World War II

Arthur's memory, Germany.

World War II, or the Second World War, was an international conflict fought between the Axis Powers and Allied Forces that lasted between 1939 to 1945.

However, what lead to the start of World War II is never truly mentioned, and some aspects are quite different from how it really went in real life.

History (WHF)

Erwin Rommel, leader of the German Empire, successfully launched an invasion against Britain, occupying it.

Many people fled from London, chief among them were Anton Verloc, to Wellington Wells in hopes of escaping the Blitz, but it was ultimately futile. Britain surrendered due to the country being reduced to rubble and toxic wastes.

Then the 'Authority' Project began. The project (better known as The Very Bad Thing) involved taking all children of Wellington Wells under the age of 13 on a train to Germany.

While the citizens of Wellington Wells could have fought back, they remained complicit out of fear of what the Germans were capable of, some even collaborating, such as Robert Byng and Ollie Starkey, who helped them mass produce the fake papier-mache tanks.

During this event, Mr. and Mrs. Lashford, along with Thomas Cranmer, attempted to burn the registry in an attempt to spare the children from getting on the train. This resulted in failure, causing the rest of the citizens to hang them by Barrow Holm so as to please the German soldiers, though they were not ordered to do so.

After the children were sent away along with the Germans, the remaining citizens fell into deep depression, regret, guilt, and trauma. Due to this, General Byng ordered Harry Haworth to create a drug that would solve this issue, leading to the creation of Joy.

On August 10th, 1948, Soviets manage to take over Berlin, ending World War II.

Events of We Happy Few

References to World War II can be discovered through collectible memories hidden throughout Wellington Wells, or from characters in the game themselves. Arthur, for instance, gets flashbacks of what had happened in the past, trying to remember what happened to his brother Percy, and goes out to search for him. Ollie also has certain memories that give insight into what he, the soldiers, and the people did out of fear.

However, few characters mention it at all, likely because their memories have become impaired from the constant use of Joy. The results of the war seem to have killed off most animal life in the city, and reduced homes, primarily in the Garden District, to rubble. It's suggested throughout the game that the people were, at some point, forced to eat their own dogs.

In addition to this, The Garden District also has crashed planes and German Duds throughout the plains, as well as poisonous gases in various areas as a result of chemical warfare. There is a food shortage throughout the entire isle.