Update: 2004
Peaceful Events
The Chicago Pact underwent a vast reshuffling. The American Federation was booted from the organization, the organization was renamed the Democratic Front International, and the DFI agreed to a temporary tech sharing agreement and general alliance with NADTA.
Alaska finalized plans for elections that would mark a return to real democracy. Smallpox vaccinations were issued throughout the country, and propaganda blazed that the evil fascist New York regime was sure to be defeated soon. Despite the nation's actions against NADTA the year before, Alaska seemed more allied with the group than ever.
(Alaskan approval increase)
By 2004, icebreaker ships had done so much to clear up the area around the Hudson Bay that Quebec's northern shipping increased tremendously. The newly expanded trade routes proved to be lifelines for the nation after various events cut off maritime traffic further south.
(+1 Quebecois ASP)
(See Military Events)
Cascadia began efforts to restore parts of Portland and other cities that had been damaged by the liberation struggle. In a surprise move, Cascadia also invited a major Northern Collective firm to set up a regional headquarters in Portland, and it seemed that part of the deal provided for the Northern Collective to sell large amounts of military equipment to the upstart Cascadian armed forces. Even though the territorial boundaries of the new nation were somewhat unclear, the people of the region started to gain confidence in their government.
(Cascadian approval increase)
Deseret began efforts to revive its battered economy, but the restructuring only had partial success.
(+1 Deseret ASP)
In accordance with the new world alliance structure, Deseret released the Japanese and ASEAN POWs captured in the failed invasion of California.
(+1 ASEAN division)
The Treaty of Caicos calmed the Great North American War somewhat by creating a cease fire and non-aggression agreement between two of the combatants. In order to make the peace work, the Confederate States handed Venezuela the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, and Hispaniola, and also ceded their claims to Cuba, while the Caracas government agreed to pull out of New Orleans and Confederate Louisiana. This latter event allowed the mangled Confederate economy to somewhat recover.
(+1 Confederate ASP)
Venezuela, awash in cash, poured propaganda and bribes into newly occupied northern Mexico, eventually convincing much of the populace that the new regime would bring good things.
Venezuela began to prepare for internal 2005 elections.
Chindōgu moved its headquarters to Amazonia, taking advantage of the Manaus government's extreme hospitality and lax business regulations. The wealthy company and the poor country set into a pattern of partnership, one that seemed sure to eventually provide massive dividends for both conglomerate and nation.
The Argentine Federation decried Brazil's use of the entire 'Chicago Pact Development Fund' loudly on the international arena. When no other nation seemed eager to take up the crusade against Brazil's greed, the Argentine Federation took up the cause. With guns.
(See Military Events)
The conservative African National Congress retained power after a heavily contested election that saw the opposition cite various foreign policy blunders, such as the loss of Patagonia and Cape Town's involvement in the dying Chicago Pact. Still, the ANC squeaked by with a win on the strength of the domestic stability it had been able to provide.
(South African approval decrease)
The Empire of Morocco continued to emphasize the oil production and transportation sectors of its economy, and notable growth seemed to be soon forthcoming.
Morocco continued work on a massive project aimed at turning its coastline into a 'Fortress Africa,' employing sea walls, trenches, and other fortifications designed to make any enemy landing both costly and nearly impossible. The first completed segments of the Fortress were unveiled. To complement the country's artificial defenses, the Moroccan government began to set up a National Guard system that would ensure the nation a reserve of trained soldiers in times of need.
Iberia held the 2004 World Cup amidst much internal and external chaos. The nations of Deseret, the Tunisian Arab Jamahiriya, the Indonesian Empire, and FEAR intentionally boycotted the event for varying political reasons, while countries like the People's Republic of China, the Central European Union, and the American Federation had far too many domestic issues to even consider sending players. All of this prompted some last minute schedule shuffling of the teams, which led to at least one unfortunate pairing. In light of South American developments, the game between Brazil and Argentina degenerated into a full on brawl. Still, many nations of the Democratic Front International and Dar al-Islam supplied eager footballers, and the various World Cup games continued to be held, culminating in a faceoff between Quebec and Iberia itself. The final in Madrid's Estadio Santiago Bernabéu was by all accounts a rousing match even without all the international drama, and Quebec's six to one victory was accepted graciously by the hosts. In the third place match, ASEAN achieved victory by a single point over Alaska. Iberia's government received much internal and external acclaim for successfully hosting the World Cup, though plans for a sequel seemed rather dim.
(Iberian approval increase)
The Socialist Republic of France integrated its new territories and began focusing heavily on increasing food production. In addition, the SRF began developing an efficient high speed rail system, subsidizing pharmaceutical and telecommunications industries, and creating a new system of education, based around the reestablishment of grandes écoles, or elite specialized universities.
Surprisingly enough, the proposed Treaty of Zurich that would divide the Central European Union between the Socialist Republic of France and the People's Republic of Europe was an acceptable solution for all three countries. Even as CEU loyalists tried to consolidate their limited territorial holdings for another year of war, rumors swirled that the highest echelons of the ruling Liberation Party were in league with the Comintern, and had been all along. In short order, most capitalist officials involved in the government were massacred, and the Liberation Party elites happily signed the Treaty of Zurich, handing over all technological research and surrendering their nation to partition in exchange for local government positions under the expanded French regime. The PRE, distrusting the Liberation Party's bizarre politics, preferred to install their own people in the various newly acquired polities. In any case, the new border between the SRF and the PRE was essentially congruous with the CEU territories their armies had occupied in 2003, though the French did also take in Sicily as well as the Zurich area in accordance with the treaty. The relatively peaceful liquidation of the Central European Union meant that both victor nations reaped spoils of war.
(-Central European Union, +1 French ASP, +5 French squadrons, +4 French groups, +1 PRE ASP, +5 PRE squadrons, +4 PRE groups)
The Polish tourism industry grew to just about the largest apex possible.
(+1 Polish ASP)
Soldiers in the Northern Collective began to be employed with increasing amounts of armor.
The Chindōgu company formed quite a partnership with the Constantinople Federation, setting up many factories and branch offices inside the borders of that nation.
President Xanthou, leader of the Dark Eagle Party, used his control over the Constantinople Federation as a fulcrum to remove all non-Greek personnel from the government. While many dissident outcries were raised, Xanthou still enjoyed immense popularity among those of his own ethnic group. His army began posturing defensively around the border of the People's Republic of Europe, ready to ensure that his regime would not fall as easily as the Central European Union.
Prime Minister Petrov led the Russian Empire to a treaty with the Uzbek and allied rebels, granting them territory for a Central Asian Republic so that his nation could finally return to peace. However, not all Islamic Russian lands were allowed entry into the new nation, so the potential for another war remained.
(+Central Asian Republic)
FEAR began some efforts to rebuild their areas of conquered China, teaching Russian instead of Chinese in the new schools. Also, while the massacring died down somewhat, FEAR hadn't yet completely stopped.
ASEAN decided to accept all Chinese refugees coming from FEAR with open arms, and the only thing that prevented their economy from being overwhelmed was that the Iron Wall of the Yangtze made it very hard for people to cross over to the south. Thousands stowed away on ships and succeeded in reaching the promised land, but tens of thousands more got shot or lawnmowered somewhere along the way. In any case, ASEAN took some of the refugees that made it to their shores and employed them as spokespeople in India as part of a massive campaign to convince the Indian people to abandon the Eastern Coalition, which was, after all, filled with Muslims and murderers. The Indian government remained noncommittal, but various nationalist Hindu groups supported the Chinese tours by rioting, accusing their leaders of abandoning the very religious planks that had gotten them elected in the first place.
(Indian approval decrease)
In somewhat related affairs, ASEAN collected the videos and images and testimonies of FEAR atrocities that poured into their intelligence centers and placed everything they could get onto the World Wide Web, prompting some dissent in the freer of the Eastern Coalition nations. The People's Republic of China had attempted a similar tactic a couple years prior, but the PRC didn't have ASEAN's savvy.
(Venezuelan approval decrease, Moroccan approval decrease, French approval decrease, Indian approval decrease)
Not ignoring the Iron Curtain of the Yangtze, ASEAN began efforts to construct a similarly massive wall of fortifications on their side of the river.
ASEAN began shipping clean water to the people who lived around the contaminated Mekong River, and a horde of scientists descended on the area to try and determine the best course of action.
ASEAN completed the twin national projects: the long awaited Kra Isthmus Canal as well as the Adanan Tunnel connecting Malaya and Sumatra via a deep-sea railway.
(+2 ASEAN ASP)
Military Events
A new theater of the Great North American War emerged in Quebec even as Deseret mounted a plan to turn the tables against Venezuela...
(See Spotlight)
(-1 Venezuelan ASP, -5 Venezuelan divisions, -1 Venezuelan Instigators division, -3 Venezuelan groups, -6 Deseret divisions, -2 Deseret Marines divisions, -7 Deseret conscript divisions, -1 Deseret squadron, -2 Deseret groups, -7 Alaskan divisions, -2 Alaskan groups, -2 Quebecois ASP, -7 Quebecois divisions, -6 Quebecois Warfighter divisions, -3 Quebecois squadrons, -5 Quebecois groups, -2 American ASP, -22 American divisions, -9 American groups, -2 Moroccan Marines divisions, -2 Moroccan divisions, -2 Moroccan squadrons, -1 Islamic Courts squadron, -3 Islamic Courts groups, -1 Arabian division, -1 Pakistani division, -1 Sudanese division, -3 Sudanese groups)
In the aftermath of the Treaty of Caicos, the ex-exiles on Cuba found themselves suddenly abandoned by the Confederate government, but they were lucky in that Venezuelan leaders seemed to similarly forget about them. While much greater battles occurred across the length of North America, the Cuban ex-exiles slowly pushed out of their redoubts and occupied much of the eastern part of their island.
The Argentine invasion of supposedly allied Brazil was a great blow to the Chicago Pact turned Democratic Front International. Striking with no warning, and employing their alliance knowledge of Brazilian defense positions to great effect, the Argentine military quickly overran Paraguay and Uruguay, and began a march up the Atlantic coast. In the mold of Morocco's attack on Nigeria a couple years before, the Argentineans used the element of surprise to destroy much of Brazil's air force on the ground, and by the end of the year, their fast-moving soldiers had occupied São Paulo and had come perilously close to Rio de Janeiro. Of course, by the end of the year, the Brazilians had organized and thrown up defensive lines, meaning that any further Argentinean success would come at the cost of much more blood. Still, with rumors spiraling about the tens of thousands of Argentinean mutant vanguard soldiers, Brazilian resolve was quite shaken.
(-2 Brazilian ASP, Brazilian approval decrease, -9 Brazilian divisions, -10 Brazilian groups, -3 Argentinean divisions, -2 Argentinean Cyborg divisions, -2 Argentinean groups)
Iberia pulled all of its troops from the American Federation's war machine and settled into a defensive posture aimed at preventing any possible invasion.
The Mesopotamian Union's woes increased as various generals and politicians instrumental to suppressing the Arab Socialist revolt in Egypt were assassinated one by one. On the battlefront, the Tunisian Arab Jamahirya directly entered the war, simply swallowing the Egyptian socialists into Gaddafi's command structure as Tunisian armies pushed over the Suez Canal and into Asia. The Israelis in the Mesopotamian Union proved too much of a nut to easily crack, so Tunisian armies flowed around the Holy Land, picking up Mesopotamia's old Saudi territory before coming around north again. As Tunisian forces approached Syria, the region exploded into a native rebellion, though the presence of Arabian Clerical Fanatics among those freedom fighters made it clear who was pulling the Damascus rebels' strings. At the end of the year, the Mesopotamian Union was not dead, but it was in dire straits.
(-2 Mesopotamian ASP, Mesopotamian approval decrease, -5 Mesopotamian divisions, -1 Mesopotamian group, +4 Tunisian divisions, -5 Tunisian divisions, -1 Tunisian group, -1 Arabian Clerical Fanatics division)
Finally outnumbered on the field, the tenacious People's Republic of China tried desperately to hang onto Tibet, but President Hui's armies had at last failed him. As ASEAN forces pulled back and watched from fortified positions on their border, FEAR soldiers poured into Tibet from every northern direction, even while Indian soldiers surmounted the Himalayan barrier by paratroopers as well as a route through Kashmir. Between the hammer and the anvil, the Chinese nation was crushed, and the Great East Asian War concluded. Still, two problems marred any chance of a happy ending. For one thing, Indian domestic events had made India and FEAR no longer quite the comrades in arms they used to be, even though they needed a new treaty to divide up the region. For another, sometime during the fighting the Yellow River had become even more flooded with pollutants, and FEAR's Chinese situation had reached a point where far more people were dying of poisoning and starvation than were dying of giant lawnmowers and military police.
(-People's Republic of China, -2 FEAR divisions, -4 Indian divisions)
The ASEAN attempted to dispatch a fleet to free northern Japan from the clutches of the American Federation, but the unholy alliance of Indonesia and FEAR beat them to the punch. While Indonesian vessels shadowed the ASEAN Japanese fleet and generally delayed their progress, FEAR landed a small force on northern Honshu and quickly occupied the island, which was devoid of any large groupings of American Federation soldiers. FEAR then put down an abortive native Japanese revolt.
