Backstory (Set Free Map Game)

Here is the game's backstory:

2016

 * Hillary Clinton becomes the 45th POTUS after defeating Republican candidate Rand Paul in the US 2016 elections.
 * ISIL continues to make gains, as the Iraqis and Syrians are unable to hold back ISIL forces..
 * Another round of heavy fighting begins in Ukraine, as the Minsk II accords break down.

2017

 * Hillary Clinton is inaugurated as the 45th POTUS.
 * ISIL’s advance in the Middle East is halted to a bloody stalemate by Syrian and Iraqi forces. Boko Haram is finally slowed down in Africa, meanwhile.
 * Russian military forces begin rolling through the Ukrainian border and Crimea, in a military operation, resulting in additional sanctions.

2019

 * Hillary Clinton is assassinated by an unknown assailant, and as a result, Vice President Martin O’Malley, takes power as the 46th POTUS.
 * Following the assassination of Hillary, President O’Malley blames Iran for the assassination, and decides to ask for the UN Security Council for additional sanctions. This causes a rupture in the Coalition forces, which ISIL later takes advantage of.
 * ISIL takes advantage of the rupture in the Coalition forces in order to make one final push, and though making limited gains, ISIL is able to beat back the Coalition temporarily.
 * Ukraine fights the Russians to a bloody stalemate in the Kharkiv, Kherson, the Zaporizhia Oblasts.

2020

 * Marco Rubio wins the 2020 presidential elections, after a scandal involving then-President O’Malley, causes him to lose the popular vote and the electoral college vote.
 * ISIL is beat back by a Coalition counter-offensive, during which Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, also known as Caliph Ibrahim is killed by a Syrian air strike, forcing the group into disarray and causing the group’s morale to drop.
 * Russia is able to break the Ukrainian-established stalemate, as they proceed further into Ukraine.
 * China and Japan once again face off in the Senkaku Islands, but no sign of conflict has yet arisen, no ship has had yet to fire a single shot.
 * North Korea begins an unusual period of military buildup after a Ri Su Yong, North Korean Foreign Affairs Minister is executed by order of Kim-Jong Un himself for “crimes against the state of North Korea.” However, during this process several minor skirmishes explode in the region, as South Korea fears the possibility of a North Korean Civil War.

2021

 * ISIL is no longer rendered as a threat, after the group’s remaining membership either goes missing or are arrested by local authorities, effectively rendering ISIL non-existent.
 * President Rubio is inaugurated as the 47th POTUS.
 * Kiev finally falls to Russia, as Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and his cabinet are killed trying to flee the city, and the remaining military forces of Ukraine surrender. Shortly after, Russia officially annexes Ukraine. Some in NATO are calling this the “beginning of a new Soviet Union”.
 * Iran detonates its first nuclear weapon, officially rendering them a nuclear power. The UN imposes additional sanctions on Iran, and the US proposes even direct intervention. However, with the UN Security Council in a state of in-fighting as a result of the fall of Ukraine, the US is forced to intervene directly with NATO support.

2022

 * Iran is completely occupied by the joint US-NATO forces, and Iran’s nuclear program is dismantled. However, this stirs up another Iraq-style insurgency, which is rapidly making gains against US-NATO forces.
 * Finland, in a surprise move, declares its official intents to join NATO, much to the chagrin of Russia. As a result, tensions between the two begins to arise, and some fear it is about to reach the tipping point. Georgia also makes such an announcement, despite the territorial disputes it has with Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
 * A Fourth Taiwan Strait Crisis occurs, when Chinese ships are spotted on Taiwanese waters, and China begins the process of preparing for a potential invasion of Taiwan, according to some reports.

2024

 * Tensions continue to rise with NATO as Russia threatens military action against Georgia and Finland should they ever join NATO.
 * Democratic candidate Jim Webb wins the 2024 Presidential Elections against Republican candidate Chris Anderson, and he becomes the 47th POTUS.
 * The Iran War continues to rage as the insurgents gain more and more ground, despite the US and NATO’s best efforts.
 * Taking advantage of the chaos, Al-Qaeda seeks to the opportunity to make a resurgence by establishing itself in the ravaged Iran.

2025

 * President Jim Webb is inaugurated as the 48th POTUS.
 * The Syrian Civil War formally comes to an end, as the last remaining rebels are cleared from their strongholds.
 * Finland formally enters NATO, angering Russia to the point that they invade Georgia as to prevent them from joining NATO and the nation quickly falls.

2026

 * The world lies in the brink of war. China is becoming increasingly aggressive. Iran has become the equivalent of Iraq as the nation continues under heavy American occupation. The Russians have Ukraine and Georgia. Now, who knows what could happen next? The Third World War is about to begin……….