I just added the explanation for why Germany got to keep Madagascar, it's because the German colonial government there opposed the coup and refused to recognize the government led by Zimmerman (or Landau as Zimmerman's puppet/hostage/prisoner depending on how you want to look at it).
America's Silver Era, The Story of William Jennings Bryan
- Thread starter CELTICEMPIRE
- Start date
Okay then.....
- Due to the aforementioned sympathies (and leaning towards the same party in America), Irish missionaries have been active in Korea. OTL, missionaries and christianity was seen in some level defiance to the Japanese government, so ITTL Korean christians might lean more Catholic otl.
- Due to the Imperial Japanese Government still continuting, a lot of the inequalities, suppression of social movements, and conflicts of ideologies and such would probably continue. I have this idea of Catholicism (and christianity in general) becoming more popular in Japan in the lower classes, ethnic minorities (like Ryukyuans and Han Taiwanese),and the Buraku for similar reasons as Koreans, and missionaries begin to gain members in cities, ethnic regions, and the catholic base of Nagasaki. This would tick off the Japanese government, who would try to supress those efforts. Because of this, the Japanese curriculum emphasizes the Shimabara Rebellion more as a "defense against foreign ideology", conveniently ignoring Dutch Naval assistance.
Not to say other religions and social critics of other relgions won't still be popular, though.
- Due to large Jewish immigration to Alaska, part of the Jewish migration to Palestine that happened OTL is cut down (and without an event as devastating as the Holocaust, Israel doesn't exist ITTL). Jewish American also probably leaned towards anti war in ww3 compared to say, the Italians or Mexicans.
- Jazz and Blues still becomes popular due to the great migration. A different high-energy music derived from blues may become popular instead of rock.
- Some dry states still exist in some of the former "Bryan country".
- In the American west, there is a sectional divide in both parties between an urban, immigrant-heavy "coastal faction" and an isolationist, anti-immigration "inland faction". Additionally, there are parts of the Southwest that still vote socialists due to the heavy disdain for Howard and Hanly.
- Turkish Immigrants lean R due to Greeks leaning D (there is still a lot of ethnic conflict between Greece and Turkey).
- There was a large wave of immigration towards the New World between the second and third world wars.
All the headcanons from me for now.
- Due to the aforementioned sympathies (and leaning towards the same party in America), Irish missionaries have been active in Korea. OTL, missionaries and christianity was seen in some level defiance to the Japanese government, so ITTL Korean christians might lean more Catholic otl.
- Due to the Imperial Japanese Government still continuting, a lot of the inequalities, suppression of social movements, and conflicts of ideologies and such would probably continue. I have this idea of Catholicism (and christianity in general) becoming more popular in Japan in the lower classes, ethnic minorities (like Ryukyuans and Han Taiwanese),and the Buraku for similar reasons as Koreans, and missionaries begin to gain members in cities, ethnic regions, and the catholic base of Nagasaki. This would tick off the Japanese government, who would try to supress those efforts. Because of this, the Japanese curriculum emphasizes the Shimabara Rebellion more as a "defense against foreign ideology", conveniently ignoring Dutch Naval assistance.
Not to say other religions and social critics of other relgions won't still be popular, though.
- Due to large Jewish immigration to Alaska, part of the Jewish migration to Palestine that happened OTL is cut down (and without an event as devastating as the Holocaust, Israel doesn't exist ITTL). Jewish American also probably leaned towards anti war in ww3 compared to say, the Italians or Mexicans.
- Jazz and Blues still becomes popular due to the great migration. A different high-energy music derived from blues may become popular instead of rock.
- Some dry states still exist in some of the former "Bryan country".
- In the American west, there is a sectional divide in both parties between an urban, immigrant-heavy "coastal faction" and an isolationist, anti-immigration "inland faction". Additionally, there are parts of the Southwest that still vote socialists due to the heavy disdain for Howard and Hanly.
- Turkish Immigrants lean R due to Greeks leaning D (there is still a lot of ethnic conflict between Greece and Turkey).
- There was a large wave of immigration towards the New World between the second and third world wars.
All the headcanons from me for now.
There are certainly Irish missionaries in Korea, and Catholicism is more popular in Korea than OTL, but the same is true of Protestantism.
Shintoism is certainly associated with Japanese authoritarianism by a lot of people. This is true for minorities as well as Japanese dissidents. Actions by the Japanese government have increased this perception. For instance, in the 1960s the Japanese cracked down on Christianity in Korea along with their policies against the Korean language. In 1965 a missionary from New Zealand (a country that didn't declare war on Japan until 1967) was executed in Korea for allegedly trying to stir up opposition to Japanese rule. The Japanese Empire, especially Korea, was one of the few places outside of North America where the Porcherites gained a significant following. The Porcherite movement was heavily persecuted by the Japanese government and most of them fled to the US or Canada.
In addition to Christianity, other religions that have increased in popularity in the Japanese Empire are Taoism and Tibetan Buddhism.
There has been a lot less Jewish migration to Palestine than OTL, and eventually the Kingdom of Hejaz banned further migration (I will eventually write a chapter about the Middle East, a lot is going on there). Jews were divided on the war. Many on the East coast adopted the internationalist views predominant in the region. However, a lot of older Jews, especially those in Alaska, opposed the war. This is because many of them fled persecution in the Russian Empire during the late 10s and early 20s. Germany is also considered much more tolerant than Russia ITTL.
In Europe, millions of Jews fought on both sides of the war.
I don't know what I'm going to do with music yet, but I will write about it in the future.
Mississippi is still completely dry. Kansas, Oklahoma, and Tennessee prohibited alcohol into the 1960s.
Yes. The Socialists still have some rural areas where they have significant support. The party has shifted more towards urban areas in recent years but it Oklahoma is the best state for the party, with Idaho close behind.
Yes.
Correct. The US also relaxed its immigration laws during that time. A lot of Asian immigrants came over as laws that restricted immigration by race or nationality were repealed.
Japan Sues for Peace
By 1969 Japan could no longer go on the offensive. It, like Germany, was clearly on the losing side of the war. In Indonesia, Japan continued to lose ground. In May the Japanese won a victory against Canadian forces led by Pierre Renaud at Pekanbaru. Such victories were increasingly rare. The coalition of America, Canada, Britain, Australia, and New Zealand also attacked the Japanese in Taiwan, where it did not have enough soldiers to adequately defend. Russia was pushing back Japan in Siberia. Xinjiang was invaded and the Xinjiang government surrendered to Russia in September. A few days later, Zhao Kai, the heroic Chinese general who led horseback raiders, was shot and killed by Russian soldiers. The Mukden government of China made peace with Russia in October. In a stunning move, Japanese Imperial rejected a declaration of war on their former puppet, showing that the peace faction was growing in power.
The anti-war movement in Japan was becoming more and more popular. There were anti-war protests, a first for Japan. The government reacted to these protests with brutality. But there was also growing anti-war sentiment within the Japanese government, and even in the military. Many Japanese military and civilian officials saw what happened to Germany and became convinced that Japan should make a peace deal before it was too late. There was still some hope that Japan could get a decent peace deal like Germany had in 1967. Japan reached out to the United States and Russia for peace deals, asking for a status-quo antebellum with some minor adjustments. These overtures were rejected. Japan was hoping to maintain its status as a major power. Russia was especially interested in making sure this didn’t happen.
In September, Irkutsk fell. This meant that the way to Mongolia, which was a source of prewar tensions between Russia and Japan, was open. China (Beijing government) began to mobilize its troops and allowed American ships into its ports. Japanese spies soon learned that an invasion of Korea was being planned. The peace faction renewed their calls for a ceasefire. Many politicians who had previously been cheering for war now wanted to sue for peace while it was still possible to keep Korea. At this point any peace deal would involve at least some territorial concessions from Japan, and that was unacceptable for a large part of the Japanese population. Meanwhile, Russia continued to advance, and entered into Mongolia.
By November, a majority in the Japanese government realized that a ceasefire must be signed soon. On the 16th, Russian troops liberated Chita. The Trans-Siberian railway was transporting not only Russian troops, but troops from the US, UK, France, Italy, and other nations as well. Half of Korea was under rebel control. There was no way for Japan to win the war. Thus, Prime Minister Fujimori Yuuto was resigned to the inevitability of the war ending as a Japanese defeat and was willing to give in to the peace faction. Fujimori spoke with Emperor Hirohito [1] to inform him of his plan to make peace with Russia. By this time, China was allowing the US Air Force to launch bombing raids into the Japanese home islands from its territory.
(American bombers)
Messages were exchanged between Japanese, Russian, and American officials. All sides were amenable to a ceasefire. A ceasefire was finally agreed to on December 31, 1969. Japan was required to withdraw all its troops from Russian, Indonesian, and Mongolian territory. The Japanese puppet government in Mongolia was abandoned to its fate, though some Japanese soldiers stayed in Mongolia to fight against the inevitable Russian invasion. The Japanese puppet government in Indonesia, which had retreated to Borneo, was also left to its fate. In addition to these, spillover conflicts were also ongoing in Eastern Europe as Austria-Hungary was desperately trying to hold on to its empire. Nevertheless, for the main participants, the Third Great War had come to a close and there was peace. The people of Japan and its occupied territories awaited the terms of peace.
1: Different person, same name
The anti-war movement in Japan was becoming more and more popular. There were anti-war protests, a first for Japan. The government reacted to these protests with brutality. But there was also growing anti-war sentiment within the Japanese government, and even in the military. Many Japanese military and civilian officials saw what happened to Germany and became convinced that Japan should make a peace deal before it was too late. There was still some hope that Japan could get a decent peace deal like Germany had in 1967. Japan reached out to the United States and Russia for peace deals, asking for a status-quo antebellum with some minor adjustments. These overtures were rejected. Japan was hoping to maintain its status as a major power. Russia was especially interested in making sure this didn’t happen.
In September, Irkutsk fell. This meant that the way to Mongolia, which was a source of prewar tensions between Russia and Japan, was open. China (Beijing government) began to mobilize its troops and allowed American ships into its ports. Japanese spies soon learned that an invasion of Korea was being planned. The peace faction renewed their calls for a ceasefire. Many politicians who had previously been cheering for war now wanted to sue for peace while it was still possible to keep Korea. At this point any peace deal would involve at least some territorial concessions from Japan, and that was unacceptable for a large part of the Japanese population. Meanwhile, Russia continued to advance, and entered into Mongolia.
By November, a majority in the Japanese government realized that a ceasefire must be signed soon. On the 16th, Russian troops liberated Chita. The Trans-Siberian railway was transporting not only Russian troops, but troops from the US, UK, France, Italy, and other nations as well. Half of Korea was under rebel control. There was no way for Japan to win the war. Thus, Prime Minister Fujimori Yuuto was resigned to the inevitability of the war ending as a Japanese defeat and was willing to give in to the peace faction. Fujimori spoke with Emperor Hirohito [1] to inform him of his plan to make peace with Russia. By this time, China was allowing the US Air Force to launch bombing raids into the Japanese home islands from its territory.
(American bombers)
Messages were exchanged between Japanese, Russian, and American officials. All sides were amenable to a ceasefire. A ceasefire was finally agreed to on December 31, 1969. Japan was required to withdraw all its troops from Russian, Indonesian, and Mongolian territory. The Japanese puppet government in Mongolia was abandoned to its fate, though some Japanese soldiers stayed in Mongolia to fight against the inevitable Russian invasion. The Japanese puppet government in Indonesia, which had retreated to Borneo, was also left to its fate. In addition to these, spillover conflicts were also ongoing in Eastern Europe as Austria-Hungary was desperately trying to hold on to its empire. Nevertheless, for the main participants, the Third Great War had come to a close and there was peace. The people of Japan and its occupied territories awaited the terms of peace.
1: Different person, same name
And finally, the war (mostly) ends. Here's hoping the peace terms are enough to punish Japan thoroughly, without being Versailles levels of harsh; no one wants a fourth war.
William Jennings Bryan will never be ballin-
Attachments
My biggest regret in this TL might be that I missed the opportunity to have him play against Teddy Roosevelt.
The Treaty of Shanghai
The Third Great War was over, with the exception of spillover conflicts. Germany and Japan had surrendered. Japan was, however, in a much better position than Germany. None of the home islands had been invaded, though tens of thousands were killed in bombing raids. Japan, seeing Germany’s fall from being a major world power, decided it would sue for peace before it found itself in a similar situation. Any Japanese influence in China or Central Asia was obviously gone. But Japan still hoped to maintain control of Korea and Taiwan. In order to accomplish this, Japanese diplomats would have to exploit anti-Russian sentiment among their victorious enemies. There were growing concerns about Russia becoming unstoppable, so their strategy made sense.
Not everyone in Japan was happy about the ceasefire, however. Many hardliners in the military argued that Japan’s situation was not at all like Germany’s and that a war of attrition was winnable. In February, a group of disgruntled officers attempted a coup, but they were ratted out and arrested. Prime Minister Fujimori Yuuto had survived an assassination attempt by a nationalist a few days earlier. Fujimori was himself a Nationalist, but he realized what the future had in store for Japan if the war continued. Korea was difficult enough to hold on to, a Russian invasion would be impossible to repel. Japan had already lost a third of Taiwan. On top of all this, though Japanese intelligence knew little about the American or British nuclear programs, Fujimori used common sense to deduce that some Germany scientists would be willing to work for their former enemies. Japan’s enemies might have the bomb in the not-so-distant future.
Peace negotiations began in March 1970 in Shanghai. Dozens of countries were involved to the peace negotiations, including some that had only fought against Germany, not Japan. Japan had already retreated all its military forces and civilian personnel (except some who obstinately stayed behind) from Russian, Indonesian, and Mongolian territory. All territory that had been controlled by Japan prior to 1895 would remain under Japanese control. Only the fate on Taiwan and Korea were up for discussion. Taiwan was to be granted independence, guaranteed by the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. In two years, the people of the island would be given a referendum in which they could choose to remain with Japan, join China (Beijing or Mukden), or become an independent country.
Korea was a much more controversial issue. Russia wanted an independent Korea so as to weaken Japan. The Western allies were divided, with many beginning to realize that Russia was poised to dominate both Europe and Asia. During the ceasefire between Japan and the allies, Japan was beginning to deploy the troops it had evacuated to Korea. Thus, Korean independence, which seemed inevitable in December 1969, now looked less likely. As negotiations continued, Japan gained ground against the Korean rebels. Japan refused to give up Korea, as continued Japanese control of Korea was the reason that Fujimori was able to justify the ceasefire. The world wanted peace and was willing to throw Korea under the bus. Russia gave up its demands for an independent Korea in exchange for war reparations.
And thus, the Third Great War officially ended. The entire world was not at peace, however. War raged on in the Balkans and Austria-Hungary. Japan’s puppet states desperately fought on. A supporter of the Mongol puppet state assassinated Japanese Prime Minister Fujimori Yuuto in June. Portugal fought to keep control of its colonies. The Kingdom of Hejaz was embroiled in sectarian conflict. Sectarianism was also tearing India apart. But for the major powers, there was peace. American and British leaders met to discuss the creation of a global league of nations in order to prevent future conflicts of this sort. Previous attempts had failed, but there were enough people who wanted to try it again. In the decades following the war, the United States and Russia became the two superpowers as Britain’s power continued to decline. The world would become a smaller place as globalization set in. Globalization would have its winners and its losers, and political divisions in America, Britain, and other countries would increasingly be based on whether globalization was a positive or negative.
Not everyone in Japan was happy about the ceasefire, however. Many hardliners in the military argued that Japan’s situation was not at all like Germany’s and that a war of attrition was winnable. In February, a group of disgruntled officers attempted a coup, but they were ratted out and arrested. Prime Minister Fujimori Yuuto had survived an assassination attempt by a nationalist a few days earlier. Fujimori was himself a Nationalist, but he realized what the future had in store for Japan if the war continued. Korea was difficult enough to hold on to, a Russian invasion would be impossible to repel. Japan had already lost a third of Taiwan. On top of all this, though Japanese intelligence knew little about the American or British nuclear programs, Fujimori used common sense to deduce that some Germany scientists would be willing to work for their former enemies. Japan’s enemies might have the bomb in the not-so-distant future.
Peace negotiations began in March 1970 in Shanghai. Dozens of countries were involved to the peace negotiations, including some that had only fought against Germany, not Japan. Japan had already retreated all its military forces and civilian personnel (except some who obstinately stayed behind) from Russian, Indonesian, and Mongolian territory. All territory that had been controlled by Japan prior to 1895 would remain under Japanese control. Only the fate on Taiwan and Korea were up for discussion. Taiwan was to be granted independence, guaranteed by the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. In two years, the people of the island would be given a referendum in which they could choose to remain with Japan, join China (Beijing or Mukden), or become an independent country.
Korea was a much more controversial issue. Russia wanted an independent Korea so as to weaken Japan. The Western allies were divided, with many beginning to realize that Russia was poised to dominate both Europe and Asia. During the ceasefire between Japan and the allies, Japan was beginning to deploy the troops it had evacuated to Korea. Thus, Korean independence, which seemed inevitable in December 1969, now looked less likely. As negotiations continued, Japan gained ground against the Korean rebels. Japan refused to give up Korea, as continued Japanese control of Korea was the reason that Fujimori was able to justify the ceasefire. The world wanted peace and was willing to throw Korea under the bus. Russia gave up its demands for an independent Korea in exchange for war reparations.
And thus, the Third Great War officially ended. The entire world was not at peace, however. War raged on in the Balkans and Austria-Hungary. Japan’s puppet states desperately fought on. A supporter of the Mongol puppet state assassinated Japanese Prime Minister Fujimori Yuuto in June. Portugal fought to keep control of its colonies. The Kingdom of Hejaz was embroiled in sectarian conflict. Sectarianism was also tearing India apart. But for the major powers, there was peace. American and British leaders met to discuss the creation of a global league of nations in order to prevent future conflicts of this sort. Previous attempts had failed, but there were enough people who wanted to try it again. In the decades following the war, the United States and Russia became the two superpowers as Britain’s power continued to decline. The world would become a smaller place as globalization set in. Globalization would have its winners and its losers, and political divisions in America, Britain, and other countries would increasingly be based on whether globalization was a positive or negative.
No problem at all mate, always a pelasure to making such maps for my own or other AU/TL/worlds 
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I've been binge reading this, and seeing the 4 way race start.
For a LONG time, the majority of my thoughts on Bryan were based on his stand in the Scopes trial. That alone was enough that I near mindlessly detested him as an enemy of freedom. Later, I saw that there was more to it than that. That makes this timeline interesting
I'm glad you're enjoying it. Speaking of the Scopes trial, Clarence Darrow makes an appearance or two.
I'm just at Chapter XXIII, and saw the references to Teddy Roosevelt.
Teddy Roosevelt is always portrayed as being very badass, and very successful. There's no guarantee of successful. Someone that tough has a non-negligible chance of meeting a bad and messy end. I could easily see him getting involved in heavier than air aviation in my timeline, but an 1880's aircraft is a dangerous contraption indeed.
I think a good Alternate History guideline should be that, if Teddy Roosevelt is alive, he should be mentioned--if for no other reason that everyone wants to know what he's doing.
Teddy Roosevelt is always portrayed as being very badass, and very successful. There's no guarantee of successful. Someone that tough has a non-negligible chance of meeting a bad and messy end. I could easily see him getting involved in heavier than air aviation in my timeline, but an 1880's aircraft is a dangerous contraption indeed.
I think a good Alternate History guideline should be that, if Teddy Roosevelt is alive, he should be mentioned--if for no other reason that everyone wants to know what he's doing.
From Urban Dictionary:
A word used when you agree with something; or when you want to recognize someone for being themselves, i.e. courageous and unique or not caring what others think. Especially common in online political slang.
The opposite of cringe, some times the opposite of biased.
Thanks!
Of course, if, on his first flight, Teddy Roosevelt's craft "Jigsaws" (blows up) and a "shovel recovery" is needed, some people might be unhappy with the author.
The Fate of OTL Figures
For the 5 year anniversary of me starting this thread, I decided to go with something different.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt served as a US representative from New York from 1919 to 1924 when he was appointed to the Supreme Court by President David Walsh. He joined the majority when he sided against ex-president William Randolph Hearst in Hearst v. United States [1] in 1926. He died shortly after his retirement in 1949.
Joseph Stalin was active in the failed Communist revolution in Russia. He betrayed his comrades and worked for the government. Despite his native Georgia becoming independent, Stalin stayed in Russia after his release from prison. His political beliefs drifted towards the right and he advocated for Georgian inclusion in pan-Slavic nationalism. He died in 1961.
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian writer and journalist. He also dabbled in art. He wrote in favor of German nationalism and Austrian inclusion in a greater German Reich. He died in 1960.
Albert Einstein was a famous German scientist. His genius was partly responsible for why Germany was the first country to develop nuclear weapons. He died in 1955.
Winston Churchill was a long-time Conservative MP. He was an advocate for military preparedness against the threat of Adolphe Cartier's French Worker's Republic. He died in 1965.
Who else do you want to know about?
1: This case, discussed in the chapter "President Hearst" was a 7-2 decision where Clarence Darrow and John Davis were the only dissenters.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt served as a US representative from New York from 1919 to 1924 when he was appointed to the Supreme Court by President David Walsh. He joined the majority when he sided against ex-president William Randolph Hearst in Hearst v. United States [1] in 1926. He died shortly after his retirement in 1949.
Joseph Stalin was active in the failed Communist revolution in Russia. He betrayed his comrades and worked for the government. Despite his native Georgia becoming independent, Stalin stayed in Russia after his release from prison. His political beliefs drifted towards the right and he advocated for Georgian inclusion in pan-Slavic nationalism. He died in 1961.
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian writer and journalist. He also dabbled in art. He wrote in favor of German nationalism and Austrian inclusion in a greater German Reich. He died in 1960.
Albert Einstein was a famous German scientist. His genius was partly responsible for why Germany was the first country to develop nuclear weapons. He died in 1955.
Winston Churchill was a long-time Conservative MP. He was an advocate for military preparedness against the threat of Adolphe Cartier's French Worker's Republic. He died in 1965.
Who else do you want to know about?
1: This case, discussed in the chapter "President Hearst" was a 7-2 decision where Clarence Darrow and John Davis were the only dissenters.