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Apparently, the Mexicans, in expectation of a war with the Americans, had placed the bulk of their armed forces in California and New Mexico. After the initial landing at San Francisco, the Mexican defenders fought fiercely to contain the imperial advance. Indeed, it seemed for several weeks that the beachhead itself was in danger. However, the valor of imperial troops (and use of tactical nuclear weapons), saw the front widened considerably by the summertime:


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By July, it seemed as if the tide had turned decisively against the Mexicans: The relatively well-developed infrastructure of California allowed the mechanized forces a rapid advance across the state, in preparation for the advance into the lightly defended New Mexico. In fact, on the Californian front, the bulk of the Mexican forces stationed there had retreated to the northern mountains, doing little to stave off their eventual defeat:

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With New Mexico secured and Mexico proper breached, it was time for the final drive to Mexico City: The vast majority of the Mexican forces either destroyed or surrendered to imperial forces in California, left relatively few soldiers to defend their homeland. A golden opportunity to quickly envelop Mexico had now presented itself:


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By October,the situation had become untenable for the Mexican reds: With large swaths of their country under imperial occupation and the vast majority of their units being destroyed, deserting, or surrendered, it was finally time to tighten the noose around Mexico City. Field Marshal Kuryibayashi, a veteran of the war with red India and "the Tiger of Bengal", began an offensive to cut off Mexico City from the miniscule available reinforcements in the south.


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In the early morning hours of November 13th, 1951, red Mexico accepted Tokyo's terms of surrender, marking the Empire of Japan not merely as one of the three superpowers of the world, but now as a major player in the Western Hemisphere. This news alarmed the US State Department greatly and most available forces were deployed to the borders of Mexico and the PSA.


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Meanwhile a friendly government in Mexico City was installed, High Command instructing them to deal with the reds who hadn't already escaped to the USA or Centroamerica as they saw fit. Surprisingly enough to some, Tokyo had restored the Pacific States of America as a buffer state with Washington, handing over Arizona as a token of goodwill. Relatively prosperous and stable, the PSA became a haven for Americans seeking refuge from an increasingly repressive Washington (which even went so far as to raise new border guard units tasked with a so called "firing order"). While there were occasional tensions between American men and imperial servicemen married to American women (of all races), it was not a problem that the strategically placed Kempetai outposts could not easily handle.


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Meanwhile in central America, Centroamerica was on the warpath, having successfully bought the entirety of the region under its red banner. It was not necessary for His Majesty to speak to make his will known nor was it required for his ministers and the planners in Daihon'ei to respond verbally: Centroamerica was next.
 
I forget. Has the US actually gone down the path to authoritarianism in game, or are you just roleplaying that in order to justify conquest?
 
Time to Balkanize the Americas. Yeah! :D
 
Meanwhile back on the Home Islands, a team of the finest minds of the empire had, after years of research, finally finished their research into a new delivery platform for the imperial nuclear weapons program:

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In any war with the United States, one of the primary objectives would be to catch the bulk of the US Air Force and Navy in their bases, thus minimizing the threat to imperial forces. To this end, the Emperor ordered vast stockpiles of this new weapon created in anticipation of the inevitable war with Washington.


Tasked with setting a date for the invasion of Centroamerica, High Command decided on a date which would see the most of the Centroamerican People's Army personnel demobilized and at home with their families. While officially subscribing to state atheism, the government of Centroamerica recognized that it could be problematic not to demobilize the army for a couple of days during Christmastime His Majesty signed off on the plan and the invasion was officially set for the evening December 24th, 1953:

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While the CPA was now the second-largest military power in North America, the vast majority of its troops were garrisoned in or just outside the capital of Ciduad de Guatemala. This overemphasis on defending the capital, while theoretically sound planning, would prove to be its downfall:

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The now highly-mobile forces of the Imperial Japanese Army easily seized poorly-defended positions around the capital, scoring a quick encirclement. While a largely ineffectual counterattack was made, it quickly crumbled under constant air and naval bombardment.


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By late January, some ninety-five percent of CPA units had either surrendered or had been destroyed. However, the red government vowed to fight as long as required to expel the "imperialist menace" from Central America. To gain support among the populace, the Emperor ordered that the captive nations of the area be restored their freedom (under imperial supervision of course):

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In spite of its previous bluster and much vaunted armed forces being more or less destroyed, the Centroamerican government continued the fight until mid-March when the finally accepted the inevitable:

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Now, with the reds deported back to their countries of origin to face their trials (or not) and justice. there was only one other matter of business in Central America:

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But with the defeat of Centroamerica, it was clear to every last soul in Daihon'ei and the wider imperial government what must come soon: The final, apocalyptic battle with the Americans. In order for peace to truly reign in the Western Hemisphere and to purge the syndicalist menace at last, the United States of America would have to fall:

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Garner, I am dissapoint.
 
Never seen a syndicalist USA before. Modded or KR events I've not seen?
 
You know something, I feel it's quite annoying to call Nicaragua the United Provinces and Guatemala as Centroamerica. They really should make seperate files for Nicaragua and Guatemala so it doesn't seem like if we're creating a rump UP/Centroamerica that only represents just one of the many Central American states.
 
Finale: Kyojin no Sensō

Ever since the campaign against Centroamerica, preparations had been made in earnest for the war against the Americans: A major power on land, air, and sea, Daihon'ei was particularly concerned about the truly massive US Navy. While some were content to rely on naval bombers and tactical nuclear strikes on major ports, Grand Admirals Yamamoto and Ozawa were not keen on taking that chance and a massive investment/research and development project into the Imperial Japanese Navy was begun:

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The combined forces of Co-Prosperity Sphere were vast and well trained, with the vaunted Imperial Japanese Army's mechanized forces at the forefront...


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However the Americans possessed a massive army and navy to match. Combined with the advantage coming from knowing the terrain and the extreme difficulty of gaining air superiority over such a large area, it was clear that they would not surrender without a protracted fight. It was an unspoken understanding that, in order to keep the lines from breaking under the sheer pressure of American counterattacks, use of tactical nuclear weapons would be required.


In the final weeks of the 1950s, the Emperor, while getting on in years, still insisted on visiting the troops in California and Mexico, bidding them good fortune for the coming campaign, His Majesty's visits concluding with three rousing cheers of "Tennō Heika Banzai!" Those with families in the area were given one last week to spend with their families before marching off to the front. The men of the Imperial Japanese Army knew full well that many of their comrades and themselves personally, may not return home. Nonetheless, (next to) all were prepared to lay down their lives for the glory of the Emperor and to slay the red beast in Washington.


Finally, on New Year's Day, 1960, the IJA forces in the area were ordered by High Command to assault the American positions in the border states. With this declaration of hostilities, the Kyojin no Sensō (War of the Giants) had officially begun....

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Finale pt.2

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After ten days of pitched battles, General Shima's mechanized troops had the honor of being the first to take American soil in Corpus Christi. However, the situation would not be as smooth elsewhere:


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All throughout the American west, imperial and allied forces fought desperately to break the formidable American defensive lines. Some in Daihon'ei worried that the invasion may have been over when it had just begun. When faced with this news from the front, His Majesty made a fateful decision: That in order to break the American lines and allow the mechanized soldiers to penetrate said lines, tactical nuclear weapons would be required. In addition, the Emperor, taking into account the massive industrial capacity of Washington, also ordered the vast stockpile of intercontinental ballistic missiles to target American industrial parks necessary for the war effort.


Eager to see the reds in Washington contained (but unwilling to actively intervene), thousands of German volunteers were allowed to fight in imperial uniform. In addition, German ports were made open for IJN warships in need of emergency repairs:

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By late January, the effects of the tactical nuclear strikes began to show themselves, the front in Texas being widened, American resistance fighters fighting alongside IJA forces. However elsewhere in the Southwest, the American forces had entrenched themselves in the mountains, enhancing the tenacity of their defense:

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But in the poorly defended states of Oregon and Nevada, the mechanized troops and tactical nuclear weapons performed their duty admirably, with the lines being widened considerably by February.


By mid-March, imperial forces had reached the outskirts of the mountain city of Denver, designated as a redoubt for the American government should Washington fall. Despite the terrain to their advantage, the defenders of the city seemed to be putting up less of a fight than High Command had expected:

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However one factor took everyone in Daihon'ei, even the Emperor himself by complete surprise: It was well known that the Americans possessed an extensive, well-developed transportation system across their states. But it came as a surprise to all how resilient said transportation network was, even in the face of repeated tactical nuclear strikes. This modern infrastructure proved invaluable for the mechanized forces, able to extend the lines far into the Great Plains region:

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By late March, the bulk of the American forces in the south had retreated to the Great Plains and had attempted an easily foiled breakout from the Oklahoma pocket:

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With the fall of Seattle in April, the IJN brass breathed a collective sigh of relief: The western coast of North America was now, either directly or indirectly, under imperial control:

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By the beginning of May, it dawned on Washington how truly severe the situation was: Having now breached the American Midwest and parts of the Deep South, Co-Prosperity Sphere forces would have been able to reach the Atlantic in a matter of months, if not weeks. In preparation for the coming bloodbath, the American president activated the state guards and all available reserves to resist to the last man in a vain attempt to hold off the invasion:

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The policies of anti-imperial scaremongering and propaganda seemed to be having the desired effect on a good deal of the populace, particularly in the west where the fighting had been heaviest:

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I don't think mass nuking is a way to get the population on your side...
 
I've been following this. Good work!
 
Finale pt.3

By the middle of June, one thing had become clear to all, whether in Tokyo or Washington: The proverbial noose around the American neck was becoming increasingly tight. With most of the country in imperial hands, everyone knew that an American collapse was only a matter of time. Of course, the Americans refused to see this and President Wallace (widely speculated to have been threatened by his Chief of Staff) pleaded with the American people to resist "the modern day Mongol invasion" to the last man

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Unsurprisingly, by July, the conquest of the Midwest was complete, demoralized and poorly-equipped American forces throwing down their arms in droves, increasingly unwilling to die for a government which did not seem to have their best interests in mind. Despite some objections from his staff, the Emperor ordered that these men be allowed to return to their homes (or join the fight against Washington) on the condition that they never raise a weapon towards an imperial soldier or allied soldier again:

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The battle-hardened, experienced troops of Field Marshal Kuryibayashi were tasked with taking Washington and putting an end to Wallace's puppet presidency. While the remaining American forces fought bravely and tenaciously, using the buildings of Washington to their advantage, these qualities alone were not enough to make up for their technological and military inferiority. On the first of September 1960 Washington DC fell to the IJA:

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The television images of imperial troops parading through the city and raising the Rising Sun over the White House sent shockwaves across the world (or in the case of Mittleeuropa and the remaining Entente powers, relief) and raucous celebrations throughout the Empire and Co-Prosperity Sphere as a whole. The members of the red cabal that had essentially usurped the presidency who had not already perished in the battle were captured by imperial forces and turned over to the enraged (at them) populace of Washington DC, the syndicalists literally being torn to pieces by the angry mobs.


With Tokyo claiming solely the Panama Canal for trade and security purposes, it stood to reason that the other members, such as the Pacific States of America, would be rewarded for their loyal service to the empire:

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Yay! Let the division begin.;)
 
Epilogue

Due to the great industrial strength and manpower reserves of the United States of America, imperial planners recognized one thing: That the division of North America must occur so that any of the USA's successor states would ever again pose a threat to the empire:

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While the German Empire continued to be the lone superpower on the European continent, the lingering animus from the Weltkrieg between the two superpowers had largely dissipated, heralding a new, unforeseen era of German-Japanese cooperation.


Meanwhile, to calm the concerns of the American people about potential Japanese colonization and the breakup of their country, His Majesty proposed an American Confederation: While all the member states would retain their sovereignty, Confederation wide reforms such as a united currency, visa-free border crossings, a common defense policy (overseen by Tokyo of course) and a North American free trade area. Many of his advisers informed the Emperor that this was a terrible idea. When the Emperor refused to even hear their concerns, it was generally accepted that the fact that this was a terrible idea, was the point all along:


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World-renowned aviator Charles Lindbergh, on the morning of September 6th, 1960, officially sworn in as the first president of the Confederation of the Great Lakes. Stretching from Wisconsin in the west to Maryland in the east, the Confederation inherited the vast (albeit damaged in the recent conflict) industrial capacity of the American Midwest, becoming a manufacturing and exporting powerhouse within a couple of years of the war's end.


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The Federated Union of America consisted of the lands of the former Confederacy from Texas in the west to the Eastern Seaboard. While traditionally in possession of a vast agricultural economy, the Union with Japanese aid, has increasingly begun to exploit more of its natural resources.


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The Republic of New England became known as a beacon of scholarly progress and scientific advances on the North American continent, maintaining close ties (but not too close) with the remaining Entente powers and Europe.


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A rump state, still bearing the name of the United States of America, was carved out of the Great Plains and parts of the Southwest. Led by the aging, but still fiery General Douglas MacArthur, the relatively sparse population of the state purportedly had a a strong, but inexplicable case of déjà vu.


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With the reclamation of its rightful borders, the Pacific States of America was the only successor state of the USA to opt out of the American Confederation, choosing instead to remain with the Co-Prosperity Sphere. Supposedly, there were economic motives behind this act, but nothing could (allegedly) be confirmed either way.


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His Majesty, the Emperor lived to the ripe old age of 87, passing peacefully in his bed on the night of January 7th, 1989. His death was commemorated by a day of national mourning in the empire itself and unofficially by the other states of the Co-Prosperity Sphere. His son and successor Akihito planned and oversaw the memorial service, in attendance such figures as Kaiser Wilhelm IV of Germany, RNE president George H.W. Bush, and Genghis Khan III of Mongolia. After being laid to rest, an imperial edict was sent out by the new Tennō: That his father, in accordance with the customs of the ancestors, was never again to be referred to by his given name of Hirohito (at least in the Japanese parlance), but as the Shōwa Tennō .

To this day, the Shōwa Tennō remains a controversial figure: In the empire itself, he is remembered as a national hero who bought the country up from the ashes of the first Weltkrieg. Other nations remember him as a despotic conqueror in the mold of Genghis Khan. Whatever the truth may be, the moniker of his reign as the Shōwa (enlightened peace/radiant Japan), seems to apply.
 
Post-AAR author's note

Well well, another AAR completed. Truth be told, I'm actually happier with how this one came out than the last one for no other reason than the fact that I learned to use a proper image capturing program. A note to potential entrants to AARland: The built-in image capture feature for DH DOES NOT capture newspaper events. If I had known this earlier, it would have saved me a lot of frustration.

Well on to business: My German Empire Mega-AAR has run into a bit of a snag. Actually, it's a pretty big snag, seeing that this version doesn't seem to be compatible with the new patch. But never fear! I have another one to tide my audience over until my AAR extravaganza!

Although there's one thing I'm kind of concerned about: It's about Russia with a twist in the foreign arena (that's all I'll say for now), but some doubtlessly feel by now that KR Russia is kind of overdone as far as AARs are concerned. And I want you guys' input on this: Should I go through with this soon, or should I hold off until Russia as a topic for KR AARs dies down a bit?