@Asalto: When they do, Japan is going to be ready for them. I have been spending years and countless IC on building up the new Japanese Navy, and I get the feeling my investment is going to pay off huge against the US Navy. Then after that, it will be time to create my own version of "Homefront".....
@talt: I think a more correct comparison may be the British overseas Dominions before the Statute of Westminster, however with a much stronger control by Japan through its Governor Generals and technocrat administrators. So, they are bound to Japan as sovereign Japanese territory, but on the ground, they get to keep their municipal governments, their own police forces, culture, language, etc. Its just that now they have Japanese bosses, whose authority is backed by the mighty Japanese Military should any problems arise.
Regarding the Queen, I may have her royal highness pass away sometime in 2012 or 2013, but I am not really sure yet. British monarchs seem to be quite resilient when it comes to age, just look at The Queen Mother, who lived to 101 years old!
@hoi2geek: Japan will not be going for world hegemony, but instead Pacific hegemony.
RE Casualties: Good points raised by everyone. I guess the figure of between 10-20 million dead probably works the most accurately. Now that I think of it, that puts this WW3 more on par with the First World War, which killed something like 16 million people IIRC.
@everyone else: thanks for the comments!
Although the war is now over, Japan continues to massively invest in its military forces. The latest manifestation of this investment is the completion of new wings of Strike Fighters as well as the launching of more Frigates for the navy.
Only a short time later, the Japanese Navy gets some more toys for its fleet. 6 brand new Nuclear powered battlecruisers finish their sea trials and enter regular service. These ships, similar to Russia's Kirov class battlecruisers, possess massive offensive capabilities and give Japan's navy a tremendous advantage over other surface navies in sheer firepower, armed with massive quantities of anti aircraft and anti ship missiles.
Meanwhile, massive resources are being dedicated to the upgrading of weapons and equipment in the Japanese military. Older combat systems are being phased out of service or being put in storage, replaced by more modern systems, vehicles, and weapons.
In international news, Chinese forces evacuate Afghanistan. The Chinese army had occupied about 2/3rds of the country during WW3, while Iranian troops had taken over the rest of the country, including the southern province of Kandahar as well as western Afghanistan. Now however, with domestic problems still prevalent in China itself, Chinese occupation forces in Afghanistan are recalled back home. Not wanting to leave the country completely lawless, China is able to convince Russia to take up the job of keeping order in the country, with Russian troops moving into places like Kabul as the Chinese board airplanes and go home. The Russians immediately get to work in policing the restive and war torn region, engaging in fierce battles with local Afghan insurgents.
In the Caribbean meanwhile, the Americans get around to taking care of some unfinished business. After some rather lengthy planning, US forces invade Cuba. Cuban army forces vow to fight to the last man in defense of their embattled island fortress, as American reinforcements pour into the country and start to fan out in all directions.
Some statistics. The worlds most powerful armies post World War 3. European unification has given the European Federation the most powerful army on earth, a huge force that not only has numbers on its side but also very high quality. Japan comes second, with a more powerful army than Russia, the USA, and even China, whose army has dropped all the way to 5th place.
The worlds largest and most powerful navies after World War 3. The US navy still occupies first place, but Japan is beginning to catch up, especially in the vital area of capital ships. Japan will have another 6 aircraft carriers coming into service by August, nearly tying the Americans in aircraft carriers. Meanwhile, the EF has the world's 3rd largest navy, however their fleet is largely made up of frigates and destroyers, with only a handful of light aircraft carriers and missile submarines to give their fleet any serious firepower. The EF is reportedly working to make up for this, building more light carriers and possibly working to get its own supercarriers as well.
Worlds most powerful airforces post World War 3. Japan may score only in 5th place compared to the larger airforces possessed by countries like Russia, the EF, or India, but in this case quantity does not generally matter too much. Japans airforces are very technologically advanced, allowing them to take on opponents in the skies that have far more aircraft than Japan possesses.
In Khabarovsk protectorate, a Russian partisan uprising takes place, centered around the town of Birobidzhan. Japanese forces are ordered to clear out the insurgents, crushing their rebellion with great speed and efficiency. The rebels may be beaten here, but bombings and ambush attacks by small bands of partisans in the region will continue for some time to come.
Back in Japan, the navy gets even more new capital ships for its fleet. Another 6 aircraft carriers come off the line and enter full time service. Japan now has 13 fleet aircraft carriers in its navy, giving Japan naval power that only the Americans could even possibly compete against.
Finally, in October, the Cuban government surrenders to the United States. It took months for the Americans to finally crush what was left of the Castro Regime, due to the massive resistance put up by Cuban military and militia forces in Havana. The city has been reduced largely to rubble, and many thousands of Cuban and American soldiers died in the fight for Havana, but finally Cuba has been defeated. At long last, the Americans finally have their revenge.
