London Revolution

The London Revolution was an insurrection that took place in London and other areas of South England in 2052 that resulted in the independence of the region as the Thames Republic. The revolution was primarily triggered by the heightening of tensions after the recent Independence Wars that resulted in the secession of Scotland and Wales a decade prior, as well as security crackdowns taking place in the city by the Helios Private Military Corps and the gradual takeover of the government by a corporate coalition led by HELIOS. The revolution was primarily led by an insurgent group known as Blackbird, who led a blitzkrieg to destroy Helios Tower, an icon of oppression of the city; and to assassinate Melissa Wallis, the incumbent CEO of HELIOS responsible for much of the corporation's military doctrine.

Revolution

After the conclusion of the Independence Wars, a new insurgent group known as Blackbird began to form in London, consisting of those who rejected the influence of corporations such as HELIOS over what remained of the United Kingdom. In 2052, after years of guerrilla operations against corporate facilities, Blackbird operatives launched a surprise attack on Helios Tower in London - destabilising its fusion reactor, which resulted in its collapse - and assassinating Helios's incumbent director, Melissa Wallis. This acted as a call to action for all Londoners.

With the Helios PMC in disarray, the British government was quickly pushed out of London. In a last ditch effort, retreating PMC members detonated an Entropic Flashover Bomb (EFB) in North London in an attempt to escape revolutionary forces, resulting in the creation of the Southern Exclusion Zone. The British Government - now in exile - effectively ceded itself to the corporations, while the Thames Republic formed.