TL-191.5 The Sun Rises

[theg*ddam*hoi2fan]

A couple of things here.

I know I'd said that a Cold War as OTL was unlikely in TL-191, so this hostility between Germany and Japan might seem odd. But it's not going to get to the point of nuclear confrontation, or even close, and there's no ideological component. Basically, Germany's finding that its interests - which chiefly involve maintaining a steady resource stream to the homeland - are running into those of Japan and GEATO. Germany continues to support the Netherlands maintaining the East Indies, to keep the oil flowing, and rather inadvisedly intervened in India to try to gain a satellite there. Both of these run counter to Japan's pan-Asia ideals...so there's hostility. Of course, just how long Germany can maintain an imperial policy outside Europe is another question...

Also, I know full well that Japan never held any sovereignty over the Philippines, either OTL or ITTL before the war with Spain. But I figured that the Japanese government would have adopted Hideyoshi's old claim to the islands as a (tenuous) justification for their colonisation

 

[VidaLaVida]

A couple of things here.

I know I'd said that a Cold War as OTL was unlikely in TL-191, so this hostility between Germany and Japan might seem odd. But it's not going to get to the point of nuclear confrontation, or even close, and there's no ideological component. Basically, Germany's finding that its interests - which chiefly involve maintaining a steady resource stream to the homeland - are running into those of Japan and GEATO. Germany continues to support the Netherlands maintaining the East Indies, to keep the oil flowing, and rather inadvisedly intervened in India to try to gain a satellite there. Both of these run counter to Japan's pan-Asia ideals...so there's hostility. Of course, just how long Germany can maintain an imperial policy outside Europe is another question...

Also, I know full well that Japan never held any sovereignty over the Philippines, either OTL or ITTL before the war with Spain. But I figured that the Japanese government would have adopted Hideyoshi's old claim to the islands as a (tenuous) justification for their colonisation

This makes sense, given the context of TL-191. That's one of the big themes I saw with the series: basically, it's a world where the 19th Century paradigm of colonialism and imperialism lives on into the 20th Century. Just with the old empires of Britain, France, and Russia toppled, with the new, young empires of the United States, Germany, and Japan to take their place.

World War II and the Cold War in OTL was a battle of ideologies and belief systems. Nazism, fascism, communism, capitalism, republicanism, etc. all going to war with each other, with the outcome of WWII determining which paths the world would follow, and the Cold War a battle of ideas.

The Second Great War in TL-191, though, is pretty much a continuation of what World War I was about: nationalism, imperialism, and competing national self-interest. Socialism either was defeated (in the Confederate States and Russia), or was moderated and absorbed into the establishment political system (in the United States), preventing it from being such an all-encompassing national belief system. Even the "fascist" ideologies in the series were less about a Nazi-like whole new paradigm and more about continuing the traditional national order (Action Francaise restored France's old monarchy and sought to bring back the old pre-Revolutionary order; the Silver Shirts are vague, but have the general effect of intensifying Britain's already extant imperial mindset; even the Freedom Party doesn't really do much besides beat the war drums and intensify, to a murderous degree, a racism that was already an intrinsic factor of Confederate society).

So it makes sense that, in this Cold War, the rival powers are pretty much upfront that their hostility comes out of imperialism and interests.

 

[theg*ddam*hoi2fan]

This makes sense, given the context of TL-191. That's one of the big themes I saw with the series: basically, it's a world where the 19th Century paradigm of colonialism and imperialism lives on into the 20th Century. Just with the old empires of Britain, France, and Russia toppled, with the new, young empires of the United States, Germany, and Japan to take their place.

World War II and the Cold War in OTL was a battle of ideologies and belief systems. Nazism, fascism, communism, capitalism, republicanism, etc. all going to war with each other, with the outcome of WWII determining which paths the world would follow, and the Cold War a battle of ideas.

The Second Great War in TL-191, though, is pretty much a continuation of what World War I was about: nationalism, imperialism, and competing national self-interest. Socialism either was defeated (in the Confederate States and Russia), or was moderated and absorbed into the establishment political system (in the United States), preventing it from being such an all-encompassing national belief system. Even the "fascist" ideologies in the series were less about a Nazi-like whole new paradigm and more about continuing the traditional national order (Action Francaise restored France's old monarchy and sought to bring back the old pre-Revolutionary order; the Silver Shirts are vague, but have the general effect of intensifying Britain's already extant imperial mindset; even the Freedom Party doesn't really do much besides beat the war drums and intensify, to a murderous degree, a racism that was already an intrinsic factor of Confederate society).

So it makes sense that, in this Cold War, the rival powers are pretty much upfront that their hostility comes out of imperialism and interests.

Very true - that was always the main way in which I felt that TL-191 differed from our history, the 'fascist' groups were extreme traditionalists, just with the extra poison of revanchism.

I thought it might be a good idea to indicate how I see the three great powers circa 1960.

Japan:
Just coming out of the years of economic shortfall that inevitably followed the Second Great War. Since Japan proper was never targeted during the war, and since the war saw Japan defeat two long-established world powers and emerge as the leading power in East Asia, there is a sense of supreme confidence and national chauvinism among the populace (though historians and certain military leaders know that the war with Russia could very easily have gone the other way - Japan would not have been threatened, and neither would her gains in South-East Asia, but the loss of Korea to Russia would have caused considerable loss of face). In addition, the burgeoning economic boom is leading Japanese businesses to begin looking overseas for markets.* Internally, Japan is still somewhat...problematic. Though the victorious war cemented the Navy and their civilian allies at the apex of the Japanese political machine, right-wing societies still have some influence (not as much, though - Japan's need for new land isn't pressing anymore) and the Army, though not as radicalised (many of the more radical elements among the junior officer corps died in Korea), continues to press for more authoritarian policies. That said, they are more of a minority now.

Germany:
Probably the victorious nation that suffered the most in the Second Great War, with territory invaded, cities bombed, and Hamburg lost. Right now, the German leadership is attempting to ensure that Germany retains her prestige as an Imperial power, and also to ensure continued easy access to raw materials. However, this is bringing it into conflict with inconvenient truths, such as that the effort to maintain Germany's global presence is leading to financial problems in Germany proper, and a resulting disillusionment among the populace - particularly the young - with conservative Prussian leadership. American-style Socialism is on the rise (untainted by the more radical doctrine espoused in the nineteenth century). In addition, Germany's main allies, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire, are walking a knife-edge of internal ethnic tensions. All in all, while Germany is still a force to be reckoned with, many external observers wonder how long Germany will be a global power (though odds are, the Reich will always be a regional power).

United States of America:
Though the United States of America was damaged in the war with the Confederacy, it has arisen from the ashes and rebuilt (though reconstruction work still continues in the South). Though much of their effort remains inwardly-focused, attempting to 'normalise' the Southern states and to ensure that the new Canadian states continue to work within the Union, the Black Holocaust has given most (Northern) Americans a strong desire never to let such a thing happen again, anywhere in the world. Given this, and the prevalence of Socialist ideology, America is perhaps the most fervent supporter of the Global Summit, and remains fully committed to the idea of making the organisation work. The US Army committed troops to former French Africa, along with European forces, and intervened in Mexico, assisting Republican rebels in finally overturning the CSA-backed Empire. In addition, though much of America's wealth is invested in developing the South, sizeable amounts of development aid have been given to the new Mexican republic, to the Caribbean and to a number of African nations. That said, America's leadership is determined to avoid foreign wars - largely because they know a sizeable proportion of the military will always be needed at home, to stamp out Confederate diehards (and just in case the Mormons who remained in the continental US get any funny ideas). This means that, in the event of disputes between other members of the Summit, America will always try to mediate between the two (they really don't want to have to take sides, or stay neutral and lose potential goodwill with the countries involved).

*[AN - NB, NOT the same as OTL - Japanese products will not be widely sought in Western markets, since a lot of what they make is based on American material, but they'll likely find heavy demand in developing nations, since their products are cheaper. Again, Japan is largely heavy industry - no electronics boom as OTL]
[Also - this (very broad overview) TL is still primarily encompassing Japan and Asia, just figured context would be a good idea. But to reassure you, no Germany will not go Red. Constitutional left-leaning parties will enjoy success, and there'll be an increased demand for Germany to focus on Europe (which will be leftist, but will claim Bismarck as an inspiration), but the Kaiserreich will remain the Kaiserreich.]

 

[theg*ddam*hoi2fan]

1962
July-September Border War in India, between Federation and Republican forces.
August Series of small-scale uprisings in the Philippines. Largely unconnected and disorganised, though Japanese intelligence services find that the rebels are being equipped with Dutch copies of German weaponry.
Japanese zaibatsu begin to actively and aggressively pursue new markets outside East Asia, aiming particularly at emerging markets in Africa and South America. Though Japanese products do not enjoy popularity in America or Europe, their cheaper price means that they become sought-after in developing countries, ultimately giving Japan increased economic influence in these nations.
September-December Japanese intelligence services begin reaching out to a wide variety of disparate groups: Indonesian independence activists; Hindu extremists in Northern India; and to the intelligence services of the Confederated Republic of the Caribbean – and through them to an extremist Black Muslim group, the Sword of Vengeance, dedicated to avenging those who died in the Black Holocaust and to preventing similar atrocities against ‘the African disapora’ (which makes them an enemy of Volkstaat Suid-Afrika). All of these groups have key factors in common: they have enmity with German-allied regimes; and they’re willing to use violence to achieve their aims. Japan guarantees them arms and intelligence to accomplish what they need the arms for.

1963
Beginning of Taiho programme – Japan’s effort to build an atomic-engined airplane carrier, similar to the new USS Remembrance.
Suppression of riots in Sarawak – Malay population are demanding independence, and an end to the influx of Japanese oil-workers and support staff. Japanese worry about unrest spreading to the Malay Peninsula (Singapore is majority-Japanese now, but the rest of the Peninsula is run through Malay collaborators, and is split with Thailand).
Nationalist riots in Thai Cambodia – first mention of a group named the ‘Khmer Rouge’.
Beginning of Austro-Hungarian Civil War and Second Arab Revolt convince Japanese intelligence experts that the time is now ripe to spur their contacts on…
Debate in the Diet over the introduction of Farseer service to Japan – ultimately collapses, traditionalists within the government don’t like the idea of such vulgar intrusion into Japanese homes. Prime Minister Takano is of like mind. Since Japan effectively sets trends for the rest of GEATO, Farseer sets aren’t likely to appear in Asia anytime soon.
Premiere of samurai film Foreign Fruit, to near-universal acclaim. The film has become of major interest to Western students of Asian cinema, as while ostensibly it is based around an anti-Western and anti-colonialist message – featuring a small band of ronin attempting to rescue a small town from the insidious influence of Jesuit missionaries and their Spanish protectors – analysis reveals a more subtle message about the use of Western imperialism as a justification for military intervention (notably in a scene when a local lord murders several of his political opponents and claims – falsely – that they’re Christian).

1964
17th February Beginning of Indonesian War of Independence. Prior to this, the Dutch had, with occasional German assistance, suppressed any attempt at a concerted nationalist uprising – though there had been riots, and isolated outbreaks of violence, there was no nationwide disturbance (until now). Rebels are equipped with Japanese-made weaponry, delivered by submersible or across the land border between the Malay Protectorate and Dutch Borneo. Of particular concern to Dutch (and ultimately German) leaders is the willingness of the rebels to sabotage oil wells and refineries.
9th March Hindu nationalist groups in Northern India began terrorist campaign against the Federation government. This drags religious forces into contact with one another (extremists target Muslims, Muslims target any Hindu they can find, Hindus who otherwise would have been moderate defend themselves…). Events quickly spiral out of control. Again, the groups in arms are equipped with Japanese weaponry.
14th March ‘Bloody March’: a series of terrorist bombings and assassinations engulf the cities of Pretoria, Johannesburg, Natal and Cape Town, leading to full-scale race riots breaking out. Though Japanese weaponry is not used here, the bombings have been carried out by the Sword of Vengeance (and though no-one knows this, Japan gave them intelligence for the assassinations – assassinations of high-ranking State Security officials who, as is later revealed, are former members of the now-defunct Freedom Party Guards).
Germany, already forced to contribute men to try to help Austria and Turkey keep their empires together, now faces near-civil war in two aligned nations and the Netherlands’ potential loss of the East Indies – between the Ottoman Empire and the Dutch East Indies, two of Germany’s main sources of oil are threatened.
Summer Olympics are held in Tokyo. The Games are a major public relations success for Japan, and will lead to increased American tourism to the Home Islands. A somewhat unusual propaganda exercise is also carried out… During the construction of the Olympic Stadium a special box, windowed with mirrored glass and utterly impenetrable to the eyes of the public, was installed for the use of Their Imperial Majesties and the Imperial Family. While the games were in session, photographs are published in the newspapers that show other royal heads of state – the Emperor of Korea, the Emperor of Vietnam, the King of Laos and the King of Thailand – entering the box, and the story is leaked that they did so as guests of His Imperial Majesty. Public opinion is…divided, with extreme rightwingers believing that this is an affront to the tenno – as the descendant of Divine Amaterasu and the First Emperor Jimmu, as well as being ruler of Japan whose people are shido minzoku (world’s foremost people), anything that implies the rulers of other nations are equal to the tenno verges on blasphemy. More moderate figures, on the other hand, believe that this is simply a symbolic confirmation of the purpose of GEATO – the uniting of Asia under Japanese leadership and the divine protection of the tenno and the kami is represented by the tenno literally taking the crowned rulers of East Asia under His roof (the fact the people of these nations, particularly Thailand, also see their rulers as semi-divine figures is of some assistance here).



Note: Farseers are televisions, from the German Fernseher - though I'm sure you clever people already guessed that.


No Warhammer 40,000 jokes, please

 

[Tanner151]

But... but... I like Warhammer 40,000

 

[theg*ddam*hoi2fan]

But... but... I like Warhammer 40,000

So do I, but 'Farseer' seemed a little too obvious

 

[HongCanucker]

I thought they were still called televisions in TL-191. Not sure, though, I think it was a very minor reference, and I can't remember which book I saw it in. Someone verify please?

 

[theg*ddam*hoi2fan]

I thought they were still called televisions in TL-191. Not sure, though, I think it was a very minor reference, and I can't remember which book I saw it in. Someone verify please?

I don't remember televisions being mentioned, but you could very well be right... I just didn't remember, and I assumed they weren't since they were set in an era when - in any world that Alien Space Bats hadn't visited, anyway - televisions wouldn't have been widely available.

I'll have to go through the Settling Accounts series with a fine-tooth comb now. I'd re-read the entire lot before I started working on this, but mostly with an eye to events and names rather than anything else... Thanks!

 

[HongCanucker]

I don't remember televisions being mentioned, but you could very well be right... I just didn't remember, and I assumed they weren't since they were set in an era when - in any world that Alien Space Bats hadn't visited, anyway - televisions wouldn't have been widely available.

I'll have to go through the Settling Accounts series with a fine-tooth comb now. I'd re-read the entire lot before I started working on this, but mostly with an eye to events and names rather than anything else... Thanks!

I think it was actually in "American Empire", so I'll have to sift through to make sure, but thankfully I have the Kindle version, so a simple word search can set things straight.

 

[theg*ddam*hoi2fan]

1965
4th Cavalry Brigade of Imperial Japanese Army finally exchanges its horses for barrels – the age of the horse soldier is now officially over.
The Brigade – equipped with new-model Type 61 Main Battle Barrels – is dispatched to India, to the Republic’s border with the Federation, along with new airmobile forces (using Japanese-produced Drachen).
Indonesian War of Independence enters its second year. Germany dispatches the airplane carrier Furst Bismarck and battlegroup, together with two divisions of Marines (who will form Marine-Korps-Java) and two divisions of regular troops. The conflict will mark the first mass deployment of Drachen as weapons of war.
German and Dutch forces still in India find themselves spread thin trying to assist the Federation’s military to suppress Hindu radical uprisings...and the General Staff makes it clear that, with troops deployed to Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and plans to send more men to the Dutch East Indies, India will have to soldier on alone.
Violence continues to spiral out of control in Volkstaat Suid-Afrika – fuelled by ongoing interference from the Caribbean and from the Sword of Vengeance.
Protests begin in many of Germany’s African satellites.
The United States appeals for the Netherlands to try to find some kind of accommodation with the rebels – also calls upon other nations ‘not to stoke the fire of conflict’. At this point in time, the Southern United States are engulfed in the neo-Confederate uprising known later as the 'Years of Hate' and so the US isn't in much of a position to interfere anywhere in the world.


1966
Violence in South Africa has a knock-on effect – uprisings begin in Namibia and Mittelafrika. As a result, German troops who had been earmarked for the East Indies are now finding themselves being deployed to Africa. Therefore, Germany removes her two divisions from India (along with the Dutch forces also stationed there) and deploys them to the East Indies.
Secret talks between the German Reich and the Republic of China lead to China deploying troops into India. Over six divisions cross the border. Japan loudly condemns this move, the Greater East Asia Treaty Organisation officially demands that China quit India.
At this point in time, China is growing steadily in power. Though the republican government is still working to spread industry inland, they've fully integrated Mongolia and Tuva into China proper, and in 1955 annexed Tibet as an Autonomous Province.* China's military is still somewhat schizophrenic, though - the Army is large, but inconsistently equipped; the Air Force is small, but made up of the most modern German and American aircraft; the Navy is mostly a coastal-defence force of destroyers and diesel submarines, though China is building the Zheng He, her first airplane carrier.
March Khmer Rouge uprising begins in Cambodia. The rebels are calling for independence from Thailand, and the removal of the ‘running dogs of imperialism’ from Kampuchea.
April Uprising begins in Borneo and Sarawak. Japanese oil-workers come under attack from Malay rebel forces.
Japan commits troops to Borneo/Sarawak, spearheads GEATO intervention in Cambodia…and begins to organise new deployments to Southern India.
Indonesian War of Independence is now in its third year. On Java and Sumatra, rebels control the countryside – the Dutch authorities and their German allies now only control the islands’ large towns and cities. Germany manages to entice the Kingdom of Australia to commit troops to Indonesia, in return for which they will give Papua New Guinea back to Australia. A large contingent of ANZAC troops is dispatched.
July In concert with the Imperial Vietnamese and Royal Thai Air Forces, Imperial Japanese Army Air Force units deployed in Southern Vietnam launch a series of cross-border air raids into Southern China, bombing targets just inside the border (quite without the authorisation of the Prime Minister or the Diet). At the same time, Japanese newspapers are filled with photographs of Khmer Rouge training camps inside China…and of arms being transported across the border. China, Germany and Australia condemn the attacks. Public opinion in the United States is split, with many supporting Japan’s right to defend itself and its allies.
Fighting continues in India. Chinese forces act with an alarming lack of restraint in putting down violence.


A couple of things here:
1) TTL's Khmer Rouge is not OTL's Khmer Rouge - Pol Pot doesn't exist, for starters. TTL's organisation is 'Nationalist Socialist', they combine Socialist rhetoric with an overriding sense of Nationalism. They're really the closest thing TTL would have to actual fascists.
2) China is still the Republic of China. They're only supplying the Khmer with weapons to try to destabilise Japan's alliance sphere, not because they have any ideological links.
3) *China is more sincere about the 'Autonomous' business regarding Tibet ITTL - lack of anti-religious ethic in the government, combined with popular respect for the Dalai Lama's position as a Buddhist master (though not the kind of Buddhism widespread in China) has led to a light hand. Still, according to the government, Tibet was, is and always will be part of China.
4) That last remark about a lack of restraint is not any kind of jab at China or the Chinese. Simply how I feel any conscript soldier would react should they find themselves being attacked or abused in a strange country they've been sent to for reasons they don't understand.

 

[bguy]

1965The United States appeals for the Netherlands to try to find some kind of accommodation with the rebels – also calls upon other nations ‘not to stoke the fire of conflict’. At this point in time, the Southern United States are engulfed in the neo-Confederate uprising known later as the 'Years of Hate' and so the US isn't in much of a position to interfere anywhere in the world.

Interesting. Any chance on a separate entry later on expanding on that uprising?

Secret talks between the German Reich and the Republic of China lead to China deploying troops into India. Over six divisions cross the border. Japan loudly condemns this move, the Greater East Asia Treaty Organisation officially demands that China quit India.

What did Germany offer China to get their support? (Are they assisting a Chinese nuclear program?)

July In concert with the Imperial Vietnamese and Royal Thai Air Forces, Imperial Japanese Army Air Force units deployed in Southern Vietnam launch a series of cross-border air raids into Southern China, bombing targets just inside the border (quite without the authorisation of the Prime Minister or the Diet). At the same time, Japanese newspapers are filled with photographs of Khmer Rouge training camps inside China…and of arms being transported across the border. China, Germany and Australia condemn the attacks.

The international situation seems to be deteriorating rapidly. How are Germany and Japan situated for ballistic missiles? Is MAD in effect yet to keep them from going to war?

 

[theg*ddam*hoi2fan]

Interesting. Any chance on a separate entry later on expanding on that uprising?



What did Germany offer China to get their support? (Are they assisting a Chinese nuclear program?)



The international situation seems to be deteriorating rapidly. How are Germany and Japan situated for ballistic missiles? Is MAD in effect yet to keep them from going to war?

Thanks for the comments. In order:
1) I do plan to expand on that - I'm going to have an entry on the rest of the world next.
2) China's support has been won by a few factors. I was going to save this, but yes - one of those is German advisory assistance in Chinese nuclear development (though Germany would swear up and down on a stack of Bibles it's for civil purposes). The other is fear of being completely encircled to the South by Japanese satellite states (and, of course, the knowledge that Japan has superbombs and China doesn't). And, of course, there's a strong desire among more right-wing elements for the Middle Kingdom to start earning its title again through power projection.
3) In terms of ballistic missile technology...the thing that I've been struggling with ITTL is that it seems to have been the Confederacy that developed rocketry to the point that Germany did OTL. So, unlike the way that both America and Russia were able to get hold of German rocket scientists and tech OTL, here it's likely that the US has made off with the whole kit and kaboodle (though I'd say Japan has rocketry capable of hitting the West Coast - just in case relations soured between them and the US). At this point, I'd say the US leads in terms of ballistic missiles, and that Germany and Japan's missile arsenals are comparatively small - though Japan has a lot of aircraft in the region...

One thing to bear in mind about this conflict is that Germany really doesn't want it. Even the more hard-headed political and military leaders are starting to realise that there's no feasible way they can maintain even an informal presence in East Asia (not without losing all their colonial possessions thanks to too few troops on too many battlefields). So what they want now is some kind of way that they can disengage without losing international prestige. Hence getting China and Australia onboard - now they think they can withdraw without the DEI and Northern India collapsing five seconds after they pull out. And since both China and Australia have reasons of their own for wanting to curb Japanese power, the potential for conflict is really coming from those two rather than Germany (though the Germans are stirring the pot, largely to cover their own difficulties). The Germans are just caught in the position of trying to maintain their prestige as an imperial power (and their flow of oil) and save face even as it becomes harder and harder to do so effectively. However, their involvement is giving heart to both China and Australia, who otherwise wouldn't be keen on tangling with a nation that possesses superbombs when neither of them do...

Add to this the fact that, even though things have been getting better, there are still elements in the IJA and the IJN who will take action in the absence of orders from Tokyo...

And just to reassure everyone, this is not going to turn into some kind of awful screw-over of either side for the sake of it. I just figured that it'd be unrealistic to ignore the conflict potential in an East Asia that has both a rising Japan and the remnants of colonialism.

 

[theg*ddam*hoi2fan]

OK. Now I know that this was primarily a look at Japan, but I figured that some more context would help. So here's the United States up to 1962.

We will be back to Japan - very soon

Also, a political OC in the Presidency. Hey...given that the POD was the 1860s, I think that's reasonable

1950-1960
United States of America:
22nd April 1950 Remembrance Day 1950 is marked by the official admission of Cuba, Sonora, Chihuahua, the State of Oahu and Alaska to the Union. Cuba will ultimately become a bastion of the Socialist Party; in Alaska, the Union supports the tribes of the Pacific Northwest (who had been victimised by the Russian settlers) and aids them into positions of power within the state government; while in Sonora and Chihuahua the Democratic administration props up the large landowners who the Freedom Party had disenfranchised and removed from their positions of power within the states. The landowners organise their tenants into pro-Democrat voting blocs.
7th August The Big Island and Maui are formally given autonomy as the Free State of New Deseret. In return for a neutrality pledge, the new Free State is to be left entirely to manage its own affairs, including polygamy. Officially, it’s run by a civilian government, but the relationship of the government to this branch of the Mormon Church is very much a subservient one.
Beginning of split in the Mormon Church – between those who move to the islands, and those who remain in Utah and begin to (very gradually) accept being citizens of the United States.
Beginning of United States Pan-Continental Rocket Programme.
September-December The Free Mormon Church (as it’s rebranded itself) officially begins a ‘moral crusade’ to bring their new home up to their exacting standards. Missionaries begin working to convert the non-Mormon population, while Church ‘Moral Enforcers’ begin working inside Hilo city. Saloons and gambling joints are shut down, stocks of alcohol are dumped into the Pacific, and the Moral Enforcers begin mass arrests of young women in the red-light districts. These women are imprisoned in ‘Repentance Halls’ – though many will end up escaping them (if the number of Mormon men with multiple Asiatic wives is anything to go by, anyway).
Throughout 1950, the Federal Police Bureau pursues root-and-branch investigations across the length and breadth of the South. In the space of six months, they break up three neo-Freedom Party groups and four ‘traditional’ Confederate groups. The ‘Special Administrative Laws’ in force in the South allow for indefinite detention without trial and for executions, should the FPB deem it necessary.
8th February 1951 Signature of Bloc America treaty in Rio de Janeiro. Bloc America is a trading and defensive military pact, one that encompasses the United States, the Caribbean, the Republic of Texas, Mexico, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, Panama, Brazil, Venezuela and Peru. Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina remain outside the Bloc at this time. As part of the Treaty, the Democratic administration authorises a large economic development and military aid package to all the new signatories.
19th June US forces begin to quit former Mandates in French Sub-Saharan Africa. Mali, Chad, Ivory Coast and Gabon are now independent states, though they will gradually develop strong economic ties with the United States.
24th May 1952 Trade agreements signed with the English Commonwealth and the Second Republic of Ireland.
4 November 1952 Presidential election. Democratic nominee Harold Truman is defeated by Socialist candidate Arn Lovhaug, former Congressman for Minnesota and a hero of the Second Great War – a carrier pilot aboard USS Remembrance. The election is marked by slight controversy – many Democrats complain that Lovhaug was only elected thanks to the large influx of Canadian voters.
March-August 1953 Series of uprisings across the ‘Old Confederacy’ part of the South. The uprisings are largely unconnected, and are put down. President Lovhaug tours both the former Confederate states and Canada, calling for an end to the enmities of the past.
‘…and so I say to you, whether of New York, whether of Alabama, or whether of Newfoundland, we can all proudly answer to the name ‘American’. All of us share this great continent, and all of us must work towards its future. I humbly ask that you all put aside your differences and work towards an American future. Towards a Socialist future.’
1954-1955 Passage of several key pieces of legislation, including the Federal Healthcare Bill. Inspired by the English nationalisation of the health sector, the Lovhaug Administration creates the Federal Health Service. There is stiff resistance from the Democratic Party, but ultimately the administration wins through.
1956 Test-firing of Hercules-1, the first Pan-Continental Ballistic Rocket.
President Lovhaug re-elected.
3rd August 1957 American Rocket Command successfully launches Remembrance-1, the first artificial satellite. Germany immediately begins attempting to catch up. Japan, though possessed of military rocketry, does not demonstrate interest in space technology at this time (long-term, though…).
9th August 1957 President Lovhaug hosts a ceremony announcing the creation of the United States Rocket and Space Command. Beginning of a concerted effort to develop more satellites and, ultimately, pursue manned spaceflight. In the words of the President, the United States ‘will reach above the Earth, reach above the jealousies and divisions of mankind, and touch the heavens themselves’.
20th August 1958 Assassination attempt on Federal Police Bureau Director Luther Bliss outside FPB headquarters in Philadelphia thwarted by rising agent Thomas Bradford. The would-be assassin is Quentin Beauregard, a native of Virginia and known neo-Confederate. Subsequent investigation reveals Beauregard’s connection to a group called the Circle Brotherhood, hitherto unknown to the FPB.
1959 President Lovhaug oversees the establishment of new civilian state governments in Houston, Kentucky and Tennessee, based on the comparatively low levels of unrest in those states. As part of their ‘normalisation’, he suspends the Special Administrative Laws and passes law enforcement in those states into the hands of state authorities.
1958-1960 Several arrests made in Virginia, all of Circle Brotherhood members. The FPB investigation reveals that the group is not only neo-Confederate, but neo-Freedom Party. The movement has expanded heavily on Jake Featherston’s original teachings, calling for the ‘purification’ of the Confederacy, the white race and Christianity, and a renewed Holocaust this time encompassing Hispanic and Asian minorities. Interestingly, though – and alarmingly to Director Bliss’ mind – the movement does not call for the restoration of all the Confederacy. Instead, it calls for the liberation of the old Confederacy, between Virginia and Louisiana, and the establishment of a new, isolationist nation in those states. This alarms the Director as such a comparatively realistic goal could appeal to a wider number of Southerners than grandiose attempts to restore the Confederacy as it used to be (since they might actually succeed). In addition, the de-centralised, cell-based structure of the movement alarms him greatly.
November 1960 Andrew Wilder, Arn Lovhaug’s Vice-President, is elected as President.
Director Bliss writes a detailed report to the President and the President-elect, calling for renewed vigilance in the South and for the re-introduction of the Special Administrative Laws. Though the President agrees to additional funding for the FPB, he refuses to reverse the normalisation process.
1961 Sequoyah receives a new civilian state government, Special Administrative Laws are repealed.
12 April Major Andrew Carson becomes the first human in space. His La Follette spacecraft completes an orbit of the Earth before re-entry. President Wilder and former President Lovhaug hail the mission as an American triumph, pride in which every American can share.
4th July, 1962 Independence Day celebrations are interrupted by a mass armed insurrection across the South. In Louisiana, Houston and Kentucky, new state police forces either desert or join with the rebels. The violence is led by the Circle Brotherhood.
This marks the official beginning of what historians will later call the ‘Years of Hate’. From the outset, the Federal government will find it difficult to respond to the insurrection, as the Circle Brotherhood fight using asymmetric warfare, are not centralised to any great degree…and seem to essentially emerge from nowhere, in some places.

 

[theg*ddam*hoi2fan]

OK - well, the growing tensions in the region had to lead to something. Here's what happens...

1967
23rd February Kolkatta Massacre. Chinese forces open fire into a crowd of peaceful protestors, killing twenty and wounding hundreds. The Chinese officer in charge claims his men were fired upon.
1st March GEATO air units launch a series of air strikes across Northern India. At the same time, Indian Republic forces cross the border, backed by contingents from the Imperial Japanese, Imperial Vietnamese, Royal Thai and Burmese National Armies. In Korea, Japanese-Korean forces launch a drive into Manchuria, aiming for Harbin. Beginning of what is variously known as the March War, the East Asian War, the War of Indian Liberation and the Second Sino-Japanese War.

March
1st Indian Army, backed by multi-national GEATO troops, crosses the border into the Federation of India. Immediate targets are Bhopal, Ahmedabad and Jaipur. Combined air forces launch major air strikes on staging areas and bases of Northern Indian and Chinese troops. Already stretched thin by putting down uprisings, Chinese and Federation units initially melt away. The Southern forces are warmly received by Hindu activists in the North.
The Diet issues an official declaration of war with Northern India and ‘any who try to stand in the way of the Indian people’s right to self-determination and national unity’.
In response to the Japanese attack, China activates a contingency plan code-named ‘Huang Si Huang Te’. Over sixty thousand troops cross the border from Yunnan Province into Burma’s Shan and Kachin States, supported by air strikes from the more advanced units of China’s Air Force. Burmese border-defence units are taken completely by surprise.
2nd-4th Chinese forces overrun Shan and Kachin states, and are entering Sagaing Region. Many of the ethnic minority groups in Shan state welcome the Chinese as liberators.
Chinese strategic bombers assault Yangon. In two days of heavy bombing, central Yangon is gutted. Official protests are lodged at the Global Summit by the United States, the English Commonwealth, the Second Republic of Ireland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark. This will mark the beginning of a major bombing campaign that will leave thousands dead across South-East Asia. It will later be revealed that most of the 'Chinese' pilots are in fact German 'military advisors' (China's air force is largely made up of German-made aircraft).
Fall of Bhopal, Ahmedabad is under siege.
3rd Chinese forces enter the New Territories and the Kowloon Peninsula.
4th Chinese forces launch a second cross-border invasion, this time into Northern Vietnam. Over 200,000 soldiers cross the border, supported by 200 barrels. They advance 20 kilometres inside Vietnamese borders.
Fall of Ahmedabad. Gujarat, Madhyar Pradesh and Southern Rajasthan are under occupation by Republican forces. The assault drives on into Northern Rajasthan, while forces in Madhyar Pradesh drive for Uttar Pradesh…and, beyond that, Delhi.
4th-7th Battle of Kowloon City. Despite fanatical resistance from local Japanese units, the Kowloon Peninsula is occupied by Chinese forces. Only the island of Hong Kong itself remains in Japanese hands…and it heaves with local rebellion.
Jaipur is overrun, thanks to a major outbreak of civil disobedience that led to the city falling without a fight.
First Air Fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy, built around the carriers Shokaku and Zuikaku, moves into the Spratly Islands region.
Japanese-Korean forces reach the outskirts of Harbin. Shelling of the city begins.
Sagaing City falls, the rest of the region is occupied by Chinese forces.
Taipei and Hainan are bombed by the Chinese Air Force. In response, Japanese strategic bomber units and rocket forces target Shanghai and Guangzhou. The bombing has the effect of rallying Taiwan and Hainan – already long-occupied by Japan – fully behind the Imperial war effort and ultimately drives an irreparable wedge between the islands and mainland China.
5th Chinese forces overrun northernmost Vietnamese cities.
First Battle of the Spratly Islands: aircraft from Shokaku and Zuikaku engage a Chinese naval task force, sink four destroyers and the cruiser Nanking.
6th Chinese forces pause in front of the city of Lang Son in Northern Vietnam after capturing the northern heights above the city, hoping to entice regular divisions into the battle. However, the Vietnamese do not send additional forces North, instead keeping the bulk of their troops for the defence of Hanoi and Saigon.
Carrier raid on Guangzhou by First Air Fleet – succeeds in sinking the still-under-construction Chinese carrier Zheng He. The lack of capital warships means that the Chinese Navy is largely incapable of preventing carrier raids, having to rely on a small number of land-based bomber aircraft.
7th Chinese assault on Lang Son begins. Vietnamese only commit one reserve regiment to the defence of the city.
7th-10th Three-day Battle of Lang Son. Chinese take the city with heavy casualties, occupy it and Sapa.
Long-range artillery begins shelling Hong Kong Island from Kowloon-side. The city’s Chinese population begin mass uprisings.
Chinese forces are in full control of Northern Burma.
Chinese reinforcements enter Manchuria. The Battle of Heilongjiang forces Japanese-Korean forces back towards the Korean and Siberian borders.
Uttar Pradesh province is overrun, while uprisings in Bihar and Jharkand leave the Republic of India in effective control of the provinces.
Chinese troops enter India via the North-West Frontier zone. Begin entrenching across the North-West Frontier, Baluchistan, Northern Punjab and Sindh, whose predominantly-Muslim populations are rallying behind them in fear of Hindu domination.
10th-24th Chinese forces advance into Vietnam, but are slowed. In accordance with long-developed contingency plans, Vietnamese forces withdraw from the major cities into the mountains and hills surrounding the cities. Chinese forces take heavy losses to Vietnamese guerrilla tactics, and in all this time have yet to engage regular Vietnamese units – and suffer regular airstrikes from Imperial Vietnamese and Imperial Japanese Army Air Force Units.
General Aung San calls on all Burmese citizens to rally to the defence of the country and not to let a single centimetre more of Burmese soil be occupied by China. Four Japanese divisions arrive in Yangon (all that can currently be spared, between India, Manchuria and the ongoing revolt in Malaya).
Heavy fighting across the centre of Burma, as the Chinese advance is – just – withheld.
A series of bloody battles across Uttar Pradesh force allied forces back from their advance on Delhi, while the Chinese – backed by Muslim paramilitary forces – launch a counter-offensive into Rajasthan.
12th Hong Kong Island finally falls – the Chinese had expected it to fall much sooner, but Japanese resistance proved far more protracted than they expected, while IJN submarine activity made amphibious assault impossible.
24th Japanese forces are forced back into Siberia. However, Chinese forces – that had been primed to move on towards Urajiosutoku – are forced to divert by an unexpected turn of events. Multiple Korean divisions are entrenching on and around Mount Baekdu. Joint wireless addresses from the Prime Minister and Emperor of Korea announce the Korean people’s resolution to ‘defend the holy mountain with every drop of our blood and every weapon at our disposal’ The 100,000 men inside Manchuria are forced to divide their forces – 30,000 advance into the Maritime Province, while the remaining 70,000 assail Mount Baekdu.
24th-7th April Battle of Mount Baekdu. Repeated Chinese assaults on the mountain are driven back with heavy casualties. Chinese military commanders are utterly perplexed by the fanatical Korean resistance, and their seemingly suicidal determination to hold the mountain against all odds…but at the same time, they cannot afford to leave enemy forces inside Manchuria, at a point that could be used as a springboard for further attacks into China.
Chinese forces advance into the Maritime Province. Urajiosutoku is under siege and under bombardment from Chinese artillery.
Renewed Chinese thrust into Vietnam is bogged down after the Vietnamese commit 50,000 fresh regular forces to the fighting in the North. Guerrilla tactics continue to exact a heavy toll on Chinese forces.
Counter-attack into Rajasthan is halted, front-line stabilises along the Rajasthan-Haryana border.
8th April Long-range turbo bombers strike at the Philippines. The Kingdom of Australia officially declares war on the Empire of Japan, in support of the Republic of China.
9th April Sinking of Japanese fleet carrier Soryu by Australian submarine (post-war conspiracy theorists will suggest that it was actually a German atomic-engined submarine).
Chinese forces finally drive Korean forces away from the slopes of Mount Baekdu…however, they are then repulsed by fresh reinforcements from inside Korea.
Battle of Mindanao – Royal Australian Navy forces probe defences around Japanese Philippines, engage the Second Air Fleet that is now missing the carrier Soryu. They are driven back with help from land-based naval bombers: Australia loses light carrier HMAS Bulwark and sustains damage to four ships, Japan loses destroyers Yukikaze, Hayakaze, the carrier Hiryu receives heavy damage to her flight deck.
10th-14th April Australian submarine warfare increases. Heavy damage to Japanese merchant marine. Theories that German submarines operating out of Indonesia were behind the attacks continue long after the end of the war - it is believed that there were at least twelve diesel-electric boats operating from pens on Batavia, and one atomic-engined vessel with a missile armament.
Chinese forces finally manage to breach Vietnamese defences in the North. However, the military command fears bloody house-to-house fighting in Hanoi…and jungle fighting further South.
Guerrilla fighting is also causing major difficulties in Burma, as the Chinese advance slowly loses momentum.
Urajiosutoku is still under siege. However, Chinese units in the North lack armour, and so are finding advances against the fixed defences surrounding the city difficult. Meanwhile, Japan can keep the city supplied by sea - China lacking the naval assets to interdict shipments.
Note: In the Maritime Province, Northern Vietnam, and Northern Burma, Chinese forces are adopting a ‘scorched earth’ policy.
Forces on both sides in India are entrenching, ready for what appears to be turning into a grinding war of attrition.
16th April Yangon, Hanoi and Seoul are targeted by extremely powerful bombs. Though initially thought to be superbombs, the weapons are later revealed to have been ‘fuel-air’ explosives. China threatens further attacks. However, in Korea (where the attacks killed the Emperor, and would have killed the Prime Minister had he not been absent from the city) the bombing has the effect of further galvanising the population to resist China.
The attacks provoke a storm of criticism from the international community.
17th April A long-range Japanese rocket with an atomic warhead detonates over Nanking. Germany (which had remained silent about China’s attacks) condemns Japan’s attack on Nanking, threatens retaliation on China’s behalf (just where the retaliation will come from is anyone’s guess – lends fuel to the later credence that Germany did have a submarine in Asia).
18th April After a plea from President Patrick Kennedy (Socialist, the black sheep of the Kennedy political dynasty) of the United States that the war end before things truly spiral out of control, the GEATO nations, China and Australia agree to a cease-fire, and to international mediation. So too do the Netherlands (anti-war protests about Indonesia were getting out of hand). Both sets of talks are to be held in Philadelphia.
In order to get the nations concerned to the negotiating table, President Kennedythreatened Japan, China and Australia that unless they agreed to international mediation, all their trade links with America would be unilaterally severed. The Japanese government thereafter found itself under immense pressure from the corporate zaibatsu to end the war.
20th April-29th May Philadelphia Peace Accords.
The talks ultimately result in three treaties.
[FONT=&quot]1) [/FONT]Japan (and GEATO), China and Australia end the war. The Republic of India is recognised as controlling northern India up to Himachal Pradesh, while a new nation is formed from what remains of the old Federation. Encompassing Baluchistan, Sindh, Northern Punjab and Kashmir, the new Democratic Republic of Pakistan is a majority-Muslim nation that will formally ally itself with China.
[FONT=&quot]2) [/FONT]The Empire of Japan and the Greater East Asia Treaty Organisation recognise the Republic of China’s control over Hong Kong – contingent on Japanese civilians and pro-Japanese Chinese elements within the territory being allowed to leave unmolested and with their property and wealth. In return, forces from both sides will vacate any territory occupied, and China will agree to pay reparations to the GEATO nations – in particular to Burma, Vietnam and Korea (China initially demanded reparations from Japan, as they started the war, but China’s first-strike use of Weapons of Mass Destruction and their strategic bombings of Burma, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam garnered them very little sympathy).
[FONT=&quot]3) [/FONT] The Kingdom of the Netherlands formally recognises the Independence of the Federal Republic of Indonesia.
Though the war is now over, the lack of a clear victor and the treaties will lead to mutual bitterness and a regional arms race between China and Japan. Mutual hostility will be stirred up by Korea’s violation of the Treaty, as Korean forces refuse to vacate Mount Baekdu or the land connecting it to Korea – they claim it is the Korean people’s blood-money for the devastation of Seoul and the loss of the Emperor. Chinese hostility is further stirred by the loss of Nanking, and by continued Japanese and Vietnamese occupation of the islands of the South China Sea.
Both China and Japan have had weaknesses exposed. Japan’s aura of invincibility has been dealt a hard blow – even the most hard-line Army officers recognise that Chinese numbers would eventually have won the day in South-East Asia and Siberia – while China has to face the uncomfortable truth that their military needs further investment and modernisation. Their lack of a navy allowed Japanese carrier air to strike Guangzhou and prevented any kind of push on the Spratly Islands.
The war does, however, have the effect of welding GEATO closer to Japan (as someone to protect them against China – many think it was Japan’s bombing of Nanking that forced China to back down, not American threats). Korea, in particular, enraged at the bombing of Seoul, turns to Japan as the historical relationship between the Peninsula and China is buried under nationalist anger and rhetoric. Korea, Vietnam and Burma see Japan as their ‘avenger’.
Indonesia, now independent, joins the Greater East Asia Treaty Organisation. Australia, however, continues to occupy New Guinea.
Japan takes advantage of Indonesia’s freedom to deal with the ongoing rebellion in the Malay territories. Northern Borneo, Brunei and Sarawak are transferred to Indonesia as ‘Autonomous Federal Regions’, though Japan maintains leases on key oil-drilling and refining installations.
May-June Uprisings in the Malay Peninsula and Thai Cambodia are finally put down. Peace once again descends on the Greater East Asia Treaty Organisation.

 

[theg*ddam*hoi2fan]

May 1967-1969
The ending of the March War leads to outbreaks of anti-Chinese violence across Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Burma. Mass expulsions of ethnic Chinese follow, accompanied by Japanese authorities expelling Chinese nationals from the Malay Peninsula.
The expulsions also become a method by which Japan expands its economic influence in South-East Asia. Many of the expelled Chinese (particularly in Thailand) were members of the professional classes or were business owners. Wealthy Japanese individuals and zaibatsu begin mass buy-ups of Chinese-owned enterprises, in particular in the banking and manufacturing sectors. They pay the governments concerned, not the dispossessed Chinese.
Many of the expelled end up in temporary relocation camps in Yunnan Province, often being forced from their countries of origin with little more than the clothes on their backs.

Author's Note: Unfortunately, I figured something like this would be the most realistic outcome of the war. And I also figured that Japanese corporate interests would be more than willing to take advantage (with a nod of approval from their government). So there hasn't been the same brain drain as there might have been otherwise from such an expulsion, as the vacant places are filled with people who know what they're doing...but now a large chunk of the Thai banking and financial sector, for example, is owned by Japanese concerns.

 

[theg*ddam*hoi2fan]

I know that the war was a damn short one, but I thought that that was realistic - basically, the way I played it, both sides seriously underestimated one another. The IJA thought China would be a walkover (as they did OTL), while China thought that Japan's post-war military streamlining was a sign of weakness. Once they both realised how wrong they were, I figured that things would move with quick lethality...

Also, I know it seems odd that Germany had such a hand in fanning the flames of conflict, but didn't actually commit all the way. I figured, though, that by this stage the German colonial empire would be overstretched to hell and back, and that their main Central Powers allies would be well overdue for their final dissolution (sorry A-H and Ottoman lovers, but without major reform, I don't see either of those empires surviving past the 1960s, particularly since Turtledove had basically said that it was German arms keeping them together throughout the inter-war and Second Great War years). So between the need to put down colonial rebellion, the vain attempt to keep their allies together, and the assistance they were giving to the Dutch, I figured it really wouldn't be realistic to have them sending men back to India. But, with material help (at this stage, Germany is the biggest supplier of arms to the Republic of China), assistance to the Chinese bomb programme and with the use of informal forces (submarines, 'advisors' flying bomber aircraft) they could nudge China into propping up Northern India and ultimately confronting Japan.

Oh, and yes, Germany really did have an atomic submarine operating in the region, as a morale booster to China. Why they didn't use it...well, when I finish the 'rest of the world' excerpt that catches up on European affairs, that'll become clear (I'm keeping the focus on Japan since the heading was originally Japan-centric, after all ). And I use the word 'atomic' since Turtledove seemed to be allergic to the word 'nuclear'...

Australia joined in because...well, take OTL Australia's fear of Japan in the first half of the 20th century and ramp it up by about a thousand here, and you might have an idea of how they feel about the Land of the Rising Sun. Bear in mind, in GW2 they saw Japan win over Britain. Unfortunately for them, the RAN wasn't exactly up to the job.

 

[bguy]

Interesting conflict. I'm surprised China made out so badly in the peace negotiations though. They seemed to be holding their own militarily, so why did they agree to pay reparations? (Whoever is running the Republic of China had better sleep with one eye open from this point on, as they probably have some very disgruntled generals glaring at them.)

And out of curiosity was it an Australian or German boat that sunk the Soryu? If it was Australian than you would think RAN would be pretty proud of their performance in the conflict. (Killing one carrier and heavily damaging another is a pretty impressive performance given how outgunned RAN must be against the IJN.)

 

[theg*ddam*hoi2fan]

Interesting conflict. I'm surprised China made out so badly in the peace negotiations though. They seemed to be holding their own militarily, so why did they agree to pay reparations? (Whoever is running the Republic of China had better sleep with one eye open from this point on, as they probably have some very disgruntled generals glaring at them.)

And out of curiosity was it an Australian or German boat that sunk the Soryu? If it was Australian than you would think RAN would be pretty proud of their performance in the conflict. (Killing one carrier and heavily damaging another is a pretty impressive performance given how outgunned RAN must be against the IJN.)

Yeah, the peace negotiations could have gone better for China. But the civilian government panicked after Nanking was lost. Though China managed to develop fuel-air bombs, they're still a while away from anything like a true nuke, and they're also fairly behind in rocketry and missile tech, so once it became clear Japan was willing to use its nuclear arsenal, they were worried about more nukings without the possibility to retaliate effectively against the Home Islands. Between that, and the Americans threatening a trade embargo, the civilian government decided that they wanted to end the war. But they also wanted to keep Hong Kong, since that way they could claim a propaganda victory (one step closer to reuniting the Middle Kingdom, etc.) and so they agreed to reparation payments - land for money, basically.

And yes, the military brass are pissed. Though at the same time, some of the field commanders are more thoughtful. The Burmese front was OK, but the Vietnamese front was a disaster (I didn't stick up figures, but I will be - it was at least as bad as the Sino-Vietnamese War in the 70s), so many are realising that they need more than just raw numbers to win any future wars. Still, though... none of them are happy about reparations. Though so far, the government's managed to avoid a popular backlash by re-iterating Hong Kong's return ad nauseam. Whether or not that'll be enough to stave off a military takeover, only time will tell...

The RAN claim it was an Australian boat, but it was actually one of the German subs from Batavia. And yeah, Australia lauds their supposed carrier kill to the skies, and they're going to be using it to rally support for an increase in the fleet budget (though the loss of the Bulwark was a hard blow).

 

[theg*ddam*hoi2fan]

Another little 'rest of the world' aside.

The Defeated Nations of the Second Great War
Commonwealth of England
Head of State: Warden of England
Head of Government: First Minister
Capital: Birmingham
Currency: English Pound
Of all the defeated nations of the former Entente, the Commonwealth of England has been the most successful in the post-war world. Though its beginning was less than auspicious, emerging in the aftermath of mass destruction, the loss of three cities in atomic fire, and the violent overthrow of the United Kingdom and of the Royal Family, the New Leveller administration that took power under Warden Stafford Cripps managed to painfully claw England back from the brink of anarchy, and kick-started the ongoing English Economic Miracle. The industrial Five-Year Plans, the formation of the Civil Labour Force, and the nationalisation of key industrial sectors (in particular the mining industry) are all credited with transforming England from a land of ruin, starvation and poverty into a nation that rivals Germany in industrial output.
The Commonwealth claims itself as a direct successor of the short-lived Commonwealth established following the execution of Charles I. The New Leveller Party, as part of its consolidation of power, set about rehabilitating Oliver Cromwell to a wide extent, from making him the face of the new currency to commissioning school history textbooks that emphasise the reformative nature of the Parliamentarian faction. It has also worked to entrench the republican ideal across English society, in particular in the industrial North, the Party’s power-base and the centre of government since the Second Glorious Revolution. They’ve had particularly great success in the North, as many of the miners and industrial workers would have been Socialists in the inter-war years, and are now the most politically active citizens (young and old alike). Elsewhere in the nation, the older generation mostly endure the Commonwealth, though the young (many of whom have grown up with the new regime) are more supportive. Also, the collective soul-searching that followed the war, and the old United Kingdom’s alliance with a rabidly racist nation that ended by committing the single largest act of genocide in the world, has led to many publicly embracing the Commonwealth as a method of distancing themselves from Britain’s wartime actions.
Most of the New Leveller Party are from working-class backgrounds, with a smattering of older pre-war Oxbridge left-wing intellectuals.
The New Levellers command an absolute majority in the National Assembly. The only other party that can even be taken seriously is the Democratic Liberal Party, whose strongholds are in Oxford and Cambridge and not many other places.
England is a heavily industrialised nation. Cars, aircraft engines and electronics form the bulk of their manufactured exports, while raw materials (in particular coal) command a ready sale in many parts of the world. Germany is finding them a most unwelcome competitor in European markets, while British firms and the government are working to break into the new markets of independent Africa.
The Commonwealth – influenced by the New Leveller Party – is not fully Socialist, but believes strongly in leftist policies. The health sector, public transport, education and mining are all nationalised, along with a host of other services and industries, while heavy government regulations have been established on the financial sector and written into the Constitution (the leadership had bitter memories of the Great Depression). State housing and pensions are supplied, as is an unemployment dole (subject to a three strikes rule – if someone doesn’t take the third job offered, they lose their dole).
Of course, England (though they’d like to pretend otherwise) didn’t get all this through hard work and a can-do attitude. The United States of America supplied the Commonwealth with a large amount of financial aid over the 1950s (the Democrats wanted to get a commercial foothold in Europe, the Socialists wanted to support the new left-leaning regime). This has led to a positive relationship with the US, and with the Bloc America nations. They also maintain close ties with the neutral European nations, but despite official rhetoric about ‘new regime, new attitudes’, there is a lot of hatred for Germany and its allies (particularly in the affected areas around the cities superbombed – birth defects and cancer deaths are through the roof). They don’t maintain relations with the Kingdom of Australia (the Royal Family refuses to recognise the new regimes in England and Scotland).
Though there’s a great deal of public ambivalence about militarism, England maintains a strong Navy and a small but modern Army and Air Force. They’re volunteer-only, though – conscription is reserved for the Civil Labour Force. The Research and Analysis Unit of the Army, meanwhile, is one of the best intelligence services in the world (though the name is fooling increasingly less people).
Even without the post-war treaties with Germany, England wouldn’t want any truck with superbombs. Civilian atomic research is frowned upon, and culturally England has spawned a lot of (quite good) dystopian science-fiction and apocalyptic literature and film.
Women’s rights are well-advanced in England, second only to the United States.

 

[theg*ddam*hoi2fan]

I'll cover the other defeated nations gradually, then back to the main attraction.