Hoi4 Chapter 2

Chapter 2 - Feb 1937: China

Japan was not prepared for the fighting a war with Russia brings. Perhaps they thought Russia would not dare defend Japan, perhaps they thought the Russian military was outdated and outgunned. For whatever reason, Japan chose to invade China, starting the largest conflict of nations since the Great War. This is by no means the same kind of war, as it is pretty much summed up as Russia versus Japan, but the death toll on both sides will be high.

The US's biggest worry is this war snowballing into a global conflict. For the moment, it is between the Stali Pact and the East Asia Conference. But get Lotharingia involved, or one of the members of the Anglo Alliance, and this will turn into another a second Great War. Preventing that is the US's highest priority right now.

Castille and Sweden join the war in March, and the odds are pushed even further from Japan's favor. In Asia, the Shun struggle to hold their ground against the Wu. The Jin, however, quickly take the small conclave of Wu China to its east before pushing northwest and south at the same time.

On April 9th, 1937, the efforts with the Weerstanders in Antillen bear fruit, and the rebels declare war on the government. Unfortunately (...), the only territory they managed to take from the government at the start of the coup is the Antillen half of the island of Jamaica. Military equipment continues to be funneled to the rebels, despite their high chance of failure.

Less than a year after the start of the war, True China has been pushed back to just Southeast Asia. The thawing after winter allowed the Wu Chinese to finish the fighting inland, and now only a few provinces of resistance remain.

In a different part of the world, King Bekir Bey of Persia thinks of a time when the Middle East was the center of the world. Persia was once a great empire, controlling far more lands than even Eretna does now. His eyes are set on conquest, and Persia declares war on Kurdistan.

As concerns of a future war grow, creation of 2nd Army is authorized by President Jacobweller. In addition, the position of Army Chief of Staff is given to Ambrose Verigan, while Navy chief of Staff is handed to Christopher Gilbert.

In Europe, a startling shift has taken place in the government of Lotharingia. While still parliamentary in nature, the number of fascists in government now outnumber the rest, and the next election is mere months away. Having a powerful fascist nation at the very center of Europe does not bode well for the free world. There are too many unprotected nations up for the grabs.

Despite obvious failure, True China fights on. In the north, the East Asia Conference makes zero headway against the Wu, and Korea retreats from their northern border in face of the onslaught of Russian soldiers.

China is united on August 1st, 1937. The last of True China capitulates, and Wu China stands victorious. Over two million Chinese died in the war, yet in the end, the Empire of China is reborn.

Still, Japan fights on against Russia and the now massive Chinese Empire. How they could ever hope to defeat the Stali Pact is unknown.

Persia annexes Kurdistan in September, and its eyes are next set on Iraq. However, it will take some time before the small kingdom is ready for a second war.

Without the war to the south to distract China, the Jin are quickly swallowed by the rising tide of soldiers, and Korea is pushed out of its western territories. The situation is dire for Japan.

In a surprise move, Carinthia joins Lotharingia's Blue Alliance in November. The October election saw Lotharingia's Fascist party take power, and policy immediately changed. Hungary was another nation approached for potential membership in the Blue Alliance, although they turned it down. More unsettling, American spies have uncovered that the new government of Lotharingia is planning an invasion of Picardy.

In other news, the African nation of Funj invades and annexes Nobatia, and Delhi declares war on Afghanistan in December.

Surprisingly, the East Asia Conference holds its ground against the Stali pact. Waves of Chinese and Russian soldiers collide with the Japanese and Korean lines, yet they are repelled again and again. The Jin, first thought to be completely overwhelmed by the Chinese, continues to stand strong in the north, including the Chinese territory it took at the very beginning of the war. Far behind enemy lines, the Jin capital of Fenzhou fights on after being cut off from the rest of the country months before. After the initial losses to the west, Korea has stopped the forward motion of the Russians. By deaths, the Russians and Chinese are losing ten soldiers for every one Conference soldier dead. The war many thought would be over before the end of '37 will rage on.

The war is still young...