IMAGI-NATIONS. PART 36.

UNION RETRENCHMENT.

 

Following the withdrawal from Iran in March 1886 the UNION army and government entered a long period of review into the future of UNION foreign and military policy. Over the rest of the year and into early 1887 the discussions continued, even involving informal conversations with allies like Mexico and  Britain. Eventually in March 1887 the UNION government announced a new foreign policy whereby the UNION renounced the option of a first strike against any potential adversary. Instead the UNION would adopt the concept of massive retaliation only in the event of an attack on the UNION or any ally with whom it had a defensive alliance such as Mexico.

Concurrent with this new policy the UNION army initiated a number of significant organisation changes which cumulatively amounted to a substantial increase in the size of the army. All nine UNION armies increased in size to around 70,000 each. This made the UNION army by far the largest regular volunteer army in Tian. With the sole exception of Britain, all other nations used conscripts to flesh out a cadre of regulars. Although China and Russia could in theory deploy armies approaching 1 million strong with Germany having mobilised forces approaching 500,000, no other army in Tian had anything like the firepower of the UNION army or came close to its technical or logistical standards. In addition the UNION had 10th reserve army, formed entirely from reservists, available in emergencies as well as many thousands of other reservists to provide reinforcements to the regular armies.

The UNION economy was by 1887 the strongest in Tian. The UNION could and did manufacture every product needed by the nation. Nothing was imported other than raw materials from Mexico  and to a lessor extent Canada and Ukraine and all these imports were made solely to support those nations economies. The national policy of not exporting to foreign nations was maintained and when products were needed to support allies like Mexico or friendly nations like Ukraine, those products were purchased from other allies.

Elsewhere in Tian General Suleiman in Iran had seized power early in 1887 from the religious leaders previously in control and was leading the nation towards a more secular way of life. The religious governments in Iraq and Syria had become very unpopular and changes were in the air led by regular army generals. The new military leaders, while delivering a form of dictatorship, seemed to recognise that the way forward for their people was to improve relations with other nations and open their societies to a more modern way of life. Especially in the case of Iran this new attitude suggested a better relationship with Mexico could be beneficial and therefore very tentative approaches had been made to that country in an effort to seek a new understanding.

China had continued to rebuild their armies following the disastrous war with the UNION. Much progress had been made and Chinese thoughts were turning to how the devastated far south of the country could be recovered from UNION domination. Although China had little appetite for another war with the UNION, it was clear that conflict would probably be the only way to recover the lost territories. How to win such a conflict now became the primary mission for Chinese strategists.

In Ukraine the government, although in theory subject to Russia, had adopted a strategy of friendship and trade with the UNION and now had virtually no contact with Russia. In fact many Ukrainian politicians thought becoming part of the UNION was the way forward. Although Russia felt more secure with a demilitarised Ukraine between it and the UNION, it still expected to have substantial influence over Ukraine and was becoming frustrated with that nations increasing ties with the UNION. Many in Russia now believed that the UNION wanted to annex Ukraine. Such a move would put UNION troops on the border with Russia, a quite unacceptable situation. Russian strategic needs suggested an effort be made to reimpose Russian influence on Ukraine by means of enhanced military patrols, permitted under the terms of the treaty with the UNION, to pressure Ukraine to remain close to Russia. The only alternative was invasion of Ukraine and the inevitable war with the UNION that would result. Such a war would be unwinnable without a strong ally. Russian diplomats were instructed to seek such an ally, just in case.

In Germany the rebuilding of the army had been completed and it could now field half a million well equipped troops. German thoughts began to turn increasingly towards their lost territories in the east of the old Federation.  Even with such a formidable army, German politicians knew it would be unwise to attack the UNION alone. The French had made clear they were uninterested in recovering their share of the old Federation. therefore German diplomats were instructed to seek a new ally, just in case.