The CSA wins...now what?

[Durindal]

Anyone who finds alternate history at all fascinating has probably pondered the question: What if the south had won the civil war? While I find it relatively simple to theorize a plausible scenerio in which they could win the war, I find it terribly difficult to imagine any scenerio in which the CSA could have prospered. Some people speculate about railroads, and conquests of Latin America but as imagine these things I wonder such questions as: " How could a nation with little or no industry, and no desire to industrialize, ever survive in an ever industrializing world? How could a country with secession written into its constitution ever stay united long enough to reassemble the resources, especially an army, capable of a conquest of Latin America? Unable to answer these questions I turn to you my peers and ask the question: " So the CSA wins...now what?"

[Hawkeye]

It could probably go ether way here. But with a vengeful north, most tend to choose the former.

[DMA]

An even bigger question, for those of us who find alternate history fascinating, is How does the South win the civil war?

[snerfuplz]

It will probably have to force itself to industrialize or else face the industrialized North. But of course comes the question of how to do that as the CSA had more power given to the States then the Federal Government thus making it harder for Richmond to industrialize the country.

[David S Poepoe]

Originally Posted by Durindal

Anyone who finds alternate history at all fascinating has probably pondered the question: What if the south had won the civil war?

Well, I don't find alternate history fascinating so I guess I've never really pondered this question. Tho I have frequently wondered 'Is it actually possible to have a 'civil' war?'

Really, you HAVE GOT to check out previous threads on the board. You are not getting points for an original question. Take my word for it, there are hundreds of threads here that will give you different perspectives on this WI.

[Slamet]

Heh. The Souths had a weak economy and they were going to promote slavery. Pretty much like the economy system of The Race.

[Zyzzyva]

Originally Posted by Slamet

Heh. The Souths had a weak economy and they were going to promote slavery. Pretty much like the economy system of The Race.

Strangest. Analogy. Ever.

...Are you sure you're not HT?

[Slamet]

Originally Posted by Zyzzyva

Strangest. Analogy. Ever.

...Are you sure you're not HT?

Jokin, joking.
What's HT?

[Garbageman]

I still say military coup.

[Zyzzyva]

Originally Posted by Slamet

Jokin, joking.
What's HT?

Harry Turtledov, king of bizarre analogies.

[wkwillis]

The Confederate Constitution did not have a secession provision. They must have forgotten.

[Slamet]

Originally Posted by Zyzzyva

Harry Turtledov, king of bizarre analogies.

His books are quite a good read though. ASB-ish, but still...

[Zyzzyva]

Originally Posted by Slamet

His books are quite a good read though. ASB-ish, but still...

Oh, I'm not saying he's a bad writer (well, before the TL191 series) but he does have a tendency to write books that are long, overblown, bizarre WWII analoges. ("Darkness" series, anyone?)

[Slamet]

Originally Posted by Zyzzyva

Oh, I'm not saying he's a bad writer (well, before the TL191 series) but he does have a tendency to write books that are long, overblown, bizarre WWII analoges. ("Darkness" series, anyone?)

I have only read the Worldwar series.

[Zyzzyva]

Originally Posted by Slamet

I have only read the Worldwar series.

That's a decent one... Don't bother with Colonization, and fortheloveofgod don't read Homeward Bound.

[Durindal]

Originally Posted by David S Poepoe

Well, I don't find alternate history fascinating so I guess I've never really pondered this question. Tho I have frequently wondered 'Is it actually possible to have a 'civil' war?'

Really, you HAVE GOT to check out previous threads on the board. You are not getting points for an original question. Take my word for it, there are hundreds of threads here that will give you different perspectives on this WI.

Could you refer me to one in particular? Generally, when I read anything in regards to a southern victory it seems as if people assume that the south would immediately rival the USA and have all the advantages of an industrialized nation without any explanation of how it was able to accomplish this. Would you agree or disagree?

[DMA]

I'd still like to know how the South wins. I say this because the manner of the victory will surely determine what steps are taken after the war, how effective they'll be, & thus what kind of nation we can expect to see 25, 50, & 100 plus years later.

[David S Poepoe]

Originally Posted by Durindal

Could you refer me to one in particular? Generally, when I read anything in regards to a southern victory it seems as if people assume that the south would immediately rival the USA and have all the advantages of an industrialized nation without any explanation of how it was able to accomplish this. Would you agree or disagree?

You've got remember that Alternative History is Fiction With Educated Guesses. There is no one answer about the CS industrializing or not.

Just look back a few pages and you see other threads on this very subject. This discussion always breaks down on the mechanics of how or when the CSA achieved its independence. Already other posters have posted the seeds of other debates that will completely side track what you are wondering about.

[Jaded_Railman]

Originally Posted by David

Well, I don't find alternate history fascinating so I guess I've never really pondered this question. Tho I have frequently wondered 'Is it actually possible to have a 'civil' war?'

Really, you HAVE GOT to check out previous threads on the board. You are not getting points for an original question. Take my word for it, there are hundreds of threads here that will give you different perspectives on this WI.

I think what he's looking for is a more directly historically plausible approach. Realistically a successful succession mixed with the anti-unionist views of most of the South would leave it as a crippled confederacy, unable to match the unity the United States (instead of these United States) achieved OTL. Also, it was a very agrarian economy at the time sitting right next to the largest industrial economy in the hemisphere. Would it have embraced modern finance in time or would it have ended up a poor backwater?

A lot of 'CSA survives' TLs just end up being silly wanks that are looking more for a good story than actual alternate history. Then again, that pretty much describes most AH, so who knows?

[Durindal]

[quote=Jaded_Railman;1724757]I think what he's looking for is a more directly historically plausible approach. Realistically a successful succession mixed with the anti-unionist views of most of the South would leave it as a crippled confederacy, unable to match the unity the United States (instead of these United States) achieved OTL. Also, it was a very agrarian economy at the time sitting right next to the largest industrial economy in the hemisphere. Would it have embraced modern finance in time or would it have ended up a poor backwater?

Hallelujah!
Alternate history is pure speculation, but I'm interested in speculating how the south could have/or couldn't have overcome the internal hurdles the they would have had to overcome in the first few years after the 'Second War for Independence.' In OTL there was a ' Reconstruction' what would those years have been like if the south had won?