Operation Red Dawn and the Siege of Europe

Too Little, Too Late

It had been nearly ten months since the overwhelming nuclear attack on the Islamic Republic had taken place, and India was still dealing with the nuclear fallout and repercussions of that aggression. Despite the Americans’ best efforts to minimize the fallout, it was unavoidable that India would get hit with a large swath of it because of the jet streams that passed over the Middle East. India had been savaged by nuclear weapons during their several day war with Pakistan in the early 2030s, when both nations had made heavy use of nuclear weapons. The war had quickly escalated from a conventional fight to all out nuclear Armageddon, which resulted in the destruction of Pakistan as a country and a devastated Northern India. Nearly 800 million people on both sides had died in that war.

It was estimated that perhaps as many as ten million people or more may be made sick or have lifelong problems as a consequence of the fallout from this latest American nuclear attack against the IR. President Stein had spoken with the Prime Minister of India on a number of occasions, and had personally apologized for fallout that would have an adverse effect on the people of India. He had even offered to provide medical assistance, should it be needed. The gesture was nice, but it was too little, too late. Public opinion had soured against the Americans, with the vast majority of Indians siding with the Chinese assertion that America was no longer the sole superpower of the world and that the U.S. should not be able to continually make unilateral decisions in their own interests with no thought or consideration for other countries.

Large rallies and protests against the Americans had initially started out as small peaceful rallies, but had quickly grown into tumultuous anti-American rallies with many people shouting their support for China and complete with U.S. flag burning. The mood in the country had changed quickly, faster than the Americans had first thought or realized.

The Chinese had approached the Indian government in the spring of 2041 to discuss a large trade deal between the two countries. India had a large manufacturing base that was churning out products to be sent to Europe and North and South America. What the Chinese offered was far more lucrative than selling consumer goods to the Allies-China wanted India to turn its manufacturing capabilities towards supporting the Axis powers by manufacturing the tools of war China desperately needed. Chinese factories had no problem producing the needed ground equipment, but what they lacked was shipyards. The Indians, to the contrary, had several large shipyards currently not being used. They also had a large supply of relatively cheap labor to offer as well.

It was slow at first, but by the end of the fall of 2041, India had shifted most of their manufacturing capability over to producing the tools for war, along with all of the munitions needed to sustain and support a multi-million-man army. India and China continued to strengthen their political ties while deepening the divide between India and America. India secretly agreed to join the Chinese-led Pan Asian Alliance. They began to conduct a series of military drills and exercises to prepare them for war. Their formal announcement of joining would take place in November, when their navy and army would set sail for North America to join the Chinese-led invasion.