Anarchist/socialist uprising in the U.S., circa 1919

It is obviously ASB for the United States government to be overthrown or anything, but in 1919 and 1920, there was serious trouble with anarchist bombings throughout the United States, and A. Mitchell Palmer warning of a "communist uprising" in the United States in 1920. Anarchists were, at the time, the threat.

I am wondering: just how bad could this uprising have gotten, no PODs later than the First World War? I am thinking an alternate Spanish influenza could lead to more devastation in the United States, and this could somehow help to exacerbate the problem?

I'd like to see this domestic crisis escalate into something really big - lasting far beyond 1921, perhaps to 1925, and really crippling the United States by the end of it. Essentially, just how bad could things possibly get?

Also: effects on Canada?
 
Palmer was a bit of a joke. Initially he was called "The Fighting Quaker" after his religious roots. After it was shown that most his arrest of anarchist were pretty groundless he got the nickname "The Quaking Fighter".

Overall a deep post war depression in 1919-1929 might split the left enough to allow a stronger socialist party to develop, like a lot of Europe. Then have the right over-react and you might get a socialist US, but it takes a lot of ASB work.
 
Ah, I don't want a socialist United States. I want a United States that is economically crippled by rampant internal insurgency, violence, assassinations, etc. Essentially, a very politically unstable country, like Central Europe or pre-revolutionary Russia. I am seeing revolutionaries taking to the countryside and conducting campaigns from bases there. I don't want the United States to actually have a revolution - by 1925, it should be dying down, and the country should get on its feet a little bit again. But, the United States should be seriously weakened by its ordeal.

Imagine all of the revolutionary movements in the 1960s and 1970s, except earlier and more persistent in the face of repression.
 
Ah, I don't want a socialist United States. I want a United States that is economically crippled by rampant internal insurgency, violence, assassinations, etc. Essentially, a very politically unstable country, like Central Europe or pre-revolutionary Russia. I am seeing revolutionaries taking to the countryside and conducting campaigns from bases there. I don't want the United States to actually have a revolution - by 1925, it should be dying down, and the country should get on its feet a little bit again. But, the United States should be seriously weakened by its ordeal.

Imagine all of the revolutionary movements in the 1960s and 1970s, except earlier and more persistent in the face of repression.
Working from OTL, the groups really just weren't there. Anarchists were a side-lined group at the best of times, and never had the popular support of even the Progressive Party, which in itself never came close to toppling the status quo. By WW1, socialism can't get its own name elected in any state for the love of god and money, the anarchists were already shunted out, and the pseudo-FBI of the time had already become adept at putting down movements after several years of practicing on putting down pro-Central Power groups of Central European immigrants.

By your POD, anarchism is already dead in the US, and Socialism likewise. There is labor unrest from returning soldiers wanting their jobs back, but the scale of US involvement in WW1 always guaranteed that that was a smaller, regional matter. There really isn't any subversive movement still kicking by the Roaring Twenties to work with, so I'd slot this into the same categorie as "Argentina wins the Falklands."

Now, if you want to change this into a challenge with a manageable limit, I could think of a few things. But post/during WW1? Not a chance.
 
Well, I am trying to see just how chaotic the Red Summer of 1919 could have become. If my original hopes for unrest into 1925 are unreasonable, then so be it. However, things certainly could have been worse - at least a little bit. Race riots, a more devastating influenza, non-interventionist sentiment (this timeline will see a 1921-22 Japanese-American war), and other elements could contribute to political unrest in the United States - anarchism need not be the only element.

As I say, I'd like to see a somewhat weakened United States, suffering from a level of political unrest comparable to Russia between 1895 and 1910. This should only last from about 1917 to 1925 - maybe not even that long.

Another point is that a group does not need to have popular support to carry out campaigns. Like, the KKK doesn't have much outside support, but KKK members themselves are committed, and this gives them the ability to carry out actions. Anarchists, syndicalists, communists, radical socialists, and others - most of them eastern and southern European immigrants - were strongly committed to their cause, personally, if not receiving widespread external support.
 
Just trying to think of everything I can to exacerbate the situation...
This is probably modern mentality asserting itself, but a longer WW1 or an earlier US commitment might help. Maybe a stronger and more unified revolutionary movement in Mexico is the POD. Almost anything could happen in that stew. Link Germany to a more virulent atmosphere of cross-border raiding and commit more US troops to combat operations in Mexico. Now they're fighting in an extended Guerrilla, not to mention getting the US involved in WW1 from nearer the beginning when the US finds out Germany's role.
Follow this with a much greater commitment to restoring order in Russia (ASB I suppose?) Troops experience vast distances, a hostile populace, asymmetrical warfare, horrible conditions, alienation, cruelty- maybe Sternberg is an ally or at least ordered to be left alone and US troops witness his deprivations first hand?
Couple this with worse Spanish flu and, if you can manage it, a worse depression. If we've been on a war footing for longer and are suddenly taken off at the end of WW1- operations in Russia are underestimated and the economy returns to civilian production.
A longer war means more African Americans serve in Europe and experience the contrast of French egalitarianism (for them specifically of course) and bring that back.
 
Maybe a stronger and more unified revolutionary movement in Mexico is the POD. Almost anything could happen in that stew. Link Germany to a more virulent atmosphere of cross-border raiding and commit more US troops to combat operations in Mexico.
With all due respect to Pancho Villa and his noble gangs, they would not create much of a problem with cross-border raids. West have good answer to native's guerilla pre-WWII. Total annihilation. Track invading gang to the town it came from and burn it to the ground together with men, women, childrens, seniors, livestock, pets and toys. Then salt the place. Repeat it 10 times and you will have pretty calm border.
 
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