This article's title is conjecture. Feel free to debate the name on its respective talk page.
The Wars on Earth, sometimes referred to in part as the Sino-Indian War[2], were a series of conflicts on Earth from 2-8 AX.[1]
Overview[]
Shadow of the Hegemon[]
When Battle School Students, most notably Ender's Jeesh, returned home to Earth around 1 AX, the rumblings of war soon began. The many countries of the world had been forced into uniting under the Hegemony during the Formic Wars, but now they were over and nearly every country exited from the Hegemony. They were eager to expand their territory and conquer their neighbors.[3]
The wars began when Russia, under the control of Achilles de Flandres, kidnapped the children who were a part of Ender's Jeesh (excluding Bean) and brought them to a secret location in Russia. Eventually, Petra Arkanian got out a message and allowed the students to be rescued, but Petra was taken by Achilles.[3]
By the time he reached India, Achilles already had contacts in China, Thailand, and other Southeast Asian countries. He soon gained control of the Indian strategic planners, all graduated Battle School students. With them, he planned a massive attack on Burma and Thailand. Petra came up with a brilliant and deft strategy to destroy resistance, sacrificing very few soldiers. But Achilles had planned to conquer Southeast Asia and create an empire using China as his tool. So when India made its attack on Thailand through Burma, he made sure that it would result in a much-weakened India with a starving and cold army far outside its borders. The day he began the attack, Achilles had a bomb planted in the barracks of Thai Battle School graduate Suriyawong. The bomb exploded and reports that both Suriyawong and Bean had been killed soon reached Achilles’ ears. But they were later contradicted by reports that Bean had sent an e-mail from Thai barracks requesting Sister Carlotta’s presence some hours later. Also, Petra had enlisted help from another strategist, Virlomi, to get a message to Bean. Before Achilles could kill Virlomi, she escaped into the Indian countryside. He told the others nothing about what had happened, only letting them wonder. But he arranged for Sister Carlotta’s plane to be shot out of the sky with a surface to air missile he had put in place to bring China into the war.[3]
Bean determined that Achilles' goal was not to control India, but Achilles had aligned himself with China and was spreading the Indian and Pakistani armies too thin, which would allow China to take over Asia with ease. Peter Wiggin, though taking a long time to do so, posted this plan on his Locke forum, exposing Achilles and his plot to the world.[3]
Peter was elected Hegemon following the crisis. Though his power was limited since much of Asia and Europe did not acknowledge his authority, he nonetheless had risen to be the figurehead of the world government.[3]
Children of the Fleet[]
At some point around 2 AX, Achilles organized and funded a group of South Americans who wanted the International Fleet to become involved in the Wars on Earth in order to attack the Fleet School as a way of getting his revenge against Battle School. However, when Dabeet Ochoa foiled his plan by blowing the ship loaded with Vacoplaz explosives away from the station, Achilles or his subordinates from Earth detonated them anyways in an attempt to do some damage, although the station was left unscathed.[4]
Shadow Puppets[]
Peter traveled to Damascus to meet with the Muslim Caliph, Alai. He hoped to find an ally for the Hegemony in the Muslim League, but was unsure if it was realistic. He took Petra with him, posing as bickering lovers. In their meeting with Alai, Peter and Petra told the Islamic leader that his people were murdering innocents in India and that he had little real authority. Alai believed them and undertook measures to reassert his true influence over the Muslim world politically and spiritually. He did not promise to be an ally of the Hegemon, but was appreciative that his disloyal followers were exposed. He assured Peter it would not be forgotten.[5]
Matters grew more complicated, however, when Virlomi in India caused an insurgency there that threatened to bring about a war with both the Muslim League and China. Peter turned to Bean and Petra for counsel, and they helped him develop a strategy to bring about peace once the impending war began. He would swoop in when the war seemed to be the last thing anyone wanted, with offers of peace and unity in a worldwide government.[5]
He returned to writing essays on the nets, now as "Lincoln", criticizing his own policy, along with essays of a foil named "Martel", which were written by Petra under his direction. He realized that he needed to get as many Battle School graduates, who were now weapons in a virtual worldwide arms race, off the planet. He traveled around the world to offer a new life in the colony planets to all of Ender's colleagues, but his offer was always rejected.[5]
Shadow of the Giant[]
Undeterred, Peter drafted a constitution that would unite the world in a peaceful society. He invited many Battle School graduates to ratify the document and bring their nations into the ever-growing Hegemony. He was successful in gaining the support of smaller countries such as Rwanda. The leader of the African nation insisted that in exchange for ratifying the document and joining Peter's government, Rwanda would receive Bean as leader of its armies. Peter consented, and Bean was sent.[1]
Regardless, Bean and Petra agreed to go to Rwanda. With Bean leading the army there, Peter was able to gain a lot of worldwide support for his constitution. Many more nations ratified it, and the Hegemony was reformed into the Free People of Earth. Peter promised to resign from his position as Hegemon, with no successor, once the wars on Earth ended.[1]
He had used the wars in Asia to ignite the world's population fear of war. This fear led to many countries joining the Free People of Earth. Bean and his armies defended member states of the Free People when they were attacked by outside nations. Their swift victories led to more nations to join.[1]
Peter had succeeded in unifying the world, to a point. He had a long way to go before all the world would unite, as most of Asia was still divided among the Chinese, the Muslim League, and India. But he was on the correct path to victory. To advance his world government, Peter traveled to a neutral site where he met with Virlomi, the self-appointed goddess of India, to negotiate India's entrance into the Free People of Earth. Virlomi refused to join his government, as she had designs of her own She tried to convince Peter to marry her, which Peter also refused.[1]
Peter called for his military to intervene when China, India, and Russia went to war with each other. China joined the FPE, adding to the government's ever-growing influence around the world. He relied on several Battle School graduates, such as Vlad and of course Bean and Petra, to help him end the wars.[1]
Outcome[]
After the wars ended, the large and powerful countries joined the Free People of Earth, encouraging many others to do so. Eventually, every nation on Earth belonged to the FPE except for the United States of America. By around 41 AX, the FPE was simply known as EarthGov and the planet was at peace. The last "wars" were small insurrections that were quickly quashed.[1]