportant as most of the people killed were either African or South American. 

Out with a whimper

The Resource Wars ended not on a hard preset date,but in a general sense that military operations ceased around most of the world. Tanks and aircraft required copious amounts of fuel as did the ships that supported them. The aircraft were grounded, and thousands of tanks and other hardware was abandoned as many factions sought to bring their troops home on the last trips of many non-nuclear ships. The high waste of the Petroleum Era was somewhat offset by Green Energy Initiatives, but these were simply not enough. By the end of the Petroleum Era there were approximately 135 nuclear reactors in North America, and more than half of them had previously been dedicated to maintaining internet servers, while as an example, one existed to pump water over the mountains to one city in California. This was simply not enough to light the homes of almost 600 million Americans. The situation was in many cases worse in other nations. Power rationing went into effect, internet curfews went into effect, but none of it could deal with the fact that an era had ended. This is all seen in hindsight, as during the post war collapse few nations were willing to accept what was coming. None had adequately prepared for it, not on the level that was required.
The lights went out, the internet went down, and the Second Dark Age had begun.

Let us Revive Ancient Hatreds and Let Slip the Dogs of War

Bloody massacres and riots quickly followed as foreign aid ended and famines went from bad to desperate. In some places, bad blood had been held in check by the threat of Global Peacekeeping forces, economic sanctions, and bribe like supplies of sundry goods. All of that was gone and in short order the gloves came off and violence erupted. Israel nuked Tehran and several other major Arab cities, and most of the Levant was watered with blood in a religious genocide between the better armed Jews and more numerous Muslims. Tribal violence, such as the sort that exploded in Rwanda boiled over again and again in Africa. China went through several rounds of crack downs and purges as the country started to break up. Riots were common across Europe and America. Racial violence between caucasians and hispanics was endemic across large portions of the disintegrating country.

By the end of a generation, the Federal Superstates were gone. There was simply no way for a modern superpower to exist in the Post-Petroleum age.

But in the background, a different threat had appeared. With cheap fuel gone, industrialized agriculture was butchered. Since the 1960s, global food production depended on machines working fields that were artificially fertilized and artificially irrigated. All this was done with petroleum or electricity. Phosphate mining for cheap fertilizer dried up, crop yields started falling dramatically, and soon large swaths of formerly productive farmland were fallow and being reclaimed by prairie grass and other steppe plants. Hunger was a common theme in the Second Dark Age. But mankind hadn't collectively forgotten everything from the last 12,000 years of civilization. Gardening went from ornamental to food production, and local produce became the only produce.

Some areas around the world saw some deplorable practices and conditions, local warlords reinstating slavery to man their fields. Other places saw a brief resurgence of feudalism, with the neo nobility being the ones who held alternate energy sources, such as hydroelectric dams, nuke plants, or being Navy admirals and such who could still command the loyalty of a nuke powered warship. The Arcologies remained, and with their high return recycling systems and self contained power supplies, remained as the embers of hope for a new age.

There are, however, dissenting opinions on the matter.

A Scared Old World

Without cheap food, cheap energy and cheap medicine, the world was a much darker and more serious place. Topical matters like television talent shows, social media and the like were blown away by concerns like food and self preservation. It was not the brave new world that parents wanted for their children. Across much of the globe it was a painfully uncertain future. Where there were 500 television channels, if there was one or two in an area it was a gift even if the shows were syndicated. Commercials were just salt in the wound, there weren't going to be new import autos next year, no one was going to play the sweet new computer game, and that hot movie coming to theatres soon came and went. Time to get back to trying to figure out how to get a horse to pull a plow. 

People didn't have children. 

The population went into decline, and this decline lasted for almost a century. The matter was compounded by the fact that infant mortality increased, so that of the decreasing number of infants being born, percentage wise, fewer were surviving. Formerly benign illnesses such as chicken pox and influenza returned to being killers, especially of the elderly and the young. In previous human eras, calamity and the collapse of nations did not have such an impact on the common populace. When Rome fell, farmers continued farming as they had before. After the fall of the Petroleum era, those folk who had access to alternative fuels continued farming with machines, albeit on a much smaller scale. Other places were forced to relearn millenia old farming techniques, often painfully so.

The Good Old Amish Way

Eventually the Contraction bottomed out, bringing the world population down to somewhere in the vicinity of 1.65 billion, or the world population of 1912. This left vast sections of the planet empty of human population. Then, the Second Renaissance started blooming. This spread would take another two generations before it was fully realized, but prepackaged food started being shipped out from the arcos, new arcos were being built, and the new nations started seriously forming by that point. Prior to that, there were regional governments, usually along the lines of city-states, and leagues of cities that shared their remaining resources, or pooled their common goods. 

The lights started coming back on and the internet had gone through its second and third generations isolated in arco to arco networks, connected by satellites. The third generation started being phased out while the fourth generation Cognitive Network was being integrated to the system and was expanding. There was hope again, there was media entertainment, and tinned meat that didn't spoil, and then electric trucks starting showing up, doling out medications, food goods, and protection where it was needed.

People started having children again.
The Manpower Shortage

New nations had appeared, such as the Commonwealth of New England, as old nations had also restored themselves, such as Germany and South Africa. This created new demands for workers, new demands for soldiers, and there simply were not enough people to go around and do all the jobs that were needed. 

The population contraction was over, and Population Augmentation Projects started. By the current date of the Cosmic Era, the population has grown to around 3 billion and is starting to show signs of leveling off rather than following it previous growth. By the time of the current era, there are still senior citizens around who remember the pre-Renaissance days, and there is a large amount of Dark Age literature that covers the trials and suffering of that bleak era, as well an almost conscience like cultural rejection of the ideals and moralities of the Petroleum Era.

And if I was to make an OOC of this it would require a factbook first. Maybe even a wiki.

Well, you should do something with it. I'd hate to see such a well thought-out idea just die.

[Skaldia]

The Population Contraction was a massive depopulation event that surpassed the Black Death both in numbers and percentages in terms of loss of population.

Setting the Stage

By the zenith of the Petroleum Era, the world population had grown to somewhere between nine and ten billion people. The arcologies were being built to handle the rapidly growing population, as were a variety of green technologies to keep that many people fed. Famine and human suffering also remained fairly high as there were a number of regions that had populations that vastly outstretched the local resources to feed and support them, such as some serious hellholes in Saharan and Sub-Saharan Africa, SE Asia, and large sections of the Muslim World, but most prominently, Indonesia. This massive population is one of the key factors that pushed the Resource Wars to the level of escalation they reached. The Federal Superstates had massive appetites for cheap energy and goods, and had the military hardware and will to use it to ensure their low cost way of life. It is most often blamed on the United States of America but India, China, Russia, and the European Union were all also involved to one extent or another.

The wars erupted in South America and Africa, areas with the lowest level of resource exploitation and the largest amounts of remaining oil. Many people were killed in the Resource Wars but as a percentage of population, this number was relatively unimportant. It was also considered unimportant as most of the people killed were either African or South American. 

Out with a whimper

The Resource Wars ended not on a hard preset date,but in a general sense that military operations ceased around most of the world. Tanks and aircraft required copious amounts of fuel as did the ships that supported them. The aircraft were grounded, and thousands of tanks and other hardware was abandoned as many factions sought to bring their troops home on the last trips of many non-nuclear ships. The high waste of the Petroleum Era was somewhat offset by Green Energy Initiatives, but these were simply not enough. By the end of the Petroleum Era there were approximately 135 nuclear reactors in North America, and more than half of them had previously been dedicated to maintaining internet servers, while as an example, one existed to pump water over the mountains to one city in California. This was simply not enough to light the homes of almost 600 million Americans. The situation was in many cases worse in other nations. Power rationing went into effect, internet curfews went into effect, but none of it could deal with the fact that an era had ended. This is all seen in hindsight, as during the post war collapse few nations were willing to accept what was coming. None had adequately prepared for it, not on the level that was required.
The lights went out, the internet went down, and the Second Dark Age had begun.

Let us Revive Ancient Hatreds and Let Slip the Dogs of War

Bloody massacres and riots quickly followed as foreign aid ended and famines went from bad to desperate. In some places, bad blood had been held in check by the threat of Global Peacekeeping forces, economic sanctions, and bribe like supplies of sundry goods. All of that was gone and in short order the gloves came off and violence erupted. Israel nuked Tehran and several other major Arab cities, and most of the Levant was watered with blood in a religious genocide between the better armed Jews and more numerous Muslims. Tribal violence, such as the sort that exploded in Rwanda boiled over again and again in Africa. China went through several rounds of crack downs and purges as the country started to break up. Riots were common across Europe and America. Racial violence between caucasians and hispanics was endemic across large portions of the disintegrating country.

By the end of a generation, the Federal Superstates were gone. There was simply no way for a modern superpower to exist in the Post-Petroleum age.

But in the background, a different threat had appeared. With cheap fuel gone, industrialized agriculture was butchered. Since the 1960s, global food production depended on machines working fields that were artificially fertilized and artificially irrigated. All this was done with petroleum or electricity. Phosphate mining for cheap fertilizer dried up, crop yields started falling dramatically, and soon large swaths of formerly productive farmland were fallow and being reclaimed by prairie grass and other steppe plants. Hunger was a common theme in the Second Dark Age. But mankind hadn't collectively forgotten everything from the last 12,000 years of civilization. Gardening went from ornamental to food production, and local produce became the only produce.

Some areas around the world saw some deplorable practices and conditions, local warlords reinstating slavery to man their fields. Other places saw a brief resurgence of feudalism, with the neo nobility being the ones who held alternate energy sources, such as hydroelectric dams, nuke plants, or being Navy admirals and such who could still command the loyalty of a nuke powered warship. The Arcologies remained, and with their high return recycling systems and self contained power supplies, remained as the embers of hope for a new age.

There are, however, dissenting opinions on the matter.

A Scared Old World

Without cheap food, cheap energy and cheap medicine, the world was a much darker and more serious place. Topical matters like television talent shows, social media and the like were blown away by concerns like food and self preservation. It was not the brave new world that parents wanted for their children. Across much of the globe it was a painfully uncertain future. Where there were 500 television channels, if there was one or two in an area it was a gift even if the shows were syndicated. Commercials were just salt in the wound, there weren't going to be new import autos next year, no one was going to play the sweet new computer game, and that hot movie coming to theatres soon came and went. Time to get back to trying to figure out how to get a horse to pull a plow. 

People didn't have children. 

The population went into decline, and this decline lasted for almost a century. The matter was compounded by the fact that infant mortality increased, so that of the decreasing number of infants being born, percentage wise, fewer were surviving. Formerly benign illnesses such as chicken pox and influenza returned to being killers, especially of the elderly and the young. In previous human eras, calamity and the collapse of nations did not have such an impact on the common populace. When Rome fell, farmers continued farming as they had before. After the fall of the Petroleum era, those folk who had access to alternative fuels continued farming with machines, albeit on a much smaller scale. Other places were forced to relearn millenia old farming techniques, often painfully so.

The Good Old Amish Way

Eventually the Contraction bottomed out, bringing the world population down to somewhere in the vicinity of 1.65 billion, or the world population of 1912. This left vast sections of the planet empty of human population. Then, the Second Renaissance started blooming. This spread would take another two generations before it was fully realized, but prepackaged food started being shipped out from the arcos, new arcos were being built, and the new nations started seriously forming by that point. Prior to that, there were regional governments, usually along the lines of city-states, and leagues of cities that shared their remaining resources, or pooled their common goods. 

The lights started coming back on and the internet had gone through its second and third generations isolated in arco to arco networks, connected by satellites. The third generation started being phased out while the fourth generation Cognitive Network was being integrated to the system and was expanding. There was hope again, there was media entertainment, and tinned meat that didn't spoil, and then electric trucks starting showing up, doling out medications, food goods, and protection where it was needed.

People started having children again.
The Manpower Shortage

New nations had appeared, such as the Commonwealth of New England, as old nations had also restored themselves, such as Germany and South Africa. This created new demands for workers, new demands for soldiers, and there simply were not enough people to go around and do all the jobs that were needed. 

The population contraction was over, and Population Augmentation Projects started. By the current date of the Cosmic Era, the population has grown to around 3 billion and is starting to show signs of leveling off rather than following it previous growth. By the time of the current era, there are still senior citizens around who remember the pre-Renaissance days, and there is a large amount of Dark Age literature that covers the trials and suffering of that bleak era, as well an almost conscience like cultural rejection of the ideals and moralities of the Petroleum Era.

And if I was to make an OOC of this it would require a factbook first. Maybe even a wiki.

Well, you should do something with it. I'd hate to see such a well thought-out idea just die.

I would welcome ideas or input. I believe the best way to start is creating a factbook topic. Would that be feasible do you think?