I dunno.

Population wise:

USA > Russia, but when you add the control Russia can leverage over Eastern Europe and Central Asia (the control that still remains), it kind of evens out.

Iran > UK

China > India

Plus, if a full scale draft took place, the Chinese army could theoretically consist of hundreds of millions of soldiers.

Following a period of great technological advancement, where life becomes as good as it will ever come for the entire human race, peace will briefly cover the world. Man will spread its home to neighbouring planets, learning their secrety and plunding their resources, discovering new riches that further increase the greatness of our society. Far from fighting for resources, there will be more than enough to spare and share.

Life will not be perfect for all, not by any means. Social justice will always remain delicately balanced and the rich will always prey on the weak. Yet, for mankind it is a time of relative peace and harmony, so so much so that it could never imagine or be prepared for a world without it.

Unity and peace is a fragile thing. It does not take much to unbalance such a huge society. A great plague of disaster will come. It starts slow, naturally, and snowballs to much greater proportions. The world's great economies will become unstable as super efficient processes fail to deal with anything outside their ridged procedures.

As comunications break down and travel becomes restricted, resources that were once shared fairly become the target of military interventions. Civil unreast will spread like a storm across nations as failing economies, utilities and political policies lead to desperetion in societies and communities.

Extremist religious groups and outcast political ideologies will spring from the darkness, topling governments and splitting once harmonious societies, turning brother against brother.World political boundaries will become blurred as dictators and military leaders struggle to dominate scarce resources. Once friendly nations will turn against each other. Empires will rise and fall with enevitable sorrow and pain. Famine and desperation will flood the earth. Terrible human rights abuses will take place in the name of survival.

As wars escelate, the worlds most terrible weapons will be deployed. Society as we know and understand will cease to exist, replaced by a far more barbaric idiologies, necessary for man to survive. Indeed, the entire political and physical geography of the world will be redrawn.

Eventually and innevitably, only the fittest will survive, and from the ashes of our world, a new order will emerge, one capable of committing any action in the name of survival. The world will eventually be united under a single ruler, united not by negotiation, but fire, weapons and a ruthless destruction of enemies. This new empire will cement it's claim to the world in war and ruthless control. But peace will reign as what remains fights to piece together what it can of its once great technological society.

Starts Thursday i think.

I see three options:

1) religious war beetween muslim countries (including several european coutries like France and Germany if current demographic trends stay the way the are now) and remaining Europe countries + Israel and USA

2) resource war started by Russian vs Chinese conflict escalating over whole Asia

3) if above don't happen it will sooner or later come to conflict over space exploration control but it's hard to predict sides and main actors (through Russia, USA, China, Japan and France are highly probable).

EDIT

I don't think that there will be another World War. There is a lot more diplomacy in the world, now.

I don't know about the 3d one, I do know that the fourth will be fought with sticks and stones ;).

The next true world war, on a WW2 scale (but undoubtedly bigger) will most likely revovle around resources indeed. Expect Russia to come into play due to gas, and the middle east for oil. North Korea's nuclear plans might also be a catalyst.

The Nato will be on one side, possibly with some other allied nations like India, Israel and Australia.

A middle-eastern coalition + China and Russia on the other side.

Tonga vs. Laos.

The war will be over women.

I think it will revolve around 3 things

1: China's quest for resources
2: The on-going Arab-Israeli problem
3: Frustrations with the UN

The two will tie together, as i feel that it is inevitable that Israel "crosses the line," at some point. They'll come up with a radical solution to some sort of problem which the major middle eastern powers will find intolerable, and these powers will overlook their differences and form a security pact to put a stop to Israel's next move. A security pact of Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Libya, and Pakistan.

Iran utilizes the security pact as an excuse to begin moving radical islam all over the region, creating a broader security crisis, especially in places like Central Asia and Turkey

The West (including Russia, who has a vested interest in combating radical islam), will vehemently protest this through the UN Security Council. China, seeing a slam-dunk opportunity to negotiate access to massive oil resources, vetoes the measure. The angst is turned against China for "abusing," their status as a Security Council member, and the General Assembly, eager for reform to the old Security Council system anyway, revokes China's status as a permanent member.

China interprets this action as further western exclusion from the power structure, and so breaks off normal relations, leaves the UN, and begins solidifying relationships with the Mid-eastern security pact. These nations also leave the UN, as well as a set of other "rogue nations," that have been aligned with China in the past, and have been "pushed around" by the UN before, nations like North Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, the Sudan and Serbia

The Chinese also see a great opportunity to upset America, and negotiate a pact with Chavez's Venezuela, a move designed to provoke the US. Cuba, very much afraid of a general US retaliation against threats in the region, quickly moves to join this pact.

Iran is the final aggressor: fearing the existing US military threat in neighboring Afghanistan, they begin moving troops in to support the Taliban and to negate that threat, and everything just sort of spirals out of control from there. The major western nations that fight in the name of the UN are: America, Britain, Russia, Israel, Canada, Brazil, Germany, Italy, France, South Africa, Greece, Poland, Turkey, India (who's really just in it to fight Pakistan), Australia, New Zealand, and Japan (who uses this whole event as an excuse to get a real military back up and running)

Allies:

United States, South Korea, Japan, India, England, France, Germany, Canada, Australia, rest of EU.

Axis:

North Korea (with china, russia, and iran all featured as unlockables if the right conditions are met).

China was absent (for the most part) in WWI and WWII, but they should be making their debut in Ultimate WWIII.

This?

With the natural resources of the planet all but tapped out, and the continued survival of the human race at stake, it's deemed necessary to begin colonizing other planets.

The decision to begin colonizing other planets and moons which can support life is made. A coalition is formed of the richest Earth world companies and governments, and called the UCN, or United Colonial Nations. They begin planning for their future.

In order to colonize the outlying planets, Earth has a number of things to do. These include:

• Taking the time to identify planets ideal for colonization
• Developing space propulsion technology to travel near light speeds in order to reach the planets
• Developing cryotechnology ('Ice-Nod', to send the crew/passenger into deep sleep for the duration of the journey to the target planets
• Building the fleet of deep-spacecraft
• Traveling to the planets
• Building the infrastructure of society on the newly colonized planet
  • Transport network - roads/rail/tunnels
  • Energy creation and distribution
  • Communications networks
  • Housing/shelter
  • Manufacturing plants
  • Water and waste management

The process of building and deploying ships will take upwards of 30 years.

As it's in the UCN's best interest to support privatization for the sake of finance, they also allow other companies/governments to fund their own colonization projects, but under the strictures of the global (UCN) owners. Some immensely wealthy companies are also able to finance their own colonization, among them the Helghan Corporation, which has made its sizable fortune in energy and industrial refinement.

The global governments issue licenses to pursue colonization projects under strict criteria. Violation of these rules is considered a very serious infraction, warranting economic penalty. Continued infractions, depending on the circumstance, could result in anything from stiffer penalties, economic sanctions, and finally expulsion from the UCN to military action as a last resort.

...

The Platinum Age

Free to tax and invest in their colonies as they wish, a period of runaway economic and industrial growth grips the Helghan Administration's two worlds. The automated refineries on Helghan are expanded and developed; the orbital shipyard becomes the largest orbital structure outside the Terran system.

The Helghan system is a 'hub' system that connects Earth to her colonies - every ship MUST travel through it to get anywhere. The Helghan Administration begins to charge each ship for the privilege. Allegedly a fee for traffic control, customs, search and rescue and other such services, it is actually a thinly disguised tariff upon all trade in space. Helghan-based ships are granted a 'residence permit' that frees them from many charges, encouraging some shipping companies to relocate.

Tensions

The UCN grows concerned at the increasing domination that Helghan exerts over star travel and space trade, areas which were traditionally under UCN control. They also become frustrated that the Helghan are creating vast wealth off the backs of colonial endeavors that the UCN itself has underwritten. In response, it levies stricter controls and tariffs on all space traffic, and taxes the colonies more heavily than ever before. The money is used to expand the UCA, with the UCA Navy receiving the bulk of the new budget. For the first time the UCA Navy develops large scale troop transports and 'Heavy Cruisers' - warships principally designed to smash the ISA fleets of the outer colonies and invade them by force.

As part of these new regulations, several privileges granted to the Helghan Administration as part of the Helghan/Vektan Purchase are rescinded; specifically, the right to a large home fleet and tariffs on shipping. The Helghan Administration refuses, but does agree to high-level talks on a compromise solution. Back home, however, the wealthy people of Vekta and the powerful companies in orbit around Helghan pressure the Helghan Administration not to budge on the issues of tariffs or self-defense.

The Secession

Despite multiple attempts to negotiate a settlement, the talks between the Helghan Administration and Earth fail to bring a mutually satisfactory resolution. Earth flat out demands compliance from the Helghan Administration, and the Helghan Administration responds by formally seceding from the UCN, declaring itself an independent colony.

The UCN considers retaliation by slamming an embargo on all trade with Helghan, but this is deemed to be counterproductive. The Helghan could simply prevent trade ships from reaching Earth, in the knowledge that Earth cannot survive for any length of time without colonial resources. The decision is made to send a powerful UCA Navy fleet to the Helghan system, to seize control of the navigation points between the Colonies and Earth. Protecting the flow of colonial trade to Earth would also allow a blockade of Helghan by the UCN, and bring this matter to resolution.

The First Extrasolar War

The UCA Navy fleet dispatched in 2199 arrives at the Helghan system, hooking up with the local ISA ships and quickly moving to secure the navigational points. The main force of the fleet heads to the planet of Helghan for a blockade, but the massed custom fleets of the Helghan Administration attempt to prevent this by engaging the UCA Navy fleet in battle.

The UCA Navy Cruisers prove to be untouchable by the much smaller Helghan vessels. The fleet action is a massacre, with almost the entire Helghan fleet being destroyed or disabled. During the fighting, however, the massive orbital structure is destroyed under mysterious circumstances.

The UCA claim that the Helghan aboard the station fled to the planet below and sabotaged it to prevent it from falling into UCA hands. The Helghan Administration claim that the UCA fired on the station deliberately. The true story never emerges, but as a result of this incident the Helghan Authority declares war on the UCN.

The UCA Navy fleet decides that dropping directly onto Helghan would be a waste of resources and lives. Leaving a picket fleet to watch the planet, they push on to Vekta.

The End of the First Extrasolar War

The combined ISA and UCA Navy fleet arrives around Vekta and quickly subdues the remnants of the Helghan Customs Service in orbit. Initially the Helghan Administration threatens to fight to the last man, but after a demonstration of orbital bombardment they quickly yield to the inevitable. The Helghan Administration is shut down; all senior civil servants are arrested, as are any executives of the Helghan Corporation. Many escape into hiding.

When a courier ship returns from Alpha Centauri with the news, the UCN Senate debates the matter. Eventually, it determines that the Helghan are too unruly to ever settle comfortably within the UCN. They also decide that the ISA needs a colony nearby, to keep an eye on the Helghan and stop them from causing trouble in the future. A decision that is little more than outright theft dressed up as diplomacy is drafted, and a broken Helghan Administration can do little more than rubberstamp it. The local ISA takes over administration of Vekta. New colony ships of loyal UCN civilians start to be sent from Earth to expand the Vektan Colony.

The harsh consequences of rebellion are not lost on the other colonies. The UCN's right to regulate and tax space shipping is never challenged again.

The Resistance

Helghan extremists begin a terrorist campaign in an attempt to make the occupation of Vekta too expensive for the ISA. Although the majority of Vektan-based Helghans simply want to live out their lives peacefully, sufficient numbers of the local populace assist the guerrilla movement to enable it to flourish. Bombings, ambushes and shootings against the UCN minority become more common. Vekta is no longer an innocent paradise.

The Exodus

The ISA Governor General of Vekta responds to the growing terrorism by clamping down harder and harder on the local Helghan population. Finally, in desperation, many prominent Helghan families pool their wealth to purchase the old colonizing ships and get them space worthy again. The community appoints a representative to speak with the ISA Governor and request permission for the Helghan to resettle on the planet of Helghan - joining those few souls who escaped there from the transfer station. The ISA Governor agrees and the Helghan exodus begins, shuttling millions of disaffected Helghan from Vekta to the growing Helghan colonies.

Neither the ISA nor the UCN want to foot the bill for establishing this colony, preferring to leave the Helghan to either survive or die on their own merits. In order to legitimize the operation, the UCN formally recognizes the Helghan Administration as a sovereign nation and declares the planet of Helghan to be their territory in perpetuity - subject to ISA blockades and restrictions until diplomatic relations are normalized.

The Surface of Helghan Formally Settled

The bleak existence on Helghan is a far cry from the paradise of Vekta. Initial casualties due to illness, storm damage and starvation are very high. Within ten years, though, the death rate subsides as the Helghan begin to adapt to their surroundings. Slowly, a civilization arises from the refugee camps, and token industry and food production starts again.

Birth of the Helghast

 

 

 

 

 

 

Visari coins the term Helghast in a public speech. Its purported origin is from the Old English word, gast, meaning spirit, or ghost, connoting great fear. Visari states that they are no longer what they once were. Where they were once human and spiritless, their generations on Helghan, their sufferings; these have forged them into a new race, the only truly 'living' race. Whatever the etymology, the name sticks.

Feigning an attempt on his life to garner public support, Visari leads a military coup backed by a popular uprising to assume the title of Autarch. He seizes unrestricted power from the Helghan Administration and begs the army for 10 years of unchallenged authority to reforge the Helghast into a true independent power. As part of his plan, Visari begins a major enlargement of the Helghast Military. A secondary aspect of the Helghast revolution is a cultural evolution, led personally by Visari to change the face of Helghan society. Visari bans the use of written English in 2349, devising a new Helghast alphabet to be used in its place. Plans for an entirely new Helghast language are never fully implemented due to the logistical difficulties, but the ideal of this linguistic separation remain dear to Visari. As a final touch, the old Helghan banner is dropped in favor of a simpler, starker and more dynamic logo. The Helghast Triad becomes the official banner of Helghan: three arrows representing Duty, Obedience and Loyalty signal the new values that Helghast society is based upon.

....

(The Start of Killzone 1)

Autarch Scolar Visari outlines his bold strategy for changing the face of governance in this system by returning to Vekta and seizing it again as a Helghast colony. Ignoring the many generations of UCN settlement under the ISA he inflames the passions of the Helghast for revenge. The Helghast High Command takes the bait and eagerly declares loyalty to Visari for the coming campaign, offering to make him Emperor if it succeeds.

Visari's plan is simple:

1. Utilize deep-cover agent ISA General Stuart Adams to neutralize the orbital defense platforms.
2. Utilize deep-cover agent ISA General Dwight Stratson to gain access to intelligence and lure the ISA troops out of the cities.
3. Mount an invasion of Vekta whilst the orbital defense platforms are down, under the command of General Joseph Lente.
4. Reactivate the defense platforms in time to defend Vekta against the inevitable support fleet sent by the UCA.
5. Declare the system to be under Helghast control and sue for peace with the UCN whilst the UCA is still reeling from the loss of its fleet.
6. Use the resources of Helghan and Vekta, as well as technology captured from the wrecked UCA Navy fleet, to build a Helghast fleet capable of defending the system from the UCA Navy.
7. Begin charging trade tariffs for passage through Helghast space to Earth again.
8. Blockade the Earth and strangle the UCN into submission.
9. Capture the UCN Navy shipyards and orbital defenses. Leave Earth's population to starve to death. Build an enormous fleet and establish Helghast hegemony over all colonies.