The beginning of the year was a waiting game, as winter continued. But it wasn't a particularly cold winter this year, and most fighting was in the south, meaning it was just a few short months before large scale assaults began again.
General Hart led a sweeping offensive into the south from his position in Virginia, Gray Army divisions melting away in his path. In cooperation with General McBryar of the southern central army and General Andrews of the army moving south currently in Tennessee, they managed to close the pockets and move the south fully into a guerrilla war. Ninety thousand men stayed to maintain an occupation, while the rest moved west to help the battles there.
Just a few years ago, the Spartacists and Poor Man Fighters were fleeing from battle and hiding in villages. Now the shoe was on the other foot, with the white supremacists hiding in white towns and villages, striking out against the Revolutionaries' superior force. Unlike the first civil war where they laid down their arms, there would be no general surrender, but a prolonged period of bloodshed.
While the Gray Army was being dealt with, the Blue Army was by no means left untouched. While the Gray Army was making its last stands as a field army, artillery fire roared across the Mississippi, the Revolutionary Army led by General Purnell keeping their opponents pinned in place. Meanwhile General Fendler, reinforced by troops from the northeast, moved south into Arkansas.
Harassed by partisans, with reinforcements stuck in Mississippi, and lacking enough ammunition or artillery munitions, the Blue Army in Arkansas was destroyed. This gave the Revolutionary Army free reign to attack the Blue Army from both sides, their forts and riverline defenses useless against a flanking attack.
General Wesley Merritt gave the order to surrender on May 6th, ending organized resistance. The naval blockade ensured no aid had come through New Orleans, and now that they couldn't escape through it. The Revolutionary Army entered New Orleans to cheers, but the city itself had not survived the occupation unscathed. There would be much rebuilding needing to be done.
While the game-changing fights happened in the south, the west was by no means peaceful. Armed Indians from the Indian Territory took it over before heading north to help the battle there. The Revolutionary Army was attacking Kansas from Nebraska, and their intervention was enough to thoroughly win. They then marched south again into Texas.
Further west saw a short battle in Salt Lake City. General Zhingling destroyed the small militia and began military occupation, but was constantly harassed by reactionaries in the countryside. The Mormon church did not take well to the RPG's refusal of their autonomy, seeing it as a sign the revolutionaries would seek to destroy them. This was not helped by the general and many soldiers being Asian, many reactionaries fear mongering that it was a war against the white race.
General-In-Chief Miles was still in Texas coordinating the military-run government, but he had no army left to save him. The Revolutionaries were coming from north and east, while to his west they were entrenched.
With the Revolutionary Navy freed up, they supported a quick landing in Puerto Rico. A miniature civil war resulted between the Spanish landowners and the largely mixed race lower class, who with American help swiftly won. They declared the People's Republic of Puerto Rico, in line with the local SLP's previous campaigns for independence, organizing elections to decide on their form of government.
The United Front was preparing to send aid to help spark revolution in Alaska, hoping to get rid of America's last colonies. While they had strong support in Puerto Rico, former president McKinley had retreated with some remnants of his army to Alaska, making contact with and convincing sympathetic Alaskans (primarily the indigenous people) more difficult.
It was this situation, at the beginning of summer, when the strike began in Mexico. President Díaz had the normal police, the rurales (mounted armed police), and eighty thousand men in the army, and was sure to use them in force.
Meanwhile the Mexican Liberal Party had been training their own revolutionaries in Cuba to defend the general strike by the Mexican section of the All-Continental Union Association. The Mexican Libertarian Army numbered in the thousands, a trained core to be expanded by revolutionaries.
Agricultural workers, miners, textile workers, railway workers, petroleum workers, and more all went on strike. It practically shutdown the Mexican economy. The demands were more than just for better wages and hours, but also political liberalization, to end the despotic rule of President Díaz. It was a massive coalition of liberals, socialists, and anarchists, inspired by the American revolution to come to action.
As the bare minimum, the ACUA would ensure the strike stayed funded, keeping the Mexican government from simply waiting it out, and the Amigos del Pueblo would continue their programs of cooperation.
The United Front could additionally supply money, material, and trainers to help the strikers and PLM. This would help their chances and further tie the revolution to America. From there they could continuously decide their level of support and intervene more or less later.
Finally, the Southwestern Revolutionary Army was just a few miles from the petroleum refineries. The workers there were currently fighting the rurales, and the RA would be more than enough to ensure they would win. However, this would undoubtedly be a declaration of war.
A war that the revolutionaries would likely win, assuming they kept their goals to supporting the PLM whatever they may choose to do. However, it would signal to foreign powers that the new America was aggressive and willing to fight due to a domestic strike. Foreign powers were neutral for now, but they could save Alaska for McKinley or even invade Hawaii if they felt America must be contained. Britain had the most to lose from an aggressive America, though it had just been through two wars and likely would be limited to sending weapons and positioning their navy. France had even been taking closer ties with Mexico lately, and would likely intervene in the war, whether that be through aid or troops. It would also allow General-In-Chief Miles to retreat to Mexico with the rest of his forces, prolonging America's own civil war.
The PLM is mixed on whether they want active intervention of American troops, but wants at least the extra aid.
The RA has 5k soldiers near the border, and 65k from the west and Mississippi River area who can quickly reinforce/are actively occupying Texas. The Mexican Libertarian Army has a core of 4k trained soldiers but will likely soon vastly expand through recruitment.
The Blue Army has 5-10k soldiers left of decent quality, who will surrender soon, but may join Mexico if you go to war. Mexico has 80k soldiers of questionable quality, consisting of draftees and aging leadership.
[] Do not get further involved.
[] The United Front will send aid.
[] Send the army to protect the strike.
