My kids might one day read in their modern history class how
The Pacific War began with the release of the satirical film "The Interview," in the United States. At the time, the totalitarian North Korean government issued threats, but the only hostile action carried out was against those involved with production of the film, Sony Pictures. Controversy leading up to the release resulted in widespread popularity which managed to leak into the isolated North Korean populace. This intensified the already enormous internal pressures within the communist government. In an attempt to unify the cracking social fabric, North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un ordered a shelling of South Korea's capital on June 13, 2015.
United States intelligence intercepted the orders and shortly after the artillery fell, the US Eighth Army led by Lieutenant General Bernard S. Champoux began a broad land invasion. China having built up forces near their border with North Korea in anticipation of a conflict, began their own northern invasion the same day.
North Korean forces quickly crumbled against the superior armament of the Chinese and US troops. Pyongyang fell August 3rd to the Americans. Politics quickly soured between the two invading countries with claims by Washington that the Chinese invasion was unprovoked and unnecessary. Tension finally ruptured with the downing of two American F-35 warplanes on August 20th. The US immediately released cockpit recordings of the US fighters communicating with four Chinese Shenyang J-11. President Barack Obama declared an ultimatum of Chinese withdrawal by September 25th. The next day a Japanese vessel JDS Hyūga, providing support in the region reported being fired upon by Chinese naval task force. The US responded with the sinking of the Chinese destroyer Jinan.
Escalation soon turned to outright war between the now NATO-backed US Navy in the eastern seaboard of China. Russia declared a military alliance with China November 30th opening the European Theater. NATO proved to be effective in their bombardment of China, however, Eastern Europe proved to draw a stalemate near the Russian border. After both sides sustained heavy losses, the combined Japanese, South Korean, and NATO armies overwhelmed and subdued China. Surrender was declared March 15, 2016.
Russia had been pushed back slowly over the course of the fighting, eventually culminating in the Battle of Moscow with NATO winning decisively April 21st.
Casualties totaled ~130 million.
- China: 68 million
- Russia: 20 million
- Japan: 2 million
- South Korea: 1 million
- United States: 16 million
- NATO (excluding US): 23 million