Fans of the Fallout series can get first-hand accounts of Post-War life by simply playing the game, but details concerning the Great War itself are sketchy at best. However, that doesn't mean they aren't existent. Between the histories of various in-game factions and old pre-war records, a crafty and dedicated player can piece together a veritable trove of information concerning it.
In Fallout 4, players are able to explore the region where the bomb hit Boston, finding notes, log entries, and corpses of the people who were unfortunate enough to be at ground zero. Along with this location, terminals and accounts from Ghouls throughout the whole franchise can help paint a picture of how the war happened. Today, we'll dive into what we do know concerning the war that essentially set the stage for Fallout as a whole.
10 The Soviet Union Dropped Bombs
In the real world, the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, but this is not the case in the Fallout universe. The Soviet Union went on to exist up until the Great War, in which the lands of Russia most likely turned into a wasteland. There are a few differences between the real Soviet Union and the Fallout timeline's Soviet Union besides this.
The United States and the Soviet Union most likely had a sort of friendship in the years before the war. One of the possible protagonists of Fallout, Natalia Dubrovhsky, has in her background information that her grandfather worked at the Soviet Consulate in Los Angeles.
9 The War Lasted 2 Hours
It should be expected that a nuclear war would not last that long, but this one lasted only 2 hours. According to the Fallout games, the first bomb struck America at 9:42 AM, EST. Players of Fallout 4 are able to experience the panic that came with the realization that a global nuclear exchange was erupting.
In under 2 hours, the world was changed forever. Players are able to find clocks all around the Fallout wastelands, with their hands stuck at the time the world virtually ended - 9:47, within five minutes of the first bomb touching down.
8 New York City Was First City Hit
New York City is the most populous city in the United States, so it can be expected it would be one of the first targets of a nuclear attack. In the introduction of Fallout 4, players are able to listen to the news broadcast that announces the bombs hitting New York.
In the early stages of Fallout 4, there was talk about having the game set in a Post-War New York City. Instead of Boston, players could have been living it up in the city that never sleeps. To whatever degree they could live it up post-nuclear style, anyway.
7 Las Vegas Was Largely Spared
Unlike New York, Las Vegas was largely spared from the horrors of the Great War. Of the 77 warheads launched at and around Las Vegas, only 9 hit the area. This explains why the Mojave Wasteland is relatively normal for the most part, Deathclaws and cazadores aside.
Players who explore that Mojave Wasteland are able to find the craters caused by the warheads. Finding these will remind the player that society has actually gone some way towards rebuilding in the aftermath of the war, despite the madness consuming the Mojave as the NCR dukes it out with Caesar's Legion.
6 Robert House Predicted The War
The businessman Robert House can be credited for being the reason Las Vegas was left relatively unscathed in the war. A defense system was installed on top of his casino, the Lucky 38, which destroyed all but 9 of the warheads.
Mr. House also predicted the war, saying that a nuclear war was going to occur by 2780, at most. When the players ask Mr. House how he could have predicted this, Mr. House responds by saying he deemed it a mathematical certainty war would happen in the next 15 years.
5 There Were Survivors From The United Kingdom
While it can not be certain, the United Kingdom could have been hit harder than the United States was, or perhaps not. It's difficult to be certain. However, we do know that Allistair Tenpenny, an infamous NPC in Fallout 3, left England and traveled to America after the Great War to "seek his fortune." As to whether he did so out of necessity or to exploit the relative lawless in the stateside wasteland, speculation abounds.
Until there is a game set in England, or at the very least a future title decides to shed more light on global affairs, we will not know for sure. However, we do canonically know that some life, at least, has persisted there.
4 The President Hid Before The War
The last president of the United States hid on the ENCLAVE oil rig months before the start of the Great War. The president disbanded the White House Press Corps and vacated the White House, leaving Washington, D.C. behind.
This president had joined the Enclave before the war, which is a secret organization that took control of America following the war. This means that for the months leading up to the Great War, the United States was virtually leaderless.
3 Enclave Took Control During The War
The Enclave is among the primary and most recognizable antagonists of the early Fallout games, but they have been around since before the Great War. Before the war, members of the group fled to the ENCLAVE oil rig and to various bunkers around America to survive the war. The Enclave is hostile to anyone outside their ranks, as these people are seen as impure and tainted by radioactive fallout.
In the direct aftermath of the Great War, Enclave took control as the primary government of the entire United States, In this way, they are essentially the continuation of the United States pre-war government, though their fit for the role is arguable at best.
2 Chinese Submarines Infiltrated America
Chinese submarines snuck close to American cities to unload their nuclear payloads. One of these can be found in Fallout 4, allowing the player to explore the submarine that most likely bombed Boston. The one the player finds even has its commander, Captain Zao, alive and intact. As alive and intact as a Ghoul can be, anyway.
When talking to Zao, he can express guilt about following orders and nuking America. It is good to know that at least one person responsible for the events of the war feels remorse for their actions.
1 Caused By The Sin0-American War
The Great War was a result of the conflict between China and America. By 2077, America had taken back Alaska, invaded mainland China, and looked like it was poised to decisively win the war. China resorted to using nuclear weapons against America, which turned the world into a wasteland.
The Sino-American conflict started in 2066, so it had been going on for about ten years by 2077. With nukes flying all over the sky, the world was plunged into chaos and the setting of Fallout was made.