1973: Al-Qaiyama (Map Game)

In the year 1973, after hundreds of thousands of years of armed conflict, humanity would be cleansed of its sin in nuclear hellfire. Thus on the morning of the 16th of November, spears of nuclear fire shot from the clouds like the thunder bolts of Zeus, thus cleansing the world in fire and blanketing the land in radiation. However, humanity, like cockroaches, refused to be stomped out even by their own weapons, and thus instead of the predicted end of humanity that so many believed would happen occurring, Doomsday was just the prelude to a even bloodier era of human history. An era where children would live, and die in the darkness of nuclear winter for a year until at last the ash cleared, and the land was able to grow food again. This is where our story begins. As humanity drags itself from the ashes of the old world, like a Phoenix reborn from the ashes, new conflicts, and issues will arise in this new world. Here one mistake can mean the fall of nations and hope is your most scarce resource. Will you rebuild the old world or will you reshape the ashes in your own image? All in the world of 1973: Al-Qaiyama.

Timeline
NOTE: The events of this world are based on the alternatehistory.com timeline on the same name, so be warned.

6th of October of 1973 - 23th of October of 1973

 * The Yom Kippur War rages between Israel, Syria and Egypt.

25th of October of 1973

 * The Soviet Union threatens to intervene in Egypt, following a series of ceasefire violations by the Israeli government over the course of two days.
 * The US government raises the military alert level to DEFCON 3 following the Soviet threats, and the US Sixth Fleet is deployed into the Mediterranean Sea.
 * 40,000 troops are deployed to the Mediterranean to prepare for an intervention in Egypt.

26th of October of 1973

 * Point of Divergence: After a Soviet ship from the 5th Operational Squadron ignores a US Sixth Fleet warning shot, the latter opens fire, effectively starting the Third Battle of Latakia. The Third World War begins, though no official declaration of war has been in place yet.
 * After the Third Battle of Latakia, the USSR officially deploys the forces stationed in the Mediterranean to assist Egypt, effectively joining the war on the side of the Egyptians.
 * Shortly after, the Americans deploy the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions to deal with the Soviets.

27th of October of 1973

 * The Egyptian Third Army is completely annihilated, and the First Battle of Cairo begins in earnest with artillery barrages constantly bombarding the city.

28th of October of 1973

 * The Soviet Politburo authorises the use of all lethal force against NATO units in the Middle East.
 * Operation: Red Thunderstorm (codename for the invasion of Norway and Western Europe) is planned out.

30th of October of 1973

 * Nixon heads to Stockholm in neutral ground to find one last compromise and deescalate the situation.
 * NATO forces begin their push towards Cairo, as the Soviet Expeditionary Force and local Egyptian forces attempt to defend the city.
 * The Siege of Damascus begins.

1st of November of 1973

 * Nixon walks out of the Stockholm Conference after receiving reports of PACT military buildup, effectively eliminating any hopes for a peaceful resolution to the crisis.
 * The other NATO powers' respective militaries are placed on high alert, following the Stockholm Conference's failure, especially West German forces.

5th of November of 1973

 * PACT forces effectively begin phase one of Operation: Red Thunderstorm with an amphibious offensive on Narvik. Shortly after the start of the operation, the members of the Warsaw Pact effectively declare war on NATO; WWIII officially begins.
 * Nixon orders all US military forces into DEFCON 1 for the first time in recorded history.

7th of November of 1973

 * PACT forces in Norway are dragged into a bloody stalemate, while they begin to cross the North German Plain, the Fulda Gap and the Czech-West German Border into West Germany. PACT forces are able to quickly cross the North German Plain and the Czech-West German Border, though the attempt to cross the Fulda Gap drags on.
 * KPA forces cross the Korean DMZ and invade South Korea, taking advantage of the situation in Europe and the Middle East; effectively joining the war on the side of the Warsaw Pact.
 * Iraq and Iran both join the war on the side of the PACT and NATO respectively.

9th of November of 1973

 * The Fulda Gap is secured by PACT forces, which are split up to go through and around the Vogelsberg Mountains.
 * Nixon orders the execution of Operation: REFORGER, as the situation becomes grimmer in Germany by the minute.
 * The Siege of Seoul begins, while the Israelis are forced onto the defensive following the transfer of US forces in the Middle East to Europe.

10th of November of 1973

 * Turkish and Greek forces are able to push back Romanian and Bulgarian forces, and even take territory in the Balkans.

11th of November of 1973

 * NATO and PACT naval forces engage along the GIUK Gap.
 * The Battle of Schotten results in the use of chemical weapons by PACT forces against NATO forces making a fighting retreat in the town.
 * NORTHAG begins to make a fighting retreat across the North German Plain.

12th of November of 1973

 * The fighting in Egypt drags to a stalemate, although Israeli forces make limited gains in Syria.
 * The UK's 3rd Division fails to blow up bridges while putting up a fighting retreat in the Battle of Bremen.
 * PACT forces cross the border into Denmark, only to be stalled into a bloody stalemate.

13th of November of 1973

 * PACT forces cross the border into the Netherlands, as they approach the Rhine River.
 * NATO forces launch Operation: Spectre in order to raid the Crimean Peninsula, specifically the city of Sevastopol. It fails thanks to Bulgarian and Romanian forces making a combined offensive and taking the West Bank of the Dardnells cutting NATO acess to the Black Sea.

14th of November of 1973

 * NATO naval units begin to conduct naval operations in the Norwegian Sea, after PACT submarines halt attempts to pass the GIUK Gap and attempt to reorganise and resupply. They, along with the surface forces begin to go on the defensive. However, NATO naval forces are still kept at bay by land based Soviet Anti-Ship missiles and Soviet Naval avation being able to support their surface forces.

11:10 hours UTC

 * Nixon, Heath and Pompidou order SHAPE (Supreme Headquarters Allied Forces Europe) to relay the authorization to use tactical nuclear weapons along the Rhine River to delay the Soviet advance. Nixon also orders the preparation for SAC to launch strategic nuclear weapons when ready, and the evacuation to Mount Weather for him. Congress, meanwhile, is ordered to evacuate to the Greenbrier Hotel's underground complex. However, many members of Congress leave to return to their homes and Congress's last act before more or less dissolving is enacting the Emergency War Powers Act which divests much of the legislative branch's power in the hands of the Executive Branch for the duration of the conflict.

11:18 hours UTC

 * 50 tactical nuclear weapons are detonated along the Rhine River and Main River respectively in an attempt to stall the Soviets, destroying many major cities and most bridge crossings.

11:19 hours UTC

 * Brezhnev authorizes PACT forces to use tactical nuclear weapons, and orders the Strategic Missile Troops to be ready, if necessary. He and the Politburo evacuate to the D-6 complex (also known as the Metro-2).

11:21 hours UTC

 * NATO forces in Korea begin to use tactical nuclear weapons as well. The Siege of Seoul ends in the city's destruction. With the use of nuclear weapons against North Korea China enters the war on the War Pact side and sends troops across the border to help North Korean forces.
 * PACT forces are effectively pushed out of Norway and back across the Norwegian Sea.

12:30 hours UTC

 * 120 PACT tactical nuclear weapons are detonated in retaliation for the initial NATO nuclear barrage, as they continue their advance through the remaining bridge crossing.

12:50 hours UTC

 * PACT and Chinese forces in Korea retaliate with nuclear strikes, following the retaliatory strikes in Germany.

14:44 hours UTC

 * PACT forces reach the Franco-West German Border and the Dutch-Belgian Border, with the farthest point being Saärbrucken, only to get nuked by NATO with 80 tactical nuclear weapons with a yield of 20-50 kilotons.

14:58 hours UTC

 * NATO launches a counterattack in an attempt to push PACT forces east towards the Rhine River.

17:33 hours UTC

 * PACT forces destroy any remaining river crossing as the NATO advance is ground to a halt, and nuked.

17:33 hours UTC - 23:59 hours UTC

 * The fighting in Germany and Korea drags on to a stalemate, as the disorganised military forces on both fronts are unable to make gains, with each side either disorganised or getting nuked every time they make a gain.

00:00 hours UTC - 14:10 hours UTC

 * The nuclear stalemate continues in Germany and Korea.

14:10 hours UTC

 * Sirens across North America, Western Europe and Israel go off in advance, as SAC is given the order to launch, along with the Royal Navy's Northwood HQ for the Polaris system, the French Missile Forces and Israel's Armed Forces.

14:17 hours UTC

 * ICBMs launch across Western Europe, Japan, NATO-controlled South Korea and North America, while strategic bombers and SSBN submarines are also deployed in a NATO first strike.
 * The Main Centre for Missile Attack Warning as part of the Soviet Early Warning System, goes off, with multiple Soviet early warning satellites registering positive launches across the United States, Japan, South Korea and Western Europe.

14:18 hours UTC

 * The Soviet Strategic Missile Troops, Navy, and Air Force are given the order to retaliate, the entire Soviet ICBM stockpile is launched, the strategic bomber fleet being scrambling, and Soviet SSBN submarines heading out to see to head out to sea.

14:30 hours UTC

 * By this point, most of Europe (except for Yugoslavia, Albania, Finland, Sweden and parts of the European Soviet Union), the entire Korean Peninsula and Japan are reduced to nuclear rubble by tactical nuclear weapons or by MRBMs and IRBMs, with only a few surviving governments in the ravaged territories escaping destruction.

14:50 hours UTC

 * ICBMs reach their targets in North America, the European USSR and parts of the Caucasus.

15:01 hours UTC

 * Fighters and ground AA launchers attempt to shoot down as many strategic bombers on both sides of the Bering Strait from crossing in the Battle of the Bering Strait; the 2nd last battle of the war.

15:17 hours UTC

 * Strategic bombers from both sides of the Iron Curtain survive to cross the Bering Strait, and head towards their targets.

16:17 hours UTC

 * Most cities in North America, Central Asia, the Caucasus and parts of Siberia are completely annihilated.
 * Submarines on the coasts of North America, the Far East and Europe are ordered to launch SLBMs to mop up any remaining strategic targets, including cities and military bases.

17:17 hours UTC

 * NATO and the PACT have expended a total of 6,370 strategic warheads at this point and 440 tactical warheads, and counting. Both sides begin to expend any remaining warheads with any delivery systems left standing.

17:57 hours UTC

 * The Third World War ends with a total of 6,500 strategic nuclear weapons detonated, and 600 tactical nuclear weapons detonated across the Northern Hemisphere. 400 million lives are lost; 3 million in the conventional stage alone, with the remaining 397 million dead in the nuclear firestorm.

17:58 hours UTC

 * The Third World War has just ended. This is where you come in. As the nuclear winter descends over the planet, what will your legacy be in 1973: Al-Qaiyama?

Rules
Rules

Moderators

 * Creator: Through Stars We Rise. (Welcome to the Universe). 15:34, June 20, 2017 (UTC)
 * Co-Creator: Maine Nationalist (talk) 18:00, June 20, 2017 (UTC)
 * Head Moderator:
 * Algorithm Moderator:
 * Plausibility Moderator:
 * Mapmaker:

Nations
BOLD - Only players of plausible reputation are authorised to play these nations or have 1,000 edits or above.

ITALICS - Only players of plausible reputation are authorised to play these nations or have 500 edits or above.

NOTE TO PLAYERS: Since most of Europe, a significant chunk of North America, the Levant, Korea, Japan and the Soviet Union are devastated, nations are allowed to be created there, but as other national governments collapse, feel free to make a nation once said government is in a state of disarray.

North America

 * Canadian Provisional Government -
 * Provisional Government of the United States of America -
 * Mexico -
 * Cuba -
 * Haiti -
 * Dominican Republic -
 * Jamaica -
 * Bahamas -
 * Guatemala -
 * Nicaragua -
 * Costa Rica -
 * Panama -
 * El Salvador -

South America

 * Brazil -
 * Venezuela -
 * Argentina -
 * Chile -
 * Uruguay -
 * Paraguay -
 * Colombia -
 * Bolivia -
 * Peru -
 * Ecuador -

Europe

 * Albania -
 * Yugoslavia -
 * Provisional Government of the United Kingdom -
 * French Provisional Authority -
 * Provisional Government of the German Federal Republic -
 * Polish Provisional People's Council -
 * Spanish Royal Provisional Authority -
 * Sweden -
 * Finland -
 * People's Provisional Government of Germany -
 * Provisional Government of the Portuguese State -
 * Italian Provisional Reconstruction Authority -

Asia

 * People's Republic of China - Through Stars We Rise. (Welcome to the Universe). 15:29, June 21, 2017 (UTC)
 * Republic of China (Taiwan) -
 * North Vietnam -
 * South Vietnam -
 * Afghanistan -
 * Bahrain -
 * Bangladesh -
 * Bhutan -
 * India -
 * Indonesia -
 * Iran -
 * Iraq -
 * Jordan -
 * Khmer Republic -
 * Kuwait -
 * Laos -
 * Lebanon -
 * Syria -
 * Provisional Government of the State of Israel -
 * Provisional Government of the Union of Sovereign Socialist Republics -
 * Malaysia -
 * Maldives -
 * Mongolia -
 * Nepal -
 * Oman -
 * Provisional Government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea -
 * Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea -
 * Provisional Government of the State of Japan -
 * Philippines -
 * Qatar -
 * Saudi Arabia -
 * Singapore -
 * Sri Lanka -
 * Thailand -
 * Turkish Provisional Authority -
 * United Arab Emirates -
 * North Yemen -
 * South Yemen -

Africa

 * South Africa -
 * Egypt -
 * Libya -
 * Nigeria -
 * Rhodesia -
 * Tanzania -
 * Sudan -
 * Tunisia -
 * Morocco -
 * Ghana -
 * Guinea -
 * Togo -
 * Mali -
 * Senegal -
 * Malagasy Republic -
 * Zaire -
 * Somalia -
 * Dahomey -
 * Upper Volta -
 * Niger -
 * Ivory Coast -
 * Chad -
 * Central African Republic -
 * Republic of the Congo -
 * Gabon -
 * Mauritania -
 * Sierra Leone -
 * Malawi -
 * Zambia -
 * The Gambia -
 * Botswana -
 * Lesotho -
 * Swaziland -
 * Equatorial Guinea -
 * Guinea-Bissau -
 * Ethiopia -

Oceania

 * Australia -
 * New Zealand -