Thousand Week Reich: Empire in Decay [HOI4]

Chapter 1

1947 - Kyoto, American Occupied Japan -

Pfc. Kyle O'Connor lit another one of his Cuban cigars as he walked down the streets of Kyoto, yet another routine patrol. He kept his winter coat on him tight as the Japanese winter began to set in, flurries were gently falling around him as the block finally grew a bit quieter for the evening. American soldiers had been occupying Japan for two years at this point, two years which saw absolutely massive change on the world stage. Kyle and his fellow troops watched as Germany chipped away at the Soviet Union, watched as the United States did little to nothing to curb German influence. They fought their Pacific War and then it was all over.

Passing the occasional Japanese civilian, he found it useful to turn his gaze away. It spared him the guilt associated with the difficult relationship between the occupied and the occupier, for a time. It was an inevitable thing, strenuous occupations aren't really known to breed good relations. The American soldiers throughout the former Japanese Empire knew this fact.

Tensions eased somewhat when the communist Japanese Red Army was hunted down and mostly destroyed by a combined US-JSDF effort. Of course, it couldn't be determined if the JRA was totally eliminated, some reports still spoke of Soviet smuggling making its way onto the mainland. Against all odds, the Union still held out against the unstoppable fascist tide that had infected most of Europe. The tide that had wiped out the European empires of old and made way for the expansionist German and Italian regimes, their armies looked to be unstoppable, though for now, Europe was under some sort of peace, no matter how twisted the term could be.

It was the common opinion in his garrison that some sort of action should've been taken against the Nazi Germans earlier, be it weapons shipments or even full military involvement. The United States' disinterest in European affairs was a frustrating ordeal, to say the least. Many thought that the sudden uproar of rage directed at Japan should've also been launched at Germany as well. Considering the warming of relations between the two powers during the initial stages of the war.

Kyle himself doubted that Germany would have been beaten, and Nazi victories throughout 1940 stunned the world to a degree that hadn't been seen since Napoleon's Empire. Britain's vast holdings began to crumble soon after, with various rebellions in India exploding after the disaster at Dunkirk, leaving most of the sub-continent under the control of Subhas Chandra Bose's India. Malaysia was also beginning to experience tension, with reports of communist rebellions swelling up.

The whole world seemed to be turning upside down, and the ongoing campaign in Eastern Europe seemed to be turning more and more in the fascist's favour. The Free World seemed to get smaller and smaller as time went on, with the last enclaves now having earlier agreed to form the nascent United Nations.

Kyle found himself just outside a popular restaurant, frequented by GIs. Looking around, he saw a mostly abandoned street, with a few Japanese still walking about here and there.

He unslung his M1 Carbine, ensuring that its safety was switched on. As he entered the building, he was greeted with quite a warm atmosphere. Plenty of American soldiers were already inside: some were at a table eating Japanese cuisine, and a small group was gathered around a radio which was broadcasting breaking news from the world stage.

"Hey! O'Connor!" Kyle's eyes were drawn to the radio, where he saw a friend of his alongside some other soldiers on their breaks listening to the small radio.

"What's going on?" He asked.

"It's about the Nazi-Red War." Another soldier pointed at the radio, Kyle grabbed a nearby seat to rest near the group, resting his rifle against one of the seat's legs.

From what little that he could discern from the radio's quality, the lien of control that was so hotly contested between both sides will become the new demarcation line. German forces had largely ceased their movement, and reports of mass desertion from the Red Army were vehemently denied by General Secretary Lavrentiy Beria. All the while rumours were that terms for an armistice between both sides had been reached.