» Sun Oct 03, 2010 1:22 am With a victory over the Axis powers, the Royal Armored Corps was riding high and until the easing of tensions between the Warsaw Pact and NATO would be the tip of the spear for Britain's non-nuclear defense policy in Europe. The RAC would see action across the globe and as part of the British Army of the Rhine would help provide a deterrent to Soviet aggression in West Germany.
Options for Change (1991-2025):
With the thawing of hostilities between the Eastern Bloc and NATO, Her Majesty's Armed Forces now faced a massive restructuring and downsizing through "Options for Change". The Royal Armored Corps was not safe from these bureaucratic changes, by the end of the restructuring had become a shell of its former self. The British Army suffered heavily under this bureaucratic hand of God, but one very heroic brigadier managed to save the British Army of the Rhine from redundancy at the cost of his career. The moral of the Royal Armored Corps was at an all time low, and it would be a slow and painful process which would scar British tankers for many years to come.
The European Commonwealth Era (2026-2051):
In 2026, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Holland, Denmark, West Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Yugoslavia, Malta, Cyprus and Turkey come together to form the European Commonwealth. Following the signing of the "Commonwealth Treaty" the Prime Minister addressed the nation, with the message that Britain was moving into the future and the scars of Churchill and Thatcher (assassinated by the IRA) would finally heal. The Royal Armored Corps again would suffer, as many member states of the new European Commonwealth (especially France), saw this as the perfect opportunity to weaken the British. Under a stream of incompetent Labor Party governments and a rather poor defense policy on behalf of the European Commonwealth, the Royal Armored Corps fell to 8 Regiments of the Royal Tank Regiment with the remainder being disbanded or amalgamated.
The Resource Wars (2052-2060):
With Europe fully reliant on Middle Eastern oil imports and the price of crude oil skyrocketing the European Commonwealth faces the largest crisis in its history. In Yugoslavia, massive riots break out when gasoline reaches $25.00 a gallon and riots break out across the country. Yugoslavia quickly degenerates into civil war, as statues of Marshall Tito (Yugoslavia's National Hero) and militant nationalists declare independence. The Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact weary of the disorder spreading across their borders invades Yugoslavia. The European Commonwealth cries foul, but there is little they can do in the face of Soviet aggression. The Consul General of the European Commonwealth fearing that the rest of the alliance will go the way of Yugoslavia declares war on Saudi Arabia. This decision will prove to be the largest blunder since the "Venezuela Crisis" as Islamic extremists declare jihad against the European Commonwealth. The Royal Armored Corps though initially winning many critical battles against Saudi Forces and their allies, loose the initiative as fuel shortages cripple the Royal Armored Corps' main battle tanks, and they are relegated to an armored reconnaissance role until the end of the war.
The 2nd New Army (2060-2077):
With the end of the Resource Wars and the disintegration of the European Commonwealth, the defense of the United Kingdom once again became the sole responsibility of His Majesty's Armed Forces. The failure of the European Commonwealth, lead to an overwhelming election of the first conservative PM since Thatcher and the rebuilding of the armed forces which has suffered heavily under multiple Labor Party Governments. The 2nd'New Army, often times jokingly known as "Kitcheners Second Army" became a formidable fighting force. The Ministry of Defense faced a major overhaul and many lifers were removed in favor of competent and forward thinking staffers. The Royal Armored Corps saw a massive expansion, with many of the disbanded and amalgamated regiments restored, and a corps strength elevated from 8 regiments to 20 Regiments and a replacement of the venerable Centurion MK 25 with the Chieftain. The armed forces of the United Kingdom were on the rise, and it was felt amongst Britons that Britannia may once again rule the waves, though this feeling of national pride was quickly turned to anger, as members of the Provisional IRA detonate a dirty bomb in London, leading to involvement in the "New Troubles". The RAC would see action all across Northern Ireland until the Great War put a rather permanent stop to hostilities.
