Russo-American Alliance

Xen

Banned
During the American Civil War, Alexander II offered Lincoln an alliance to keep other European nations from entering the war on the side of the Confederacy, however Lincoln turned down the alliance because he feared it would provoke Europe into joining the South to weaken the United States and the Russo-American Alliance. However if a European nation decided to come to the souths aide, Lincoln might accept the offer.

The POD: Lee wins at Antietam and marches east to take Baltimore. In Paris, Napoleon III takes this as a definate Union defeat and wants to get in on the good side of what he believes will be a soon independent Confederate States. Meanwhile the Union Navy evacuates the government delegates north to Philadelphia, Lincoln at first wishes to stay but is persuaded by his wife and several officers to leave.

In Richmond Jefferson Davis receives exciting news, France has recognized the Confederate States and managed to coax Spain into joining them. When asked of Britains position, Davis was informed Britain remained strictly netural and wouldn't recognize the Confederacy.

Lincoln sends word to Alexander that he will now accept an alliance with Russia which would be the beginning of the Great Northern Alliance. Russia sent aide to the United States in the form of military advisors, equipment, and "volunteer" troops.

Britain was now deeply concerned about the alliance between the United States and Russia, and many in Parliment argued to help the Confederate States achieve independence, which would weaken the alliance, and give them an ally to the south of the United States. As momentum begun to swing in the pro-Southerners in Parliment, the US Army successfully repelled Lee from Baltimore causing Lincoln to announce the Emancipation Proclamation. President Lincoln and his administration returned to Washington, as Congress remained in Philadelphia. Lincoln's stay in Philadelphia allowed him to see the Constitution that was written by Thomas Jefferson years before. Greatly inspired, Lincoln sounded a new trumpet of freedom.

The French and Spanish Navy opened up a handful of ports throughout the Confederate States, the first being Charleston, SC. New Orleans, Jacksonville, Mobile, and Norfolk would soon follow. With the blockade no longer effective, the Union Navy was ordered to patrol the seas with their Russian Allies.

The French aid helped the Confederate States tremendously as the Union suffered yet another defeat at the Third Battle of Bull Run. The Union pressed on, thorugh victory and defeat staining the south land red with blood. Britain tried desperatly to broker a peace satisfactory to both sides, though mistrustful of the Northern Alliance, London now viewed the Paris-Richmond Alliance with suspicion.

The war dredged on, however it was becoming apparent to French commanders the Union Army was gaining valuable experience, and had a larger amount of manpower. Unless a knockout blow was delivered, the Union would soon gain the upperhand. The French made a desperate attempt at taking Washington and capturing Lincoln, however the city was too well fortified and garrisoned.

Hearing of their humiliating defeat in Washington, Chancellor Bismark used the opportunity to end the French influence of the south German states by setting a trap for Napoleon. Without so much a second thought, Napoleon falls for Bismark's trap and finds France at War with Prussia. Troops from Dixie are now called home to fight taking away the souths strongest ally. Spain withdraws from the war signing a peace treaty with the Union and the south finds itself alone facing the Northern Alliance. The Russian and Union navies begin a second blockade of the Confederacy.

The tide of the war swings full throttle in the favor of the Union as the south scrambles to take up positions held by their former allies. General Grant leads his western armies southward, Nashville, Little Rock and Jackson fall quickly to the Union. In the east, the Fourth Battle of Bull Run ends with a Union victory, led by General Sheridan the Army of the Potomoc begins its drive to Richmond., which was deserted by the government and Atlanta declared the new capital. With the war now in Union favor, Lincoln easily wins re-election.

Napoleon III was captured by the Prussians in 1864 ending the Franco-Prussian War and the regime of the last Bonaparte Emperor. Republican's in Mexico defeated the Monarchists loyal to Maximillion, the second Emperor of Mexico fled the country, returning to Austria. Lincoln wrote a lengthy letter to the Prussian King and Chancellor Bismark congradulating them on Prussia's impressive victory.

Lee surrendored to Sheridan in Danville, Va in May 1865 much to the dismay of his Generals, Stonewall Jackson and Jeb Stuart. However as honorable officer's they accepted the surrendor and returned to their homes in Virginia.

Not willing to give up Davis ordered his remaining General's to begin a guerilla campaign. The Union however was beginning to close in on Atlanta. General Sherman was killed in a guerilla battle in North Carolina, and the Union troops were taken offguard by this style of warfare, but proved quick to adapt.

It was Christmas Eve 1865 when President Lincoln learned of the capture of Jefferson Davis trying to flee Atlanta. Only General Johnston remained as an opposing force until his defeat in Jasper, Florida on January 2, 1866. The War Between the States was finally at an end, and the United States showed its potential to be a world power.
 

Xen

Banned
No replies so far? Hmmm.

Lincoln began his reconstruction faced with opposition from the Radical Republicans who felt he was being too soft on the rebels. Lincoln himself pardoned the southern generals, and gave them their citizenship back. But one of the most controversial issues was the former slaves, the radical's in Congress wanted to give them 20 acres of their former masters lands, others wanted to send them to Liberia. Lincoln instead gave the former slaves 20 acres of land in the west, however they had to fight for it. Colored regiments sprung up across the south, the only problem being the lack of leadership, most Union officer's were tired of war, or they felt their honor would be lost by leading such a force of former slaves. Lincoln then made his most controversial post-war decision by reinstating several Southern general's in the US Army to the rank of Colonel and placed under the command of General Grant (whom didnt have the fame he had in OTL).

The USCT became instrumental in the Indian Wars, and America's expansion westward. Several eastern news papers began printing the exploits of the black soldiers under the command of Stonewall Jackson and Jeb Stuart as heroes, although most of the credit went to the white commanding officers.

Congress tried to impeach Lincoln in 1867 but failed by just three votes due to Lincoln's enormous support from the southern states. After failing to impeach Lincoln the radicals lost much influence, and Lincoln's renconstruction went smoother and without much opposition. The man the south feared and blamed the war on had become their closest friend in Washington.

At the end of his term Lincoln endorsed his former VP Hannibal Hamlin as the Republican nominee. Hamlin defeated Lincoln's new VP, Democrat Andrew Johnson that November, although Johnson did carry most of the Southern states.

Hamlin and his close friend William Seward arranged for the purchase of Alaska from Russia in early 1869 for the price of $8,000,000. The purchase was criticized by most in the United States as a foolish blunder.

The world now watched as France seemed on the brink of Civil War, between the Orleanists and Bourbon's over the crown. Britain again found itself once again trying to play the middleman in negotiating peace between the two sides. However when the Bourbon's refused any sort of compromise, Britain threw its support behind the Orleans branch, followed by the newly unified German Empire, the Bourbons only had allies in Spain and the Two Sicilies, the crisis was resolved when Louis Philippe II was crowned King at Versailles in 1869. In return for German support, Louis Philippe II agreed to support the Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen candidacy for the vacant Spanish throne.

The former Emperor of France, Napoleon III watched from Holland as his hopes of returning to the throne of France were dashed. Napoleon would die in 1870 leaving behind a wife and a son.

Any comments or suggestions?
 
Looks interesting. About Lincoln's support in the south, I can see this (mainly because they'd view him as the lesser of two evils, assuming the radicals would have someone more in tune with them as president), but how many of the southern states had been readmitted by this point?
 
Oh Boy--Europe is in for a shock. There is no way for the USA to return to its isolationism right now, and the Union industry is just as augmented as it was in OTL's Civil War. In addition, the US Navy as gained some experience fighting against a powerful enemy, and some experiance on the High Seas.
The ongoing Induian Wars will result in experainced ground troops as well.
With the war lasting longer, did the Gatling gun show its potential? If so, who realizes how useful it, and the machine guns to follow, will be. Who misses it completely?
Whatever happens, the USA is going to become the giant that everyone just wishes would go back to sleep.

I have a bit of a problem with many Confederate Generals acceptingf command of black troops--or the former slaces being willing to accept their leadership. Possible friendly fire incidents on a regulat basis?

Britain is going to have to work hard to maintain a navy that is a match for the world's next two largest, once France recovers. I'd expect that Britain's foreign policy will have to become very focused on the USA--if a war breaks out between the Russo-American alliance and Britain, Canada is history. By 1875 or so, war with the US will be out of the question for anyone with colonies in the New World. Unless Britain neutralizes the USA diplomaticly, Britian may well have severe financial difficulties with her navy.
Also, unless Britain is successful in neutralizing the USA diplomaticly, the US WILL be drawn into one or more wars, much to the other side's dismay.
A scarey timeline for Europe!
I want to see more!
 
Minor nit Given the small Population of Florida, and the resources of the Union I can't see the last hold out being in Florida, They probally would be in the Ozark some where. otherwise 2 thumbs up.
 
I like this timeline, given the POD it seems reasonable.

Some questions: questions -

First, how do you square the fractious and democratic nature of american politics with the autocratic regimes of Russia? Seems to me that even a grateful and faithful ally, such as the US is in the TL will see the treatment of the peasant as harsh and unnecessary.

Second, what would be the impact on emmigration to this country from Russia, which would probably have happened much sooner on this TL.

Finally, would there be a WWI, and how would the french intervention in the ACW impact american resolve to enter the war?
 

Xen

Banned
Reconstruction continued in the south throughout the early 1870's dominating American politics. President Hamlin won a second term in office defeating Horace Greeley in 1872. After eight years at the helm, Hamlin's presidency would be recorded as one of the most dull periods in American history. However America had been discovering since the war the full potential of its might and began taking steps during the Hamlin years to make its influence in world affairs felt by Europe and the world at large.

America's centennial year of 1876 was one of Jubilee and humiliation. Hamlin formally ended reconstruction in the south, and a new wave of immigrants entered the country in hopes of starting a new, more prosperous life. The US Army also suffered a humiliating setback as troops led by Brigadier General George Custer were slaughtered by Sioux indians in Montana. The timely arrival of Colonel Stonewall Jackson and his colored troops saved the life of Custer and a few of his men but at a horrendous cost to his regiment. The post battle feud between Jackson and Custer was well documented in the eastern press. Custer called Jackson a traitor to his country, Jackson responded by calling Custer the most incompetent officer ever commissioned in the US Army, unworthy of leading a horse to water much less men into battle. That year Samuel Tilden defeated Rutherford B. Hayes in the national elections.

In Europe, 1878 would go down as the year the United States made its presence felt through its alliance with Russia. Russia took advantage the alliance and declared war on the Ottoman Empire on April 24. Much like OTL most Europeans looked the other way as long as Russia didn't get too close to Constantinople. When it became clear that the Russians were going to take the city, the British tried to intervene only to reminded by President Tilden the American-Russian Alliance was still valid and Canada was poorly defended. Britain's relations with the US had been tense since the Civil War as the adminstrations made it clear that the US would seek an eventual unification with Canada as part of the Manifest Destiny.

Constantinople fell to the Russians in March 1878, 435 years after the Ottomans seized it from the Byzantines. Britain's concern over the straits led to the treaty of Gibraltar. Constantinople and Romania became Russian territories. Bulgaria was granted independence under a Bourbon King, Serbia came under the influence of Austria-Hungary. Albania was annexed by Italy and Macedonia by Greece. Thrace was included in with Bulgaria except for Constantinople and Sariyer, to keep a check on the Russians in Constantinople and give them influence in the straights, Britain leased the city of Sariyer from Bulgaria for a period of 50 years.

The immediate after effects of the war led to the formation of the Central Powers to counter the Northern Alliance. Representatives from Britain, Germany, Sweden, Portugal and Austria-Hungary met in Berlin in December 1878 to formalize the alliance and to assure pressure would neve be brought to bare on any of the Central Powers by an opposing alliance as had been the case with the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878.

The Central Powers alarmed the rest of Europe, resulting in an alliance between France, Spain and Italy as the Paris Pact. The resulting alliances caused the great nations of the world to tip toe around sensative issues to avoid a long and costly war.
 
good job i like the atl alot. although i hate how the turks are getting slaughtered but it sounds realistic.
 

Raymann

Banned
I like Jackson's command of Black troops, it's entirely within his charecter to do so.

Also about Germany joining the Central Power, why? Poland is divided up and the border is hardly tense between them. Also why would they risk abandoning the Americans to counter Britian?

Then there's the manifest destiny part, It died in the 1840's when America could have taken all of Mexico but didn't. True Canada is America's trump card but manifest destiny wouldn't be a reason for it.
 

Xen

Banned
Alexander spend alot of time in Constantinople since the Russians took the city. He personally wanted to see the supervision of the citys Russifcation and the expulsion of the Turks. The object that received most of the Tsars attention was the Haiga Sofia. The former Cathedral converted for use as a Mosque was now being transformed back into a Cathedral. It was at the Haiga Sofia where Tsar Alexander II met former US President Abraham Lincoln. The two men shook hands and was photographed as the Two Great Liberators of their nations.

Shortly after the meeting with President Lincoln, Alexander returned to St Petersburg where he drafted Russia's constitution which limited the power of the Tsar and gave powers to the Duma. Russia gradually liberalized, but still remained one of the more oppressive governments in Europe. Alexander returned to Constantinople in 1884 for a ceremony in his honor, a ceremony turned tragedy when his son and heir was killed by a radical gunman. The city had grown to a population of over 4 million of mostly serfs. Before his sons death Alexander considered it his crowning achievement, since the assassination Alexander refused to return considering it his curse. Throughout the rest of his life, Alexander often clashed with the Patriarch of Constantinople. Alexander died in 1892, and was recorded in history as one of the greatest Tsars to live. His legacy included freeing the serfs, creating a strong duma, liberating the Slavs of the Balkans and adding Constantinople to the Russian Empire.

The Republicans returned to the White House in 1880 led by James Blaine and Vice President Garfield. It would be an era famous for the wildness of the west. America was growing stronger, its population booming from Europe and China. It was the decade of the Indians last strong stand against American Imperialism. Colonel Stonewall Jackson was killed in a battle with the Sioux in 1882, the tribe caught the colored infantry off guard during a sunday service, the day long battle was a massacre and brought the US Army down on the Sioux. Jackson was laid to rest at his family cemetary in Virginia (West Virginia isnt a state in this TL). General Custer gloated about Jacksons death telling a journalist "It is a great dishonor to be killed by a savage". Custer now led a new calvary unit in New Mexico, he would be killed days later by William H. Bonney a.k.a Billy the Kid. Custer was buried in Arlington.

The railroad ran east to west and ran into trouble in the land given to the former slaves by the Federal government in what was now the Wyoming Territory. The railroad cheated the former slaves in giving mere pennies for land that would normally go for alot more. When the ones who were cheated found out about the doublecross, they attacked the railroad. This unfortunatley brought the Army onto them. However the railroad employed many blacks in their number to lay tracks across the mid-west and into the Rockies. The black majority of Wyoming and Montanta would be challenged by white easterners and Europeans brought by the railroad.

The Blaine administration took over governing duties of the Dominican Republic in 1882, and purchased Cuba from Spain in 1884, and fought a brief war with Haiti occupying the western half of the island. Though the Central Powers protested, they agreed Haiti wasnt worth going to war with the Northern Alliance over. President Blaine was re-elected in 1884 becoming the first US President assassinated when he was shot by an anarchist in 1887. Vice President Garfield was sworn in as President going on to win the election in 1888 as President in his own right. Blaine became the first President to be buried in Arlington National Cemetary when his body was laid to rest there a week after his death.
 
I think its entirely realistic that had Custer survived his involvement in the Little Bighorn Campaign would have been examined. He should have faced a courtmartial and probably would have. Jackson would have pressed for one.
 

Xen

Banned
Yes there was still restrictions on Chinese immigration, but not quite as much cheap labor was needed in the south since the blacks are mostly living in Wyoming and Montana territories.
 

Xen

Banned
The last decade of the nineteenth century was a very exciting time for the world at large. Europe and the United States experienced a growth in technology with automobiles, electricity, moving pictures and other technologies appearing on the scene for the first time. Medicine also experienced a great boom during the decade. The 1892 elections was won easily by Garfield as the Democrats split between traditional Democrats and the Populists, the split would prove permanent.

Tensions between the United States and Great Britain worsened however after Britain interferred with the US plans to overthrow the Hawaiian monarchy. War nearly erupted in 1896 when Britain added Hawaii to its Empire, and had full usage of the naval base at Pearl Harbor. Wanting to get a foothold in the Pacific the United States purchased Guam from Spain in 1896.

Grover Cleveland defeated Benjamin Harrison in the 1896 election and is considered responsible for the Second Mexican War of 1899. After years of living under American domination Mexican rebels began a series of raids along border towns in Texas and Arizona. The Mexican government claimed it was powerless to do anything about it. Thanks to yellow journalism war fever in the US was at a peak, thus begining the war.

Although the war lasted only a few weeks it had turned Theodore Roosevelt and his rough riders into national celebrities and increased the United States territory as it annexed Baja California and most of Sonora and Chihuahua (the combination of the provinces formed the territory of Aztlan). The war left Mexico devestated, its military in shambles and ripe for revenge. In contrast Britain fought the Boer wars, suffering humiliating defeats by the Boers.

In spite all of the tensions between the powers during the decade, they cooperated on issues such as China. Each European power, the United States and Japan gained spheres of influence in China. Though technically the ancient land was united under the Emperor, the spheres were controlled directly by their "Imperial" masters. The Chinese Cooperation Committee was formed in Hong Kong and cooperated on issues such as building railways and roads. The goal of the Committee was to bring China kicking and screaming into the modern world. Each foreign nation built armies to keep control of the populists and to protect the spheres in case of foreign invasion.

The Colonial dash for Africa resulted in the butting of heads between France, Spain and Italy against Germany, Britain and Portugal. Of the western nations, only France came out in pretty good shape. Spain, Italy and Portugal were given the scraps from the Imperial tables.

The Victorian Era which defined a generation ended the day after Christmas in 1899 with the Queen's passing. The Monarchs of Europe competed with each other to mourn the loss of a truely great woman that would become known as the Grandmother of Europe.
 
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Xen

Banned
The twentieth century saw its first bloody war in Mexico in 1901-1902 with the Mexican Civil War between the Iturbide pretender and the Republicans. The war was largely ignored by the United States and most of Europe, each side received nominal help from the major powers of the world. The war was finally ended in November 1902 with the establishment of Mexico's third Empire headed by Emperor Don Agustin. The new Emperor had become popular as a hero in the war against the United States in 1899. The war embittered Don Agustin to his northern neighbor and began the forging of an alliance between Mexico and the Central Powers.

In 1903 the ambassador of Germany to Mexico met with Emperor Don Agustin and made the alliance official. The Mexican Army began training with Germany and Britain, its tiny navy went on maneuvers in the Pacific and Caribbean with the two European powers. After witnessing Naval Manuevers off the coast of the Yucatan, Don Agustin became obsessed with building Mexico's Navy. Through a treaty with Britain, Mexico purchased 4 dreadnaughts, and gained permission to build 10 more.

Senator Theodore Roosevelt remained critical of President Stevenson for not doing anything to interefere with the Mexican-Central Power alliance. Stevenson shrugged the criticism simply stating we whipped the Mexicans twice, we can do it again if we need to. Mexico would prove its new found strenght in 1908 when it overran its southern neighbor Guatemala with the blessings of Britain and Germany. The Mexican military had improved greatly since its fight with the United States nearly 10 years before.

The Republican party snubbed Roosevelt in 1908 believing he was too radical for them to control. The 1908 Republican split would be permanent. Roosevelt formed the Progressive Party that year and received endorsements from the Socialists, and Populists. The party was bolstered when several progressive Democrats and Republicans bolted their parties for Roosevelt's. Roosevelt would give the party its nickname, the Bullmoose that year. The Progressive Party nominated William Howard Taft as the Vice President in the Baltimore Convention. Roosevelt and Taft easily beat the Republicans and narrowly squeaked past the Democrats. Both Democrats and Republican's attacked the party as the Upstart Party but Roosevelt's popularity from the Second Mexican War and in the west carried him to victory. Roosevelt would trigger an arms race with Britain during his campaign as he promised to make the American fleet the greatest on the seas.

The Northern Alliance and the Paris Pact were married in 1909 in Warsaw when the reprsentatives from both alliance's felt the Central Powers were becoming too strong, and their colonial ambitions were running foul with the Paris Pact's. The forming of the Warsaw Entente sent alarms ringing through the Central Powers as they too set out to increase their might by forging alliances with Japan, Greece and the Ottoman Empire. The marriage between the Paris Pact and the Northern Alliance is why President Stevenson didnt interfere with Mexico as it over ran Guatemala, which the US neutrality helped Roosevelt win the Presidency with his new Party in 1908.

The world now walked on egg shells as any war would be far greater than that ever seen before. But no matter how careful, anyway one of the great powers stepped, it ran into anothers ambitions or perceived territory. The tension of war was building in the air, it was now only a question of how and when.
 

Raymann

Banned
In the OTL Mexico couldn't afford dreadnoughts, how could it possibly afford 14 here?

Also, Roosevelt was a populist but he hated socialists, i don't see any alliance there.
 

Xen

Banned
Keep in mind this isnt otl. Things are radically different in the US. There are not many black southerners, most blacks live in the west in states like Montana and Wyoming where they make up the majority of the population. There is no segregation, Lincoln's reconstruction was much more successful. Now this isnt to say there isnt aggravation between whites and blacks, its just not as open or obvious. The blacks in the west will have a strong tendency to be more Populist , leading to a larger and stronger party. The socialist party in this America isn't quite as large so wont draw as much ire from Roosevelt.

Who said Mexico was going to have to pay full price for the dreadnaughts? For Britain and Germany helping Mexico is helping themselves, it creates another front in case of war with the United States and the dreadnaughts were already beginning to be phased out, so Mexico can probably pick them up kind of cheap.

What I need to do is show the new border of Mexico and the United States, everybody knows what Baja California is, but I want to show the Aztlan territory, soon to be the state of Aztlan.
 
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