Mexico: World War III

Ascension to Global Power
The United Mexican States rapidly rose to power in the 2030’s as it benefited from a robust population, its unique geographic position between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, but most importantly, the decline of the United States, its northern neighbor. Mexico for nearly two hundred years before the Third World War was a backwater nation plagued by corruption and lawlessness. This slowly changed as the 21st century took place with its dramatic turns and shifts in power. Under this security blanket the Mexican economy and democracy flourished and by the end of that decade, it had become a budding economic and military global power. All throughout the 2040’s, Mexico rapidly modernized its military with the help of the People's Republic of China. Which had begun to take a huge interest in the new regional power. As the economical and military relationship between the two nations (Mexico and China) increased the relations between Mexico and the United States greatly soured. As its population swelled, the Mexican military became bigger, employing over a million troops and even boasting a few nuclear weapons it bought from the US during the Second Great Depression.

Mexico also participated in space exploration and colonization, joining the International Space Alliance, an European Union (EU) led coalition with many other nations involved. During this period known as the Second Space Race, Mexico developed a petty rivalry with Brazil and Argentina, two other Latin American countries which ascended to a state of major world player.

By 2050 Mexico began flexing its military muscle and extremists within the Mexican military began to call for the United States to reevaluate its claim to the Southwestern United States, taken from them in the Mexico-America War during two hundred years earlier. Occasionally the two nations armed forces would engage in border skirmishes.

The Neutral Years
World War III broke out in 2055 and the United States shifted its attention to China. Mexican radicals took advantage of the situation to attack across the borders and in one instance seized a small border town.

The US was in no position to deal with the situation as most of its forces were committed fighting the Chinese Hegemony across numerous fronts around the world, so it entered into peace talks with Mexico in the American city of El Paso in 2056 over the disputed territories. A ceasefire was put into place and the question of Mexico's “lost” territories would be decided after the US war with China was over.

From 2055 to 2060, the Chinese Hegemony attempted to woo Mexico into joining their side, and assist in their planned invasion of the US, promising it all its lost territories and some. Though compelling, the Mexican government, due to shaky but still close relations with the US, decided against China's offers, opting for a neutral stance.

The Latin Ultimatum (2060)
After China swept passed most resistance in Asia and Oceania, taking the US state of Hawaii in a wipe out island hop, the leader of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), General Hon himself, organized a meeting with every neutral Latin American nation in Panama City, Panama. There, Hon threatened all in attendance, telling them to pick a side or suffer consequences; each nation was given twenty four hours to decide. Countries waiting for an excuse to either join the Hegemony or Allies, either out of ambition or fear, flocked to a side as China ordered them to.

Mexico, however, was still weary of war. China then came in, appealing to their national identity and desire to get back stolen lands one last time, them that if they participate in the Hegemony's conquest of America, that they would receive southern California, New Mexico, Texas and Arizona, with the addition of Cuba and Florida thrown in for good measure. Despite being tempting, the offer was one again rejected, and Mexico stuck to its neutrality.

Seeing no way around it, China went ahead with Operation Dragon's Fire, a nuclear attack on the US, followed by a full on amphibious invasion in June. Mexico immediately declared war after, ending its neutrality because of the fallout from the attack went south, beyond the US borders and into Mexico, poisoning millions of people.

The American Front (2060-2065)
Mexican forces immediately began shipping to the front in North and South America. However, crippled by the attacks, the Mexican was forced to retreat with the United States, being forced all the way to the Mississippi River and Monterrey, which cut off the border between the two nations.

Mexico, with the rest of the Allies, begged that the European Union enter into the war, but it refused, further declining hope for relief from the powerful Hegemony and its surprisingly dominance over America.

The Holdouts
The war stagnated right after, beginning the "Long Attrition". By 2062, the front lines on land would become completely entrenched, with constant suicide attacks being the norm, very similar to World War I.

In the seas, the Mexican navy battled the powers of Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, and of course, China itself in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, losing hundreds of ships for vital campaigns, like repelling the Hegemony navy during the Battle of Navidad during the Caribbean Campaign. Mexico also helped by accounting for many of the forces fighting in Colombia and Ecuador on the South American Front. But Mexico's effort were far from enough to drive out the Hegemony.

In 2064, hope finally came, when the US successfully liberated New York City from two years of Chinese occupation. More assurance then arrived at the Great Jihad, when the Holy Islamic Empire (HIE) suddenly betrayed the Hegemony, declaring a holy war on the entire world. This was great news for the Allies and they exploited the opportunity, with the US launching an offensive across the Mississippi in December.

Battle of Corpus Christi & LA
Mexico responded with its own offensive in March of 2065, liberating most its territory from the Hegemony and advancing into Texas. At the Battle of Corpus Christi, the border between the US and Mexico was reestablished, putting China on the run.

Mexico and the United States pushed the Chinese all the way to the Rockies, with them making a last attempt at a counteroffensive in Denver. The Battle of the Ruins, though, ended in a decisive Allied victory. Denver fell back into Allied hands and the Chinese soon fell back beyond the Rocky Mountains. Mexico then assisted in the last battle of the American Campaign, the Battle of Los Angeles.

War from a Distance
Mexico continued fighting long after the invasion of America was repelled; forces were sent to battle in Europe, shifting the tide of that theater, driving the Hegemony and HIE into retreat as they slowly pushed into Europe from the British Isles and Spain.

When the HAVA Virus struck in 2067, Mexico's population went into further free-fall at the onset; an already irradiated land was turned into a glorified quarantine zone. The population was slashed and Mexico was forced to burn down its forests, wiping out much of the plant and animal life that survived the nuclear attacks.

Assassination
Also in 2067, the Mexican president was assassinated in a presumed attack by Hegemony agents. In reality, though, it was an inside job orchestrated by the US and Mexican militaries, so they could install General Santos as the new wartime leader. With him in power, Mexico and the US formed a much closer relationship, where they merged militaries and slowly dissolved the border.

In 2070, Mexico helped in the invasions of North Africa, Russia, Indonesia and finally, China. In 2077, the Chinese Hegemony surrendered to the Allies; the United Mexican States ceased to exist in 2078, after it merged with the United States.