Nanyang Storm 1864

The Chu-American War, which broke out on February 16, 1931, has now lasted for two full years. The outcome of the battles on the battlefield is clear; the Americans are merely struggling.

To be honest, there's not much point in dragging this out any longer.

All the Great Chu Empire could do was to continuously exert greater pressure, constantly divide the southern states of North America, and continuously reduce their war potential and industrial capacity through bombing, ultimately leading to the subjugation of the United States.

The situation in the United States became increasingly complex, with many pro-surrender and swing political forces sending representatives to Manila to secretly negotiate and seek ways to end the war.

This also includes senior members of the Democratic Party, revealing the underlying reasons for the lack of unity among the upper echelons of Washington.

The problem is that these people are not in power. The Republican government in the White House has taken a very tough stance and vowed to fight the invading Chu invaders to the end, no matter what difficulties they face.

How much of it is genuine?

The Battle of Chicago will prove this immediately; it is the top priority at present, and the Empire is making every effort to prepare for it.

Chicago is the core metropolitan area of ​​the Great Lakes heavy industrial region in the United States. In 1930, its total population had reached more than 327 million, far exceeding Philadelphia, making it the second largest city in the United States and the largest industrial city.

After more than four months of relentless bombing, Chicago's industrial production capacity has been severely damaged, plummeting by 41.3% compared to the same period last year, and has been seriously weakened.
Of the 76 steel mills in the entire Chicago metropolitan area, fewer than 20 are still operational. The other blast furnaces are mostly severely damaged, and their production capacity has been completely destroyed.

To defend Chicago, the U.S. Army Air Forces deployed its remaining fighter squadrons to engage in a bloody battle with the Royal Air Force over the city.

The result was predictable: air power suffered another devastating blow.

This dealt a major setback to the U.S. military's plan to revitalize its air power.

The North American Aviation engine plant in Pittsburgh is still in the commissioning phase and can only produce small-scale trial production. The piston aircraft engines produced have a low pass rate and face many problems.

The United States imported some piston engines from France and Britain through various means, barely managing to assemble an air force of three to four hundred fighter jets, which then destroyed most of them.

Faced with the overwhelming number of Great Chu Empire fighter jets flying in, the Americans were almost driven to despair.

The planned Battle of Chicago was unprecedented in scale, with a massive operation planned to involve more than 170 million Imperial troops and covering an area of ​​over one million square kilometers, making it an epic campaign.

Meanwhile, the United States was also making every effort to conduct its sixth war mobilization, not only replenishing the 2.2 million troops lost, but also bringing the total number of U.S. troops to an unprecedented 427 million.

In the area surrounding Chicago alone, the U.S. military has amassed about half of its forces, preparing to fight a decisive battle against the massive Chu army, relying on the dense towns and newly repaired fortifications in the area!

The heavy industrial city belt around the Great Lakes is the backbone of American industry, and also a historically significant and densely populated urban belt with a total population of approximately 3260 million.

This area
The Great Chu Empire had no plans to interfere, and under the existing international conditions, it was impossible for them to digest and establish a firm rule. Instead, they would only cause great trouble due to indigestion.

But it is necessary to attack this region and continue to put pressure on the White House.

As two major world powers in the Pacific, the United States and China are destined to have a war, and a battle to determine who is superior is inevitable.

The Pacific Ocean, though vast, cannot contain two world-class powers.

Emperor Taizu Zheng Guohui had pondered this North American war repeatedly in his mind as early as thirty years ago.

Before the outbreak of World War I, the Chu state even attempted to take action against the United States several times, hoping to suppress and plunder the nation's fortunes through war, thereby strengthening itself.

However, due to various reasons, it has been delayed in being implemented.

he knows

The longer this war against the United States breaks out, the more disadvantageous it will be for the Great Chu Empire.

Since World War I, the United States has been rising in all directions. The influx of immigrants from Europe has greatly increased the size of the U.S. population and boosted the North American economy, with the total population exceeding 100 million.

Due to various factors not being in place, the project has been delayed until now.

Seeing the Royal Army of the Great Chu Empire advancing triumphantly in North America, the conquest was going more smoothly and at a lower cost than expected, with even more brilliant results.

How could Emperor Taizu Zheng Guohui not be happy?
As the supreme ruler who has led the empire for 67 years, he is now a wise and experienced man, maintaining a clear head as the imperial expeditionary force advances triumphantly.

The Great Chu Empire could not swallow up the hundreds of millions of people in North America, nor did it have enough time to digest and absorb them. The results it had achieved were already enough, and there was no need to hope for more.

Under the personal decree of Emperor Zheng Guohui, the Imperial Expeditionary Force adopted three different levels of attitudes and corresponding policies toward the North American territories.

The first type is the Kyushu region on the west coast of North America, which is now completely under the control of the Empire and is undergoing a comprehensive Sinicization process, just as the Empire has done in its other colonies.

This is the land promised by the empire, bestowed by heaven, and can be considered the greatest benefit of this war.

The second type is the southern regions like the Republic of Texas and the Republic of Louisiana, which have become independent. The two sides sign a military alliance treaty, and the Empire only needs to maintain a military presence.

Texas and Louisiana are both densely populated areas in the South, with the former having a population of over 370 million and the latter over 81.4. Together, they exceed the size of the nine western states of North America before the outbreak of the war.

Rather than the laborious task of direct control, fostering independence is the most cost-effective solution.

The remaining North American heavy industrial region, led by the Great Lakes, comprises ten states, including the top 10 metropolitan areas in the United States such as Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, and New York, with a total population of over 3200 million. It is the core and largest industrial region in the United States.

This area is densely populated, with developed industry and agriculture. The grassroots people have a very high level of acceptance of democratic ideals such as justice, freedom, and fairness, and have a strong desire to resist invasion.

The above-mentioned areas
This was a region that the Great Chu Empire was unwilling to touch, as it far exceeded the limits of its current national strength. The only option was to use bombing and military strikes to slow down its development.

The third type is the newly conquered territories led by Colorado, where Denver is located. This includes seven states: North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Wyoming, Colorado, and Oklahoma, which are basically located in the central part of North America.

If there were a line running from north to south, from North Dakota to Oklahoma, it would be a straight line that would effectively divide the United States in two from the middle.

This is the second most radical proposal.

If this could be used as the dividing line between Chu and Mei, and several southern states of the United States could be divided, the threat to the United States would be greatly reduced, and it would be difficult for the United States to compete with the empire.

From a strategic perspective

Such a deployment is enough to suppress the United States for more than a hundred years. Emperor Taizu Zheng Guohui must be laughing in his dreams.

The seven states mentioned above are vast in area but sparsely populated and underdeveloped, with a total population of only about 2.1 to 2.2 million, of which more than 200,000 are Black.

In Oklahoma alone, there are approximately 4.7 Black people, and in the capital city of Norman City, there is even a Black Manhattan, a community composed entirely of wealthy Black people.

As early as 1921

There once broke out a conflict that affected the entire city, in which at least a thousand black people died, more than 8000 were injured, and 2.3 were displaced and eventually forced to leave that heartbreaking city.

The specific reasons are self-evident and need no further explanation.

The Great Chu Empire dared not dream of the densely populated and wealthy lands around the Great Lakes, but it could still consider this vast and sparsely populated land of the Seven Provinces.

The current strategy is contained in the Battle of Chicago, an unprecedented war that will involve a full-scale invasion of the wealthy states surrounding the Great Lakes, such as Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, and Illinois, bringing the war into the heart of the Great Lakes region.

We must inflict profound pain on the Americans, drive them to the brink of collapse and madness, utterly destroy their will to resist, leave them in a dilemma, and completely crush their fighting spirit.

Only in this way
Using the existing wealthy states around the Great Lakes as bargaining chips at the negotiating table, the ultimate goal was to force the United States to recognize the dividing line drawn from the middle and seize the seven newly occupied states in central North America.

Thus

The US government representatives who participated in the negotiations had both substance and prestige, and wouldn't face a mob attack or scorn from Americans after returning home, which made them feel better.

After all, the U.S. government representatives negotiated and regained the lost territories around the Great Lakes, including Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, and others, which facilitated the withdrawal of the fierce Great Empire expeditionary force.

Isn't this an outstanding diplomatic achievement? What more could you ask for?

The Americans would have vehemently opposed demarcating the borders in the initial negotiations, even if it meant fighting to the death and dragging the war out for another 20 years.

So, if we take a big step back, wouldn't it be much easier to accept?
As for the Great Chu Empire completely retreating to its pre-war borders and returning all the North American lands it had seized to the United States, such a thing is best left as a dream.

If anyone dares to bring this up at the negotiating table, the Great Chu Empire will immediately retaliate.

The Great Chu Empire was a typical tiger, inherently aggressive, and consistently adhered to a bandit-like logic of "never leaving empty-handed," never relinquishing the fruits of victory once it had been swallowed. What was the point of this war if it couldn't carve a large chunk of flesh from the United States?

Emperor Taizu Zheng Guohui carefully considered the international geopolitical situation, and a smile involuntarily appeared on his lips. It was simply too advantageous.

The absolute advantage of the Great Chu Empire on the battlefield will translate into a favorable position in the geopolitical competition, adding a lot of weight to the Great Chu Empire. The key will depend on how the Battle of Chicago proceeds.
If the plan is fully implemented and victory is achieved in this epic super battle, then the advantage will be in our hands.

Emperor Taizu Zheng Guohui was advanced in years but still in good health, though he ate much lighter meals.

Under the strong advice of his ministers, he gave up all activities that were considered unsafe, such as riding horses and boating. His daily routine consisted of climbing mountains and strolling along the scenic lakes and mountains.

Even if they live in seclusion
The Holy Emperor Taizu remained the most powerful emperor in the empire, and the large-scale war taking place in North America, thousands of miles away, was proceeding entirely according to his will.

so far

The Great Chu Empire's expeditionary force was conquering North America with great success, making many of the empire's high-ranking officials complacent. Some even raised the arrogant slogan of "conquering America."

Emperor Taizu Zheng Guohui observed coldly, knowing that this was nothing more than a facade.

The Empire's overwhelming advantage stemmed from decades of continuous development in the aviation, precision machinery, and electronics industries, using its strong industrial base to support the field of cutting-edge weaponry.

In the global aviation industry, the Great Chu Empire has always been one of the top two or three countries.

Compared to the State of Chu, the long-established world powers of Britain and France each possess unique expertise in the aviation industry, making them roughly equal in skill.

The only thing lacking was strong government support, which caused the aviation industries in countries like Britain and France to take many detours, resulting in small-scale and fragmented development, exhibiting a diverse and unpredictable landscape.

The United States was in a similar situation. When suddenly faced with a full-scale war, it inevitably found itself at a loss, allowing the State of Chu to seize the initiative.

After realizing the problem
The United States has prioritized the development of its aviation industry, establishing new engine plants in multiple locations and bringing together numerous experts in higher education institutions to research and develop new technologies and products, resulting in many impressive technological achievements.

In the field of tanks, which is completely absent from the U.S. Army, related research and development is also progressing rapidly.

It's just that because one step is slow, every step is slow, making it particularly difficult to perform well on the battlefield.

This is paying the price for past oversights, not a reflection of the fact that America's true technological strength is a level below that of the Chu Kingdom.

In time
If the United States' air and land armored forces were to develop and experience explosive growth with the support of its strong industrial base, making up for a significant shortcoming in its military equipment, would the Chu army still be able to fight so easily and successfully?

The answer is obvious.

This is the difference between the imperial capitalism led by the State of Chu and the free capitalism led by Britain and the United States; the former is driven by imperial needs, while the latter is entirely market-driven.

What needs to be done now is to crush the Americans with overwhelming force, making them obediently surrender and acknowledge the established fact of defeat.

on the basis of

By imposing treaties imposed after the defeat, the United States was restricted in its military technology development, naval and army development, and industrial sectors. Through infiltration and invasion in the financial and cultural fields, the inherent prejudices of the Americans were gradually reversed.

Only in this way can the United States be kept under its control for a long time, making it a larger version of South Korea.

Military force alone can never conquer a vast and powerful global nation like the United States.

Change your mindset
Only by using the power of finance and capital to penetrate, by continuously exerting influence through the power of public opinion, by skillfully utilizing the enormous psychological shadow caused by the defeat, and by supporting the military bases throughout North America and the unparalleled power of the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, could such a North American giant be brought to its knees.

Really can't do
Emperor Taizu Zheng Guohui also had a Plan B, which was to occupy the area surrounding the Chicago metropolitan area, support a puppet independent government, and use the means of forcibly demarcating borders to create an irreconcilable territorial conflict between this emerging country and the United States.

In this way

This would create a formidable enemy for the United States in the North, and the British would likely be satisfied with such a plan, perhaps even allowing the British to take complete control.

As long as it could weaken and strike at America, Emperor Zheng Guohui did not hesitate to win over European powers and introduce traditional forces such as Britain and France, thus dismembering North America into a group of small countries.

Of course, this is an alternative solution in extreme circumstances.

The best outcome at present would be to facilitate the division of the American South after the Battle of Chicago, and to force the United States to acknowledge its defeat and sign a final armistice treaty.

The longer the war drags on, the more disadvantageous it will be for the Empire.

The planned Battle of Chicago will be launched in late March when spring is in full bloom.

Several months from now, the Empire's weapons, equipment, aircraft, tanks and other military supplies destined for North America are being transported to the San Francisco Bay Area via large ocean freighters.

Here, they were transferred to the Central Pacific Railroad and transported by train northwest through Denver to the front lines.

The new heavy bomber developed by the Great Chu Empire, which brings together many scientific and technological elites, is currently in the small-scale trial production stage and will soon be unveiled.

This bomber was designated "H-6" by the military. After inspecting it, Emperor Taizu Zheng Guohui was surprised and called it "Flying Fortress". Thus, "Flying Fortress" became the exclusive nickname of the H-6.

The "Flying Fortress" is very similar to the B-17 bomber of its predecessor. It features an all-metal fuselage, a twin-spar wing design, and is equipped with four turbocharged engines. In extreme cases, it can return to base using only one engine, making it a remarkably capable aircraft.

Its armament consists of 12 12.7mm Maxim machine guns, providing 360-degree protection against heavy bombers. Turrets are mounted on the nose, back, and tail, eliminating the need for fighter escort when carrying out long-range bombing missions.

The Flying Fortress has a maximum takeoff weight of 32.7 tons, a payload of 7.7 tons, a range of 3,000 kilometers, a top speed of 470 kilometers per hour, and is capable of intercontinental flights.

Such a large object cannot be transported by ship, nor can it be transported in pieces, mainly because the western states of North America do not yet have the capability to assemble such sophisticated aircraft weapons.

Therefore, the Pacific islands belonging to the empire are undergoing massive airport expansions, including Guam, Saipan, Midway, Hawaii, Los Angeles, and the San Francisco Bay Area, all of which are building large airports with permanent concrete runways.

This is to accommodate the long-range transfer of "Flying Fortress" bombers, and will involve a comprehensive upgrade and expansion of existing aviation facilities, including the construction of a new large terminal building, a large ground fuel depot, an electronic light and signal navigation system, and the installation of the latest communication systems, etc.

Similar expansion and renovation projects are underway at major airfields both in the Empire and overseas, not to accommodate the Flying Fortress bombers, but to accommodate their sister model, the large transport aircraft.

While the Flying Fortress heavy transport aircraft project is progressing smoothly, there is also a sister model, known as the Hercules transport aircraft, which can carry 56 passengers for long-distance air transport.

The difference is that all weapons and equipment, bomb bays and bomb-carrying capacity have been removed, and instead a noise-reducing and decompression cockpit and seat have been installed to enable long-distance manned flight missions.

The aviation industry has profound significance for the Great Chu Empire. As a vast empire, the birth of the Hercules transport plane greatly shortened the distance between islands, making even vast distances no longer a problem.

This is conducive to strengthening imperial rule, facilitating people's travel and business exchanges, greatly expanding the influence of imperial Chinese culture, and achieving full coverage of military and political influence.

Based on the above...
The Great Chu Empire has always invested heavily in the development of aviation technology, providing preferential support in various aspects such as higher education institutions, science and technology, policies, and taxation, which has led to its current fruitful results.

The open and favorable scientific and technological environment of the Great Chu Empire was also an important reason why scientists from all over the world flocked to it, which powerfully promoted the development of science and technology in various fields.

Especially during World War I, the Empire introduced various policies to encourage scientists to immigrate, attracting a large number of outstanding scientists from countries such as Britain, Germany, France, Austria, and Italy, which greatly advanced its scientific and technological development.

At this stage
The empire continues to offer enviable and generous treatment to scientists from Germany, Austria, Russia, and other countries who immigrate, and guarantees their personal safety through diplomatic channels, providing comprehensive protection for their families, in order to attract these outstanding talents to settle down in the higher education institutions of the Great Chu Empire.

It was precisely this vigorous effort to attract scientific and technological talent that created the flourishing scene of comprehensive scientific and technological development in the State of Chu, giving birth to one groundbreaking technology after another.

The "Flying Fortress" bomber development program was one of the Imperial government's key projects, but not its only key weapons development program.

In addition, there are large ocean-going submarines, triple-mounted 406mm main gun systems, large turbine-hydroelectric generator sets, high-efficiency coal-fired generator sets, new bulletproof steel, heavy tanks for the army, 30-ton heavy-duty trucks, heavy four-wheel tractors, tracked excavators, large combine harvesters, high-power shortwave radios, new illumination radars, spectrometers, and other high-tech projects, all of which are being steadily advanced.

The rivalry between the Great Chu Empire and the United States has never been a matter of three, five, ten, or twenty years, but rather a matter of one or two hundred years or even longer...

Only with such a calm understanding can we focus on developing our own technological strength step by step, consolidating the foundation for the empire's development, and continuously achieving new successes in many fields.

The trickling springs converge to form rivers, and the numerous small rivers merge to form a vast ocean.

Emperor Taizu Zheng Guohui knew that the current military victory was just a fleeting moment, and that he needed to look further ahead.

He clearly understood the direction of history, which was Chu's greatest advantage over the United States, an advantage that could never be shaken.

The competition between the two countries will be a long, century-long struggle. (End of Chapter)