The moment the United States realized something was seriously wrong—
came just before Russia collapsed and the Paris Treaty was signed.
At first, they simply thought—
"A cornered rat will bite the cat. Mexico is just making a last desperate stand."
But like clothes slowly soaking in drizzle,
their casualties kept increasing little by little.
And eventually—
field commanders realized something was off.
When they analyzed captured equipment,
suspicion turned into certainty.
"Mr. President! This is a clear act of betrayal!"
"Canada is violating its agreement and selling weapons to Mexico! This goes beyond a simple protest!"
"…Do you have proof those weapons were produced in Canada?"
"Of course! General Winfield Scott has already sent captured weapons as evidence. They should arrive within days—we must summon the British ambassador immediately!"
With both army and navy officers, along with the Secretary of War, raising their voices—
President Taylor could no longer ignore it.
Even without their outrage, this was clearly a violation of agreements.
But at the same time—
Something didn't add up.
Would the British Empire really—
sign an export restriction agreement…
only to secretly sell weapons behind the scenes?
And if they were going to do that—
wouldn't they at least disguise it?
Instead, some of the weapons reportedly bore clear British markings.
It made no sense.
But further investigation revealed something suspicious.
Large quantities of Canadian-made weapons—
had been shipped to Cuba.
Multiple departments independently reached the same conclusion.
Taylor immediately convened his cabinet.
"Reports confirm Mexican forces are using British weapons. Our investigation suggests these are not direct sales from Canada—but are being routed through Cuba into Mexico."
"…So Spain is behind this?"
"Those bastards think they're still in the 16th century with the Armada."
"Mr. President, have you confirmed this with Britain?"
"I summoned the ambassador myself. Canada did not sell to Mexico—but they did sell to Cuba."
A heavy silence fell over the room.
They had been watching Mexico rearm—
without realizing it.
"So what do we do now?"
"We must stop British weapons from reaching Mexico."
"…On what grounds?"
No one had an answer.
After a moment, Secretary of War George Crawford spoke.
"Spain is selling military supplies to a nation at war with us. Can we not pressure them to stop?"
"They'll argue it's free trade. What then?"
"…Attorney General?"
"We can protest—but Spain can ignore it just as easily."
"Then what if we pressure Canada?"
"Britain would tell us to stop talking nonsense."
With the Crimean War ending sooner than expected—
provoking Britain now would bring no benefit.
Zachary Taylor made a decision.
Canada would not be directly blamed.
"We cannot afford to provoke Britain during this war. Still—make the request."
"They won't listen."
"Of course they won't. That's why we must focus on realistic options."
"Can we increase troop numbers and push harder?"
"It's possible."
"…But the budget—"
War Department vs Treasury.
As expected.
Taylor frowned.
"Is it possible or not?"
After reading the room—
Treasury Secretary William Meredith gave in.
"…On reconsideration, it should be possible."
"Good. Deploy the navy. Blockade all Mexican ports. That should at least slow Spain."
"And Spain?"
"We warn them. Firmly. If they continue aiding our enemy, they will bear the consequences."
For a soldier like Taylor—
this was the obvious response.
Selling weapons to the enemy—
was practically a declaration of hostility.
The United States acted immediately.
More frigates and sloops were deployed.
Mexican ports were struck and blockaded.
Spain was warned.
But Spain—
the legendary troublemaker of an earlier era—
was not the type to back down over something like a blockade.
South of Mexico's Quintana Roo—
lay British Belize.
Untouchable by the United States.
Spain bribed officials there—
quietly unloaded weapons along the coast—
and Mexico simply picked them up and disappeared across the border.
Again.
And again.
Eventually—
America's patience snapped.
Congress passed a law:
Prohibiting the sale of military supplies to nations at war with the United States—and granting the navy authority to enforce it.
War seemed imminent.
But—
They didn't act.
Spain dismissed it as empty barking.
But inside the United States—
public anger was reaching a boiling point.
Europe?
Didn't care.
Not even about the anger of a rising power.
Not even Spain.
"Oh? The second-rate power is angry? What will you do—hit us?"
From Spain's perspective—
America couldn't even defeat Mexico quickly.
Just another weak contender.
Whether that was true—
was another matter entirely.
Meanwhile — Britain
The strongest nation in the Americas—
was still the United States.
Even now.
Canada had gained California and Alaska—
but it would take decades to fully capitalize on that.
Still—
industrialization was accelerating.
Immigration was flowing in.
Give it 20–30 years—
and Canada might rival the U.S.
And America still had one major historical event ahead.
If used properly—
They might even surpass it.
But for now—
No nation in the Americas could defeat the United States alone.
Only the British Empire—
with full commitment—
could win such a war.
And yet—
Apparently—
I was the only one who understood that.
"So Canada sold weapons to Spain… and Spain sold them to Mexico."
"Yes. They saw it as beneficial and saw no reason to refuse."
"That makes sense."
Canada profits.
Spain profits.
Mexico survives.
But—
America's goodwill drops.
And that's dangerous.
"So what do you want me to do?"
"America has requested that Canada stop selling weapons to Spain."
I snorted.
"Tell them to stop talking nonsense."
"If they want to block those weapons—buy them all themselves."
Simple logic.
No flaw.
If they don't want Spain selling to Mexico—
they should deal with Spain.
Not Canada.
"…And Spain?" I asked.
"They'll likely ignore the warning."
"…Ignore it?"
Charles Wellesley looked puzzled.
Benjamin Disraeli too.
"America is rising—but not yet proven. Spain, despite decline, still has centuries of experience and influence. At this moment, America should be the one being cautious."
"I agree."
…Wow.
So this is how Europe sees it.
Then it clicked.
The war wasn't even over yet.
America was still struggling.
So naturally—
Europe's conclusion was:
"They're not ready yet."
Which meant—
Spain thought it could get away with this.
Dancing in front of a sleeping lion.
But the truth?
America wasn't holding back out of fear.
They were holding back—
because the war with Mexico wasn't over yet.
And nobody in Europe—
not even Spain—
realized that.
…Interesting.
If played right—
I could accelerate Canada's growth—
while redirecting American aggression elsewhere.
After all—
Brothers grow by fighting each other.
So if the children of America needed a little more "growth"—
Then I suppose…It was only right to pour a bit more oil onto the fire.