.

USA and China were fighting a war started by Chinese invasion of Alaska in 2066.
USA drove China out in 2077 and invaded China itself.
USA reached Yangtze river and conquered many important cities such as Nanking and Shanghai.
Chinese supply lines collapsed.
China launched first strike in October 23rd 2077.
USA could barely respond, and the Enclave's president (and thus US President) in Fallout 2 notes that "We barely got our birds up [...] but at least we kicked those damn reds back into the stone age".
All nuclear powers launched and no country was spared.
US government retreated to an Oil Rig in Pacific Ocean, leaving the country on its own. US army shattered and the Brotherhood of Steel along with the Enclave's military are the only remnants of the pre-war army.

We do not know what happened to world post-war, but considering that there are several foreigners appearing in Fallout games it means that the whole world is in the same shape (or worse) United States is. There are at least two known immigrants from Britain, Moriarty and Tenpenny. Also Dukov who is Russian. I recall there was also a Canadian in Fallout 2 and there is Raul from Mexico.

Clarification: The US invaded China before Alaska was retaken in 2077.

The Yangtze campaign began in 2074. The pressure being put on China on it's home front resulted in the deterioration of it's supply lines to Alaska. The collapse of those supply lines allowed the US to obtain victory in Alaska in early 2077.

Wasn't raul a pre-war ghoul? :wink_smile:

Yes, you can assume that RAUL,MORIARTY,TENPENNY, and DUKOV wandered into their respective areas AFTER the war.But how would tenpenny get the tenpenny tower first then.Wasn't he there already, the janitor or something, and jumped at the opportunity to take over the tower.Also Dukov could have been a visitor who also found an opportunity to have his own well built building.Maybe he killed all previous tenants.But for some reason the raiders camping just outside his door seem to leave him alone.
Funny story on dukov.......I had a deathclaw and enclave follow me into the boilding.killed them. And they continued to respawn within the building.

Well, duh. Just an oversight in my post, I'm explaining it to guy who obviously has no idea about Fallout lore. ("nukeular"!?)
Anyone familiar with the Second Sino-Japanese War knows what it takes to take out China

Yes, but moved to USA after the war.

Hence the "clarification."

Raul and the Survivalist give us the only immediate post-war accounts that I'm familiar with.

That Ghoulette bartender in Underworld gives the best one. It's a description of a few days after the war, very detailed.

Her name's Carol.

Also, doesn't Dean Domino in DM give a sort of description of what happened after the war?

the war started over bad spelling