"For too long we have been Oppressed by the Capitalist big buisness oppressing the worker's of glorious America, We shall not stand for this oppresion no longer, today is the dawn of a New America, a Socialist America. built upon the rights of the worker's, the people, where all are equal. Now. We shall work together to pull ourselves out of this Depression, and make America great once again"
Orman Rovelle Brussells, speech to Congress on March 10th, 1933
Chapter 4: October 10th, 1929-July 1st, 1936
The Fall of Empires and the Rise of Radicalism
October 10th, 1929 Started like any other normal day, the billions of people on the planet woke up and went about there daily lives, the streets of Berlin, Los Angeles, New York, Paris, London, through this would be not any normal day, at 7:38 AM, The United Kingdom defaulted on her massive debts to both Germany and the United States, this caused panic among the bankers of both Germany and the US. as bankers started taking there money out in fear, soon, the banks were bustling, and everyone was taking there money out, the Stock Markets soon became overloaded, and then it all crashed.
The previous decade of Economic Prosperity that exsisted in the world was over in a flash. and most of the world was instantly affected overnight, most importantly however, the United States, France, and Russia.
The United States was arguably hit the hardest, the disastrous policies of the McKinley, Hughes, Bryan, Harding and Coolidge administrations had left big buisness corporations completely in control of the American economy. Herbert Hoover had been elected President in 1928, taking over in 1929, and the Great Crash of 1929 happend barely into his first term. the unprepared President began trying to fix the issues at hand in the US, however it seemed like no matter what he tried it made things worse. the American economy slowly deteiorated further as the years went by. by 1932 over 11 Million Americans were out of jobs, and those that had jobs were paid measly amounts of money, and suffered in terrible work conditions. as after the dying out of the Progressive movement in the early 1910's, measures had not been taking in to improve work conditions, instead big buisness corporations such as Standard Oil and Ford continued to make more of there employees, this caused a surgence in the Communist Movement within the United States, the Communist Party of the United States (CPUSA) had formed in 1917, however had not seen much popularity in America, however the Depression had allowed the Communists room to grow. many sick with the disastrous policies of the Democrats and Republicans began turning to the Communist Party, which had been taken over by a Mexican Intervention Veteran, named Brussells, Orman Rovelle Brussells, who had been born in Philadelphia in 1895. had gotten sick of the discisions of the government, and had became a messiah to the Communist movement, a Charismatic leader in his own right, Brussells began planning, the Communists would strike.
Orman Rovelle Brussells, the Premier of the UASR.
The Democratic candidate Franklin Delano Roosevelt had been elected in 1932 to take over the nation, Hoover was preparing to leave office, however the CPUSA was not going to allow this to take place. the CPUSA began plotting, spending weeks getting many high ranking Government Officals on there side. including members of Congress, and even the Vice President, to overthrow the government. the popular support had fallen out of favor with the two main parties, Brussells thought this was there time to strike, so on March 5th, 1933, the CPUSA would stage a coup upon the Hoover administration, the coup would turn out to be succsessful, and with support from many government officals, Brussells was appointed Interim President of the United States, along with suspension of the Constitution. while Hoover was arrested for treason and set to be executed at a later date (Said date would be June 2nd, 1934) Franklin Delano Roosevelt would die during the Coup, as the Communists murdered him in his home in Georgia to prevent him from claiming the office of the Presidency.
5 Days later during a Emergency Session of Congress, Brussells declared that the mistakes of his predecesors would be fixed, that he would make America great once more, and thus at that moment, he declared the United States to be officaly dead, and the Union of American Socialist Republics born, change would sweep across America imidiantly, as the world sat stunned as the Once Great United States collapsed, it was said Rome didn't collapse in a day, but the United States did.
The basic governmental structhure of the Old US would remain in place within the UASR. including the Three Branches of the Government, the posistion of President was renamed Premier, with the posistion of Vice President was abolished and replaced by the General Secretary of the CPUSA, both held by Brussells, the Premiership would be a lifetime posistion, being held until the holder of it dies or resigns. when ethier of these would happen, elections would be called, where candidates from the CPUSA would compete for election, with the most total votes winning, through wheater these elections were free and fair would determinable, much of the Constitution would remain in place. including the recent freedoms given the women, Congress as a structhure would remain in place, through run by the CPUSA. through major changes would come within the administrative division and economy for the UASR. the former 48 states and 3 territories of the UASR were redivided. into 16 "American Socialist Republics" including Alaska and Hawaii, most of these were just giant combinations of former States, and Congress was redistributed to reflect the change. the economy also obviously changed from a Capitalist to a Communist one, through with all these changes, the UASR was still deep in the Depression, Premier Brussells instituted his first "Five-Year Plan" in which he hoped to improve the American economy in due time.
Through the US's influence extended far and wide, as she fell to a Communist revolution, her neighbors would too, Mexico, Cuba, and parts of Central America would fall, much of the rest of Latin America would fall under the influence of the UASR and the "Red Army" in due time, through many events would happen, including the beginging of a Civil War in Brazil, and a Civil War in Chile, as the America's fell a flame in Revolution.
First Citoyen and Chancelier of the French State, Jean-Claude Geymere, inspecting Regiment of the SS in Downtown Paris, 1938
The Fall of the US was predated a few months by the situation in France. France's economy had already been in bad shape, but the Roaring Twenties kept France afloat admist huge reperation payments to Berlin and Vienna. however the Depression aggravated already exsisting issues, and brought about the repopularity of the NSFWP. and it's leader Jean-Claude Geymere, the NSFWP began polling much better in French Parliament elections, finishing top in the polls with 36% in 1931 and 33% in 1932. as the young teenagers of France began painting the NSFWP's "Iron Cross" on there fingernails and toenails, the march of Geymere's "Protection Squadron" goosestepping in there jackboots all across Paris and the French State. President Phillipee Petain saw no choice but to appoint Jean-Claude Geymere "Chancellor" people in the French government thought appointing Geymere and his cronies to political posistions, he could control them, and gain popular support as well. however things would quickly turn agaist Petain, as a Fire would soon destroy the interior of the Parliament Building in Paris 3 weeks after the appointment of Geymere. Geymere, along with the NSFWP Propoganda Minister, Charles De Gaulle. would use this to there advantage. as they spun it to say the Fire was the fault of the Communist Party of France, who they swiftly banned, the Enabling Act of 1933, passed a bit later, essentially suspended the Constitution and gave Geymere and the NSFWP free power to do whatever they wanted. this is marked the beginging of National Socialist France, as Geymere and the NSWFP begun passing a increasing amount of laws aimed to discriminate agaist France's Jew's, and pass there own agenda, cultimating in the Beaudox Laws of 1935, which classified who was a Jew, according to the twisted ideology of the French State was based on, Nasiism, the death of President Petain in 1934 would give Geymere offical supreme power within France, as he officaly declared himself First Citioyen and Chancilier of the French State (First Citizen and Chancellor) Geymere' charisma gave him a loyal devotion in France, as various organizations were formed, such as the Geymere Youth, along with exsisting Paramilitary Wing of the Party. the Sauvegarder Escadron (SS) and the French Secret State Police, the SS would begin marching the streets of France regularily, in there jackboots, as they goosestepped along in elaborate military parades to the cheers of crowd's., Geymere also began a massive Re-Militrization Program, including the building of a Air Force, Tanks, new weapons, and recruitment of more troops. all agaist the Treaty of Versallies. however this went unregulared by the Central Powers, who made no attempt to stop Geymere's increasing power.
Kaiser Wilhelm II, Circa 1934
Speaking of the Central Powers through, one of them would fall to Fascism also. Austria-Hungary had increasingly become shall you say, unrestful with the situation of the Central Powers. many in Austria felt they were a Great Power themselves also. and Berlin had been treating them like dirt (which, was actually true) many in Austria began to feel resentful agaist Germany, feeling it has been duped by the Central Power alliance. and that it had not been treated as a equal partner, the Austrian National Party, led by Josef Leopold, began to exploit said feelings. as the 1934 Minister-President elections came along, The ANP and Leopold would be voted into office by a majority, Leopold was similar to Geymere in a way. through a lot less rascist, he was also a good friend of Benito Mussolini, the Fascist Dictator of Italy. and as a favor, upon his entering office, ended the occupation of Venetia, and promised the return of some Italian territory in the future, Mussolini and Leopold had struck a cord, also, Kaiser Charles I died in 1932, leaving the 20 year old Otto von Habsburg to ascend to the throne in 1932, as Otto I, The election of Leopold would mark the end of the Central Powers unofficaly. politics in the rest of the Central Powers and Europe would remain stable, the Social Democrat Party would remain dominant in the German Empire and her sattelite states, with Franz von Papen assuming the Chancelloricy in 1932, through a War Hero and Painter by the Name of Adolf Hitler would join the party in 1936, and appeared to possibly be a growing start within the Party.. however the Netherlands began to fall under the influence of the French State, the Serbs however began regaining control of there government, as Austria-Hungary began to lose grip on it's vassal state there, the Ottoman Empire, the other member of the Central Powers, would also managed to last the Depression out reletivly well, the Reforms of the last 25 years had made the Empire more Democratic then it ever had been before, with the Grand Vizer being a elected posistion now, the Arabs were still unrestful, but they mostly were fine with the adminstration of Constantinople, the Ottoman Empire looked to a bright future, espessicly with all the untapped Oil it sat on, the Belgians also grew weary of German domination. but the German Empire still remained a world power. Kaiser Wilhelm II was getting up in years, and some wondered if the Old Man of Iron[1], Kaiser Bill would last into the 40's. through his health seemed to be in good shape. and still remained a benelovent ruler over the Empire that loves him.
Leon Trotsly, elected President of Russia in 1932
Politics in Asia were still very stagnant throughout the early part of the 1930's. The Great Crash hit Russia fairly hard, as Russia suffered a depression much along the lines of the American one, however the election of President Leon Trotsky in 1932 would begin a period of change, as his "New Deal" policies began to mark change in the Republic of Russia. the recovering of the Depression would be a slow process. the one nation the Depression didn't hit hard was Japan, which continued to expand further into China, and even snatched the Philippine Islands from the UASR during the intital period after the Brussell's coup in 1933,
However, the world would be set on a course of change forever, when on July 1st, 1936, Jean-Claude Geymere, Josef Leopold, and Benito Mussolini met to sign the "Paris-Vienna-Rome Axis Pact"....
[1] Nickname given to Kaiser Bill ITTL
Next Time, on the Reverse Cold War
Hail Geymere!
July 1st, 1936-December 7th, 1939