Update 10 IT 2
Year 1855
Africa:
In Africa, Sennar gets aid from the Americans and begins modernization in return for an alliance and war with the British. The armies of Sennar begin a hellacious march against the British holdings. Eventually meeting up with USEC Kommandos and taking the Horn of Africa and many other holdings. The current last remaining British soldiers are in West Africa and mid Egypt. Experiencing combat against enemies, Sennar, that care not about the soldiers live but merely want to win. Which they are doing.
(-30 Divisions Sennar, -5 Divisions, -Misc Colonial Militia Britain, -2 Kommando Divisions USEC)
Middle East/ India:
Because of the Defensive alliance Oman and Persia join the war after receiving news from Britain and attack USEC holdings in Africa and the Middle East. Rebellion in the British Indian territories and parts of Persia begin soon after. All parties agree this has a lot to do with the Indian Empire. Many acts of terrorism in the areas which also seems to be supported by the Indians. The British soldiers and ships in the area are bombed and places burned. Many rebellions led by these groups win key battles in the Indians enemies lands. Mysore is one of the key areas and does gain a lot of momentum.
Persia and Oman invade USEC territories in the area just as USEC attacks British holdings. Oman is pushed back deep into its own country without a single on land victory and Persia however takes part of Iraq and Kuwait as it over runs the USEC armies near the coast. Claiming victory at least for most of the year and even pushing to Baghdad and holding it the entire summer. They are now on the retreat.
(-15 Kommando Divisions USEC, -12 Divisions, 16 Conscripts Persia, -8 Divisions Oman)
Asia:
China remains quite even though word of their allies troubles reach them. It is thought in preparation for a counter attack against the Japanese.
The Japanese follow their allies and attack the British holdings in Asia, most notably the Philippines which fall easily. These invasions are fast and basic. Nothing out of the ordinary is taken into account as the British and Irish are largely gone from these areas or simply cannot fight for long. Many victories in these areas by the Japanese forces.
Working along side the USEC armies in the areas to take Irish and British Siam and Vietnam. Where the heaviest fighting occurs. Jungle warfare and disease are the norm. All of the British holdings in Indonesia and Micronesia are occupied without to much fuss.
(-13 Divisions Britain,, -2 Divisions, -3 Muiri Marines Ireland, -18 Divisions Japan, -5 Divisions USEC)
North Australia joins its ally and invades British Australia with little fighting taking place. The British simply did not have the resources to defend these areas. They also begin a Trans Australian Rail Road even during these times of war.
North America:
Greater American Union completes many nation wide projects bringing about the introduction of the first American dreadnought which sees its combat in the Atlantic and the full upgrading of American soldiers. Giving out clip fed handguns, rifles and hand grenades. Things like that help the war effort. Which is started after much work into snuffing out the British spy network in the Americas. Finding bases within American territory and eventually Portuguese territory after paper work is read through. These are the main causes for war.
Canada as a part of the GAU continues its domestic policies as before. Making the school systems better along with many other slight changes. Like free land to those who settle the interior of the country where the population lacks.
South America:
The Greater American Unions own campaign went horribly wrong. Underestimated strength in local British forces with unexpectedly low assistance from the locals combined with attacking the heaviest armed areas didn’t help. Original plans were to attack the major cities along the coastline after a successful capture of the Galapagos Islands. The later went well and no casualties were made in this. This goes the same for the capture of British Lower Antilles(sp?) as no casualties were made during this campaign either. However when the mainland Peru landings were attempted in the North they failed outright. The British in these areas did not have machine guns but they did have triple the numbers estimated by GAU commanders. So instead of attacking in the North attention was changed to the south where Santiago is. The British fleet wasn’t much trouble as it wasn’t largely in the area. When the landings happened at Santiago things got hectic. But the superior American forces blazed through the cities, with the superior weaponry and equipment. Much of the fighting took place in harsh terrain and the Americans had been prepared for it with the Legion. All in all the campaign didn’t go quite as planned and the British managed to slow down the advance. But the Americans are still making huge gains with the numbers they have.
(-6 Divisions, -2 Legionnaires GAU, -11 Divisions Britain)
The Free Peoples movements completely pushes Spain out and has still not decided on a capital or a Nation name. All of this is in the works.
The Portuguese with hints from the Americans discover a British base in the Amazon basin. Nothing has come of it yet besides the destruction of the base and the extraction of British personnel.
East Europe:
Russian press releases many speeches for the rest of the world to read, involving peace in our lifetime topics. Something that gets the attention of USEC as a sign that Europe may have a general sense of security. Along with this a deal is struck with Sweden-Norway about the purchase of lands formerly owned by them up to the Ounasjoki River, which after much negotiations turns out to be a great deal not only for these two but also for the rest of Europe. Russia sees selling these lands as a way to lower tensions between itself and USEC.
Other things that take place in the Russian Empire are the building of more defensive fortifications, the Tsar says it is not a sign of threat but a sign of peace. They are purely to secure the lands of Russia from outside aggression. As trade picks up once again with Sweden-Norway the coastal areas are revamped for new income. Producing a EC. The previous Finnish separatist movements all but die down as these tensions and treaties are signed. Nothing productive between USEC and Russia as of yet has been negotiated.
Tsar Alexander II, young and sickly, is not the type of man to strike such deals own his own and is allowing his diplomats around him to decide with his overall verdict. However, he has a great plan for Russia as he tells his peers and he is respected for this. The actual leading of the country in most everyway is by a man named Graf Nikita Dmitriyevich von Bernstorf-Ignatiev, a highly charismatic and skilled diplomat. He is favored among USEC President Paul Schneider, who sees him as a good change for Russia of old.
Industry is kicked up as new research in fields much the same as other nations leads to great innovations in machinery. Not only militarily but also in civilian matters.
The Serbo-Romanian relations remain low, as the King of Serbia-Romania Nicholas III says he sees right through the Russians and tells USEC not to trust them. The Serbo-Romanians are fully behind him on the note that he has been right before many times and the Russians are enemies of the country as a whole. Border guard is stepped up.
Turkey and Greece continue to share words at each others expense. Greece continues to train the military and build up sea trade in preparation for what might break down as a horrible war between the two countries.
In Turkey they have their own problems, as small rebel groups take hints from the groups in Iraq and start rampaging the rural areas. The Turkish military tries to keep them in line.
West Europe:
Diplomats arrive in London on March 3rd, with them is a letter from the President of USEC. The Note is delivered to the Queen after the Prime Minister reads it. She is said to have said “And so begins the war to end all wars.” though this is disputed. What is defiantly sure is the letter indeed carried with it a declaration of war, and many reasons for it. Illegal spying of government activities, attempts to steal government research and attempts to foil the Union. This could all have been worked out in peaceful talks but USEC had to pull its own wait and not look weak. Soon after that a similar letter from the Greater American Union arrived. The British was in shock but not disbelief. The navy had been reorganized to help defend the Channel from attacks, included in these fleets was the Dreadnought.
But what turned the stomachs of the British so much is the fact that they had prepared to sign an alliance with USEC as a natural ally against Russia and India. This all was gone now of course. And the British would be cut off from the most important and insecure parts of the Empire, in India and Asia. Just as USEC had planned. As with this plan also came the invasion of the British Isles and the sinking of the British fleet. Something that would be difficult as the Dreadnought had been prepared for combat for some time. Attempts to sink it in secret operations failed and the British closed all relations with the outside world. They knew USEC was coming, and so they did.
Just nights after the attempted sinking of the Dreadnought, on March 7th to be exact. The invasion began with the loud thunderous booms of artillery hitting the coastline. This was odd as the British had been patrolling the entire evening for USEC ships. In fact USEC sent balloons across the Channel with bombs, not many bombs but enough to drop and instill fear into the British minds. It was a dark night, no moon, only the lights of the ports were glowing. Perfect for a aerial bombing. Out of range of any weapons being fired at them the balloons dropped shells on the ships and buildings below. Many cities were hit and man ships sunk. Not only could the British not see the Balloons but they had no idea when the bombs would hit. This was the scariest and newest type of warfare. The bombings lasted all night randomly as the balloons came and went. The morning light of the rising sun showed the true damage. The cities burned most notably the recently industrialized city of South Hampton which was now in ruins. Thousands of people fled to the streets. This was the beginning.
Luckily for the British the Royal Navy Home Fleet was moved away from these areas in January, and to the North in Scotland. Still ships were in the areas on the night of the bombings. The day begins peacefully on March 8th. Until the site of an invasion fleet comes into view of the coastline. The largest naval battle in history begins. As 90 British Squadrons and the Dreadnought take on 80 USEC Squadrons with Balloons. Messages are sent to Ireland for the Irish navy to assist. Something that doesn’t happen and they later learn it was sunk in the Atlantic by the GAU fleet. For days the fleets fight it out in the Channel and North Sea. It is pretty even, only areas where the dreadnought is present are where the USEC fleet suffers losses directly. Then a equal in strength American fleet arrives, plus one Dreadnought. Named the Enterprise, it is ordered to find and kill the British Dreadnought. The battle gets hectic as the Royal Navy is fighting for the survival of the home isles. Days go by as the battle continues. But the battle is already decided as the British lose the remaining ships near London. The HMS Francis Drake is captured and sunk by the Americans on this day as well. Leaving Britain at the mercy of the USEC armed forces. (-90 Squadrons, - 1 Dreadnought Britain, -10 Squadrons Ireland, - 67 Squadrons USEC, -23 Squadrons GAU)
The land invasion would become the bloodiest fighting the world has ever seen, keeping with the war so far. As the British had recently tested and mass produced recoil-powered machine guns. These were setup in key areas in many cities. Perfectly defending roads and beaches. USEC did not know this. The army consisting of sixty divisions was preparing to make landfall sure of easy victory. Two landing areas were planned. One in Scotland and the other in Wessex/Wales. Many sabotage operations within Britain goes as plans in these areas. Unfortunately some of the heaviest resistance were in these areas. Scotland, March 10th 6 am. The landing begins and a new unfamiliar sound ribbets through the air. A Machine gun tears into the landing boats, which unfortunately are powered by steam. Bullets hit the boilers and if the boat skippers don’t release the steam pressure in time they explode. And such is the fate of many of the men before they ever hit the shore. One thing is for sure the warfare is new and much more fast paced and unorganized than in the past. The USEC men hit the beaches running for cover and many crying for help they have no idea what is going on as this was not in the briefing.
The dead bodies of men wash up on the shore and the water is blood red. The commanders gather men in areas and tell them to charge the machine gun pits. The only thing between them is thirty yards and a foot of sandbags but this proves to be the hardest obstacle of them all. More men die and the commanders change plans. Messages are sent back to the ships at sea. Which some of them have Balloons, of which the machine gunners cannot hit due to the heavy guns. The bombs begin to drop hoping to hit them and eventually some of the emplacements go up in flames. Allowing the men to move off the beach and continue fighting in the country side. As the Scotland invasion kicks off the Wessex one bogs down. Much heavier resistance keeps them from ever leaving the beaches. The men are eventually retreated off the beaches and the ships and Balloons shell the coastline. Back in Scotland the invasion force fights heavy resistance in the country side in the Breakout. As forces from the south are Moved to reinforce them they take most of Scotland within the first couple of months. By June the front is pretty solid in Scotland with the British building trenches along the length of it. Slowing the war down for much of the rest of the year. As conscription is introduced to keep the fronts stable. During this time the fleets of GAU and USEC blockade Ireland from coming to Britain’s aid. (-2 Divisions, - 5 Conscript Divisions Britain, -8 Divisions USEC)
The Republic of Sweden-Norway becomes the Republic of Scandinavia once again as the purchase of old lands from Russia is made. Many thing are introduced and several new cities gain lots of growth with the founding of many Ore Mines. The nation continues its economic growth and becomes one of the richest nations in the world. With the highest amount of wealthy people.
Spain, Portugal and Italy continue all the things they have been doing before. With Spain most notably losing all of its Columbian holdings to the Free Peoples.
OOC: Tell me if you would like me to try and perfect this style or go back to the old style. I like this one better.