European Commonwealth
European Commonwealth | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Destroyed Reichstag as seen in the Fallout intro. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The European Commonwealth was a political union of sovereign European states that existed before the Great War.
Contents
Overview[edit | edit source]
The European Commonwealth was a major exporter of arms to the United States of America. Weapons exported included large caliber pistols, automatic submachine guns, and even energy weapons.[1] The finest examples of European military technology came from Germany, in the form of the 4.7mm caseless Vindicator minigun[2] and Gauss weapons: the PPK12 pistol[3] and the M72 rifle.[4] The magnetic coilguns were also exported to the People's Republic of China.[5] The Commonwealth was also a center of research. Apart from perfecting and miniaturizing military grade coilguns, Germany also conducted its own research into directed human evolution.[6]
Economically speaking, Europe was one of the key importers of Middle Eastern crude oil by the mid 21st century. The worsening economic situation in the region caused the oil-rich states to increase prices of oil to a point where Europe could no longer afford it. Facing economic collapse, the Commonwealth declared war and invaded the Middle East in April 2052. The Euro-Middle Eastern War caused the prices of oil to increase even further, triggering a string of bankruptcies among smaller countries. This event marked the beginning of the Resource Wars, which would last for the next quarter century.[7] Limited nuclear exchanges in the Middle East rise global panic levels.[7]
The war lasted eight long years. In 2060, the oil fields the Commonwealth and the Middle East fought over dried up, with the war petering out soon after as its root cause disappears. The war reduced both sides to ruin, with severe consequences. The once prosperous union fell apart almost overnight as the resource-starved European states jumped to each other's throats, fighting over what little resources remained. The European Civil War began, only ending in 2077, when the Great War extinguished civilization in Europe.[8][7]
European weapon manufacturers[edit | edit source]
- Glock, Austria.
- Fabrique Nationale, Belgium.
- Rheinmetall AG, Germany.
- Heckler & Koch, Germany.
- Beretta, Italy.
- Franchi, Italy.
- SIG-Sauer, Switzerland/Germany.
- The Royal Small Arms Factory, UK.
European equipment and weaponry[edit | edit source]
Beretta[edit | edit source]
- 9mm M9FS Beretta (Fallout Tactics, Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel)
- Beretta 470 Silverhawk (Fallout Tactics)
Birmingham Small Arms[edit | edit source]
British Royal Armoured Corps[edit | edit source]
Franchi[edit | edit source]
FN[edit | edit source]
- FN FAL (Fallout 2, Fallout Tactics)
- FN FAL HPFA (Fallout 2)
- FN P90c (Fallout Tactics)
- M249 SAW (Fallout Tactics)
Unspecified German Manufacturer(s)[edit | edit source]
- PPK12 Gauss pistol (Fallout 2, Fallout Tactics)
- M72 Gauss rifle (Fallout 2, Fallout Tactics)
- 2mm electron charge pack (Fallout 2, Fallout Tactics)
- MP38 (Fallout Tactics)
Glock[edit | edit source]
H&K[edit | edit source]
- H&K MP9 10mm SMG (Fallout, Fallout 2)
- H&K CAWS (Fallout 2, Fallout Tactics)
- H&K P90c (Fallout 2)
- H&K G11 (Fallout 2)
- H&K G11E (Fallout 2)
- MP5 H&K (Fallout Tactics)
Mauser[edit | edit source]
Rheinmetall AG[edit | edit source]
Royal Small Arms Factory, Enfield[edit | edit source]
- XL70E3 (Fallout 2, Fallout Tactics)
- Light support weapon (Fallout 2)
- Bren gun (Fallout Tactics)
- Sten gun (Fallout Tactics)
Sig Sauer[edit | edit source]
- 14mm pistol (Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout: New Vegas)
- P220 Sig Sauer (Fallout Tactics)
- 14mm armor-piercing bullet (Fallout, Fallout 2)
Behind the scenes[edit | edit source]
- The European Commonwealth is the analogue of the European Union, but federalized to a greater degree than the contemporary EU. The origins of the Union lie in the 1947 Western European Union, 1951 European Coal and Steel Community, and the 1957 European Economic Community.
See also[edit | edit source]
Appearances[edit | edit source]
The European Commonwealth is mentioned in the Fallout intro, the Fallout Bible and a Capitol Post article in Fallout 3. Products from European manufacturers appear in nearly all Fallout games.
Fallout: Resource Wars set in a collapsing European Commonwealth is one of J.E. Sawyer's games he would like to make.[9]
References
- ↑ The Chosen One: "{119}{}{Do you have a GECK?}"
Buster: "{137}{}{That one of them pre-war imports? Let me guess, 14mm ammo? Nope, ain't got one.}"
(Scbuster.msg) - ↑ PRO ITEM.MSG: "{39500}{}{Vindicator Minigun}"
"{39501}{}{The German Rheinmetal AG company created the ultimate minigun. The Vindicator throws over 90,000 caseless shells per minute down its six carbon-polymer barrels. As the pinnacle of Teutonic engineering skill, it is the ultimate hand-held weapon. Min ST: 7.}" - ↑ PRO ITEM.MSG: "{39400}{}{PPK12 Gauss Pistol}"
"{39401}{}{Praised for its range and stopping power, the PPK12 Gauss Pistol is of German design. The pistol uses an electromagnetic field to propel rounds at tremendous speed and punch through almost any armor. Min ST: 4.}" - ↑ PRO ITEM.MSG: "{39200}{}{M72 Gauss Rifle}"
"{39201}{}{The M72 rifle is of German design. It uses an electromagnetic field to propel rounds at tremendous speed... and pierce almost any obstacle. Its range, accuracy and stopping power is almost unparalleled. Min ST: 6.}" - ↑ Scoped Gauss rifle
- ↑ Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition p.85: "Michael Masters
Michael Masters was an esteemed electronic and biological engineer before the bombs dropped. He doesn't remember much of the first years after D.C. was destroyed, but he does remember his human life and resents his Ghoulish nature (though he does appreciate the gift of longevity). He was extremely intelligent and jovial in his old life, but living as a Ghoul has made him very pessimistic and angry at the world. He sees his Ghoulness as a karmic curse, because he was attempting to keep America at the forefront of human mutation experiments, breeding super-warriors after being inspired by the work of the German, Russian, and Chinese doctors."
(Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition Wasteland Census) - ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Fallout Bible 0 Timeline repair: Second strike:
"2052 April The Resource Wars begin. Many smaller nations go bankrupt, and Europe, dependent on oil imports from the Middle East, responds to the Middle East's rising oil prices with military action. The long drawn-out war between the European Commonwealth and the Middle East begins."
"2054 January Limited nuclear exchange in the Middle East raises fears throughout the world."
"2060 The Euro-Middle Eastern War ends as the oil fields in the Middle East run dry... there is no longer a goal in the conflict, and both sides are reduced almost to ruin."
"2077 October 23 Great War: Bombs are launched; who struck first is unknown... and it is not even known if the bombs came from China or America. Air raid sirens sound, but very few people go into vaults, thinking it is a false alarm. The Vaults are sealed." - ↑ Fallout intro, date provided by the Fallout Bible timeline.
- ↑ RPGDot interview with J.E. Sawyer
