History Literature / NineteenEightyThreeDoomsday

On September 26, 1983, there was a false alarm in the Serpukhov-15 bunker near Moscow which reported that four missiles were heading toward the USSR from America. In RealLife, the officer on duty was Colonel Stanislav Petrov, who realised that it didn't make any sense for the US to attack with only four missiles and logged it as a technical error, which it in fact was, rather then reporting it to his superiors. Because of his sound judgement, nuclear war was averted and countless lives saved.

* UsefulNotes/LeagueOfNations: Revived and reformed after the destruction of the UsefulNotes/UnitedNations in Doomsday. Its main Headquarters is in Tonga, although there are other HQs in Europe, Australia and South America.

On September 26, 1983, there was a false alarm in the Serpukhov-15 bunker near Moscow which reported that four missiles were heading toward the USSR from America. In our timeline, the officer on duty was Colonel Stanislav Petrov, who realised that it didn't make any sense for the US to attack with only four missiles and logged it as a technical error, which it in fact was, rather then reporting it to his superiors. Because of his sound judgement, nuclear war was averted and countless lives saved.

In the [[http://althistory.wikia.com/wiki/1983:_Doomsday 1983:Doomsday]] timeline at the Alternate History Wikia, Colonel Petrov was sent to another installation before September 26th, 1983. The officer now on duty on September 26th considers the alert to be accurate and immediately contacts his superiors. Within minutes, the leaders decide to launch the whole Soviet nuclear arsenal. Logically, the Americans react by launching as well. By the time the first alerted missile is proven to be a false alarm, it's too late. Thousands of nuclear warheads subsequently detonate over targets worldwide. The People's Republic of China was attacked by Soviet nuclear missiles as well, and part of their arsenal is launched in response at the USSR.

* LeagueOfNations: Revived and reformed after the destruction of the UsefulNotes/UnitedNations in Doomsday. Its main Headquarters is in Tonga, although there are other HQs in Europe, Australia and South America.

* LeagueOfNations: Revived and reformed after the destruction of the UnitedNations in Doomsday. Its main Headquarters is in Tonga, although there are other HQs in Europe, Australia and South America.

Not to be confused with the BroadStrokes ''NineteenEightyThreeDoomsdayStories.''

* {{Eagleland}}: The [[http://althistory.wikia.com/wiki/Committee_to_Restore_the_United_States_of_America_(1983:_Doomsday) CRUSA]] pretty much sees itself as this, having originated from [[TheRemnant the US exile community in Australia]] with the ultimate goal of reviving pre-Doomsday America. Coincidentally, they're one of the main backers of the "[[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything American Spring]]"...which has brought a ''very'' mixed reaction internationally to say the least.
** The (formerly Provisional) United States, formed from communities and remnants in the Midwest, at least ''tries'' to present a more benevolent version of the above.

* TheKingdom: Andorra, Luxembourg, Monaco and arguably Japan fit the bill, as do the British survivour nations Newolland, Cleveland and Northumbria. And it's also implied that a reunified France would also become this in the future, due to the Duke of Orleans.

* VestigialEmpire: Many of the nations worst affected on Doomsday still exist into the present, but are often mere remnants of their former selves. For example the People's Republic of China only controls a small fraction of its former territory and population, while France's overseas territories outside of Europe are all that remain of the former Republic.

* ItGotWorse: For ''other'' parts of the world, like China, India, parts of North America and Eastern Europe, things are still going to hell. And in the case of countries such as Hungary, Belgium and the Netherlands, ''they were wiped clean off the map.''

** The USA is an interesting case in that unlike the USSR, it virtually collapsed entirely save for a the American Exiles in Hawaii (later Australia) and Puerto Rico. On the other hand, a group of survivor communities in the Midwest forged a "Provisional United States" by the early 1990s, dropping the "Provisional" upon finding out that there really was no US Government anymore.

* RichardNixonTheUsedCarSalesman: StephenColbert is a senator in the Virginian Republic...[InSpiteOfANail who also happens to be a popular comedian with his own show]].

* InSpiteOfANail: Despite the significant changes brought about by Doomsday, some events mirroring those in RealLife still occur like the 2011 Earthquake in Japan. As well as the former Yugoslavia largely degenerating into a conflict zone-though the latter event happened earlier than OTL. And mass protests in the US successor states being referred to as an "American Spring," though it's implied to be instigated by both CRUSA and the Provisional USA.

On September 26, 1983, there was a false alarm in the Serpukhov-15 bunker near Moscow which reported that four missiles were heading toward the USSR from America. In our timeline, the officer on duty was [[OnlySaneMan Colonel Stanislav Petrov]], who realised that it didn't make any sense for the US to attack with only four missiles and logged it as a technical error, which it in fact was, rather then reporting it to his superiors. Because of his sound judgement, nuclear war was averted and countless lives saved.

In the [[http://althistory.wikia.com/wiki/1983:_Doomsday 1983:Doomsday]] timeline at the Alternate History Wikia, Colonel Petrov was sent to another installation before September 26th, 1983. The officer now on duty on September 26th considers the alert to be accurate and immediately contacts his superiors. Within minutes, the leaders decide to launch the whole Soviet nuclear arsenal. Logically, the Americans react by launching as well. By the time the first alerted missile is proven to be a false alarm, it's too late. Thousands of nuclear warheads subsequently detonate over targets worldwide. Surprisingly, the People's Republic of China was attacked by Soviet nuclear missiles as well, and part of their arsenal is launched in response at the USSR.

* TheGreatPoliticsMessUp: Played with. Both the USA and Soviet Union splintered after Doomsday. While both nations have been reduced to rump states, the Soviet remnant, the Union of Sovereign Socialist Republics, has managed to hold on to more of its pre-Doomsday territory, and has even expanded into Mongolia and parts of China.

* TheGreatPoliticsMessUp: Played with. While the former United States has long splintered into various successor states, including an established "Provisional US" in the North American Union, the Soviet Union endures in the form of Socialist Siberia-though its territory is a much smaller than before Doomsday. The latter coincidentally retains the USSR name.

* AfterTheEnd: Twenty-seven years and counting, to be exact.

** Played with in Texas. There are seven successor states, but as they have slowly made contact with each other they have begun to integrate their institutions. Unification into a new Republic of Texas is an ongoing, messy process, but peaceful and approved by popular election in all seven states.

* AllohistoricalAllusion: A good deal present. Among others, there's a reference to a Western novel serving as a sequel to ''MobileSuitGundam.'' Which bears ''more'' than a passing resemblance to ''Anime/TurnAGundam,'' though with some strange twists (eg. the Black History being an age-long plan by the Zabis).

* CommieLand: How some view Socialist Siberia. Especially considering that it's for all intents and purposes a reformed and slightly reworded USSR. Although they ''did'' keep ''Pravda'' and the KGB are still running around. There are those in-verse who still view them as DirtyCommunists due to the [[NeverLiveItDown old Soviet connection of Doomsday]].

** There's also mention of the military/horror ''Shadow of Tomorrow'' novel, which is a continuation of HPLovecraft's mythos...in French.

* CrapsackWorld: given the premise, but some parts of the world did recover. However, some lands, like the Netherlands, seemed to be doomed to being drowned and forgotten forever.

* DeadlineNews: Several news networks such as CNN or NBC were broadcasting the 35th Emmy Awards when the outbreak of nuclear war began. Almost all of the newscasters and reporters giving the message were thought to have died soon after their final broadcast went out.

* RetroUniverse: Despite being set in the present day much of the world doesn't look like it would fit in our 21st century. For example technology and culture have only advanced to early 90s levels at best. Many real world defunct nations are still around or have since been revived. Communism is still a major factor in world politics. In extreme cases some less fortunate survivor communities look more like they came out of the Middle Ages rather than the modern era.

* VestigialEmpire: Many of the nations worst affected on Doomsday still exist into the present, but are often mere remnants of their former selves. For example the People's Republic of China only controls a small fraction of its former territory and population, while France's overseas territories outside of Europe are all that remain of the former Republic.

* {{The Apunkcalypse}}: ''[[CanadaEh QUEBEC]]'' out of all places gets turned into this.

* {{Apunkcalypse}}: ''[[CanadaEh QUEBEC]]'' out of all places.

* AllHailTheGreatGodMickey: Played with. There are mentions of a faith worshipping AbrahamLincoln in the American survivor state of Lincoln, as well as a "Cult of the Once and Future King" in New Britain.

* CommieLand: How some view Socialist Siberia. Especially considering that it's for all intents and purposes a reformed and slightly reworded USSR. Although they ''did'' keep ''Pravda'' and the KGB are still running around.

* DirtyCommunists: How some still view Socialist Siberia, the (still powerful) remnant of the Soviet Union. It doesn't help that it retained the USSR initials and the KGB.

** Liechteinstein serves this role as well within the [[TheFederation Alpine Confederation]], while Hawaii tries to be this as well.

* VestigialEmpire: Many of the nation's worst affected on Doomsday still exist into the present, but are often mere remnants of their former selves. For example the People's Republic of China only controls a small fraction of its former territory and population, while France is mainly based in its overseas territories outside of Europe.

* IGotBetter: After a fashion. Few if any expected places like Japan or East Germany (later Prussia) to actually survive Doomsday. Only to find out years down the line that they ''did.'' And is even lampshaded in the case of first contact between ANZ and the Philippines.
* ItGotBetter: At least for some parts of the world, things eventually got back to normal...[[WorldHalfFull sort of]].