The Golden Eagle, A Napoleonic France after the Peace of Vienna

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Calm before the Storm
Calm before the Storm

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((Frankish Troops parade after coming back from the Mediterranean War, in this case is the 27th Infantry))
Between the end of the Mediterranean War in July 1940 and the start of the Second Great War in January 1941, there was a large wave of immigrants to Countries like Canada and Australasia, even Britain and the United States seemed a better destination. Thousands of Germans, Poles, Hungarians, Danes, and several others fled to what seemed to be a timebomb. Military exercises by Frankish and Russian troops, the army expansions ordered by Chancellor Hitler during the Reichspakt meeting in September, and the rise of the Steel Pact in December signaled that 1941 would not be a peaceful year, and History would prove them right.

Hitler watched the Mediterranean War with great interest, the war not only proved that his ideas of Armored Warfare were right, but also that the Franks were armed with some kind of terrible weapon, a gas that killed in mass and couldn't be countered by any known means. He could only hope that Delacroix's speeches of Franco-Germanic brotherhood would mean that he wouldn't use them against the German peoples. But he also had to look on the other side as the Russian Vozhd was expanding his military at an alarming speed, their military maneuvers were becoming more and more audacious, even sometimes with Russian soldiers taunting Polish troops in the border. The lack of German action was seen as a weakness by several of its enemies, when confronted with these reports, the Chancellor arguably said "And what I was supposed to do ?! Help the reds ?!" In response, the Chancellor called for a meeting of several nations of the Reichspakt on the first of September, informing them about the possibility of war and making a demand: "Expand your armies or the German Reich will not only expell your nation from the Pact but will also demand it's loans back. Then you can negotiate with the Bear and the Eagle with empty pockets." He would latter address the Reichstag and demand an increase of the Military spending, he would make sure that Germany would not have to depend on a Heavenly Intervention to save it again.

The Frankish victory only boosted Delacroix's belief of his army's invincibility, he once said to have had a dream that when the Frankish forces declared war on Germany, they all lowered the weapons and joined as brothers. But of course his generals knew that wouldn't happen, even with a large minority of Germans (in fact a majority in the Kingdom of the Rhineland) supporting such a Union, they couldn't count on their desertions and needed allies. There was a obvious one in the Continent: The Russian State.

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((Frankish and Russian diplomats sign the Pact of Steel on the 10th of December of 1940))
Their common enemy in Berlin and their shared characteristics as Ultranationalist states made them obvious allies, especially with the Franco-Russian friendship ever since the 1880s. There was still resentment amongst some Frankish sectors about such an alliance, claiming that the Russians had betrayed them and that caused the French defeat in 1915-1916, Delacroix meet these critics with a long speech on how Russia had nothing to do with a war that was sabotaged by the Jews, Pelletists, Monarchies, and Capitalists. But after the Treaty was signed, he is quoted by telling his Chief General Henri Giraud, "You must make sure that we won't be needing them to win the war this time." The Pact of Steel was a 15-Year alliance of the Russian and Frankish States for mutual protection, with a secret amendment planning the Division of Central Europe into Spheres of influence, dividing Germany roughly by the Elbe.

As 1941 arrived, the war came early with one death to start millions. Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany was having a declining health for some years, but he would finally give up on February 3rd, 1941. A period of mourn of a week was called over all the Empire, and Hitler was worried about his political future. The New Kaiser Rudolf I was a more Liberal man than his father that didn't personally liked Chancellor Hitler. On the 4th of February, Rudolf was the Kaiser with grand dreams of reforming Germany, he scheduled a speech to the German troops of the West, giving them a day free from the duty of regularly manning the fortifications. His speech would be held on the city of Nanzig, to a crowd of soldiers and citizens alike. There was a large difference between the German soldiers and the French citizens, with the French remaining silent and some more daring even booing the Kaiser, while the Soldiers gave loud cheers to give the impression that the silent majority was a minority. Soldiers over all the border laid down their guard and listened to the radio as the Kaiser started giving a grand speech about the duty of the soldiers to protect the Fatherland against the "French Hordes" so their families could remain in peace. Until a shot was heard from the crowd, hitting the Kaiser's shoulder. The shooter was subdued but the Kaiser refused to leave, claiming that it was his duty to remain and finish, until he received the news from one menssager: Frankish troops had crossed the border.
 
The Sun rises from the East
The Sun Rises from the East

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((Prime Minister Hosokawa Toyonobu))
As the 30s arrived in Asia, so did a new power, The Japanese Empire raised it's flag above the pacific. The new Ultranationalist government dismantled the old Taishō Democracy and started the Shōwa Autocracy. As the army and navy rapidly expanded, the new Prime Minister Hosokawa Toyonobu started seeking an end to the previous Isolationism, desiring to create the Greater Asian Co-Prosperity sphere. An economical and military union of the Nations of East Asia, centered in the Japanese Empire, that would encompass from China to the Philippines, from the Qing Empire to Indochina.

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((Postcard of the Empire showing the Co-Prosperity Sphere))
But the Empire was divided by a mortal rivalry of the Army and the Navy. The Imperial Japanese Army, centered on the figure of the War Minister Hideki Tojo, believed in the "Northern Expansion", proposing a land invasion of the weakened Qing followed by a inevitable "Great Asian War" against the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. The Japanese still had the trauma of the bloody Korean War, where their forces threw themselves against Qing machine guns and trenches. Toyonobu (A Military man himself) convinced himself to never let that happen again. The army was modernizing itself into a formidable force while their opponents in China continued to stagnate themselves, recruiting foreign advisors and sending their own officers to study in Europe, being observers of the Mediterranean War and the rise of the Frankish "guerre èclair" tactics.

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((Hideki Tojo))

Meanwhile on the other hand, there was the Imperial Japanese Navy headed by Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto. Yamamoto supported the "Southern Expansion" doctrine, believing that for Japan to be self-sufficient in resources (The final objective of the Prosperity Sphered) it needed to take the Phillipines and the British colonies of Indochina and Indonesia. The Emperor supported such doctrine, being skeptical about the chances of defeating the Taiping in a total war. And because he believed the navy to be the pride of Japan, and that as an Island, it was their first line of defense. Not only the Japanese navy was expanded, but it also invested heavily in the air sector of it, Yamamoto believed that the future of sea warfare was with the aircraft carriers, and the Japanese navy was centered around the carrier groups.

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((Isoroku Yamamoto))

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((Propaganda painting of the Japanese Navy))
In 1934 Japan finally made their first move, with a staged border incident as casus belli, the Japanese Army invaded the Qing Empire. The Qing Imperial troops put up a brave fight, but were totally outmatched by the technologically superior IJA forces. And soon, Manchuria fell to the Japanese, Emperor Puyi being made a puppet, and the Qing being the first victim of the new Japanese expansionism that started to look south, to the Pearl of the Orient.
 
So, how strong are UK and US bonds in this TL? How isolationist are the US? Any chance that they overlook a Japanese extension in south-west Pacific?
I think that the German navy can take down both the French and Russian navy so the British can probably divert 60~75% of their fleet in the Singapore, it's going to be an interesting match-up, Victorious & Illustrious & Ark Royal VS Akagi & Shoukaku & Zuikaku.
 
So, how strong are UK and US bonds in this TL? How isolationist are the US? Any chance that they overlook a Japanese extension in south-west Pacific?
I think that the German navy can take down both the French and Russian navy so the British can probably divert 60~75% of their fleet in the Singapore, it's going to be an interesting match-up, Victorious & Illustrious & Ark Royal VS Akagi & Shoukaku & Zuikaku.
Huey Long's America is in a extreme version of Monroe Isolationism, cutting off from most diplomatic ties around the world, and as long as the Japanese don't attack American soil or Huey Long dies, I don't think that's changing.

Britain and Germany aren't allies, they both became rivals after the War of the 7th Coalition, they despise one another and most of the British want to remain Neutral on the European War. Unless Delacroix manages to convince them to join in. Probably there would be just a pacific war against Japan since they aren't officially allied with the Franks... for now.
 
India got its' independent but did they also got Ceylon and Burma? It's going to change a lot of thing in case of a war in the Pacific.

As for the war in Europe, siding with the French would probably the right option to maintain the balance of powers by ensuring that France is able to recover Flander-Wallonia, Rhineland and Piedmont but not much more, so that it's able to contain Germany in the future.
But Delacroix is following an ideology, not realpolitik, if he wants to restore the Carolingian empire, the British may stay neutral or even help the Germans, especially if they want to partition Europe in 2 with Russia...
 
India got its' independent but did they also got Ceylon and Burma? It's going to change a lot of thing in case of a war in the Pacific.

As for the war in Europe, siding with the French would probably the right option to maintain the balance of powers by ensuring that France is able to recover Flander-Wallonia, Rhineland and Piedmont but not much more, so that it's able to contain Germany in the future.
But Delacroix is following an ideology, not realpolitik, if he wants to restore the Carolingian empire, the British may stay neutral or even help the Germans, especially if they want to partition Europe in 2 with Russia...
Ceylon is a British Island and Burma became a Dominion of the Empire.
 
IOTL here was the approximate size of the navies by late 1940

Imperial Japanese Navy

Battleships & Battlecruisers:11
Carriers:12
Cruisers: 45
Destroyers: 130
Subs:73

Royal Navy: (excluding the loss due to the Germans and Italians)

Battleships & Battlecruisers:18
Carriers:10
Cruisers:>65
Destroyer:>200
Subs: ~70

Both navy obviously have a few more units in construction.
ITTL there may be a few difference such as
- The lack naval disarmament treaty like the agreement of Washington IOTL
- The fact the Japanese can spend more resource in the navy if they are not fighting an attrition war in China.
- The fact that with even more territories in south east Asia, the Japanese are definitely the main opponent of the British who are going to focus on a fleet to fight the IJN

Given how far Indochina is from mainland, it would be impossible to defend for the British (the inland is certainly harder to conquer, so there may be a guerilla)
Next step is Malaya and Singapore but before this Thailand/Siam. I think that neutrality is out of question for Siam and I would say they'd rather fight on the side of the Japanese against the "imperialist white people".
A rush toward Singapore is hard to imagine given that IOTL the British prioritized Egypt and only third rate units and outdated equipment were sent to Singapore. Meanwhile ITTL, the elite of the British and Commonwealth land units are going to be stationed there with modern equipment.

Now assuming that Singapore falls (big IF), unlike OTL the Japanese would probably cut of the British from the Pacific Ocean by securing Burma, Ceylon and maybe the Maldives on their flank before going to the east. I don't see them going farther than IOTL, maybe Port Moresby and Darwin fall but that's it, they can't invade South East Australia, NZ or Polynesia), even with more land units available, their bad logistic can't support a much bigger army. But if they manage to go until there, the British have pretty much already lost.

On sea both opponents are going to seek a decisive battle, the British because they can't afford to keep the Royal Navy too far from the Channel for too long given that Europe is at war and because they can't abandon Singapore with probably between 100 and 200k men. Not to mention their pride and underestimation of the Japaneses.
Which is probably the worst idea against Japan which doctrine is precisely suited for a decisive battle but vulnerable to a long war (lack of convoy escort ships, pilots' formation speed is too slow, relative weakness of the industry as it only produce half of the British mainland steel etc...)

The Japanese have a significant edge as for naval aviation and overall they can match the rest of the British fleet since it must keep a portion of the fleet in Europe. A Pearl Harbor type attack is unlikely since a Japanese approach would be spotted very early but I can easily see the British being way to reckless trying to defend Singapore and suffering some major early defeats before they could even gather their fleet.
 
IOTL here was the approximate size of the navies by late 1940

Imperial Japanese Navy

Battleships & Battlecruisers:11
Carriers:12
Cruisers: 45
Destroyers: 130
Subs:73

Royal Navy: (excluding the loss due to the Germans and Italians)

Battleships & Battlecruisers:18
Carriers:10
Cruisers:>65
Destroyer:>200
Subs: ~70

Both navy obviously have a few more units in construction.
ITTL there may be a few difference such as
- The lack naval disarmament treaty like the agreement of Washington IOTL
- The fact the Japanese can spend more resource in the navy if they are not fighting an attrition war in China.
- The fact that with even more territories in south east Asia, the Japanese are definitely the main opponent of the British who are going to focus on a fleet to fight the IJN

Given how far Indochina is from mainland, it would be impossible to defend for the British (the inland is certainly harder to conquer, so there may be a guerilla)
Next step is Malaya and Singapore but before this Thailand/Siam. I think that neutrality is out of question for Siam and I would say they'd rather fight on the side of the Japanese against the "imperialist white people".
A rush toward Singapore is hard to imagine given that IOTL the British prioritized Egypt and only third rate units and outdated equipment were sent to Singapore. Meanwhile ITTL, the elite of the British and Commonwealth land units are going to be stationed there with modern equipment.

Now assuming that Singapore falls (big IF), unlike OTL the Japanese would probably cut of the British from the Pacific Ocean by securing Burma, Ceylon and maybe the Maldives on their flank before going to the east. I don't see them going farther than IOTL, maybe Port Moresby and Darwin fall but that's it, they can't invade South East Australia, NZ or Polynesia), even with more land units available, their bad logistic can't support a much bigger army. But if they manage to go until there, the British have pretty much already lost.

On sea both opponents are going to seek a decisive battle, the British because they can't afford to keep the Royal Navy too far from the Channel for too long given that Europe is at war and because they can't abandon Singapore with probably between 100 and 200k men. Not to mention their pride and underestimation of the Japaneses.
Which is probably the worst idea against Japan which doctrine is precisely suited for a decisive battle but vulnerable to a long war (lack of convoy escort ships, pilots' formation speed is too slow, relative weakness of the industry as it only produce half of the British mainland steel etc...)

The Japanese have a significant edge as for naval aviation and overall they can match the rest of the British fleet since it must keep a portion of the fleet in Europe. A Pearl Harbor type attack is unlikely since a Japanese approach would be spotted very early but I can easily see the British being way to reckless trying to defend Singapore and suffering some major early defeats before they could even gather their fleet.
That's a good analysis for a Anglo-Japanese war, but there is another factor. The Philippines is a player in the crossroads, hated by both the British and Japanese. While not even close to the other 2, the addition of a couple aircraft carriers, an experienced fleet that's used to fighting in the South China Sea, at least a dozen battlecruisers and several submarines could very well tip the balance of a Pacific War to either side. While Japan has ambitions on the Phillipines, doesn't mean they want an invasion, the Philippines could join by free will into the Co-Prosperity sphere to achieve their ambition of taking Borneo and a possible Pan-Malay Empire. On the other hand, they can see the Japanese proposal as giving up their independence and side with their old enemy to resist against Japan.
 
A not so Splendid Isolation
A not so Splendid Isolation

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((Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, Conservative Party))
In the 1930s, Britain was back to the situation it had to deal with until 1916, dealing with a rival power in the continent. It was with the interest of preventing the German Hegemony that Prime Minister Baldwin allowed the Frankish forces to take Britanny, but by 1940 that attitude changed with the Great Mediterranean War, where the Frankish Empire also became a threat to British interests. As the war started in February 1941, British politics divided between Pro factions for the Germans or the Franks. For the former, it was led by Sir Clement Attlee, leader of the Labor Party, arguing that a Europe divided between two Ultranationalist Superstates would be the greatest threat since Napoleon. For the latter it was Sir Oswald Mosley, Conservative MP, he claimed that German victory would result into a single European Superstate from Britanny to the Urals, and a victorious Frankish Empire has no ambitions on British territory and both Russia and the Franks would turn against one another, preventing any from achieving hegemony.

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((Clement Attlee, Leader of the Labor Party))

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((Sir Oswald Mosley, Conservative MP in his office))
On the 7th of May of 1936, while Britain still recovered from depression, it received a tragic news. King George VII was dead, victim of an air crash when returning from a trip to Australia. The tragic death of the king was followed by the rise of Arthur I. While his original name was Charles, Arthur changed his name into the legendary Arthurian figure, fully Embracing British Nationalism, believing in a 3rd way: No Huns or Franks, but Albion shall be a third way, a shinning beacon of civilization against a barbaric world.

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((King Arthur I, c. 1934))
In December, Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin resigned, claiming it was caused by health issues, his blood pressure and stress were becoming higher due to the pressure he received for not standing up to Brittany and Switzerland. In his place was elected Neville Chamberlain, a strict isolationist that pursued a policy of "Splendid Isolation", claiming that Britain should never again spend blood and money into Continental conflicts. Chamberlain wasn't a popular man, the division between the pro-war factions was the only thing keeping him in power, and his health also started to suffer by 1941. His government is remembered mostly for Britain's lack of intervention on the Mediterranean War and the economical recovery to pre-1928 levels.

On the 13th of June of 1941 he resigned from his position after a sudden bout of illness. After a internal election inside the Tories, the ex-Lord of Admiralty and one of the masterminds behind the Britanny Landings in 1915, Winston Churchill, was elected as Prime Minister and invited by King Arthur to form a Government. Churchill was part of none of the War Factions, instead supporting King Arthur's "Britain First" approach. He said in his inauguration speech, "While Europe is once more destroyed by War, it is within Britain's rights to not join it. Should one of the Parties infringe this right, then it is our duty to deliver our sacred justice against the agressor until we achieve our Final Victory."

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((Winston Churchill, British PM, Conservative Party))
 
Operation "Austerlitz"
Operation "Austerlitz"

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((Frankish forces at the border, 4th of February of 1941))
The attack was unexpected for Rudolf, but it wasn't for any of his generals, when Hitler heard that the Kaiser went for the front and demobilized the troops to hear his speech, he had another of his famous angry rants and asked the Minister of War to "Get the mobilization papers ready, for that fool killed us all."

Frankish forces used the German exposure to prepare a killing blow early on the war, launching an attack across the entire border with overwhelming force. While the initial attack was a success, the Germans recovered from the blow and halted the advance, but that was never the real attack, instead it was coming from somewhere else.

The West Bank of the Rhine was in anarchy during the first few days of the war, National Unitarians, both French and German, rioted in the streets against German garrisons. Chancellor Hitler declared Martial Law, sending forces from Bavaria and Austria to restore order. The West of the Rhine provided the lowest amount of troops of Germany, and the locals had to be conscripted into the Army and generally proved to be Disloyal troops.

Meanwhile, the Kaiser proved himself the Frankish's best ally, ordering attacks against the Frankish defenses on the North. The German plan called for a First phase of offensives into Calais, and for that a large amount of troops attempted to press in the Frankish lines on the North. The 2nd Army of General Leclerq held off the German offensives valiantly, but slowly started giving in terrain, but that was a trap. General Charles de Gaulle came from the south, crossing across Wallonia in the forest of Ardennes (believed to be impassable by the Germans), and striking the weak spot of the German line, destroying the flank of General Kesselring and capturing Antwerpen, surrounding almost a whole third of the German Army.

When the news reached Moscow, over 4 million Russian troops crossed the border in the largest military operation in History, Operation "Bagration" name of the General that defeated Napoleon in 1812. But as opposed to the West, Kaiser Rudolf was nowhere nearby, allowing Field Marshall Erich von Manstein full autonomy to lead the outnumbered Germano-Polish forces to defend the East. The first large-scale battle of the Eastern Front happened on the day after the Russian declaration of War on the 28th of February, the First battle of Visaginas involved German armored troops outnumbered 3:1 by the Russians, but thanks to Manstein's "backhand blow" (Which involved infantry troops giving up terrain to lure the enemy in so a Armored spearhead flanked the the back of the enemy army) an impossible victory was achieved with 38,760 German losses for 285,884 Russian ones. A much needed morale boost after the Flandres Encirclement.

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((Erich von Manstein))

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((Frankish troops in Flandres))

With 30% of the German army surrounded, Hitler meet with the General Staff, proposing to do the same escape that was made by himself during the Great War. But Rudolf intervened, calling the Generals cowards for attempting a retreat, he prohibited his commanders from ordering retreats, claiming that "Not one inch of German soil shall be given to the French Horde." That decision proved a disaster, on the following 3 months the Franks encircled and took the cities of Nanzig, Luxembourg, Strasbourg, and Brussels, also finishing the capture of over a million German troops in the surrender of Bruges, also capturing tons of modern German equipment especially Krupp Heavy Artillery and Porsche Panzers. In every city they arrived, Frankish troops were given a hero's welcome, cheered on the streets as liberators. An increasingly high number of soldiers started to desert to join the Frankish ranks, with the people of the old French regions volunteering in mass. National Unitarian militias joined an army that seemed to increase rather than reduce its numbers. With this situation, several generals, including Hitler himself, planned to prevent the German Kaiserreich from collapsing.

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((The April plot on April 9th of 1941))
While in a meeting in Stettin, Kaiser Rudolf I and his son Prince Johann were assassinated by a bomb, planted by a group of military officers led by the Chancellor himself in an attempt to turn the state of the War. The throne ended up passing to his only daughter: Kaiserin Victoria Louise von Hohenzollern, but since she was still 15, a Regency led by Chancellor Adolf Hitler would take the reins, and attempt to prevent a collapse of the Reich.

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((Victoria I von Hohenzollern, Kaiserin of Germany))
 
While in a meeting in Stettin, Kaiser Rudolf I and his son Prince Johann were assassinated by a bomb, planted by a group of military officers led by the Chancellor himself in an attempt to turn the state of the War.
What, I may ask, is the cover story for what just happened? Also, anyone else prominent who got killed as "collateral damage" or was deliberately targetted?
 
That the Kaiser and his son were assassinated by National Unitarian terrorists, paid by the Frankish Government.
Anyone aside from the two who got killed as "collateral damage" from the bomb plot? Any senior generals amongst them or were they just unfortunate junior or mid-level staff officers who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time?
 
Blood over the Pacific
Blood over the Pacific
The tensions could be felt in the water, Japanese and British naval assets conducted exercises in the South China Sea, sometimes the two fleets met and taunted one another with their guns, both sides knew that war was inevitable. Between the two was Emperor José I of the Phillipino Empire, watching from afar as the British and Japanese ships openly challenged the other to shoot. The Philippines left the war with a feeling of defeat, without their promised lands and costing dead Phillipinos over North Borneo and in the sea wreckage. The nation desired a second round against the British, and many expected a Great Asian war when the Indian revolution struck, it didn't come, but now it was there, right in their backyard.

In 1936, Empress Isabella was dead, giving the throne to her son José. José saw his duty to navigate the Philippines over those waters, and for that he knew that Neutrality was the answer: If he sided with the Japanese, the Eastern Pearl would give up their independence to the desires of Tokyo, as for Britain... supporting it was political suicide. But he feared that being neutral when both navies approached dangerously close to the Archipelago, the Phillipino navy was good for the standards of regional powers, but would not be able to defend the islands against 2 of the largest fleets of the world.

José had to master the diplomatic game like none other, both the British and Japanese wanting either to have his Empire as ally or as a colony, and as the War in Europe started in 1941, Pressure just increased. On the 6th of June of 1941, the Japanese were tired of waiting, sending an ultimatum: Either submit to the Co-Prosperity sphere, or suffer an invasion of the Japanese Empire. José had 72 hours to answer the ultimatum, but after 50, the Japanese answered for him.

At the 7h of the mourning of the 8th of June, 1941. The Japanese launched a surprise attack against the Phillipino navy in the port of Manila, using 4 aircraft carriers carrying 380 aircraft, and bombers launched from Taipei, the naval force of the Philippines was hit by the full force of the Japanese Empire. For 3 hours, naval vessels, airfields, government buildings, and residential areas were stuck. And at the 10:43 AM, the Taipei bombers arrived bombarding the city with Biological weapons tested in Manchuria, overflowing the city hospitals and killing thousands on the first hour. The Emperor himself had his palace bombarded, killing him and most of his family, with the Prime Minister sick by the biological weapon, the Empire fell into a power vacuum. It was quickly filled by the invasion of Japanese amphibious forces of vaccinated soldiers by the end of the afternoon, landing on the North of Luzón and taking the capital on the same day. General Rodrigo Hernandez, a criollo commander stationed in Mindanao, heard about the incident and took over the state apparatus, preparing to fight the Japanese invasion led by General Yamashita.

But Manila was not the main target, just 2 hours after the attack started, over 5 carriers with a combined 435 planes, the Japanese attacked the Royal Navy in Singapore against the Royal Pacific Fleet. While a part of the fleet was in Batavia, the British left 3 carriers, 5 Battleships, 2 Battlecruisers, 6 Heavy Cruisers, and several light cruisers and destroyers in Singapore. But the British knew what was coming, thanks for a message from a fishing ship off the coast, they had 12 minutes to prepare when the Japanese A6M5 "Zero" arrived, undoubtedly the best fighter plane of the pacific. With time to ready the AA guns, the Japanese saw much heavier resistance than the Philippines, losing over the double airplanes compared to the Manila attack, but this one didn't have an invasion, it was not just to hit the Pacific Fleet, but also a distraction. Japanese forces on the Gulf of Tokin landed on the North of Indochina, received as liberators by the locals, the mere Japanese landing was enough to spark a uprising of the Vietminh that saw their chance to freedom, forcing Britain to double down on the forces in East Asia.

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((The HMS Prince of Wales exploding in Singapore))

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((The ARF (Armada Real Filipina) Agustín sinking))
On the total of both attacks, the Phillipino and British navies lost 2 Carriers (with the other 3 being heavily damaged), 6 Battleships, 4 Battlecruisers, 10 Heavy Cruisers, 21 Light Cruisers, 27 Destroyers, 5 submarines, and 4 Torpedo boats. The Japanese on the other hand lost 523 men in Manila, and 113 Planes on the two attacks combined, most in Singapore. The Phillipino navy became part of History books after the attack, while the British lost over a third of the Pacific Fleet.

As the war started in the East, an internal war against the west started in India. With Patel defeating his opponents by using political intrigue and assassinations, he started the Indian Cultural Revolution, centered in the ideas: One people, One nation, One language, to task linguists to create a new unifying "Hindi" language to take the place of the several dialects of India, using the school system to teach the "Hindi" and only it, he expected the linguistic unification of India in 2 generations. He also started a real war against western values, rounding up Christians, caucasians, Muslims, dissidents, and other "Enemies of the people" in death camps for mass killings, burning non-Hindu churches, and even changing names of Western cities. These attacks enraged the Muslims in Bangladesh, starting a rebellion in Calcutta, spreading around all of Bangladesh. The "Bangladesh Uprising" desired the separation of the Muslims of Eastern India, and it was followed by another one in Baluchistan. With most Indian forces dealing with the eastern rebellion, the Baluchi one managed to advance all the way to the Indus River, receiving support from Persia and even the Sikh Punjabis. Nepal also used the opportunity to declare their separation due to the anti-Buddhist policies. By 1941, the Indian subcontinent was on fire.

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((India in 1941))
 
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