History Main / EarthIsABattlefield

* Most ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'' series involve a world war that engulfs the Earth and the [[SpaceStation space colonies]] in the "Earth Sphere"--often [[ColonyDrop using one "battlefield" as a weapon against the other]]. In particular, the rules for the [[CombatByChampion Gundam Fight]] of ''[[Anime/MobileFighterGGundam G Gundam]]'' state that "Earth is the ring"... shown by the existence of laser boxing-ring ropes circling the planet, which a Gundam actually bounces off. [[TheElitesJumpShip Most of the well-off people live in space colonies]].

* Most ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'' series fit this trope. In particular, the rules for the [[CombatByChampion Gundam Fight]] of ''[[Anime/MobileFighterGGundam G Gundam]]'' state that "Earth is the ring"... shown by the existence of laser boxing-ring ropes circling the planet, which a Gundam actually bounces off. [[TheElitesJumpShip Most of the well-off people live in space colonies]].

When Earth is subject to this trope, it's hard to [[CrapsackWorld find anywhere on the planet where there isn't violent fighting going on]]. Anywhere you do find that's peaceful now could easily become thick with fighting at a moments notice, if it wasn't thick with fighting previously. Nobody on Earth is untouched by loss of loved ones.

[[folder: Anime & Manga]]
* Most ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'' series fit this trope. In particular, the rules for the [[CombatByChampion Gundam Fight]] of ''[[Anime/MobileFighterGGundam G Gundam]]'' state that "Earth is the ring"... shown by the existence of laser boxing-ring ropes circling the planet, which a Gundam actually bounces off. [[TheElitesJumpShip Most of the well-off people live in space colonies.]]

* Same goes for its spiritual predecessor ''Anime/SkyGirls''.
* This trope is played straight in ''Anime/SuperDimensionFortressMacross''[=/=]''Anime/{{Robotech}}'' where [[spoiler:all of Earth bombarded and devastated in a planet wide assault. Furthermore, this experience was the driving reason in the aborted sequel ''Robotech: The Sentinels'' for the heroes to lead a major armed expedition to the Robotech Masters' world. Ostensibly, the major goal is to come to an accord with that power, but if it comes to fighting, then at least ''their world'' will be the battlefield this time.]]
** The ''Anime/{{Macross}}'' continuity has humanity specifically anticipating this to happen again in the future and [[WagonTrainToTheStars taking precautions]].
* In the final episode of ''Manga/{{Jormungand}}'', nearly every continent has descended into this. A [[MakeTheBearAngryAgain "New USSR"]] and the [[{{Eagleland}} United States]] are locked in a second UsefulNotes/ColdWar, the [[UsefulNotes/TheIndoPakistanConflict Indo-Pakistan conflict]] has started anew, a sixth UsefulNotes/ArabIsraeliConflict has erupted in the Middle East, China has suffered an [[OhCrap economic crash]], race riots are breaking out in UsefulNotes/{{Indonesia}}, [[TheCartel drug cartels]] and [[DirtyCommies left-wing terrorists]] have turned much of Latin America into a smoking wasteland, the same can be said of Africa as its many civil wars have escalated, and Europe is under siege by a massive new spate of terrorism to the point that Big Ben has been destroyed. The only continents that seem untouched are, [[DeathWorld Antarctica and Oceania.]]
* ''Anime/PsychoPassTheMovie'' tells us the whole world is engulfed in war, except for Japan thanks to [[RepressiveButEfficient the Sibyl System's control.]]

[[folder: Comic Books]]

[[folder: Fan Works]]
* ''Fanfic/PokeWars'' shows [[VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue Kanto]], [[VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver Johto]], [[VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire Hoenn]], [[VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl Sinnoh]], [[VideoGame/PokemonColosseum Orre]], [[VideoGame/PokemonRanger Fiore, Oblivia, and Almia]] as war torn [[CrapsackWorld hell holes]].
* In general, it's a poplar fanfic idea, and is usually melded with CrapsackWorld for an apocalyptic wasteland. Any fandom with a decent amount of fiction written about it will have a variation of this.
* ''Fanfic/TheConversionBureauTheOtherSideOfTheSpectrum'' has the Eastern US coast (Boston in particular), [[{{UsefulNotes/Kenya}} Nairobi]], [[{{UsefulNotes/India}} New Dehli]], and [[{{Usefulnotes/Canada}} New Brunswick]] on the frontlines of a war against xenocidal aliens, while the rest of the world trapped in a [[AdvancingWallOfDoom life destroying barrier]].
* The majority of the Homestuck fanfic ''FanFic/WarboundWidow'' is based on Earth as the inhabitants get in a worldwide war with the invading [[AlienInvasion Alternian Empire.]] Name a country and it's under attack; it's so bad most of [[LaResistance humanity]] has been forced to retreat underground because of the sheer amount of battles being waged constantly upon the surface and have to use [[HitAndRunTactics guerrilla warfare.]]
* ''FanFic/WorldwarWarOfEquals'' has the alien forces land in strategic positions around the world facing the best 21st century militaries can dish out. Unlike the situation in the [[{{Literature/Worldwar}} source material]], the world isn't wrapped up in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII and even [[SoMuchForStealth spotted them right outside our solar system]] almost two years ago, giving Humanity [[CrazyPrepared time to prepare itself]].
* ''Fanfic/CoreLine'': WhenDimensionsCollide, the result is every bad guy in almost known work of fiction of humanity fighting against every good guy in almost very known work of fiction of humanity, with an awful lot of people stuck in the middle (and either self-enforcing "TookALevelInBadass" or die). This is a conflict that has gone through hot and cold cycles, with the "CHIMERA War" arc starting on ''Fanfic/CorelineOperationSnakeCharmer'' and ending on ''Fanfic/CorelineOperationEndgame'' being the latest "hot" period.
* ''Fanfic/{{Regret}}'': In the future, Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh and possibly Unova are torn apart by war and a highly contagious Hate Plague.
* In the second act of ''Fanfic/HellsisterTrilogy'', the whole world has been engulfed in war because of ComicBook/{{Darkseid}}'s invading forces. The situation gets so bad that, while the ComicBook/NewGods and Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica try hold Darkseid's army at bay, ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} and other heroes travel to parallel dimensions to ask for help. And reinforcements.

* ''Fanfic/SupermanOf2499TheGreatConfrontation'' is heading towards this, with the [=XXVth=] century descendants of [[Franchise/{{Superman}} the House of El]] fighting each other in a planetary-scale war.

[[folder: Film]]

* ''Film/EarthVsTheFlyingSaucers''
* ''Film/BattleLosAngeles''
* ''Film/IndependenceDay'', even if it focused on [[AmericaSavesTheDay the United States]].

* ''Film/GodzillaFinalWars'': Giant monsters controlled by aliens destroying major landmarks while fighting Godzilla, anyone?
** Of course, ''Final Wars'' is essentially a remake of ''Film/DestroyAllMonsters'' which basically as the same premise. Aliens control giant monsters (Including Godzilla himself who attacks [[BigApplesauce New York City]]) that destroy major cities.
* ''Film/BattlefieldEarth'', albeit in the past tense (humanity was [[CurbStompBattle curb-stomped]] long before the plot gets going).
* An interesting case in ''Film/{{Hackers}}'', where hackers from all over the world are joining in a virtual attack on the Gibson supercomputer in order to overload its defenses.
* ''Film/AvengersEndgame'': With the Avengers being down a member following Nat's Soul Stone sacrifice, Doctor Strange, Black Panther, Shuri, Okoye, Falcon, Wong, various sorcerers (Tina Minoru and Hamir included), Stakar Ogord and his Ravager clan consisting of Aleta Ogord, Krugarr, Martinex, and Charlie-27, Spider-Man, Mantis, Kraglin, Wasp, Korg, Miek, Scarlet Witch, Bucky Barnes, Groot, Valkyrie, and Howard the Duck among many others arrive on Earth to make sure the Avengers don't feel outnumbered in their fight against Thanos and his army.

[[folder: Literature]]
%%* H.G. Wells' ''Literature/TheWarOfTheWorlds'' is possibly the ur-example in fiction.
* Creator/JohnRingo's ''Literature/LegacyOfTheAldenata'' does this, with [[HordeOfAlienLocusts Posleen]] landings all over the place generally making life rather suck for most humans.

* ''Literature/WorldWarZ'' - basically the complete opposite of AmericaSavesTheDay.
* The appropriately named ''Literature/{{Worldwar}}'' series by Creator/HarryTurtledove has alien landings in sites across the world in the middle of 1942. It's debatable whether EarthIsABattlefield applies after the first three months of war: during that time the alien Race conquer and subdue most nations apart from the great powers who were mobilized to fight UsefulNotes/WorldWarTwo. However, partisan resistance continues everywhere, the area Turtledove mostly writing about being China.

[[folder: Live Action TV]]
* Many episodes of ''Series/DoctorWho''.

[[folder: Tabletop Games]]
* In Palladium's ''TabletopGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesAndOtherStrangeness'', this was what much of the Earth's future looked like: evacuated by all organic life and used as a killing zone by psychotic AIs hiding in underground bunkers.
** Creator/PalladiumBooks loves this trope. ''TabletopGame/{{Rifts}}'' is also an example, as well as ''TabletopGame/DeadReign'' and Nightbane.
* ''TabletopGame/{{Risk}}'', of course.
* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' has a whole '''galaxy''' in constant war. Earth itself, on the other hand is relatively safe by Warhammer 40K standards, though back in the Age of Strife, around ten thousand years ago, it was divided into warring techno-barbarian empires that only stopped when the Emperor arrived to conquer it all and stop the fighting.
* In ''Tabletopgame/BattleTech'', Terra, while normally a very stable location, has been site to some of the largest and most horrific battles in the Inner Sphere courtesy of the Sol system being the most developed system in known space. The Amaris Civil War resulted in the largest space battle ever recorded and a two year campaign on the surface to take out Amaris the Usurper, in a war that would kill millions. The [[ChurchMilitant Word of Blake]] Jihad caused two separate wars, and the last of which had the Word of Blake use nuclear, biological, chemical, and [[OrbitalBombardment orbital]] weaponry.

[[folder: Video Games]]
* The ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquer'' series. The ''[[VideoGame/CommandAndConquerTiberianSeries Tiberium]]'' series and ''[[VideoGame/CommandAndConquerGenerals Generals]]'' were global from the beginning. The ''[[VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRedAlertSeries Red Alert]]'' series was confined to Europe in the first game but quickly went global in its latter two installments.
** Most of the fighting in the Generals series happens in China, the Middle East, and Central Asia. The ''Zero Hour'' expansion pack takes this further: the United States has a mission in Somalia, the GLA visits the continental US to steal their newest weapon and then attacks Greece & Germany, while four-fifths of the Chinese campaign happens in Germany (the other one-fifth occurs in western China, probably the Xinjiang region).
* ''VideoGame/{{Resistance}}''
* Probably the Seven Hour War from the ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'' backstory.
** That was more of a CurbStompBattle. A more straightforward example is the uprising in the most recent games. It's humanity vs the Combine and it's unlikely the fighting is restricted to Eastern Europe only.
* The world has descended into something closely resembling this in the beginning of ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4''. It's especially apparent in the fake ads that appear before the opening cutscene.
* The ''{{VideoGame/XCOM}}'' series is a prime example of this trope, where Earth is in the midst of a full-scale [[Main/AlienInvasion invasion of numerous alien species]]. So in essence, it seems that Earth has become China during the Mongol conquest.
* ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'' itself starts with the Reapers invading Earth. Over the course of the game, you hear from Anderson, who is leading a global resistance movement that's fighting back against the Reapers as best as they can, even when indoctrinated authority figures attempt to criminalize doing so. [[spoiler:Then the final battle takes place in London, which looks rather like it's been hit with many, many hammers for a period of several weeks.]]
* Invoked in ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiStrangeJourney'', where the first sector of the Schwartzweld, Antlia, is modeled after a burning warzone. The reason? Its Tyrant, Morax, is the embodiment of humanity's warlike nature.
* ''VideoGame/{{Xenonauts}}'' is a mild case, since the war is rather limited, but nevertheless any place on Earth may become a target at any time. It is an Main/AlienInvasion game after all.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'' [[spoiler:Once the player finishes the events in Terra. Kuja plans on waging war back on Gaia. Which the mist that used to only cover a bit of said continent has now covered the whole world. Making it hard to see what's in front of the player.]]
* ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'': In the beginning of ''VideoGame/{{Halo 2}}'', the Covenant launch a small preliminary assault on Earth [[spoiler:which turns out to have been by accident, as the invasion fleet wasn't actually expecting to find any humans]]. By the beginning of ''VideoGame/{{Halo 3}}'', this has become a full-blown invasion, with cities all over the world overrun by the Covenant.

[[folder: Web Original]]
* The world of the ''WebOriginal/CivBattleRoyale'' is this by design, as the only enabled victory is [[TakeOverTheWorld Domination]]. By the end of [[EvenBetterSequel Mk. 2]], every single city on the map has changed hands at least once, most of them multiple times. [[spoiler: The exceptions are several cities in Brazil, due to the fact that the Brazilians are the ones who finally do Main/TakeOverTheWorld.]]
* The ''Website/SCPFoundation'' features SCP-5000, a mechanical suit the Foundation found which includes logs and files from an alternate reality where the Foundation declares a war of extermination on the rest of humanity for an unknown reason. In this alternate reality, using the anomalous items they collected, the Foundation started doing everything it could to kill as many people as possible all over the world, such as spreading memetic hazards on the internet, releasing infectious anomalies in large cities, triggering the eruption of Yellowstone, and even releasing/resurrecting hostile deities.

[[folder: Western Animation]]
* In the ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'' noncanon Christmas episode "Rapture's Delight", the Rapture comes and half the Earth's population ascends into heaven while the rest are left behind as Jesus returns to battle the Anti-Christ. In seven years the world becomes a wasteland in the war between the angelic forces of Jesus and the demonic armies of the Anti-Christ. One battle is mentioned, the "Battle of Boca Raton".
* In the GrandFinale of ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueUnlimited'', the entire League as well as the surviving remnants of the LegionOfDoom [[EnemyMine team up]] and spread out across the entire world to battle [[ComicBook/NewGods the Forces of Apokolips]], lead by {{ComicBook/Darkseid}}.
* In most ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'' incarnations, the Autobots and Decepticons take their fights to Earth, usually to grab whatever MacGuffin happens to be there.
* The GreatOffscreenWar in ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' was a multi-century gem civil war between the ones who wanted to continue or stop colonizing Earth. The total ''area'' of where they fought does not appear particularly large, but gems' PortalNetwork and other transport methods lead to fights all over the planet.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Real Life]]

** In ''ComicBook/TheDominatorWar'', the Dominators have alll but conquered Earth thanks to a worldwide machine-controlling techno-plague. In retaliation, the Legionnaires attack and conquer the Dominator homeworld.

* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ongoing_armed_conflicts#/media/File%3AOngoing_conflicts_around_the_world.svg This map]] shows all the armed conflicts going on in the present day. It's just showing the countries with active ''battlefields'' rather than every country involved--if it did, NATO would be colored in too.

* The ''Wiki/SCPFoundation'' features SCP-5000, a mechanical suit the Foundation found which includes logs and files from an alternate reality where the Foundation declares a war of extermination on the rest of humanity for an unknown reason. In this alternate reality, using the anomalous items they collected, the Foundation started doing everything it could to kill as many people as possible all over the world, such as spreading memetic hazards on the internet, releasing infectious anomalies in large cities, triggering the eruption of Yellowstone, and even releasing/resurrecting hostile deities.

* Most ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'' series fit this trope. In particular, the rules for the [[CombatByChampion Gundam Fight]] of ''[[Anime/MobileFighterGGundam G Gundam]]'' state that "Earth is the ring"... shown by the existence of laser boxing-ring ropes circling the planet, which a Gundam actually bounces off. Most of the well-off people live in space colonies.

** In "Earthwar", the Khunds invade Earth, forcing all Legionnaires out of retirement to fight them in every front.
** In "The Dominator War", the Dominators have alll but conquered Earth thanks to a worldwide machine-controlling techno-plague. In retaliation, the Legionnaires attack and conquer the Dominator homeworld.

* Cornova's ''Fanfic/PokeWars'' series shows [[VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue Kanto]], [[VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver Johto]], [[VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire Hoenn]], [[VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl Sinnoh]], [[VideoGame/PokemonColosseum Orre]], [[VideoGame/PokemonRanger Fiore, Oblivia, and Almia]] as war torn [[CrapsackWorld hell holes]].