America's Silver Era, The Story of William Jennings Bryan

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In March of 1965, German, Austro-Hungarian, Romanian, Belgian, Serbian, Bosnian, and Montenegrin troops launched an offensive in Ukraine. They defeated the Russians at the Second Battle of Pyryatyn on the 14th. On the 29th they took Lubny. In April, their advance was stopped as a Russian counter-offensive captured Chernobyl. Kiev was once again under threat. German planes stationed in Lithuania and Finland, officially neutral but pro-German countries, bombed St. Petersburg and Moscow. Russia responded by invading Lithuania in May. Finland mobilized its troops, in preparation for a Russian invasion. Lithuania was doomed. People compared their situation to that of Portugal in 1938. But in reality, Luthuania was even more hopeless. Portugal held out against France and Spain for more than a month (and then fought on from Africa and her other colonies. Lithuania lasted two weeks. On May 25, Lithuania was fully occupied by Russia. On the 27th, Kaiser Josef gave a televised speech to the German people and the world.

The government of Russia has proven for the world its intentions. It is plain for all to see that Russia wishes to dominate both Europe and Asia. Germany, Austria-Hungary, Japan, Romania, Belgium, Serbia, Bosnia, and Montenegro are fighting a necessary war to prevent this present wish from becoming the future reality. Russia invaded Mongolia in 1963. Russia supported revolutionaries in overthrowing the rightful government of Ukraine. Germany did the same thing in 1964 as in 1936 when Cartier supported revolutionaries in Belgium. Germany and Austria-Hungary declared war in order to keep Europe free from Russian aggression. Now Russia has invaded and occupied Lithuania. The Lithuanians put up a heroic resistance, reminiscent of the Portuguese defense against France and Spain. American statesman Al Smith called the brave Portuguese fighters “The Defenders of Liberty,” and I think we can say the same of the courageous Lithuanian soldiers.

Despite Russia’s claims to the contrary, Germany and Austria-Hungary are not the aggressors. We are simply responding to Russian aggression, just as we responded to French aggression in 1936. And now we call on the nations of Europe and Asia to join us in our struggle to keep both continents free. We call upon the people of America and Australia, who we know to be lovers of peace, to oppose the attempts by warmongers in their governments to drag their nations into war with Germany or Japan. Germany and her allies will continue to be the guarantors of peace, and we will be victorious in this war.

The speech was popular with audiences. It was even played with subtitles on some American TV stations that were favorable to Germany. Germany’s remaining allies, except for Poland, declared war on Russia. The Grand Alliance now included Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and Spain. Poland remained neutral so as to not enlarge the front between the Grand Alliance and Russia. The Polish government was dealing with unrest, which it suspected that provocateurs paid by Russia were responsible for. On June 15, there was good news for Germany as Russian forces were repelled at the battle of Zhytomyr. Russia had launched another offensive, this one into Prussia. They crossed the Nieman River in the early part of June. On the 21st, Russian troops attacked Konigsberg. They were soundly defeated by the German defenders. They retreated into newly-conquered Lithuania. Russia would cease all offensives except for in Ukraine. The war was going in the Grand Alliance’s favor, at least for now.

(Russian troops in Lithuania)​

 

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US President Al Valenti had won what he considered a mandate. After his reelection, congress passed a bill to enact universal healthcare. But what he really wanted to do was to join Russia in its war against Japan. He was just waiting for the right time to push for a declaration of war. The Russian invasion and occupation of Lithuania hurt Russia’s cause in America. This was despite the fact that the Lithuanian government was not popular and many Lithuanians cheered the Russian soldiers as liberators. Facts didn’t matter if they got in the way of the narrative, and neither side was interested in the truth unless it furthered their agenda. Most Americans were unwilling to go to war with Germany or Austria-Hungary, only war with Japan was really on the table. Meanwhile, newly elected GOP congresswoman Ann Alexander from Oregon was rallying opposition to Valenti’s domestic agenda. She wanted massive cuts to federal spending as well as massive tax cuts. She emphasized individual liberty. Her views were not in the mainstream, but were gaining support among right-wing college students as an alternative to far-left movements that were gaining ground on college campuses.

-Excerpt from The Guide to the Executive Mansion, an in Depth Look at America's Presidents by Benjamin Buckley, Harvard Press, 1999.

(Congresswoman Ann Alexander, R-OR)​

In June, the heavily outnumbered Russian and Mongolian troops in Urga surrendered to the Japanese. Japan did not invade Mongolia to conquer it, but instead to restore the previous government, which had ruled over the country until the Russian invasion in 1963. From Mongolia, Japan could now launch raids into Siberia and Central Asia. Around this time, the fate of the Russians who surrendered to the Japanese was made known. They were being used as forced laborers. It was a practice that reminded many of Adolphe Cartier, a man who was almost universally regarded as evil over 20 years after his death. During the Second Great War, thousands of German and Portuguese prisoners of war died while working in conditions that resembled slavery. In addition, a citizen of New Zealand was executed for allegedly trying to stir up unrest in Korea. Japan was increasingly unpopular in the West, especially in the English-speaking world.

While America had not declared war on Japan, it was working against Japan’s remaining influence in the Americas. Colombia, Brazil, and Argentina were countries of concern. It was determined that no action would be taken against Colombia. Colombia was a stronger ally of Germany than Japan, and was also friendly towards the US and UK. Argentina was a wildcard. It had been the residence of Leon Trotsky and an ally of France during the Second Great War. However, once it became obvious that Argentina had picked the wrong side, a group of officers led by Juan Peron staged a coup and Argentina left the war in 1939. Trotsky was placed under house arrest until his death in 1952. Ever since, it has been a largely isolated state, and has raised the ire of European powers for its support of African revolutionaries. The Brazilian government was actively pro-Japanese. America was concerned of the possibility of Brazil and Argentina forming a pro-Japanese bloc in South America.

Fortunately for US intelligence, there were those in the Brazilian military and government who did not agree with the direction Afonso Coelho was taking the country. Coelho was deposed in a coup on July 11, 1965. General Castelo Branco took office. Coelho was killed on the 13th while supposedly trying to escape from custody. Meanwhile, elements of the Brazilian Army that supported Coelho rose up against Branco at Sao Paolo. Brazil descended into Civil War. Much of Southern Brazil slipped out of the control of the Brazilian government. However, pro-government forces consistently held the upper hand. They were also supported by the US. The anti-coup forces would fight on for over a year, but they were ultimately defeated. At the same time Al Valenti met with Australian PM Robert Menzies and PM Walter Nash of New Zealand. They discussed the possibility of war against Japan. There was support Britain was unwilling to join the war, as it was dealing with colonial troubles. Australia and New Zealand couldn’t enter the war on their own and thus America would need to lead the way. Valenti was preparing for the inevitable showdown in congress.

 

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President Valenti met with congressional leaders to discuss a US declaration of war against Japan. Democrat leadership in the House and Senate was in favor while Republican leadership was on the fence. House Speaker John W. McCormack was in favor of intervention, as was Democrat Senate leader Joseph Lister Hill. House Minority Leader Joseph Martin was leaning in favor of intervention while Senate Minority Leader Everett Dirksen was still a wildcard. Valenti had the majority of Democrats in both houses on his side. There were some congressmen, however, who were written off as lost causes. These people mainly came from areas with many German-Americans or were otherwise strongly anti-war. There was some concern about the Upper South, so Valenti made sure he had Democrats in Kentucky and Missouri on board. Kentucky was holding a special Senate election that year. Tommy Breckinridge was appointed Senator by the state’s Democrat governor. He was running against former Senator Rupert Kneller, who was born to German parents. Breckinridge openly supported war against Japan while campaigning, and he assured his colleagues that “The supposed isolationism of the Upper South is a myth, this will be one of the most pro-war regions in the country.” This was in contrast with the Democratic nominee in the other special Senate election. In Washington, Democrat Mary Adamsen agreed with her Republican opponent that the US should stay out of the war. She warned that having the Democratic Party become pro-war would only hurt the party’s electoral prospects.

(House Speaker John W. McCormack, D-MA)​

While the hard right wing of the Republican Party generally opposed war with Japan, there were exceptions. Ann Alexander, the crusader for limited government, supported war. This was likely because she was born in Russia (though moved to the US as an infant) and felt strongly that Russia was in the right. A handful of other right-wing Republicans hated Japan enough to support war as well, especially those in the Southwest. There was also Representative Walter Jackson of Tennessee, who advocated for a more hawkish foreign policy in his failed bid for the Republican nomination in the previous year. Moderate Republicans were more supportive. Nathan Baker, the 1960 presidential nominee and Senator from Rhode Island, stated that he would vote in favor of war with Japan (this was in contrast with 1964 nominee Carl Herman, who openly opposed war with Japan). Senator Camilla Grey of New Hampshire was in favor as well. However, there was also opposition among some moderates, particularly in the Midwest. Representative Lucas Collins of Ohio, the Vice-Presidential nominee in 1964, was the leading moderate Republican opponent of war with Japan.

In August, Valenti discussed the prospect of war with his cabinet, at least with those who had positions relating to the military or to foreign policy. Secretary of War Ted Spiros and Secretary of the Navy Francis Walter both were on board. Secretary of State, Ryan Norwood, had been sounding the alarm about Japanese aggression for two decades. Norwood joined the US Air Force after graduating college in 1938, and was involved in bombing raids against the Spanish and French. After returning home, he was elected to congress, where he advocated for an interventionist foreign policy, as well as signing the 1947 Tallahassee Manifesto in favor of segregation, a move which he desperately wanted everyone to forget. He campaigned for George Patton in 1948 but lost his House seat that same year due to increased black turnout. He was rewarded for his support when Patton appointed him to become ambassador to Chile. He had been asking Valenti to simply ask Congress to declare war. But Valenti repeatedly told him that the time was not yet right. Norwood was beginning to grow impatient.

One member of the administration was unmovable in his opposition to war. It was Christian Peterson, Vice President and strong contender in the 1960 Democratic primaries. There was no use in even trying to convince him, Valenti thought. Peterson would continue to try to convince Valenti, however. Peterson was often not invited to cabinet meetings, but at one meeting where he was present he told Valenti that “I will not abandon the principles that made me join the Democratic Party in first place. If Bryan, William or Charles, were here they would be ashamed of the leadership of this party. We used to be the party of peace, and now we’ve surrendered that to the Republicans.” Valenti responded “I voted for Bryan in 1920, he was the first president I cast my ballot for. I voted for Hearst, I voted for Howard, I voted for Charles Bryan, and I even voted for McAdoo. Those men did the right thing for their time, but this is not 1920 anymore. Even William Jennings Bryan fought a war with Spain. Hearst and Howard intervened in Mexico and Venezuela. And who was it that first got America involved in the Second Great War? It wasn’t Hoover, it was Charles Bryan. And there were some Democrats who criticized him, including his own Vice President, Henrik Shipstead. But the party, and the general public stood behind the President. History vindicated Bryan, not Shipstead. The Silver Era is over and history will vindicate me, not you.”

Congress would approve of increased shipments to Russia. These supplies would now mostly be shipped to neutral Persia, as the Japanese had captured any ports connected to the Trans-Siberian Railroad. That railroad was being constantly sabotaged by Japanese and Mongolian forces anyway. In 1965, new nationalist governments were in power in France, Italy, and Turkey (which had overthrown the old Osman dynasty). The US began to sell weapons to France, over the objections of many veterans of the Second Great War. Many were hopeful that France would declare war on Germany to regain Alsace-Lorraine. Turkey declared War on Russia, adding yet another force to deal with. Turkey’s entry into the war could be seen as a blessing in disguise for Russia, as they also invaded Armenia. Greece, Kurdistan, and Georgia declared war on Turkey, giving Russia new allies. In addition, Italy built up it’s military forces, which forced Austria-Hungary to keep troops away from Ukraine in order to defend their border with Italy. Germany’s colonial subject were revolting against the Kaiser, and Germany was losing ground in Africa.

In October, the House of Representatives voted 311-176 to outlaw compulsory sterilization. The Senate passed the same bill 61-35. President Valenti signed the bill into law. This was one of the few moments where he and his Vice President saw eye-to-eye. Soon afterwards, it was reported that Japan had invaded Indonesia. War hawks used this as an opportunity to push for war. Valenti was eager to join them, decrying Japan’s attack on a neutral country. In an interview he called Indonesia a “US Ally,” despite America only having two allies, Cuba and the Philippines. President Alf Landon had signed a trade agreement with Indonesia in 1948, as well as a treaty of friendship, but it was a stretch to call Indonesia an ally. Nevertheless, in the House of Representatives, Representatives Walter Jackson (R-TN) and Natasha Bolton (D-NY) drafted the declaration of war upon Japan. Joseph Martin would support the declaration of war, which Valenti hoped would mean the support of other Republicans. Meanwhile, Christian Peterson was giving interviews to various media outlets where he stated his opposition to war with Japan.

On October 25, Russian forces captured Kiev after fighting for 45 days. That same day the House voted on the declaration of War. The House contained 303 Democrats, 191 Republicans, 3 members of the American Workers’ Party, 2 independents, and 2 Socialists. 181 Democrats, 90 Republicans, all 3 AWP members, and 1 Independent voted for the bill. The declaration of war on Japan passed the House of Representatives 275-223. On the 26th, the bill went to the Senate. Valenti was nervous because the House vote was not overwhelming. In addition, a woman named Nora Garland came forward to various Republican-friendly media outlets, claiming to be the president’s mistress. Most Americans were skeptical, though the story would turn out to be true. Back in the Senate, Republican Senator Glenn Gage of Iowa brought a bag with him to the chamber. The arguments were heated on both sides. The bill was introduced by Dayton Schoenfield, a German-American Democrat from Colorado, and Zach Sharpe, a Republican from Connecticut.

Citizens had flooded the phonelines to their senators with their opinions. Those who called overwhelmingly opposed war, especially in the Midwest. It was unclear which side would prevail. Senate minority leader Everett Dirksen announced his opposition to the declaration of war. Former President Alf Landon also urged Republican senators to vote no. Alexander Savage got involved in the anti-war efforts as well, though everyone already knew his stance. The majority of Democrats, including Valenti’s opponents in the 1960 primaries Joe Abelson and Brendan O’Reilly. Various Senators spoke either in favor or against the bill. Then it was Senator Gage’s turn. He spoke for 30 minutes against the declaration of war, and then pulled several books out of his bag. He had Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, a biography of Oliver Cromwell, and a Bible. He proceeded to read these books for hours. And he kept on reading. Finally, on the morning of the 28th, he stopped. But shortly afterwards, America was hit with devastating news. Al Valenti was dead.

(Al Valenti, 1899-1965, 39th President of the United States of America)​

The cause of death was soon ruled to be a heart attack. It was likely that heavy stress was a big contributing factor in it. Back in the Senate chamber, this meant that the debate on the declaration of war was stalled. The new president was Christian Peterson, who had clashed with the President on this issue only days earlier. Peterson was opposed to American involvement in any non-defensive wars. Due to his frayed relationship with Valenti, much of the Democratic congressional delegation disliked him and he would need to work hard to gain their trust. He would be present at his predecessor’s funeral, and found some good words to say about him. Some people began to theorize that Peterson somehow had a hand in the death of Valenti. These voices were not led by fringe conspiracy theorists, but by Kirk Wagner, a Republican who hoped to be Peterson’s opponent in 1968. Peterson did not know what lay ahead, but one thing was certain, he would not lead America to war.

 

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November 6, 1965

Welcome to the Calvin and Kevin show, Santa Fe's favorite show on the radio!

Calvin: For our first election, Republican State Senator George Carson defeats New Jersey's incumbent Governor Thomas Fabiano.

Spoiler: New Jersey

Kevin: Then we have Virginia. Lawyer Andrew Marshall has defeated former US Representative John Tazewell for the governorship of Virginia. Turnout among black voters was low, as both candidates had been on record opposing Civil Rights during the 1950s.

Spoiler: Virginia

Calvin: All eyes are on Kentucky's special Senate election. Incumbent Democrat Senator Tommy Breckinridge emphasized his hawkish foreign policy views, while former Senator Rupert Kneller railed against the proposed declaration of war on Japan. Breckinridge tried to position himself as the bigger patriot, but Kneller responded by emphasizing his military experience. In the end, Kneller won by almost 5%. This is big as Kentucky is a state that votes Democrat more often than not. Kneller has not commented on the possibility of a presidential run in 1968.

Spoiler: Kentucky

Kevin: While Kentucky's Breckinridge campaigned on support for war, Washington's incumbent Mary Adamsen went the opposite route. In this election, both candidates were antiwar. Adamsen also emphasized her populist political leanings, while State Representative Bob Miller ran a conservative campaign. As Washington is a progressive state, Adamsen won easily.

Spoiler: Washington

Calvin: Republicans always overestimate their chances in Washington. But other than that, I think tonight shows that the GOP is favored in next year's midterms. Democrats were favored in both Kentucky and New Jersey, and they lost.

Kevin: I think you're reading to much into it. Republicans had one good night after years of landslide losses. Kentucky was a referendum on foreign policy. Republican economics are still unpopular, and they won't be taking back congress any time soon.

Calvin: We'll see.

 

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Over a year into the war, Russian morale was flagging. Defeats in the East and a lack of meaningful progress in the West gave Russian citizens the impression that they were losing the war. The Russian government was determined that a decisive victory in the West was necessary. This victory would need to come at Kiev. After all, Ukraine was the origin of the whole war. Commander Zhukov believed that if Kiev was captured, there was a real possibility that the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, and France might join the war. Meanwhile, in August 1965, Germany launched an invasion of Lithuania, hoping to reinstall their puppet government. Russia had installed its own puppet government in Lithuania, this one ruled by a member of the Romanov Dynasty. The German advance was stopped outside of Vilnius on September 7. On the 8th, Germany began its amphibious invasion of Saaremaa Island in Russian Estonia. The Germans were aided by naval and air bombardment, and suffered only minor casualties in securing the island. Germany immediately set to work building an air base there.

On the 10th, the battle for Kiev began. Russian soldiers, many of whom had been diverted from other fronts, attacked the city from the East and the Northwest. The city’s defenders were mostly Austro-Hungarian, though there were also Germans, Romanians, and Ukrainian loyalists. Pro-Republic Ukrainians joined the Russians in the battle to liberate the capital from what they saw as Germanic oppression. Russian generals had expected the fighting to last for three to four weeks. Austo-Hungarian Commander Lothar Rendulic was committed to holding onto Kiev at all costs, believing that victory was unlikely unless the city was held by allies. Fighting lasted until October 25, when the last Austrian forces retreated from Kiev. It was a desperately needed victory, and it served as a morale boost for Russian forces everywhere. Shortly after the victory, and over the objections of much of the military, over 150,000 Russian soldiers were moved to the far-East to fight Japan. Some generals protested, claiming that after the fall of Kiev those troops were needed to finish off the Austrian and German presence in Ukraine. But the Russian government was much less beholden to its generals than Germany or Japan was.

(Left: Lothar Rendulic, Right: Giorgiy Zhukov)​

Germany had convinced Turkey to declare war on Russia in August. Germans, Austrians, and Turks were fighting Russians once more. Fifty years earlier, the Ottomans were considered the sick man of Europe, or the dying man of Europe. Though they had been on the winning side of the First Great War, their empire began falling apart less than a decade after the war ended. In 1932, the Greeks (aided by Italy) took Constantinople and the Kingdom of Hejaz took Baghdad. After the fall of Baghdad, Hussein bin Ali, King of Hejaz, declared himself Caliph. Though Ottoman Sultan Şehzade Mehmed Selim protested, he was ignored. The final Ottoman Sultan, the young Mehmed VIII, was overthrown in a military coup in 1954. Turkey became a secular and nationalist state, and one intent on taking back at least some former Ottoman territory. In 1965, Turkey declared war on Russia, and also invaded Armenia. The Turkish government sought to take back the Caucasus. Georgia, Greece, and Kurdistan declared war on Turkey in response. Most historians believe that Turkey’s entrance in the war was a net negative for Germany, considering that the combined might of Russia’s new allies was greater than that of Turkey.

In November, Russia began launching rockets at Finnish cities with the purpose of getting Finland out of the war [1]. Time would tell if this strategy would pay off. Rocket technology was in its early stage of development at this time, and both sides would make use of rockets during the war. What was more common was the bombing of cities by planes. The German and Russian air forces were some of the best in the world. During the Second Great War, the German Fliegertruppe [2] was made up of outdated planes and blimps, and France had air superiority for most of the war. Germany was determined to prevent this from happening again, and heavily invested in new and improved planes. Russia was able to improve its air force through the help of captured French scientists. Russia could produce more planes than Germany, owing to its greater number of factories. However, Germany’s number were bolstered by its allies. Neither side was able to gain the upper hand in the air at this time.

(Rockets were used by both sides in the European Theatre)​

In November, emboldened by the fall of Kiev, resistance groups in occupied Ukraine and in minority areas of Austria-Hungary rose up. Anti-war protests broke out in Romania. Russia continued its advance, and by the end of 1965 King Otto II of Ukraine only controlled the western edge of his kingdom. The situation in Romania was getting worse, as the majority of Romanians opposed the war, and a large minority believed that Romania should be allied to Russia instead of Austria-Hungary. King Carol III, a member of the House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, was pro-Germany and pro-Austria-Hungary. His grandfather, Ferdinand, had led his country to declare war on Russia in the First Great War. Now he was following in his footsteps. But this time, nationalist sentiment in Romania was a big problem for him. Romanian nationalists wanted to take Transylvania, a Romanian-majority region under Austro-Hungarian rule. On December 30, the Romanian parliament rebuked the King and voted to leave the war. On January 1, 1966, the elderly King Alexander I deposed the pro-Austro-Hungarian prime minister. The prime minister was replaced by a nationalist who made peace with Russia and Greece so as to not see his country become a battleground.

1: Nothing to do with recent events in Israel and Gaza, I had already planned for rockets to be used in this war.
2: German Air Force

 

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In 1964, Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Japan went to war with Russia. While at the beginning of the war, these were the main belligerents, other nations found themselves drawn into the conflict. Some countries, like Belgium and Finland, were puppet states of belligerents. Other countries, like Spain and Denmark, joined the war due to alliances with belligerents. Other countries, like Turkey and Greece, joined the war on their own accord, hoping to gain territory. Others, like Armenia, joined the war because they were invaded. And in 1965, another country joined the war due to being invaded, a country far away from where most of the fighting occurred. This country was Indonesia. The Indonesian government claimed that it was defending against an unprovoked attack from Japan. This position was shared by the US, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. However, the Japanese government would claim that Indonesia provoked them to war. Fifty years after the fact, Japanese nationalists continue to claim that invasion of Indonesia was justified.

-Excerpt from Indonesia in the Third Great War, William Tanaka, Sydney Publishing Co., 2016.

Indonesia was once a Dutch possession. As part of the Dutch Empire, it joined the war against France in April 1940. Indonesian troops reached Europe only a few days before the war ended. The Netherlands suffered greatly, despite only being at war for six months. In May 1940, Dutch polders and dikes were bombed by the French air force, causing many deaths due to flooding. Many Dutch were killed by French chemical weapons and much of the Netherlands’ farmland became unusable. The Netherlands was in no position to hold onto Indonesia, and when a rebellion broke out in 1941, it spread like wildfire. In late 1943, the Dutch government recognized Indonesian independence after installing a government friendly to the Netherlands. Some of the rebels continued to fight against the new Indonesian government, even though the majority laid down their arms. The remaining rebels were increasingly split between far-left and far-right ideologies, eventually succumbing to infighting. One rebel fighter who was captured in Sumatra in 1944 claimed that the execution of Adolphe Cartier was a grave injustice. The rebellion was finally extinguished in 1946.

The first President of Indonesia was Irfan Wibowo. He went to college in Amsterdam and was fluent in Dutch. The Dutch expected him to be friendly to the Netherlands and Dutch business. He was friendly to the Dutch, but he increasingly saw the Americans, Australians, and Japanese as more worthwhile partners. In 1948, he signed a treaty of friendship with US president Alf Landon. American companies would soon dominate the country’s economy. Japanese businesses had great influence as well. That same year, Indonesia removed tariffs for American, Philippine, Japanese, Australian, and New Zealander goods. In return, foreign companies increased Indonesia’s development, building new roads and airports throughout the country. Wibowo’s Liberal Party won a narrow majority in the 1948 congressional elections, winning 44% of the vote to the National Party’s 40% and the Socialist Party’s 11%. The National Party, the main opposition, stood for protectionism and opposed foreign influence in Indonesia. Wibowo, who was educated abroad, opposed protectionism. Western economists, whether on the left or right, overwhelmingly supported free trade. Even the American Republican Party was abandoning protectionism. Wibowo agreed with this consensus.

Despite the increased economic growth, Irfan Wibowo narrowly lost reelection in a runoff against Buana Kusuma of the National Party. The Indonesian Congress was still controlled by the Liberal Party, which would obstruct his agenda. In 1951, Wibowo was found dead, and many believed that Kusuma had poisoned him. Many Indonesian media outlets fueled these rumors. In 1952, the Liberal Party increased its majority, making Kusuma’s hopes to enact his nationalist and protectionist agenda hopeless. In 1956, he lost reelection to Liberal Party candidate Yovan Darmawan. The Liberal Party was hurt by the Depression of 1959, however. In the 1960 Congressional elections they lost their majority. A coalition of the National Party and the Socialist Party controlled Congress. In 1962, Nationalist Agung Imran was elected President. He immediately began pursuing policies designed to create a self-sufficient Indonesian economy. The rise of Indonesian nationalism saw increased violence against foreigners. Foreign businessmen were beaten and sometimes killed by nationalist thugs. The Japanese in particular were attacked due to their higher numbers.

In 1964, Agung Imran announced that Indonesia stood in solidarity with Russia. Indonesia would ship rice and corn to Russia through Iran. He also ended all the privileges enjoyed by Japanese businesses. In 1965, a riot against the Japanese in Jakarta left 27 dead and over 150 wounded. The rioters were never charged. Soon afterwards the Indonesian government nationalized several Japanese mining companies. Japan saw this and was concerned that other Asian countries might do the same. Japanese Prime Minister Fujimoto Yuuto decried Indonesia as a “lawless nation.” On October 17, Japan declared war on Indonesia, though the Japanese military had already begun moving troops towards Indonesia before this point. On the 18th, Japanese soldiers landed in Sulawesi and Ambon Islands. Since most of the Indonesian Army was elsewhere, these islands fell quickly to the Japanese. The Indonesian Navy was decimated within the first month of the war, as the Japanese Navy was better armed and had greater numbers. On October 28, US President Al Valenti died, and was succeeded by the anti-war Christian Peterson, a great blow to any hopes of American intervention.

(Indonesian soldiers)​

In November, the Japanese invaded Borneo. Japanese planes launched from aircraft carriers bombed Jakarta. In addition, an army base outside of the city was bombed, destroying dozens of American tanks and Australian armored vehicles that the Indonesian government had paid a hefty sum of money to obtain. On December 15, the Japanese began their amphibious assault of Jakarta. The Indonesian Army initially performed well, and the first wave of Japanese marines was nearly driven back into the sea. But reinforcements came and the tide of battle turned. The battle lasted until the final Indonesian troops in the city surrendered on the 20th. President Agung Imran fled the city. He and other members of the government escaped to Australia. Other members of the Indonesian government were willing to cooperate with the Japanese and a puppet government was formed. Many Indonesian soldiers surrendered after this point, but others continued to resist, determined to end the Japanese occupation. The resistance would be supplied by Britain, Australia, and New Zealand.

 

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In the late 10s and early 20s, Communism was seen as a serious ideology throughout the world. In Washington, London, Berlin, Vienna, Moscow, and Tokyo, government and business leaders feared of a worker’s world revolution in the near future. And Communism became even more popular with the stock market crash in 1927. Revolutionaries funded by Frane and Spain spread their ideals across the world. A French attempt to foment a revolution in Belgium caused Germany to declare war on France, beginning the Second Great War. That war would end with Communism being discredited in most, but not all, of the world. The word Communism became associated with death, destruction, and even demons. The Hammer and Sickle became a symbol of evil. After 1940 it became increasingly associated with terrorists, thugs, and prison gangs. In many countries, all Communist political organizations were banned. In others, they were allowed to have free speech but their members became social outcasts.

(A much younger Rosa Luxemburg)​

In the aftermath of the Second Great War, Communists across the world disagreed on how to go forward in a post-Cartier world. Many Communists were determined to prove that they were peaceful members of society and distanced themselves from Cartier. In 1941, 70-year-old Rosa Luxemburg of Germany reached out to friends across the world in order to organize a Fourth International. Communists from various countries would meet in Oslo, as Norway was one of the few countries that would allow them to hold such a meeting. Luxemburg’s goal was to get the leaders of enough of the world’s Communist parties to denounce Cartier and affirm their support for a more libertarian form of Marxism. In 1942, over one thousand delegates met in Oslo. Unfortunately for Luxemburg and her friends, some invitations had been sent to supporters of the late Adolphe Cartier. One Irish Communist gave an impassioned speech defending Cartier and denouncing all things English while being booed. Some Americans and Canadians also showed their support for the former French leader.

Kenny Macleod, a Scottish delegate and Independence activist, condemned Cartier, arguing that authoritarian Communism was not true Communism. He also denounced Cartier’s racism and anti-Semitism. He helped convince delegates to not abandon the term “Communism.” Many anti-Cartier Communists were starting to drop the term in favor of “Marxism.” Ironically, years later he would gravitate towards right-wing politics and become a friend of American conspiracy theorist Bill Atwood. The attendees of the Fourth International hoped that their meeting would begin an era of renewed far-left political action. Their hopes would not be realized. Communism, whether of the Cartierist variety or not, remained an ideology that most of the world hated. In addition, it was unlikely that any supporters of Cartier were convinced by Luxemburg or Macleod. Far-left terror groups across the globe continued to be devoted to the memory of the executed dictator. Anti-Cartier Communists were, however, able to win greater rights to freedom of assembly and free speech in countries like Britain and Germany, however.

The Communist Party was not outlawed in the United States during the Second Great War. Individual Communists were regularly attacked by angry Americans during and even after the war. Several Southern states along with Indiana tried to outlaw its state Communist Party, but the Supreme Court ruled 7-2 against these states’ laws in Zima v. Indiana. Clarence Darrow, writing the majority opinion, explained that all law-abiding political parties must be allowed to participate in American Democracy. The American Communist Party was divided on the legacy of Cartier, with most agreeing that it would be best to just not speak of him. Communist Parties in the rest of the English-speaking world took a similar position, with the exceptions of South Africa and Australia. German and Dutch Communists strongly opposed Cartier due to the immense destruction brought upon their countries by him. Anti-English sentiment was correlated with being pro-Cartier, so Irish and Indian Communists were overwhelmingly pro-Cartier. Far-left resistance movements, particularly those fighting Austria-Hungary, still mostly supported Cartier’s vision of Communism. This was not surprising seeing that he supported their struggle.

Communists mostly became politically irrelevant after the war. “Communism” became a word seldom used to describe oneself but one still often used by right-wing politicians. Argentina, the Communist country that had survived the Second Great War, gradually abandoned Marxism as its governing philosophy. But violent Communist resistance groups continued to be active for decades afterwards. An insurgency started in Northern India during the Second Great War, and was still going on when sectarian tensions caused the beginning of the Indian Civil War in the late 60s. Communist terror attacks were not uncommon in Ukraine and Austria-Hungary as well. Over a dozen generals and politicians were assassinated by Communists in Eastern Europe between 1940 and 1964. When Ukraine overthrew the monarchy, the Communist Party was legalized and the party won almost a quarter of seats in parliament. When Russian forces captured Kiev in the Second Great War, Communist cells rose up and committed coordinated terror attacks throughout Austria-Hungary. Austria-Hungary responded by brutally cracking down on dissent. In their retaliation, many innocent lives were lost, hardening the local populations against their rulers.

 

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The first stage of the Third Great War was essentially two wars going on at the same time. Japanese soldiers rarely interacted with German or Austro-Hungarian soldiers. Despite this, Japan was not alone in its fight against Russia. It had the Chinese Mukden government, it had its puppet state in Mongolia, and in 1965 it would also have Xinjiang. The Chinese government in Mukden was ruled by Zhao Zheng. He was essentially a Japanese puppet. The Japanese controlled Mukden’s foreign policy but in exchange they recognized Zhao Zheng as the true emperor of China. They had done this since the Chinese Civil War during the 1930s. Japan backed Zhao Zheng, while Russia backed his younger brother’s rebellion against him. Japanese schoolchildren were taught that Japan defeated Russia twice (the Russo-Japanese War and the First Great War) and fought them to a stalemate once (the Chinese Civil War). According to every other country on the planet, Japan and Zhao Zheng lost that war. Japan lost territory it had previously conquered from Russia while Zhao Zheng was confined to Manchuria.

Mergen was recognized by most of the world as the legitimate emperor of China. After all, it was he who controlled most of the country. Originally it was only Japan, Dai Nam, and Nicaragua that recognized Zhao Zheng as the Emperor of China. Eventually Dai Nam and Nicaragua (after the US invasion in 1964) would switch to recognizing Mergen while El Salvador switched to Zhao Zheng after Salvadorian government officials were bribed in 1957. Zhao Zheng watched as the Beijing government lost Mongolia and Xinjiang to rebellions. Japan recognized both of these new nations, angering Zhao Zheng. But there was nothing he could do about it. And as Tokyo pulled the strings in Mukden, the Mukden government declared war on Russia in 1964. Zhao Zheng privately confided that he feared that Japan would have him overthrown if he didn’t join the war. Mukden Chinese forces fought alongside forces from Mongolia and Xinjiang, countries not recognized by Mukden. Ironically, Zhao Zheng’s Chinese 黑龙军 (Black Dragon Army) enlisted many Mongols and Uyghurs who were loyal to him rather than Mongolia or Xinjiang.

Mongolia, according to Japan, had been liberated from Russian domination. In reality, Mongolia went from being a Russian puppet under Gantulga Khan to a Japanese puppet under President Batmönkhiin Ganbaatar. Though it must be pointed out that Ganbaatar was considerably more popular than Gantulga. President Ganbaatar hoped to expand Mongolia’s territory in the war. While Ganbaatar and Zhao Zheng were not personally on good terms, they would need to work together. Chinese general Zhao Kai was chosen to lead a cavalry force consisting of Chinese, Mongolians, and Japanese. Conventional wisdom since the Second Great War was that cavalry was obsolete, but Zhao Kai was not a conventional man. He was prepared to strike into Russian Siberia in 1965. Meanwhile, Russia was losing most of its battles in the far East. Every Russian port on the Pacific was captured by Japan before the end of the year. Japan also conquered all of Primorsky early into the war. Russia was playing defense. Russian Prime Minister Alexei Veselovsky hoped that Germany and Austria-Hungary could be defeated as quickly as possible so Russian troops could eventually make their way to Asia.

In 1965 Zhao Kai launched his raid into Siberia. His goal was to sabotage the Trans-Siberian railway. As most of the Russian forces in the area were tasked with defending cities, he only experienced minimal resistance. The smaller Russian forces he encountered were easily defeated. Zhao Kai’s men cut the railway between Irkutsk and Krasnoyarsk as well as the railway between Krasnoyarsk and Novosibirsk during the Spring and Summer. He and his horsemen returned home as heroes. Mongolian and Japanese forces captured both Chita and Irkutsk in July. Back in June, Xinjiang finally declared war on Russia. Xinjiang’s President Alim Bughra was always fond of Japan, seeing it as the only country able to protect Xinjiang’s sovereignty from Russia and China. But it wasn’t until 1965 that he could convince most of his country’s parliament that Japan was going to win. Bughra announced to the people of Xinjiang that he was joining the war in order to liberate the people of Central Asia. But the invasion ran into problems.

(Muslim soldiers under the command of Zhao Kai)​

Russia had prepared for an invasion. There were not many Russian troops stationed there, but there were quite a few mercenaries. These mercenaries were mostly from the poorer parts of China (Beijing government), and included a large number of ethnic Tibetans. A small group of Tibetan mercenaries held off a much larger Uyghur force in the mountains in Russia’s Tajik country. The main offensive was further North. In August, Xinjiang forces captured Almaty. They then moved towards Bishkek. “Nurbek,” a Kyrgyz former Russian Air Force pilot, provided Xinjiang with the locations of many Russian military installations in the region. He said he wanted “freedom for his people.” There was only one problem, these military installations were decoys. Thousands of tons of bombs were wasted. Nurbek would report to the government of Xinjiang that thousands of Russian troops were dying in the air strikes. Eventually, he realized that Xinjiang would soon figure out he was lying. He stole a plane and landed it near Omsk. When locals surrounded his plane, he opened the cockpit and waved his Russian flag. He was greeted with a hero’s welcome.

Unfortunately for Russia, Xinjiang was hitting real targets as well as decoys. Thousands of Russian soldiers and civilians really were being killed, especially in the bombing of Bishkek. Xinjiang’s advance continued. Fortunately for Russia, severe winter weather stopped their advance outside of Bishkek. The city was surrounded, however. Many Russians who had surrendered made their way to POW camps in Xinjiang. Life would be rough for them. They would, however, be treated much better than those who surrendered to Japan. Japanese POW camps were notorious for their cruelty. Inmates were often subjected to torture and slavery-like conditions. While a little over 5% of inmates in Xinjiang’s POW camps died, Japanese camps had a mortality rate of nearly 30%. While Russia captured very few Japanese soldiers in 1964 and 1965, they captured many POWs in Europe. Throughout the war, about 5% of POWs in Russian camps died. German POW camps were much better, as only 3% of prisoners there died.

 

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As Russia advanced, General Lothar Rendulic ordered Austro-Hungarian troops to pursue a scorched earth policy, devastating the Western Ukrainian countryside. In February 1966, Russian and Ukrainian troops inflicted a devastating defeat on the Austro-Hungarians and their allies. In March, the invasion of Hungary began. Germany had to divert over 150,000 soldiers from its front with Russia to hold back the Russian advance. And even that didn’t seem to be enough. Back in February Serbia declared war on Austria-Hungary. Just a few months earlier the two countries were fighting on the same side. The 89-year-old King Alexander I announced that he had fired the pro-Austro-Hungarian people in government that had “dragged the nation into war.” He claimed that he had nothing to do with Serbia’s declaration of war on Russia and that Serbia would now fight to liberate the Serbian areas of Austria-Hungary. In March, Italy declared war on Austria-Hungary as well, hoping to take the Italian-speaking parts of the empire. That same month, there were massive anti-war protests in Spain, Belgium, and Denmark.

Meanwhile, Romania saw pro-war protests. There was a push in the country to declare war on their former allies, as Serbia had done. But King Carol III and some members of the Romanian government were very friendly towards Germany and Austria-Hungary. The majority of Romanians opposed the declaration of war on Russia from the start, and many thought that Romania should join the war on the other side. Nationalist demonstrators shouted that Transylvania belonged to Romania. On April 10 a group of Nationalist officers launched a coup, overthrowing King Carol III and proclaiming the Republic of Romania. Carol III and his family escaped to Vienna. On the 12th Romania declared war on Austria-Hungary. In a matter of months, the war in Europe went from looking like a stalemate to looking like a war that Russia would easily win. In Berlin, an SPD member of the Reichstag named Greta Krämer gave speeches calling for an end to the war. She was joined by other politicians, even some conservatives. Anti-war protesters took to the streets in German cities.

Even high-ranking right-wing officials in the German government couldn’t help but be sympathetic. Germany was fighting the war on Russian soil while Hungary was being invaded by Russia and Romania. Germany could abandon Austria-Hungary and let everything go back to normal. But Chancellor Johan Landau, a hardline militarist, insisted that the war continue. He believed in the Endsieg, or the final victory for Germany. He also seemed convinced that Japan would be able to break Russia in the east. On April 20, Greta Krämer was shot dead in her home in Berlin. People immediately began to blame the German government, but the government had nothing to do with it. It would later be discovered that a businessman had her killed. Back in Austria-Hungary, people were panicking. The war was supposed to take place in Ukraine, Russia was supposed to be on the defensive. Everything was going wrong. On the 29th, Uzhhorod fell to Russia. On the 30th, Sibiu fell to Romania.

(Romanian troops)​

In Poland, a revolt broke out against the German-aligned government. Polish King Augustus V had kept his country neutral, for two reasons. He feared that involving Poland in the conflict would lead to a civil war and Germany did not want to widen its front with Russia. German planes would still be based in Poland as they bombed Russian cities. The Polish king, a relative of the German Kaiser, hoped his country could stay at peace. But in April an underground resistance group rose up in the Polish countryside seeking to overthrow the monarchy. The rebellion spread like wildfire. In May, Russia invaded Poland to help the rebels. Augustus sent his family to Berlin but stayed in Warsaw. He appeared in military uniform to rally Polish soldiers still loyal to him. He was determined to hold Warsaw until German soldiers could arrive to reinforce the city. Sadly, on May 7 he was killed in a Russian airstrike. He was the only monarch to be killed in combat during the entire war.

 

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Since Russia’s Navy was no match for the combined might of her enemies, an invasion of German colonies was off the table. This did not mean that German troops stationed in Africa had it easy, however. Tend of thousands of Germans would die in Africa as the international media focused on Europe. For Europe, 1964 broke the nearly quarter century of peace. For much of Africa, war had been going on for years already. Many German soldiers stationed in Africa were sent to fight in Europe. The remaining German troops in Africa were almost entirely left to themselves, as no reinforcements were coming from Europe. The only exceptions were German Kameroon and Congo, where Spanish colonial troops helped their German allies. In much of German Africa, Germany only controlled the major urban centers and coastal areas. As the war continued, many African nations gained independence from other European powers, which emboldened the resistance to German rule. Only German Southwest Africa and Madagascar remained mostly at peace throughout the entire conflict.

The Congo was already slipping out of German control. Katanga had already broken free before the war. Germany was intent on keeping control of the rubber plantations. But continued attacks throughout the year 1964 forced the Germans to retreat towards the cities nearer to the coast. By the end of the year, almost two thirds of Tanganyika was controlled by rebels (though not the more populated areas). As 1965 began, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Sudan, Nigeria, and Ghana all became independent. This was bad news for Germany as the newly independent Ghana and Nigeria both supported anti-colonial rebels. The number of rebels in German Togoland doubled from 1964 to 1965. Germany was in the process of consolidating its colonial forces, and in the Spring of 1965 withdrew almost all of its troops from Malawi in order to help in Tanganyika. By the end of 1965, Malawian rebels controlled all of Malawi. Many of these rebels used Malawi as a base to attack not only Tanganyika but also Portuguese Mozambique and British Northern Rhodesia.

(Rebels in Tanzania)​

In August, rebels launched a surprise attack on a German airfield in Gabon. They completely overran the base and captured dozens of planes (since none of the rebels were pilots, the planes were sold to Nigeria. In September, 500 Spanish troops were surrounded and attacked by rebels in Kameroon. Most were killed but some surrendered. German high command at this point recognized that peace and order could only come to Africa after victory came in Europe. The African interior was largely abandoned. Malawi and Ubangi-Shari declared independence and began to function like independent states. They were immediately recognized by Russia and Ukraine. The United States, Ethiopia, Mali, and many other African countries soon followed. Former Chancellor Konrad Adenauer said to a friend that “Even if Germany wins this war, an outcome that I am not confident in, Landau will not be able to win back all of the territory he has lost in Africa.”

In 1966, Mali declared war on Germany. Mali’s Emperor Sundiata had fought on the same side as Germany in the Second Great War when he led rebels against France. Sundiata died in 1958 and now his son Aamadu was invading German Togoland in March. The Malian Army outnumbered the German forces in Togoland ten to one. And the invading Malians would be aided by rebels working within Togoland. The Germans made a last stand at Lomé. The city fell on June 9. While many German civilians had been killed by rebels, Mali made sure that non-combatants were not purposefully harmed. Mali was a sovereign state that wanted a good reputation with the international community. Fifteen thousand soldiers were sent to POW camps while the civilians were allowed to board ships to leave the country. German Togoland became the Republic of Togo, and would be an ally for Mali moving forward. Germany could do nothing to take back Togoland, but it did impose a blockade on Mali.

South Africa was watching the situation in the rest of the continent, somewhat nervously. The white minority government feared that anti-colonial rebellions would soon come to their country. Southern Africa was still mostly under European or local white minority rule, but that could all change very soon. While Portugal and Germany would fight to hold onto their colonies, everyone knew that Britain would eventually let them all go (though they hadn’t done this for their Southern African colonies yet). South Africa had a network of spies working in the nearby colonies. They even had a German double agent in Windhoek working for them. In June, the South African Security Agency received a report from their agent in Windhoek. William Millhouse, the head of South African intelligence received a briefcase. What he found inside was shocking. “Gentlemen,” he said “we must let London know about this.”

 

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Austria-Hungary was falling apart. Now there were rebellions from all the major ethnic groups in the country besides Germans. Austro-Hungarian troops put up a good fight on the border with Italy, but they were vastly outnumbered and soon had to retreat. One Swiss paper put the headline “Italy vs. Russia, the race to Vienna.” Germany had to divert more and more troops to keep Austria-Hungary from total collapse. Chancellor Landau continually assured his government that he had a secret plan to win the war. He couldn’t say what that secret plan was because he only trusted a few people in the government with the secret. He told members of his cabinet in May that the war would be turned around in the next few months, and if it didn’t, he would “take full responsibility” and resign. He repeatedly told close members of the Reichstag that Russia would be suing for peace before the year was up. Almost no one believed him.

(West German Soldiers)​

Russia was advancing quickly through Poland. German and Monarchist Polish forces held out against Russia for over one month, before the city fell on July 10. Russia launched a new offensive against Finland, taking many towns near the border, but they were stopped at Kotka. Bombers stationed in Finland continued to strike at Russian cities. However, Russia was slowly, but surely gaining the upper hand in the air. Far down South, Serbia and Greece were in Austro-Hungarian land. There was also an offensive into Bosnia, which Serbia hoped to claim the entirety of. Greek and Serb forces took Sarajevo on July 12, but took high casualties while doing so. On the 14, the surrounded city of Przemysl fell to Russian and Ukrainian forces. The Italian and Greek navies were making short work of the Austro-Hungarian ships in the Mediterranean, forcing Germany to divert more ships to that theatre of war. Japan sent ships as well. Things were not all bad for Austria-Hungary, however. A Romanian attack on Timisoara was repelled, as was an Italian attack on Ljubljana.

Things were not all good for Russia, either. On the home front, the quality of life for the average Russian had dramatically decreased. As Russia’s navy lost most of its battles, Russia was mostly cut off by sea. By 1965, the only way to get supplies into Russia was by air or through the Middle East. The US and Britain would often send supplies into Iran where they would eventually be sent to Russia. Germany and Japan noticed this and enforced a blockade on Iran. Meanwhile, Germany and Japan were still able to trade with the world. In early 1966, Britain was considering a show of naval force in order to reopen the Iranian ports. The intent was to intimidate Germany and Japan into doing what Britain wanted, but hostile action against German and Japanese fleets was not off the table. However, on June 12, British ships en route to Iran suddenly turned around and went back to British ports in Africa and the Middle East. Though Britain would allow Russian, Italian, and Greek ships to use the Suez Canal, it would not declare war on Germany.

Fierce fighting continued in Poland. Polish rebels rose up against Germans and Monarchist Polish forces in Lodz. They were defeated on the 15 after fighting for three days. On the 16th, Russian and Polish rebel forces took Ostroleka. On the 18th, Russia completed an offensive that drove all German forces out of Lithuania. Towns all over Hungary and Croatia were falling to rebels. On the 22nd, Cluj fell to Romania. On the 23rd, Russian Prime Minister Alexei Veselovsky announced that Poland’s borders would be expanded at the expense of Germany in the case of a Russian victory. That same day Russia launched rockets at Berlin, Bremen, and Munich. Thousands of civilians died. On the 25th, Croat rebels drove out the Austro-Hungarian garrison at Sibenik. Then, on the 26th, the unthinkable happened. On the Polish-German border there were over 150,000 Russian troops amassed. They were preparing for an invasion of East Prussia. At 11:35 AM, suddenly, 50,000 of them immediately perished. A giant cloud in the shape of a mushroom could be seen from a distance. And since that day, the world has never been the same.

 

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Christian Peterson entered office on the heels of tragedy. His predecessor had just died. And much of the country hated him. In congress, he had to deal with a significant faction within the Democratic Party that hated him. This was in addition to opposition from the Republican Party. He made it clear that America would not go to war under his watch. The US would still provide aid to Russia, including military aid. There was nothing the president could do about that. As far as foreign policy was concerned, his main focus was on aid to Africa. Programs were set up where Americans could travel to poor countries in order to help the locals. Food and medical aid were the most common types of aid given. The interventionists in congress were pleased to provide this as it helped improve America’s image abroad. Most of the opposition to foreign aid came from isolationist Republicans.

(Christian Peterson)​

When January 1966 came, Peterson sought to find a Vice President. Democrat congressional leaders gave him a list of five potential candidates. Peterson didn’t care for any of them. Unfortunately, Democratic Congressional leadership didn’t care for any of his choices. He really wanted Paul Ansley, a Representative from New York, as his Vice President. Ansley had been one of the few Northeastern Democrats to support his Presidential campaign in 1960. He was also an anti-corruption crusader, which was important since many New York Democrats had been busted for corruption during the 1950s. However, Ansley had made some enemies within the Party’s leadership and was thus voted down. Peterson decided to put the issue of the Vice Presidency off until later. Meanwhile, he would seek to make allies in congress, meeting with progressive and anti-war Democrats to resist the Party leadership.

-Excerpt from The Guide to the Executive Mansion, an in Depth Look at America's Presidents by Benjamin Buckley, Harvard Press, 1999.

Peterson would spend his 66th birthday at his hometown of Fargo, North Dakota. North Dakota was a sparsely populated state that most of the country usually ignored. But North Dakota was getting noticed, though not in a way that most residents of the state appreciated. The state had seen a massive influx of Porcherites. The Porcherites were mostly followers of Bruce Antonov, who lived right over the border in Canada. There were tens of thousands of them in North Dakota now, and some estimated that they made up more than a tenth of the state’s population. The state’s governor, Democrat Connor Newman, despised the Porcherites and wanted to do something about them. One Porcherite had murdered a Lutheran minister in Minnesota, but the police were unable to connect the murder to Antonov. Newman directed members of law enforcement to try and find any crimes that would lead back to the self-proclaimed prophet. Peterson told Newman that he couldn’t stand the Porcherite movement either, but that their adherents have the same rights adherents of any other faith.

On August 1, President Peterson gave a televised speech in which he reaffirmed his commitment to peace. “In 1916, Europe went to war. In 1936 Europe went to war again. And in 1964 Europe went to war once more. In each new war the weapons used by the belligerents have become increasingly more powerful and destructive. In the first war both sides used poison gas. In the second war, chemical and biological weapons were used on a widespread scale, mostly but not exclusively by France. Now, bombs have been manufactured that can vaporize thousands of men in an instant. While for the moment it appears that only Germany possesses such a weapon, it is unlikely that this will be the case for long. Neither side of this conflict is innocent. The leaders of both sides, despite many of them fighting in the first or second war, send men to die needlessly in a third. I will not put American cities at risk, I will keep America out of war.”

A few days later, the American President boarded a plane to go to Havana. While there, he would be meeting with the heads of state from multiple countries. Bill Atwood claimed that this meeting would lay the foundations for the Caribbean to be joined with the US, Canada, and Mexico into a single government. The official reason for the visit was to discuss trade and economic development. He would meet with Yair Diaz, President of Cuba. In addition, Mexican President Leopoldo Valiente, President Carlos Bolívar Terrazas of Nicaragua (who was widely considered a puppet for US corporate interests), President Mario Valdez of the Dominican Republic, and President Hubert Dupond of Haiti would be there. Meanwhile, back in America, Porcherite leader and Canadian citizen Bruce Antonov was arrested on August 3 while visiting Fargo, North Dakota. On August 4, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Manitoba obtained an arrest warrant for Elwood Westbrook, a man who Antonov called his “second in command.” August 1966 would be one of the most eventful months in the history of North America.

 

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Narrator: On August 4, 1966, 48 Canadian policemen lost their lives near the border with the United States in Manitoba. These were the first shots fired in the war between Canada and a violent doomsday cult.

Kira Kravchenko (former member): We truly believed that we were in the end times, and we believed every word that Bruce said.

Ryan Holder (Ret. Col. Canadian Army, 1964-1989): The cultists in Manitoba fought with the same ferocity as the Japanese in Indonesia and Taiwan.

Narrator: In a short amount of time, thousands of people died, not just in Canada, but all over North America and beyond. Watch the riveting story unfold on Arnoldtown: 50 years later.

Narrator: 1957, Vermont, United States. The 65-year-old Reverend Arnold Porcher had been preaching at the local Episcopal Church for decades. But today was different. Today he preached that the end was coming soon. Most of his congregation remained unconvinced. He eventually resigned his position at the church. Only his wife and two other members of the church joined him as he travelled to spread the news of earth’s impending destruction.

Leland Scott (Professor of Comparative Religion, University of Winnipeg): Arnold Porcher sells most of his possessions and travels around New England, and after one year he has twelve followers. He called these his 12 disciples, noting that Jesus also had 12 disciples. He and his followers then moved to a poverty-stricken area of Mississippi, and gained more followers. From there he spread his message throughout the US, then to Canada, then to Latin America, and then to the whole world.

Narrator: While most converts to the Porcherite faith were poor, in Canada, a general from the Second Great War converted. His name was Bruce Antonov. Born in Ukraine in 1898, Antonov fought for Russia in the First Great War, moved to Canada in the 1920s, and joined the Canadian military. He rose the ranks and commanded a Canadian force in Brittany in 1940. Antonov was fluent in Ukrainian, Russian, English, and French, and was able to translate Porcherite tracts. He was responsible for the spread of his religion into Eastern Europe.

Kira Kravchenko: In 1961, Porcherite missionaries visited Kiev. I was 19 at the time and I fell in love with one of the missionaries. We got married and I moved to Canada with him.

Narrator: In 1962, while proselytizing in Madagascar, Arnold Porcher died in his sleep in his hotel room. Before the body was cold, a struggle over succession began.

Leland Scott: Porcher had made statements that made it sound like the end of the world would come before he died, so there was never any succession plan. Bishop Magnus Aalto from North Dakota, had a forged document that supposedly proved he was the successor. In the end, the Porcherite movement split into factions. Most Canadian Porcherites sided with Aalto.

Narrator: Magnus Aalto began work on a new book of the Bible, the book of Magnus. In this book, his rivals in the Porcherite movement, including Arthur Porcher, Arnold’s own son, were portrayed as demons. Magnus was also portrayed as having the ability to walk on water. The task of finishing the book would fall to Bruce Antonov, as in 1963, Magnus Aalto was killed.

Leland Scott: Aalto, who had blonde hair and blue eyes, was shot and killed by men wearing Klan robes. It’s likely that they were not actually Klansmen, and the robes were used to conceal their identity. They were probably part of a rival Porcherite faction.

Narrator: Back in Canada, Bruce Antonov becomes the leader of his sect of Porcherites. He orders all of his American followers to relocate to Rolette County, North Dakota and his Canadian followers to relocate to the newly-built Arnoldtown in Manitoba. New arrivals would also come from Ukraine, as the Ukrainian government persecuted Porcherites, even going as far as putting them in forced labor camps.

Kira Kravchenko: In Arnoldtown, life revolved around the Porcherite Church. The entire world would perish in flames. Everyone would die except those in our sect. As we waited for the end, we would have jobs, mostly growing food. We were taught that in order to survive the coming destruction, we had to follow the rules in the Bible, which was edited and had an extra book, and in addition we had to do whatever Bruce told us to do. We were made to constantly fear traitors from within.

Leland Scott: There are different Porcherite sects. The one in Arnoldtown was different from the others in a few ways. For one, it rejected pacifism. And it was the only Porcherite sect that allowed women to be preachers or allowed its members to drink alcohol.

Narrator: When the Third Great War began in 1964, Porcherites saw it as a sign that the end was drawing near. At the same time, there were some in Arnoldtown who began to question Antonov’s leadership. In 1966, Bruce Antonov announced that he was making a new round of edits to the Bible. American couple Solomon and Rebeca Jones publicly challenged Bruce. They were executed in front of the whole town. Their son, Isaac Jones, tells his story.

Isaac Jones (former member): I was born a Jew of sorts. My grandfather converted to Judaism in the 1920s. But my family was part of a Jewish religious movement founded by Yuval Levi. Levi was, in a sense, to Judaism what Arnold Porcher was to Christianity. So I left two cults before I turned 18. Most people in Levi’s cult were ethnically Jewish, so they easily joined mainstream Judaism after leaving. But my family was not, so we could only be Jewish by conversion, and neither of my parents wanted to do that. They searched out several different religions, but eventually became Porcherites. They were heavily involved in proselytizing throughout the US and Canada, and were close to Bruce Antonov. But over time they started to lose their trust in him, and eventually they started criticizing him. They were killed for that. I went home, grabbed a pistol, took a friend and my baby brother, and ran out of town. The next night, we got to the town of Boissevain. I told everyone I met what happened, and they were already suspicious of the Porcherites, so they believed me.

Narrator: The police listened to Isaac Jones, and they issued an arrest warrant for Bruce Antonov. Since Antonov was in the US at the time, police in Fargo, North Dakota would arrest him on August 3, with orders to extradite him to Canada. On the 4th, police determined that Antonov’s second in command, Elwood Westbrook, would also be served an arrest warrant. Isaac Jones warned them that there are thousands of people in Arnoldtown, most of them armed. Thus, the police would need to send a large force. It was determined that 50 officers were enough.

On the 5th, policemen came to Arnoldtown to arrest Elwood Westbrook. In attempting to do so, they were fired upon by residents of the town. 48 of them were killed either immediately or died from their wounds, only two were able to escape. 15 Porcherites were killed and many more injured.

Max MacLain (former police officer): We were outnumbered, and they had better weapons than us. We had no chance.

Narrator: Meanwhile, back in the States, Bruce Antonov was in the back of a police car, being driven to the border. But the police were unaware that there were people waiting on them. Porcherites were waiting along the highway to Canada. A dozen cars carrying armed Porcherites were on the road. They stopped the police near the town of Grafton, and opened fire. Walsh County Sherrif, Elmer Richards, determined that the Walsh County police would need to help. Unfortunately, they arrived just as the Porcherites had killed the cops and freed Bruce Antonov. On the radio, calls went out to gun owners in Walsh and the nearby counties to come to Grafton and stop “Wanted Canadian murderer Bruce Antonov and his American thugs helping him.”

Frank Bolton (resident of Minto, North Dakota): When I heard the radio I took my hunting rifle and went to Grafton. I shot two criminals, using my car as cover. I don’t know if they died because of me or someone else.

Narrator: General Bruce Antonov fought his final battle. He led the 31 followers who had come to liberate him (13 had already died while rescuing him). Opposing him were Sheriff Richards, 18 policemen, and 56 armed citizens. One citizen, a veteran of the Second Great War, took down 12 Porcherite fanatics before being shot dead. Seven policemen lost their lives. 22 citizens were killed. The Porcherites fought to the last man. Bruce Antonov was one of the last to fall, he was finally shot in the head. Sheriff Elmer Richards fought on even as he was severely wounded. He died in a hospital a few hours after the gunfight ended. A school and a road are named after him, and the state of North Dakota commissioned a statue of him to be built in his hometown of Grafton in 1976.

Leland Scott: Bruce Antonov likely didn’t want to be rescued like that. He was planning on hiring a good lawyer to represent him in court once he was extradited. But once the policemen escorting him to Canada were murdered, he knew he had no chance of convincing people he was innocent. He figured that he might as well go down fighting.

Narrator: Back in Rolette County, North Dakota, the American followers of Antonov were at a crossroad. One bishop, John Takeda, announced that some people tried to free Bruce Antonov, but accidentally killing him instead. He knew this was a lie. He called for the bishops to gather together to elect a new prophet. Only the American bishops would be there, as the Canadian bishops were stuck in Arnoldtown, now under siege by the Canadian Army. While some bishops present voted for the besieged Elwood Westbrook, the majority chose Bishop Takeda. Takeda, privately convinced that the whole Porcherite religion was a sham, would try his best to save as many lives as he could during the unfolding crisis.

 

[CELTICEMPIRE]

On August 11, 1966, the leaders of six nations (The United States of America, Mexico, Nicaragua, Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic) met in Havana. They met at the Foraker Hotel, the most expensive and luxurious hotel in the city. It was built in 1911. It was also American-owned, named after the Secretary of State under Roosevelt. The locally-owned hotels were in general either low quality, owned by the mafia, or both. The Foraker Hotel was popular among Cuban elites as well as wealthy American businessmen. It contained some of the best restaurants in Havana, serving American, Cuban, Spanish, Chinese, and Italian food.

Christian Peterson of the United States, Cuba’s Yair Diaz, Mexico’s Leopoldo Valiente, Nicaragua’s Carlos Bolívar Terrazas, the Dominican Republic’s Mario Valdez, and Haiti’s Hubert Dupond all met on the 17th floor. They mostly discussed trade. At 11:56 AM, Carlos Terrazas stood up and went to go and talk to someone. At 11:57, a bomb went off near where the other five leaders were staying. The explosion was small, but it was enough to kill and injure many people nearby. Among the dead were secretaries, bodyguards, and people on the 16th floor below the blast. Dozens were rushed to the hospital. As for the leaders present, these were their fates by the end of the day:

Leopoldo Valiente (Mexico): Died immediately

Yair Diaz (Cuba): Died immediately

Christian Peterson (USA): Died in an ambulance

Mario Valdez (Dominican Republic): Died in a hospital at 11:53 PM

Hubert Dupond (Haiti): Severely injured, paralyzed, survived

Carlos Bolívar Terrazas (Nicaragua): Survived unscathed

 

[CELTICEMPIRE]

Narrator: August 7, 1966, Arnoldtown, Manitoba. Over 400 soldiers in the Canadian Army have been deployed around the Porcherite town. They have placed the town under siege and are waiting for reinforcements. The Porcherites, under the command of Elwood Westbrook, have some of the same weapons as the military. Two people in the Canadian military would be arrested once it was discovered that they illegally sold weapons to Bruce Antonov.

Kira Kravchenko (former member): We were surrounded. I believed this was the end. My husband and I were armed with fully automatic weapons. We were prepared to fight against not just Canada but also the United States, Germany, Russia, Ukraine, Japan, and Mexico. We believed we were that important, that nations across the globe would be sending soldiers to crush us. We were told that we would get rewarded in heaven based on how many enemies we took down.

Narrator: In North Dakota, John Takeda, the newly-elected prophet, invites the media to speak with him. An interview is given On August 9.

(Black and white footage of John Takeda from the interview): Arnold Porcher had a message of peace, and I intend to continue that message. I denounce in no uncertain terms the actions of Elwood Westbrook in Canada.

Leland Scott (Professor of Comparative Religion, University of Winnipeg): There’s tens of thousands of Porcherites in North Dakota, and not all of them agreed with Takeda. Many of them saw Westbrook as the real successor to Antonov and some wanted to join him. After all, they had been stockpiling weapons and it seemed like a perfect time to use them.

Narrator: On August 10, a fanatical Porcherite shot John Takeda. Takeda was able to survive, thanks to the help of a Porcherite doctor. He survived an assassination attempt. One man from North Dakota wasn’t so lucky. On the 11th in Havana, American President Christian Peterson and three other heads of state were killed in an explosion.

Leland Scott: The Porcherites are blamed immediately. The Cuban government places 41 of the 60 Porcherites in Havana under arrest. Two Porcherites are nearly beaten to death in Texas. One Porcherite is murdered in South Dakota. Porcherites in Newfoundland have bricks thrown through their windows. Porcherites churches are vandalized in Kentucky. Police in New Mexico, with the support of Governor Kirk Wagner, removed Porcherite children from their homes. And as it turned out, almost none of them were from the same sect as the people in Canada.

Ryan Holder (Ret. Col. Canadian Army, 1964-1989): When I first got to the town, no one fired on anyone for about an hour. One man with a megaphone told the people inside the town that we weren’t trying to harm them. We told them that there was food and medical supplies waiting for anyone who surrendered. They just needed to turn in those responsible for the killing of the policemen. Then, a sniper started picking off soldiers. We fired on the building, taking casualties while doing so. Someone launched a grenade into the window where the sniper was firing from. The sniper was never heard from again. The shooting stopped after that.

Narrator: Some American Porcherites were growing restless. Their brethren were under attack and they were doing nothing. Takeda told them that the end would come in 1969, and that Westbrook was a criminal guilty of murder. Some leave North Dakota, murder the border patrol agents, and cross into Canada to try and break the siege of Arnoldtown.

Ryan Holder: On the evening of August 13, we saw a caravan of mostly pick-up trucks coming towards us. Suddenly, they opened fire. We immediately returned fire. Then, gunmen inside the town fired from their windows. It was an all-out battle.

Narrator: Reinforcements had arrived, meaning that the Army had over 1500 soldiers. Inside the city, there were almost 4000 armed men, women, and even children. There were 100 American Porcherites coming to help them. Most of the Americans were mowed down relatively quickly. More reinforcements poured in, until the two sides had approximately even numbers. Elwood Westbrook was given one last chance to surrender on the 22nd. In an ultimatum given by commanding officer Pierre Renaud, he and those responsible for shooting the policemen had until noon to surrender. At 11:59, Porcherite gunmen fired on the soldiers. At 12:05 PM, Renaud ordered an assault. He had fought house-to-house in Paris in 1940, and was prepared for the fighting ahead.

Ryan Holder: We focused on one building at a time. First, smoke grenades were used as we broke down the doors and entered the buildings. Anyone holding a weapon was shot, anyone who had their hands up was not. Once we captured a building, we kept those who surrendered from leaving the building. This was in part for their own safety, as those who surrendered might be shot by the other Porcherites.

Kira Kravchenko: As my husband rushed down the stairs with his gun in hand, he was killed by the soldiers. As the soldiers moved up the stairs I didn’t know if I should fight or surrender. Maybe it was cowardice, but I dropped my weapon right before the soldiers came into my room.

Narrator: Back in North Dakota, a group of Porcherites try to break into the state capitol in Bismarck and murder the state’s legislators. They are stopped by the police. The police were unable to stop the assassination of Governor Connor Newman by a lone gunman while he was giving a speech in Williston. One group of Porcherites travelled to DC in order to kill the new President, but they were stopped by the police, who were suspicious that five cars with North Dakota license plates were travelling the same route.

Leland Scott: Porcherite militants don’t just strike in the US and Canada. Fifteen Porcherites in Sonora, Mexico start a short-lived terrorist group. A Porcherite in Puerto Rico, then still under Spanish control, started committing arson attacks against Catholic churches.

Narrator: By 8:00 PM the majority of the buildings are under military control. But around 8:50 PM a fire breaks out in one of the buildings controlled by the Porcherites. The fire spreads quickly, and people in two buildings ran out. As they tried to enter Westbrook’s residence, they were fired upon not by soldiers but by other Porcherites who mistook them for the enemy in the dark. Many were killed before those inside the building realized their mistake and let them in. The military had actually brought along a firetruck and they were able to put out the fire before it spread too far. Throughout the night, soldiers and fanatics fired at each other through the windows. The next day they would renew their assault.

Ryan Holder: The next morning we planned to take Westbrook’s residence. So we gave them one final chance to surrender. Of course they didn’t take it.

Narrator: Westbrook’s residence was the tallest and widest building in Arnoldtown. It was a four-story building where he and his closest supporters lived. Among the other residents were several bishops, who dressed just as an Anglican bishop would, except that they also carried machine guns. Before the fighting began, Westbrook had allowed people to come into his residence to help fortify the place. And then on the night of the 22nd, people fleeing burning buildings were allowed in.

Ryan Holder: We started by launching grenades through the windows. I was pretty close to the building and could hear the screams of those hurt or dying.

Narrator: At 7:30 AM, August 23, soldiers ran inside the building, advancing under fire. The first five soldiers who made it in were cut down by machine gun fire. But more troops poured in and the military took control of the first floor. Nine soldiers are killed taking the first floor.

Ryan Holder: So then we go up to the second floor, and we’re fired on by a few people as we go up the stairs, including a bishop. Only one of our men died on the second floor, making it the least bloody floor.

Narrator: Four soldiers are killed taking the third floor. Another bishop was killed.

Ryan Holder: Then a woman ran down the stairs from the fourth floor and threw a grenade at us, killing two. She was immediately shot and killed. So that was six dead soldier on the fourth floor.

Narrator: It was just a little over an hour after the soldiers first entered the building. The soldiers then fight their way into the fourth floor. Five soldiers and fifteen Porcherite fanatics are killed taking the final floor.

Ryan Holder: We see a man in a white robe that was becoming red due to bleeding. One surrendering Porcherite yelled “That’s Westbrook, that’s the man you want.” So we capture him. He had been injured by one of the grenades launched into the building. As we sweep through the rooms, we notice that one door is locked. We break down the door to find a male and a female bishop, a married couple, in the bathroom drunk. They had drank multiple bottles of liquor, which were laying in the bathtub. As the man reached for his gun, which was lieing on the floor, I quickly kicked the gun away from him. The two would die later that day from alcohol poisoning.

Narrator: Shortly after 9:00 AM, the residence building was cleared of Porcherite fanatics. 29 soldiers died trying to take the residence of Elwood Westbrook, including those who died before making it to the building. 108 Porcherite fanatics died in the building. A few buildings held out longer, but by 2:00 PM the resistance had ended. In total, 371 soldiers and 2,858 Porcherites died in the siege of Arnoldtown.

Leland Scott: The siege of Porchertown had ended, but the fallout would continue. Prime Minister Benjamin Delaney had allowed Porcherite refugees into the country, and that was part of the reason that his own Conservative Party ditched him in October 1966. The events in Porchertown have left their mark on the public conscience. Atheists used the Porcherites to attack religion. Gun control advocates used them to advocate limiting gun ownership. Gun rights advocates used the example of law-abiding gun owners in North Dakota to advocate against limiting gun ownership.

Narrator: Elwood Westbrook was put on trial in 1967, found guilty, and sentenced to death. His execution was carried out in 1970. He was the last person to be executed in Canada. Fourteen other Porcherites were given life sentences, while dozens of others were given twenty years or more in prison. Kira Kravchenko was not among them. She married another former Porcherite and moved to Prince Edward Island in order to get far away from the memories of Arnoldtown. Isaac Jones moved back to the United States, where he still works as a teacher in Omaha, Nebraska. Ryan Holder stayed in the military, and would eventually go on to fight in Indonesia, Taiwan, and Iran. He reached the rank of Colonel and retired in 1989. He lives with his wife in Alberta. Pierre Renaud, who had led the assault of Arnoldtown, was criticized for his handling of the siege, with many claiming that it could have been completed with far fewer casualties. He led troops in Indonesia but was unpopular with his superiors and was sacked. He died in Montreal in 1992.

Leland Scott: Arnoldtown wasn’t the end of the Porcherite movement. Other Porcherite groups existed, and they all condemned Elwood Westbrook. But after 1966 it became extremely rare for anyone to convert into the religion. Rowland Dale was accepted as the true prophet by the majority of the remainder of the Porcherites. Some independent Porcherite groups exist as well. Rowland Dale said that the end of the world would come in 1997, and he’d die before he was proven wrong. John Takeda would claim in 1967 that the whole Porcherite faith had been a fraud and that he had pretended to be a prophet in order to keep the American Porcherites from crossing over the border to fight in Canada. As for his followers, a few went off to other Porcherite groups, many went back to their previous churches, and many abandoned religion altogether. The Porcherite movement when from a dozen people, to over a million, to about one hundred thousand within less than a decade. Today, there are about 40,000 Porcherites scattered across the globe.

 

[CELTICEMPIRE]

8:30 PM, August 28, 1966, Santa Cruz Del Norte, Cuba

Maria opened the door to her house and went to put the food she had just bought into the refrigerator. Then she poured herself some wine imported from Spain. She walked into the living room, planning to catch whatever was on TV. When she got into the room she dropped her glass, shattering it and spilling the wine all over the floor.

"Señorita Lopez, I've been waiting for you."

There was a man standing in her living room. Maria could tell that he was a native Spanish speaker, but that his accent wasn't Cuban.

"What do you want?"

"What a nice house. I never knew that you could afford a house like this on a hotel worker's salary"

"A wealthy relative of mine died and I bought this house with the inheritance money."

"Less than three weeks ago you lived in Havana and worked at the Foraker Hotel. You were working there on the 11th. And then a few days later, you quit your job and moved to this house in Santa Cruz Del Norte."

"What do you want?"

"I want you to tell me what role you played in the assassination of four Presidents on August 11th."

"I had nothing to do with it, it was the Porcheristas!"

The man then pointed a gun at her. "Tell me the truth, and I might let you live."

Maria, shaking, responded "I used a remote control to activate the bomb. I went to the restroom and pressed the button. If it hadn't been me someone else would have done it. Please have mercy. I'll give you my money."

"I'll let you live, on one condition. I know this wasn't your idea. Tell me who payed you to do it... And I'm also going to want some money."

Maria Lopez told the man, who unbeknownst to her was a Nicaraguan secret agent, everything she knew about the plot. In exchange, he let her live.

 

[CELTICEMPIRE]

On August 11, 1966, at Washington, DC, Secretary of State Ryan Norwood was sworn in as President of the United States of America. He was the second US President from Alabama, after Milford Howard (Milford Howard was actually born in Georgia, but represented Alabama in the House of Representatives). Ryan Norwood was born in Montgomery in 1916, and graduated from Northern Alabama University, which was founded by Milford Howard and is now called Milford Howard University. Both of these Alabama Democrats became president because their predecessors couldn’t finish out their terms (William Randolph Hearst was impeached while Christian Peterson was assassinated). In a short address to the American public, he vowed to bring those responsible for the killing of his predecessor to justice. While he gave his speech, some believed that he was not sincere. A few days later, radio host Bill Atwood said “I’m getting the feeling that the man who killed Peterson is the man who now has his job. It’s either him or the Russians.” The majority of Americans, however, supported the new President and his mission to catch those responsible for the death of Christian Peterson.

-Excerpt from The Guide to the Executive Mansion, an in Depth Look at America's Presidents by Benjamin Buckley, Harvard Press, 1999.

(Ryan Norwood)​

Norwood wasn’t the only head of state that was the subject of conspiracy theories relating to the assassination. There was also Nicaraguan President Carlos Bolívar Terrazas. Since he had gotten up and walked off to talk to someone a minute before the detonation, many believed that he knew about the bomb in advance. Some member of Nicaraguan parliament even voiced these concerns. Francisco Redondo, Vice President of Nicaragua, met with some of them in secret in order to discuss the possibility of impeachment. Ryan Norwood, who had been ambassador to Chile and could speak Spanish, would talk to Terrazas on the phone in the weeks following August 11. The two would develop a close friendship. Meanwhile, Terrazas became more and more paranoid, sensing a plot against him at every turn. It was announced that a six-nation team of detectives would be investigating the bomb plot. Nicaragua would send its detectives. Terrazas would also send a secret agent to Havana. The agent was told he was going there because the Cuban government might hamper the official investigation.

That agent would get into Cuba within 72 hours of the explosion (the six-nation detective group wouldn’t start until August 25). He would be joined by an American. The Nicaraguan agent, known as Pelayo, was born in León and had spied on the previous Nicaraguan government. Ever since Terrazas took power in 1964 he had been infiltrating opposition groups. He would soon be joined by Rico, an American agent from Laredo. The two of them, when near each other, would tell people that they were Mexican brothers on vacation in Cuba. The detectives argued over who they thought was responsible. Some thought that the American manager of the Foraker hotel had some responsibility. Some thought that Terrazas was responsible. Others blamed the Mafia. Radical leftist groups were also under suspicion. The Mayor of Havana blamed the Porcherites. Dozens were arrested and interrogated. The Porcherites were a popular scapegoat. However, many of the detectives argued that the Porcherites were unlikely to be guilty, as the Havana Porcherites were poor and had no inside connections to pull off the bombing in Cuba’s most prestigious hotel on such short notice.

Rico and Pelayo continued to search for clues. The two of them would find the hotel employees who had called in sick that day to see what they knew. A big breakthrough came when Pelayo broke into Maria Lopez’ new house in Santa Cruz Del Norte. It was an expensive house; a hotel worker couldn’t afford it. Lopez told Pelayo that she was the one responsible for the detonation and that she had been paid by the mafia. Rico got one hotel worker to confess that he was the one to put the bombs under the floor. Meanwhile, the six-nation detective force struggled to solve the case. American and Nicaraguan detectives had been informed by their nations’ intelligence services that the mafia was behind the plot. Many detectives had suspected mafia involvement. Ever since the 1930s, the Havana police department has been bribed by the mafia to turn a blind eye to their activities. And Yair Diaz, the late Cuban President, pledged to crack down on organized crime. The mafia certainly had a motive.

But there was the issue of the Cuban police and detectives. The US government solved the problem by giving them more money than the mafia had given them. The most powerful mafia families were put under investigation. Over the next month, dozens were arrested. One mafioso confessed everything while in custody. The American manager of the hotel had been bribed to allow the bombs to be placed under the floor. A Cuban government official had given the mafia information about the upcoming six-nation summit. In addition, Francisco Redondo, Vice President of Nicaragua, had participated in the plot. The mafia wanted to kill Yair Diaz, who was trying to prosecute them. Redondo wanted to kill Carlos Terrazas to take his job. He also wanted Christian Peterson to die in the explosion so he could blame militant leftists, hoping that America would respond by helping him suppress these groups. The Porcherites had nothing to do with it, and neither did Carlos Bolívar Terrazas. The presidents of Mexico, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic were not specifically targeted.

Several mafiosos were tried in Havana. Some spent decades behind bars, while others were executed. As the power of the Italian mafia waned, Cuban gangs fought to take over their criminal networks in the city. 1967, 1968, and 1969 saw hundreds die in gang wars. The American manager of the Foraker hotel was extradited to the US, tried and convicted in 1967, and executed in 1972. Nicaraguan Vice President Francisco Redondo had somehow figured out that he was about to be caught. He fled the country to Argentina in late October. Juan Peron, though something of a rogue leader, was nonetheless not happy with keeping such a wanted fugitive in his country. Peron was planning on extraditing him to Nicaragua, but Redondo fled to the Japanese embassy where he would be safe, at least temporarily. Carlos Bolívar Terrazas cut diplomatic ties with Argentina. He also began to claim that Redondo was plotting to take back Nicaragua with Japanese help. But most of all, Terrazas was happy to be vindicated.

 

[CELTICEMPIRE]

After dropping the atomic bomb, Germany sought to press its advantage. New offensives were launched in Poland. Germany was taking advantage of decreased Russian morale. But Russia and anti-German Poles held firm and not much ground was lost. Germany knew that it would be at least two months before a new atomic bomb could be deployed. But Germany didn’t know that Russia had already figured this out by early August. The Imperial Security Department, Russia’s intelligence agency, discovered the information about Germany’s nuclear weapons program a week after the bombs were dropped. Russia’s plan going forward was to mercilessly attack Germany and Austria-Hungary in the meantime. Russian Commander Georgy Zhukov was convinced that Austria-Hungary would be close to capitulation by the time German had a second bomb. Germany would be much tougher, as very little of German land had been occupied so far. The Russian offensive in Finland was halted, and troops were transferred to fight Germany.

(Russian motor-guns ready for use in East Prussia)​

While Germany was slowly losing, Austria-Hungary was in freefall. On August 14 Budapest fell. On the 19th, the Republic of Hungary was proclaimed, formed by former Austro-Hungarian officials. It was immediately recognized by some of Russia’s allies, but Russia waited. The Russian government had not yet ruled out the possibility of selling out the Hungarians to get a peace deal before Germany could procure a second bomb. In September, Russia launched a massive offensive to wrest control of East Prussia from Germany. On September 7, Königsberg fell. On the 9th, another Russian army took Graudenz. Elbing fell on the 15th. On the 18th, hundreds of rockets were launched at German cities. Russia was hoping to make it clear to Germany that they were only hurting themselves by remaining in the war. Russian troops advanced on to Danzig. Meanwhile, there was turmoil within the German government. Chancellor Johan Landau continued to reassure everyone that victory would come, but many within his government were skeptical.

The bomb had temporarily risen hopes for a German victory. But it was becoming apparent that Russia’s numerical advantage was too much to overcome. Social Democratic members of the Reichstag called for a vote of no confidence in Landau’s leadership. And they were being joined by some members of the Conservative Party. Landau told the Reichstag that a new bomb was coming soon, and that Japan would break Russia in the east (and Japan has won a great but costly victory in Central Asia). On the 20th, Landau spoke of the unbreakable alliance with Austria-Hungary with their ambassador to Germany. Some members of the Reichstag booed his speech. If it wasn’t for Austria-Hungary, Germany wouldn’t be in this predicament. Kaiser Wilhelm IV continued to give patriotic speeches to be broadcast on television, but he was secretly working with pro-peace politicians. He was also communicating with Tsarina Olga. Both of these monarchs wished that the conflict had never happened.

Denmark, sensing the way the wind was blowing, exited the war. The Spanish government refused to make peace with Russia, choosing to honor its alliance with Germany. This was an extremely unpopular position among the Spanish public. The Spanish Pope, Damasus III, was a friend of Germany and had begged the Italian Prime Minister Ennio Aldo to stay out of the war. But Italy coveted lands controlled by Austria. On September 25, Italy took the Austrian city of Klagenfurt. Meanwhile, the German city of Danzig was being subjected to bombardment by air and by artillery. Russian troops, along with some Poles and Lithuanians, surrounded the city. However, since Germany had naval superiority, the city could easily be supplied. There was still an attempt by Germany on the 29th to break the Russian siege. It was a failure, regarded as an unnecessary waste of life by many in the government. Russia began its attack on Danzig, which would last for over two weeks.

The Battle for Danzig involved around one million German and Danish troops and close to two million Russian, Polish, and Lithuanian troops. German soldiers held firm against the Russian attackers. But as the days went by, they lost more and more ground. By October 10, half of the city was in Russian hands. In the Reichstag there were renewed calls to depose Johann Landau, not only because Germany was losing in Danzig but also the promised second atomic bomb was overdue. On the 12th, there was vote of no confidence in Landau’s chancellorship. Landau was out. The new chancellor was Joachim Linden, who was a former ally of Johann Landau. He immediately reached out to Russia, asking for a ceasefire. On the 15th, German troops began evacuating Danzig by sea as the fall of the city became inevitable. On the 16th, the city fell. Further South, the Hungarian city of Dunaújváros fell on the same day. Austro-Hungarian Prime Minister Arthur Seyss-Inquart called Chancellor Linden, demanding that Germany drop another atomic bomb on the Russians. Linden ignored him.

 

[CELTICEMPIRE]

Blue=Russia and Allies
Red=The Grand Alliance

 

[CELTICEMPIRE]

Germany and Russia were both committed to ending the war as quickly as possible, at least in theory. Russia wanted to have peace before having to deal with a second atomic bomb. It also needed peace in the West in order to transfer troops to the East. Germany was slowly losing the war, and wanted to use the threat of a second bomb in order to get a decent peace deal. Austria-Hungary was falling apart, as even parts of Austria itself were under occupation. Austria-Hungary had begun the war fighting to keep its allied government in Ukraine in place. It was now fighting for its existence. Austro-Hungarian leadership was still convinced that Germany could win the war if it just produced more atomic bombs. German leadership wasn’t so sure about this. Meanwhile, a double agent fed Germany false information that Russia had tested a nuclear weapon in Siberia. In reality Russia was still in the early stages of nuclear weapons development, along with the US, UK, and Japan.

Both sides wanted to make sure they could get the best peace deal possible. And that meant that both sides tried to control as much territory as possible. By this point in the war, control of the air was firmly in Russia’s hands. Cities in Eastern Germany were now being subjected to regular bombing raids. Meanwhile, Russia was mostly ignoring Scandinavia, only keeping the necessary troops in Finland to hold the front lines. Commander Zhukov said in September that “Showing Germany that even if they drop an atomic bomb once every few months, they will still lose the war is our priority.” The Germans knew they were losing, but they still had hope that the Japanese could somehow win the war for them. Japan had been advancing through Siberia and Central Asia, but their advance was slowing down. Rebellions in Siberia, Korea, and Indonesia all diverted Japan’s attention. Japan responded to these rebellions with increased brutality, which led to calls for intervention in Western nations.

(Russian planes)​

Former Chancellor Johann Landau began to organize nationalist rallies to counteract anti-war rallies in his hometown of Bremen. He claimed that there were forces in the German government that were planning on surrendering to Russia. Soon, these nationalist rallies spread to other cities. There were some violent clashes between them and the anti-war protesters. On October 21, Russian troops began an offensive in Silesia. Then, on the 24th, Russia and Germany announced a ceasefire. Austria-Hungary and the rest of Germany’s European allies did so a day later as well. Other participants in Europe and the Middle East would make peace over the next few days. The only continued fighting in Europe would be between Austria-Hungary and its Czech, Hungarian, and Croatian rebels. Germany, however, would continue to fight in its African colonies. Representatives from the belligerent nations would meet in Oslo, Norway to discuss peace terms. For now, it looked like the fighting in Europe might be coming to a close.