Alaska

**Alaska** was the northernmost state of the United States of America, and one of the most important theaters of the Sino-American War. Its iconic animal was the moose.

## Background

Alaska was acquired by the US in 1867, purchased from the Russian Empire as part of the Alaska Purchase. Considered by most to be a major expansion of US territory enabling greater trade in Asia, it was also ridiculed as "Seward's Folly" for acquiring seemingly useless land. The late 19th century gold rushes and discovery of oil reserves turned it into a powerful asset. By the middle of the 21st century, as the Resource Wars began, Alaska gained on a new importance as the site of the last easily accessible reserves of oil. The United States invested heavily in the exploitation of these reserves, creating all-terrain mining rigs to drill for oil, and fortifying the state to protect its interests. The Anchorage Front Line was established in 2059, as part of these efforts. The US also began pressuring Canada to permit the deployment of US troops to guard the pipeline delivering precious oil back home.

These preparations proved to be warranted. As the Resource Wars started and a global energy crisis engulfed humanity, China's reliance on fossil fuels led to talks with the United States about exports of oil. Unwilling to share its reserves with a communist superpower, the US broke off talks in the spring of 2066. In response, China launched an invasion of Alaska in winter that same year, starting the Sino-American War that would last for the next 11 years. US forces were pushed back initially, though not all due to Chinese forces: USS Ebon Atoll, a cutting edge Navy missile cruiser, was sunk off the coast of Alaska with all hands lost by USS Interference, a friendly submarine that mistook it for an enemy vessel during radio silence. The sinking of the cruiser with a nuclear torpedo ranked as one of the most tragic disasters since World War II.

The US responded to the onslaught by accelerating the development of power armor. The first models were deployed in 2067, countering Chinese infantry and tanks and stabilizing the frontline. At its greatest extent, the People's Liberation Army reached the Yukon River nearly three hundred miles inland, but failed to secure the state in its entirety. The Alaskan campaign bogged down, with neither side able to conclusively defeat the other. Gen. Constantine Chase, commander of what would become known as the Alaskan/Anchorage Reclamation Operation and known for his fervent anti-communism, commissioned the creation of Liberty Prime in 2072, hoping for a shock-and-awe effect that would force the Chinese to surrender, much like the nuking of Hiroshima and Nagasaki did in 1945. The public announcement turned into embarrassment, as the contractors responsible for its manufacture simply couldn't deliver.

2072 also marked another change: An attempted sabotage of the Alaskan Pipeline provided a convenient excuse for the US to put the annexation of Canada into high gear, confronting an increasingly hostile Canadian public with military power. The situation did not change in Alaska, even with the invasion of the Chinese mainland in 2074, with American troops bogged down on all fronts. However, China was also beginning to feel the strain, with the combined pressure of inclement weather, years of trench warfare, and increasing sophistication of US military technologies taking its toll. The situation shifted decisively in June 2076, as the T-51 power armor entered service, deployed in China and Alaska. Outperforming its older sibling, it enabled power armor units to carve a swath through Chinese forces, straining PLA's resourses to the breaking point and causing supply lines from nations China annexed to break down.

Unable to use Liberty Prime, Gen. Chase relied on these power armor units to push the PLA back. Over the next six months, the Anchorage Reclamation retook Alaska, culminating in the return of Anchorage and the Front Line to American hands and the death of Gen. Jingwei, head of the Chinese forces in Alaska, on January 10, 2077. Mop up operations continued for the next three weeks, with the all clear finally sounding on January 28.

The long campaign became a symbol of the brutal Sino-American War, particularly the long struggle for Anchorage, in both American and Chinese publications and propaganda. However, while the People's Republic of America used it as an example of the pointlessness of the war, Hubris Comics instead used Alaskan defiance as an inspiring example: The summer 2077 lineup included an issue focusing on Alaskan determination, called *Tales from the Front: Alaska Unbowed.*

While the Army declared the Chinese threat removed, hostilities continued for months, with Chase remaining in charge of Alaskan operations, fighting against the remnants and dealing with persistent supply shortages. Not all were caused by the enemy: Organization of the US deteriorated to the point that converted factories stockpiled ammo, instead of sending it to Alaska. The Chinese presence remained a major problem for the military and was present in the public consciousness, amplifying tensions and contributing to the deteriorating state of the nation, on par with the automation riots.