Rebirth of the Japanese Empire: A Japan MDS 1.6 AAR

@Hax: Good eye, but also take a look at the leaders of Saudi Arabia and Oman. You can also expect other characters like that later on in the game.

@Razgriz 2K9: Well i don't think ECON will have the ability to conquer Spain or the Balkans, but they do have some pretty strong capabilities.

@Alfredian: That should not be too big of a problem this time around. They have a good leadership and some very strong militaries. Israel is not going to come out of this unscathed.

@CylonAndrew: Do not underestimate ECON just because of its IC counts. I should mention that the EU and NATO are very similar to ECON, lots of countries with pretty low IC's themselves. Unlike many NATO/Coalition members however, may of ECON's members have very strong standing national armies, some of which are very well equipped with modern weaponry. Their airforces are extensive with long range striking power, and their navies have good expeditionary capability (although they lack tons of strong surface ships, they are still a force to be reckoned with). ECON can throw down with the best of them.

@everyone else: thanks for the comments!

The massive islamic revolutionary wave, backed up by Iran and its allies in the region, has greatly upset the military strategic balance of power in the Middle East. American allies have been reduced to only a handful of states, those being Israel, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and lastly, NATO member country Turkey. However, the Americans and their allies are in for one final shock. In mid January, almost out of knowhere, the Turkish government, which had been starting to slowly move towards more islamist policies, is overthrown by a military group known to the public as the Egrenekon. The Egrenekon is made out of a large group of low and high ranking officers and soldiers within the Turkish Armed Forces, an institution which has always valued itself as the protector of a secular and modern Turkish society. The new military regime in Turkey quickly severs ties with NATO and the EU, as its leaders begin to debate what direction Turkey will follow from now on.



In Latin America, the government of Venezuela announces its new regional security initiative, known as ALBA (for The Bolivarian Alliance for the America's in Spanish). Chavez, hoping to form a new military bloc to oppose what he sees as future American aggression on the region, invites like minded leftist governments throughout Latin America to join his new group. Very quickly, ALBA expands, first accepting Cuba, Bolivia, and Ecuador into the bloc, before bringing in recently elected leftist/socialist regimes from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua into the fold. Although ALBA in its current form is seen as a weak player by the United States, disturbing reports from both Argentina and Brazil suggest very strong support for ALBA in both states, with both governments beginning to take steps to even join Chavez's bloc.



In North Africa, Mauritania joins ECON. The ECON alliance has now reached its full membership potential, uniting the vast majority of North Africa and the Middle East under its wing. Content that they now have enough allies to defeat any foe they may face, top ECON military leaders begin to meet in Tehran, for the purpose of building effective command and control structures, a unified foreign policy, and to begin holding large scale military exercises to test the combat readiness of ECON's powerful military forces.



Meanwhile, in Asia, the government of China continues its preparations for military action. Chinese forces are continuing their buildup throughout the country, with reservists being called up for exercises and frontline duty, and Chinese forces being put on higher states of combat alertness. With war seemingly inevitable, the Chinese government also begins its final push to bring new allies to its side from all around the world, hoping to give itself a better global strategic position by the time military preparations are completed.


The first new allies that China brings into the fold of the SCO are the southeast Asian states of Laos and Cambodia. Both nations cannot offer much of anything militarily, but what they do for the Chinese is give the SCO a great strategic advantage against Japanese allied Thailand. Thailand is now essentially surrounded by hostile countries, with Laos and Cambodia giving traditional rival Vietnam the ability to send forces right up to the border with Thailand. Japan, which has been watching recent global events with undivided interest over the past few months, is greatly concerned at Thailand's unfavourable military position. Japanese leaders and generals promise the Thai regime substantial Japanese military aid, to keep the country safe in the event of conflict.


Next, in the Caucuses, under intense Russian political pressure, both Armenia and Azerbaijan join the SCO. Both countries host Russian military bases, while both states also have little alternative other than joining the SCO, despite past military hostilities, given their current position, surrounded by ECON to the south, Russia to the north, and Turkey to the west, a country whose future political position is now very uncertain.


Mongolia, sandwiched between SCO giants Russia and China, also joins the group after intense diplomatic pressure.


Finally, the long arm of the SCO reaches all the way into Africa. Angola, which had joined the SCO as a full member only a couple years earlier, is now joined by a host of other African states. Nigeria, which had in recent years benefited from massive Chinese economic investment which had led to greater national stability in the country, joins the SCO. The Democratic Republic of Congo also joins the SCO for similar reasons, as well as Chinese promises of being given control of the entire neighboring Republic of Congo in exchange for membership. Namibia joins the SCO due to its very strong ties with Angola, while countries like Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Zambia, Uganda, and Tanzania join the SCO thanks to extensive ties with the Chinese and Russian governments. Eritrea meanwhile joins the SCO as part of a regional balancing act, in response to American support of Ethiopia.


Back in the Middle East, the new Egrenekon military regime in Turkey has decided that the country will now align itself with the SCO, beginning talks with China and Russia as part of a new diplomatic initiative by the new Turkish regime. Turkey is especially attracted to the SCO thanks to a number of promises, such as a secret SCO guarantee that Turkey will be given total control over Cyprus as well as aid in defeating longtime rival Greece in exchange for membership.


Back in Washington, the United States government and military is horrified at what they are seeing all around the globe. Expansion of ECON, the SCO, and now the creation of ALBA have all put into jeopardy the current global geopolitical order. In response, the United States and its longtime allies begin to prepare for war. American military attache's are deployed to many American allies, such as Britain, Israel, South Korea, Taiwan, and even Japan, to coordinate wartime defense plans. Meanwhile, American diplomats are sent out to sign defense agreements with highly concerned American allies, from places like Africa and Latin America, to show that the United States will protect them in these uncertain times.


The first to reaffirm their support for the United States are traditional US allies Canada and New Zealand. Canada, under the government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, declares that it will aid the United States in both war and peace as it always has in the past. New Zealand meanwhile joins the American led Coalition, stating that it is happy to do so under its ANZUS treaty obligations, just like its larger neighbor, Australia.



In Africa, the United States and Britain gather their own allies to counter the influence of the SCO in the region. Very quickly, Ethiopia affirms its military support with the United States, especially in the face of Chinese support for Eritrea. The British meanwhile exert very heavy pressure on its fellow Commonwealth member states, Kenya, Botswana, and South Africa, to join the coalition. All three, which already have very deep political, military, and economic ties with Britain and the United States, join the Coalition soon afterwards, especially with aggressive posturing coming from the SCO's African members towards them.


Finally in Latin America, longtime American allies Colombia, Mexico, Chile, and Peru, very nervous about the intentions of Chavez's ALBA bloc, quickly join the US led Coalition. In response to this development, the ALBA bloc condemns all 4 of these countries, stating that they are nothing more than puppet of American corporations and businessmen. ALBA military forces begin a series of large scale military exercises, which put the Latin Coalition members on a higher state of military alert.