Who Nuked First in Fallout? Unraveling the Great War’s Mystery
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The question of who launched the first nukes in the Fallout universe is a complex one, shrouded in mystery and conflicting information. While the evidence strongly suggests China launched the first nuclear strike, it’s not quite as simple as that. Officially, based on information pieced together from various Fallout games and developer statements, China fired the first nuke in response to America developing the Forbidden Experimental Virus (FEV) against international law. The U.S. did create bio-weapons and did refuse to stop when asked despite geopolitical tensions.
However, alternative theories and conflicting lore elements muddy the waters, suggesting the possibility of a “first strike” by Vault-Tec or even a chain of events intentionally triggered by multiple parties. Let’s dive into the evidence and explore the various perspectives.
The Chinese First Strike: The Most Accepted Theory
The prevailing theory, supported by the game’s lore and comments from Fallout’s creators, points to China as the initiator of the nuclear exchange. This action was framed as a desperate response to the United States’ development and potential deployment of the FEV bio-weapon.
America’s FEV Program: A Catalyst for War?
The FEV program, a clandestine US military project, was designed to create super-soldiers through forced evolution. This experimentation, conducted in secret, heightened tensions with China, who viewed it as a violation of international treaties and a direct threat to their national security. The U.S. continued the FEV research even with China repeatedly asking them to stop. The Chinese perceived this as an act of aggression and viewed nuclear war as the only method to end it.
The “Horse’s Mouth” Confirmation: A Developer’s Insight
Chris Avellone, a key figure in Fallout’s development, has commented on the canon of the lore by stating that China launched the first strike in response to the United States developing the FEV bio-weapon despite it being illegal. This statement lends considerable weight to the theory of China launching the first strike.
Alternative Theories and Conflicting Lore
While China’s first strike is the most widely accepted explanation, other theories exist, fueled by in-game hints and lore fragments that challenge the established narrative.
Vault-Tec’s Role: A Conspiracy to End the World?
One of the more unsettling theories revolves around Vault-Tec, the corporation responsible for building the iconic vaults scattered across the Fallout landscape. According to a leaked film treatment of a cancelled Fallout movie from 1998, the first strike was actually made by Vault-Tec, whose executives had agreed to kickstart the Great War in a bid to fulfill their own prophecy. These vaults were far from simple shelters and were designed as social experiments, sometimes with incredibly cruel objectives. Were they merely exploiting a pre-existing crisis, or did they actively contribute to the war’s outbreak? This theory posits that Vault-Tec may have manipulated events to trigger the war, ensuring the success of their vault program and the preservation of their agenda.
A Mutually Assured Destruction Scenario
Another possibility is that the Great War wasn’t initiated by a single “first strike” but rather a rapid escalation of tensions leading to a simultaneous launch by both the United States and China. In this scenario, both nations, fearing a preemptive attack from the other, launched their nuclear arsenals simultaneously, resulting in a devastating exchange.
The Aftermath: A World Scorched by Nuclear Fire
Regardless of who fired the first shot, the consequences were catastrophic. Within a matter of hours, the world was engulfed in nuclear fire, reducing major cities to rubble and unleashing deadly radiation that would contaminate the planet for centuries. The United States, China, the USSR, and other nuclear-armed nations were devastated, their populations decimated, and their civilizations shattered.
The End of Civilization as We Know It
The Fallout world is a testament to the destructive power of nuclear war. The games vividly depict a post-apocalyptic landscape populated by mutated creatures, desperate survivors, and warring factions, all struggling to rebuild amidst the ruins of the old world.
Fallout’s Enduring Legacy: A Cautionary Tale
The mystery surrounding the Great War’s origins is a deliberate narrative choice by the Fallout developers. It serves as a powerful reminder of the dangers of unchecked militarism, ideological conflict, and the devastating consequences of nuclear war. The Fallout series, through its engaging gameplay and compelling storyline, offers a cautionary tale about the fragility of civilization and the importance of striving for a more peaceful future. The themes in the Fallout video game series demonstrate important lessons on post-apocalyptic survival. If you are interested in learning more about the lessons we learn from playing games, check out the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the Great War
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about the events leading up to and following the Great War:
1. Did Vault-Tec know about the bombs dropping?
Yes, it’s heavily implied throughout the Fallout games that Vault-Tec had prior knowledge of the impending nuclear war. Their meticulous planning, construction of the vaults, and the nature of the experiments conducted within them suggest a deep understanding of the timing and severity of the coming crisis.
2. Why was Vault-Tec so evil?
Vault-Tec’s “evil” stems from its willingness to sacrifice the well-being of vault dwellers for the sake of scientific experimentation. They were more interested in gathering data and conducting social experiments. It has been argued that many experiments were unethical, immoral, and cruel.
3. Did Vault-Tec cause the war in Fallout?
The evidence is inconclusive. The theory that Vault-Tec actively orchestrated the war is based on a leaked film treatment and remains a debated topic within the Fallout community.
4. Did the whole world get nuked in Fallout?
Yes, while the extent of the damage varied, the Great War resulted in widespread nuclear devastation across the globe. Major cities and strategic targets in the United States, China, the USSR, and other nuclear-armed nations were destroyed.
5. What are Deathclaws mutated from?
Deathclaws are believed to be mutated Jackson’s Chameleons, genetically engineered by the US government as shock troops for the battlefield.
6. Does the world ever recover in Fallout?
The degree of recovery varies across the different Fallout games. While civilization has not fully returned to its pre-war state, pockets of society have begun to rebuild, and the wasteland is slowly being reclaimed.
7. What is the first nuked city in real life?
The first city to be attacked with a nuclear weapon was Hiroshima, Japan, on August 6, 1945, during World War II.
8. Why did Vault-Tec launch the nukes?
This theory stems from the leaked film treatment for a canceled Fallout movie. The claim suggests that executives launched the nukes to kickstart the Great War in a bid to fulfill their own prophecy.
9. Did any countries survive in Fallout?
Essentially all countries were destroyed during or before the Great War.
10. Was anywhere not nuked in Fallout?
While most areas were affected by the Great War, some locations, like New Vegas and parts of the Capital Wasteland, were spared direct nuclear strikes due to defensive technologies.
11. Who is the most powerful person in Fallout?
This is subjective, but the Chosen One from Fallout 2 is often considered the most powerful protagonist due to their canonical defeat of Special Agent Frank Horrigan.
12. Is the whole world destroyed in Fallout?
While the entire world suffered immense damage and societal collapse, it was not completely destroyed. Pockets of civilization and habitable areas remain, allowing for survival and rebuilding.
13. Did Japan get nuked in Fallout?
Yes. The Fallout universe has the United States dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 to end WWII.
14. Was America the only country nuked in Fallout?
No. The United States, China, and the USSR were all hit with nuclear weapons during the Great War, along with Britain and France.
15. Were any countries unaffected by Fallout?
There’s no concrete evidence of any countries being completely untouched by the war. Though parts of the capital and New Vegas were unaffected.