AHC: Worst Possible Confederacy

In an unsuccessful attempt to pay off the massive Confederate national debt, the assets of anyone from a Confederate state serving in the Union Army are seized by the Confederate government and their dependents forcibly evicted from the Confederacy. (Estimates are about 10% of the white work force from Confederate states served in the Union Army.) Insurrections triggered by this new Trail of Tears are violently suppressed after martial law is declared. A new Gag Rule is instituted, but expanding to suppress all criticism of slavery. Rewards are offered for informing on anyone with Unionist sympathies, with little or no evidence required. Laws are passed to re-enslave free blacks. Massacres and counter massacres occur as USCT veterans raid across the border in attempts to free their families and this is used as a reason to maintain martial law. The international slave trade is not reopened for fear of British intervention, but the Confederate government turns a blind eye to the smuggling in of new slaves. Native Americans are enslaved or expelled and their property seized. Poor whites are gradually disenfranchised, with the vote being limited to the educated and military veterans. Filibusters are secretly funded to try to destabilize or overthrow Latin American states, followed by actual Confederate intervention if the filibusters show any signs of success. Lacking numbers, the Confederates produce and use chemical weapons in these interventions, which seldom succeed, but result in large numbers of casualties. When the boll weevil hits, ruined planters' assets are resold, including slaves, which drops the price of slaves and increases the number of Confederate citizens who own slaves. Sick, weak, and elderly slaves are freed by default, but mainly freed to starve. The Eugenics movement finds deep roots in the Confederacy, with forced sterilization becoming a common penalty for crimes, including vagrancy.
 
You know, when I was about twelve and was first reading about the American Civil War, I used to think that this was actually the case - in the whole "Confederates wanted to unite the Union just like the Unionists" thing.

And I thought: "Wow, the CSA was dumb, how could they have thought that they could conquer all of the North?"

There's an actual AH novel, published in Italian, that operates on that premise.
 
With a POD of 1861, what is the worst possible Confederacy that can be made??? It cannot follow ANY Lost Cause Tropes, meaning it will have slavery until some point in the 20th century at bare minimum(and from pressure). Bonus points if any theocratic elements are installed.
Civil war drags on, at the end the Confederates' debt to the UK is so high that they agree to join Confederation as Canada's 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, and 15th provinces. Then the South can drag Canada down with it :cryingface:

Yes it's absolutely ASB, but the Confederacy joining Confederation is more confederal word play than I'll probably get to post ever again.
 
I sketched out a timeline some time ago--a raw outline that's BAD for the CSA.

Before I post that, one very bad possible CSA is one that got turned into a radioactive parking lot when the USA got Instant Sunshine, and uses it.

A non-nuclear, but very messy possibility here:


In 1865, after four bloody years of war, the Union was forced to recognize the independence of the Confederate States of America. Political maneuverings after the November elections brought an end to the war, as a peace Democrat took office. The North had won many victories, but the South’s stubborn resistance had worn out the North’s will to fight. The treaty of Richmond simple recognized Confederate government as a legal government, and guaranteed Union troops would withdraw.





When the war ended, the new nation had a vast array of troubles. The cotton industry was devastated, foreign debts were mounted high, parts of Texas and Tennessee were debating splitting off from the rest of the state and rejoining the Union, and inflation was rampant. Eastern Tennessee was essentially a done deal…)



The biggest problem facing the new nation was the reconquest of the territory vacated by Yankee troops. Throughout these regions, many of the slaves had been freed, either by the Emancipation Proclamation or by departing troops. Naturally, some resisted being enslaved again, and the pacification turned ugly. By the time the areas were back under control, thousands had been lynched, including many who were not involved at all. Even women and children dangled from trees in some regions, for the simple crime of possibly being related to a rebellious black. By 1870, the pacifications were complete, but the hatred that now existed between the slaves and the whites was like nothing in history. Rumors spread, as they always do, of the horrors brought upon the slaves, and the hatred spread throughout the country.



Sympathy for the Confederates waned in Europe as tales of the atrocities spread, and there was little forgiveness of war debts. Britain made some quiet concessions in exchange for the cooperation of the Confederate Secret Service in keeping track of the Empire of Mexico—a staunch French ally.





In 1870, the Franco-Prussian war broke out in Europe. Naturally, the French became far less interested in Mexican affairs, and Britain also focussed more on Europe for a time. With the defeat of France, British clandestine aid to the confederacy dried up. At the same time, the CSA fell into a full economic collapse—it had only been staved off to this point by British aid and draconian measures by the government.



Although the President was an elected official, almost all power rested in the Secretary of War—he had been given extra-ordinary powers during the pacifications, and kept them. The Secretary never changed despite elections and successions due to assassinations and duels. Even so, the depression of 1871 was the beginning of the end for the CSA. The army had first call on all resources, lest one of the slave riots spread, but the population became increasingly restive. The citizens were all armed out in the rural areas—necessary to keep the blacks in their place.



July 4, 1876 is known among the descendants of the white survivors of the Confederacy as Black Tuesday. A reasonable organized revolt struck at dawn, railroads were destroyed, telegraph lines cut, factories blown to bits. The actual damage was relatively minor—but the fact that it happened all across the nation was devastating. The revolt grew, and the army was unable to suppress it fast enough. A decade of brutal oppression left the slaves with the idea that they had nothing to loose. The scattered revolt spread rapidly. It might have been quashed, but for the mutiny of the 17th Virginia. Ordered to advance out of Richmond, they flatly refused, and shot several officers that attempted to force them to obey. They stayed in the city, holding it against the revolting slaves. The mutiny spread to other units, as they saw that to leave the city would likely lead to dying to no good purpose.

By September, communication across the CSA was effectively gone. There was no longer a distinction between combatants and non-combatants in some areas—the color of your skin was your uniform.

Massive waves of refugees of all races tried to enter the USA. They were, in most cases, allowed to pass, but had to surrender all weapons, and were herded to internment camps. There was a widespread attitude in the USA of, “Aristocratic Rebs got what they deserve.” The camps, of course, were segregated, and the camps for whites were much more heavily guarded.



The American army entered the CSA to restore order, claiming that there was no government, so the treaty of Richmond no longer applied. Whites surrendered in droves to the US Army—anything was better than falling into the hands of the vengeful slaves.

When 1877 dawned, only a few cities still held against the chaos of the war. Union troops’ readiness to help Confederates to escape the chaos to become refugees in the North hastened the fall, although there were incidents of fights between Yankee troops with prisoners and vengeful ex-slave mobs. The war didn’t so much end as fade away.

North Florida, Eastern South Carolina, and much of Georgia manage to stay somewhat organized, keeping the revolt contained, as much through good luck as through great leadership. This small area kept its independence, although being swollen with refugees, suffered from severe overpopulation problems for generations.

Most of the rest of the CSA East of the Mississippi became a collection of so called “Black Republics.” Virginia became the US Southern Military District. The occupation ended piecemeal as portions of the state were added to West Virginia and Maryland, although Richmond and Norfolk remain military districts to this day.

The Mississippi, New Orleans and all area west is once again part of the USA, with a formal statement made by the USA, “The presence of any military units within 20 miles the American border, or of the Mississippi, shall be considered a direct attack on the USA.” The statement explicitly applied to the “black Republics” and the rump CSA only—not a broad doctrine.



A few ex CSA east coast cities also found their way into American hands—Jacksonville with its excellent harbor, Savannah, and Charlestown are American enclaves in the chaos.
 

dcharleos

Donor
Was it even plausible for it to last this long?

Economically, slavery can survive and thrive at least until the mechanical cotton harvester was invented (1930s in OTL). In an independent CSA that is relatively prosperous, there might be more money floating around and you might see it invented earlier.

Politically and socially, it might not be possible. The birthrate for black Southerners was higher than the birthrate for white Southerners, so without the ability to emigrate to the Northern states, blacks will be the majority in the CS by sometime in the early twentieth century.
 
I have a question.
New HBO show, planned to be succesor to Game of thrones, called "Confederate" has a premise that sounds horrible and bizzare.
"Confederate chronicles events leading to the "Third American Civil War". It takes place in an alternate timeline, where the southern states have successfully seceded from the Union, giving rise to a nation in which slavery remains legal and has evolved into a modern institution." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confederate_(TV_series)
So, that is a world where:
1. slavery in some form still exists in 21. century,
2. there already has been "second civil war"
3. there is a threat of a third war.
This sounds rather different then Timeline 191 with USA fighting for Central powers and Nazi-like CSA alliance in WW2.
So, how would history need to look like between 1865.-2017. to turn out that these outcomes become probable ?
Are Benioff and Weiss basing this on some novel or is this original work ?


I do have some ideas, most likely earlier Civil war, with Blooding of Kanzas escalating into full war, Freemont becoming President in 1856. and earlier seccession including Maryland, Kentucky and Missoury, with Trent affair on steroids that leads british and french recognition of the CSA. You can also add a Pig war crisis escalating into full Anglo-american war in 1860. This CSA has the same constitution as the USA, not the ultra-state rights our timeline CSA had, and because of it, never had a unified army.

After peace is signed, District of Columbia is reabsorbed into Maryland, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Kanzas became CSA teritories. Greater Oregon (Washngton, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming) is part of Canada Confederation. California Republic (with Nevada) declares indipendence from USA.
Mormons declare indipendence of Deseret (Utah on steroids) and become allies of CSA.
CSA helps their ally Emperor Maximilian defeat huaristas. Mexico becomes CSA-French client state. In 1898. CSA occupy and annex Cuba nad Puerto Rico in 1898. Phillipines become indipendent.

Several massive slave rebellions happen, and roman style punishments are introduced (execution of all slaves for murder of master, decimations for revolt, family responsible for resistance or escape-soviet style). Slaves have to work not only for owner but for state also as form a taxation. Life conditions are even worse than OTL, with shorter life span, 50 years at most. Many slaves are sold for new plantations in new CSA territories (Kanzas, Missoury, Oklahoma).All whites (without money to buy replacement) serve at least 10 years in Confederate army, with millitary and police carriers only way up for poor whites. Both CSA and USA maintain large standing armies for decades, Korean style.
USA never buys Alaska, Kanada does. Hawaii remain Kingdom under british protection.

CSA economy is far better than OTL, because: 1. british didnt stop buying american cotton in favor of egyptian, 2. plantations continued egsistance, 3. british and french have massive industrial and railway investment into CSA, with railroad to California. CSA buys Kongo Free state from king Leopold instead of it becoming Begium Kongo.
CSA is an ally of Antante in Great war, with USA joining Germany and Central powers. War ends without victor (Kaisers proposal in 1917.). Germany keeps its colonies. This is a cause for rise of fascism in France and Britain, who together with USSR attack Central powers in Europe and Middle East and occupy them. USSR occupy Iran and Iraq. Northern USA remains only free state in the world, with Britain and France using hevy force to keep their Empires from collapsing. Japan, unchellenged rules East Asia (China, Korea, Siam, Indonesia, Philipines, Hawaii). During 1970`s fascist Europe slowly reintroduces democracy, just as post Franco Spain has.
Nuclear powers: USSR, British Empire, French empire, USA, CSA (allied with South Africa), Japanese Empire (incl.China&Korea), Indian Republic.
 
Last edited:
Top