Chapter 0: How Did We Get Here?
I suppose, in case it comes to pass that our government sees fit to censor some of the general history of this war, I should reiterate some basic information here. I am no historian, but fortunately I believe the events caused by that fateful assassination in 1914 are so well known that they could not ever be hidden, even with determined effort. Events before, while interesting, do not necessarily have much bearing on our present situation. I will begin around the year 1936, as that is when I best recall events starting to be set in motion. Of course at the time no one would have noticed. It was the era of great spectacle. We had our Congress, France theirs, the International met, world sporting events took the public imagination by storm, and all seemed well. Perhaps not good, as war exhaustion was still high, and many other parts of the world were suffering from the Berlin Stock Market Crisis of that year, but history, even from my inexperienced point of view, is clearly something that requires a degree of hindsight to understand.
Just sitting here I am a bit overwhelmed thinking about it all... after much thought, I have decided to only quickly bring us up to speed on a continent by content basis. There is simply too much to tell otherwise. I ask anyone reading this to forgive me for glossing over anything important, but I cannot be seen taking too keen an interest, lest I am suspected of harboring this very set of documents. I must thus rely on my humanly imperfect memory, and up until recently the grand course of history was not something I had given much thought to anyway...
The Americas
I shall first discuss North America, with a focus upon the American States. Whatever twisted tale is eventually told of Canada, I likely would not have much to add, though I would likely repeat it with less flourish. I will likely discuss them in greater detail, anyway, as the Canadian Front advances in the next few weeks. The situation in the United States is much less black and white, and something of a hot topic around the office.
The real trouble for the United States began in 1936, though their economy had been flagging long before. As the year was wrapping up, a highly contested four way election saw the Presidency taken by Democrat John Nance Garner. I'm not well versed in how their electoral system worked. It was once explained to me, but the rules sounded downright arcane. From what I've gathered, though, the required majority was not obtained, somehow, and it was left to their Congress to decide. As someone familiar with parliamentary systems of government, this should seem the norm in my mind, but apparently it's quite a deviation in their system, one that could not be digested. Civil war soon followed, with Northern industrial states breaking off to form a union in similar model to our own, the Combined Syndicalists of America, led by pseudo-legendary figure Jack Reed. His government had our full support, and received more than had been promised in support had he won the election and brought the United States into the International. I don't think our leaders or the French expected events to unfold as they did, but the high spirits of the time did little to discourage risk taking.
Unfortunately, the Civil War appeared to take the darkest turn right from the start, by any measure. Southern states also broke with the Union, following some twisted version of that National Populist fad. Outlying territories declared independence first, or were taken into "protective custody" by Canadian meddlers. The canal, Guantanamo Bay, and Alaska were returned after the war, the last being somewhat ironic as the United States at present, such as it is, no longer has access to the Pacific aside from transit through Panama. The big shock was when California, Oregon, and Washington left the union too. Apparently this was the region that was most economically prosperous, and if that translated to military success it was certainly true. They secured a nice peace treaty after only six or so weeks, gaining a buffer zone out to the continental divide, more or less. I saw an official report, and it's estimated they lost only about one thousand during the operation. At present, the United States still does not recognize them, though appears to be to weary to do anything about it. This number is much harder to estimate, but considering the former Union State and CSA are reintegrated, combat deaths in the second American Civil War are said to exceed three million.
The opening battle of the war was a major defeat for CSA forces, and probably was the turning point from the very start. The Battle of New York saw Federal forces repel Syndicalists all the way back into Ohio. On the battle's heels, Canada seizes New England and creates a separate puppet government to ensure stability and that the CSA would not have access to a secondary stronghold. The citizenry was surprisingly receptive of this, and after the conclusion of hostilities elected to remain independent, which of course leads us to our present situation. The United government was too weary to protest this move either.
As for the actual fighting, despite initial setbacks by both revolting factions, for a time things very much seemed in the balance. The Federal government never truly lost it's hold on the area from New York City to North Carolina, but the rest of the country seemed lost. Once the fighting got going, though, a surge of refugees flooded Federal ranks. It turns out people in the core regions for each revolt, though sympathetic to the causes, blamed each for the destruction of their homes more than they held any particular loyalty. The tide slowly turned, and the CSA in the North and Union State in the South decided on a temporary cease fire to deal with resurgent opposition from President Garner. Unfortunately for them, this destroyed what ideological credibility they had left, spurring even more desertions. The path was still long and tortuous. In '38 both revolts had been pushes out of their core regions, but the Union State lingered into '39, even retaking Georgia at one point and performing a last ditch "March to Washington" campaign that came within miles of taking the city, thanks to disorganized militia performing rear guard actions as if they were asleep at the wheel. This diversion allowed the CSA to retake Chicago and Detriot, but by Februrary 1940 they too were crushed, the last remnants hiding in some forest in Minnesota days after the last of the Union State's leadership was defeated at a small, captured army base near Roswell New Mexico in an now infamous last stand.
I feel as if I have written a whole book on the subject, diary, but the Civil War was truly the biggest event in the West since 1898, if not the 1860s. Another irony, but apparently the Republican Party, which looked utterly crushed in 1936, won a stunning landslide in the election of 1940, a mere whisper of fanfare compared to elections past. The new President Knox promised to head a new constitutional convention, while doing his best to repair the nation, while the party of Garner seems to take all the blame for destabilizing the nation in the first place and destined to fade into obscurity.
Little else of note has occurred in the Western Hemisphere. Mexico is of course our good ally, and Centro-America is a pseudo ally, to a degree. Bolivia is in line, too, if it were not for how isolated their position is. Thankfully, La Plata and Brazil seem intent on continuing their hostilities rather than intervening, and Chile would rather be isolationist. Though opposed to us for obvious reasons, the right at least does not appear to have have a unified agenda.
Europe
Europe - Map of UoB/Allies and Hostile Nations
Of course, I need not describe Fortress Europa in great detail. Not even the strongest of propaganda could ever exagerate the odds that we must overcome. The war effort rebounded Germany's economy, so that they alone have roughly an additional 50% production on us. They are further backed by resurgent Tsarist Russia. Russia reannexed much of the Caucuses, leaving a puppet Azerbaijan in a bid to for increased oil resources or something, but appears content to honor Brest-Litovosk. I honestly have no idea what they think they stand to gain by casting their lot with Germany, though the Germans certainly have used this development to consolidate their hold on Eastern Europe.
The Commune of France lives on in spirit, and in the 70 thousand or so refugees that made it to our shores so far, but the government is dead. Personally they always seem a bit too prone to extremism for my tastes, but their conduct in this war and years past had been nothing but admirable, especially considering how their ruin is our fault. For some background, though once again I doubt the censors would ever be able to hide this fact, the War started in the first few days of 1938, over Iceland. Scandinavia in general had been harassing us for some time, and this was after the Norway Fiasco. As that's something that is already being covered up, I shall remind or inform any readers that our government abandoned the good people of Norway to the rabid Populists of Sweden, after we had not only given our word to defend the status quo, but the people of Norway elected a socialist government of their own accord! But no matter, that did not factor into the outbreak of hostilities, though I do hope once we gain the upper hand we launch a Scandinavian campaign.
Back to the point at hand, Denmark had been acting very provocatively since the stock market crash, but their aggressive economic policies came back to bit them in the end. To maintain balances, they were forced to grant Iceland independence. The people welcomed this, but their own economic house was left in shambles. The government of Iceland sought refuge with Canada, which proved to be a mistake. The Royalists forced a harsh economic program upon the people to pay for fuel for the winter, which the people rejected. We had no choice but to intervene. One thing led to another, and soon our brave marines were fighting on the streets of the capital. Only after sending troops in force were the people able to secure their true independence.
On the previous, I believe I likely am well in line with party rhetoric. What came next, though, I believe to be the result of an overly jingoistic leadership, and perhaps a very fatal mistake. Flush from victory on the shores of Iceland, war command decided our brave marines would next secure Ireland back into the Union. Months prior, Germany had guaranteed Ireland a place in Mittleeuropa, should they feel threatened. I guess many at the time thought it was a bluff. It wasn't.
The Republican Navy expansion program was not yet complete, and as a naval aficionado, I am a bit sad that I'll never get a chance to see the grand flotilla as it was envisioned. Only two of the eight new carriers were done, but our navy was still an easy match for most opposition. The sheer number of Canada on one side and Mittleeuropa on the other took it's toll, though. By 1940 the Royalists were down to mere destroyers, but in the process we'd lost three or four of the older carriers. Germany's Navy still stands to outnumber us three to one in capital ships, but cannot match us in a straight up fight. Our intelligence estimates they have upwards of THIRTY battleships, and we had been sure we had gotten all their carriers, but a fresh one launched a few weeks ago, though still less advanced than ours. We are down to three operational, with one under refit. An additional three carriers sit in drydock, but are not repairable in the immediate future thanks to constant raids by land based bombers on shipbuilding infrastructure.
The land war seemed like much a repeat of decades past, at least at first. The French advanced in 1938, taking most of Flanders and Walloonia by the end of the year. The next year was a gridlock, but France still ailed from the lost generation, and could not replace losses from trench warfare. Our army expanded slowly, but every person mobilized was sent directly to the killing fields. We pushed back for a time even, but then we had to shoulder more and more of the burden. By mid 1940 many French army divisions only existed on paper, and the last week of August is when our generals gave the order to withdraw. We had to save our own formations, even if it meant running and leaving the French to their fate. If we hadn't, the landing attempts in Ireland and along the Channel probably would have done us in, but it still leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, as well as many others.
The new puppet Kingdom of France is a very unwilling participant, but the mere use of their airbases is enough of a threat to us to warrant attention. Their industry is about half of what it was before the war, and used piecemeal for a a variety of tasks that don't exactly lend too much support to the German war effort. All told they probably contribute more than the revitalized Austria does. They're too busy keeping Hungary and the Balkans in line, as well as sending protest after protest to the Poles, to really add much to the fight besides their own veteran air corps. Also, compared to these events, the fall of Sicily is but a footnote. The Italian Federation has not affiliated itself with Europe at large, but the newly minted Kingdom of France did stretch their arms by taking Sicily proper. What will come of this is yet to be seen, but I'm sure the exiles in North Africa are raising some eyebrows at it.
The Middle East
The Ottoman Empire is no more. That is perhaps one of the most shocking changes of the past few years, and sadly, from a historical perspective I presume, largely ignored in the face of events in Europe. The Empire that stood since the fall of Byzantium is now replaced with a repressive Totalist regime centered on a Turkish identity. At this point in time I don't think anyone can pretend to know what internal machinations are going on there. Early diplomatic fumbles left them firmly outside the Internationale, and at this point if they had joined they would likely be facing Russian invasion, which is the last thing the region needs. The nation is still quite important, however, moreso than an upstart regime might typically be. The Arab axis had success beyond their wildest dreams, but realized that while their claims were vast, their ability to assimilate the old Ottoman Empire was not. In addition, leaving Turkey with some land outside Turkey proper would keep them busy internally, and act as a useful buffer to prevent the alliance from immediately dissolving, much like what happened in the Balkan Wars. Syria and Lebanon were left untouched, and Turkey still controls a vast swath of uninhabited desert, as a direct buffer between Persia and the Arabian powers, but the Turkish government is likely not comforted at all, and would rather reverse the large gains of the Kurdish state.
Germany remains in a good position, holding the canal, but backed off on some of its other possessions in the region. Before the Arab-Ottoman War, Germany sold Crete to the Ottomans, which remains in Turkish control as a separate, puppet totalist regime. Cyprus, on the other hand, was sold back to Greece itself, creating a somewhat awkward situation, but one that has thus far not boiled over.
Elsewhere, Russian's foreign policy has mostly been directed at reestablishing control over the rebellious Caucasus Mountain region, likely for oil concerns. Their first attempt was an alliance with the Cossacks, but the latter proved too rebellious. Direct control was eventually established, saved for a mutually beneficial relationship with a puppet government in Azerbaijan. Russian influence, via annexed Armenia, is even intruding into traditional Turkish lands, causing direct threat to the totalist government there. In Central Asia, Russia has remained absent, which has allowed the Turkish people there to consolidate in a nationalistic state.
Asia
There is of course the complicated situation in India to talk about, but frankly, not much has changed. A three-way war might seem interesting, to those who are inclined to be interested, but the front line has really not changed much despite two years of conflict, aside from some successful probes from the democrats down South back up towards the Entente aligned holdings. It was technically a separate war, until we negotiated the alliance about a year ago. That had the unfortunate effect of drawing in Germany's Asian allies as well, but did have the benefit of providing leverage enough to negotiate a separate peace with the democrats. Let the Entente deal with a two front war, though so far they do appear to be dealing well.
For awhile it appeared as if Germany was backing off from the region. Several colonies rebelled, and were left to their own devices, including Indochina. An Indian syndicalist sponsored rebellion led by Ho Chi Minh too root there and prospered. But then Germany found an ally in the resurgent Qing. Reforms in the late 1930s brought strength to the once ailing Empire, which successfully defeated a rival claimant faction. De jure, they had always controlled Southern China as well, but de facto German corporations had had power there. Rising anti-foreigner sentiment convinced German authorities to renegotiate treaty terms with the Qing, which revitalized the Chinese even more. Within six months, as if to show off their new power, the Qing put down mad Sternberg in Mongolia, then peacefully returned the Trans-Siberian Railway to Russia, both legitimizing their power base and building critical goodwill. Indochina was thusly crushed after Asia became a major theater of the current conflict. They held out for an impressive 11 months, but the though of taking on the Qing, with their endless manpower, may be an even more daunting challenge than neutralizing Europe.
The real unknown factor left is Japan. Japan is a modern powerhouse, without any question. They had had a relatively fair and democratic government, but riots due to ethnic tensions with Koreans, economic factors, and other things led to a declaration of martial law. It is is no secret that the new, military government seeks to expand their influence, for economic security. They've made nominal trade deals with California, Hawaii, and have done major investment in the Philippines. They've also cast longing eyes at Russian Siberia. This could be the real reason for Russia's alliance with Germany. Either way, Japan remains perhaps the last possible ally of convenience for the British cause. The real question is now whether or not Japan is afraid of Germany and the Qing...
And here I will stop. Already I've spent nearly until dawn working on this, and I'm one of the few people around here who does not have a good reason for "pulling an all nighter". I should get an hour or two of sleep if I can, and bore you not any more with my layman's history.