The War of the 21st Century

Chapter 8: The Fall of Taiwan

The American victory at the Port of Ponce put intense pressure in China. They could no longer stop the American industrial machine by effectively attacking the oil convoys in the Caribbean, and their Atlantic fleet was on the defensive in Cuba. For the Americans, it was a much needed victory after their failure to stop the Chinese invasion of Taiwan. President MacArthur galvanized the country and warned the public that they needed to press on and continue the fight until China surrendered their claims to the lands of the Pacific. "This is a great victory for us. We fought gallantly and cleverly against a titanic enemy that wants to impose their will on us and the rest of the world. But we cannot fall asleep. This is just one victory. We need more if we want to finish off the danger to our democracy and our freedom. We need to win in Taiwan!"

After a month, the battle of Taiwan had been intense, their advance had stalled because the Marines and Taiwanese army had held for so long, helped by the Navy which was sending constant supplies. The allied forces had entrenched themselves in Taitung City. The president ordered the city to be made impregnable, and told them to resist until they could send more forces for a counterattack.

The Chinese military was already on the move. They felt pressured to advance after their defeat at Ponce and launched an all-out assault on Taitung City, the American Pacific fleet supplying them, and the American airbases in Okinawa and ...It was hell.

 The Chinese air force attacked the USAF and Navy bases in Okinawa. The Americans vigorously defended their bases, but this meant that the allied armies in Taiwan were left without air support except from the Navy which was also attacked when the Chinese Pacific fleet sent an air and sea attack. The Navy withstood the attack also without much losses, but then again, this meant that there was no air nor sea support for the allied armies in Taitung. While the Navy and Air force were tied up, the massive Chinese army punched a hole in the defenses of the city. The situation was critical; the fall of Taiwan was imminent.

The news took president MacArthur off-guard. The Chinese were one step ahead of the Americans this time. The general in charge of the Marines in Taitung asked the president permission to retreat his forces out of Taiwan. This meant leaving their Taiwanese allies alone to fend off the opposing force. In MacArthur's mind there was no choice but to acquiesce, and in solidarity he sent a message to the Taiwanese. 

"We will be back. We will never cease to give our support for your people. If we cannot help you, we sure will avenge you. You have my promise. We'll be back."

The Taiwanese president pleaded and asked for a counterattack, but he was denied. The Taiwanese were doomed, and even though they were left alone to fight the enemy, they made a final stand to to help protect the Marines retreating into the beach while Navy helicopters carried them off the island. The Chinese pushed harder into Taitung City trying to capture the Marines escaping the island, but the Taiwanese resistance was stiff in the face of defeat. The enemy couldn't believe it; they thought the Taiwanese would fold when the Americans left, but they resisted till the end.

The Chinese fleet shifted the focus of their attack into the helicopters and landing crafts evacuating the Marines. They managed to sink many of them, but the bulk of the forces survived by getting into the ships on time. The evacuation was a success, thanks to the Taiwanese. Then, the American Pacific Fleet retreated to Okinawa for further orders.

By dawn, Taitung City had fallen and Taiwan with it to become a Chinese province once again after so many years. China had taken what it always believed was rightfully hers. Taiwan was a test. They always believed that if the Taiwan campaign didn't work, they would not continue to expand anywhere else, but now they had their primary objective. Their victory made them proud to the extent that now they truly believed that they could overtake the USA as the leading nation of the world...At the time however, the world believed China would stop at Taiwan, for some believed they had a legitimate claim to the territory, and others just simply wanted the war to be over to stop the bloodshed and be at peace. President MacArthur on the other hand, believed the real prize was the world itself, and now he needed to convince his allies and his own nation to keep the fight alive, or wait for the Chinese to strike first and retake the initiative. After all he had made a promise to the Taiwanese; he was now fully commited to their cause. However, the American people were not satisfied with the course of the war, they had lost many soldiers only to see the Taiwanese campaign fail. There was no point in continuing the war if Taiwan was lost. It was a political mess for MacArthur, and yet he was right. Taiwan was the first step to global domination. The rise of China is inevitable; their military jauggernaut will plunge the world deeper into the War of the 21st Century. It seems nobody can stop it.