Rising Sun

Battle of Midway
Before the Battle of Midway, at the Battle of Coral Sea, the Yorktown was sunk by Japanese fighters and caused the number of Americans present at the battle of Midway to be reduced by a third.

Furthermore, the clear air superiority of the Japanese Mitsubishi Zero fighter gave the Japanese forces a near-unfair advantage. Also, the US Divebombers were unable to locate the Japanese carriers before running out of fuel and had to return to the Enterprise to refuel. This gave the Japanese enough time to mobilize their panes and strike at the American fleet, sinking the Enterprise and severely damaging the Hornet. Admiral Spruance is killed in the aerial bombardment on his flagship.

As far as air battles are concerned, the Zero fighters ripped apart the slower Wildcat fighters of the Americans. The US forces were forced to retreat, thus giving the Japanese control of Midway, destroying the US Pacific Fleet, and sealing the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere.

Post-Battle
Soon afterwards, in July of 1942, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto successfully led the Japanese invasion of Samoa and Fiji. This was coupled with Admiral Chiuchi's strike on the Aleutian Islands, which was also a success. American resistance in both cases was severely limited by the loss of the remainder of its naval power at Midway.

Invasion of Hawaii
From August 30th to September 7th of 1942, Japan initiated its invasion of Hawaii. The battle was long and arduous, as many American forces were still stationed on the islands, but the lack of logistical support from mainland America and the overwhelming numbers of the surrounding Japanese fleet caused the Americans to quickly lose ground. THe last American troops surrendered in Maui on September 7th, 1942. In total, 6,000 Americans were lost in the Battle of Hawaii.

Forced to the negotiations table after losing the territory of Hawaii and the Aleutian Islands, Japanese and American forces agree to meet in Ottawa, Canada in order to discuss a cease-fire. Meanwhile, America is frantically attempting to rebuild its Pacific fleet, and Japan is consolidating its forces in preparation for further attacks.

Treaty of Ottawa
On January 14th, 1943, The Americans and the Japanese sign a cease-fire agreement in Ottawa. The Japanese pledge to cease attacks on American soil and return the Aleutian Islands if it can retain control of Hawaii. The US reluctantly agrees to this, and the US representative at the talks, Harry Truman, is welcomed home as a hero.