The Protect and Survive universe is an attempt at creating a shared universe of AH.com timelines, all trying to realistically depict a world where the OTL rise of Cold War tensions in 1983 and 1984 took a turn for the worst. On an ATL 21 February 1984, tensions between the superpowers reached a breaking point. A global thermonuclear war, later dubbed “The Exchange”, broke out, raining down death and destruction throughout most of the civilised world.

Each tale set in this universe focuses on the everyday struggles of civilian, military and government survivors that lived to see the aftermath of the war and attempt to rebuild the shattered but not destroyed remnants of modern human civilisation. These are their stories… Stories of collective and personal tragedy, but also their hopes and dreams for a better and more peaceful future.

The original, eponymous timeline by Macragge1 that got the universe started, appeared in autumn 2010. Since then, the universe has been expanded by a large number of spinoffs, all of them trying to depict the build-up, escalation and aftermath of World War Three in various countries, regions and locales around the world.

Protect and Survive - The original timeline.

Protect and Survive spinoffs - The many spinoffs of the timeline.

Protect and Survive Universe Chronological Timeline - A combined chronological overview of events in all Protect and Survive timelines. A work in progress, but expanding.

Protect and Survive Universe List of Targeted Locations - A work in progress.

When the Wind Blew : The P&S Open Thread - If you're interested, you can also visit this thread and discuss the original timeline and its steadily growing “expanded universe” of spinoffs.

Protect & Survive : Where Would You Be In That Universe ?

P&S Question: What Would Become of Music

Protect & Survive in 2012 - Another good discussion, about the possible situation of the P&S universe in the year 2012.

What if I want to write a Protect and Survive spinoff ?

Resources on Cold War era military and civil defence topics

General resources on 20th century military topics

The Strangerverse - Another, different shared universe of AH.com timelines.

Tarrantry - Another, different shared AH universe, non-AH.com in origin.

Late 20th Century Timelines Main Directory