The Union Forever: A TL

[MacGregor]

Originally Posted by Van555

Sweet! Russia will succeed!

Germany will be united!

The United states will get baja and more of mexico

hooray!

Thanks for the enthusiasm and while I can understand why you say that about Russia and Germany why would the United States get Baja and more of Mexico?

[Van555]

I don't know

It makes the nation symetrical

[Some Bloke]

Nicholas II was Alexander II's Grandson, does this timeline assume that Alexander II was never assasinated and that OTL's Alexander III (Nicholas II's father) dies?

[MacGregor]

Originally Posted by Some Bloke

Nicholas II was Alexander II's Grandson, does this timeline assume that Alexander II was never assasinated and that OTL's Alexander III (Nicholas II's father) dies?

Good observation but not exactly.

In this timeline Alexander II is never assassinated. Alexander II's first born in OTL died in 1865 due to illness. In the TL Alexander II's first born son’s death is butterflied away (this means that OTL Alexander III, who is Alexander II's second son, never takes the throne). When his son inherits the throne he takes the name Nicholas II. This does make for the interesting, albeit confusing, scenario where the TL's Nicholas II is actually a different person than OTL Nicholas II.

In other words the TL’s Nicholas II is the son of Alexander II, whereas OTL Nicholas II is the son of Alexander III. Both of these individuals appear to have had the exact same name Nikolay Alexandrovich Romanov so therefore would both be styled Nicholas II
Cheers.

[MacGregor]

The 1896 Presidential Election

The 1896 Democratic National Convention in Baltimore, Maryland

In one of the great political surprises of American political history, Samuel Randal declined to seek a second term as President of the United States. This shocked many of his contemporaries as the young and popular Democrat was almost assured reelection. However, Randal had had his fill of politics and with the deteriorating health of his wife he made up his mind to retire to New York. If Randal’s decision wasn’t surprising enough the presidential heir apparent, Vice President Palmer, was terminally ill with stomach cancer and therefore also out of the race. This threw the Democratic nomination for president wide open. Indeed, political scientist and historians in later days would label the 1896 Democratic convention in Baltimore, Maryland as one of the most contentious in the nation’s history. The plethora of candidates throwing their hats in the ring included men of every stripe such as career politicians like Richard P. Bland of Missouri and populists like Arthur Sewall of Maine. However, the Democrats attention soon turned to a man who knew how to promote himself and exploit a hectic situation such as this, a man named George Armstrong Custer.

In 1896 Custer was possible one the best known names in America. He possessed a long and colorful career. Rising to the rank of major during the Civil War, Custer continued to advance his career and reputation as a determined soldier fighting in the Indian Wars in the American West. Custer really made a name for himself in the Spanish American War where he raced J.E.B. Stuart across the length of Cuba from Santiago to Havana. Following the victory over Spain, Custer, now a Brigadier General, retired from the Army and returned to his home state of Ohio. Over the next 12 years Custer would pursue a variety of business ventures all of which ended in failure. The General’s luck however turned for the better in 1892 when the local Democrat political machine chose him to run for Governor. Custer won the election beating out incumbent governor and former Republican nominee for Vice President, William McKinley.

Now in 1896, Custer fought for the Democratic nomination with, as one of his contemporaries put it, “such a zeal that you would think he is fighting Red Indians or Spaniards.” Custer stayed away from the divisive issues being debated an instead ran on his reputation as a military hero. In the end it proved to be enough and on the sixteenth ballot he was chosen as the party’s nominee. The November elections against Republican candidates Mathew S. Quay of Pennsylvania for President and William B. Allison of Iowa for Vice President proved to be nearly as tough. When the votes were finally tallied, Custer and his running mate Horace Boise of Iowa, beat out their Republican rivals by the narrowest margin in a presidential election to date. Despite the abounding allegations of fraud perpetrated by Democrat party bosses, George Armstrong Custer was sworn in as the twenty-first President of the United States on an unusually cold morning on March 4, 1897.



George Armstrong Custer
Democrat from Ohio
Twenthy-First President of the United States

[The Dude]

It seems like in every ATL Custer does far better than IOTL. It just shows what a bad break he got IOTL.

[MacGregor]

Originally Posted by TheUnmentionableSeaMammal

It seems like in every ATL Custer does far better than IOTL. It just shows what a bad break he got IOTL.

Well, it's harder to do worse than getting killed and scalped by Indians.

[MacGregor]

Hey Everyone, I am currently working on the next installment and I was wondering if anyone had an opinion on what Prussia's political status would be in relation to the rest of northern Germany. Keep in mind that there has been no Franco-Prussian War so southern Germany is independent with its rulers being mostly pro French and Austrian while its people are more pro Prussian. Would the North German Confederation continue until all of Germany was united or would Prussia try to consolidate its holdings by forming a Kingdom or Empire of Germany that only included the north German states? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Cheers!

[Van555]

I think they would wait...If Bismarks still around they would be satisfied

[MacGregor]

Originally Posted by Van555

I think they would wait...If Bismarks still around they would be satisfied

Ok, however Bismark is dead at this point in the timeline.

[MacGregor]

The Custer Years

The White House in 1897

Custer as President

Coming into office by the narrowest of margins, the Custer Administration was never fully able to shake off the sense of scandal that plagued his years in office. Much of what has been written about President Custer has concentrated on his supposed peculiarities and eccentricities. Indeed some go so far as to try and paint the 60 year old Custer as a senile old General who blundered his way through the political scene. While it is true that Custer did have some odd traits, such as insisting that people address him by the odd title of General-President and not Mr. President, it is easy to lose sight of some of Custer’s accomplishments during his first few months in office. The accomplishments include such things as the 1897 Military Reform Act, which laid the ground work for American military expansion in the 1900s.

The States of Oklahoma and Sequoya

Another one of Custer’s major accomplishments was successfully admitting the states of Oklahoma and Sequoya into the Union. Custer, whose feelings on Native Americans were always complex, felt that the Indians were owed at least one state of their own and not confined to dingy reservations. However, the idea of admitting the Oklahoma Territory and Indian Territory as two separate states drew fire from both political parties. Many Republicans didn’t want the states introduced because they would likely vote Democrat while some Democrats opposed the notion because Sequoya would be the first state to be dominated by non-whites. In the end however, Custer was able pass the measures threw Congress with the States of Oklahoma and Sequoyah both entering the Union on November 9, 1897. The cities of Guthrie and Tulsa were chosen as teh state captials of Oklahoma and Sequoyah respectively.

County map of the State of Sequoyah

The Depression of 1897

The roaring 1890s came to an abrupt halt when the stock market crashed on “Black Thursday” November 14, 1897. The Depression that followed was one of the worst in American history and had a profound effect on the country for years to come. President Custer was slow to react to the depression expecting, as many of the experts did at that time, that the economy would fix itself. However, the depression continued to worsen and was even exacerbated by the protective tariffs that President Custer and the Democrat controlled congress passed in an effort to protect the economy.

Foreign Developments

Japan: Between Dec. 1896 and Oct 1897 the Empire of Japan fought against the Empire of China for influence over the Korean Peninsula in the First Sino-Japanese War. Japan emerged victorious and in the ensuing peace treaty received Formosa as well as some other Pacific islands. Furthermore China relinquished its control of the Korean Peninsula. Japan would officially annex Korea in 1899.


Japanese painting from the First Sino-Japanese War

Rising Tensions in Europe

As the availability for expansion outside of Europe dwindled and the economies plummeted with the 1897 Depression, tensions rose as many began to think that a general European war was becoming inevitable. Europe was quickly dividing itself into two opposing camps. One headed by the French, consisted of Imperial France, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the Ottoman Empire. The other Alliance system was composed of the Russian Empire, and the Kingdoms of Italy and Prussia. Although all the principal nations involved were monarchies, the Russo-Prussian-Italian Alliance was becoming more politically progressive than their continental rivals who practiced government in a slightly more autocratic fashion. The smaller nations in Europe were caught in the middle and were faced with making the difficult decision of pursing neutrality, as the Low Countries and Scandinavia did, or purse their own alliances with the Great Powers as the Balkan nations would do. As the 19th Century drew to a close the United Kingdom continued to try and maintain an uneasy distance from the ever increasingly dangerous European system of alliances.

[MacGregor]

The World in 1900

[MacGregor]

Hey Everyone,

The timeline has now reached the 20th Century from the originally POD back in 1862. As one can tell from reading this is primarily a military TL that focuses on America’s major wars. The next major phase in the TL is World War I. However, the TL hasn’t generated much interest lately and I had a few questions I would like to post including, is anyone interested in this TL continuing or is this a good place to stop? If yes than…

1) What aspects in the TL should I concentrate more on?
2) How is the pacing of the timeline? Is it to slow or not detailed enough?
3) Is this TL’s world interesting enough? If no does anyone have any suggestions on what can be done to spice things up?

Thanks for the feedback.

Mac

[Shadow Knight]

To answer your first question. Yes, it should continue. It is rare a decent CW TL actually gets very far before crapping out so I'm in favor of it continuing.

1) I like what you've done so far. Nothing to specific unless it is militarily related.

2) Maybe a few more details, but if the military aspects are detailed it is fine the other parts are not. You could always come back after it is done and flesh out those parts that you didn't.

3) I think it is.

[Lean II]

I, being somewhat of a forum lurker, must say that I throughly enjoy your timeline, and beieve it to be excellently written. I must say I'm very happy as to how it's progressed thus far, and am egarly looking foward to new installments, particualry WWI. Now, as for your points:

1) Perhaps some more European updates, as well as some news on China and Japan.

2)I do think that the timeline is progressing quite nicely as is. The short updates actually allow me to follow along better, seeing as long overwritten updates make it hard to concentrate on what I'm reading.

3)It certainly intrests me! I'm not really sure but I think you already have plans for Prussia/Germany. If not, concerning them would surely be intresting!


~Lean II

[Plumber]

Originally Posted by MacGregor

Hey Everyone,

The timeline has now reached the 20th Century from the originally POD back in 1862. As one can tell from reading this is primarily a military TL that focuses on America’s major wars. The next major phase in the TL is World War I. However, the TL hasn’t generated much interest lately and I had a few questions I would like to post including, is anyone interested in this TL continuing or is this a good place to stop? If yes than…

1) What aspects in the TL should I concentrate more on?
More politics and the world around America, which you seem to be doing lately.
2) How is the pacing of the timeline? Is it to slow or not detailed enough?
I'd think the peacetime eras are a bit short actually.
3) Is this TL’s world interesting enough? If no does anyone have any suggestions on what can be done to spice things up?
It is, but some more detail (particularly in peacetime) could certainly spice things up. You're getting better at this recently I notice.

Thanks for the feedback.

Mac

I think this TL should continue until at least Civil Rights for Blacks is achieved.

[truth is life]

Originally Posted by MacGregor

Hey Everyone,

The timeline has now reached the 20th Century from the originally POD back in 1862. As one can tell from reading this is primarily a military TL that focuses on America’s major wars. The next major phase in the TL is World War I. However, the TL hasn’t generated much interest lately and I had a few questions I would like to post including, is anyone interested in this TL continuing or is this a good place to stop? If yes than…

1) What aspects in the TL should I concentrate more on?
2) How is the pacing of the timeline? Is it to slow or not detailed enough?
3) Is this TL’s world interesting enough? If no does anyone have any suggestions on what can be done to spice things up?

Thanks for the feedback.

Mac

I've got a bit behind a while back and, well, you know how that goes...it's the same reason why (despite liking them), I've never actually finished one of RogueBeaver's TLs. But I do like this one, and I'd like to catch back up (at some point...finding where I left off might be the hardest part now!)

Anyways, to respond to your questions:
1: A bit more detail about everything would be nice. Especially since I'm thinking of the really old posts...they were good but pretty short (it's my problem to, so...). The newer ones look good but still fairly short (albeit longer)

2: I don't know about speed; I just check it when it shows up in my subscriptions, so it doesn't even matter. To help out a bit though, CalBear's once-a-week update schedule (albeit with pretty hefty posts) seems to work fairly well. As for detail, see above.

3: It's quite interesting for sure. European politics are going to be "interesting times", in the (fake) Chinese sense. And I would like to continue seeing how the short Civil War and decisive Union victory plays out on the domestic scene (the effects, after all, of the OTL Civil War are still being felt today IOTL).

[Van555]

Go full hog on Germany then!

smash the prison of nations!

[Nicomacheus]

Yes, please do continue the TL.

I'd be interested to know more about how the British feel about French control of Egypt. In the event of a war, the French seem perfectly able and ready to stop British goods and trade through the Suez canal. Do the British realize this? Has it impacted how they govern India? Does the Boer War still break out? How is British rule in South Africa progressing? How is the progress towards Dominion status progressing for Australia?

The set-up for the alt-WWI is very interesting from an American POV. The French Panama Canal is a very large potential threat. I expect it's paired with much greater competition for commercial ties in Latin America. What was the fate of Mexico, by the way? I can't recall. In any event, the US may be much more inclined to favor a side in the conflict, given the potential threat in the Western hemisphere.

[Splatter123]

very interesting timeline I just got up to date on it, and like the way you have been writing it. Albeit the political and peacetime posts are a bit lacking, but overall a good time line.

Can't wait for an update