The current flag of the NCR
The flag of the NCR in 2241, featuring a two-headed bear.
The New California Republic was born out of the remnants of the survivors of Vault 15, a sister vault to Vault 13 that opened earlier and released its occupants out onto the wasteland. Abandoning their vault (after scavenging most of what they could from the surviving technology and collapsed lower levels), the former residents of Vault 15 founded the small walled farming community of Shady Sands, a town midway between Vault 13 and 15. In 2161, this community was led by Aradesh.
Rule Under Tandi and Enclave Conflict
Securing the South
Following the rescuing of Tandi by the Vault Dweller, the village of Shady Sands began to grow and became an economic power within the Core Region. They would soon replace the Hub as the most influential area and in 2186 the New California Republic was formed and Shady Sands was renamed NCR. The ideals of the NCR would spread over the Core Region very quickly, with their morals representing that of the old war. By 2189 they would already consist of their first five states and would become aware of the Brotherhood of Steel. These states were Shady, Maxson, Hub, Los Angeles and Dayglow.
In 2196, the longstanding chieftan of the NCR, Aradesh, would die. In response, the rural yet rugged council of the NCR would unanimously elect his daughter, Tandi, as the nation's first president. By 2241, the city of Junktown would join the NCR state of Shady. Also around this time, the NCR's vast supply of brahmin would be key in the growing world of economics. This would give them meat for food, leather for clothing and force competition with other growing states such as San Francisco and Vault City.
In 2241, the NCR would face problems from the New Khans, run a propaganda campaign against Vault City and aim to annex the squatter town that had taken up residence out of the ruins of their old vault, Vault 15. Eventually, the NCR would take advantage of Vault City's failing power generator and would end up annexing the area. Vault City would also form an alliance with Gecko who would supply the power needed for Vault City to expand. Hired by Tandi, the Chosen One, would act as an agent of the NCR and wipe out the New Khans, allowing the NCR to annex Vault 15. The NCR would also later annex Redding, securing the south Core Region while maintaining a steady holding in the north.
The Enclave
While the NCR's holdings in the north would make them aware of the Enclave, initially they would take no action against them. Their then-allies, the Brotherhood of Steel, were not friendly towards the Enclave, and thus the NCR would remain pacifistic towards them for several years. Eventually, in 2246, the NCR would attack with the Brotherhood and eradicate the presence of the Enclave in what became the NCR-Enclave War. The NCR would take little from Navarro other than technology they could not understand and leave the Oil Rig and the main base abandoned. The NCR would continue their war on raiders, nearly eradicating the presence of the Vipers, Jackals and whatever was left of the Khans. The three raiding groups would then flee to the Mojave Wasteland.
Following 2242 and during the NCR-Enclave War, the Brotherhood of Steel relations with the NCR would begin to sour. They would continue their xenophobic nature to the point that during the NCR's initial movements in their war on raiders, they would refuse to cooperate with the NCR and sometimes attack them outright.
In 2248, Tandi dies at the old age of one hundred and three, leaving Joanna Tibbett to take over as the second president of the NCR. The remnants of the Enclave would hide within the NCR and the Brotherhood of Steel, but many would be arrested for war crimes. They would eventually push further out and leave NCR territory for to the Mojave Wasteland in 2253. Chasing both the Enclave and the three raider tribes, the NCR would push their scouts towards the Mojave Wasteland. Thirty-eight NCR citizens, most likely all scouts, would be massacred by the raiders in the Mojave, further pushing the enmity between the Khans and the NCR.
The massacre would result in Joanna Tibbet in being voted out of the office of president and being replaced by Wendell Peterson. The Enclave would largely be forgotten by the NCR whose main focus appeared to be the raiders of the Mojave. Unknown to the NCR, Mr. House had realized their presence and would begin the process of rebuilding New Vegas using the securitrons with the help of the Three Families. Peterson would attach three battalions of NCR infantry to the Mojave Wasteland.
Entering the Mojave; Various Wars
New Vegas Treaty
For your country's sake today. For your own sake tomorrow. - NCR propaganda poster
By 2253, NCR citizens would take a special interest in the Mojave and Hoover Dam. The NCR would learn of the presence of the Great Khans in the Mojave in 2267. By 2270, the NCR would pacify the Mojave by killing all of the tribes around Bullhead City. Seeking to annex New Vegas one way or another, the NCR would increase their power in the Mojave in the years following. In 2271, the Ranger Unification Treaty was signed, allowing more NCR citizens to move into the New Vegas area and for the NCR to establish the Mojave Outpost in 2272. Simultaneously, relations with the Brotherhood of Steel, an ally in the past, disintegrated into war. Though the Brotherhood would have the advantage initially due to their greater technology and skills with weaponry, the NCR would be able to bounce back in the war due to their greater numbers.
The NCR would encounter Caesar's Legion for the first time in 2273, with Sterling being tortured by Caesar's Legionaries, Aaron Kimball would become president later that year. The NCR would initially be ignorant of the Legion, preferring to focus on the Brotherhood and the Mojave.
NCR-Brotherhood War
One year later, 2273, the NCR have their first encounter with Cesar's Legion, with Sterling being tortured by them, Aaron Kimball would become the president of the NCR later that year. One year later in 2274, the NCR had basically defeated the Brotherhood of Steel in the Core Region due to their vast numbers, but fighting persisted in the Mojave. The NCR would experience the fully lit Mojave for the first time and would end up signing the New Vegas treaty with Mr. House. This would give the NCR Hoover Dam and its energy, though five percent would go to New Vegas.
The NCR scouts would achieve success in the Mojave in 2274 by reaching Hoover Dam and experiencing a fully lit New Vegas for the first time. However, this would very quickly lead into them signing the New Vegas treaty with Mr. House and getting access to Hoover Dam and build Camp McCarran. 5 % of the energy, as per the agreement, would go to the strip and the rest would be led back to California. With the strip open for business, the upper class NCR citizens would be the first to enter. Camp McCarran would finish one year later in 2275, the same year conflict would start with the Mojave Brotherhood of Steel.
The NCR would uncover the Brotherhood of Steel's base to be at Helios One and would attempt to devise a plan to bring the war to a low point. Hoping to get a scientific edge over future enemies, and maybe the Brotherhood if they survived the war, the NCR would cut ties with the Followers of the Apocalypse to found their own Office of Science and Industry with noted members being Keely and Angela Williams.
During the year, the NCR would also become less ignorant of Caesar's Legion, becoming apparent of their growing forces along the Colorado River. For that reason, expecting war with the Legion, the NCR would decide to deal a crushing blow to the Mojave Brotherhood, having already handled the Core Region chapters. Though they would bring their war with the Brotherhood to a low point in 2276 via Operation: Sunburst by taking over Helios One, the NCR would not believe their war to be finished. This would be because the NCR would know of the Brotherhood to be alive, but not well, and for the next five years they would keep a steady watch over Brotherhood activites during their war with Caesar.
However, the war with the Brotherhood would hit the NCR hard and after the First Battle of Hoover Dam, their gold-backed currency would lose its value. This would be because of the Brotherhood ambushing and destroying the NCR's gold deposits during the war, thus making the NCR dollar backed by water. Due to this, the NCR would hold an iron fist over Hoover Dam and for that they lease electricity and fresh water to the Strip and other communities in exchange for military supplies and a foothold in the region.
NCR encampment near Primm
War with Caesar's Legion
Tussle with the Great Khans
NCR Elite Ranger as shown in New Vegas
The NCR would make the right and strategical decision in bringing conflicts with the Brotherhood to a low point in 2276, as the very next year, 2277, Caesar's Legion would attack them in what would be known as the First Battle of Hoover Dam. Though the NCR would win the war through strategy and pure luck, they too would be weakened and would be expecting a second battle to take place. To put the NCR at a further disadvantage, they would lose half of the dam, though would continue to control its power supplies. Their war against raiders would come to its highest point when the NCR would carry out the Bitter Springs Massacre in 2278, in order to ensure the raiders do not take advantage of their weakened position. As a follow up to ensure that hostilities from the Great Khans do not persist, the NCR would then attack the Great Khans again at Red Rock Canyon, an event which would be blacked out from the NCR press.
Return of the Legion
By 2281, the NCR would take more of an expansionist role, with the tension in relations with many factions in the Mojave Wasteland increasing. The Legion, under Legate Lanius, was gaining power and numbers again and may even be more powerful than the NCR itself. They grew wary of the Great Khans and set up a base near the Khans, occasionally sending scouts to the area. They would not engage in conflict, with the NCR aiming to maintain the ceasefire. In New Vegas, the NCR would also begin to grow reckless and aim to seize more power from the Three Families and Mr. House.
The NCR, aiming to increase their presence in the Nevada, would spend most of the year rebuilding the South Nevada Correctional Facility, which they would rename the NCR Correctional Facility. The NCR would initially use the convicts in the facility to rebuild the train tracks located near the highway. When the Legion returned, they recalled many of their soldiers to the Colorado River. This would prove to be costly and the convicts [[NCRCF Uprising|overthrew] the remaining soldiers and took control of the facility. Taking the name Powder Gangers, they would constantly become a thorn in the side of the NCR. The NCR would remain ignorant of the Powder Gangers, though they would plan a recapture of the correctional facility.
A major blow to the NCR saw Nipton razed to the ground by the Legion. Led by Vulpes Inculta, a group of Legion troops set a trap for Nipton's guests and residents. To show the towns apparent corruption, Vulpes Inculta staged a lottery where only the individual holding the winning ticket would be spared. Following this, the remaining residents were either killed or crucified.
Second Battle of Hoover Dam
With the return of the Legion, the NCR would be shocked at the newfound power of the Legion. The Legion would aim to eradicate the presence of the NCR on the east side of the Colorado River, the Battle of Willow Beach and the Battle of Arizona Spillway would prove the Legion successful in their endeavor. The Legion would then begin to take land on the west side of the river from the NCR, by obliterating the camp Nelson and flash-incinerating Camp Searchlight with a nuclear device to transform survivors into Feral Ghouls.
This would put the morale of the NCR soldiers, led by Lee Oliver, at an all time low and put desertion rates in the NCR at an all time high. The main Camp on the front lines is Forlorn Hope, which as it's name suggests is full of depressed, constantly embattled soldiers. They are holding a defensive line across the Colorado River and preparing for the upcoming battle on the Hoover Dam that could decide the fate of the entire area. The soldiers are spread far too thin across the front to prevent the Legion from crossing the river, as illustrated by the attacks on Nipton and Ranger Station Charlie.
The NCR's main goal in the war with the Legion is to annex New Vegas by wresting it from Mr. House. This is to get them a more tactical advantage over the Legion, however, due to the Legion controlling half of Hoover Dam and having had gained many territorial positions on the west side of the Colorado River, the NCR is unable to do so. This is because annexing New Vegas will require troops, many of whom will not guard various NCR outposts in the Mojave at a possible annexation and Mr. House's Securitron armies, even at the original Mark, would leave the NCR army injured enough to allow a takeover by Caesar. The NCR is also overly cautious of Mr. House, as he aims to upgrade his Securitrons to the Mark II OS, something that will put the NCR at a serious disadvantage in a possible war as the sheer force would likely wipe out NCR control in the Mojave.