A Confederate Empire

1863
Robert E Lee, General of the Army of Northern Virginia orders a right an artillery assault on the Union right flanks, with the Union right flank virtually non-existent the Confederate troops storm Gettysburg, by July 4th the Army of the Potomac retreated east, with Gettysburg in Confederate hands Robert E Lee marches downward to Washington DC, hoping to completely encircle the Union capital and force the US to agree to a peace treaty, with superior Confederate diplomacy, the British join the War hoping to gain a major ally in North America in the Confederate States and as a result declare war on the United States and open up a second front occupying Detroit, with troops diverted to the Midwest to deal with British troops, Robert E Lee lays Siege to Washington DC,threatening the United States government, eventually the US Government negotiates a peace Treaty with the CS and British

Treaty of London, 1864
The United States of America recognizes the Confederate Sates of America's Independence

The United States of America cedes the disputed state of Kentucky to the Confederate States

the Confederate States renounces claims to the rest of the Border states (Missouri,West Virginia,Maryland,and Delaware) which will remain with the United States of America

The British gain Northern Maine from the US

1864 US Presidential Election
President Lincoln lost re-election to Democrat Horatio Seymour due to the fact that many Americans blamed the loss of the American Civil War on Lincoln, the Republican Party would be non-existent by 1868 and replaced by the Socialist Party as the Democrats main opposition, Horatio Seymour's Presidency would see an economic collapse, the capital was also moved to Philadelphia to keep the Capital away from gunpoint, in 1870 the Socialists would gain majority in Congress due to their promises for a better future and to fix the economy The Socialists also promised absolute equality for all and the Thirteenth Amendment would be passed in both houses of Congress permanently banning slavery

A New Nation
With the Confederacy surviving the Civil War, the CS Government would have the duty of building a new nation, with Jefferson Davis retiring after his uneventful post-war Presidency, two new parties would emerge, the States Rights Party and the National Party, in the 1868 CS Presidential Election, the States Rights party would nominate Vice President Alexander Stephens who would defeat National Party Candidate James Longstreet by a close margin, a small abolition movement began to emerge saying that the war was fought for States Rights and not Slavery and that Slavery was morally wrong, Alexander Stephens ignored the demands and said he would keep Slavery as an institution so as long as he is President which would be backed up by an overwhelming pro-slavery Majority in Congress

Tensions Rising
In 1871 a small skirmish would erupt in the Indian territory between Union and Confederate settlers near the border with Texas, both sides claimed the territory as its status wasnt addressed in the Treaty of London, neither side was willing to negotiate, The US controlled most of the territory so it argued it was the sole owner of it, the CS argued that it was never addressed in the Treaty of London so it should be decided, a referendum was placed and most of the votes were Pro-Union, the Confederacy had backed off from it as a result but this would only ease tensions for the moment

European affairs
with Great Britain firmly on the Confederate Side the US looked for ally in case they would back the Confederacy in a second war, the US would be successful in getting an Alliance with Germany and Austria-Hungary while France sided with the British and the CSA, the new nation of Italy initially remained neutral but by 1873 it had sided with the Union,German,and Austrian alliance, the alliance was informally called "The Berlin Allies".
 
Nice, I'm always down for a Confederate victory TL.
While I don't have an issue with a Gettysburg victory (my go-to is the way they win in Gingrich's novel), I really don't see the UK joining the war on the Confederate side. While it's of course your story, I'd recommend changing that bit to save yourself some headaches.
Other than that, keep it up! Looking forward to the next part.
 
I don't see UK joining to war. UK was strongly anti-slavery and it wouldn't help CSA. And I don't see Lincoln surrending so easily.
 
Aside from the other comments, isn't it greatly overstated how reliant the UK was on southern cotton? I thought that, by now, Egypt was their go-to for cotton. What else does the South have to offer them? They're not unfriendly with the US in any case.
 

ben0628

Banned
Aside from the other comments, isn't it greatly overstated how reliant the UK was on southern cotton? I thought that, by now, Egypt was their go-to for cotton. What else does the South have to offer them? They're not unfriendly with the US in any case.

It is overstated

Actually before banned I believe TFSmith stated once that Great Britain relied more on food imports from the Union than cotton imports from the Confederacy. I also disagree with the pod.

Should have went with peace AFTER Lincoln loses the election of 1864.
 
1863
with Gettysburg in Confederate hands Robert E Lee marches downward to Washington DC, hoping to completely encircle the Union capital and force the US to agree to a peace treaty, with superior Confederate diplomacy, the British join the War hoping to gain a major ally in North America in the Confederate States and as a result declare war on the United States and open up a second front occupying Detroit, with troops diverted to the Midwest to deal with British troops, Robert E Lee lays Siege to Washington DC,threatening the United States government, eventually the US Government negotiates a peace Treaty with the CS and British

What??????

There will be like, 50000 fresh troops sitting in the Washington defences, which is literally the single most heavily fortified position in the Northern Hemisphere. Never mind the large and reformed union army of the Potomac behind Lee, he will most likely be sandwiched and annihilated here even before the British magically send their troops over the pacific and into Canada.
 
Pretty sure the odds of the British joining the war on the side of the CSA are approximately zero.

Pretty sure the odds of Lee taking Washington are similarly low.
 
Once the Lincoln made the Emancipation Proclamation, slavery had been made a direct issue of the war. Once this is the case, there is no chance of Britain supporting the Confederacy. There was strong Abolitionist sentiment in Britain, and supporting the Confederacy would be seen as supporting slavery, and that would have resulted in a major political row in Britain.

During a by-election in Manchester – the heart of the British textile industry – in 1863, one candidate stood on a platform of restoring the flow of cotton from the Confederacy. He didn’t do very well. Indeed, he was beaten up so badly by the textile workers that he was left crippled for the rest of his life. Debates were quite robust back then.

What could Britain possibly gain from intervention? It had arranged alternative cotton supplies, so it no longer was in desperate need of cotton, and even if it were, the Confederacy would have to sell to Britain regardless. It would create a political storm at home. It would anger the USA, which might very well look towards Canada after the war. Intervention would have put a great deal of British interests at risk, would involve massive costs (fighting a war to protect Canada would not come cheap), would bring down the Government of the day, and all for no gain that it couldn’t get by not lifting a finger.

Britain didn’t go to war with the USA over the Trent crisis, when British maritime interests were directly at stake. A diplomatic solution was found then. It’s inconceivable that if Britain didn’t get involved when its maritime rights were in question, it would get involved when it had nothing at stake in order to support slavery.

The other aspect is the assumption that Lee winning at Gettysburg will have the slightest effect on the war. The AoNV was short of supplies (IIRC, wasn’t the battle fought at Gettysburg because some Confederates were looking for boots?), had no siege train worth mentioning – but that’s all right, as it didn’t have the supplies to support one even if they did. Washington was probably the most heavily defended place on the planet at the time, and if the victory has come on Day 2, then a significant proportion of the Army of the Potomac has yet to be engaged.

Even if the Army of the Potomac suddenly ceases to exist, made to disappear by vigorous arm-waving, what can Lee actually do next? He can’t take Washington. More Union forces will be heading his way, and he is low on powder and shot and boots and pretty much everything. If he stands still, his army starves. If he goes deeper into Union territory, he’s sticking his head further into the noose, and has farther to go to get out. He can’t take Washington. He can amble about foraging and keeping his army together, running lower on supplies while the Union puts another army against him. Or he can go home, having achieved very little other than feeding the crows and giving the Union a scare.

If the Union holds its nerve, and war-weariness hadn’t become such a factor as it was later to become, it’s just another defeat for the Army of the Potomac. It’s been beaten before, and it will be beaten again, but all the time attrition is working against the Confederacy.
 
Once the Lincoln made the Emancipation Proclamation, slavery had been made a direct issue of the war. Once this is the case, there is no chance of Britain supporting the Confederacy. There was strong Abolitionist sentiment in Britain, and supporting the Confederacy would be seen as supporting slavery, and that would have resulted in a major political row in Britain.

This all the way. There's no way the British would support the Confederacy once the EP has been made public. The Union, or Lincoln specifically, would have to intentionally provoke war with the UK for the latter to provide any support. Additionally, even if Lee wins and Gettysburg, he can't remain in hostile territory for long. The Army of the Potomac will simply fall back and shield Washington from attack, or, after gaining additional manpower, move to cut off Lee's routes to Virginia.
 
Also the Dual Alliance between Austria-Hungary and Germany was only created in 1879, whilst it is possible that it might be created earlier by the Union seeking an alliance. The yankees would probably seek to ally with an other power then Austria like Russia as the Austrians would have trouble helping the USA in a war against Britain.
It also makes the alliances look unoriginal, copying WWI and Harry Turtle Dove.
 
I think a smashing victory at Gettysburg is possible, but I don't think Lee's next step would be marching on Washington. To really crush the AotP, he would try to maneuver between it and its railheads; if that worked out, the next target would be Baltimore; the only rail line into Washington comes through there, and it was scarcely defended. For supply, he could continue to ravage everything south of the Susquehanna like he had the Cumberland Valley, while the remnants of the AotP stayed in the fortifications of Washington and atrophied. Would be interesting to see the supply requirements of Washington city and its defenses compared to the riverine transport capacity, and what how the draft riots would play out without troops from Gettysburg and a major defeat in the newspapers.
 

ben0628

Banned
Once the Lincoln made the Emancipation Proclamation, slavery had been made a direct issue of the war. Once this is the case, there is no chance of Britain supporting the Confederacy. There was strong Abolitionist sentiment in Britain, and supporting the Confederacy would be seen as supporting slavery, and that would have resulted in a major political row in Britain.

During a by-election in Manchester – the heart of the British textile industry – in 1863, one candidate stood on a platform of restoring the flow of cotton from the Confederacy. He didn’t do very well. Indeed, he was beaten up so badly by the textile workers that he was left crippled for the rest of his life. Debates were quite robust back then.

What could Britain possibly gain from intervention? It had arranged alternative cotton supplies, so it no longer was in desperate need of cotton, and even if it were, the Confederacy would have to sell to Britain regardless. It would create a political storm at home. It would anger the USA, which might very well look towards Canada after the war. Intervention would have put a great deal of British interests at risk, would involve massive costs (fighting a war to protect Canada would not come cheap), would bring down the Government of the day, and all for no gain that it couldn’t get by not lifting a finger.

Britain didn’t go to war with the USA over the Trent crisis, when British maritime interests were directly at stake. A diplomatic solution was found then. It’s inconceivable that if Britain didn’t get involved when its maritime rights were in question, it would get involved when it had nothing at stake in order to support slavery.

The other aspect is the assumption that Lee winning at Gettysburg will have the slightest effect on the war. The AoNV was short of supplies (IIRC, wasn’t the battle fought at Gettysburg because some Confederates were looking for boots?), had no siege train worth mentioning – but that’s all right, as it didn’t have the supplies to support one even if they did. Washington was probably the most heavily defended place on the planet at the time, and if the victory has come on Day 2, then a significant proportion of the Army of the Potomac has yet to be engaged.

Even if the Army of the Potomac suddenly ceases to exist, made to disappear by vigorous arm-waving, what can Lee actually do next? He can’t take Washington. More Union forces will be heading his way, and he is low on powder and shot and boots and pretty much everything. If he stands still, his army starves. If he goes deeper into Union territory, he’s sticking his head further into the noose, and has farther to go to get out. He can’t take Washington. He can amble about foraging and keeping his army together, running lower on supplies while the Union puts another army against him. Or he can go home, having achieved very little other than feeding the crows and giving the Union a scare.

If the Union holds its nerve, and war-weariness hadn’t become such a factor as it was later to become, it’s just another defeat for the Army of the Potomac. It’s been beaten before, and it will be beaten again, but all the time attrition is working against the Confederacy.

In response to your boots question, if I'm not mistaken, Lee did not go to Gettysburg to get boots for his troops. I heard/read somewhere a few years ago that he was marching his army towards Camp Curtin (US army base during the war) outside of Harrisburg.

Unfortunately along the way, one Confederate brigade decided to sack Gettysburg for rumored boots. Mistaking Buford's calvary for militia, the Confederate brigade got its ass kicked and called in the rest of the division for reinforcements. Once Reynolds and the Union first Corp arrived, said Confederate division called in for the rest of the Corps for help at which point Robert E. Lee decided "what the hell, let's have a battle, this place is as good as any" and then decided to screw camp Curtin and sent his entire army South towards Gettysburg.

Pretty much Gettysburg was an accidental skirmish that managed to escalate into one of the bloodiest battles in American history.
 
Lee heard from a spy that the AotP had crossed the Potomac much faster than he had expected it too, so he ordered a concentration at Gettysburg because that's where all the roads lead. Ewell had been marching on Harrisburg (with instructions to capture it if it came within his means) with two divisions, Early had struck out towards York, while Longstreet and Hill were on the Chambersburg-Cashtown-Gettysburg axis.

I think if Lee heard about the Union advance towards Gettysburg soon enough (i.e. if Stuart's doing his job), he'd have put Longstreet and Hill on different roads, so they can both concentrate and make a stand at Gettysburg while Ewell bags Harrisburg. If the Union attacks, they'd have to worry about Ewell coming down on their northern flank and Early attacking from the rear; if the Union stands at the Pipe Creek Line, Lee can turn them out of the position by striking south down the Emmitsburg road towards Frederick. It wouldn't be quite so ideal as destroying I and XI Corps, then III, II, XII, and V corps, and polishing off VI Corps while they're strung out on forced marches, but the resulting battle would probably go better than Gettysburg.
 
Lee's invasion had three main goals. The first one was to upset any summer plans that the Union may have for action in the east and encourage the growth of the peace movement in the north which was met with some success. The second was to relieve pressure indirectly from Vicksburg. Lee assumed that if he invaded then forces from all over the Union would be called back to the east, including significant numbers from Grant's veteran army. This ploy ended up failing, as Grant lost not a single regiment and actually received some reinforcement during this period of time. Thirdly, Lee wanted to be able to have his men be able to live off the rich Northern farmland and give the farms and farmers in Virginia a much needed break. This he also accomplished, driving over 20,000 cattle and 22,000 sheep back into Virginia after the Gettysburg battle.

Lee's best hope would have been to avoid a pitched battle anyway. The Army of the Potomac was in a bit of leader trouble at the moment. Hooker had just been replaced by Meade the army was spread over thirty miles and his orders were to follow Lee and protect Washington. Meade was tempted to establish a defensive line along Pipe Creek, covering Washington, Baltimore and if need be Philadelphia. Lee's first objective was Harrisburg, where he planned to destroy the bridges and rail connection, plus get whatever artillery, munitions and supplies that were located within the city then retreat back into Virginia through the Shenandoah.

As to whether or not Lee would be able to take over Harrisburg is dubious. Along with the Army of the Potomac. The department of the Susquehanna had 33,000 men centered around the city and were in the process of building earthworks and other fortifications. Skirmishes broke out from June 28th-July 1st around Chamsburg, a few miles from Harrisburg proper. Harrisburg is located across a mile wide river so unless Lee could manage to somehow have one of the two bridges be kept intact for him, he would need to bring up or create pontoons to cross over and major pontoon actions always seem to produce problems in this war...
 
The heights on the south bank of the river command the town of Harrisburg, so burning the bridges and refusing to surrender the city would just invite its destruction under artillery fire; the fortifications on the south bank were incomplete, and the PA militia didn't exactly cover themselves in glory during the campaign. In addition, there were fords in the immediate area which an invading force might discover, which would mitigate against burning bridges and refusing to evacuate a town commanded by guns on the opposite bank.

Lee's main objective was the Army of the Potomac; nothing better he can do for the friends of peace or Confederates in the west than drawing out the main Union army and kicking its teeth in. In terms of balance of numbers, summer (and maybe fall) 1863 was the time to do it, since lots of enlistments expired after Chancellorsville, in addition to the morale and physical damage of that failure. Even after the defeat OTL, the Army of the Potomac was bloodied enough that Lee felt safe enough to send two divisions and his best corps commander west to win the Army of Tennessee's only victory; a smashing victory at Gettysburg (a battle of encounter as it happened, rather than a pitched battle) would definitely amplify the results Lee achieved in the campaign.

Some people think Lee was being disingenuous in claiming his offensive would draw troops off Vicksburg; he might have thought it was a lost cause anyway. I think if Lee had won the Gettysburg campaign conclusively, Lincoln might have split Army of the Tennessee reinforcements between the Tennessee and Virginia theatres, but by then Vicksburg was lost anyway; Johnston settled the issue when he evacuated Jackson and torched the railheads.

Furthermore, I'm unsure if Emancipation as it was issued necessarily convinced the British it was a war over slavery; as I recall, a bitter comment was that rather than freeing slaves, it simply made loyalty to Lincoln a requirement to own slaves. Lee didn't think there was much chance of getting aid until they no longer needed it, so hard to suss out the exact impact.
 
The Sonora Purchase
The 1874 Confederate Election would see States Rights candidate Stonewall Jackson win the CS Presidency,he would run on a pro-expansionist platform, he pushed Mexico into selling its northern states to the Confederacy in what would be known as the "Sonora Purchase" would entail the states of Sonora,Chihuahua,Cohaulia,Neuvo Leon,Tamapulias, Baja California, and Baja California Sur being ceded from Mexico to the CSA, all were admitted as CS States, with the issue of Hispanic settlers in the territory, they would not be enslaved however White settlers would take precedence over them and racial discrimination would be commonplace with the CS government exploiting the Mexicans as cheap labor, the Purchase enraged the US Government not wanting to see what it still viewed as rebellious states expand, a second war was on the horizon.

The War of 1875
Not wanting to risk further Confederate Expansion, President James G Blaine, urged US Congress to declare war on the Confederate States, they agreed, and days later Union troops crossed the Potomac, into Manassas, hoping to quickly capture Richmond and bring back the CSA into the Union, the Confederacy managed to keep them at bay and the war would deadlock in Northern Virginia with neither side being able to make significant gains, frustrated , President Blaine orders an invasion of Kentucky which is successful in occupying the State and diverting Confederate Troops, Union forces are able to push near Richmond, threatening the CS Capital and potentially Southern Independence, The British wanting to protect the CS despite major abolitionist movement declares War on the United States, the British and Canadians launch a three-prong attack on Michigan,New York,and Maine respectively, the Confederacy manages to push and occupy Washington DC, meanwhile the British occupy the whole State of Maine, the CSN and Royal Navy launch a coastal bombardment of Boston while the British Army advances towards New York City, even worse for the Union, the French also join the War in 1876 joining the British, by 1877, British and French troops invade and occupy New York City and Boston, the Confederacy is nearing Philadelphia, President Blaine urges citizens to stay calm and stays committed to continuing the war, the panic results mass riots and domestic uprisings, particularly in the west, with the war all but lost the US Surrenders

The Treaty of Richmond 1877,
The US Pays Large War reparations to the Confederacy

the US cedes Missouri,West Virginia,Maryland,Delaware, and the New Mexico territory to the Confederacy

The US cedes the Washington and Idaho territory, and the State of Maine to the British Empire
 

Anaxagoras

Banned
If the British decided, for whatever reason, the intervene in the war on the side of the Confederacy, they probably wouldn't bother trying to invade Union territory. They'd do their best to defend Canada, but they'd focus on the war at sea. The Royal Navy would gobble up the United States merchant marine on the high seas, then implement a tight blockade of United States ports until the Northern economy collapsed and the Union came to the peace table. In the meantime, they'd break the Union blockade of the Confederacy and make some loans to the Confederate government, which would be all they'd really need to do. The Union would be screwed, and no British soldier would ever have to set foot on Union soil.
 
I don't see CSA going expansionist. Ironically USA would be reason for this that CSA wouldn't try expand. And for me it is implausible that CSA even buy Northern Mexico. And it is pretty cliche anyway.

And even if this would happen, USA might try avoid expansion CSA but I don't think that CSA would be so succesful against CSA nor UK and France declaring war to United States. And I doubt that they would invade the country at least very succesfully.
 
I can definitely see Confederate expansionism; there was the whole knights of the golden circle thing before the war, and a general feeling that slavery had to expand to remain viable. Cuba would be on obvious choice, same with Mexico. IIRC, Turtledove just has them purchase the state at the top of the Baja bay so the can have a transcontinental railroad.
 
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