Lodz

Once the third largest city in Poland and a major industrial centre, Lodz has lost over 90% of its population starvation, disease, disorder and violence. It was never occupied by NATO forces, but NATO armies operated in the surrounding area, seriously disrupting the city's ability to sustain itself and driving many of the city's occupants to flee east in search of food and safety. Even with its population severely degraded, it is still one of the largest population centres remaining in Poland. Whole areas of the city are abandoned and several gangs control the remaining inhabited areas. Food is in seriously short supply, and many of the remaining population have taken to growing good in parks and the gardens of abandoned houses. The Soviets have set up several garrison farms around the outskirts of the city but it is still reliant on food brought from abroad, and the Soviet troops operating in the area always confiscate the majority of the food for their own needs.

The city formally gives its allegiance to the Polish People's Republic, but effective control is exercised by the Soviet forces based in the city. Soviet troops come and go, but at any time there are at least 200 soldiers in the city guarding supply dumps. The few Polish officials present in the city keep their heads down and do not make trouble with the Soviets. A force of 1500 militia defend the city, but they are very lightly armed and have low morale - they effectively function as a large gang. A few Polish regular troops are present in the city but almost all are attached to Soviet units.

Lodz is not fortified, largely because the Soviets are more worried about an uprising than the city being attacked by NATO forces or Marauders.