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.