Global Defense Initiative - Definition

The Global Defense Initiative is one of two player-controllable military factions in the Science Fiction video game Command and Conquer.

Contents

1 Official Fact Sheet

2 Origins

3 The First Tiberium War (Tiberian Dawn)

4 The Second Tiberium War (Tiberian Sun)

5 The Third Tiberium War (Tiberian Twilight)

6 Further Reading

Official Fact Sheet

Ratified: In accordance with the United Nations Global Defense Act (UNGDA), the Global Defense Initiative was founded on the date of October 12, 1995.

Ideology: To enforce the United Nations Global Defense Act and uphold the ideals as outlined in the United Nations Charter.

Official Supreme Commander During the First Tiberium War: United States Brigadier-General Mark Jamison Sheppard, Chief of Staff, United Nations Military Command. Succeeded by Colonel James Solomon in 2026.

Base of Operations: Classified. Relocated to the orbital space station "Philadelphia" sometime after the First Tiberium War.

Military Strength: Statistics regarding equipment and personnel are classified. Official military strength lies within parameters of the UNGDA, Article V, Section 3A, Paragraph 12.

Economic Strength: Funded by the United Nations, various international governments, public organizations and private enterprises.

Political Strength: Not applicable. Operates within parameters of UNGDA and under the review of the United Nations Security Council.

Affiliations: The United Nations.

Origins

The "GDI", as it is usually referred to, was originally a UN Special Forces group known as Special Operations Group Echo: Black Ops 9. Its existence was denied by the UN. As Echo was deployed more and more, however, rumors spread, and the UN realized that soon the group would become public. The final proverbial straw came when an Echo operation to assassinate Saddam Hussein (in an attempt to stop the Persian Gulf War) failed miserably and the existence of a "black" UN military organization was revealed. In a face-saving exercise, the UN therefore used the rising threat of the Brotherhood of Nod to "create" a new anti-terrorist and peacekeeping force, the GDI, out of Echo.

The First Tiberium War (Tiberian Dawn)

During the First Tiberium War (the story of the first game, Command and Conquer or Tiberian Dawn), the GDI fought Nod forces on a multitude of fronts. Eventually, Nod propaganda efforts that painted the GDI as being responsible for atrocities such as the slaughter of the entire population of Beoulistock forced GDI to pull back from many territories, which were quickly taken over by Nod supporters. This culminated in the UN shutting down the GDI due to fear of public rebuke. Nod began assaulting GDI strongholds everywhere, believing that the organization had been severely weakened.

As it turned out, the UN had faked the entire scandal in an attempt to outwit Nod's leader Kane, a certified genius. The plan was successful, and Nod forces were greatly surprised to find the bases they were attacking heavily fortified. Most attacks were complete victories for GDI. Two more years of fighting continued, however, until GDI operatives finally located Nod's headquarters, the so-called "Temple of Nod", outside Sarajevo. A three day battle began between GDI and Nod's most elite troops. Kane's defenses were at last crippled, and the GDI's newest weapon - the orbital Ion Cannon was activated. The Temple was destroyed, Kane was pronounced dead, and Nod was crippled.

The Second Tiberium War (Tiberian Sun)

With the destruction of the Brotherhood's Sajarevo Temple came a period of peace, and time for GDI forces to renew research into Tiberium and to study various Nod technologies, but GDI forces never recovered Kane's body, which is considered by the GDI to be the biggest oversight in the history of the war. During these years tabloid headlines and rumors of the existence of the brotherhood were commonplace, prompting GDI to conduct investigations into the sighting before sealing each case. The world remained at peace until September 2, 2030, when UNGDI bases around the world found themselves under heavy fire from Nod units. Aboard the Philadelphia, GDI's top brass could not make scene of it: the Brotherhood was supposed to be almost completely eliminated. And then the unthinkable happened.

GDI's comunication equipment was hacked, and in a broadcast aboard the Philadelphia Kane revealed himself to be alive, and declared his return to the global political scene. Alarmed with this development, General Solomon charged Commander Michael "Mack" McNiel with the job of eliminating the Brotherhood, thus starting the Second Tiberium War.

The war ended when GDI forces attacked Nod at Cairo, where Kane's rebuilt Temple and Pyramid were located. McNiel and Kane went one-on-one, and in the end Kane stabbed with a sharp sword-like weapon. GDI secured his tiberium missile and the tacitus, a data orb that is believed to contain the secrets of Tiberium.

The alternate ending shows Kane's ICBM launchers eliminating the Philadelphia, then his Tiberium missile launch, which transforms the planet into a sea of Tiberium.

This game was the first to introduce The Forgotten. Also known as Mutants or Shiners, these people represent the next level of human evolution in the Tiberium eco-system. In their self-proclaimed exile they have become formidable fighters, able to resist Nod's attacks and GDI's peace overtures. The Forgotten are headed by Tratos, who has knowledge of the mutants and is one of the few people able to translate the Tacitus.

The Third Tiberium War (Tiberian Twilight)

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