In 1914, Russia entered World War I in response to Austria-Hungary's declaration of war on Russia's ally Serbia. This was fought across multiple fronts while isolated from its allies. The Battle of Tannenberg, where the entire Russian Second Army was annihilated, cast an ominous shadow over the empire's future. The already-existing public distrust of the regime was deepened by the rising costs of the war and rumours of corruption. World War I takes Nicholas to the front. Back home, outrage grows over high casualties and Alexandra and Rasputin's political intrigues.

A bizarre 3,000 year-old gold relic crafted with intricately designed cryptic patterns is believed to form a highly complex celestial code; using advanced imaging technology, experts speculate that it could be an ancient device for predicting the future.
Professor Timothy Koeth at Maryland University received a package containing a curiously heavy two-inch black cube. It comes with a message: "Taken from Germany from the nuclear reactor that Hitler tried to build."

As World War II drags on into another bitter winter the Allies become desperate to end the conflict. Winston Churchill turns to his formidable bomber force to break the deadlock.
The population of an eastern German city is caught in a devastating firestorm and harnessed by the Nazis; the controversy turns the Allies on themselves.