FOREIGN RELATIONS

THE GREAT LAKES COALITION

DISSOLVED / WAR

The Great Lakes Coalition, more informally referred to as the "old Coalition holdouts" amongst the government, was the foremost enemy of the Midwestern Union and was its primary wartime focus as the Union attempted to expand its eastward influence. Both factions originated from the same greater Coalition before the Midwestern territories seceded under the enigmatic Plan 200, which resulted in the Union's founding. While not knowledge typically held by the public, Plan 200 was put into place by a mysterious collection of individuals known as "the Cohort," a shadowy clique of commerce magnates, industrialists, and bankers who pushed for federalization under the belief that the wider Coalition was incapable of being a stable, long-term economic trade partner to more developed nations; the NEU in particular. The Cohort capitalized on long-growing resentment amongst the people of the Midwest, which made up a vast majority of the Coalition's industrial arm. To them, the trade-heavy eastern portion of the Coalition was the home of the corrupt elite, and the industrial Midwest would be better off forming a proper government under their own rules.

When Plan 200 was implemented, an effort was made to absorb as much Coalition territory as possible. The rash offensive actions of the once-proud town of Bulwark, however, ruined any hopes of bringing the cities of Lake Erie into the fold. At present, the Midwestern Union has launched a full-scale invasion of the remaining territories of the Great Lakes Coalition, bringing its industrial might to bear to do away with what it sees as the old Coalition's "outdated ideals" once and for all. Unfortunately, the war was far more difficult an endeavor, as the Coalition had adapted to its difficult situation and received immense foreign support. This, however, wasn't to last, as the Coalition eventually crumbled under the pressure of crippling manpower losses and the capture of many of their most industrious cities. Its loss in the Hail Mary attack against Bulwark sealed the fate of the already wavering band of City States. On January 26th, 2166, the Great Lakes Coalition was formally dissolved as city-states broke away from Hamilton's authority to ensure their own defense, after what seemed like Hamilton mismanaging the resources of the Coalition for their own ends.

The end of the Coalition, however, didn't spell the end of the Brothers War, as Hamilton still retains some city-states under the moniker of the Great Lakes Coalition, now reduced to effectively a rump state that continues to technically be at war with the Midwestern Union. Several other powerful cities formerly in the Coalition, such as Summerview and Toronto, remain to still challenge the supremacy the Midwest is attempting to achieve in the Great Lakes. Coalition holdouts loyal to Hamilton are a thorn at the New Model Army's side as they slowly advance through former Coalition territory, and they await an eventual Sword Fleet incursion into the Great Lakes that will eventually bring what remains of the Coalition to heel.

THE NORTHEAST UNION

NEUTRAL / IMPROVING

During the beginning of the Midwestern Union's existence, the now deposed Triumvirate had invested heavily into Plan 200, using the facade of support for the Midwestern Union's founding to pave a pathway for an easy takeover of the Great Lakes. The plan was simple: fragment the Great Lakes Coalition and take over after whatever remained had cannibalized itself. The enactment of Plan 200 was largely a success for Douglass, as it succeeded in causing the Great Lakes to fracture. However, complications began quickly as the new Midwestern Union began to stabilize, and wizened up to the NEU's plans. Politicians affiliated with the NEU were ousted for collusion and kicked out of Congress. This prompted the MWU to make a substantial investment in its new military, aiming to quickly secure itself against the possibility of an attack by the NEU. These tensions also prompted the creation of a new currency known as the "Minnow" to claim financial independence from the universally circulated Northeastern Dollar.

Despite this shaky beginning, however, the DuBois administration, or rather regime, believes the Midwestern Union has at least some potential to be a deterministic ally in the war against the South, which is likely to be somewhat related to the South Union's attempt to court the Coalition into an alliance following the MWU's formation. In recent times, to many people's surprise, the New Model Army and the United States Reclamation Force garrisons in the Sunrise Isles have chosen to cooperate against the imminent threat posed by the Biomass. Positive interactions between the two factions have thus far not been impeded, with the Black Mountain garrison allowing the Midwestern Navy to pass through the now failed blockade.

In recent times, after the South Union chose to encroach upon the Great Lakes after making it obvious that they had become allies, the Northeast Union has begun to increase its cooperation with the Midwestern Union. This resulted in the exchange of the USRF's Fort Germaine and the equipment inside it for the New Model Army, supplying the Lakeside Division with food and ammunition, as the NEU enters a more precarious state internally.

The favorable end of the Brothers' War has also allowed the two Unions to cooperate more closely than ever on a wide range of affairs. The DuBois government has begun striking a notably friendly tone towards the Midwest, and the Simmons administration has returned the favor. Despite this, the dire situation inside the Northeast Union, now made apparent, has resulted in many in the Union having a backhanded attitude towards Northeasterners, thinking the current political status quo isn't to last for long, especially after the integration of the Fort Germaine garrison into the New Model Army.

THE SOUTH UNION

NEUTRAL / STRAINED

The relationship between the Authoritarian Socialist Republic of the South and the Federal Directorial Republic of the Midwest was negative from the start. When the November Secession occurred, the Coalition was split precisely in half, with the Western part being quickly annexed by the Midwest. While the West Coalition was engaging the NMA for the very first time, the East Coalition was striking a deal with agents of the South Union's Intelligence Service for assistance in their future war against the MWU. This deal was later agreed upon, and South arms, artillery, and vehicles poured into the Coalition by the week, which proved to be the most deadly assets in their arsenal, resulting in the inflicting of a few defeats to the New Model Army.

Though the agreement was (much later) fulfilled by the Southerners, the MWU hasn't forgotten the South Union's attempt to court and supply the Coalition. The Midwest also shares ownership of the northern half of the Mississippi River, which complicates matters by creating a massive waterway between the two Unions. Southerners who are disillusioned with their so-called "Worker's Utopia" often flee from the government via the Mississippi, which has led to a massive increase in the number of patrols along the Mississippi by both sides to find and either help or harm these refugees. The NMA and the Blue Guard of the South have never clashed, but as the situation on the Mississippi River develops, concerns mount that a confrontation between the two is inevitable, especially with the annexation of Cleveland as a Southern Territory.

After the deployment of a force of Blue Guard troops into the Sunrise Isles, Midwestern and Southern forces are dangerously close to each other, and many theorists in the Union suspect a confrontation is now 'more likely than ever'. Despite this, the New Model Army continues to maintain a policy of low interaction with the Blue Guard, in an effort to not start a large-scale conflict that the Union simply isn't prepared for.

THE PACIFIC UNION

POSITIVE / LIMITED TRADING

For decades before the existence of the Midwestern Union, the Pacific Union (PAU) has been exporting goods to the Great Lakes in order to not only increase their economic strength, but spread some of their political influence Eastward. Many of their technologies have landed in the hands of less desirables, but that matters little as the corporations of the PAU line their pockets indiscriminately with Northeastern Dollars, Midwestern Minnows, or whatever other currencies they can get their hands on.

With the recent formation of the Midwestern Union—a foundling nation with aspirations of mass industrialization and becoming on-par with the NEU in strength—The Pacific Union has discovered yet another opportunity to stuff their suit pockets full of cash. Brokering a deal in Early 2164, the MWU has agreed to send natural resources to the people of the Pacific Union in exchange for some of the advanced technologies the Pacific has in their arsenal. The Pacific Union has become one of the precious few sources of PDAs, ARDs, and even fusion engines, serving as a critical component to the construction of more modern vehicles. Due to the similarities between the two nations with regard to an industrial focus, relations with the PAU's corporations are mostly positive, and the trade deal remains critical to the MWU's ambitions of rapid modernization.

With the end of the Brother's War, trade with the Pacific continues to increase rapidly as the Union finally secures itself on the world stage. Critical technologies imported from the Pacific are used to fuel the powerful industrial economy of the Midwest and keep the New Model Army's rapid pace of technological advancement moving forward, in exchange for the export of the Midwest's vast resources. President Simmons, being a former corporate board member, is also one of the biggest advocates for trade in the government. These trade deals also allow for a degree of domestic production of these types of technology, though for the most part the Midwest is heavily reliant on exports from the Pacific Union.

THE WHITE BAY CONFEDERACY

NEUTRAL / STRAINED

White Bay's relationship with the Coalition has always been one fraught with disaster, even from the beginning. White Bay sprang up from the ashes of the old world, immediately becoming a powerhouse of a settlement as they were founded upon the site of an intact fusion reactor plant, even so much so that members of this settlement went on to found other independent settlements. As the Coalition became a fledgling entity, White Bay declined an offer to join, which allowed for them to form a bloc with other independent towns, all under the banner of White Bay.

After a border skirmish with the Coalition attempting to take a small town, it brewed into a small-scale conflict between neighboring Coalition militia, resulting in a White Bay victory. Eventually, this leads to a formal agreement between the two, where armed neutrality is declared to the chagrin of their neighboring border towns. From there, White Bay flourished as an economic hub, being that their laws and regulations were favorable towards businesses, domestic and foreign alike. Trade boomed, and it saw its own surge in and around the '30s through '40s.

In accordance with the mysterious Plan 200, there has not been any provocations and limited trade with White Bay by the Midwestern Union since its inception, even despite White Bay gobbling up former Coalition townships that had resisted the conspiracy. The Midwestern government is forced to bite their tongue and abide by this development, or otherwise risk war with an economic powerhouse that could cripple their already fragile wartime economy. Rumors have spread for many years that, especially with the recent end of the Brothers War, that White Bay may be the next target for the Midwest. So far the government has denied these rumors.

THE CANADIAN FEDERATION

ANNEXED

The relationship between the tattered remains of the Canadian experiment and their new Midwestern overlords is complicated, despite the ad hoc alliance established. What remained of the former Canadian government fled to the Midwestern Union, seeking refuge from the Northeastern Union's rapid conquest of their nation, where they (and their remaining resources) were welcomed with open arms. Additionally, thanks to the Midwest's recent victory over the Western Coalition, the Canadian government was given an "enclave territory" in the Northwest, in parts of what used to be the Great Lakes Coalition West. The Midwestern government shared intelligence and supply routes with CAF Forces for the sake of transferring people and material to the west, but the Union as a whole did not openly join the Canadians in the defense of their doomed country. Like the Northeastern Union, the MWU does not support, nor believe in, an independent Canadian nation. While tensions certainly exist between the neighboring Unions, the Midwest's absorption of the CPA has not been met with disapproval by Douglass.

What remains of the Canadian Federation, forced out of their nation by a powerful foreign invader, has been resettled along the Westernmost banks of Lake Superior, where they serve in the capacity of a Midwestern Union frontier territory. The CPA itself controls territory west of Thunder Bay, residing in territory that formerly belonged to the West Coalition following the displacement of the citizenry that once lived there. Much of the infrastructure in this territory needs to actively be rebuilt following the violent campaign of the War of the Ashes, leaving its primary value in its abundance of natural resources, which power the army of factories in the Midwest. This has worked to both the benefit and detriment of the CPA, as many Canadian refugees have managed to secure lines of work either in the lumber or mining industry, though not everyone is willing to undertake what they view as "undignified" labor. Canadians unwilling to contribute to the revitalization efforts of the territory have instead sought new opportunities elsewhere in the Union, moving in droves to places like Grand Rapids or New Gary.

In February 2165, the Canadian Provisional Authority was formally annexed by the Midwestern Union. What remained of the CAF was reformed into the Canadian Auxiliary Corps (CAC) under the New Model Army, whom have been repurposed for war against the Great Lakes Coalition. Those of the Canadian Government were forced into retirement and given lavish accommodation, with few holding any form of office in a federal capacity. While assets that once defined Canadian military might, such as the UR-66 and 22 VTOLs, still see some amount of use in the Army Air Corps, they are slowly being phased out to bolster the TH-series helicopter fleet. Sitting isolated within the confines of the Midwestern Union, the Canadian Federation has been put to rest, likely to never be an independent nation again. The Canadian people remain as Midwestern citizens, making the best of this situation.

THE KANSAS CITY COALITION

POSITIVE / HEAVILY TRADING

Following the Coalition's split in 2163, the Midwestern Union went through great lengths to abandon as many ties to the old Coalition as it could. Included in this was an effort to move on from the Coalition's old arsenal of weapons, many of which were broken down to allow for the Union to pursue its own weapons manufacturing. Designing and producing new firearms takes time, however, and the Union needed new guns immediately for its ongoing campaigns. While weapons like the Weaver (renamed the Model 55) continue to see use due to massive holdover stockpiles, the MWU was quick to search elsewhere, hoping to quickly secure new firearms for its rapidly-expanding army.

The Kansas City Coalition was the first to reach out to the fledgling Union, hoping to build the same repertoire with the new power that it had already secured with the South. They offered the services of the Crusader Arsenal, one of the largest and most experienced firearms manufacturers in the East, to the Midwest's efforts. The offer was eagerly accepted. Some examples of the weapons produced by the Crusader Arsenal for the Midwest are the Model 2138, a reproduction of the Arsenal's long-defunct "Templar" battle rifle, and the Model 2165, a "Crusader" rifle copy that is theorized by many to be on its way to becoming the NMA's new standard issue firearm. While the quality between these firearms varies, they are lauded for their ease of maintenance, as their parts are easy to replace and the weapons are simple to modify.

While the MWU's relations with the KCC are largely positive, there is an underlying, more insidious purpose to their deal. The Union sought to take the designs of the Crusader Arsenal for domestic production, and by the time of the war with the Eastern Coalition, it had already begun to produce a variety of foreign designs locally. For the soldiers of the NMA, it's all the same; so long as they are lucky enough not to be issued a weapon from Brissette. With the recent end of the Brothers War, trade and licensed production of weaponry from the Kansas City Coalition remains in place with little change.

THE UNITED HURONI STATE

NEGATIVE / STRAINED

A fledgling new state formed after the city of Nash chose to break away from the Great Lakes Coalition, United Huron is considered a wild card in terms of post-flash states bordering the Midwestern Union. Following the Huron Wars and the subjugation of the Huron States, the people of Huron were left split amongst the Great Lakes Coalition. The city of Nash itself, being the most prosperous city in the Great Lakes before the war and the capital of the Huroni States, was left shattered and disarmed. Following the beginning of the Brothers' War, the Huroni people were left split by the two nations, forced to pick a side and fight for one. The formation of a Provincial Army to drive a New Model Army invasion force from their local lands, as well as the arming of Nash, resulted in renewed interest in the reestablishment of the Huroni State. Following their victory against the Midwestern Union, officials in Nash would choose to use their new arsenal, as well as a reinvigorated Army, to officially secede from the Coalition and form the state of United Huron.

Following the establishment of United Huron, Nash would use its Callekh Civic Guard, smaller militias, as well as convicts from the nearby Stillwater Facility and the Long Bay Prison to establish a standing army for the defense of their new state. United Huron quickly moved to consolidate its territories and expand into wasteland territories previously unclaimed. The establishment of the state also stirred Huroni nationalism across the Great Lakes, as the Huroni people once again reawakened.

The relationship between the new Huroni state and the Midwestern Union is one that experts deem doomed from the start. The Midwest is in control of vast swaths of what used to be Huron territory, and was the front line in the Huron Wars. While no formal diplomatic relations have been opened yet, the New Model Army has been quick to use whatever Home Guard forces they can spare to secure the border, lest they lose land to enterprising Huronis.

Recent actions by the Huronis have proven to be troubling for the Midwestern Union, as the state, in a surprise action, annexed the Southpoint Confederation, the militant group that had seemingly declared war against humanity itself and unleashed the Biomass. This action presumably came after the Southpointers overthrew their tyrannical leader who coerced them into doing these actions. Despite Huron now having a more center stage in Great Lakes politics once again, the Midwestern Union still retains a keen eye on them, and especially after the recent end of the Brothers War, it is suspected that the Union will attempt to take control of Huroni settlements within its borders at gunpoint.

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