Federal Crisis

The Federal Crisis, also known as the Second American Civil War, was the period of civil and international war instigated by the near-collapse of the United States federal government. It began in the aftermath of the disastrous Euro-American Wars, in a nation stricken by famine, poverty, depopulation and civil unrest. The formerly unstoppable U.S. Military was stretched thin within its own borders. Martial law was imposed in multiple states as small-scale uprisings increased exponentially, while protection of the nation’s borders grew in importance due to America’s waning strength and the broken trust with its continental allies. To make matters worse, the majority of the nation’s best soldiers and equipment were still being funneled into Italy by President Fraser, who sought to shore up his new Roman Territories and further exploit Europe in order to fund restructuring in North America. These factors combined with his apparent intention to remain in office indefinitely made Fraser an almost universally hated President, while the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Trenton Clarke and Chief of Staff William Valerius were beloved and celebrated for their perceived salvaging of Fraser’s disastrous war. The situation reached its boiling point on March 22nd, 2112, when Chairman Clarke made his move. Having secured the loyalty of nearly half of the U.S. Military, Clarke launched a full-scale revolution with the Battle of Washington, D.C., during which his personal forces overran the White House and assassinated Rhys Fraser along with his entire cabinet. Meanwhile, the Chairman ordered the mobilization of his rebel forces all across the nation, and war erupted throughout the country overnight. Rebels and loyalists clashed in a no-holds-barred explosion of violence, the United States Military turning in on itself and ripping itself apart. Military bases everywhere became burning battlefields, and every major population center in the country transformed into war zones, the unimaginable military might of the world’s most powerful and technologically advanced army unleashing every weapon in their arsenal; with the notable exception of nuclear warheads, the majority of which were quickly transferred to secret locations by the Shannon Administration following the outbreak of war.