Bear Backs Down

During and after the Second World War, many referred to a "sleeping bear", which had been awoken by the Japanese. This Alternate History explores what would happen if the United States signs a peace treaty with the Japanese, resulting in an Axis Victory in the Second World War.

POD

 * The United States signs the Treaty of San Francisco with Emperor Hirohito of the Japanese Empire on June 7th, 1940.


 * The United Kingdom accepts extremely lenient surrender terms from Nazi Germany on August 29th, 1940.
 * On March 7th, 1941, Nazi Germany launches Operation: Barbarossa, and forces Soviet surrender.

The Lightning War (1939-1941)
Beginning on September 1st, 1939, with the German invasion of Poland, the Lightning War was a mainly one-sided conflict taking place in mostly Europe. The Nazi "blitzkrieg" or "lightning war" won many battles in 1939 and 1940. After German conquest of Poland, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and France by June 1940. In the summer of 1940, the German Luftwaffe bombarded the British cities, airfields, and ports until the British surrender on August 29th, 1940, and the signing of the Treaty of Cambridge on September 1st, 1940. Within a year, Germany and Italy controlled almost all of Europe, with only the Soviet Union left. On March 7th, 1941, Nazi Germany launched Operation: Barbarossa, the massive invasion of the Soviet Union. By September 1st, 1941, Ukraine, Belarussia, the Baltics, and Crimea were all under German control. The Soviets continued to retreat. Stalin vowed to keep fighting, but fled Moscow on August 21st for Omsk. Leningrad surrendered to a joint German-Finnish Siege on August 24th, 1941. Hitler offered an armistice, which Stalin reluctantly accepted on August 26th. On September 1st, the Treaty of Warsaw ended the Lightning War, after exactly 2 years of battle, Nazi Germany rose out of the ashes of The Great War as a Superpower. While rivaled by Japan, and Britain, The Axis Powers were effectively the most powerful alliance in the world.

The War of Nazi Agression
After The Lightning War, Hitler looked at the map of Europe, and saw a lump of unconquered lands in between Italy and the Reich. Switzerland was a majority German speaking. He requested that the Swiss join the Reich, the Swiss Parliament refused. Hitler tried again, threatening war, but again, Switzerland refused. Hitler was outraged, and ordered an immediate attack on Switzerland. The war started on November 7th, 1941. The German Expansion Wars were made up of many different wars, the first being the War of Nazi Aggression (as called by the Swiss) or the War of Swiss Obstinence (as called by the Germans). The German Army attacked the Swiss plains north of the Alps, capturing Geneva and Basel by November 17th, 1941. The Swiss held out for about a month in the Jura Mountains, but were pushed back toward Bern. Lake Geneva is captured by Nazi soldiers, along with Lausanne. The Battle of Bern begins on December 26th, 1941. The Swiss soldiers fight fiercely, but are eventually defeated after a week of fighting. The Swiss government evacuates to Interlaken, on the edge of the Alps. As 1942 arrives, Zurich is abandoned, and soon captured. Switzerland keeps fighting, using the mountains to their advantage. The German Army has a hard time moving their tanks and their supplies and their troops through the mountains, so they begin trying to use mountain passes. This is a disastrous campaign for the Nazis. The Swiss had installed bunkers, turrets, heavy guns, and entrenched thousands of troops in the passes. The German attempt at Blitzkrieg fails, and the troops, which suffer altitude sickness and frostbite, must cease the attacks. Massive casualties are suffered by the Germans. Hitler fires his Generals, and installs new ones. Hitler moves troops through Italy, and attacks from all sides, hoping to begin a war of attrition. This fails, as the citizens and soldiers live off the land. The Luftwaffe begins bombing raids on the towns and cities, and also begins dropping Paratroopers into towns and cities and behind enemy lines. The Swiss begin guerrilla warfare, and most formal armed resistance is defeated by late March of 1942. The Swiss citizens in the plains begin rebellion movements, but they are eventually quelled by SS troops that are placed in Switzerland. In May, 1942, President Wetton is discovered in a bunker outside of Kandersteg, a small town of about 850, and signs the Treaty of Zurich on May 19th, 1942. The Swiss unconditionally surrender to Germany, and are directly annexed to Germany. Wetton is executed. Any major leaders of Switzerland are imprisoned in concentration camps, and PoWs are put in horrible PoW camps. The War of Nazi Agression comes to an end.

Intervention in the Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil War rages on in Spain between communist, fascist, and democratic forces. Hitler and Mussolini both do not want to see a communist nation, and would hate to lose the opportunity of controlling more land. After the war with Switzerland, Germany anounces support of the fascist forces in Spain, and the European Axis recognizes the fascist government as the true government. Britain shows support for the democratics, but have little interest in intervening. Germany and Italy intervene in the Autumn of 1942.