IMAGI-NATIONS. PART 24.

CONFRONTATION WITH GERMANY AND FRANCE.

After further official but secret talks between the UNION and the government of the Federation, on 

2 December 1874 the Federation government announced that they had decided to hold a referendum  on 4 May 1875.  This would give the people of the Federation the choice between seeking full independence from France and Germany or opening negotiations with the UNION to become a part of that nation. It was also announced that the UNION would fully respect the result of the referendum what ever the outcome and provide what ever assistance was needed to ensure a free and fair vote. Both the UNION and the Federation governments also trusted that France, Germany and Canada would support the right of the people of the Federation to choose their own future.

As might be expected Canada and Britain both quickly announced their support for the right of the Federation's people to have a free vote on their future and that they would respect the result. However Germany and France  rejected the whole idea and in particular denounced the involvement of the UNION in what they considered an internal matter. Both nations declared that they would take whatever steps were necessary to protect their interests in the Federation. Events now seemed to be spiralling  towards a showdown. 

Germany demanded that Canada allow the transport of German troops via Vancouver to Boston while at the same time ramping up construction of their railway from Seattle to Boston. Although only 900 miles of this railway had been built to date it was thought it could be completed by the end of 1875.

The Canadians quickly refused passage to German troops and called for support from Britain and the UNION. The UNION immediately offered military assistance to repel any attempt by the Germans to force a landing. However this had little appeal to Canada which wanted foreign troops on its soil even less than it wanted to become a battlefield. At this point the British announced they would send a naval squadron to Vancouver to secure Canadian territorial waters. The French and Germans , incensed by the British action ,  started to mobilise to invade the western area of the Federation while at the same time increasing still further the resources needed to speed up construction of the railway to Boston.

After this period of intense activity a strange quiet descended on the nations involved as each watched the other and waited for some new development. The British navy was soon patrolling the waters off Vancouver and the Germans gave up the idea of a forced landing.  However the French and German invasion force was ready in the east but was not deployed as they had decided to concentrate on the railway construction and await the actual referendum results. They had realised that a vote for independence could be an acceptable outcome as it would eliminate UNION involvement yet leave the door open for them to maintain their indirect control over the Federation. For it's part the UNION had mobilised the 4th army at Chicago and moved 7th army from Lincoln to a camp outside Chicago. They had also started construction of a railway from Chicago to the border with the Federation to provide a supply railhead. In addition a start was made on a railway from Lincoln towards Boston, just in case. Within the Federation campaigning for the referendum  became intense as the voting  date came closer.

With all sides keyed to fever pitch the referendum took place on 4 May 1875. The results were announced on 6 May with 73% voting to join the UNION and only 27% voting for independence. 

Almost immediately fighting broke out in Boston between independence voters and pro UNION supporters  The Federation government asked for UNION assistance to break up the riots. A cavalry brigade was immediately dispatched by rail from Manhattan on the long trek north. In the east German troops quickly crossed the border by rail via Seattle towards Boston on the new railway while French troops moved east by road to secure the central and southern border area. The 4th and 7th UNION armies crossed the border into the Federation on 10th May in a north easterly direction. The 1st army  in Manhattan and 6th army in Dallas were now  mobilised  and ordered north to Chicago. The scene was set for the UNION army to meet in combat with substantial European forces for the first time.