The Cold War

The Cold War is a fictional conflict depicted in Battlefield 2142 and in its expansion, Battlefield 2142: Northern Strike, fought between the European Union and the Pan-Asian Coalition. It is not to be confused with the Cold War, a series of proxy wars and political tensions between NATO and the Warsaw Pact nations in the period from 1945 - 1991.

Background
The Cold War is a world war that took place in the 22nd Century; starting in October of 2139 and ending sometime during or after 2147. The main reason for the outbreak of the war was the onset of a new Ice Age at the beginning of the 22nd Century, which caused vital natural resources to shrink and become scarce. Whilst the EU had the resources to sustain itself, PAC did not and eventually found no viable options other than taking resources by force.

Cause
The cause of the Cold War was due to the desperation of the Pan-Asian Coalition for resources. As the Ice Age set in during the 22nd Century, Russia was slowly consumed by icy glaciers to the point that half the country was buried under the ice. Mass migration of the Russian people would have taken place; millions displaced by the Ice Age. As the land was destroyed, so were the resources needed to sustain the population. The Pan-Asian Coalition was barely managing to sustain the migrating population from the North, and with the Ice spreading into the South fast.

Europe, on the other hand, was fairly comfortable with their supplies. The EU had access to supplies from Northern Africa thanks to their alliance with the Union of African States, as well as resources in Europe itself. It is likely that PAC would have attempted to acquire a part of Europe's resources through diplomacy with the EU, but this came to no avail. The Coalition was now desperate for resources to sustain its hungry and dwindling population, and the only option left would be to take those resources by force by invading the EU before the Ice Wall consumed them too.

Military Build-up
Tensions between the EU and PAC grew, and a relationship which was already weak was expected to breakdown completely. Prior to 2139, the Coalition would have began a sizeable buildup of its armies near to Northern Africa and the EU border, whilst the European Union Military began to fortify the EU-PAC border in Eastern Europe.

The EU's defensive fortifications consisted of three defensive lines: The Minsk Border Line which ran North-South in Eastern Europe and passing through Minsk, The Brandenburg Line which passed North-South through Brandenburg federal state and The Maginot Wall which ran North-South through Verdun, France. Multiple strongpoints (mostly cities) existed along and around these three defenses. Each of these lines were designed to hold off any attackers and wear down their numbers. If an attacking force was too strong, then the EU defenders would retreat to the next line, as well as strongpoints (when the PAC attack broke through the Minsk line, the retreating EU fled to strongpoint cities like Belgrade, as well as the Brandenburg line). It would appear that the EU did not expect a PAC assault to make it past The Maginot Wall, as there were no further defences of this sort beyond it.

The Pan-Asian Coalition would have moved all of its military towards the EU-PAC border, as well as its African border, in preparation for the diversion attacks on Africa.

Prelude
By early 2138, the world's six factions were heavily fortified, ready to battle over the world's remaining land and resources. Expecting an invasion by the PAC into the agriculture-rich plains of Northern Africa, the European Union concentrated its resources along the Mediterranean, ready to assist the Union of African States. A foray by two PAC battalions into Egypt seemed to confirm their suspicions, but the attacks were merely decoys, meant to distract the world from the PAC's primary objective, to destroy the military might of the EU's premiere units still located in Europe.

The Battle of Minsk
The Cold War began in October 2139 with coordinated PAC invasions from the Persian Gulf to the Baltic Sea. In November, as part of Operation Canute, three battalions led by General Arkadi Petrov entered Minsk, a key EU command center in Northern Europe. The EU's Krieg Panzer 2nd Regiment fiercely defended the city for over four months until the PAC's elite Central Command Group broke through their southern flank, forcing them to withdraw. The Battle of Minsk featured the first deployment of the militarized Titan in combat operations, changing the nature of modern warfare forever. Because of the Titans unmatched effectiveness as both a transport and assault medium, its destruction became a crucial component of military strategy. At Minsk alone, six full-scale Titans were destroyed within the first week of combat.

Siege of Belgrade
PAC was quick to move on from their first victory, swiftly pushing towards Germany- the centre of the EU. In February 2140, the PACs X and II Command Divisions swept through Serbia and trapped the EU 9th Armored Corps in the heart of Belgrade. A massive ice wall blocking its retreat, the EU force, inspired by General Emil Nikoli, staged a tenacious resistance. In March, the PACs Northern Command Group arrived through recently annexed Bulgaria. Led by a swift, V-shaped formation of T-39 Bogatyr battle walkers, the bolstered PAC forces burst through the EUs eastern flank and forced their surrender. With control of Eastern Europe, the PAC turned its sights to the EUs central command in Berlin.

The Fall of Berlin
Berlin was the capital of the EU and if PAC could take it, then they would be in a position to quickly drive back the EU resistance. On July 10, 2140, as part of Operation Thunder, fifteen squadrons of PAC gunships wrested control of the skies above eastern Germany. The victory allowed PAC Titans to airdrop entire regiments of the Northern Command Group behind the EUs Brandenburg Line. Surrounded, the EU Expeditionary Force quickly capitulated. The path to Berlin was cleared. On August 15, the PAC waged an all-out offensive on the city. After two months of intense fighting, Berlin fell. The remaining EU forces retreated to France where they would make a last stand before evacuating to Africa.

Verdun
By the end of 2140, the PAC occupied much of Europe but had yet to gain control of the Mediterranean. Northern France represented a key strategic passage, but it was a narrow one, given the wall of ice that had advanced all the way to the 49th parallel. The PAC sped into Lorraine to find a small but resilient EU company holding a section of the Maginot Wall in Verdun. The A-8 Tiger main battle tank more than held its own against the newer Type 21 Nekomata hover tank, allowing the EU to hold the position for almost a month before a fresh onslaught forced them back. Despite being significantly outnumbered, the EU forces at Verdun were able to severely deplete the invading PAC divisions. This effort was due in large part to the EUs ability to infiltrate and destroy PAC Titans before they could distribute troops and supplies to the front lines. Soon, the PAC matched these efforts, inflicting similar damage to their EU Titan counterparts.

The Fall of Europe
By 2142, Cerbère was the last EU stronghold on the European continent. The port served as the chief defensive hub for the EUs Northern Mediterranean operations. Tasked with seizing the harbor, PAC General Yuri Vladomirovic used commando units equipped with the new IT-33 Optical Camouflage to infiltrate the city. Once inside they sabotaged the defenses, allowing the General to land his forces in the main harbor. There they faced the Hell Brigade, the EUs premiere infantry unit, assigned to defend the city. The ensuing violence would establish Cerbre Landing as the most fierce and costly battle of the Cold War.

African Campaign
Following the defeat of the EU army in Europe, the stage was set for the PAC military to force its way into the EU-occupied African mainland. In February, 2142, the EU formed The Mediterranean Wall, a line of defenses along the North African coast from Morocco to Egypt. Meanwhile, the PAC was drawing up a series of deception plans under the codenames Kupalo, Dazhbog and Perun. These exercises were designed to preoccupy and divide the EU forces in preparation for the PACs primary mission, Operation Motherland, a comprehensive, multi-pronged assault on the African continent.

The Attack on Camp Gibraltar
The attack on Camp Gibraltar was the first deception attack used by the PAC to draw EU forces out of position. Although not of military significance, the site was an important staging point for refugees from the western Mediterranean territories. On April 10, 2142, the PACs AA Command Division attacked the camp. The EUs 4th and 5th Armored Battalions were tasked with defending Camp Gibraltar. The PAC troops fought vigorously but conservatively. The EU commander relied on sniper tactics to hold key positions in an attempt to occupy the PAC forces as long as possible.

The Battle of the Suez Canal
As the PAC launched diversionary strikes from Italy into North Africa, it secretly gathered forces in the Sinai Peninsula to prepare for a full-scale assault on the continent. On May 1, four PAC Command Divisions flew into Libya to engage the EUs 6th Army Group. This left the 5th Corps at the Suez Canal without support when the Southern Command Group, led by General Muunokhoi, raced into Egypt. To attack the EUs Suez Canal position, the PAC relied on a Titan squadron to transport assets into the field of battle. Similarly, the EU employed their own Titan fleet to transfer divisions from other posts in northern Africa. While conflict raged on the ground, a secondary battle ensued in the skies as both sides attempted to thwart the airborne delivery of reinforcements. The EU forces staved off Min-shiks army until help finally arrived via the 10th Airborne Division. Had the PAC seized the Suez Canal, it would have severely compromised the EUs ability to defend Africa.

Tunis Harbor
In an attempt to stop the flow of EU reinforcements to the Suez Canal, the PAC launched a series of raids against key transportation hubs. The most vital of these targets was Tunis Harbor. Fog in the Strait of Sicily, allowed the PAC to land its 8th Command Regiment almost on top of the harbor defenses. This strategy enabled them to pin the EU forces in the harbor with the Mediterranean at their backs. The Valkyrie Brigade formed the backbone of the EUs defense with their company of L-5 Reisig Battlewalkers.

Strike at Karkand
During the attack on the Suez Canal, the EU discovered a Titan Factory that had recently been established in the city of Karkand to help fuel the PAC war effort on Africa. They quickly assembled a small strike force to take out the factory and end its production of vital Titan equipment. The operation succeeded, but there were still numerous other Titan factories that threatened the EU.

The Battle of Shuhia Taiba
By the end of 2142, freezing temperatures, mass migration and warfare had rendered most of the PAC occupied territories uninhabitable. Desperate to sustain its dwindling population, the PAC changed its military focus to capturing key energy, food and water supplies. Shuhia Tabia, a large-scale, EU agricultural project located in northern Egypt, was one of the PACs primary targets. On November 11, a fleet of Titans carrying six PAC Command Divisions flew into the skies above Shuhia Tabia. They were immediately greeted by the EUs 2nd Army. The resulting battle raged for more than a year. When the EU and PAC clashed at Shuhia Taiba, both sides utilized more than twenty Titans between them. By the end of fighting a year later, only two remained. Continuous assaults rendered half of the capabilities useless by the first month. Years later, covered in metal carnage, Shuhia Taiba would be referred to as the Titan Graveyard.

The Assault on Sidi Power Plant
In January 2143, the PAC tried to appropriate another key resource target in Egypt, the Sidi Power Plant. The recently constructed facility provided more than 40% of the EU populations energy. Each coalition depleted of manpower and equipment, the battle began primarily as a ground war. The EUs 3rd and 4th Infantry Divisions established three lines of defense, fighting off wave after wave of incursions by PAC Special Forces. In March, armored and airborne divisions arrived for both sides. Within weeks, the fight intensified to become one of the largest and most fervent of the entire war. At first, the PAC utilized its depleted Titan fleet conservatively in its attack on the Sidi Power Station. Similarly, the EU relegated its armada to primarily non-battle zone transportation duties. Soon, however, the ground war intensified. More air support and delivery was required. Within a month, the skies were again filled with Titans. But the battle quickly turned sour and ended in a stalemate, with PAC seriously crippled and the EU force badly wounded. Nevertheless, PAC ceased the attack on the station in order to recuperate.

The Liberation of Europe
The war in Africa eventually began to come to a close. Repeated PAC attacks, including endless assaults across the Suez Canal, had failed to break the European armies and the once multi-thousand strong PAC Titan fleet had failed to achieve anything substantial. The situation had evolved in Central Europe, 2145. A few years into the most desperate struggle in the history of mankind, temperatures were dropping fast but war was setting Europe ablaze. With the bulk of the EU army mired in fierce fighting to the south, the Pan Asian Coalition forces marched unhindered into the European heartland, seizing the most defensible urban and mountainous positions in anticipation of a European retaliation from Africa. After six years under siege, the EU made plans to go on the offensive whilst the PAC was recovering and push them out of Europe.

Bridge at Remagen
The first EU units landed in France in early 2145. As the EU forces advanced through Europe, the frozen Rhine – now an almost impassable barrier of icebergs and crevasses – became an important line of defence once again. On March the 7th 2145, exactly 200 years to the day since the U.S. 9th Armored Division crossed the Remagen bridge in World War II, the EU launched a sudden and bold attack across the Rhine in the hope of establishing a foothold on its eastern shores. The brand new A-3 Goliath APC saw combat for the first time during the ensuring battle; leading the way across the bridge to the far side. The small number of PAC Titans present were taken by suprise and brought down, and the PAC defenders quickly surrendered, allowing the EU to push into Germany.

Port Bavaria
EU commanders in the continent began to split off to focus on separate targets. One of these forces headed towards the French Alps. The Port Bavaria Titan supply base, high up in the mountains, was once a vital stronghold for the EU forces. However, as the war between the PAC and the EU progressed, the European nations had to retreat from the area back during the initial invasion of Europe, leaving the base open for PAC use - the dockyards had now been appropriated by PAC Titans refueling and resupplying after their patrols across North Africa. Now the EU made a determined effort to take back control of the vital link in the PAC Titan supply chain, eventually succeeding. The victory effectively ended the threat of PAC Titans in Western Europe, a monumental achievement for the EU.

The Liberation of Leipzig
Gaining new strength from the liberated EU territories, the combined African and European armies swept through Germany, crushing the now disorganized PAC defenders wherever they headed. In the late summer of 2145, EU forces had reclaimed most of Western Europe and the heartlands of old East Germany and the state of Saxony lay before them. As the arctic winter drew closer, they staged a night assault on the city of Leipzig, the last stronghold of the PAC forces in Europe. The  single Titan that remained over the city was downed by EU commandos and crashed in the city park. A heavily defended canal split the city in two. The EU forces even positioned static pod launchers near the canal to aid their infantry assaults. The resistance in Leipzig took the EU by surprise, as they had had a relatively easy time in the counterattack compared to the beginning of the war.

Other Engagements
Although the primary warzone was in both Europe and Africa during The Cold War, the two sides fought in several other locations throughout the world. The EU was one of the most powerful organisations at the time, second only to PAC, and had a presence as far as the Pacific.

Highway Tampa
By the 22nd Century, the Middle East had mostly conserved its oil supplies. But the EU Forces had set their sights on the expanse in the Arabian Peninsula once known as Highway Tampa after PAC had been defeated in Africa. In a desperate attempt to keep their mechanized divisions operational the EU needed to claim the surviving oil reserves and seize the only remaining harbor from the remaining PAC forces.

Wake Island
In 2144, the EU forces established a secret Titan repair and re-armament base on Wake Island with the intent of dividing PAC forces, and their supply lines from the East and West of their location. The construction of the base went undetected until PAC satellites detected military activity in the region and, in response, sent in their forces to put an end to the EU occupation and its plans. A victory for the PAC forces will strengthen their supply route to the frontline, a defeat will cause massive casualties caused by a lack of supplies.

Wake Island, by 2144, had become a cold, snow-covered island compared to its previous tropical state due to the progression of the Ice Age southwards. It is likely that all of the former PAC residents living on Wake would have left for the warmer south lands of Asia before the EU initial invasion.

Aftermath
The Pan-Asian Coalition was finally pushed out of Germany, and subsequently Europe, in late 2145. However the war had not finished and smaller skirmishes along the European border would be fought right up to 2147. But PAC was effectivly defeated; having failed to take any meaningful gains, and unable to launch a retaliationtThe Cold War can be said to have really ended at the end of 2147.

In 2148, the PAC would sign a formal armistice with the EU at Minsk. Though the climate shift was nearly complete, the PAC would suffer a prolonged economic and social collapse as a result of their failure. On August 28th, 2160, trade negotiations would re-open between the PAC and the other world factions. By 2163, multiple factions would attempt to sustain itself by establishing bases off-world, and wthe PAC would eventually maintain a stable, if icy peace with its western neighbours. Though humanity had survived the polar shift and the war that followed, not all factions were content with the the direction the world was turning...