Civil War's Western Forces: Territory, Allegiance & Goals Explained

Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Civil War!

The Western Forces are one of the biggest armies of revolutionaries in the world of 2024’s Civil War, and here is everything we know about the group, including their territory, allegiance, and goals. Alex Garland’s Civil War is one of the biggest hits of 2024, with the film giving a look at a hypothetical future in which another civil war has divided the United States. A lot has happened between the current time in the real world and the timeline of Civil War, so here are the events that led to the formation of the Western Forces and what they want.

Ahead of the release of Alex Garland’s Civil War, many potential viewers were wondering exactly how the film would explain the events of the film. Civil War‘s story clearly required a lot of worldbuilding, meaning that the film had to figure out a believable way to set the stage for the titular Civil War. However, many viewers were surprised to see how vague Garland left the world, with the events that led to the war’s outbreak barely being touched on. Civil War only hints at what led to the war’s beginnings, and here is everything that the film lets on.

The Western Forces Are Comprised Of Texas & California In Civil War

They Are One Of Four Factions In The United States

In the world of A24’s Civil War, the United States has been divided up into four main factions. These are the Western Forces, the New People’s Army, the Florida Alliance, and the Loyalist States. A24 released a Civil War map that shows which states belong to which faction, giving a major insight into the world of the film. Although it is barely touched on within the film due to Civil War mostly focusing on the Loyalist States and the Western Forces, the New People’s Army is mostly made up of northwestern states, while the Florida Alliance is made up of southeastern states.

The Western Forces is a two-state alliance made up of two of the most powerful states in the country: Texas and California. Most of the film follows the main cast of Civil War as they engage in a mad dash to reach Washington D.C., with Western Forces nearing the country’s capital. By the time Civil War started, the Western Forces had already made their way through the wall of Loyalist States and to the outskirts of Washington D.C., with the end of Civil War seeing the troops finally sieging the White House.

The main enemy of the Western Forces is the Loyalist States, which still comprises of most of the country. The states that have been confirmed to make up the Loyalist States are Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.

Why The Western Forces Rebelled Against The US Government

It Is Left A Bit Vague

The exact events that led up to the start of the civil war are never plainly explained, but they are hinted at throughout the film. In Civil War, Nick Offerman plays the President of the United States, with him being an authoritarian president who has increased his power immensely throughout his presidency. The president has suspended parts of the Constitution, with him serving his third term in office at the time of the film. Characters in Civil War explain that government overreaches like this caused the civil war, although the nature of these overreaches is left vague.

Civil War also highlights that the President used air strikes on United States citizens, although it isn’t known if this was before or after the official start of the civil war. The film implies that decisions like these led California and Texas to put aside their differences and join together, with them attempting to oust the sitting president from office. It isn’t known why other segments of the United States created their own factions rather than joining the Western Forces, with this being one of the biggest mysteries in the film.

Are The Western Forces The “Good Side” In Civil War?

Or Is There Even A Good Side?

The biggest question in Civil War has to do with who is the “good side,” a question that has crossed the minds of many viewers. Many fans of Civil War have taken the side of the Western Forces, as they are the ones fighting back against the authoritarian government of the United States. Although the main cast of Civil War never fully explain their positions on the Western Forces, it is clear that they are against the president’s abuse of power, further signaling that the Western Forces are better than the Loyalist States.

However, Civil War‘s decision to not give much information on the world is intentional, as it doesn’t want the audience to take a side. Alex Garland knows that, if Civil War were to delve into the world of the film, the biases of the audience would lead them to take sides, hurting the message of Civil War. Both the Western Forces and the United States government are shown to have some terrible outcomes throughout the film, and while the authoritarianism of the United States is definitely bad, the film doesn’t want viewers putting the Western Forces on a pedestal.

The Western Forces’ Fate After The Battle Of DC Explained

What Could Happen After The President’s Assassination?

After the Battle of Washington D.C. at the end of Civil War, the Western Forces successfully executed the President of the United States, putting an end to his third term. The film ends immediately after the president is shot, meaning that not much information is given about the fate of the Western Forces. While this is all speculation, it can be assumed that the successful coup led to the end of the United States as it was once known, with the rebel alliances working together to form a new government and restore peace to the country.

Coups almost never have perfectly clean endings, meaning that the exchange of power could very easily lead to more conflicts and destruction within the world of Civil War. After all, Western Forces, Florida Alliance, and New People’s Army most likely have differing opinions on how to run the country, meaning that the Western Forces probably won’t be allowed to control the United States unchallenged. This premise means that there is still a lot to learn about the world of Civil War, with it being the perfect set up for a potential sequel.