Bandits and Generals - The 20th Century and Beyond

[General Mosh]

Another short update as I don't have the time to add any more (I'm typing this from school) but wanted to get an update out. The good thing about this being so short is the next one will come much quicker, probably tomorrow.

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The Diplomacy War​

In early October 1916, with the war in Mexico in full swing, the US was forced to scale back on loans to the various European nations in the Entente, which were failry reliant on US funds. The money was needed for America's own war, and couldn't be used to support the much larger war in Europe. It wasn't for another month that not being able to access these funds really began to worry the various European governments. They put in place heavy rationing, in countries where much of the supplies was already going to the troops at the front. The US, on the other hand, had absolutely no trouble procuring its supplies and keeping its people fed and happy, leading some to believe the US could likely have continued funding European governments at the same rate, had history taken a different course.​

Allied generals, at this point, began worrying about what would happen if they were no longer able to get the very important supplies needed to win the war. They even worried that they could run out of adequate supplies during a large battle. This, of course, really frightened the allied generals and was considered an absolutely unacceptable outcome. As a result, not only did the governments at home institute even harsher rationing, the generals at the front ordered their troops to conserve supplies, often building up their own personal supply reserves. This led to some animosity between generals, as they competed for access to the reduced amounts of supplies. As the war in Europe went into its third winter, the Americans had greatly impacted the war in Europe, although no one knew quite how much yet. The Entente governments only hoped that the funds would return, and that the Americans would quickly finish off their little war.​

World War One propaganda​

 

[GiantMonkeyMan]

Makes me wonder if perhaps with a more bitter and frustrated population that the general strikes and revolutionary movements in Britain and France would have had more weight or perhaps the western Allies would simply put into place better plans for future wars. Interesting update.

Have you considered what Jack Reed is up to in this timeline? In OTL he was covering the Mexican revolution as a journalist in 1914 and with this escalation he might be uniquely suited to meet up again with Pancho Villa's forces.

 

[General Mosh]

Makes me wonder if perhaps with a more bitter and frustrated population that the general strikes and revolutionary movements in Britain and France would have had more weight or perhaps the western Allies would simply put into place better plans for future wars. Interesting update.

Yes, the protests at home and indeed the French soldier mutiny will have more of an effect. And thanks!

Have you considered what Jack Reed is up to in this timeline? In OTL he was covering the Mexican revolution as a journalist in 1914 and with this escalation he might be uniquely suited to meet up again with Pancho Villa's forces.

I have not, however I shall look into it as it could be a neat little thing to throw into a paragraph or two. Also, I believe you mean John Reed

 

[General Mosh]

The Invasion - September 1916 - August 1917​

While Villa had been engaged in Baja, Gomez took some 10,000 troops to assault Hermosillo and try and take back the city. Brigadier General Dodd himself commanded the men in Hermosillo, which he had set up as his temporary headquarters. Dodd had around 5000 troops in the city, with another 6000 men nearby in Nogales. Dodd set up defenses both inside and outside the city, while Gomez had his men dig in just outside, bringing up his small amount of artillery (likely some 50 guns, mostly obsolete) to set up. The two armies ended up dug in around a mile apart. The Americans, of course, had many more machine guns, artillery, and more importantly, supplies. The sides began trading shots, with snipers venturing out to find cover between the armies and trade shots, killing some people.

At this point, three days after Gomez's troops had arrived at the city, Villa and 3500 cavalry arrived, back from wiping out the US cavalry in Baja California. Soon after, Gomez ordered the assault. Villa cautioned against this, setting forward instead a plan for him to take his cavalry around the back of the US forces and raid US supplies, pretending to attack their back to get Dodd to send forward reinforcements, allowing Gomez to intercept them en route and take Nogales. Of course, Gomez did not follow this plan, and instead sent Villa's dismounted cavalry and his infantry for a direct assault on the heavily outnumbered, but better supplied and supported, Americans (there's an alternate history book written about what if Villa's plan had been implemented called Raider by Ron Harrison).

Villa himself went forward with the attack, after his plan was rejected by Gomez. The Mexicans were completely unprepared for the US defenses, and the battle was grisly. They were considerably slowed down by some barbed wire, as by some oversight they hadn't brought along wire cutters. The Mexicans were cut down like wheat in front of a scithe when they were found out in the open by artillery fire, and mowed down by machine guns. This was too much for flesh and blood to bare and the Mexican troops retreated with 552 dead and over a thousand wounded. One of these wounded was Pancho Villa himself, who was hit twice in the arm, probably be a machine gun.

The Americans followed this up with a counterattack of their own, ordered by Dodd. His assault meant with much the same result as the Mexican attack, although casualties were lower (only 782 total) due to the Mexican lack of machine guns and artillery. However, when Gomez heard the 6000 men from Nogales were on their way, he was forced to retreat, so that he would not be cut off and destroyed. Villa was rushed to a field hospital, where it was found that his lower arm bones were shattered, tearing up the muscle with bone fragments. He would take some time to recover, although he would eventually fully recover, luckier than many of his troops, many of which were killed.

The Washington Artillery on the move near Hermosillo​

 

[General Mosh]

So, after debating it with myself for a bit, I've decided on a format change. Instead of having excerpts from books I'll write it all a sort of narrative, which is how I was writing it anyways, I was just adding in the book excerpts mainly as titles.
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Why should America care?​

The Allies in Europe still held out hope that the US may come to their rescue until 15 January 1917. During a press conference, a New York Times reporter asked him what seemed like a pretty obvious question. What was his position on the great war over in Europe? Of course, everyone expected his position to be with the Allies. But while that may have been his private opinion, his country was in the middle of what was turning into a bloody war. How could he justify supporting yet another even bloodier war over in Europe? So his answer, while unexpected at the time, is quite apparently the right one in hindsight. Wilson responded to a question with another question, "Why should America care about a war between empires across the ocean?" It soon became obvious Wilson was overlooking the war on those oceans as well.

That's because Wilson's statement is widely believed to have been the reason of the German Empire's next move. Richard von Kühlmann , the German Empire's state secretary for foreign affairs (Außenstaatssekretäre), personally traveled to the US to give them a week's warning that Germany would resume unrestricted submarine warfare (USW). Kühlmann clearly made the move hoping to stay on America's good side, much like why he had sent the Kühlmann telegram in June the year before. As promised, on 1 February 1917 Germany resumed its tactic of USW, just as the US was heavily bogged down in Mexico, which was turning into a smaller scale version of the war in Europe. People in the US were fearful of that happening, and certainly didn't want to get involved in a second large war at the same time. As a result, the American people pretty much ignored the new German tactics. They focused much more on the man Woodrow Wilson had just appointed to lead the US forces in Mexico, Major General John J. Pershing.

 

[jerseyrules]

This is really interesting stuff; keep it up!

 

[Keb]

So, after debating it with myself for a bit, I've decided on a format change. Instead of having excerpts from books I'll write it all a sort of narrative, which is how I was writing it anyways, I was just adding in the book excerpts mainly as titles.

Well, I rather like the format of this TL regardless, so whatever you prefer.

Regarding the TL itself, I have to say, I rather like it. It's ... actually, it's quite a refreshing change and not something I'd seen done before.

That said, wasn't the German decision to resume Unlimited Submarine Warfare based on the belief that, due to Wilson's pro-British policies, the USA was basically already at war with the Central Powers? With the US distracted elsewhere and increasingly unlikely to intervene in Europe, the incentive to resume USW might not be there. It was a close run thing OTL anyway.

I'm not really criticizing here. I don't find the decision to resume USW a deal-breaker or even a major issue, merely asking.

 

[yourworstnightmare]

Well, I rather like the format of this TL regardless, so whatever you prefer.

Regarding the TL itself, I have to say, I rather like it. It's ... actually, it's quite a refreshing change and not something I'd seen done before.

That said, wasn't the German decision to resume Unlimited Submarine Warfare based on the belief that, due to Wilson's pro-British policies, the USA was basically already at war with the Central Powers? With the US distracted elsewhere and increasingly unlikely to intervene in Europe, the incentive to resume USW might not be there. It was a close run thing OTL anyway.

I'm not really criticizing here. I don't find the decision to resume USW a deal-breaker or even a major issue, merely asking.

No, the Germans needed a way to hurt Britain economically. Germany was basically cut of from all overseas trade, and suffered greatly (the economy was basically a zombie, dead long ago and artificially awakened to life as a rotten corpse), while Britain had no problems trading with the Colonies, the Dominions, the US, Latin America etc. The only way the Germans could disrupt that trade was through submarine warfare. And the only effective submarine warfare was the unrestricted one, where all ships could be sunk regardless of nationality.

 

[Keb]

No, the Germans needed a way to hurt Britain economically. Germany was basically cut of from all overseas trade, and suffered greatly (the economy was basically a zombie, dead long ago and artificially awakened to life as a rotten corpse), while Britain had no problems trading with the Colonies, the Dominions, the US, Latin America etc. The only way the Germans could disrupt that trade was through submarine warfare. And the only effective submarine warfare was the unrestricted one, where all ships could be sunk regardless of nationality.

Oh, I agree. I'm just vaguely remembering something about the decision to actually resume the warfare being a heavily contested one in German command (precisely because of the fear it would bring the USA into the war, which was countered that the USA basically was at war with Germany, funding Britain as it was ... or that it was irrelevant in the great shceme of things), with various factions arguing for or against it (ultimately convincing the Chancellor to approve it and, thereby, ensuring USW resumed). But I'll admit my memory is vague and I'm not quite sure of the details.

 

[General Mosh]

This is really interesting stuff; keep it up!

Thank you!

Well, I rather like the format of this TL regardless, so whatever you prefer.

I felt as though the only reason to write it in excerpts would be to have different perspectives, and more importantly, different tones. I'm not the best at changing the tone, so I decided a narrative might be better.

Regarding the TL itself, I have to say, I rather like it. It's ... actually, it's quite a refreshing change and not something I'd seen done before.

Thank you!

That said, wasn't the German decision to resume Unlimited Submarine Warfare based on the belief that, due to Wilson's pro-British policies, the USA was basically already at war with the Central Powers? With the US distracted elsewhere and increasingly unlikely to intervene in Europe, the incentive to resume USW might not be there. It was a close run thing OTL anyway.

I'm not really criticizing here. I don't find the decision to resume USW a deal-breaker or even a major issue, merely asking.

Pretty much what yourworstnightmare said. Add that to the fact that the US isn't doing nearly as much trade with the Entente powers (so USW isn't likely to hurt the US nearly as much) and the Zimmerman telegram never happened then it will lead to the US not caring nearly so much. Also, in OTL I don't believe the Germans notified the US of them resuming USW until after it had happened, so Kühlmann is doing a bit of a ploy to keep the US friendly by notifying them before it happens.

 

[Darth_Kiryan]

This is incredibly fascinating. Totally blows me away. I'm subscribing.

Of course, i am baffled by there being socialist candidates in 1916.

 

[Plumber]

Oh so subscribed!

 

[General Mosh]

This is incredibly fascinating. Totally blows me away. I'm subscribing.

Thank you!

Of course, i am baffled by there being socialist candidates in 1916.

In OTL the socialist party did best in the elections from 1900-1920. They usually got nearly a million votes, IIRC. They do a bit better in 1916 simply because they're the "peace party".

Oh so subscribed!

Thank you!

 

[General Mosh]

A Good Long Look​

When Pershing was appointed to commander of all Mexican forces on 4 February, he took a step back and just took some time to look at the situation of US forces in Mexico. Veracruz was secure, as well as large sections of northern Mexico. Yet the war was beginning to stall, and Pershing realized America's small professional army was not up to the task of conquering a fierce and courageous people. Pershing managed to convince President Woodrow Wilson to ask for the enlistment of 1 million Americans. Of course, he would soon institute the draft, but at least he could say he'd asked for volunteers to start with. In response, the Mexican government began doing the exact same thing.

The situation in Mexico when Pershing took control of US troops​

While all of that was happening Pershing sent 27,000 troops into Baja, where they were ordered to secure the province and then land troops on Mexico's western coast. This would lead to the Battle of Santa Rosalia on 19 February 1917. Santa Rosalia was a town on the east coast of the Baja peninsula. Nine thousand untrained green militia had gathered in the town, determined to halt the American advance. Despite their courage they were quickly routed with heavy casualties, and the town took severe damage. Some civilians attempted to escape the town into the Gulf of California but drowned when their boats sank. The town was burned and a large portion of the remaining populace killed in the day following the battle, it what became the only instance of widespread looting and murder by US forces. This can perhaps be attributed to the fact that the leader of the group had been killed during the fighting. Major General Scott Alexander was a very adept commander who had risen through the ranks from private all the way to general. He was replaced by his second in command, Brigadier General Douglas MacArthur. MacArthur was a good commander, but had time and time again said that the Americans should be harder on the Mexicans. When his troops began burning, looting, and murdering, he did nothing to stop them, earning him a reputation as a ruthless commander.

Only 5 days after Santa Rosalia, on 24 February 1917, the battle of Puebla was fought. Puebla was a town west of Veracruz and southeast of Mexico City. The US had finally achieved a breakthrough at Veracruz, which some had begun to call "America's Gallipoli". Six thousand American troops had taken position to guard the US southern flank at Puebla. Thirty five thousand Mexican troops attacked them in full force, and the American troops were pushed back, sustaining heavy casualties. Pershing decided after the battle that his troops in Veracruz were not yet ready for a full scale offensive and ordered them to pull back to Cordoba, closer to Veracruz. Much of February, March, and April would be spent building up troops for a spring offensive that was to start on 19 April 1917.

American troops prepare defenses in Cordoba​

 

[SlyDessertFox]

I've been meaning to subscribe to this for awhile. Finally did.

 

[FellowNerd]

Fantastic good Sir. Subscribed

 

[General Mosh]

Offensive in the North​

On 19 April 1917, Major General Dodd launched a massive assault across the front in Sonora. Dodd had very quickly risen through the ranks during the war, because he had much more experience fighting Mexicans than many other American commanders. He had fought in the original expedition to capture Pancho Villa, the expedition that started the Second Mexican American War. He had more experience in fighting Mexicans than even Pershing, his immediate superior and commander of all forces in Mexico did. Dodd had over a year of fighting under his belt at this point, and commanded nearly five hundred thousand American troops, well supported by artillery, reconnaissance aircraft, and other vehicles, as well as having a massive logistical system that covered his entire front. The Mexicans had around the same number of troops, but there was a major difference. The Mexicans were running out of the same supplies that the Americans had such an abundance of. They had barely enough ammo to get by, the men were malnourished, and they had basically no support or logistics.

The offensive began with an amphibious assault by over 15000 marines against the port of Guaymas on the Gulf of California and south of Hermosillo. Offshore warships bombarded the enemy town rather indiscriminately, killing many civilians but allowing the marines to land with light resistance and take the port facilities all but intact, quickly overwhelming the 7000 militia who were stationed within the city. Only 800 marines were killed in the assault, which, along with the successful capture of the port facilities, marked the operation a stunning success. The Americans had now opened up an area in the rear of the main Mexican forces and made it a place of easy access for their warships, allowing most operations in coastal cities to be adequately supported by the big guns of battleships. In response to the capture of the city, Mexican President Madero ordered a policy of scorched Earth in the north as he became ever more desperate.

Battleship USS Michigan operating off of Guaymas​

The siege of Parral began on 7 May 1917, marking the first major battle of this new offensive. Having lost both Hermosillo and Guaymas, Gomez decided a stand had to be made in Parral, a town in the province of Chihuahua, southwest of Hermosillo and just south of the actual city of Chihuahua. Gomez had around two hundred thousand troops with him in and around the city. Dodd had three hundred thousand troops closing a ring around Parral, prompting fears that the city would become the Verdun of this war. Although not Verdun in scale, the siege would indeed come to a bloody and vicious end.

During this time, Major General Robert Lee Bullard was made commander of all US forces in Veracruz and the surrounding area, where the US was still stalled. Bullard decided to change the American tactics from trying to simply bust through and reach Mexico City to capturing the Tehuacan valley, southwest of Veracruz and southeast of Ciudad Mexico. Bullard launched the attack to capture the valley on 9 May 1917, two days after the siege of Parral began. The main objective was the city of Tehuacan, and the capture of it would lead to the US cementing its control over the area. The Mexicans only had 20000 men in the valley, who were quickly overwhelmed by Bullard hundred thousand battle hardened troops, losing only 3500 dead. This victory allowed the US to really secure its position around Mexico City and would help lead to the coming battle for the capital itself. Soon after the battle Bullard ordered two hundred thousand troops to secure Puebla, a city just west of the capital. His strategy was clear now. Flank and cut off the capital of Mexico.

Mexican troops prepare to defend Parral​

 

[General Mosh]

Breakout​

On the 24 May 1917 Pancho Villa made a decision that would forever be seen as a gamble of epic proportions. It is widely debated whether or not this gamble paid off, but one thing is for certain. It took guts. Villa personally took one hundred thousand troops to attempt a rescue of the Mexican troops surrounded and cut off in Parral. The plan was for Gomez to attack at the same time, putting pressure on both sides of the American lines and forcing the Americans to commit to different parts of the battlefield at the same time, splitting US forces. However, some sort of breakdown in communication led Gomez to attack with his forces nearly an hour late.

The Mexican forces fought hard, overwhelming the Americans like a wave breaking on the beach. They were very nearly fought back, but managed to capture a toehold in the American lines and expand it to become between 2 and 3 miles wide, opening up an escape route for the Mexicans in Parral. By the time the hold in the lines was closed nearly two days later almost seventy five thousand Mexican troops had flooded through it and escaped the encirclement. Due to the large amount of troops saved, the operation can be considered a success, despite the loss of twenty thousand troops and the fact that nearly a hundred thousand troops were still left trapped and surrounded in Parral. However, the attack was able to save thousands of troops for later in the war, and was able to kill over ten thousand American troops and wound nearly twenty thousand. It was a strategic victory for the Mexicans.

Mexican troops defending Parral​

One downside of the battle for the Mexicans however is that those escaping Mexican troops left several parts of the line lightly defended, allowing American troops to break into Parral during the course of the battle. This is often used to call the battle a tactical win for the American forces, as they were able to quickly overwhelm the forces in Parral that otherwise could have even taken up to several weeks to defeat. By the 28 May fighting had reached deep into the city, with the Mexican and American forces fighting from block to block, house to house. The city took very heavy damage, as the American forces made liberal use artillery support. The Mexican forces were steadily pushed back into the center of the city, until they were finally forced to surrender at 7pm on the 28 May 1917.

The siege and subsequent battle of Parral was reported widely in the papers at home in both Mexico and the US, and really helped exemplify how bad the war was getting. It was one of the most vicious and bloodiest battles of the war so far, ending with nearly one hundred thousand casualties on both sides in only four days. Of course, it would not keep this dubious honor for vert long. Civilian casualties had also been quite high, several thousand civilians who had stayed in Parral were found wounded or dead in the rubble. The number would have been higher if the siege or battle had gone on longer, and if so many civilians hadn't been able to escape through the hole in the lines that Pancho Villa made. Pancho Villa came out of the battle successful and praised at home for his brave move, and public perception of him continued to skyrocket. Wherever you looked you found Villa as the face of the brave fight against the Americans, a fight that was coming to an end.

 

[RamscoopRaider]

You definitely want to tone down the casualty rates, a lot, your having death levels the same as the first day of the Somme with far less forces and artillery, and more men escaping in an afternoon than escaped the Falaise Pocket over a few days

 

[General Mosh]

You definitely want to tone down the casualty rates, a lot, your having death levels the same as the first day of the Somme with far less forces and artillery, and more men escaping in an afternoon than escaped the Falaise Pocket over a few days

There you go, I killed both of those birds with one stone. I simply made the battle a bit longer, and also clarified the length of the gap (between two and three miles). I will keep this in mind for future battles (there are only like two or three more updates for the Second Mexican American war).