AHC: Largest German immigration to the United States

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_American
As of current German Americans comprise about 17% of the total population. With a POD in 1812, make German immigration to the US as large as possible.
Possibilities of immigration include:
  • Rural poverty due to no labour laws(laws existed IOTL)
  • Escaping political/religious persecution
  • Looking for work
  • Anti-Nazis
  • Expelled from redrawn borders of Central Europe(post-WWII)
 
Why not have America not join WWII, the Allies win (several years later), and many Germans, fleeing persecution from the Allies, go the US. Obviously, any top Nazi agents are quickly handed over to the Allied Governments, but Nazi Sympathisers or Soldiers are allowed to stay. This could also potentially lead to a larger Fascist Party in the US.
 
Have a version of the TYW (in terms of effects), except with Prussia/France vs. Austria/Russia. The amount of devastation that would be caused, with the steam engine (and depending on when it happens, the machine gun) in regions of conflict, like East Prussia, Swabia, and Bavaria, would get a really large amount of Germas to emigrate to elsewhere. Most likely, either the United States, or Britain.
 
Would the failure of Prussia to unify Germany in the 1860's result in less emigration or more?

I'm thinking less as travel within Germany would be more difficult should there by a large number of tiny states to bypass to get to the coast.

A unified, Prussia-Led Germany at least offered superior transportation, ease of internal movement, etc.

On the other hand, a united Germany was more prosperous and provided less impetus for emigration.

Kind of a draw.

Many of my timelines have Prussia being torn apart in the 7 Years War. This may be a good POD.
 
Would the failure of Prussia to unify Germany in the 1860's result in less emigration or more?

I'm thinking less as travel within Germany would be more difficult should there by a large number of tiny states to bypass to get to the coast.

By 1850, even before unification, Germany had a good rail system and an extensive road and canal system. Traveling within a disunited Germany might be annoying and involve a lot of tolls with multiple small countries but from a logistics standpoint isn't difficult or particularly expensive and isn't going to deter any but the poorest immigrants, who probably couldn't afford the ship fare anyway. And German immigrants were generally wealthier than others, like the Irish.

I do think you're on the right track that the best way to increase emigration would be political turmoil within the Germanies if unification were to fall apart. How that happens, I don't know.
 

Driftless

Donor
.....And German immigrants were generally wealthier than others.....

That also improves their lot for being accepted in the US, which in turn makes it easier to bring over additional kin as time goes on - which was a common occurence. The "pull" side increases along with the "push"
 
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