New Chapter time!
Chapter 17 - January-February 1943
In the last days of 1942 the USSA officially joined the Second Great War after declaring war on the Axis Powers along with their Veracruz Pact allies of Mexico, Central America and Portugal. Any remnants of the tyrannical Axis in the Americas will now be driven from the Hemisphere before the war is brought to Western Europe itself where the Liberation will begin! Down with Reactionary oppression and slavery!
As the Red Navy transported ground troops of the USSA to the Spanish colonial holdings in the Caribbean the rest of the Axis Powers officially declared war on the Veracruz Pact with the Ottoman Empire, Egypt and the French puppet states of Holland & Germany declaring war. Despite these declarations the USSA leadership do not expect any serious fighting with any of these other Axis members...at least initially.
The first ground offensives into Spain itself also began as the USSA's Portuguese comrades advanced with American aid. While many more USSA reinforcements are on their way across the Atlantic to participate in Operation Torch the initial goal of the American Red Army units will be to act in a supporting role for Portuguese offensives into Spain. With Spanish attention diverted by the fighting in Africa it is hoped that initial resistance will be light until the USSA reinforcements arrive in large numbers.
The initial offensives into Spain indeed made good initial progress with American-Portuguese Forces achieving a decisive early victory at Salamanca. There is little doubt now that the Spaniards despite their bluster were not at all prepared for the declaration of war by the Veracruz Pact. It would be dangerous to dismiss the Spanish fighting strength too early but these initial engagements are certainly positive for the Socialist cause.
Not long after New Year's 1943 the Red Army troops Invading Cuba captured Camaguey, the first major city on the island to be liberated from the Spanish Imperialists. As expected the Spanish Military presence on the island is minimal but they are supplemented by a force of Cuban Loyalists led by a General named Batista. As the USSA advanced towards Santa Clara the Spanish and their colonial lackeys are already retreating towards Havana.
A few days later the USSA captured the island of Bermuda from the French. The French, who had seized this island from the British, left no serious military force on the island due to the fighting in Europe and the island was easily liberated by the Red Army. Now that the island is under Socialist control the USSA have no intention of allowing its return to the British Imperialists.
Back in Europe the French have almost completely been driven from Germany and after Goering was abandoned by his French masters and captured by the Red Army the remnants of the Reactionary German Government surrendered to the Soviets. This brings the Soviets closer to France itself while the French Army retreats across the Rhine towards a network of defences known as the Maginot Line. How long this line will be able to hold off the irresistible Soviet advance remains to be seen but as it stands now the Soviet Red Army is not far from Paris and seem likely to reach it before either the Allies or the Veracruz Pact. Meanwhile to the south the Soviets advance into Italy with the Italian Army seemingly on the verge of complete collapse. There are reports that their leader Italo Balbo has already been deposed by politicians who seek peace but these reports remain unsubstantiated.
In Spain the American-Portuguese advance continues with the USSA achieving a victory near Badajoz and the Portuguese driving towards Madrid with little apparent Spanish resistance. However, there are reports of a large amount of French reinforcements entering Southern Spain from North Africa that seem poised to drive into the South of Portugal which is currently lightly defended. This is a potentially serious problem as these battle-hardened troops will undoubtedly be a thorn in the side of Veracruz Pact forces in Iberia. It also demonstrates that the French are willing to weaken their already overstretched forces in Africa to halt the spread of Socialism in Europe. Clearly they see both the forces of the Veracruz Pact and the Soviet Bloc in the East as a far bigger threat to their power than the Allies. As well they should!
Not long after the Government in Italy collapsed with Soviet forces advancing towards Florence. The Pro-Axis Reactionary Government however fled south where they requested annexation by France for "The duration of the present crisis" while Pro-Soviet Socialists in Milan surrendered the country to the Soviets and a Civil War of sorts broke out in Italy between the Reactionaries and Socialists with French and Soviet forces still fighting bitterly for control of the Peninsula. Around the same time the USSA made a controversial decision, to allow the Soviet Union to join the Veracruz Pact. Chicago was surprised when the Soviets requested to join the pact but despite their revisionism the Soviets pointed out that a United Front against the Axis was important in the current situation. The USSA then decided to accept as much to gain intel on Soviet intentions as to fight together against an enemy that both the USSA & USSR could see was already on the verge of defeat. This will no doubt be a temporary alliance but in the opinion of the USSA leadership it will be useful to American interests.
Meanwhile with Eastern Europe now totally under Soviet control the USSR decided to begin the process of establishing satellite states loyal to them. Despite requests by Balkan Socialists for a unified Slavic Socialist state the Soviets chose to establish a network of national states instead. Such nationalistic behaviour is of course typical of the Revisionist Soviets but their decision may have been a poor one on their part as MSS agents have already made contact with certain Socialist leaders in the Balkans that seem more amenable to true American-style Socialism than to becoming slaves of Bukharin following this war. The Independence of Hungary was also restored and they will no doubt act as subservient to Moscow as they had before the war. Meanwhile after the Independence of Italy came to an end the Colonial Governors in Africa, isolated from the homeland, chose to surrender to the British rather than allow the Socialists to gain a foothold in the African continent.
The surrender of Italy has drastically changed the situation in Africa as both the British and Free German Forces gained massive swathes of territory following Italy's capitulation. The French and Spanish continue to fight on but with them diverting manpower to Spain to hold back the Veracruz Pact it seems unlikely that they will be able to hold back the Allies indefinitely. Unfortunately it seems as though the European Allies will be able to continue exploiting Africa for the foreseeable future but MSS agents remain active on the continent seeking Anti-Colonial allies in various regions while also continuing to hunt Confederate war criminals, a mission that has already brought a great amount of success.
Back in the Caribbean the USSA have occupied Spanish Hispaniola while also destroying most of the Spanish military presence on Cuba near Havana. The last remaining Spanish forces in Cuba are now at the Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay which American forces are already on the way to liberate.
Meanwhile the Soviets continued to advance south in Italy meeting little resistance although the French have for now halted attempts by the Soviets to advance west into Southern France which can only be good for the USSA. Also in the Balkans the Greeks established an Independent Albania which will no doubt act as a puppet of the Royalists in Athens.
Back in Spain the strong Franco-Spanish Forces that arrived in the south have as expected pushed into Southern Portugal taking advantage of most Portuguese troops concentrating elsewhere. The Americans for their part have spotted an opportunity to trap these Axis forces in the Algarve by advancing towards Huelva near the Spanish-Portuguese border and crush them. It is hoped that the Portuguese will be able to halt these forces as much as possible and at least prevent them from capturing Lisbon. The Portuguese remain determined to capture Madrid and it seems that they will not be able to get reinforcements back to Lisbon in time. It is therefore vital that the USSA succeed in encircling this dangerous Axis army.
Back in the Caribbean the Spanish island of Puerto Rico has been captured by the Red Army. Now all that remains of the Spanish colonial force in the Americas is in Cuba and once they are destroyed the Western Hemisphere will be cleared of Spanish colonialism.
The following day the Portuguese succeeded in capturing Madrid which was lightly defended by Spanish forces. To the north serious gains have also been made with Vigo being captured by the USSA and Portuguese forces entering Leon. Spanish strength seems extremely limited now and as long as the attempt to encircle the forces in Southern Portugal then there may be little resistance between Madrid and the French border. The situation now seems extremely favorable for the Americans and Portuguese.
Meanwhile to the North the French puppet state in the Ruhr was annexed by the Soviets. However it seems the fighting between the French and Soviets as become a stalemate along the Franco-German Border with the Maginot Line seemingly succeeding in halting the Soviet advance. This is good news for the USSA as it means the possibility of liberating at least some of France in the name of true Socialism remains. However the story in Italy seems different with the French retreating back towards their own border and the Soviets capturing Florence.
In Spain troops of the American Red Army enter Huelva and complete the encirclement of the mostly French force in Southern Portugal. The French however have succeeded in capturing Setubal and continue to threaten Lisbon itself. American and Portuguese reinforcements head south to protect the Portuguese capital and ensure that these veteran French forces can not escape this encirclement.
In early February USSA forces along with allied Cuban Revolutionaries enter Havana and are greeted as liberators by the local populace. Abandoned by the Spanish and unable to escape, the Cuban Loyalists surrender and Batista is soon executed, Revolutionary justice has come to Cuba and now all that remains is to take Guantanamo Bay. Meanwhile Belize is finally secured by the Red Army after a month of fighting. While the French had only a small contingent of Foreign Legionnaire forces in the region they chose to avoid direct confrontation and instead carry out a guerrilla campaign against Veracruz Pact forces. This campaign had met with success for them until now when their remaining forces were tracked down to a fort near the border with Central America where despite a brave defence their leader, Marie-Pierre Koenig, was killed and the Legionnaires who had troubled the armies of the Veracruz Pact for months were finally forced to surrender. With Belize finally secure the USSA can finally begin sending these forces to Europe after much delay.
In Portugal the southern city of Beja is liberated as the attempted encirclement of the Axis forces continues. These Axis troops continue to fight fiercely despite their situation but they are slowly being whittled down as their supply situation grows more desperate. Meanwhile Romania regains Independence as a Socialist state.
As Rome falls and the Soviets begin to enter Southern France via Italy, Moscow decides that the time is right to reestablish an Independent Poland as a puppet. After the Polish role in the Axis Invasion of the USSR it seems unlikely that this new Polish state will gain any real autonomy from the USSR. The USSA continues to let these satellite states to join the Veracruz Pact in the hopes of influencing their form of Socialism towards the true kind practised in the USSA and the other founding members of the Veracruz Pact. Once the inevitable split occurs it is hoped that at least some of these Eastern European states will see that they would have more freedom in the Veracruz Pact than in the Soviet Bloc which exists for no other reason than to protect Soviet interests.
Not long after the last Spanish forces at Guantanamo Bay surrender to the Red Army, ending any Spanish presence in the Western Hemisphere. This is certainly cause for celebration as it marks the completion of the first phase of War Plan Gold. No matter how the Post-War order looks French and Spanish colonial rule in the Americas is over. Now there is only the colonies of Britain and the Netherlands, which thanks to American pressure remained loyal to the Free Dutch Government based in the East Indies rather than defecting to the French along with their homeland. But these are concerns for the future as the French, Spanish and other Axis powers have to be defeated in Europe and Africa first.
Later in the month there are interesting developments in Central Europe as the French are able to launch a successful offensive against the Soviets into Western Germany while also fighting them to a stalemate in Southeastern France. Italy has by now fallen almost entirely under Soviet control but the French successes further North demonstrate that the French military has not yet been crushed. Meanwhile further East the Soviets establish two new puppet states in Bohemia-Moravia and Slovakia.
As February nears its end the situation in Iberia has greatly improved with the French forces trapped in Southern Portugal surrendering and successful American-Portuguese offensives in both the North and South. However, it seems the French have sent more reinforcements as several more divisions of battle-hardened troops from Africa are spotted arriving in Cadiz. Also in the North where the Red Army is advancing along the coast towards the French border a large French force is encountered near Santander. The fact that the French are still capable of sending large numbers of reinforcements to Spain is no doubt something to be concerned with, especially considering the recent French successes against the Soviets.
The French offensive against the Soviets is soon halted and pushed back in places while a Soviet advance into the Netherlands results in the surrender of the French puppet state of Holland which will no doubt soon be replaced by a Soviet puppet state. Meanwhile back in Spain the heavy fighting around Santander results in a decisive American victory with heavy losses on both sides.
Santander is captured not long after while in the South the Red Army enters the city of Sevilla. However the USSA's offensive in the south has left them overstretched and soon the veteran French troops in Cadiz launch a brutal offensive towards Sevilla. Once again Southern Portugal seems like it could be under threat as few Veracruz Pact forces are in Southern Spain at the moment with most of their forces concentrated in offensives in the North and Centre of Spain. Unless reinforcements are sent south quickly the USSA and Portugal could be facing a potential disaster here!
Soon the Red Army is forced to retreat from Sevilla as the French advance threatens to overrun them. However the French continue to pursue the Americans to Huelva where the disorganized forces of the USSA are forced to retreat across the Guadiana River back into Portugal. This retreat is no doubt a black mark on the history of these divisions and their commanding officer will soon be forced to answer for it. However that will have to wait until this situation is stabilized and Portugal is no longer under threat by the skilled French force now advancing to their border.
As February comes to an end the situation after two months of involvement in the Second Great War remains mostly positive for the USSA. The Spanish and French reactionaries have been driven from their colonial holdings in the Caribbean while general progress into Spain itself is going well with Madrid under the control of the USSA's Portuguese allies. However, the ongoing situation in the South is cause for concern and that must be a priority of the Red Army as March begins. France has proven that despite the war being brought all the way back to their very border they are still a threat to their many enemies and even now it would be a grave mistake to underestimate their power. There remains little doubt that the Axis Reactionaries will soon be defeated but they are certainly not going down without a fight.
