America is the greatest military power the world has ever seen, but she relies on her allies to provide assistance when going to war.
Respectfully disagree, great confusion again from our bro from the south...
Puppet
A puppet is a country that is de jure independent but is more or less controlled by another, often stronger nation, through an installed government that is loyal to the controlling nation.
When a country is puppeted, its government is replaced by one installed by the puppet master, matching the puppet master's ideology. If a puppet master declares war, they can call in their puppets as allies. In the peace conference that ensues after a successful war, puppeted countries will not be able to make demands by themselves, though the puppet master can dictate demands in favor of its puppets if they choose to do so. As a result, an already puppeted country cannot puppet other countries.
If a puppet master is forced to capitulate, its puppets will automatically capitulate as well if it isn't in a faction with a major country that has yet to capitulate. If a puppet master capitulates but there are still majors in a puppets faction, the puppet will earn autonomy points if TFV/DOD is enabled. Upon defeating a puppet master (and other majors in faction with it), the victorious nations can choose to detach puppeted countries from their puppet master, making them free-standing nations again. Communist countries get a 70% cost reduction for puppeting other countries.
Puppet Master
Advantages of having a puppet
• No insurgency
• The puppet master nation may import goods from its puppet or subject state at a rate discounted below the standard trade rate
• It is possible to "request" control over the troops of the puppet; this provides additional divisions for the puppet master, although puppet divisions may not be very well designed.
• The master can effectively boost their own manpower by raising units including a mix of master and puppet manpower (70% for a Colony, 90% for a Puppet, and 100% for an Integrated Puppet). Such colonial divisions are controlled by the puppet master.
• Puppeting countries can often be safer than annexing them as it generates less World TensionWorld Tension than territorial annexation, reducing the risk of foreign intervention by other potentially hostile countries.
Disadvantages of having a puppet
• Puppeting small countries with few resources is less efficient than simply annexing the country.
• If you give too much land to a puppet, it may refuse to give you your land back.
Being a puppet
Advantages of being a puppet
• If a nation declares war on a puppet, its master will automatically turn hostile towards the nation that declared war on it, bringing them as well as all their other puppets into the fight.
• Puppets can receive lend lease from their master, even in peacetime.
Disadvantages of being a puppet
• A puppet can neither justify war goals nor can it declare war on another country, in addition to that, puppets cannot make demands in a peace conference, meaning that a puppet's territorial expansion is entirely decided by the puppet master.
• If a puppet master declares war on a nation, they can freely force the puppet into the war. If matched up against a stronger opponent and fighting alone, the odds are clearly not in its favor. Even if the puppet proves stronger and defeats that enemy, it gets nothing but glory (and autonomy points) from the war unless the puppet master provides something in the peace or thereafter.
• A puppet has to deal with autonomy or risk further disadvantages in favor of its overlord.
Autonomy system
Autonomy levels
One puppet may act more or less independent than another. This represents the difference between largely autonomous dominions like Canada or Australia, somewhat autonomous colonies like the British Raj, and totally subservient puppet states like Manchukuo and Mengkukuo.
▲ Table of Autonomy levels
▲ Table of Autonomy levels (fascism)
https://hoi4.paradoxwikis.com/Puppet
Conclusion
As the disparity between the U.S. hyperpower and all other minors nations is so huge, the U.S. has only puppets and no allies.
And for this same reason, that's why China never had any genuine military ally, and only puppets.
How could there ever be a relationship based on an equal footing between China and its much feable neigbours, would a child ask for equality of treatment from its parents?
The best Korea has ever achieved over 2000 years, is the two countries being as “close as lips and teeth”.
In this regard, Indochina being to China as close as "beard and lips", could benefit from the vast Chinese economic bounties, investments and assistance in building infrastructures that are so needed, military umbrella including nuclear plus missile defence coverage, cultural mutually benenefitial exchanges, boon for the tourism industry of both nations, academic and professional opportunities, etc., if only it decides to do so.
Be humble, there is no shame in recognising one's past mistakes, and mend one's past hostile and self-defeating diplomacy, provided it is done timely and with sincerity. Presenting an official apology via diplomatic channel should suffice in this case.
And forget about the U.S. backstabbers, don't repeat the same mistakes of President Ngô Đình Diệm who was brutally assassinated by his handler during a CIA-backed coup d'état in 1963!
Learn the lessons from Saif al-Islam Gaddafi of Libya, who personaly decided to surrender the Libyan nuclear program and thrust the U.S., only to wake up after the 2011 C.I.A hatched color revolution!
▲ Miserable end of South Vietnam President Ngô Đình Diệm backstabbed by the U.S.
▲ A powerful and prosperous Asia from North to South possible if united.
P.S. Kindly advise you to start taking mandarin courses without any more delays. Be assured that many Chinese friends in this forum will surely be glad to provide guidance if needed.
