World War III

"It doesn't take the most powerful nations on Earth to create the next global conflict. Just the will of a single man."

- Vladimir Makarov

World War III was a fictional conflict between Ultranationalist Russia and countries including the United States of America, United Kingdom, France and Germany. This conflict began when Russian forces invaded the United States, in response to the Massacre at Zakhaev International Airport. The United States was initially caught off guard by the attack, but were able to hold several key positions. The initial invasion is the basis for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, whilst the events of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 happen as Russian forces declare a full scale war by invading New York and attacking parts of Western Europe including London, Paris and Berlin.

International tension and buildup
After winning the Second Russian Civil War, the new Ultranationalist regime in Russia adopted a aggressively hostile foreign policy towards the United States. A new Cold War emerged as the two powers looked again at each other with suspicion. One of the main operations during this period was the recovery of a downed ACS module in Ultranationlist-controlled Kazakhstan by John "Soap" MacTavish and Gary "Roach" Sanderson.

Massacre at Zakhaev International Airport -- Day 3, 2016
"The Russians ain't gonna let this massacre go unanswered. It's gonna get bloody."

- Lt. Simon "Ghost" Riley.

Vladimir Makarov, a known terrorist since 2001 and Russian Ultranationalist, personally leads the attack at Zakhaev International Airport. Makarov, Alexei Borodin (who is actually PFC Joseph Allen, a U.S. Army Ranger chosen to participate in a C.I.A. deep cover mission by General Shepherd) and 3 other Ultranationalists (known only as Kiril ,Lev, and Viktor ) assault Zakhaev International Airport and slaughter civilians, Russian airport security guards, and internal troops. Makarov, eventually found out the true identity of Borodin. When they were preparing to escape, he killed him and then left his body behind in order to give the appearance that the operation was planned and carried out by the United States. The Russian government, upon seeing the use of American made weapons (such as the M240 and M4A1 ), English speaking terrorists (Makarov instructed the group to speak "No Russian"), and the body of an American, were lead to believe that the massacre was supported, armed, and carried out with the approval of the United States government. The President of the Russian Federation, Boris Vorshevsky, claimed those who committed the attack would be held responsible.

"Following the Shell" -- Day 4, 2016
Resolved to clear the Americans of the massacre, Task Force 141 discovered that the ammuniton had come from Alejandro Rojas. Captain MacTavish and his team tracked the arms dealer to Rio De Janeiro. After capturing and interrogating Rojas' right hand man, TF 141 traced him to the Favela, where after a furious footchase, Rojas was captured. Unable to get extraction due to the Russian invasion (Brazil having denied the US access to its airspace), MacTavish called Nikolai to provide trasportation out of the city. The team barely escaped as the miltia gangs converged upon them.

Invasion of Virginia -- Day 4, 2016
Following the assault at Zakhaev International Airport, Russia launched a surprise attack on the eastern seaboard of the United States. Russian aircraft were able to penetrate American radar defenses because of a recently retrieved module. Upon duplicating the module, Russian forces were able to hack the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) system to give the illusion that an attack was happening on the West Coast, while concealing the real attack against the East Coast.

During the initial stages of the attack, US Army Rangers and Marines were scattered as Russian aircraft managed to drop many paratroopers and significant ground support. The 1st Battalion 75th Ranger Regiment, the closest regiment to Washington D.C., headed to secure a crashed High-Value Individual codenamed Raptor in Northern Virginia. The squad encountered heavy resistance including BTR-80's, Mi-28 Havocs, and many Russian troops. The Rangers were able to extract Raptor and inflict heavy casualties on the Russian attackers in the process.

Most targets by the invading Russian Forces included other East Coast cities such as Jacksonville, Florida and all the way up to New York City. Some areas and buildings on the East Coast that were attacked by the Russians included the C.I.A. Headquarters in Langley, Virginia; Camp David; and the Pentagon.

It is possible that certain areas on the West coast were also attacked. Despite the invasion, neither the US or Russia have resorted to the use of nuclear weapons. Following the extraction of Raptor, the Rangers continued to push through Northern Virginia en route to Washington D.C. Heavy fighting ensued in a community named Arcadia, where the Rangers, along with a Stryker ICV (callsign: Honey Badger), were buying valuable time for any remaining civilians to evacuate.

The regiment was also tasked with extracting another High Value Individual from a house on Brookmere Road. The HVI was found dead upon their arrival, apparently killed by Ultranationalist terrorists disguised as his guards. Upon investigating the safe-house, no evidence of struggle is found. One of the HVI's guards was found to have Russian prison tattoos on his chest. Shortly after, the soldiers continued their trek to Washington D.C.

Counter-Strike in Pacific Russia -- Day 5, 2016
After escaping South America, Task Force 141 had found out that Makarov hated a prisoner named 627 held in a gulag. The team took out a line of oil rigs that were being used as SAM sites and rescued the oil workers. Phase two of the operation was assaulting the gulag itself. After fighting their way into solitary confinement, MacTavish was surprised to find out that 627, was Captain John Price. The team barely escaped the prison before the US Navy bombarded it into an oblivion.

The Battle of Washington D.C. -- Day 5, 2016
The massive Russian military force managed to take control much of the eastern seaboard of the United States including it's capital, Washington D.C. After bombing several monuments, destroying many buildings, and setting up firing positions, U.S. forces in the capital proceeded to evacuate as many civilians as they can. However, numerous Russian soldiers and vehicles delayed their evacuation.

Sgt. Foley and his squad-mates entered the Department of Commerce to provide sniper support for the Washington Monument evacuation site. Private James Ramirez, using an M82 50. Caliber Sniper Rifle with a Thermal scope, assisted the team by sniping Russians armed with Javelin missile launchers.

Later, he used the Javelins to destroy any opposing helicopters and BTR 's. The Ranger team was eventually evacuated by a Navy SEAL team with Black Hawk helicopters. After taking off they began to destroy enemy forces at the WWII Memorial. During the process, the SEAL's Black Hawk was shot down by SAM's atop the Department of Justice. The Rangers crashed just southwest of the White House. The Russian forces had also commenced attacks on other strategic buildings near the U.S Capital, inflicting heavy casualties.

Nuclear Detonation: EMP Strike
At the same time the squad's helicopter crashed, Task Force 141 operators assaulted a Russian submarine base with the intent of destroying a nuclear submarine. Captain John Price, however, commandeers the sub and launches a nuclear missile. Price intended to detonate the missile in orbit, creating a desperately needed EMP over the entire Eastern seaboard of the United States, disabling all electronics.

At the crash site, Pvt. Ramirez, Cpl. Dunn, and Sgt. Foley continued to fight against Russian ground forces who severely outnumbered them. Meanwhile, in orbit, an astronaut, referred to as Sat1, stationed in the International Space Station, observes a fast-moving object in the sky. As both Houston and the ISS try to figure out what the bogey is, the missile exploded, creating an EMP.

The explosion also creates a shock-wave in orbit which destroys the ISS and Sat1. On the ground, as the situation for the American forces look hopeless, the pulse reaches nearly all of America, disabling all Russian and American vehicles. Now with their advantage removed, their forces scattered in the ensuing chaos and relief of new combat vehicles thousands of miles away, the Russian forces began losing territory. As Russian forces began closing in on the crash site, they were thrown into disarray when their own fighter planes and attack choppers began falling to the ground, an intended result of the EMP.

In the ensuing chaos, Foley's squad managed to escape. They soon learned that Colonel Marshall was assembling a task force at the Whiskey Hotel, intended to recapture the White House.

The regiment decided to join the other American soldiers to secure the White House. During the assault, an emergency broadcast is heard declaring that Washington DC is assumed lost to the Russians, and the United States Air Force is commencing a carpet bomb of the city. Hearing this message, the team desperately fought their way to the roof of the White House and deployed green flares to indicate the White House has been retaken.

This signaled the Americans have regained control of the city. Corporal Dunn claims that he would like to burn Moscow down to the ground after the devastation in Washington, foreshadowing a possible counter-attack by the Americans.

The Hunt for Makarov and Shepherd
After the Battle of Washington. General Shepherd sent TF 141 to the last places Makarov and his terrorists could hide. A team lead by Simon "Ghost" Riley and Gary "Roach" Sanderson attacked a safehouse on the Georgian-Russian border, while Captains Price and MacTavish infiltrated an arms deal at U.S. Vehicle Disposal Yard 437 in Afghanistan. The Safehouse proved to be a goldmine, where the plans for the airport massacre had been drawn up. The team held out until a DSM transfer on Makarov's computer could be completed. Ghost and Roach fled with the DSM aganist the counter-attacking Ultranationalists, where Shepherd was waiting for them. After getting the DSM, Shepherd had both men killed to cover his own tracks.

Meanwhile Soap and Price esacping an ambush set up by Shepherd took advantage of infighting between Shepherd's Shadow Company and Makarov's men and escaped the Boneyard.

Having learned from Makarov where Shepherd was, Soap and Price (now labeled war criminals) infiltrated the general's headquarters at Hotel Site Bravo. Fighting their way through the base they eventually chased Shepherd by boat. When Price took down the helicopter that Shepherd tried to escaped in the boat fell from a waterfall to the ground below. In the ensuing fight, Soap heavily wounded killed Shepherd with the same throwing knife the general had stabbed him with. The two then escaped with Nikolai to an unknown safehouse.

Post Washington
Regardless of the invasion by Russia, there were mixed responses by other nations. During the invasion of Northeastern Virginia, the Brazilian Government refused to allow US reinforcements fly through their airspace as a shortcut back to the America. Another response came from the United Nations as they condemned the brutal massacre that had taken place at the Zakhaev International Airport. Other nations have not voiced their responses to the invasion.

It is later revealed that General Shepherd was the architect of the war. He had hoodwinked everyone: the Russian government, the American government, and even Makarov himself. General Shepherd sent Allen to participate in Makarov's massacre knowing that Makarov would set America up. He even deliberately downed the satellite with the ACS so the Russians could get through American’s perimeter defenses.

He did all of this to test America's true military might. The only person who caught on was Captain Price. He observed Shepherd's unwillingness to let Task Force 141 set off an EMP, despite the fact that Shepherd was well known for doing what was always necessary to win.

Conflict spreads worldwide
After the invasion of the United States failed with the loss of their last stronghold in New York, Russian Forces planned and executed a massive offensive across Europe including cities such as London, Paris and Berlin, thus bringing the world into a Third World War.

Notable military operations

 * Invasion of Virginia
 * Russian victory
 * Outbreak of World War III
 * Russians seize control over Northeastern Virginia
 * Battle of Washington D.C.
 * US victory
 * US regain control of D.C.
 * Battle of New York City, United States
 * Battle of London, United Kingdom
 * Battle of Paris, France
 * Battle of Berlin, Germany

Radio Traffic during the invasion of America
Russo-American War Radio Chatter