1942 - Sierra Army Depot begins construction. Situated in Herlong, California, it is a United States Army post that offers '36,000 acres of high desert terrain we are able to provide distinct storage advantages of ample space, low humidity and low precipitation; excellent for the long term storage of mechanized vehicles located here.' as well as the safe disposal of depleted uranium and in their own words they 'have a highly dedicated staff of expert and skilled machinists, craftsmen, equipment operators and support personnel that are vital to the current and future Army needs. This type of expertise allows us to receive store, maintain, and ship material anywhere or anytime in the world - ON TIME.' The people who run this place have been living on site for quite a few generations (1950s when the housing scheme started) and is run entirely by the US Army and overseen by the US government (part of the TOCOM LCMC branch) it also offers a variety of services, these include:
- Inland Petroleum Distribution Systems
- Water Support Systems
- Force Provider
- Army Field Feeding Systems
- Large Area Maintenance Shelters
- Landing Mat Sets
- Bridging
- Reserve Component Hospital
- Decrement Associated Support Items of Equipment - (non-medical)
- Receive, store, issue, renovate, and demilitarize (disassemble) depleted uranium rounds
Besides this long list of services, the depot was and still is a huge military storage facility, during the 1970s and 1980s, SIAD was also used for the storage of unarmed nuclear weapons. These weapons and their storage and maintenance areas were protected by the 980th Military Police Company as a part of DARCOM.
Leading us nicely into the Fallout timeline, in 1945 3 years after the SIAD was created, the Los Alamos Nuclear research Facility opened, as well as the Manhattan Project.
1969 - After WWII the US Government turns the 50 states in 13 commonwealths to ensure economic stability after the War. But due to backlash from the commonwealth the tensions rise in the nation when the commonwealth puts their own ambition before the economic stability of the country. The national flag is changed to reflect this and depicts fourteen stars - thirteen in a circle to represent the commonwealths and one in the middle to represent the federal government and the nation as a whole. This was the year (in our world) that Richard Nixon becomes president of the USA.
2042 - Mr House (in the real world Howard Hughes) founds Robco which are a US based company specialising in domesticated products, whereas in game they develop robots to aid
humans in domestic chores.
Howard Hughes was a man
2051-2052 - This is where it starts to get juicy. USA begins putting pressure on Mexico to protects its investments in their oil supply, citing the political instability and pollution as a threat to nationality. The United States government enter Mexico to oversee all of Mexico's oil refineries. They also cite the political instability and pollution as a threat to nationality creating huge costs to Mexico's economy.
This however, is not a rare occurrence, the USA have in the past put pressure on Mexico concerning their natural gas and crude oil resources considering that the Mexican government rely on the industry for 35% of total government revenues, including taxes and direct payments from Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) as well as Mexico being the third largest foreign crude oil supplier to the US.
On May 8th 2003, a group of American Republican congressmen approve a bilateral accord with Mexico, American invested into the opening of Pemex, the Mexican oil company as well as an agreement on migration.
The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is a permanent intergovernmental Organisation created at the Baghdad Conference on Sept-10-14 1960 they meet to regulate and observe crude oil prices in order to keep prices fair worldwide.
In 1982 though, there was one country that stood independently against OPEC, yet kept its prices close to the OPEC regulations that of course was Mexico, in the New York Times it stated,
"Government critics have argued that membership in OPEC would be desirable because it would decrease the nation's economic dependence on the United States, which buys about half of the 1.4 million barrels of oil that Mexico exports daily." November 30 1982
To combat this, in La Jornada (left-wing publication) Mexico City, Mexico, May 12, 2003,they went on to say that one of the reasons that Mexico did not join OPEC was because of the American pressure exerted by OPEC officials as well as investors in the oil companies of the North. On an economical note, if Mexico had of joined OPEC they would have sold oil to the USA on a preferential basis, this allowed the USA to purchase Mexican oil at a good price and increases reserves. On a long-term basis, and in due time would of allowed it to bring down the price of oil on a global level, which just goes to show that the American republicans (who are known for their hate for Mexicans) are trading oil for migration despite the fact over 4.5 million undocumented workers play a part of the USA's huge food trade, not too far away from Spain being the main exporter/manufacturer of the UK's food.
2052 - The tension in the world in the past century causes most of the worlds petroleum reserves to dry up thus starting a war between the European nations and the Middle East when the ME decided to drastically increase oil prices. This in turn causes the USA to forcefully annex Canada.
OPEC's history covers the 'war' (debate) between the EU and neighbouring Middle East nations over oil prices, Canada on the other hand is a whole new bag.
A brief internet search shows many plans, ideas, websites, forums, blogs all about or in favour to annex Canada, except after a CNN poll it was revealed only 4 out of 10 Americans wanted to actually annex their peaceful Northern neighbours, whereas out of 6.7 million Canadians 19.9% of the populace were for the proposition.
There is a whole heap of information for this argument that I dont have time to read through, reading the analyses I can conclude that there has always been a shaky relationship between Canada and the USA that tends to go back to nationality, resource, public policy, legalisation issues, firearm control and a multitude of private sector issues including various ideas to privatise public services. The Fraser Institute is a conservative and libertarian think tank based in Canada (yet privately invested by Americans) that promotes free market principles. This is one of many examples that show the permeation of American ideas, values and ideals that have been shaping Canada for since October 10, 1849. Sir Wilfred Laurier said from his speech in Boston in 1891 - "I am a subject of the British Crown, but whenever I have to choose between the interests of England and Canada it is manifest to me that the interests of my country are identical with those of the United States of America. "
2066 - China invades USA from Alaska for resources and thus starts a war with the US. This is also the time when the Vaults were built, to the public they were bomb shelters that could hold 1000 people in each, but little did they know that they were actually social experiments by Vault-Tec (in collaboration with the US government).
2077 - The war reached it's climax when the US and China dropped nukes on each other, this is also the time when the Vaults locked up completely. The war, although called the "Great War" only lasted 2 hours before both nations were reduced to nothing.
Whichever game you play let it be Fallout, Fallout 2 or Fallout 3 or New Vegas, they all follow this timeline.
References:
Mexico's oil industry - James A. Baker Institute for Public Policy
Mexico's 1982 Economic Crisis - University of Texas at Austin
Canada's Trade Laws - NAFTA, World Trade Laws
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