Stand Alone Complex 2nd GIG uncovers a significant amount of back-story that was only vaguely talked about during the first season, including information about the last world wars. Between the turn of the century and 2032, there were two major conflicts that changed world politics. The first being nuclear World War III, and the other being non-nuclear World War IV, also known as the Second Vietnam War. The increase in independent states and sovereign regions grew from the chaos of the last 30 years. The planet remains more divided than ever, and several locations exist on the planet where sovereignty falls into question; where no one is really sure who owns or governs what.