United States of America - The Dictatorship Way

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Everything began during the American Civil War, when the Union and the Confederacy were fighting eachother for dominance in North America. After the Union won in 1865, several power generals of the Union Army, like Ulysses S. Grant and his close friend William Tecumseh Sherman were planning to take control of the United States of America and instaurate a military regime.
They succeded, and Grant became president and Chief of Joint Staffs while Sherman was his right hand, taking the vice presidency. The new regime started a massive rebuilding program of the war damaged areas, which brought popular support to the leader.
Also, Grant and Sherman took a more interventionist stand in international affairs.

Ulysses Grant and William Sherman,
the first leaders of post-civil war United States​

After the death of Ulysses Grant in 1885, William Sherman took the seat of President Dictator of The United States of America with John Schofield as vice president. Sherman's rule lasted for 6 years, until his death at the age of 71. John Schofield became the 3rd dictator soon after that.
Schofield ruled for 4 years, until 1906, when he died. A power struggle between several high ranking generals began after that, leading to the Purge of 1906 when 14 generals were assasinated. After the purge, General Leonard Wood became president of the United States of America, and so the aar begins. . .


In 1914, the United States of America was the most economically powerful in the world after Wood's economical reforms of 1910.

The Ruling Cabinet of 1914​

Leonard Wood - President Dictator of the United States of America and Chief of Staff of the United States Armed Forces.

John Joseph Pershing - Vice-President Dictator of the United States of America, Leader of the United States Armaments Department and General of the United States Army.

Tasker Howard Bliss - High ranking officer of the United States Army and Leader of Foreign Affairs Department.

Hugh Lenox Scott - High ranking officer of the United States Army and Leader of National Security Department.

Ralph Henry Van Deman - Chief of United States Army Intelligence Section

William Wallace Wotherspoon - Chief of Staff of the United States Army

William Shepherd Benson - Chief of Naval Operations

William "Billy" Mitchell - Chief of United States Army Air Service

 

[SovietAmerika]

I wonder how Grant got the people on his side. I just hope Sherman was nice on Georgia too...

 

[Nathan Madien]

You have an interesting set up.

 

[OnFire]

subscribed

 

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In August 1, 1914, war erupts in Europe when Germany declares war on the West (France, Belgium and Luxembourg) and Austro-Hungary invades Serbia after Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria is assasinated in Sarajevo by a bosnian serb.
United States of America decides to stay out of the war, as it has no interest in Europe. But instead of intervening directly, the Dictator decides to help the west european countries with war bonds and supplies.

USA has its own problems back home, on the southern border were a civil war is roaming in Mexico. Pancho Villa, Venustiano Carranza and Emiliano Zapata wage war against the government of Mexico led by the autocratic president Porfirio Díaz.
Beside this 3 major rebel factions, several other bands of bandits were creating havoc in southern USA, killing and robbing farmers.
A major problem was in Tijuana, were mexican bandits turned the mexican province into an anarchic crime land that spread to San Diego.

In August 4, 1914, The United States Army deploys the 3rd Infantry Division under Major General Robert Lee Bullard in San Diego to secure the border against mexican bandits. They are succesfull, capturing and killing dozens of outlaws.

Northern mexico is controlled by the Villistas and Constitucionalistas, Zapatistas control almost the entire pacific coast while US marines control Veracruz after several US sailors were captured by mexican forces.
The Yucatan peninsula and Tijuana are teritories controlled by outlaws.

At the same time in Europe, in August 18, Germany annexes Luxembourg and completely opens the way to Belgium and then northern France.

In November 16, the tensions between Mexico and USA begin to cool down as the situation in Veracruz is being slowly resolved through diplomatic intervention.
The US marines and the sailors leave Veracruz on November 17.

With Veracruz in Mexican hands again, new problems appear at the border between USA and Villistas controlled territory. Mexican bandits under the command of rebel leader Pancho Villa make incursions through the borders and attack villages in Tucson and El Paso, robbing the properties of US citizens and killing civilians. This situation, urges the United States Army to take positions on the mexican border to stop the bandits and if possible to capture or kill Pancho Villa.
After several border clashes between US Army and Villistas, the President Dictator Leonard Wood sent a war declaration to all mexican factions and activated War Plan Green - the invasion of Mexico.
War Plan Green was an massive offensive launched over the entire border with 4 armies, and a full blockade on mexican ports by the US Navy in the Pacific and Mexican Gulf.

WAR PLAN GREEN​

XII Corps

XII Corps is an independent formation led by Lieutenant General John Lincoln Clem. It's role was to attack and take control over Tijuana.

Fifth Army

The Fifth Army commanded by General Scott H. had the task of capturing the Pacific coast through Hermodilo.

First Army

The First Army commanded by General Pershing had the task of defeating the forces of Pancho Villa and occupy the north and centre of Mexico.

Second Army

The Second Army commanded by General Biddle had the task of defeating the Constitucionalistas and occupy northern Mexico.

Seventh Army

The Seventh Army commanded by General Gorgas had the task of capturing the Mexican Gulf coast and drive towardz Veracruz and Mexico City.


In February 12, 1915, The US Army begins its offensive into mexican territory. By April 22, US forces defeated the mexicans in 4 battles and occupied almost the entire northern Mexico. Pancho Villa was captured in a village by troops from the First Army's 96th Infantry Division, he was hanged after a short trial led by General Pershing himself, the rest of Villista forces deserted or joined other factions in the war agains USA.

The second phase of the War Plan Green beging in April 22, after the north has been secured, the US Army now moves towards central Mexico. The Constitucionalistas and Villistas soon surender to US and mexican forces.

By August 1, the mexican army and Zapatista rebels are on full retreat all over the front, loosing battle after battle against the numerically superior and well equiped and trained US Army.
The Mexican government proposes an armistice to the President Dictator Leonard Wood, he refuses.

Now, the US Army converges on New Mexico and Guadalajara in order to completely defeat the mexican forces and occupy the capitol.
Pershing's army succedes in overwhelming the mexican defenders, and enter the capitol by September 25.
The mexican government surrenders while some of the politicians and mexican military leaders take refuge in Zapatistas camp.
The Zapatistas were trapped with theire backs at the Pacific Ocean while the US Army was surrouning them.

The depleted Zapatista forces are easily defeated by an attack lauched from 4 directions. Zapata commits suicide right before US soldiers stormed his headquarters in Acapulco de Juarez.
Mexico has been fully occupied by the US Army by December 7, 1915.

Now the question is: What should be the fate of Mexico?

 

[c0d5579]

Take Baja California and the Yucatan and re-establish the rest as a protectorate. Call it the Wood Doctrine, that the United States reserves the right to intervene in the internal affairs of countries in the Americas if their own governments cannot maintain control. Use it as the basis for interventions in Cuba, Haiti, and Dominica, then perhaps points south. Set up a network of puppets.

I am curious as to the fate of Smedley Butler. I find it hard to imagine that a man who grew up in an American dictatorship would wind up writing "War is a Racket." I expect that's beyond the scope of this AAR though.

 

[SovietAmerika]

I echo c0d's idea. I want Cancun to be American so I can get there without having to go through customs!

 

[Asami_T]

Tagged, I like this.

 

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A small update for now.

After the US Army took full control of Mexico and defeated all rebels and bandits a short military occupation government was installed under the command of General Biddle.
Soon after that an Mexican puppet government was installed under the rule of Victoriano Huerta, a former general of the Mexican Army.
Several territorial changes were made duting the liberation process, Baja California peninsula and Yucatan peninsula were annexed to the United States of America, both territories were assigned a Military Governor.

The new mexican government​

In December 11th, 1915, the US Navy commisions 4 new battleships. The new Nevada class 27,900 tons battleships have the latest technology in naval equipment and weaponry. The 10 14in (360mm) caliber guns of the ship have the ability to sink any battleship in the world.
USS Arizona, USS Pennsylvania, USS Oklahoma and USS Nevada cruised out of their shipyards on December 12th.

The situation in Europe looks good for Germany as of January 1st, 1916, expecially on the eastern front where the russians are pushed back. On the western front, the belgians are almost anihilated by the Reichswehr, while french and british forces are struggling to hold off the German offensive.
Interesting is that the british landed forces in Wilhelmshaven taking the gemans by surprise.

After germany launched it's unrestricted submarine warfare in Atlantic Ocean, the Dictator ordered that any trade and war support sent to England and towards the Mediteranean has to stop. This decision hurt the US trading around the world.

 

[Nathan Madien]

Ah...America's favorite past time: going down and kicking Mexico around. Good job.

 

[SovietAmerika]

*watches from my new resort in Cancun*

Nah, I'd say WWI is an utter mess. Darkest Hour loves to make odd situations.

 

[Kurt_Steiner]

One would guess that Kaiser Bill would lilke to have a Dictatorship like the USA in his side, not the other way round.

 

[c0d5579]

Given that in real life, he sent everyone's favorite Catholic aristocrat cavalryman dilettante to try to roll out Theodore Roosevelt as a German lobbyist, it seems likely. That turned out well for everyone concerned, given that in 1914 TR considered France a spent force, and in 1917 he was trying to organize a volunteer cavalry division to fight there. Oh Franz von Papen, everything you touch turns to dust eventually...

I expect some of that is due to the limitations of the engine and AI, though. The event says the Kaiser is willing to sink American ships, the ships sink.

 

[Gukpa]

This is Darkest Hour!

 

[c0d5579]

Actually, I have a suggestion regarding German-American relations. In this timeline, what came of Emory Upton's proposals to "Germanize" the American military? Upton was one of the first proper military theorists in the US Army, and OTL his "Armies of Europe and Asia" suggested the adoption of universal conscription in the US Army and the establishment of a Prussian-style General Staff to replace the wartime volunteering and laissez-faire staffing model the US used from the Revolution to Korea. If Upton's proposals were adopted (which seems reasonable in a timeline where the military is the foundation of American society), German-American relations could well be better than Anglo-American or Franco-American relations.

 

[serutan]

Is this Darkest Hour? If so, why is it in the HOI2 forum?

Interesting concept - and it's enormously amusing to see you have Sherman, who hated
politics even more than he hated reporters, as a politician...

 

[Milites]

Mexico... truly so far from God.

 

[Zzzzz...]

A Stratocracy AAR? Yum!

 

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Mr. Ritter please continue this awesome AAR.