A very brief history for background information assistance

In 1995 a series of Sino-Soviet border conflicts expanded into general war between the Soviet Union and China. The Sino-Soviet war rapidly escalated from conventional warfare into exchanges of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons. In 1996 a cabal of East German and West German military officers seek to reunify their country. Unified German forces stage a coup d'état against the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany. The US and NATO allies initially attempt to stay out of the war, but are quickly drawn into the European conflict.

Between 1996 and 1997 a largely conventional war is fought between NATO and Warsaw Pact forces throughout Europe. There are limited exchanges of battlefield nuclear weapons, and chemical and biological weapons. During Thanksgiving 1997, the Soviet Union launches a surprise first strike against targets in the United States and Europe. The US and Great Britain launch retaliatory nuclear strikes against the Soviet Union.

In the aftermath of the nuclear exchanges, both blocs struggle to recover from the damage. The war continues - despite increasing shortages of men, equipment, and fuel. In the United States there is a breach between the civilian government and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. An open rift develops between "Civgov" (the civilian government) and "Milgov" (the military government), which leads to a low-intensity civil war.

By the summer of 2000, the European theater of operations had been fought to a near stalemate. In one final effort to break the deadlock and end the war NATO forces planned a summer offensive across Northern Poland and into the Baltics, but the offensive ground to a halt in the face of a Warsaw Pact counterattack. Several divisions & corps on each side were virtually eliminated. In the chaotic aftermath, supply lines are lost, high level command breaks down and armies in the European theater lose cohesion beyond the platoon unit. Some go “native’ and integrated with the militias of independent “free cities", others turned into gangs of marauding bandits and some small groups of surviving soldiers sought to find their way home.

"Our 'Summer Offensive' never stood a chance. Someone in high command thought that we had the Russians on the run - It was so easy going that it seemed like the war was in the bag. A repeat of World War II with the Germans on a constant retreat under our superior strength.

We were wrong.

As we approached the Wisla river everything went to hell. All this time they had been coming through Oswiecim and even Krakow and as we raced forward against the retreating Russians they occupied the hills and towns to the south of us, encircling us as we steamed forward just like the 6th Army during WWII. Caught with no where to hide just north of Sochaczew they brought thousands of Soviet infantry in on our un-prepared lines as we continued to over-extend ourselves.

We ended up in Lowicz, our Hum-Vee was full of holes - Both Sharpnel and bullets. Sergeant Dyke felt that we should set up our 25km radio and transmit to try and link up with any friendly forces that managed to escape the counter-offensive - It worked like a charm, as the days past we had privates from the US 5th and even a pommy paratrooper captain. The 5th Army boys brought their own Major with them. Suddenly we weren't so alone - But it seems only a single supply convoy with some ammo and mines was the best we could dig up.

Sergeant Dyke thinks we lucked out - Couple of brass to figure out what to do with this mess we got ourselves into, personally I reckon we're on our last legs. They'll be hunting us soon, elements of a defeated army and when they catch us they won't be after POW's."

Private John Miller - 9th US Rangers