One of my long-last setting deals, amongst other themes, with:
1. Partial Economical Collapse
2. Internal Instability
3. Wide Social and Economical Collapse as a result of a nuclear exchange.
The setting is a alternative-reality to near future setting in which in 2011-2016 a combination of extremely dry and warm summers and harshly cold winters destroys most of the world's agriculture which in the time period of 2012-2016 leads to a internal instability of great degree, further agitated by Japan and Israel selling guns to many of the emergent anti-government elements and groups. The harsh situation leads to a number of revolutions, rebellions and other internal strife all over the world as well as a sharp boost in the influence of crime organizations. For example EU is forced to stop all further new entries in the Union, in 2014 in USA Marshal Law is active in 27 states, by 2016 numerous countries have changed leadership and political direction.
The next 13 years a insatiable balance is found with the help of the newly emergent powers from the 5 years of weapons selling - Japan, Israel and after the summer revolution of 2012 Croatia (chosen by Israel & Japan due to above average diplomatic standing with Japan and Israel, closeness to the Euro-zone market and wide existing military equipment industry). But large parts of the once developed world have become nests of anarchy and criminal organizations.
Technology surges forward and in 2018 the worlds first operational quantum computer is build, and two years later an widely-available quantum supercomputer leads to the price crash of silicon supercomputers.
In 2021 a cheep and simple method of making plutonium appears and the so called "Second Nuclear Race" starts with a number of nations building nukes and most nations, in response, start to build extensive anti-ballistic capacities.
(Other inventions relevant to later periods are also made but I will not list them all.)
From 2018-2028 the USA, after re-instituting order in the industrial centers of the country and desperate for Oil, attacks in succession - Turkmenistan ('18), Kirghistan and Tadzhikistan ('22) and Iran ('28) with attempts in Kazakhstan ('21) and Azerbaijan('27). This give birth to various groups of terrorist of which one is going to be used, by unknown elements, to hack into the world's ballistic nuclear weapons, using the now dirt-cheep silicon supercomputers, and launch them all. Inside the single hour before the actual launch a series of strike teams attack the installations made to defend countries around the world from ICBMs and render most of them useless. Only a few ones survive due to the terrorist cell being discovered and positions warned but it is to late - the program to launch the nukes is already running and there is no way to stop in in time. On 13 July 2029 nuclear fires engulf the cities of the world and everything breaks apart. Only a last desperate UN proclamation of a ceasefire until 31st December and the need to tend to their own needs stop those countries which took the lighter blow from taking up arms and conquering as much as they can. Many large countries break into smaller ones, fall into anarchy or are divided amongst emergent crime lords turned into warlords. Many of the cities that were hit are abandoned as the coldest winter, a nuclear one, creeps over the northern hemisphere. From here on every country still standing or just born from the nuclear fire will have to pass trough hell and maybe one day see a new peaceful world. But even a worse reality faces those in the cities and areas without governments that are now left with every man from himself.
So it has many parts and this is only the first 18 years of the story - in the next period we will see how various countries rebuild themselves and how fast are those with less damage are to try to aggressively expand or are forced to defend from those which wish to expand. Then slowly but surely those which wish to rebuild the world on the ideas of democracy are going to form alliances and in response so will those which utilized the situation to gain power - warlords and dictators. Finally in 2048 it will result in two alliances forming - the Earth Rebuilding Alliance and the United Anarchistic Front also known as Chaos Alliance. A 12 years long war will erupt. The victor? Well I will keep that a secret.
As for what period and location to chose? Well you cloud chose the unstable years of 2012-2016 in pretty much any country? Or maybe one of the crime-filled cities from 2016-2029? Or some of the areas outside of the government protection after that faithful 13 July '29? Well there are many choices as well as many possible stories! If you want more info or details about any part or period just ask, I will be around.
