Global Defense Initiative (original) (raw)

| | “ | _Sanctioned by the United Nations, the Global Defense Initiative has one goal: to eliminate multinational terrorism in an effort to preserve freedom._- EVA briefing(src) | ” | | | ---- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | - | |

The Global Defense Initiative (GDI) was a global peacekeeping force. It was founded in accordance with the United Nations Global Defense Act (UNGDA), on October 12, 1995. The GDI's initial goal was to preserve world order by combating global terrorism, epitomized by the Brotherhood of Nod.[1][4]

During the First Tiberium War, a global conflict between GDI and Nod over the alien substance Tiberium, GDI discovered that Tiberium was highly toxic to terrestrial life, but not before it had spread to the entire world due to its economic benefits. GDI eventually defeated Nod, destroying its headquarters in Sarajevo and apparently killing its leader, Kane. It then began the long process of evacuating civilians from the growing Tiberium contamination.

In the decades that followed, GDI played a key role in combatting Nod, containing Tiberium, and evacuating civilians from Tiberium-contaminated areas. Over time, member nations gradually ceded power and sovereignty to GDI. By 2047, GDI had become a de facto political and military superstate.[5]

History[]

Origins[]

Very little is known about GDI's history prior to the First Tiberium War, other than that its predecessor, known as "Special Operations Group Echo, Black Ops 9", was active prior to 1990. GDI itself was officially formed on October 12, 1995, in order to enforce the United Nations Global Defense Act and uphold the ideals of the UN Charter.[1]

First Tiberium War[]

During the First Tiberium War, GDI fought Nod forces on a multitude of fronts, led by American brigadier general Mark Jamison Sheppard. Eventually, Nod propaganda efforts painted GDI as being responsible for atrocities such as the slaughter of the entire population of Białystok, through a series of false news broadcasts recorded by Greg Burdette, which forced GDI to pull back from many territories which were then quickly taken over by Nod supporters. This culminated in the UN becoming forced to discontinue its public funding of GDI due to the fear of public backlash. Nod began assaulting GDI strongholds everywhere, believing that the organization had been severely weakened by these manipulative efforts.

As it turned out, the UN had faked their financial withdrawal in an attempt to outwit Nod's leader Kane, a brilliant and charismatic man. The plan was successful, and Nod forces were greatly surprised to find the bases they were attacking were heavily fortified. Most attacks were complete victories for GDI. Fighting continued, however, until GDI operatives finally located Nod's main global headquarters, the so-called "Temple of Nod", just outside of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Temple was destroyed after the Nod compound was besieged, Kane was pronounced dead, and Nod was crippled, effectively ending the First Tiberium War.[note 1]

During this time, GDI protected leading Tiberium researchers like Dr. Ignatio Mobius and his daughter Dr. Sydney Mobius, whose efforts have proven invaluable in GDI's and the public's understanding of Tiberium, its capabilities, and hazards.

Second Tiberium War[]

With the destruction of the Brotherhood's Sarajevo Temple, a period of relative peace dawned, allowing GDI to focus on researching Tiberium. However, GDI forces never recovered Kane's body, which incited tabloid headlines and rumors of the continued underground existence of the Brotherhood. Secretly, GDI had a mole within the Brotherhood - general Hassan. Despite this, on 2 September 2030, GDI bases around the world found themselves under heavy fire from Nod units. Aboard the GDSS Philadelphia, GDI's space station that was used as a global command center, GDI's top brass was surprised by the attacks. Shortly after their internal systems noted hotspots in numerous locations around the world, their communication equipment was hacked by Nod in order for Kane to reveal himself to be alive, thereby declaring his return to the global political and military scene. General James Solomon assigned field commander Michael McNeil the task of leading the efforts of retaliation and later counter-attacking Nod, thus initiating the Second Tiberium War.

GDI and Nod forces clash during the Second Tiberium War

GDI then first made use of new technologies such as mechanized walkers like Wolverines and Titans, drop pods, and sonic weaponry implemented in disruptors. While locations like Phoenix Base were targets of minor attacks, the compound in Hammerfest was entirely captured by Nod, but was quickly retaken.

During the course of the war, GDI became affiliated with the society of Tiberium-mutated humans known as the Forgotten by making contact with their elite soldier Umagon on a faked Scrin ship. GDI took out Nod's Divination project facility as they rescued the Forgotten leader Tratos and, with their help, destroyed Nod's chemical missile plant and Banshee prototype facility.

In the final battle in Cairo, having defeated the Nod defenses around the Nod pyramid, McNeil personally entered the pyramid itself and faced off with Kane, impaling him with a steel beam, and rescuing Umagon who was a hostage there. GDI subsequently secured the mysterious Tacitus device, which held information on Tiberium that they had lacked, among else.

Firestorm Conflict[]

Shortly after Kane's second "death", it was revealed that the vaccine which Tratos had developed and had administered to his kin Umagon proved to be ineffective in curing or even halting Tiberium mutations within a human being. Meanwhile, Tiberium infestation increasingly continued to threaten the future and the very survival of humanity on Earth. GDI thus began to focus the majority of its resources and efforts into unlocking the secrets of the Tacitus while defending themselves against the remainder of Nod forces. Tratos, however, was assassinated by the Brotherhood.

A massive ion storm crashed the GDI command ship, the Kodiak, while it was transporting the Tacitus, and cut off their link with the GDSS Philadelphia, so ground control of reachable GDI forces was assumed by the Southern Cross base led by general Paul Cortez.

This left GDI with no alternative other than to attempt to capture the Brotherhood's artificial intelligence unit named CABAL, which was rumored to be able to decode all the information contained within the Tacitus device by means similar to those of Tratos. Anton Slavik, who led what was left of the Brotherhood's armed forces after the conclusion of the Second Tiberium War, was also working on reactivating CABAL in order to regain their logistical and tactical advantages, and more importantly to prevent the Brotherhood of Nod from fracturing into splinter groups again as it had done so after the conclusion of the First Tiberium War. GDI was able to capture and reactivate CABAL, forcing Nod to steal and reprogram an existing GDI EVA unit.

When GDI recovered the final piece of the Tacitus, however, CABAL suddenly turned on both GDI and Nod in a move that would reveal itself to be part of an independent and premeditated plan of the AI itself. CABAL's increasing threat eventually led to an uneasy alliance between GDI and Nod, with both armies destroying two fronts of CABAL's cyborg production and resource gathering facilities. Their missions were a success, with GDI and Nod mounting a final assault on the renegade artificial intelligence's system core.

With all pieces of the Tacitus recovered, its segments merged together, and GDI managed to recover a large amount of data from the alien device.[6] Despite Dr. Gabriella Boudreau's breakthrough in the early 2030s, however, GDI's progress in interfacing with the Tacitus continued to be slow.[7]

Interbellum[]

After the Firestorm Conflict, with the Brotherhood apparently defeated and splintered once again, GDI's priority shifted from war to Tiberium containment, ecological recovery, space research, and economic prosperity.[8] This new focus resulted in a decline in GDI's military capabilities, leading to worldwide closure of GDI bases.[9] It also led to the retirement of several military technologies, including walkers, HoverTech, and drones, due to cost and reliability concerns.[8]

Several military officials were unsatisfied with how the majority of GDI's R&D budget was shifted toward Tiberium control, most notably General Joshua Mitchell, a decorated veteran of TWII, who campaigned for increased research spending for new combat technology. Mitchell argued that while Nod may have been defeated, it would be foolish to assume that no successor would take its place. After a lengthy, volatile hearing, GDI agreed to fund a new experimental combat technology division under Mitchell. Dubbed the 'Steel Talons' by Mitchell's admirers, this elite, unconventional combat battalion quickly rose to prominence in the splinter faction skirmishes that followed Nod's implosion, becoming known both for their ruthless efficiency on the battlefield and for the shroud of secrecy they maintained at all other times.[10]

The focus on Tiberium abatement yielded new ways to combat the alien substance. GDI engineers discovered the resonant frequency of Tiberium, and developed Sonic Resonators capable of breaking down Tiberium crystals.[11] In order to assist in Tiberium abatement operations, GDI created a new branch of the military, Zone Operations Command, dedicated solely to operating within areas of high Tiberium infestation.[12] These efforts allowed GDI to turn back the tide of Tiberium growth, one notable example of GDI's victory in the war against Tiberium is New Eden, the first Blue Zone to be reclaimed from a Yellow Zone.[13]

Before the onset of the Third Tiberium War, the pristine and uncontaminated Blue Zones, which consisted of 20% of the Earth's surface, was under the protection and direct control of the GDI. Meanwhile, the Brotherhood operated unchallenged within the Yellow Zones, which consisted of 50% of the world's surface and contained the majority of the world's population. These regions were devastated by Tiberium contamination, as well as decades of war and civil unrest. Red Zones, which consisted of 30% of the planet, suffered the worst contamination, and could not support human life.[14]

Over time, power and sovereignty have been gradually ceded to GDI and the national identities of the participating countries have faded. This process has reached its final stages by 2047: while there are still technically individual member nations, the reality is that GDI has become a unified political and military super-state.[5]

Third Tiberium War[]

By 2043 GDI closed over 60% of their bases worldwide

However, this period of peace was short lived, as Nod's breakup was a mere illusion. The Brotherhood of Nod struck quickly, infiltrating the Goddard Space Center and disabling GDI's A-SAT (Anti-Satellite) defense systems, responsible for defending GDI's space operations from hostile attacks. Nod then launched a nuclear missile at the Philadelphia while GDI's leaders were in council aboard the space station, critically damaging GDI's command structure and causing widespread chaos. Meanwhile Nod forces launched a coordinated strike against GDI-controlled blue zones worldwide. GDI repelled Nod from the blue zones after several days of intense fighting, and launched a counter-attack upon what was thought to be a Nod chemical weapons facility in Egypt. It was quickly revealed that this facility was researching and developing a liquid Tiberium bomb. GDI crippled Nod's nuclear capabilities in Cairo before proceeding to Sarajevo and using an ion cannon on the Brotherhood's Temple Prime in Sarajevo by order of acting GDI director Redmond Boyle, against the warnings of General Jack Granger.

The ion cannon hit a liquid Tiberium deposit beneath Temple Prime, vaporizing it and causing a large chain reaction that wiped out what remained of Sarajevo and the surrounding regions, while at the same time spreading deadly Tiberium fallout all over the yellow zones of Eastern Europe. The resulting death toll was catastrophic.

Public relations advertisement.

Just as GDI thought it had won the war, alien invaders known as the Scrin, apparently attracted by the liquid Tiberium explosion, arrived and wrought havoc upon GDI and Nod alike. GDI deep space scans picked the Scrin up even before they arrived, and in a state of panic Redmond Boyle rashly ordered the entire southern hemisphere's network of Ion Cannons to be activated and unleashed on the aliens. This only served to send 39 drone ships crashing throughout the world.

Upon landing, the aliens quickly began striking at blue zones all over the globe with deadly precision. GDI forces scrambled to put up an effective resistance, but after their battles with Nod were spread very thin. After repelling the invaders from several of their blue zones, GDI discovered the invaders' seemingly random attacks were just a distraction from the massive, monolithic towers that were being constructed for an unknown purpose and systematically destroyed them. Unbeknownst to GDI, Kane resurfaced once more to end an inner power struggle with Kilian Qatar and sought to control one of the threshold towers in an effort to learn more about Tiberium and the alien's technology. As the war ended, only one tower, Threshold 19, survived the conflict, having been protected from attack until it was completed and became invulnerable to GDI attacks.

Another propaganda example

GDI stopped the invasion and planned to keep the remaining tower, which ended under Nod control, supposedly inactive and harmless. A number of Scrin invaders were forced to flee for the time being. It is unknown whether or not the first Scrin incursion was a full invasion or something else.

Post-TWIII[]

GDI emerged as the apparent victor in the Third Tiberium War, having once again driven Nod underground and neutralized the Scrin harvesting forces on Earth. The GDI, and therefore Earth, was reigned with silence and peace which lasted several years.

However, much to their surprise, that silence was broken when in 2052, Nod forces, under the command of the experimental combat AI of the Marked of Kane, known only as LEGION, raided the Rocky Mountains base and reclaimed the Tacitus for its creator, who is none other than Kane himself, who has in fact been hiding underground. Despite heavy resistance from ZOCOM, the Steel Talons and the baseline GDI forces stationed there, including the formidable Mammoth Armored Reclamation Vehicle, they were unprepared for the assault of LEGION's cybernetic army.

2062: A dire situation[]

GDI's Tiberium abatement efforts failed after the Third Tiberium War. Tiberium unexpectedly underwent yet another evolution, now growing at such an aggressive rate that it spread across the entire planet unchecked by all conventional means. By 2062, Tiberium infestation was so great that it was predicted that the human race would be completely wiped out within a matter of years (just as the Scrin had earlier expected). Kane resurfaced once more and, given the dire situation, traveled to GDI Global Headquarters in Manchester to form an uneasy alliance.[2][15]

While the alliance with Nod has proven to be tremendously beneficial towards GDI and the human race in general, having entered a new Golden Age after finally pushing back the spread of Tiberium and reclaiming much of the planet, it has also had the unexpected side-effect of splintering GDI. Much of GDI's military forces and civilian population resent working with Nod, whom they still consider to be a band of fanatics and terrorists, and the old wounds left over from the previous Tiberium Wars have yet to fully heal in the minds of the populace. This is particularly true amongst segments of the military, who consider Kane to be a soulless murderer and see the alliance as a betrayal of GDI's principles and the millions lost to Nod violence, foreshadowing a possibility of a potential civil war within GDI itself.

The Incursion War[]

GDI was not the only organization to be divided by the new alliance. Many Nod followers also believed this to be a direct contradiction to the goals that were laid down by Kane himself. As a result, they split from the Nod Loyalists and started a separated but highly destructive guerilla war against both Kane, GDI and the construction of the Tiberium Control Network. The Nod separatists rallied around Gideon, an outspoken critic of Kane, as their leader and staged heavy attacks on the Blue and Yellow Zones. At one stage, Nod separatists banded together and attacked Paris, signifying the start of the Incursion War, as well as hijacked the GST Methuselah to crash it down on Chicago. The latter was saved by a heroic GDI commander - at the cost of losing his eyesight in the process. He would later on play an important role in the Fourth Tiberium War.

Despite GDI advancements in zone armor and the development of the Hunter Tanks in combating Nod Separatist flame tanks, it could not protect the TCN and pursue the Separatists at the same time, leaving the GDI military in disarray. However, with the expansion of the GDI Air Force and the development of the Crawler in 2073, the GDI military was reorganized into three branches: Offense, Defense and Support classes. A year after the introduction of the Crawlers, GDI and Nod Loyalists were able to protect the TCN constructions and crushed the Separatists as a military force, driving Gideon and the other Separatist leaders into hiding.

It was during this period when TCN construction was partially completed did GDI gain renewed funds from the new method of harvesting Tiberium. The renewed funding enabled the GDI military to reintroduce the mechanized walkers such as the Titan and the AW-12 Mastodon (based on the Mammoth Mk. II) that were gradually shelved after the Firestorm Conflict, much to the delight of the veterans of the Second Tiberium War. The GDI Council would also direct the funds to rebuild the areas that were previously scarred by Tiberium, most notably the city that would become the capital city of the GDI government: New Adana.

Fourth Tiberium War[]

With the TCN nearing completion the alliance between GDI and Nod still held, although the 15 years of tension between them still existed. Despite the coming of a new Golden Age, GDI's political situation was on shaky ground because of the alliance, which was not helped by Gideon's raids. Indeed on 1 May 2077, Gideon attempted to assassinate Kane at the TCN opening ceremony in New Adana, sparking the Fourth Tiberium War twelve hours later. The GDI-Nod alliance still held as they initially battled against the Nod separatists, which included the protection of both Kane and GDI General Secretary Evelyn Rios. GDI extremists led by Colonel Louise James followed their orders and worked alongside the Nod loyalists despite their suspicions of Kane's motives.

For a week, Gideon's propaganda was spurring many civilians living in the impoverished yellow and red zones to topple GDI and Kane. Gideon particularly targeted Colonel James's aggressive actions against the Separatists, which divided the military and political leadership. On 6 May, New Adana was attacked by Gideon's supporters. GDI managed to uphold their mandate and take back the city; however Kane was forced to fight through Colonel James' forces to reach the New Adana TCN Hub.

Unable to convince Rios of Kane's actions, James decided to act on her suspicions and started investigating Kane's actions. Collecting evidence of Kane's attempts to supposedly bring back the Scrin via the TCN and the Scrin tower, and having avoided assassination by Kane's own forces, James confronted Rios and General Riggs with the information. However both dismissed her, and thus she declared martial law on New Adana, effectively turning the 15-year internal strife within GDI into a full-fledged civil war.[16] Although New Adana had fallen to the rogue GDI forces, James and her crew onboard the GST Tzadik were arrested and imprisoned by Riggs' GDI marines.[17]

However, the crew escaped and pursued Kane and his Nod followers to Threshold 19. James attempted to assassinate the Nod messiah but could not validate her kill. This resulted in both rogue and loyal GDI forces fighting Nod for control of the TCN, thereby terminating the shaky alliance. GDI managed to secure the tower but Kane and all Nod followers managed to sync the tower with the help of Commander Parker through his optical implants and Ascended.[18][19] With Colonel James being unaccounted for, GDI is reunited once again under Rios, ending the brief but costly Fourth Tiberium War. The activation of the Tower proved to be the final piece in the TCN's completion, as Tiberium growth is slowly receded around the nodes. With all remaining Nod followers having disappeared, GDI remains as the sole planetary superpower on Earth.[20]

Yet, GDI itself was wary of the new Golden Age, for the Scrin were still out there, and some were indeed skeptical of whether Kane had permanently disappeared from public eye.[20]

Military doctrine[]

| | “ | _GDI relies upon the technological sophistication of its weaponry and the superior training and loyalties of its officers, to end violent conflict between countries across the planet._- "Intel Assessment of Current Conflict -- GDI vs. Nod", EVA 9 | ” | | | ---- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | - | |

First Tiberium War[]

GDI forces generally prefer heavy armor and superior firepower over speed and mobility (a trend that would continue in future conflicts), this is epitomized in their Mammoth tank, the toughest, most heavily armed battle tank during the war. They also have a heavy emphasis on air support.

Second Tiberium War[]

By the time of the Second Tiberium War, GDI's technology and military power both advanced significantly, and GDI had become the most powerful military organization in the world. It had established a large number of military bases, including the GDSS Philadelphia, a space station that serves as its command center. In addition to its role as GDI's headquarters, the Philadelphia could also launch drop pods to support ground forces.

GDI commanders operated from Orca Command Vehicles, massive VTOL aircraft capable of flying into low Earth orbit, allowing them to respond to threats across the world. Much of GDI's ground vehicles have been replaced by walkers and hover vehicles, because of their all-terrain capabilities.[8]

Third Tiberium War[]

Mammoth Mk. III

After the end of the Second Tiberium War, and the decrease in Nod activities, GDI's new focus resulted in a decrease in outlays for new conventional weapon systems. At the same time, investment in space programs for both civilian and military use has exploded.

GDI adopted a military strategy that relies on a mix of very high-end weapons and command and control systems in space coupled with cost-effective force projection on the ground. With highly advanced space assets, including an upgraded Ion Cannon network, drop pods, orbital artillery deployment, and other space-based weapons and intelligence systems, supporting ground forces equipped with basic weapon systems that are rugged, reliable, and relatively inexpensive to produce and maintain.[8]

GDI forces are organized to allow decentralized operations in multiple theaters of war. GDI rapid-deployment forces are able to move quickly, establish forward-operating bases in all types of terrain, and project power using advanced all-weather weapon systems and highly trained troops.[21]

Fourth Tiberium War[]

After the construction of the Tiberium Control Network began in 2062, GDI forces have been stretched thin attempting to defend the global TCN sites from Nod Separatists. The situation only worsened when the Separatists banded together and launched a series of worldwide hit and run attacks on TCN construction sites in 2070.

With the construction of the TCN stalled and the GDI military in disarray, GDI commanders realized that they could not defend the TCN and, at the same time, pursue and destroy the Separatist forces. As a result, GDI began an overhaul of the military and its arsenal, centering it on the concept of defending the global TCN. The GDI military was formally restructured into Offense, Defense, and Support branches.[22]

Each branch was equipped with a type of Mk. VII MCV, or Crawler, optimized for its particular role. Each Crawler is a mobile base system, capable of constructing every unit and structure in the GDI arsenal, without the need to create an entire base dedicated to that purpose. These Crawlers are deployed from GDI's Global Stratospheric Transports in drop pods, allowing a Crawler to respond to threats anywhere in the world at a moment’s notice.[23]

Technology level[]

First Tiberium War[]

During the First Tiberium War, GDI mostly utilized conventional weapons and equipment, with the notable exception of several advanced weapons and technologies:

Artificial intelligence: GDI commanders are supported by Electronic Video Agent, or EVA, an artificial intelligence that provides them with intelligence and serves as their battle command interface.
Orca aircraft: deployed during the later stages of the war, the Orca was an extremely fast and maneuverable VTOL aircraft armed with rockets. It would become the first in a long line of similar aircraft.
Space technology: even though GDI had previously denied rumors of developing space-based weapons, the existence of the satellite-based ion cannon was revealed during GDI's attack on the Temple of Nod in Sarajevo (should the player choose to use it), having being in development for several years. Capable of incinerating a small base with a single shot, its use would allow GDI to destroy the Temple with minimal casualties.

Second Tiberium War and Firestorm Conflict[]

After the First Tiberium War, GDI's technology advanced dramatically, and it came to rely on high-tech weaponry during the Second Tiberium War and the Firestorm Conflict:

Global Defense Initiative (original) (raw)

History[]

Origins[]

First Tiberium War[]

Second Tiberium War[]

Firestorm Conflict[]

Interbellum[]

Third Tiberium War[]

Post-TWIII[]

2062: A dire situation[]

The Incursion War[]

Fourth Tiberium War[]

Military doctrine[]

First Tiberium War[]

Second Tiberium War[]

Third Tiberium War[]

Fourth Tiberium War[]

Technology level[]

First Tiberium War[]

Second Tiberium War and Firestorm Conflict[]

Interbellum and Third Tiberium War[]

Fourth Tiberium War[]

See also[]

Units within GDI[]

Notable members[]

Further intel[]

Gallery of insignia variations[]

Gallery of loading screens[]

Trivia[]

Notes[]

References[]