Proto-Meme Era: 2009-2014
Irony Layers: 0-1
Pictured: Brony Patient Zero (Oct. 25, 2010)
Soon after releasing the accursed cancer of Bronyism, the plague soon infected every known internet community. After gaining momentum for most of 2010 and 2011, Bronies were driven out of power with bans, containment boards by a coalition of Reddit, 4chan, tumblr, funnyjunk, and many other forces. The advent of new memedical technologies to vaccinate against and treat such levels of cringe also contributed. By mid 2012, the Internet's health organization, the WHOMST had officially declared the Brony outbreak to be under epidemic levels, and Brony Cancer returned to normal background levels.
Unfortunately, the peace did not last. Out of the fog of the Brony Wars came a new enemy:
9gag; proliferator of ****, stealer of memes, the one who gagged on the 9 Dicks of OP - foul artifacts of faggotry.
The 9gag Raids (2011-2012)
Pictured: Coalition forces demonstrating superior raid techniques against 9gag forces
Within a few months, 9gag forces were brought to their knees. 4chan became unified, more well-known, and widely respected/feared. Tumblr strayed further from its former allies. Reddit became distant and gained a large mainstream following. Funnyjunk went back to eating glue in the corner.
Tensions between 4chan and Tumblr rose considerably over the next year, boiling over into a one large conflict between the two.
The Great Triggering (2014)
Pictured: the event that sparked The Great Triggering (2014)
At first, the event that caused TGT was thought to be a failed raid that Tumblr organized and conducted to "destroy 4chan", following in the footsteps of 9gag's ****** raids. However, it was later determined that these Tumblr users were coerced by and largely comprised of undercover /pol/ users. Knowing that /b/ could survive the raid capabilities of any site at the time, and knowing of Tumblr's shortcomings, the users of /pol/ decided to instigate an attack on /b/ to gain the moral high ground when "retaliating". This is considered by most meme strategists to be the first confirmed deployment of Meme Warfare tactics against another site.
In all, the small series of raids were an overwhelming victory for 4chan. Throughout the experience, /pol/ secured a position as the future logistics hub for Meme Warfare.
Pictured: ancient statuette of Pepe
Coinciding with the (re)discovery of Meme Warfare was the emergence of Pepe the Frog's popularity. While not known at the time, the first known usage of Meme Magic in many millennia had begun the reawakening of the ancient powers of Kek and his enemies, as well as the ages-long war of Kekistan vs. Cuckistan.