United States Annexation of Canada

The United States annexation of Canada occurred as the U.S. gradually eroded Canada's sovereignty, eventually incorporating Canadian provinces as U.S. territories in 2076.

Rationale
The primary reason for the annexation were Canada's natural resources, considered vital to the American military effort in the Sino-American War.

Events
The process of annexing Canada began in 2059, as the Anchorage Front Line was established in Alaska, to protect its natural resources, especially the crude oil fields, from the People's Republic of China. As parts of the Alaskan pipeline cross Canadian territory, the U.S. government pressured the Canadian authorities into allowing American military units to station near the pipeline and provide security.

The annexation began when the Canadian government caved in and granted permission in 2067, after the Chinese invasion of Alaska in 2066. The United States military did not limit its activities in Canada to just guarding the pipeline. Despite Canadian protests, the country's resources were exploited and stretched to the breaking port to support the American war effort. By 2069, Canada became Little America in the minds of U.S. citizens, with vast stretches of timberland destroyed beyond recovery.

The tipping point came in 2072. As the U.S. escalated its exploitation of Canada's resources, her people took to the streets. Protests and riots erupted in several Canadian cities. When an attempt to sabotage the Alaskan pipeline by Canadian forces was foiled, the U.S. military officially announced the annexation of Canada on June 3, 2072. Fallout 3 Official Game Guide Game of the Year Edition p.43: "Chinese Army (Simulated) U.S. Army (Simulated) With conditions deteriorating between the United States and China, a military presence in Alaska was established to prevent a possible invasion across the Bering Strait. With increasingly scarce oil reserves, a last deep-sea deposit below the Pacific Ocean was claimed by China before allegedly being sabotaged by American special operatives. Strained relationships spiraled downward into conflict as China marched on Alaska, and the Sino-American War of 2066—2077 erupted. Under the command of General Jingwei, the Chinese Army usurped control of Alaska's oil pipeline and reserves. In response, the Americans began what came to be called "The Alaskan Reclamation Operation" (2067—2077). ''Under the leadership of General Constantine Chase, the U.S. Army battled fiercely to the front lines of the conflict before Chase began deploying specialized Power Armor units that began pushing the Chinese back. Future Power Armor suits were further refined as the conflict dragged on, and the Trans-Alaska Pipeline was reclaimed. With resources flowing through Canada, strained diplomatic tensions between Canada and the United States becoming problematic, and Canadian forces attacking the pipeline, the country was annexed. A combination of inclement weather, constant American bombardment and trench warfare, and U.S. Powered Armor unit attacks sweeping through mainline China, the Chinese supply lines weakened and finally broke down completely. By the beginning of 2077, the city of Anchorage was finally liberated, the Chinese eradicated, and the operation deemed a success. A commemorative memorial was erected in Washington, D.C., in honor of the soldiers who fought and perished for the greater American good. Violence between America and pockets of Canadian freedom fighters continued throughout 2077, until the Great War obliterated almost all infrastructure, commerce, and human life."'' (Fallout 3 Official Game Guide faction profiles) In a statement to the press, General Buzz Babcock, commander of U.S. forces in Canada, cited security concerns as the primary reason for the annexation. He also derisively stated that "Little America" was always the property of the United States.

In January 2076, the annexation was completed and Canada ceased to exist as a state. The provinces occupied by the American military became U.S. territories, remaining under its political and military control, but not a state or commonwealth in their own right. As the Alaskan pipeline swarmed with American military units, security detachments equipped with cutting edge technology brutally clamped down on the Canadian population and the resistance movements, formed out of Canada's armed forces (complete with armored vehicles and modern combat armor). Protesters, rioters, and resistance members alike were shot on sight, sometimes even executed on camera. When pictures of the atrocities committed in the name of the United States made it over the border, they sparked unrest and protests from the American public. Even among the military, the annexation was met with mixed reactions. For some, the criminality of the takeover was sickening. However, it had little impact on history, as Canada provided much needed resources for maintaining the war effort.