While every story in the Fallout universe takes place in a different timeframe, their origin is always traced back to a specific point in time: the Great War that ended in humanity’s thermonuclear annihilation. When was that again?
Saturday, October 23, 2077 was when the Great War started, and the bombs dropped. At 9:42 am, the first bombs detonated. Two hours later, it was over.
Despite a statement made by one of Fallout’s creators and hints in the Fallout TV series, no one is really sure who dropped the first bomb. Tim Cain says it was China in order to stop the United States’ development of the FEV. The TV series suggests that Vault-Tec triggered an explosion to force the start. However, it is never stated overtly anywhere in the canon as to who started the nuclear holocaust. That’s mainly because it doesn’t matter. The Great War started because of the degradation of global society. It doesn’t matter who put the period at the end of the chapter.
What caused the Great War in Fallout?
There were a great many things that led to the dropping of the atomic bombs. The Sino-American war was a major factor, as China and the United States had been trading blows for over a decade. Resources across the globe were dwindling, with nations collapsing under crumbling economies. Out of desperation, China launched an attack on Alaska in 2066 to seize oil reserves.
In 2074, the United States invaded China in retaliation. But while they were initially successful, the war turned into a stalemate. At the time of nuclear annihilation, both sides were still mired in war. Many began expecting that nuclear war was an inevitability, and sure enough, on Saturday, October 23, 2077 at 9:42 am, the bombs fell.
While the exchange of nuclear devices occurred between China and the United States, it isn’t really said whether or not other countries around the world were hit or became involved. Regardless, the massive environmental damage from nuclear fallout and the amount of material that would be sent up into the atmosphere ensured that nowhere was safe from the effects of the Great War.
But while the world ended, some still survived. Whether that was because they were safe in underground shelters built by Vault-Tec (most of which were actually elaborate and horrible social experiments) or just managed to get by on pure tenacity, the human race continued. New settlements were founded, and society began the slow and painful process of rebuilding. Despite the new world they found themselves in, humanity never changes. And neither does war.
