WI: Portal opens connecting MITHC Earth to our world

[Quickdraw101]

January 1st, 2020, a bright flash of light is seen just outside of Canon City, Colorado. When investigated by authorities, they find a large structure 500 meters wide and 50 meters tall just west of the town. The area is soon cordoned off by local and state police while they attempt to learn what resides on the other side. A week passes and the national guard has completed sealed the area off and has sent in drones to survey the other side.

The drones send back images of a poor, mid 20th century town, littered with what seems to be WW2 era anti fascism posters. One thing noted was the lack of American flags in the town. The people encountered by the drone were either apprehensive or fled from it. That same week, a small national guard platoon is sent to the other side with some scientists and government agents. Upon arrival, they have an encounter with an individual who called himself The Marshal. Said individuals opens fire on the expedition team, which results in his death.

After this, they soon learn the truth about the world they entered. After intel is passed to NG commanders and government officials on the other side, additional military forces are brought up to fortify the other side of the portal and wait for further orders. Thanks to those within Canon City, a full history of this world, as well as a map of the globe, is brought back to the attention of DC. They are also informed that the Reich, should they learn of the portal, will likely invade the neutral zone.

These events occur one week before the start of the Amazon series. What can the US and allied governments do from here? How will Germany and Japan react once word reaches of the events in Canon City and the American military forces in the neutral zone? How will the world at large react to these events? For the sake of this scenario, neither the book or the series exist in this world.

Scenario 2: Book version

 

[Navarro]

Book or show? Book is IIRC an interplanetary level civilisation, show is 60s level AFAIK.

 

[Urabrask Revealed]

If it's the book version, we will never hear the end of it from Wehraboos.

 

[Quickdraw101]

Book or show? Book is IIRC an interplanetary level civilisation, show is 60s level AFAIK.

The show, as specified in the OP. Scenario 2 is the book version.

 

[DarthOne]

Things get very nasty in very short order.

 

[Deleted member]

It's an enormous operational problem, since the portal is a natural choke-point which can be dominated by nuclear weapons. The Nazis aren't invading through it, but our own invasion through it would be fraught with peril. I expect Canon City would be subject to eminent domain and the entire population in the area evacuated; we'll bring Old Ironsides up from Fort Bliss. The Air Force will surge a wing of nuclear rated F-15s to Colorado Springs and they will be issued B61s, up to all 300 or so in ready storage.

And then we try to figure out what to do.

 

[PsihoKekec]

If you decide to go in you have to go in force. Which means at least an armored division in the first wave, followed by engineriing troops setting up a an forward deployment airfield along with ground based radar. Also several Patriot batteries. You will need to extend road and rail network through the portal to support the logistics of operation that will take entire US Army, Marine Corps and Air Force. You will also have to build power lines and fuel pipeline through the portal. Once Germans and Japanese discover the buildup you will have to hit them hard and fast, never giving up the initiative or they will squeeze you into portal perimeter and nuke you.
A big problem is the fact that you can't bring the USN along, so if you manage to kick the Axis out of the USA you can't go beyond the ccean until you build up a navy, giving the enemies time to close the technological gap somewhat.

Book or show? Book is IIRC an interplanetary level civilisation

I don't recall anything about the Reich being super advanced, the war ended some twenty years ago and technological advancement at best mirrored our own or is even behind ours so at most they have early 70's tech.

 

[Quickdraw101]

If you decide to go in you have to go in force. Which means at least an armored division in the first wave, followed by engineriing troops setting up a an forward deployment airfield along with ground based radar. Also several Patriot batteries. You will need to extend road and rail network through the portal to support the logistics of operation that will take entire US Army, Marine Corps and Air Force. You will also have to build power lines and fuel pipeline through the portal. Once Germans and Japanese discover the buildup you will have to hit them hard and fast, never giving up the initiative or they will squeeze you into portal perimeter and nuke you.
A big problem is the fact that you can't bring the USN along, so if you manage to kick the Axis out of the USA you can't go beyond the ccean until you build up a navy, giving the enemies time to close the technological gap somewhat.


I don't recall anything about the Reich being super advanced, the war ended some twenty years ago and technological advancement at best mirrored our own or is even behind ours so at most they have early 70's tech.

In the book they had colonies on Venus and Mars at this point, as well as completely drained the Mediterranean sea. However I believe we'll need a THAAD battery or two in order to keep the Reich's ICBM arsenal in check, especially since they have silo and bomber bases in the Americas.

 

[Quickdraw101]

Book or show? Book is IIRC an interplanetary level civilisation, show is 60s level AFAIK.

I added a second scenario.

 

[Hlaalu Agent]

I added a second scenario.

Well, that scenario does add some allies, since you got Canada and Switzerland who were able to somehow fend off the Axis, and maybe others. So, in exchange for more dangerous enemies you have more allies.

 

[Quickdraw101]

Well, that scenario does add some allies, since you got Canada and Switzerland who were able to somehow fend off the Axis, and maybe others. So, in exchange for more dangerous enemies you have more allies.

That scenario also has the neutral zone in America run from Texas to Arizona and North Dakota to Idaho. That gives the US military more room to work with before Germany or Japan get closer. However I don't remember Switzerland ever being independent in the book version, only the European nations that were allied to Germany, and a few odd nations elsewhere were independent. Canada would be a boon though.

 

[Hlaalu Agent]

That scenario also has the neutral zone in America run from Texas to Arizona and North Dakota to Idaho. That gives the US military more room to work with before Germany or Japan get closer. However I don't remember Switzerland ever being independent in the book version, only the European nations that were allied to Germany, and a few odd nations elsewhere were independent. Canada would be a boon though.

Might be misremembering something then. You know, it has occured to me that Man in the High Castle is an accidental Canada-wank, given how Canada has withstood Nazi Germany and Japan when they rolled every major power. Is this memetic World Wars Canada or something?

 

[Quickdraw101]

Might be misremembering something then. You know, it has occured to me that Man in the High Castle is an accidental Canada-wank, given how Canada has withstood Nazi Germany and Japan when they rolled every major power. Is this memetic World Wars Canada or something?

We know Canada somehow stayed independent, but they lost territory to the axis. In the most common maps, Newfoundland is in German hands. Others show the inner portion of Canada being independent, with the coasts locked down by Germany and Japan. There was no explanation given, but if I had to guess, they declared neutrality and gave up Newfoundland in exchange for it.

 

[Hlaalu Agent]

We know Canada somehow stayed independent, but they lost territory to the axis. In the most common maps, Newfoundland is in German hands. Others show the inner portion of Canada being independent, with the coasts locked down by Germany and Japan. There was no explanation given, but if I had to guess, they declared neutrality and gave up Newfoundland in exchange for it.

Pretty sure that is fanon, though to be clear Newfoundland only joined Canada after the second world war. It was part of the British Empire, it was its own dominion for a while, but it couldn't support itself so was reabsorbed.

 

[Quickdraw101]

Pretty sure that is fanon, though to be clear Newfoundland only joined Canada after the second world war. It was part of the British Empire, it was its own dominion for a while, but it couldn't support itself so was reabsorbed.

Well this is the map that most believe best suits what the world looks like, given the details from the book itself. The second is the United States and it's zones.

 

[Hlaalu Agent]

Well this is the map that most believe best suits what the world looks like, given the details from the book itself. The second is the United States and it's zones.

Seems legit to me, though Canada might have tried to yoink Newfoundland if they could. Because, who wouldn't want to keep a territory right next to you, that is culturally similar out of the hands of a threat.

One, thing in the book scenario, would you imagine that Canada has a responsibility for maintaining the buffer in any way? Which actually makes me think that in-universe a valid reason might be that Canada exists because it was just too much trouble, there was disagreement on how to divvy it up, etc. I'd imagine that after noshing the USA, which would likely be full of livid and well armed people would likely make annexing another country full of angry and well armed people (with plenty of scrub to hide in) a bit too much to handle?

 

[Quickdraw101]

Seems legit to me, though Canada might have tried to yoink Newfoundland if they could. Because, who wouldn't want to keep a territory right next to you, that is culturally similar out of the hands of a threat.

One, thing in the book scenario, would you imagine that Canada has a responsibility for maintaining the buffer in any way? Which actually makes me think that in-universe a valid reason might be that Canada exists because it was just too much trouble, there was disagreement on how to divvy it up, etc. I'd imagine that after noshing the USA, which would likely be full of livid and well armed people would likely make annexing another country full of angry and well armed people (with plenty of scrub to hide in) a bit too much to handle?

Might very well be the reason. Besides, most of Canada is basically frozen tundra they wouldn't want to touch. There's some that say most of Siberia, as well as inner South America should be neutral because there's absolutely nothing of value in those regions.

 

[Deleted member]

I think the best reason for Canada surviving independent is that the more aristocratic and conservative factions in the Third Reich weren't prepared to completely end the British upper crust aristocracy and allowed the King and Lords to escape to Canada on the understanding that they would be aligned with Germany, but the Japanese protested at a German-aligned Canada and demanded a partition, and the Germans, already choking on so much territory to absorb, suggested neutrality instead, which surprised the Japanese and forced them to accept.

 

[Hlaalu Agent]

I think the best reason for Canada surviving independent is that the more aristocratic and conservative factions in the Third Reich weren't prepared to completely end the British upper crust aristocracy and allowed the King and Lords to escape to Canada on the understanding that they would be aligned with Germany, but the Japanese protested at a German-aligned Canada and demanded a partition, and the Germans, already choking on so much territory to absorb, suggested neutrality instead, which surprised the Japanese and forced them to accept.

Or what about the admiration that Hitler and some of the other Nazis had for Canada? Hitler seemed to hold Canada of the time in high esteem. So, that might have been one of the reasons. Though, it is probably a multitude of reasons, if we are talking about in universe. I'd imagine that depending on how things happen, Edward might be King of Canada, if blame is lain on his brother for contributing to their loss and if he wasn't yoinked by the Nazis to use as a puppet. I'd imagine that the British upper class would have to integrate with the native Canadian elites, and I'd imagine any French elites would join what Quebec has.

 

[Quickdraw101]

I think the best reason for Canada surviving independent is that the more aristocratic and conservative factions in the Third Reich weren't prepared to completely end the British upper crust aristocracy and allowed the King and Lords to escape to Canada on the understanding that they would be aligned with Germany, but the Japanese protested at a German-aligned Canada and demanded a partition, and the Germans, already choking on so much territory to absorb, suggested neutrality instead, which surprised the Japanese and forced them to accept.

That could also help explain why the American buffer zone is so large, with the Japanese stopping after the West Coast, and the Nazis stopping shortly after the Mississippi river. Far too much territory to completely control effectively, especially since both are occupying the most heavily populated parts of America. Makes me wonder just how much resistance activity is going on and how much Canada helps them, both actively and discreetly. Or how many units of the allied militaries escaped into Canada with what they could bring and vowed to return home one day.