I have endeavored to stitch together the postulated events of old SPI’s major near-future history games into one, continuous future-history timeline. The games include: Canadian Civil War; War in the Ice; Objective: Moscow; Minuteman: The Second American Revolution; Invasion: America; and After the Holocaust.

Most of these games have now become alternate-history games. However, strictly speaking, the subgenre of alternate or alternative history usually applies only to those works that examine alternatives diverging from a point in the past of when they are written. For example, the 1920s projections of Hugo Gernsback and others, of what life in the later decades of the twentieth century would look like, can be considered regular science fiction, not alternate history, although they certainly present a world far different from our own, when compared to actual, current-day reality.

I have not looked at such old SPI games as World War 3, China War, or most of the games on hypothetical conflicts between the Western Alliance and the Soviet bloc.

My main approach to these near-future history games was to move the hypothetical events about ten to thirty years in the future, from the current year 2001. {Parentheses} denote specific information from the original games.

Canadian Civil War

Factions
Federalists strengthen Federal Government
Provincial status quo
Moderates
Provincial weaken Federal Government
Autonomists
Separatists replace Federal structures with economic union of sovereign provinces

Background

The struggle between these four outlooks can be seen as perennial in Canadian politics. However, by the year 2006, both the Quebec separatists and the burgeoning tide of Western Canadian separatism have grown increasingly desperate, as a result of their failing to make an impact on Ottawa (because of the increasing population of Ontario and multicultural urban centers). In the last four years of Canadian Confederation, a ferocious struggle takes place between the regnant Federalists (mostly supported by the Provincial Moderates), against the Provincial Autonomists and Separatists.

The struggle takes a violent turn out of the desperation of the Quebec and Western Canadian Separatists. In the aftermath of the National Emergency crisis, the Canadian Federal Government calls on the support of the U.S. and the U.S. intervenes, but not in the fashion wished for by Ottawa. Western Canada (including Yukon and the Northwest Territories) are absorbed into the U.S. while Quebec and the Atlantic Provinces petition to join Europa. Ontario endeavors to remain indepedent, but by 2011 fragments into various city and regional statelets, and is divided between Europa and the U.S.

War in the Ice

Published 1978
the Time was 4 November {1991}
the Time is 4 November 2011
Timeline 2011-2012

The first major war between the U.S. and other powerblocs. See the review elsewhere in this issue.

Objective: Moscow

Published 1978
the Time was 1 April {1998}
the Time is 1 April 2014
Timeline 2014-2016

Factions
USA / Israel Europa / Russia Chung-kuo / Nippon Dar al-Islam

Background

An imperialistic USA invades Europa with overwhelming force, with the subsequent objective of attacking Russia. Russia is attacked from the east and south by Chung-kuo/Nippon, and from the south-west by the Dar al-Islam. The U.S. offensive against Europe ultimately fails, but Russia loses most of Siberia to Chung-kuo/Nippon, and most of Central Asia to the Dar al-Islam.

Minuteman: The Second American Revolution

Published 1976
the Time is Spring 2016 {Basic 2003-2026 Scenario Time Frame}

Civil War Scenario 2016-2020

Although the Minuteman rule book places the beginning of the conflict in the Fall (October 1) the scenario rules stipulate that it begins with the Spring turn. So it can be assumed that the conflict begins in Spring 2016. The U.S. has failed to win a knock-out blow against Europa and Russia, and its forces are reeling in retreat from Continental Europe and the British Isles.

Factions

The Feds (Government) The Patriots The Rainbow Coalition American Labor (Canadian and Mexican units and territory are not used in this scenario.)

Can also be played as “Basic Scenario”: The Feds (Government) vs. The Patriots

Background

Reeling from the shock of its defeat in the war against Europe, imperial America is faced by the mutiny of significant sectors of its population. The Feds (supported by a federalized Rainbow Coalition) win a Marginal Victory — however, the Patriots hold out in remote parts of the heartland.

Spring 2020

Invasion of the continental U.S. by the other powerblocs.

Spring 2022 Partisan Scenario 2022-2023 In the Minuteman rules booklet this was placed one and a half years after the initial invasion. However, this would have placed the invasion in the Fall of 2020. Since a Fall invasion would not seem likely (for climatological reasons), I would suggest that the date of the invasion would be Spring 2020.

Factions

Powerblocs’ Occupation Forces and Supporters U.S. Federal Resistance

Background

The powerblocs have occupied the eastern half of the United States (east of the Mississippi River). There are also Chung-kuo/Nippon bridgeheads on the West Coast, and the Unia America Latina is advancing into the U.S. Southwest. The attempts by the Federal Resistance to weaken the Occupation Forces fail abysmally, and in Spring 2023, the powerblocs’ offensive quickly crushes the remaining Federal forces in the Western U.S.

Spring 2024

2024-2030 Occupation Scenario In the Minuteman rulebook, this was placed three years after the initial invasion. However, the powerblocs would have been busy fighting the U.S. Federal insurgency in the Eastern U.S. in Spring 2022 - Summer 2023. The insurgency obviously failed to make an impact on the massive powerblocs offensive of Spring 2023. However, fighting continued until Winter 2023, when the remaining major U.S. Federal resistance in the North West ended. So Spring 2024 (i.e., four years after the initial invasion) is when the Occupation scenario begins.

Factions

Powerblocs’ Occupation Forces and Supporters U.S. Federal Resistance

Background

The powerblocs, in cooperation with local supporters, completely occupy the United States. The remnants of U.S. Federal authority endeavor to carry on the struggle.

Suggested Scenario Change: The U.S. Federal Resistance cannot move into or try to influence Canadian and Mexican territory. Powerbloc forces can move freely through Canadian and Mexican territory.

Invasion: America

Published 1976
the Time was Spring {1997}
the Time is Spring 2020
Timeline 2020-2025

Factions

(with some suggested modifications to standard scenarios): USA (No US units in Quebec, Ontario, BC, Mexico, or Central America; US does not receive Militia) Europa/Russia {ESC} can deploy 10 units in Quebec &/or Ontario Chung-kuo/Nippon {PAL} can deploy 5 units in BC Unia America Latina (No Central American {SAU} includes Annexation by US) Mexico and Central America Regionialist/Secession-ist {All Canadian and Militia Units} cannot be placed in US Army ZOCs or in any urban hex. The Militia units do not have the “Partisan” ability.

Obviously, the starting sizes and reinforcement schedules of the Aggressor forces have to be reduced considerably for the scenario to work, as the modifications will result in a too-easy win for them.

Background

Taking advantage of the civil strife in the U.S., which began in 2016 with the aftershock of defeat in a massive overseas war, the turmoil of an extremely polarized Presidential election, and then devolved into a civil war, the powerblocs (mainly Europa, Russia, Chung-kuo, Nippon, and Unia America Latina) invade the continental U.S. The game portrays various moments in the assault of the powerblocs against the U.S. After the Holocaust P ublished 1977 the Time was May {2002} the Time is May 2032 Timeline 2032-2042

Factions

Christian Alliance {Church of the (Mid-West) Chosen Few} (theocracy) National Defense {coalition of military, Council (South-West) Rangers & veterans (military government) organizations} Far West {Bank of America} (Government of the (corporate Western US) government) North East {Ma Bell} (Government of the (corporate Eastern US) government) The Feds {Federal Reserve Bank}

Background

Most of the powerblocs’ occupying forces have been withdrawn by 2032. The continuing military casualties and economic drain of occupying the former US are too exhausting. Virtually all of the major urban centers of the former US are now de facto independent city-states, usually dominated by corporations, although ostensibly under the authority of a weak US federal government.

Some cities (such as Montreal), as well as regions (e.g., in Canada) are part of the overseas powerblocs. There is now a “War for the American Heartland” between five main factions. A coalition of the Christian Alliance and the National Defense Council is able to establish control over most of the heartland US.

All the large metropolitan areas, however, remain outside its control. Ironically, the exhausting wars between the powerblocs have led to a situation where the transnational corporations (TNC’s) are now massively increasing their stature. ARES Corporation is formed in attempt to re- start the exploration (and exploitation) of space, which has been neglected as a result of the powerblocs’ conflicts (apart from the military penetration of the near- Earth orbit area). With a general feeling of exhaustion, the powerblocs seem more willing to negotiate rather than fight with each other. WORD (the World Organization for Resource Development) is formed to replace the obviously failed United Nations.

Many Americans, disgusted with the failures of Earth politics, throw their energy into the space colonization effort.