alternatehistory.com
1859-1860
1859
In Europe, a Cold War was building. For the most part, it was the West and South verus the East. However, Prussia was an exception. It had an enclave in the West Part of Germany, but it had no port. Germans to the East and North would not give a port to their enemies, so only two options remained. The Netherlands and Belgium. The Netherlands was the more powerful nation, and both alliances wanted Amsterdam in their corner. To put pressure on the Dutch, the Prussian, Austrian, and Spanish navies moved into the port of the Hague. The Berlin-Hague affair as it came to be known, lasted for 3 weeks in the Spring of 1859, ending when the Netherlands announced they would join Britain and France. Belgium followed suit. Imperialism took a big hit in Europe, but America would rebound it.
Mexico finally had stability under its new leadership. However, much northern territory as well as the Yucatan was gone. To compensate, Mexico invaded much of Central America in the Central American War. Starting in the summer of 1859, most of Guatemala was in Mexican hands. Things got more difficult as Mexicans moved into El Salvador and Honduras, and the war lasted until November 1860, when Costa Rica surrendered. Panama was spared for one very specific reasons.
French, British, and American interests where high in the Isthmus of Panama. Before the Collapse of the US, Great Britain and the US had a deal to build a canal in Panama. The Canal project was hurt by the fall of the US, but several countries showed interest. Oregon, California, and Deseret would all get faster trade with the East, and Dixie, Texas, and Delaware would be able to provide naval support in the event of a world conflict. All of these nations met Baltimore to create a plan. Panama would join the Parisian League, and the various League nations would be able to build a Canal. Mexico and the Imperials caught wind of this and where not very happy, but they could do little in 1859.
Back in North America, the Imperials where on the rise. A scandal broke in January of 1859 that New England had plans to invade the Hudson Republic before it joined Delaware. Now, a mass arming on the border of Maine and New Hampshire, as well as near the Delaware-New England border had come into play. A little to the West, the Cumberland's abolition policies where working effectively, and Great Lakes leaders officially moved to Chicago, now re-branded as the Douglas Capitol District, named after the nation's President. However, Stephen Douglas was working with Imperial Party leaders to abolish the current Constitution and create the Imperial Constitution, which would install Stephen Douglas as Emperor and would have the states elect a Governor-General. All would serve for life. Republicans led by Abraham Lincoln staunchly opposed this. A vote was called, and it would need 2/3rds of the provinces vote to pass. This meant 6 of the 8 provinces needed to vote in favor. However, Douglas disqualified the Minnesota province from voting on the account that it was a territory, lowering the number to five. Election day was set for July 4th, and the votes where shocking. The national vote was 49% in favor, 48% opposed. The close election had many call for a recount. But it was too late. Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, DCD, and Wisconsin voted in favor of the new Constitution, by margins of a few hundred votes. The closest was in Michigan, where it came down to 54 votes. Illinois and Iowa opposed the action. However, they still had hope. The Emperor's election would be on September 1st, and Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas won. The final tally was even closer. Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin voted for Lincoln, and Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and DCD voted for Douglas.
EMPEROR STEPHEN I, HOUSE OF DOUGLAS
EMPEROR OF THE GREAT LAKES
Abraham Lincoln and the Republicans where outraged. Many Republicans left parts of the Empire and established refugees on Isle Royale, Washington Islands, and near West Virginia. However, the majority of Republicans, including Abraham Lincoln, moved to Cairo, Illinois, renaming to Athens, the birthplace of democracy. They seceded and formed Second Republic of the United States of America. Of course, immediate negotiations with Delaware regarding annexation went underway. William Seward had won the Presidency in the election two months after Lincoln lost, and began to make immediate contact with the small nation.
1860
William Seward proved to be one of the most influential American heads of state, compared to Washington, Jefferson, and Jackson of the US. He helped to keep upstate New York alive when he was president of the Hudson, and orchestrated the merge with Delaware. In 1859, he ran to become the Second President of the Delaware Confederation. He won by a wide margin. Before even taking the oath of office in March of 1860, he had been in contact with the West Virginia Congress (no head of state had been elected) and Abraham Lincoln of the Second American Republic. He had allowed for a merger with West Virginia in April of 1860, but Lincoln's Republic would not be as easy to annex. First, its territories where wierdly spread, with some along the Ohio River, some in Southern Illinois, and various Islands, Second, many of these territories where part of the Great Lakes. Only nation who where members of the Parisian League recognized the government, even then some places like Argentina and the Ottoman Empire refused to recognize the Republic. Seward then wrote the Emperor Stephen I, requesting he buy the regions for 5 million dollars. Douglas was workable, as many of the territories aside from the Athens Region would be hard to control anyway. However, he set a price of 17.5 million dollars. The two kept in constant communication, and a price of 10.5 million was set. On June 1st, a variety of territories where annexed by the Confederation of the Delaware. However, in a political action, the name of the Delaware Confederation was scrapped, and the Third Republic of the United States of America. This did some damage with other League countries, but was highly popular in the USA#3 (as the acronym for the nation became)
Following the Mexican Conquests in Costa Rica, Imperial Powers where quick to get to work. Nicaragua had a large lake in the middle of the country, which made it the second best canal site in Central America (Panama being the first.) Construction started, but it was very difficult to dig through so much mud. The first part of the canal, the West Imperial Central American Canal, opened in early 1871. The eastern part would not be finished until 1888.
In Europe, Imperialism was bound to recover. A massive revolt started in French Algeria in March. That Spring and Summer saw the First North African War, which resulted in the formation of the Maghreb Empire. France's reputation took a hit. Then came worse news, when Italy's government collapsed after the President was assassinated and the Pope expressed interest in a Naples-Italian union. It was achieved. In December 1860, all of Italy united as the Italian Empire, with the government set at Naples, although plans to build a new capitol in Rome began.
Europe was facing difficulties, and everyone new it. The struggle would likely result in war, as everyone knew. However, politicians in both camps would not want a world war on a scale like the Napoleonic Wars, or potentially bigger. The Napoleonic Wars where confined to Europe. This 'World War' that was predicted would encompass 6 continents, five oceans, and almost every nation of the face of the planet earth (except Switzerland)
In Europe, a Cold War was building. For the most part, it was the West and South verus the East. However, Prussia was an exception. It had an enclave in the West Part of Germany, but it had no port. Germans to the East and North would not give a port to their enemies, so only two options remained. The Netherlands and Belgium. The Netherlands was the more powerful nation, and both alliances wanted Amsterdam in their corner. To put pressure on the Dutch, the Prussian, Austrian, and Spanish navies moved into the port of the Hague. The Berlin-Hague affair as it came to be known, lasted for 3 weeks in the Spring of 1859, ending when the Netherlands announced they would join Britain and France. Belgium followed suit. Imperialism took a big hit in Europe, but America would rebound it.
Mexico finally had stability under its new leadership. However, much northern territory as well as the Yucatan was gone. To compensate, Mexico invaded much of Central America in the Central American War. Starting in the summer of 1859, most of Guatemala was in Mexican hands. Things got more difficult as Mexicans moved into El Salvador and Honduras, and the war lasted until November 1860, when Costa Rica surrendered. Panama was spared for one very specific reasons.
French, British, and American interests where high in the Isthmus of Panama. Before the Collapse of the US, Great Britain and the US had a deal to build a canal in Panama. The Canal project was hurt by the fall of the US, but several countries showed interest. Oregon, California, and Deseret would all get faster trade with the East, and Dixie, Texas, and Delaware would be able to provide naval support in the event of a world conflict. All of these nations met Baltimore to create a plan. Panama would join the Parisian League, and the various League nations would be able to build a Canal. Mexico and the Imperials caught wind of this and where not very happy, but they could do little in 1859.
Back in North America, the Imperials where on the rise. A scandal broke in January of 1859 that New England had plans to invade the Hudson Republic before it joined Delaware. Now, a mass arming on the border of Maine and New Hampshire, as well as near the Delaware-New England border had come into play. A little to the West, the Cumberland's abolition policies where working effectively, and Great Lakes leaders officially moved to Chicago, now re-branded as the Douglas Capitol District, named after the nation's President. However, Stephen Douglas was working with Imperial Party leaders to abolish the current Constitution and create the Imperial Constitution, which would install Stephen Douglas as Emperor and would have the states elect a Governor-General. All would serve for life. Republicans led by Abraham Lincoln staunchly opposed this. A vote was called, and it would need 2/3rds of the provinces vote to pass. This meant 6 of the 8 provinces needed to vote in favor. However, Douglas disqualified the Minnesota province from voting on the account that it was a territory, lowering the number to five. Election day was set for July 4th, and the votes where shocking. The national vote was 49% in favor, 48% opposed. The close election had many call for a recount. But it was too late. Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, DCD, and Wisconsin voted in favor of the new Constitution, by margins of a few hundred votes. The closest was in Michigan, where it came down to 54 votes. Illinois and Iowa opposed the action. However, they still had hope. The Emperor's election would be on September 1st, and Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas won. The final tally was even closer. Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin voted for Lincoln, and Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and DCD voted for Douglas.
EMPEROR STEPHEN I, HOUSE OF DOUGLAS
EMPEROR OF THE GREAT LAKES
1860
William Seward proved to be one of the most influential American heads of state, compared to Washington, Jefferson, and Jackson of the US. He helped to keep upstate New York alive when he was president of the Hudson, and orchestrated the merge with Delaware. In 1859, he ran to become the Second President of the Delaware Confederation. He won by a wide margin. Before even taking the oath of office in March of 1860, he had been in contact with the West Virginia Congress (no head of state had been elected) and Abraham Lincoln of the Second American Republic. He had allowed for a merger with West Virginia in April of 1860, but Lincoln's Republic would not be as easy to annex. First, its territories where wierdly spread, with some along the Ohio River, some in Southern Illinois, and various Islands, Second, many of these territories where part of the Great Lakes. Only nation who where members of the Parisian League recognized the government, even then some places like Argentina and the Ottoman Empire refused to recognize the Republic. Seward then wrote the Emperor Stephen I, requesting he buy the regions for 5 million dollars. Douglas was workable, as many of the territories aside from the Athens Region would be hard to control anyway. However, he set a price of 17.5 million dollars. The two kept in constant communication, and a price of 10.5 million was set. On June 1st, a variety of territories where annexed by the Confederation of the Delaware. However, in a political action, the name of the Delaware Confederation was scrapped, and the Third Republic of the United States of America. This did some damage with other League countries, but was highly popular in the USA#3 (as the acronym for the nation became)
Following the Mexican Conquests in Costa Rica, Imperial Powers where quick to get to work. Nicaragua had a large lake in the middle of the country, which made it the second best canal site in Central America (Panama being the first.) Construction started, but it was very difficult to dig through so much mud. The first part of the canal, the West Imperial Central American Canal, opened in early 1871. The eastern part would not be finished until 1888.
In Europe, Imperialism was bound to recover. A massive revolt started in French Algeria in March. That Spring and Summer saw the First North African War, which resulted in the formation of the Maghreb Empire. France's reputation took a hit. Then came worse news, when Italy's government collapsed after the President was assassinated and the Pope expressed interest in a Naples-Italian union. It was achieved. In December 1860, all of Italy united as the Italian Empire, with the government set at Naples, although plans to build a new capitol in Rome began.
Europe was facing difficulties, and everyone new it. The struggle would likely result in war, as everyone knew. However, politicians in both camps would not want a world war on a scale like the Napoleonic Wars, or potentially bigger. The Napoleonic Wars where confined to Europe. This 'World War' that was predicted would encompass 6 continents, five oceans, and almost every nation of the face of the planet earth (except Switzerland)
- George Washington
- Word Count: 1.3k