The Rise Of Australasia

Chapter 938: Chapter 701: Occupying Garnifornia (Two-in-One Chapter)_2

Los Angeles did present a slight difficulty for the Australasia Army, but in the end, it was only slight.

Even the United States Army couldn’t halt the advance of the Allied Army, let alone the National Guard units assembled by All States.

The California State Guard, responsible for the defense of Los Angeles, had a force of about ten thousand, which already put them at a disadvantage in numbers.

The offensive forces of Australasia in California consisted of two infantry divisions and one Artillery Regiment, which nearly quadrupled the numbers of the California State Guard.

By August 17th, the Australasia Army had successfully taken Los Angeles and began temporary military management of the city.

For the ordinary American people in Los Angeles, Australasia had no intentions of oppressive measures, at least not for the time being.

After all, it is likely that they would become citizens of the little ones in the future, and Arthur wouldn’t want to create difficulties for the little ones, considering that it concerned his own rule and the safety of his life.

Far from oppressing the citizens of Los Angeles, the military administration even distributed Grain and provided work to a portion of the unemployed population of the city.

What kind of work exactly? Naturally, it involved helping the Australasia Army load and transport supplies.

These supplies included not only Grain and medical supplies but also corresponding weapons and ammunition intended for the combat use of the front-line troops.

Significantly, although aware that these armaments were being used against their compatriots, the citizens of Los Angeles showed no resentment; instead, they helped transport the supplies for the Australasia Army with smiles on their faces.

This was actually quite normal. After all, most of America’s immigrants ultimately hailed from European Countries, and pure Americans were actually quite rare.

Just by looking at the distinctive Urban City names in California State, you can tell that this is an area with a strong Spanish heritage.

Indeed, historically, California once belonged to Mexico, which in turn once belonged to Spain.

This had led to many of Los Angeles’s citizens being of Spanish descent; they and the immigrants on the Eastern Coast might as well have been from two different countries, naturally not minding the Australasia Army’s advance against them.

More importantly, neither the U.S. government nor California government had managed to provide them with enough work, yet the distant Australasia Army had done so.

The Australasia Army also provided a modest amount of free food to these unemployed folks who couldn’t afford meals, which contrasted sharply with the U.S. government’s approach.

When outsiders treat you better than your own, under such circumstances, even those who acknowledged the government could feel disheartened, right?

This was also a fairly overt strategy by Australasia, but amidst the American economic crisis, such an overt strategy was exceedingly effective.

No matter the crisis, Grain is one of the most essential things to humans.

Australasia might have provided only a modest amount of Grain to the unemployed of Los Angeles, but it was still better than the do-nothing approach of the U.S. government.

Moreover, any American who worked for the Australasia Army would receive more food rations; wasn’t that more hopeful than continuing to stay in the United States?

Because of such inducement, not only were many Americans willing to work hard for the Australasia Army, but the Order in Los Angeles had also improved slightly since the arrival of the Australasia forces.

This situation pleased General Silvio greatly.

After all, compared to taking over another Urban City with a million inhabitants, how to maintain and properly manage the city was of utmost importance.

Los Angeles was relatively stable for the time being, and there were no conflicts between the citizens and the Australasia Army, which would be beneficial for the future plans of Australasia in Los Angeles.

Just as the attack on Los Angeles was overwhelming, the advances in Other Regions were no different.

To put it bluntly, whether it was the United States Army, the National Guard, or the various militias generated by the American conscription system, none could match the combat effectiveness of the Australasia Army.

The American Government had invested too little in its army, which not only lagged far behind the Powers in numbers but also in the intensity of their training.

Not to mention, the shooting practice of an Australasia Army soldier in one week might be as much as the American army’s half a year, or even a year’s amount.

This is no exaggeration; relying on its geographical advantages, historically, the American Government indeed invested very little in the army before World War I.

Had it not been for the changes World War I and World War II brought to the United States Army, as well as the need for a larger army after the United States became a superpower, it’s uncertain how the history of the United States might have unfolded.

Before August ended, the Australasia Army had already secured important California cities including San Francisco, Sacramento, and Los Angeles.

The offensive in the North was also going smoothly. However, North’s Washington and Oregon didn’t have any significant Urban Cities, and aside from focusing on controlling the capital cities of these two states, there was no intent to manage other cities.

This was most rational. If an attempt were made to manage every city, even a hundred thousand troops from the Australasia Army would not suffice.

Arthur’s goals were straightforward: besides maintaining Order in the occupied cities, it was to cultivate the American people’s favor towards Australasia as much as possible.

Not to mention anything else, it was crucial not to impair the American people’s image of Australasia due to the war; after all, these Americans could potentially become allies of Australasia in the future.