European Confederacy

The European Confederacy was a powerhouse in global politics until the Nuclear Fall in 2078 during the end of the Third World War. Before that the European Confederacy had been the union of all of the countries on the European Continent.

Pre-War
The foundations for the European Confederacy were said to be laid in 2016 when the United Kingdom held a referendum on whether or not to remain within the European Union. The United Kingdom voted to stay and take a more proactive role in the EU. Countries like the UK and Germany sought for a more united front within Europe so that in 2027 the concept of converting the EU into the European Confederacy was pitched. The idea that each individual country would become a state within the Confederacy, which would have a senate and a President of the Confederation. With each country still having some level of devolved powers, a similar system to that of the United States of America where each country represented a state.

Third World War
The Third World War officially began on the second of October 2068 when the United Korean State invaded the South East of Russia. It took time to mobilise due to the location of the UKS offensive, which led the first year of the war to be purely defensive rather than offensive. With the bulk of the European military having to be re-positioned from it's more central location. Realising however that while the majority of the offensive would come through Russia due to the fact that the UKS seemed unwilling to cross through Chinese Territory the European Confederacy decided to form treaties with Turkey and Iran in a bid to take countries like Afghanistan and Turkmenistan out of the picture due to the inability of the UKS to effectively resupply them.

Which is when they started working on the Mars Missile system, named so that if any spies found out about the project they would believe that the Martian Colony was somehow involved, despite the fact that the European Confederacy was largely neglecting the Martian Colony. As while they were the undisputed powerhouse of the war, despite the surprising level of technology utilised by the UKS, they couldn't afford to waste resources on sending ships to Mars. Leaving them more or less to their own devices. While the United Federation joined the war fighting against the UKS the higher ups in the Confederacy felt that the only way to win the war would be through utter annihilation of the UKS, and had already begun plans to incorporate the United Federation into the Confederacy as a singular power across the globe.

In a risky move, the Confederacy sent a force disguised as UKS troops to the eastern seaboard of what was once the The United States of America had the plan to launch a nuclear missile at the United Korean State starting a Nuclear War decimating both factions and weakening them to the point that the Confederacy could pick up the pieces. However, Federation forces uncovered the plot, and even managed to steal the prototype nuclear weapon. In a bid to recover it the Confederacy pushed further in, resulting in the battle of New York. The Confederacy was now dedicated to a war on two fronts. However, the Confederacy had a plan to bring both factions to their knees. They constructed a weapons satellite which they then launched in 2075. This satellite was capable of launching specially designed high yield warheads from orbit directly onto a target while masking itself as a simple communications satellite. Had the Federation known what the satellite actually carried they no doubt would have taken actions against it earlier, however, the Confederacy managed to let loose a missile towards Washington DC before the satellite could be investigated. The result was complete and utter devastation, despite the projectile being knocked slightly off course the President as well as millions of civilian lives were lost. This was the beginning of the end. Nuclear War became a very real threat, the European Confederacy itself prepared its silos as their satellite was destroyed in retaliation by the newly renamed Roslin Federation. However, before the Confederacy could get the chance to launch any missiles the Federation launched a preemptive strike. The first missile striking Moscow and taking out the Confederate leadership, though they didn't stop there. Launching more missiles taking down ever major city within the Confederacy, their goal being to take the Confederacy out of the picture for good and they did. No surrender was given in 2078 as the Nuclear bombs fell, many Confederate Forces simply gave up or defected. While some loyalists continued to fight in rag tag vengeful and often suicidal attacks.

Aftermath
While the Nagasaki Conglomerate was willing to help pick up the pieces of the United Korean State the Confederacy had been completely annihilated and turned into a nuclear wasteland. Nobody wanted to lay claim to the territory, however, that doesn't mean that people were left to die. Charitable organisations such as the Red Cross, which had grown in scope and ability sent groups of people to Europe in order to distribute much-needed supplies and medical attention. As some groups of survivors became violent, either loyalist holdouts of the Confederacy or bandit settlements, in retaliation the Red Cross had to arm itself with civilian mercenaries. They worked to help those capable and healthy to leave the Wasteland behind (capable included funds as the paperwork wasn't cheap), while also employing some locals to help them keep their relief convoys safe. Working from mobile bases they tried to restore some sense of normality to the wasteland, however obviously trying to avoid altercations with the local factions.

Fifth Reich
The Fifth Reich are probably the strongest holdout of European Confederate forces. Predominantly German they take in few outsiders and typically keep to themselves in their bunker unless low on supplies, or needing a specific resource in which case they will venture out into the wasteland with the largest collection of pre-war tech available (Within Europe). The Red Cross and other Mercy Corps have tried on several occasions to meet with them however they refuse to accept visitors and adopt a shoot on sight philosophy if you don't appear to be a wastelander. As such the Black Forest was classed as off limits to all mercy convoys. Their belief is that if Europe had remained centralised within Germany, rather than the parliament being moved and power given to Russia, that the war could have been avoided.

The Solntsevskaya Brotherhood
The Solntsevskaya Brotherhood, a name derived from a Russian mafia of the twentieth century had been one of the major factions who recruited and labelled themselves as “Resistance Fighters” when in fact they were no better than vicious street thugs. Stealing illegal technology, weapons, and supplies -ripped either from opposing gangs or from relief convoys sent down to assist in rebuilding and revitalizing- only to have their goods sold on the black market to other gangs and corporations waging their own civil wars. The Brotherhood took no sides, but rather reaped the benefits from whoever had the means to pay. Constant power struggles within their own ranks caused a rift for many leaders within the Brotherhood, resulting in a divided and scattered faction for many years, each with their own idealistic (and often foolish) crusades to recruit or destroy any brethren who would stand dare in their way. Nuclear devastation had it's perks, and the Brotherhood was there to ensure that it's benefits would not land in the hands of others.