Global Defense Initiative - Command and Conquer - Tiberium Lore

Exploring the origin and history of the Global Defense Initiative in the Command and Conquer Tiberium timeline/universe. Timestamps, corrections and/or clarifications posted below.

Consider supporting future videos:

Corrections/clarifications:
1) Some time after the defeat of the Soviet Union and before 1990, GDI was formed within the UN Security Commission and was internally known by the name Special Operations Group Echo and/or Black Ops 09.
2)The First Tiberium War actually started in 2019/2020. 1995 was just the date that Tiberium arrived on Earth.

Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01:16 Origins
04:17 Organizational Structure
06:01 Military Doctrine
07:39 First Tiberium War
09:57 Second Tiberium War & Firestorm Crisis
13:40 Post 2034
16:05 Third Tiberium War & Kane's Wrath
20:34 GDI in 2052

Footage and some images and/or concept art are from Command and Conquer video game series which is the property of Electronic Arts. Other images and art might be used from other sources and all rights to those belong to their respective authors. Video animations, voiced dialogue and editing are made by myself.

Music used:
Black Dawn (C&C3 TW Menu Music) - Steve Jablonsky
Link Up (C&C TSFS) - Frank Klepacki
Shut It (C&C RA) - Frank Klepacki
Recon (C&C TD) - Frank Klepacki
Apocalypse (C&C3 TW) - Steve Jablonsky
GDI Map Theme (C&C) - Frank Klepacki
Menu Theme (C&C TS) - Frank Klepacki and Jarrid Mendelson
Crimson City (C&C3 TW) - Steve Jablonsky
Ion Storm (C&C TS) - Frank Klepacki and Jarrid Mendelson
Radiation Alert (C&C3 TW) - Steve Jablonsky
Research Initiative (C&C3 TW) - Steve Jablonsky

#commandandconquer

[Jethild]

A few corrections for the video.
1) Some time after the defeat of the Soviet Union and before 1990, GDI was formed within the UN Security Commission and was internally known by the name Special Operations Group Echo and/or Black Ops 09.
2) The First Tiberium War actually started in 2019/2020. 1995 was just the date that Tiberium arrived on Earth. I will note that this is a retconned date that in my opinion doesn't make that much sense. Irregardless, it is the date that has the most evidence backing it up.
3) I messed up the percentages for the Red, Yellow and Blue Zones. It should be 30% Red Zones, 50% Yellow Zones, and 20% Blue Zones.

[MikeD]

"named after the firestorm task force that was lead by a young competent commander"
10 year old me getting smoked in the first 2 missions...hahahaha

[gabrieliacoboni]

I get a kick out of the fact he did not even discuss C&C 4. It was that bad lol

[xGoodOldSmurfehx]

"we're going to have to act, if we want to live in a different world"
GDI is hands down the best scifi military organization ever created :D

[mrvex]

A mod for Tiberian Sun (But is fully standalone) called Twisted Insurrection has plot of Brotherhood of Nod winning the first tiberium war and they engineered the downfall of GDI by sniping the White House with Ion cannon.

It portrays probably the most grim depiction of the universe, planet is run by terrorist zealots and tiberium is mutating faster than in any game depicted and GDI... or what has left of it are being disbanded by UN which is under control of Brotherhood. So they need to stage a insurrection and team up with a corporation that deals with manufacturing vehicles and weapons to save mankind.

Twisted Insurrection really shows the heroic side of GDI, even in face of doom, they fight and prevail....

[clarkisaac]

GDI is only the faction on earth capable of simultaneously stopping the Scrin and eliminating conflicts by the brotherhood of NOD. An ultimate global superpower and the last savior of humanity from the Tiberium.

[skau-yeong]

It was sinful for C&C 3: Kane's Wrath to not have a GDI campaign.

[BBBHuey]

GDI was like the G.I. Joe of Command and Conquer. And Nod the equivalent of Cobra.

[zintosion]

I'm in awe by the tenacity of the humans in the C&C universe.

[HragFarraGaming]

Too bad EA cancelled Tiberium. Was really intrigued with that game and from the clips we saw it looked great.

[Wafflepudding]

Out of lore for a moment, GDI suffers from not having a strong identity like Nod does. There's no GDI equivalent of "One vision! One purpose!"

[connorsensenig]

The "J" in Sarajevo is pronounced like a "Y", not an "H". Just thought you might want to know.

[rubrub]

C and C lore in a few word.
GDI rebuilding earth
NoD: So anyway I started blasting.
GDI: Not again..

[rapidpigz]

GDI came as a result of governments enacting """temporary""" emergency powers and not relinquishing these powers after the crisis. I am *totally* shocked

[newnamesameperson]

The lore about the terraforming minerals is interesting and I wish it had of been more fleshed out.

[brother_van]

watching a CNC video in 2020 makes me so happy, thanks friend. Good job !

[merchskele]

Hey Thank you for doing all of these lore videos, I appreciate them a lot. And the videos is of good quality as well so you earned yourself a subscriber as I enjoyed watching them greatly. Keep up the Amazing work!

[piposalexandru]

Respect to you man for not even mentioning C&C4, that game should be erased and forgotten.

[SchazmenRassir]

This is a very good lore video on GDI. There were things that I didn't even know about, and I've played them all!

[toddclawson]

Thank you for the video. GDI is one of my favorite fictional factions.