There is not really enough detail to make it interesting. For example, why did Douglas win? Why did the South secede? Why did the North lose the war? Many people would also suggest that you are not "taking butterflies" seriously enough. For example, you have Cordell Hull as President in 1946. Many people subscribe to the belief that chaos theory (a butterflies wings in Brazil could cause a Tornado in Texas) mean that anyone born after your POD would not have been born. I actually do not necessarily subscribe to this version of chaos theory. I think a more valid version of this criticism is that you would not expect a Soviet Union to emerge (at least in the form it took in our timeline) in a world without a powerful United States. A strong argument exists, that the emergence of the Soviet Union was the result of a number of improbable events any one of which would have caused a different outcome. If you want to argue that the Soviet Union nevertheless would have emerged you need to provide detail to explain it. Otherwise the natural reaction is to dismiss the conclusions.
Sorry, I'll try to improve it.
I know, Douglas was probably a bit forced, but I thought that between him, Breckenridge, and Seward, I thought that Douglas could potentially loose the conflict, as Breckenridge would let them go, and Seward I could see winning it. The United States is still powerful, it's war damage was relevtivly limited and gears up for any new future conflicts. The CS victory was basically the complete destruction of the army of the Potomac and occupation of Harrisburg was enough to both A: get recognition from France, and the insistence by Douglas for a quick end for a later opportunity for diplomatic reintegration that I forgot to post, my fault.
France still involves itself in Mexico, but the U.S. arms the Republican rebels like in OTL. France still leaves, gets beaten in Franco Prussian war. For the most part, the pod is rather localized until the 1890s. The biggest difference is Alaska stays in Russian hands until 1920 when a joint American Canadian action occupies the region. And I felt the USSR was essentially inevitable without some serious changes that the pod simply didn't affect.
Also, the next updates will cover occupied Spain, the Alaskan campaign of the last days of the 1910s, the beginnings of the civil rights from the late 1950s to 1970s, MLK, and Elvis.
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