warzone proliferation saw a sharp increase after the two major alliances : the north atlantic alliance between the ( then ) federation of western europe and the united states of america , and the coterminous mongolian line alliance between the peoples republic of china and the new southern republic of russian states.4 within 10 years of the two major alliances , brazil , mexico , argentina , india , the uae and south africa , among several other , smaller nations were all locked in conflict across a new iron curtain which cut straight through the middle of the globe from the peak of scandinavia down to the tip of the african continent and around and across the pacific , manifesting the boundary line between east and west , known today as the walls of fire his eyes began to droop .