As I stated long ago, I made up a little bit of a history to the world of the Deus Ex games. Yes, I know they’re supposed to be “our world,” but obviously things haven’t happened as they said they would in the games. But even considering that, there’s a lot of the “behind the scenes” stuff that isn’t necessarily what happened in our real history, that would matter to the world of Deus Ex. Naturally, all that follows is my own creation, basically a bit of fanfiction.

• 1919 – During the negotiations to form the League of Nations, a group of world leaders and major businessmen come together to form the Illuminati – a group to guide the future of mankind to a better, and thus more profitable, place, where major wars would not disrupt the general progress of mankind. The world would become a more united order, the people losing the dangerous differences of racism and nationalism, but instead become a block of consumers and workers. Both the United States and the Soviet Union reject this plan. The Soviets create their own (less) hidden guiding order instead, modeled after Marx’s ideals. In America, however, there is a lot of support for the Illuminati.
• During the Great Depression, the Illuminati are able to install a series of puppets in the United States, up to the president, Roosevelt. However, their fortunes are reversed in Europe, where Germany, Italy, and Spain all break free from Illuminati influence. The Fascists, however, do not form another secret block; Hitler instead chooses to go the old-fashioned route of alliances, diplomacy, and war.
• After WWII, the Illuminati and the Soviet block consolidate their power. Between the two, most of the nations of the earth fall under the influence of some secret society – pretty much everything besides Africa. It pretty much follows the communist/not communist lines.
• Until Nixon, that is. Nixon opening up China was really the Illuminati gaining control influence over the Chinese government. The Illuminati doesn’t really care what form the government takes, as long as it follows guidelines.
• Speaking of Africa, that proved to be a huge problem for both the Illuminati and the Soviets. Both pushed anti-colonialism – new, weak governments are easier clients than a strong empire, after all – but Africa quickly became a mess. Africans weren’t interested in merely having new masters. And all the aid and bribes in the world couldn’t overcome the tribalism and corruption of these new, weak governments. It wouldn’t be until later that things settled down enough for the big players to gain a foothold there.
• In the late 1980’s, the Soviet block fell apart. Authoritarianism and militarism couldn’t compete with globalist consumerism, neither economically nor psychologically. The Illuminati took over the structures the Soviets had put in place.
• The rise of the Internet in the 1990’s greatly expanded the power and control of the Illuminati. It’s much easier to control the hearts and minds of a few prominent elite than to seriously influence the masses. The Internet allowed the Illuminati to directly interface with millions, and eventually billions. And of course, the data collected would create ever-better ways to reach said billions, individually, until basically everyone was constantly under surveillance.
• Either patriotism, or the lack thereof, could be used to further the Illuminati’s ends. But both in the same country, in significant amounts, were a problem. America was in this state, with half patriots and half anti-patriots. This sort of soft cultural separation kept both halves on their guard. A crisis would be needed to either push one way or the other, or completely separate the two sides. Fortuitously, terrorists attacking New York City created that crisis for them; this created a clean cultural divide that the Illuminati could exploit, both against the world and against each other. Control of the internet would exacerbate relations on both sides, creating an easily-exploitable paranoia. Various plagues, foreign wars, and disasters would only increase this.
• To add to this political turmoil, mechanical augmentations became a huge cultural phenomenon. First started with helping maimed soldiers gain full mobility, augmentations quickly became more and more advanced, to the point where not having them became a major disadvantage in pretty much every area of life.