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Description
World War 3 came in 2056 as military skirmishes in the Nigerian civil war escalated into open conflict. With the US delivering a declaration of war, and invoking the article 5 of the NATO charter, it became clear that the ensuing conflict would not be small, potentially pulling in all of the World's superpowers. However, Russian pressure on NATO's European states not to intervene initially caused the US's NATO allies not to answer their call to arms, leaving precious little time for Turkey to organize a first strike and offensive. Gambling that European, and eventually Russian, intervention was inevitable, Turkey instructed its space array along with ground-based military installations to target European, Russian, and American military installations in orbit, on the Moon, and on land. Although the war in space had already broken out, both sides had hoped to limit its scale so as to maintain connections to their colonies. To the shock of the world, through orbital, naval, and aerial strikes, Turkey managed to temporarily disable the command and communication networks of all 3 powers before initiating its invasion of the Balkans and Caucasus regions. Having secured temporary military immunity, and in high morale thanks to the intervention of the rest of their Consensus allies, the Turks began their lightning campaign into Europe. Much of the Balkans fell within 6 weeks, and by the time the Entente had recovered from the first strike, Turkish forces were besieging Zagreb, had taken Sevastopol, and threatened Tel Aviv and Riyadh. When the Entente finally organized an effective counter-attack, the Turks had already become entrenched, and it became obvious that any offensive would end in copious bloodshed. Meanwhile, in response to Turkey's escalation of war in space, the US strategically destroyed the Consensus power's orbital array with ground-based lasers and hyper-sonic weaponry, leaving both factions blind, save for images transmitted from the Moon and other extra-Terran stations. The war progressed slowly from then on. By the end of the first year of fighting Turkey and Iran had capitulated the entirety of the Arabian peninsula, North Africa was on the brink of collapse, and combined Italian-Turkish forces had entered the Po valley. Seizing on the spoils of war, Turkey also annexed Cyrpus, the Aegean islands, Crete, Thrace, and the Southern Caucusus.

The Entente remained on the back-foot from the beginning of the war, giving the Consensus powers free reign over most of Eurasia. However, by 2058 the Entente had begun implementing their grand strategy. Meeting in Halifax, the major Entente powers America, Russia, Europe, Japan, India, and East Africa unanimously agreed Turkey posed the greatest threat to their continued prosecution of the war, considering it represented an immediate and mortal threat the Europe and Russia. They agreed that Russia would continually sacrifice territory in Siberia and Central Asia in exchange for focusing on the Western front, while Japan and Korea would fortify and hold the Yalu river in order to stabilize the East for the foreseeable future. The Entente would first force the capitulation of Turkey and Iran, then Brazil, and finally China. Thus, the majority of Entente forces funneled into Europe in order to push back the Turkish front.

In the European theater during 2059, the Entente mounted a series of offensives in Central Europe, Ukraine, and Italy which aimed to eliminate the mortal threat Turkey posed to Poland, Europe, and Russia. The idea of the offensive being the formation a defensive line at the Danube and Drava rivers so Entente could focus on the Mediterranean campaign. In Central Europe, the Battle of Vienna held the fate of Europe in the balance, however the breaking of Consensus defenses around the city allowed Entente forces to flank and encircle the Turkish attackers. The encircled Turkish forces were crushed, paving the way for an Entente advance. The Entente pushed Consensus forces back to their goals, liberating Romania and Hungary and creating a buffer zone between Turkish air power and European civilian and industrial centers. With the Turks distracted defending Central Europe, Entente forces began their push to pacify Italy. The Po river valley campaign ended in the decisive destruction of Italo-Turkish forces and the quick conquest of the entire Italian peninsula. In the East, the Russians began their push into occupied Ukraine. Facing real resistance in only the bloody Battles of Minsk, Kiev, and Kharkov, the thinly stretched Turkish garrison crumbled beneath the Russian onslaught, and the Russians advanced across Ukraine into the Crimea. With their defenses crumbling across their empire, the Turks were forced to strategically withdraw from Sardinia and Corsica in order to reinforce their own coastal and front line defenses. With this, the Entente retook the islands and landed in Sicily, beginning the Mediterranean campaign by threatening Turkish control of the Eastern Mediterranean.

The Mediterranean campaign employed much of the practices learned by the Americans in the Pacific Theater during World War 2, implementing a strategy of island hopping. With the Entente thoroughly entrenched at the Danube and Drava, a large portion of forces were diverted toward the Mediterranean. From Southern Italy and Sicily the Entente launched amphibious assaults on Malta and Crete, successfully establishing a beachhead on Crete, but failing to establish any foothold on Malta. Despite their failings in Malta, the Entente pressed forward in Crete, their naval convoys harassed by Consensus air assaults from mainland Europe and Africa and Malta. The Battle of Crete proved bloody, as the Entente failed to initially achieve air superiority, thus facing prolonged artillery and air bombardments during their initial advance. When the Entente did finally expel the Turks from Crete it was clear they'd won a Pyrrhic victory, and were forced to postpone assaults on Cyprus and Turkey until they recovered. By the time Entente forces had recovered the Turks and Iranians had reinforced their coastal defenses, promising a bloody and fanatical defense. The campaign came to a head with the Entente landings on the Island of Rhodes and at the port city of Izmir. In a stroke of good luck, the Turks had been in the process of rotating defenders at Izmir and the surprised garrison collapsed beneath the Entente landings. With the major port city taken, Entente forces streamed into Anatolia, taking the entirety of the Aegean coast before being halted at Bursa.

As the Battle of Anatolia intensified, it was obvious that the Turks could not support the logistical burden placed on Turkish industry and army, and Turkish forces began running out of supplies. When the Entente took Cyprus and advanced across the Danube to retake the rest of the Balkans, many Turks began to read the writing on the wall and portions of the Turkish army began surrendering. A Jewish uprising sparked by Entente landings in Israel pushed Consensus forces out of the Levant and severed the Consensus powers' connection to Africa. The Entente swept right across North Africa in the first half of 2060, only being bogged down by Egyptian resistance on the Nile. Meanwhile, Nigerian forces, with EAF reinforcements, took Kano, shattering the United Emirates of Hausa and Kanuri, and breaking the back of Consensus forces in the Sahel. Within 3 months of the Battle of Kano the entire Sahel region had capitulated and the Entente faced only fragmented resistance from Islamic insurgents in the interior of the Sahara.

The end of Turkey's empire came in 2061 when Entente victories inspired a Kurdish uprising behind Turkish lines. This crippled the Turkish military, allowing Entente forces to push down from the Caucuses in the North, and to take Mersin and then Konya in the South. As Entente forces closed in from all sides the fighting became intense and casualties began to mount. By the time Entente forces captured Istanbul the Turks were demoralized and suffering from war fatigue. As Turkish forces retreated, European soldiers captured intelligence exposing the location of Turkey's ground-based orbital defenses. Once they'd been destroyed by Entente air power, Turkey was left defenseless to orbital bombardment, and the Entente threatened kinetic energy attacks on their major cities should they fail to surrender. Thus, Turkey capitulated in November, 2061, leaving a stubborn and cut off Egyptian and Eritrean resistance on the Red sea coast and an exposed Arabian peninsula for the Iranians to defend.

With the capitulation of Turkey a powerful wing of the Shanghai Consensus had been clipped, and the Consensus was effectively neutered in Arabia, Mesopotamia, and Africa and was forced to withdraw to the Euphrates river. The Entente had managed to prevent the collapse of their European allies in Poland, the European Federation, and Russia and were now in a position to reclaim Central Asia, Siberia, and link up with Indian and Baluch troops in Iran. Although the Fall of Turkey came relatively quick, it had cost several hundred thousand lives on both sides, and Entente leaders were keen to point out that Turkey was just the first of several belligerents to defeat. The Brazilians, Iranians, and Chinese still stood, weakened, but formidable. The price of victory had not yet been paid: there was still bloodshed to come.

Description
World War 3 came in 2056 as military skirmishes in the Nigerian civil war escalated into open conflict. With the US delivering a declaration of war, and invoking the article 5 of the NATO charter, it became clear that the ensuing conflict would not be small, potentially pulling in all of the World's superpowers. However, Russian pressure on NATO's European states not to intervene initially caused the US's NATO allies not to answer their call to arms, leaving precious little time for Turkey to organize a first strike and offensive. Gambling that European, and eventually Russian, intervention was inevitable, Turkey instructed its space array along with ground-based military installations to target European, Russian, and American military installations in orbit, on the Moon, and on land. Although the war in space had already broken out, both sides had hoped to limit its scale so as to maintain connections to their colonies. To the shock of the world, through orbital, naval, and aerial strikes, Turkey managed to temporarily disable the command and communication networks of all 3 powers before initiating its invasion of the Balkans and Caucasus regions. Having secured temporary military immunity, and in high morale thanks to the intervention of the rest of their Consensus allies, the Turks began their lightning campaign into Europe. Much of the Balkans fell within 6 weeks, and by the time the Entente had recovered from the first strike, Turkish forces were besieging Zagreb, had taken Sevastopol, and threatened Tel Aviv and Riyadh. When the Entente finally organized an effective counter-attack, the Turks had already become entrenched, and it became obvious that any offensive would end in copious bloodshed. Meanwhile, in response to Turkey's escalation of war in space, the US strategically destroyed the Consensus power's orbital array with ground-based lasers and hyper-sonic weaponry, leaving both factions blind, save for images transmitted from the Moon and other extra-Terran stations. The war progressed slowly from then on. By the end of the first year of fighting Turkey and Iran had capitulated the entirety of the Arabian peninsula, North Africa was on the brink of collapse, and combined Italian-Turkish forces had entered the Po valley. Seizing on the spoils of war, Turkey also annexed Cyrpus, the Aegean islands, Crete, Thrace, and the Southern Caucusus.

The Entente remained on the back-foot from the beginning of the war, giving the Consensus powers free reign over most of Eurasia. However, by 2058 the Entente had begun implementing their grand strategy. Meeting in Halifax, the major Entente powers America, Russia, Europe, Japan, India, and East Africa unanimously agreed Turkey posed the greatest threat to their continued prosecution of the war, considering it represented an immediate and mortal threat the Europe and Russia. They agreed that Russia would continually sacrifice territory in Siberia and Central Asia in exchange for focusing on the Western front, while Japan and Korea would fortify and hold the Yalu river in order to stabilize the East for the foreseeable future. The Entente would first force the capitulation of Turkey and Iran, then Brazil, and finally China. Thus, the majority of Entente forces funneled into Europe in order to push back the Turkish front.

In the European theater during 2059, the Entente mounted a series of offensives in Central Europe, Ukraine, and Italy which aimed to eliminate the mortal threat Turkey posed to Poland, Europe, and Russia. The idea of the offensive being the formation a defensive line at the Danube and Drava rivers so Entente could focus on the Mediterranean campaign. In Central Europe, the Battle of Vienna held the fate of Europe in the balance, however the breaking of Consensus defenses around the city allowed Entente forces to flank and encircle the Turkish attackers. The encircled Turkish forces were crushed, paving the way for an Entente advance. The Entente pushed Consensus forces back to their goals, liberating Romania and Hungary and creating a buffer zone between Turkish air power and European civilian and industrial centers. With the Turks distracted defending Central Europe, Entente forces began their push to pacify Italy. The Po river valley campaign ended in the decisive destruction of Italo-Turkish forces and the quick conquest of the entire Italian peninsula. In the East, the Russians began their push into occupied Ukraine. Facing real resistance in only the bloody Battles of Minsk, Kiev, and Kharkov, the thinly stretched Turkish garrison crumbled beneath the Russian onslaught, and the Russians advanced across Ukraine into the Crimea. With their defenses crumbling across their empire, the Turks were forced to strategically withdraw from Sardinia and Corsica in order to reinforce their own coastal and front line defenses. With this, the Entente retook the islands and landed in Sicily, beginning the Mediterranean campaign by threatening Turkish control of the Eastern Mediterranean.

The Mediterranean campaign employed much of the practices learned by the Americans in the Pacific Theater during World War 2, implementing a strategy of island hopping. With the Entente thoroughly entrenched at the Danube and Drava, a large portion of forces were diverted toward the Mediterranean. From Southern Italy and Sicily the Entente launched amphibious assaults on Malta and Crete, successfully establishing a beachhead on Crete, but failing to establish any foothold on Malta. Despite their failings in Malta, the Entente pressed forward in Crete, their naval convoys harassed by Consensus air assaults from mainland Europe and Africa and Malta. The Battle of Crete proved bloody, as the Entente failed to initially achieve air superiority, thus facing prolonged artillery and air bombardments during their initial advance. When the Entente did finally expel the Turks from Crete it was clear they'd won a Pyrrhic victory, and were forced to postpone assaults on Cyprus and Turkey until they recovered. By the time Entente forces had recovered the Turks and Iranians had reinforced their coastal defenses, promising a bloody and fanatical defense. The campaign came to a head with the Entente landings on the Island of Rhodes and at the port city of Izmir. In a stroke of good luck, the Turks had been in the process of rotating defenders at Izmir and the surprised garrison collapsed beneath the Entente landings. With the major port city taken, Entente forces streamed into Anatolia, taking the entirety of the Aegean coast before being halted at Bursa.

As the Battle of Anatolia intensified, it was obvious that the Turks could not support the logistical burden placed on Turkish industry and army, and Turkish forces began running out of supplies. When the Entente took Cyprus and advanced across the Danube to retake the rest of the Balkans, many Turks began to read the writing on the wall and portions of the Turkish army began surrendering. A Jewish uprising sparked by Entente landings in Israel pushed Consensus forces out of the Levant and severed the Consensus powers' connection to Africa. The Entente swept right across North Africa in the first half of 2060, only being bogged down by Egyptian resistance on the Nile. Meanwhile, Nigerian forces, with EAF reinforcements, took Kano, shattering the United Emirates of Hausa and Kanuri, and breaking the back of Consensus forces in the Sahel. Within 3 months of the Battle of Kano the entire Sahel region had capitulated and the Entente faced only fragmented resistance from Islamic insurgents in the interior of the Sahara.

The end of Turkey's empire came in 2061 when Entente victories inspired a Kurdish uprising behind Turkish lines. This crippled the Turkish military, allowing Entente forces to push down from the Caucuses in the North, and to take Mersin and then Konya in the South. As Entente forces closed in from all sides the fighting became intense and casualties began to mount. By the time Entente forces captured Istanbul the Turks were demoralized and suffering from war fatigue. As Turkish forces retreated, European soldiers captured intelligence exposing the location of Turkey's ground-based orbital defenses. Once they'd been destroyed by Entente air power, Turkey was left defenseless to orbital bombardment, and the Entente threatened kinetic energy attacks on their major cities should they fail to surrender. Thus, Turkey capitulated in November, 2061, leaving a stubborn and cut off Egyptian and Eritrean resistance on the Red sea coast and an exposed Arabian peninsula for the Iranians to defend.

With the capitulation of Turkey a powerful wing of the Shanghai Consensus had been clipped, and the Consensus was effectively neutered in Arabia, Mesopotamia, and Africa and was forced to withdraw to the Euphrates river. The Entente had managed to prevent the collapse of their European allies in Poland, the European Federation, and Russia and were now in a position to reclaim Central Asia, Siberia, and link up with Indian and Baluch troops in Iran. Although the Fall of Turkey came relatively quick, it had cost several hundred thousand lives on both sides, and Entente leaders were keen to point out that Turkey was just the first of several belligerents to defeat. The Brazilians, Iranians, and Chinese still stood, weakened, but formidable. The price of victory had not yet been paid: there was still bloodshed to come.