Yep. The Ulster Scots will either be forced to suck it up, or they might be deported back to Great Britain proper.
They won't suffer that badly. The Indians will wind up getting the short end of the stick...
Let The Eagle Scream!
- Thread starter Murica1776
- Start date
Yep. The Ulster Scots will either be forced to suck it up, or they might be deported back to Great Britain proper.
They won't suffer that badly. The Indians will wind up getting the short end of the stick...
No, I actually have something different planned for Ghandi. He won't die.
Remember, this isn't a dystopia. It just feels like it because, well, OTL's 20th century was pretty bad and I don't see realistically how this one could be better
Chapter 18: The Russian Civil War and the Rise of the Union of Orthodox Christian States
Chapter 18: The Russian Civil War and the Rise of the Union of Orthodox Christian States
After World War I, Ireland was not the only place experiencing a civil war. Russia was embroiled in a bloody civil war between the Communists and the Whites, who were a big tent organization of conservatives and moderates. The Whites also received help from Germany and America, both of whom were terrified at the thought of a Communist state that was as large and powerful as Russia. In the end, many would privately wonder if that had been the better option.....
The Bolsheviks were doing well for a time. After overthrowing the provisional government in December 1916, they were able to successfully negotiate peace with the Germans and begin routing the "reactionary Whites" by early 1917. The rest of the year would be spent gradually pushing the Whites back and seeming to take control of the country. However, resistance was stiff everywhere and in October, American and German troops began pouring into the country to crush the Reds. The Germans were also bogged down by socialist and anarchist revolutionaries in the Ukraine, which meant that until March 1918, the Americans were the biggest supporters of the Whites. Nonetheless, the war did begin to turn...
The final turning point was in September of 1918. The Ukraine was pacified enough for German troops to make a drive into Russian territory. Eventually, the Bolshevik forces, led by Lenin and Trotsky, were cornered in Moscow. The Reds quickly sent Trotsky to try and negotiate with the Ukrainian anarchist "Grey Army," only to find the group had been crushed by the Germans the day before. The Germans arrested Trotsky for "conspiring to incite rebellion," and the Reds eventually collapsed under the pressure of the White Volunteer Army, led by Anton Denikin. The Whites would claim Moscow on November 2nd, 1918. From there, it was just a matter of cleaning up the remnants of Bolshevik and assorted leftist rebels. By June 3rd, 1919, this job had been done, and the Whites proclaimed total victory. There would be a great deal of power struggle between the moderates, the revanchists, and the theocrats, as each struggled to shape the future of Russia...
On January 1st, 1920, Anton Denikin and his theocrats won the struggle. Several former White officers were assassinated and he marched into the Kremlin, flanked by his most loyal officers. At the Kremlin, he gathered thousands of soldiers outside, who cheered for their hero and leader "He who crushed the Red Snakes." In a thundering address, he promised to spread the "holy light of the Russian Soul to the four corners of the world." His address was also virulently anti-Semitic, anti-Masonic, and anti-Muslim. Around the nation, thousands of Jews and Muslims were massacred in pogroms. Thousands more began the "Great Exodus." After delivering his address, Denikin and his new government announced the formation of the Union of Orthodox Christian States. Denikin would be the nigh-omnipotent Supreme Director. In a blatant power grab, the office of the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church was absorbed into the Supreme Director's office....
As pogroms erupted, world opinion turned against the new government. The Germans denounced the massacres as "unbecoming of a civilized state." The Japanese claimed it was further proof of "The innate savagery of the Russian people." The Americans were even harsher, claiming that "These pogroms are disgusting, and any people that commits such atrocities on such a scale must also be disgusting." The fact that thousands of Jewish and Muslim refugees fled to America didn't help. In fact, it led to an outburst of anti-Russian racism felt by black and white alike....
Anti-Semitic, anti-Bolshevik propaganda employed by the Whites
Supreme Director Anton Denikin
The Flag of the Union of Orthodox Christian States (photo creds Sapiento)
After World War I, Ireland was not the only place experiencing a civil war. Russia was embroiled in a bloody civil war between the Communists and the Whites, who were a big tent organization of conservatives and moderates. The Whites also received help from Germany and America, both of whom were terrified at the thought of a Communist state that was as large and powerful as Russia. In the end, many would privately wonder if that had been the better option.....
The Bolsheviks were doing well for a time. After overthrowing the provisional government in December 1916, they were able to successfully negotiate peace with the Germans and begin routing the "reactionary Whites" by early 1917. The rest of the year would be spent gradually pushing the Whites back and seeming to take control of the country. However, resistance was stiff everywhere and in October, American and German troops began pouring into the country to crush the Reds. The Germans were also bogged down by socialist and anarchist revolutionaries in the Ukraine, which meant that until March 1918, the Americans were the biggest supporters of the Whites. Nonetheless, the war did begin to turn...
The final turning point was in September of 1918. The Ukraine was pacified enough for German troops to make a drive into Russian territory. Eventually, the Bolshevik forces, led by Lenin and Trotsky, were cornered in Moscow. The Reds quickly sent Trotsky to try and negotiate with the Ukrainian anarchist "Grey Army," only to find the group had been crushed by the Germans the day before. The Germans arrested Trotsky for "conspiring to incite rebellion," and the Reds eventually collapsed under the pressure of the White Volunteer Army, led by Anton Denikin. The Whites would claim Moscow on November 2nd, 1918. From there, it was just a matter of cleaning up the remnants of Bolshevik and assorted leftist rebels. By June 3rd, 1919, this job had been done, and the Whites proclaimed total victory. There would be a great deal of power struggle between the moderates, the revanchists, and the theocrats, as each struggled to shape the future of Russia...
On January 1st, 1920, Anton Denikin and his theocrats won the struggle. Several former White officers were assassinated and he marched into the Kremlin, flanked by his most loyal officers. At the Kremlin, he gathered thousands of soldiers outside, who cheered for their hero and leader "He who crushed the Red Snakes." In a thundering address, he promised to spread the "holy light of the Russian Soul to the four corners of the world." His address was also virulently anti-Semitic, anti-Masonic, and anti-Muslim. Around the nation, thousands of Jews and Muslims were massacred in pogroms. Thousands more began the "Great Exodus." After delivering his address, Denikin and his new government announced the formation of the Union of Orthodox Christian States. Denikin would be the nigh-omnipotent Supreme Director. In a blatant power grab, the office of the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church was absorbed into the Supreme Director's office....
As pogroms erupted, world opinion turned against the new government. The Germans denounced the massacres as "unbecoming of a civilized state." The Japanese claimed it was further proof of "The innate savagery of the Russian people." The Americans were even harsher, claiming that "These pogroms are disgusting, and any people that commits such atrocities on such a scale must also be disgusting." The fact that thousands of Jewish and Muslim refugees fled to America didn't help. In fact, it led to an outburst of anti-Russian racism felt by black and white alike....
Anti-Semitic, anti-Bolshevik propaganda employed by the Whites
Supreme Director Anton Denikin
The Flag of the Union of Orthodox Christian States (photo creds Sapiento)
With the Bolsheviks defeated before the end of 1918, I suppose that means the Romanovs survive, their deaths being butterflied away. Though I could be wrong.
1. WWI-era American artillery does not have the range to hit Toronto from the US side of the border (unless they made an American Big Bertha, but even then it wouldn't be able to "flatten" TO); Sault-Ste-Marie and Niagara Falls, OTOH...
2. How about TTL US annex British Columbia and Yukon Territory in the west, Newfoundland (a self-governing colony of Britain at the time), break off Quebec as a republic, and leave the rest?
3. Would Chinese-Americans (in bigger number ITTL since there wasn't a Chinese Exclusion Act) be organising filibusters in China? Because if so, I got ideas...
Marc A
2. How about TTL US annex British Columbia and Yukon Territory in the west, Newfoundland (a self-governing colony of Britain at the time), break off Quebec as a republic, and leave the rest?
3. Would Chinese-Americans (in bigger number ITTL since there wasn't a Chinese Exclusion Act) be organising filibusters in China? Because if so, I got ideas...
Marc A
I pretty much suggested the same, except that the US also annex Alberta for its oil fields and to further economically cripple the remnant Canada (though I would throw in the Mackenzie River basin for some geographical continuity.) If Quebec gets broken off as a Republic, wouldn't the Atlantic provinces be absorbed into the US as well?
AeroTheZealousOne
Monthly Donor
Well, on one hand most of Europe's Jewish population isn't killed off in massive genocide, OTOH you still have the possibility of antisemitism retaining some of its...uh, "popularity" beyond alt-WW2. On the other other hand, it has been hinted at the the Irish and the Indians will sadly fill the role of those who lose their lives under this world's analogue of fascist dictatorship.
Romanov Family in exile? A more theocratic tsardom? I mean, the Whites just won a civil war but these folks are gonna hate the Tsar for awhile, no? Eh, I love being surprised...
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1. I'll change it in a bit to say Sault-Ste-Marie.
2. That's been my plan all along actually
3. Hmm. Can you PM me some of your ideas?
Yep, this is the American plan
That's true, the Jews won't be getting genocided like OTL. Plus, I still think that the UOCS' anti-Semitism might encourage people to disown the belief. So, it's possible to get the best of both worlds.
Yeah, on the other hand, the way Irish and Indians will be getting pretty badly beat up. However, as a percentage of the population, they'll both wind up better than Jews OTL.
The Romanovs are in exile. That's all I'm spilling...
Chapter 19: American Culture and Society in the 1920's
Here's some Roaring 20's goodness. This is going to be pretty long
Chapter 19: American Culture and Society in the 1920's
America in the 1920's was a strange place indeed. On one hand, a new generation shaped by the Great War was creating new dances, new kinds of music, and new ways of looking at art and life. On the other hand, moralism prevailed in passing Prohibition (which made drinking worse), the American public had one of the most intense outbursts of xenophobia ever recorded in a free nation, and the so-called Eugenics movement arose. One thing is indisputable; the "Roaring Twenties" were exciting, loud, and dangerous...
In entertainment, new technologies and trends swept the nation. The introduction of "Talkies" or movies with sound, spelled the end of vaudeville and other assorted entertainments. As movies exploded in popularity, the studios competed with one another to build the most lavish "movie palaces." There were uniformed ushers, plush velvet carpets and seats, and some of the most ornate decorations ever seen by the American public. During this decade, radio also took off. Although the industry started with many broadcasters, in the end, the tendency would be towards a Big Three system (just like the movie industry). Music, news, short stories and more were broadcast over the airwaves into the homes of millions of Americans. For those who were more sports minded, the 20's were incredible as well. Legendary baseball players like the Baltimore Orioles Robert "Sluggy" Jones and Yankees star pitcher Joey Scaramucci brought new life into the game. When combined with new stadiums, higher wages, and more leisure time, this meant that attendance at games skyrocketed to unheard of levels. Boxing also experienced a boom as legendary fighters like Bobby Dempsey (aka the Richmond Ravager) and others proved to be some of the finest athletes of their time.
A side effect of the rise of movies, radio, baseball, and boxing was the beginning of celebrity worship in America. Newspapers knew they could easily boost circulation by covering the lives, loves, and screw ups of America's favorite stars. Soon, many Americans would religiously follow the antics of film stars and sports heroes. Celebrity marriages could wind up making front page news, while criminal scandals could sometimes lead the outraged public to take violent action against the accused.
Music and dancing underwent a revolution in this decade as well. In the North, but especially the South, African and Latin music exploded into the mainstream with Jazz and New Salsa respectively. White Americans flocked to formerly black and Hispanic clubs to listen to the new styles. In turn, white clubs began bringing in colored performers to draw crowds. This was a starting step for full racial integration, as the unspoken rule for a generation had generally followed a "stick with your own kind" policy. This wave of new music also created new dance crazes, the most famous of which are "the Charleston" (more popular with Jazz fans) and "the Havana" (for New Salsa fans). These dances excited young people (who were driving the cultural revolution) and outraged older generations for being "lewd and lascivious."
If the new dance crazes upset the older generation, new styles in women's fashion made them have a collective stroke. Until this decade, most women's dress went all the way down to their ankles. In the 20's, so called Bee-Boppers began wearing dresses that came down to the calf or knee. Many of these women also began wearing their hair boyishly short. What alarmed parents even more was their liberal (for the time) attitudes towards sex and dating. Bee-Boppers and their male counterparts "Dappers" held so-called "cuddling parties" and preferred casual dating to formal courtship. Authorities across the nation were enraged, particularly in the South, where white and black communities engaged in a rare show of unity to try and crush the new youth movement. The prevailing opinion was expressed perfectly in the Charleston Mercury: "These so-called Bee-Boppers and their "Dapper" counterparts are dancing, drinking, and fornicating their way straight to the gates of Hell, and are taking the rest of us with them!"
Perhaps the strangest thing about all of this partying was that a great deal of it was indeed illegal, yet that fact just seemed to fuel the wildness. In 1920, the 19th Amendment to the Constitution effectively outlawed alcohol in the United States. This was mainly forced into law by suffragettes and women activists (who won when the 18th Amendment got passed) who viewed alcohol as a moral danger, and as one of the roots of wife-beating.
In reality, all the amendment did was fuel the largest surge in organized crime in American history. Italian and Russian crime families waged bloody battles in the streets to control the illegal booze trade, which became a multi-billion dollar industry overnight. However, these mafias were kept out of the South by a new breed of American folk icons; the moonshiners. These predominantly Scots-Irish mountain people engaged in an arms race with police to see whose car could outrun the other. Clannish, fiercely independent, and heavily armed, these good ol boys made sure that the Southern city folk had plenty of strong, oftentimes home brewed alcohol to keep the party rolling. When combined with the influence of African-American mobsters in the cities who imported higher quality Canadian hooch, the South remained free of Italian and Russian criminal power. Indeed, the African Americans and moonshiners would often temporarily ally with each other to "keep the greedy Yankees out of our wallets." In the North and West however, the Russians and Italians practically owned the cities. Cops, judges, and even mayors were all on the take. Eventually, the FBI had to be brought in to help restore order. This crack team of so-called "Invincibles" would become heroes in their own right for their shoot outs with mobsters and moonshiners alike.
Another, more virulent reactionary policy in the 20's was an unprecedented outburst of xenophobia. The Great War, the Irish War for Independence, and the UOCS had convinced the American public that the vast majority of foreigners were "savages hell-bent on annihilating each other out of sheer hatred." In 1924, President Beauregard passed the Immigration Quota Act. Every nation on Earth was allowed a set quota of immigrants every year. Latin America, Northern Europe, and China were relatively favored, having larger quotas than anyone else. The country that suffered the worst was Russia. As thousands of Jews and Muslims fled to the US and told tales of pogroms and atrocities (which were mostly accurate) the American government famously set the immigration quota for Russia at 20 (since those oppressed that could flee already had). When asked why Russia was only allowed 20 immigrants, President Beauregard famously remarked "Because if we allow 20 Ruskies in every year, we can find one good man among them and deport the other 19." Those immigrants that were allowed in were explicitly told to Amercanize, and to do it quickly..
Finally, the most "scientific" of the era's more unfortunate policies was the Eugenics movement. Eugenics was a worldwide phenomenon, but took an unusual twist in America. Whereas in other countries Eugenics was explicitly racist, American Eugenics was less so. The biggest branch of the movement called for "Eugenic policies for the improvement of both Negros and Whites. These two native American races should be allowed to separately develop into a higher, all-American form." The movement was especially popular among educated whites and blacks alike, and by the end of the decade, 38 states would have Eugenics laws on the books. These laws took the form of forced sterilization of "prostitutes, unwed mothers, criminals, drunks, cripples, and retards." While the motivation might have been high minded, the practical result was that the government wound up waging war on America's most vulnerable citizens, and using Eugenic justifications to keep out foreigners.
The 1920's was a remarkable time. The nation was changing faster than ever, and the decades policies and culture would reverberate for decades. The good, the bad, and the ugly parts of this era all had an equal part in putting the roar into the 20's...
Orioles legend Sluggy Jones hitting a homer
A movie palace in San Francisco
Two Bee-Boppers and a Dapper
Heavily armed moonshiners guard their still
Russian-American Los Angeles crime boss Dimitri Yeltsin. During the height of his power, Yeltsin had the mayor of L.A. in his pocket, and was even able to influence the movie industry
A pro-quota cartoon.
A pro-Eugenics newspaper article
Chapter 19: American Culture and Society in the 1920's
America in the 1920's was a strange place indeed. On one hand, a new generation shaped by the Great War was creating new dances, new kinds of music, and new ways of looking at art and life. On the other hand, moralism prevailed in passing Prohibition (which made drinking worse), the American public had one of the most intense outbursts of xenophobia ever recorded in a free nation, and the so-called Eugenics movement arose. One thing is indisputable; the "Roaring Twenties" were exciting, loud, and dangerous...
In entertainment, new technologies and trends swept the nation. The introduction of "Talkies" or movies with sound, spelled the end of vaudeville and other assorted entertainments. As movies exploded in popularity, the studios competed with one another to build the most lavish "movie palaces." There were uniformed ushers, plush velvet carpets and seats, and some of the most ornate decorations ever seen by the American public. During this decade, radio also took off. Although the industry started with many broadcasters, in the end, the tendency would be towards a Big Three system (just like the movie industry). Music, news, short stories and more were broadcast over the airwaves into the homes of millions of Americans. For those who were more sports minded, the 20's were incredible as well. Legendary baseball players like the Baltimore Orioles Robert "Sluggy" Jones and Yankees star pitcher Joey Scaramucci brought new life into the game. When combined with new stadiums, higher wages, and more leisure time, this meant that attendance at games skyrocketed to unheard of levels. Boxing also experienced a boom as legendary fighters like Bobby Dempsey (aka the Richmond Ravager) and others proved to be some of the finest athletes of their time.
A side effect of the rise of movies, radio, baseball, and boxing was the beginning of celebrity worship in America. Newspapers knew they could easily boost circulation by covering the lives, loves, and screw ups of America's favorite stars. Soon, many Americans would religiously follow the antics of film stars and sports heroes. Celebrity marriages could wind up making front page news, while criminal scandals could sometimes lead the outraged public to take violent action against the accused.
Music and dancing underwent a revolution in this decade as well. In the North, but especially the South, African and Latin music exploded into the mainstream with Jazz and New Salsa respectively. White Americans flocked to formerly black and Hispanic clubs to listen to the new styles. In turn, white clubs began bringing in colored performers to draw crowds. This was a starting step for full racial integration, as the unspoken rule for a generation had generally followed a "stick with your own kind" policy. This wave of new music also created new dance crazes, the most famous of which are "the Charleston" (more popular with Jazz fans) and "the Havana" (for New Salsa fans). These dances excited young people (who were driving the cultural revolution) and outraged older generations for being "lewd and lascivious."
If the new dance crazes upset the older generation, new styles in women's fashion made them have a collective stroke. Until this decade, most women's dress went all the way down to their ankles. In the 20's, so called Bee-Boppers began wearing dresses that came down to the calf or knee. Many of these women also began wearing their hair boyishly short. What alarmed parents even more was their liberal (for the time) attitudes towards sex and dating. Bee-Boppers and their male counterparts "Dappers" held so-called "cuddling parties" and preferred casual dating to formal courtship. Authorities across the nation were enraged, particularly in the South, where white and black communities engaged in a rare show of unity to try and crush the new youth movement. The prevailing opinion was expressed perfectly in the Charleston Mercury: "These so-called Bee-Boppers and their "Dapper" counterparts are dancing, drinking, and fornicating their way straight to the gates of Hell, and are taking the rest of us with them!"
Perhaps the strangest thing about all of this partying was that a great deal of it was indeed illegal, yet that fact just seemed to fuel the wildness. In 1920, the 19th Amendment to the Constitution effectively outlawed alcohol in the United States. This was mainly forced into law by suffragettes and women activists (who won when the 18th Amendment got passed) who viewed alcohol as a moral danger, and as one of the roots of wife-beating.
In reality, all the amendment did was fuel the largest surge in organized crime in American history. Italian and Russian crime families waged bloody battles in the streets to control the illegal booze trade, which became a multi-billion dollar industry overnight. However, these mafias were kept out of the South by a new breed of American folk icons; the moonshiners. These predominantly Scots-Irish mountain people engaged in an arms race with police to see whose car could outrun the other. Clannish, fiercely independent, and heavily armed, these good ol boys made sure that the Southern city folk had plenty of strong, oftentimes home brewed alcohol to keep the party rolling. When combined with the influence of African-American mobsters in the cities who imported higher quality Canadian hooch, the South remained free of Italian and Russian criminal power. Indeed, the African Americans and moonshiners would often temporarily ally with each other to "keep the greedy Yankees out of our wallets." In the North and West however, the Russians and Italians practically owned the cities. Cops, judges, and even mayors were all on the take. Eventually, the FBI had to be brought in to help restore order. This crack team of so-called "Invincibles" would become heroes in their own right for their shoot outs with mobsters and moonshiners alike.
Another, more virulent reactionary policy in the 20's was an unprecedented outburst of xenophobia. The Great War, the Irish War for Independence, and the UOCS had convinced the American public that the vast majority of foreigners were "savages hell-bent on annihilating each other out of sheer hatred." In 1924, President Beauregard passed the Immigration Quota Act. Every nation on Earth was allowed a set quota of immigrants every year. Latin America, Northern Europe, and China were relatively favored, having larger quotas than anyone else. The country that suffered the worst was Russia. As thousands of Jews and Muslims fled to the US and told tales of pogroms and atrocities (which were mostly accurate) the American government famously set the immigration quota for Russia at 20 (since those oppressed that could flee already had). When asked why Russia was only allowed 20 immigrants, President Beauregard famously remarked "Because if we allow 20 Ruskies in every year, we can find one good man among them and deport the other 19." Those immigrants that were allowed in were explicitly told to Amercanize, and to do it quickly..
Finally, the most "scientific" of the era's more unfortunate policies was the Eugenics movement. Eugenics was a worldwide phenomenon, but took an unusual twist in America. Whereas in other countries Eugenics was explicitly racist, American Eugenics was less so. The biggest branch of the movement called for "Eugenic policies for the improvement of both Negros and Whites. These two native American races should be allowed to separately develop into a higher, all-American form." The movement was especially popular among educated whites and blacks alike, and by the end of the decade, 38 states would have Eugenics laws on the books. These laws took the form of forced sterilization of "prostitutes, unwed mothers, criminals, drunks, cripples, and retards." While the motivation might have been high minded, the practical result was that the government wound up waging war on America's most vulnerable citizens, and using Eugenic justifications to keep out foreigners.
The 1920's was a remarkable time. The nation was changing faster than ever, and the decades policies and culture would reverberate for decades. The good, the bad, and the ugly parts of this era all had an equal part in putting the roar into the 20's...
Orioles legend Sluggy Jones hitting a homer
A movie palace in San Francisco
Two Bee-Boppers and a Dapper
Heavily armed moonshiners guard their still
Russian-American Los Angeles crime boss Dimitri Yeltsin. During the height of his power, Yeltsin had the mayor of L.A. in his pocket, and was even able to influence the movie industry
A pro-quota cartoon.
A pro-Eugenics newspaper article
Controversial Motion Picture "Birth of a Nation" Sparks Riots, Unrest in Southern Cities
Here's a fun tidbit for you
Controversial Motion Picture "Birth of a Nation" Sparks Riots, Unrest in Southern Cities
May 8th, 1925- In theaters across America, the new film "Birth of a Nation" was shown yesterday. The controversial picture revolves around the involvement of Irish-Americans in the struggle for Irish independence. This particular film is causing such an uproar because it focuses on the real-life story of Martin O'Hanlan, a mixed race man born to an Irish father and a Negro mother. O'Hanlan played himself in the picture, and did a decent job by critics accounts. However, most moviegoers weren't focused on his performance, but rather on his mixed heritage. In Northern cities, many groups have stated that it is "improper to glamorize racial mixing in film." The South had a rather more visceral reaction. Atlanta, Savannah, Raleigh, Charleston, and Mobile all exploded into riots after the picture's content became known. Negros and whites targeted each other, and many movie theaters in the area. Copies of the film have been seized by both rioters and authorities across Dixie, and have been burned. As one Negro man put it "The fact that a film can be made in this country advocating for relations between white men and Negro women is sick. It threatens the whole foundation upon which Southern social harmony rests." A white man concurred with the sentiment, stating "The day our race becomes mongrelized in this country will be the day American civilization dies." At the time of printing, National Guardsmen have been deployed to suppress the rioting. The death toll is believed to be at 37.
Controversial Motion Picture "Birth of a Nation" Sparks Riots, Unrest in Southern Cities
May 8th, 1925- In theaters across America, the new film "Birth of a Nation" was shown yesterday. The controversial picture revolves around the involvement of Irish-Americans in the struggle for Irish independence. This particular film is causing such an uproar because it focuses on the real-life story of Martin O'Hanlan, a mixed race man born to an Irish father and a Negro mother. O'Hanlan played himself in the picture, and did a decent job by critics accounts. However, most moviegoers weren't focused on his performance, but rather on his mixed heritage. In Northern cities, many groups have stated that it is "improper to glamorize racial mixing in film." The South had a rather more visceral reaction. Atlanta, Savannah, Raleigh, Charleston, and Mobile all exploded into riots after the picture's content became known. Negros and whites targeted each other, and many movie theaters in the area. Copies of the film have been seized by both rioters and authorities across Dixie, and have been burned. As one Negro man put it "The fact that a film can be made in this country advocating for relations between white men and Negro women is sick. It threatens the whole foundation upon which Southern social harmony rests." A white man concurred with the sentiment, stating "The day our race becomes mongrelized in this country will be the day American civilization dies." At the time of printing, National Guardsmen have been deployed to suppress the rioting. The death toll is believed to be at 37.
AeroTheZealousOne
Monthly Donor
It's funny because I was just about to ask if we would be getting any pop culture updates here. I'm pleased that it's actually quite recognizable after all of these butterflies, too.
I love that it's about Irish independence ITTL rather than the Klan, but as you said earlier it's not a post-racial utopia in the United States, and this reflects it very well.
Thanks Aero!
Yeah, pop culture is going to be different but recognizable until about the 60's and 70's. I'm going to probably due a pop culture update for every decade from here on out.
I had the idea about Birth of a Nation randomly as I was writing this last chapter. It shows how there are still plenty of racial tensions ITTL, yet there's more progress (good luck finding a mixed race actor in OTL's 20's).
Chapter 20: The National Revolutionary Army and the Chinese Civil War
Chapter 20: The National Revolutionary Army and the Chinese Civil War
To understand the roots of China's Civil War, we must understand the years that preceded it. In 1912, Chinese statesman Sun Yat-sen overthrew the last real Emperor of China. With the help of his National Revolutionary Army, he established himself as the founder of the Chinese republic. However, he hadn't won alone...
Several years prior to taking power, Yat-sen had traveled around the United States. This was not unusual for Chinese intellectuals, especially those of a democratic or revolutionary bent. Indeed, many of his most prominent officers had actually trained at West Point under an American initiative to "civilize the Noble but primitive Chinese people, and prevent another Boxer Rebellion." On July 4th, 1910, a series of events would change Chinese, and indeed world history....
Sun Yat-sen was in Atlanta, and gathered on the street to watch the city's massive 4th of July parade. The band struck up military music and row after row of sharply uniformed soldiers marched past in perfect time. However, what most impressed Yat-sen was the detachment of former filibusters from the Jamica Incident that were allowed to march in the parade. As a man accustomed to seeing his own kind, as well as other races, prostrate themselves before European colonists, the sight of black men receiving any kind of respect was shocking to him. He wrote later in his diary:
"The Negro-American is unique among the colored races of the world. He is not equal to the white man, this is true. However, he is not a cowering wretch like many of my own countrymen. He is a man marching towards glory and equality. In many ways, he is similar to his white American counterpart. Both have the beginning of a certain regal bearing, that is only found amongst imperial peoples. The Romans had it. The Germans and British have it, in their brutish way. Our people used to have it. Perhaps by following the Negro example, we can reclaim that pride, and become an Asian Empire of Liberty."
After the parade, Sun Yat-sen chased down one Jeremiah King. King had led the detachment of filibusters in the parade, and had since become an incognito agent of a new US proto-intelligence agency, the Internal Security and Reconnaissance Force (ISRF). The two men immediately hit it off. Yat-sen admired the man's confidence and eloquence. King felt the "wizened Chinaman" to be an intelligent, civilized man interested in what was best for his country. They discussed the situation in China, a topic which pained Yat-sen greatly. He dreamed of leading an uprising, but had no money or men. King, sensing an unprecedented opportunity, invited the Chinese revolutionary to stay as a guest in his home. He then immediately went to telegraph Washington about "the possibility of establishing an American friendly China in the Orient." The message went straight to President Roosevelt, who was thrilled at the opportunity. In a secret, personal meeting with Sun Yat-sen, the President offered the revolutionary weapons, money, and officers to train his men. An ecstatic Sun Yat-sen agreed, and promptly set up shop in the Philippines. By March 1911, he had gathered thousands of Chinese and Chinese-Americans in his army. In April, the first shipment of American supplies came in, and so too did "China's Lafayette..."
Boston Custer, hero of Little Bighorn, arrived to see Sun Yat-sen's revolutionary army waiting for him. The men were under-equipped, lacked proper uniforms, and did not possess the discipline of an American unit. Upon arrival, he ranted to the recruits "Listen up you Yellow bastards! Right now, you're nothing but a bunch of savages who probably think that the sun is some kind of god, and couldn't whip a bunch of Frenchmen if they gave you a lash and a map! However, if you listen to me, you'll be able to hold your own against West Point's finest!" In the beginning, there was a great deal of hostility between Custer and the Chinese, with both thinking the other arrogant and ignorant. However, as several months passed, Custer found himself respecting the Chinese soldiers as being "as tough as any white unit I've ever seen." The Chinese also began understanding the reasons Custer did things a certain way, and respecting his orders. By the end of the training in October, Custer was known as "Our Dear Commander."
On October 13th, 1911, the National Revolutionary Army formally revolted against the Chinese Empire. Realizing that the Empire's time was up, other warlords and opportunistic officials joined the revolt. The British and French did what they could to back the Empire, but eventually bowed to the inevitable. On August 3rd, 1912, Sun Yat-sen declared victory, deposed the Emperor, and took power as China's President, after struggles within the Kuomintang. He was firmly pro-American, and the Chinese would supply the Alliance war effort and harass the Russians throughout the Great War.
However, after Sun died in office in 1925, the Chinese nationalist party, the Kuomintang, collapsed. Various warlords, ethnic militias, and Russian backed Christian groups would vie with American backed Kuomintang factions for supremacy in the Chinese mainland. It would be a long, bloody struggle for unification....
Chinese President Sun Yat-sen
Jeremiah King before the filibuster in Jamaica
Colonel Boston Custer in younger years. He would be revered by China as the "Great Blonde Commander," for generations
The flag of the Kuomintang and Republican China. It is heavily derived from the American flag in a show of friendship and respect between the Eagle and Dragon (photo creds kyuzaoi)
To understand the roots of China's Civil War, we must understand the years that preceded it. In 1912, Chinese statesman Sun Yat-sen overthrew the last real Emperor of China. With the help of his National Revolutionary Army, he established himself as the founder of the Chinese republic. However, he hadn't won alone...
Several years prior to taking power, Yat-sen had traveled around the United States. This was not unusual for Chinese intellectuals, especially those of a democratic or revolutionary bent. Indeed, many of his most prominent officers had actually trained at West Point under an American initiative to "civilize the Noble but primitive Chinese people, and prevent another Boxer Rebellion." On July 4th, 1910, a series of events would change Chinese, and indeed world history....
Sun Yat-sen was in Atlanta, and gathered on the street to watch the city's massive 4th of July parade. The band struck up military music and row after row of sharply uniformed soldiers marched past in perfect time. However, what most impressed Yat-sen was the detachment of former filibusters from the Jamica Incident that were allowed to march in the parade. As a man accustomed to seeing his own kind, as well as other races, prostrate themselves before European colonists, the sight of black men receiving any kind of respect was shocking to him. He wrote later in his diary:
"The Negro-American is unique among the colored races of the world. He is not equal to the white man, this is true. However, he is not a cowering wretch like many of my own countrymen. He is a man marching towards glory and equality. In many ways, he is similar to his white American counterpart. Both have the beginning of a certain regal bearing, that is only found amongst imperial peoples. The Romans had it. The Germans and British have it, in their brutish way. Our people used to have it. Perhaps by following the Negro example, we can reclaim that pride, and become an Asian Empire of Liberty."
After the parade, Sun Yat-sen chased down one Jeremiah King. King had led the detachment of filibusters in the parade, and had since become an incognito agent of a new US proto-intelligence agency, the Internal Security and Reconnaissance Force (ISRF). The two men immediately hit it off. Yat-sen admired the man's confidence and eloquence. King felt the "wizened Chinaman" to be an intelligent, civilized man interested in what was best for his country. They discussed the situation in China, a topic which pained Yat-sen greatly. He dreamed of leading an uprising, but had no money or men. King, sensing an unprecedented opportunity, invited the Chinese revolutionary to stay as a guest in his home. He then immediately went to telegraph Washington about "the possibility of establishing an American friendly China in the Orient." The message went straight to President Roosevelt, who was thrilled at the opportunity. In a secret, personal meeting with Sun Yat-sen, the President offered the revolutionary weapons, money, and officers to train his men. An ecstatic Sun Yat-sen agreed, and promptly set up shop in the Philippines. By March 1911, he had gathered thousands of Chinese and Chinese-Americans in his army. In April, the first shipment of American supplies came in, and so too did "China's Lafayette..."
Boston Custer, hero of Little Bighorn, arrived to see Sun Yat-sen's revolutionary army waiting for him. The men were under-equipped, lacked proper uniforms, and did not possess the discipline of an American unit. Upon arrival, he ranted to the recruits "Listen up you Yellow bastards! Right now, you're nothing but a bunch of savages who probably think that the sun is some kind of god, and couldn't whip a bunch of Frenchmen if they gave you a lash and a map! However, if you listen to me, you'll be able to hold your own against West Point's finest!" In the beginning, there was a great deal of hostility between Custer and the Chinese, with both thinking the other arrogant and ignorant. However, as several months passed, Custer found himself respecting the Chinese soldiers as being "as tough as any white unit I've ever seen." The Chinese also began understanding the reasons Custer did things a certain way, and respecting his orders. By the end of the training in October, Custer was known as "Our Dear Commander."
On October 13th, 1911, the National Revolutionary Army formally revolted against the Chinese Empire. Realizing that the Empire's time was up, other warlords and opportunistic officials joined the revolt. The British and French did what they could to back the Empire, but eventually bowed to the inevitable. On August 3rd, 1912, Sun Yat-sen declared victory, deposed the Emperor, and took power as China's President, after struggles within the Kuomintang. He was firmly pro-American, and the Chinese would supply the Alliance war effort and harass the Russians throughout the Great War.
However, after Sun died in office in 1925, the Chinese nationalist party, the Kuomintang, collapsed. Various warlords, ethnic militias, and Russian backed Christian groups would vie with American backed Kuomintang factions for supremacy in the Chinese mainland. It would be a long, bloody struggle for unification....
Chinese President Sun Yat-sen
Jeremiah King before the filibuster in Jamaica
Colonel Boston Custer in younger years. He would be revered by China as the "Great Blonde Commander," for generations
The flag of the Kuomintang and Republican China. It is heavily derived from the American flag in a show of friendship and respect between the Eagle and Dragon (photo creds kyuzaoi)
AeroTheZealousOne
Monthly Donor
Without Hamilton IOTL I do not believe Custer would have received such a nickname here.
And it's interesting to see that Custer survives ITTL, I might've missed it earlier but there we go.I never actually realized how well these two flags mesh together until now. They should keep it that way going forward.
(Sidenote, in East Asian cultures such as in China, Korea, and Japan, the family name comes first in order, for instance "Mao Tse-tung", in which the family name is Mao. Therefore, Sun Yat-sen would be referred to as "Sun", rather than "Yat-sen". (Think of how awkward and confusing it would be if the 35th President of the United States was just referred to in a history book as John, rather than John Kennedy. Just something of a quick reminder if you wish to fix it.))
The Custer in question is not George but Boston, so yeah.Without Hamilton IOTL I do not believe Custer would have received such a nickname here.
Marc A