Aztlan War

Location
 Causes
 Result
* Start of the Third Mexican War

 United States

 Lionel Halvidar
 Wend Hayer
 Arthur Yaeger
 David Castillo
 Roger Castro
 485,000
 **Military dead:** 19,667
**Civilian dead:** 18,424
**Total dead:** 38,091
**Civilian dead:**153,100
**Total dead:** 181,880

The **Aztlan War,** also referred to informally as the **Third American Civil War**, was fought in the United States from 2133 to 2134. After a long standing controversy over regionalism and state's rights, war broke out in February 2 2133, when Aztlan Rebels attacked Camp Navajo in Arizona, shortly after Lionel Halvidar was sworn into office. The Union, which proclaimed loyalty to the U.S. Constitution and the federalist system fought against the secessionists of the United States of Aztlan advocating states’ rights to greater autonomy for its largely hispanic citizens and deepening their ties to neighboring Mexico.

While the US and Mexico proper did not directly engage on the American homeland, the start of the Second Civil War is generally held as the start-date for the Third Mexican-American War, despite no declaration of war between the US and Mexico having been enacted by either party until the Mexican invasion of the US in December 2134.

## Background

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### **Aztlan Autonomous Movement**

With the mass deportations of the 2080s and the military patrols of their borders that were put in place during the Second Mexican-American War, animosity between the majority Mexican Southwestern States and the rest of the country began to grow and fester during the interwar period. The Dignidad party formed out of this animosity and won majorities in most state governments in the region, and controlling the majority of congressional and senate seats from the Southwest as well. The Party was normally seen as a regionalist party, not advocating secession, rather a degree of separation. A radical offshoot of the party was the Aztlan Autonomous Movement, which did seek to break off from the United States and form either an independent nation or rejoin Mexico.

### **The Second Mexican-American War**

The Second Mexican-American War was the first conflict to highlight Mexico's rise as a global power. While the conflict only lasted two years and ended in a stalemate, the fact that Mexico was able to fight a conventional war with the US to a standstill revealed that the world's dominant power, the United States, now faced a real challenger that could upset the global balance of power. Following the end of the war, the American alliance system engaged in several small proxy conflicts with the ever growing Mexican sphere, separated at home by a complex network of fixed fortifications along their borders.

The last war forced Mexico into an arms buildup to guard itself from future confrontation, while forming a detailed network of diplomatic channels with the government of the United States and with the local governments of the decidedly Mexican states of the American South West.

## Course of the War

### Secession Crisis

When civil war broke out in the United States, Mexico lent military support to the Aztlan rebels, led by President David Castillo. Over 30,000 foreign volunteers mainly consisted of those who are descended from American nationals overseas, known as the Foreign Patriot Militia, also fought against the Aztlan Nationalists.

The conflict began with the outbreak of the Second Civil War, a conflict initially fought within the United States to contain rebel states attempting to gain independence from the Union. Seven states in the American southwest, all with overwhelming majorities of citizens with Mexican ancestry, seceded from the union. Seven states with similar ancestry remained within the union during the war. Mexico initially attempted to remain neutral, but militant elements within the Mexican government pushed to engage the US via proxy conflicts around the planet, to give the rebels a fighting chance. By 2134 the conflict escalated and threatened to spill across the border into Mexico, as northern Mexicans, many of whom were once US citizens, began actively supporting Aztlan's bid for independence. In some cases, Mexican volunteer regiments joined up with the Aztlan Army. By the end of 2134, the moderate Garcia administration was removed and replaced by the more radical Jaso administration. The Jaso administration began directly engaging the US across the planet, while supporting the Azlan rebels with weapons and intelligence. Some of the more radical rebels conducted public executions of all those who spoke out against the rebellion or stood in their war. This ultimately led to greater escalation in the conflict, as US forces were recalled from engagements in Africa and Eurasia to put down the rebellion at home.

Aztlan claimed that they owned all bases and other federal buildings in the Southwest. Camp Navajo was in Arizona - one of the Aztlan states. However, the fort was controlled by the Union. On February 2 2133, Aztlan forces attacked the base, and after a 9 hour fight, accepted the surrender of the base commander. Following this, President Halvidar nationalized the national guards of the Union states, and called for a buildup of domestic military forces. Shortly after this call to arms was issued, three more southwestern states, and Panama joined with Aztlan instead of supplying forces to fight the rebels. The US Navy then organized a blockade of the California and Texas coastline, and issued an ultimatum to Mexico and the Latin American Union, that any effort to support the rebels would be considered an act of war.

Despite this early showing of support, Aztlan quickly faced setbacks along its periphery. The National Guards of Oklahoma and Colorado remained loyal to the Union, while Eastern Texas subsequently seceded from Texas, joining the Union as the two new states of Brazos and Jacinto. By the end of 2133, Colorado and Oklahoma were effectively under Union control, with Aztlan state governments in exile. The US invaded the rebel states on February 22, 2133, moving through Northern California, Brazos, and Oklahoma. The US saw victories in the Aztlan state of Shasta and Northern Nevada rather quickly, retaking critical military targets, while forces in Texas found the Aztlan rebels more willing to fight than they'd expected.

US Space Marines were deployed to support the Army in Texas and California and with momentum in New Mexico stalled, President Halvidar approved the use of orbital weapons on certain Aztlan targets. By the end of 2133, the rebel forces had been forced to relocate their capitol to Phoenix, Arizona. Utah, an autonomous state in Aztlan, went so far as to sue for a separate peace on May 11, 2134, allowing the US to surround the remaining Aztlan forces. At this point Deandre Garcia was ousted by a cabinet vote of no confidence, and the country began quietly sending arms to the rebels. By the end of 2134 the US had successfully recaptured much of Texas and California, and were nearing the Aztlan capital in Phoenix. As Union forces prepared to surround and capture Phoenix, Mexican president Edwin Jaso issued an ultimatum to the US: turn back now or face a larger war. Many northern Mexicans supported Aztlan’s bid for independence, and under the dual citizenship program, Mexican citizens.