Jefferson's Anti-Slavery Crisis: Alternate History of the U.S.

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2 vignettes from the original chapters, which I am inputting for now. More main content upcoming...
June 29, 1776: Continental Congress

The delegates from thirteen colonies were trying to write the Declaration of Independence, which would declare independence from the British Empire. The air was as hot and as stagnant as the tense atmosphere inside the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The delegates of thirteen colonies who hated their British overlords were trying to form a document that would declare their independence from the British Empire. An enormous list of complaints about the British control, from taxation without representation to the quartering of soldiers in peoples’ homes in peacetime, had set the colonists on a breaking point. One of the biggest controversies in that Continental Congress prior to the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 was about slavery. Many of the Founders thought slavery antithetical to the liberty the newly born United States of America needed from Britain. The shackles of slavery seemed very similar to those shackles that kept the colonies subservient to the British Empire. But not everyone thought that way. Southerners thought they needed slavery to work the plantations. They were opposed to ending slavery, and in many cases, even opposed to criticizing slavery.

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Part of the important content that sparked the divide.

“While slavery is often seen as a necessary evil, it is anathema to the new birth of freedom that we are trying to achieve in the United States of America when we declare independence from Great Britain. An enslavement of one is a threat to the liberty of all. The British King and Parliament have forced this wretched institution upon us near the inception of the colonies—this is something. While you might accuse me of hypocrisy, I am not thinking of removing slavery right now, only that we realize its ability to cause problems for liberty. After all, this is not the document for our nation—that will come later.”

Most of the delegates were in agreement, and their colonies—now defined as states—would join them. These states would become the building blocks of a new nation. However, rumblings arose from the delegates from the Carolinas and Georgia. Two of the Georgia delegates even ran out of the convention soon after Thomas Jefferson finished talking about slavery. Their names were Lyman Hall and George Walton. Near Jefferson was med “They left because they thought their states would never support you on the slavery debate. The North Carolina and South Carolina delegates are thinking of leaving too.”

Thomas Jefferson responded, “In that case, while those delegates and the planter aristocracy that are too enamored with the institution of slavery to support freedom from Great Britain may leave, their states may think otherwise. Please explain to the North Carolina and South Carolina delegates that if we do not hang together, we will hang separately.”

Jefferson and his compatriots attempted to stare down the Deep Southern delegates, but to no success. The air grew even tenser as the Deep Southern delegates and the others stared at each other, followed by some horrified screams. All the South Carolina delegates and the Georgia delegates fled, with only one of the North Carolina delegates (John Penn) having stayed—and he would not live to see the success of the new nation, as he would be assassinated by British agents. Thankfully, no other states left.

The rebellion would have to continue without the southerners.


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Vignette 2

Jackson and Compatriots

Andrew Jackson was exploring the “British Columbian” countryside, removing Native Americans to clear land for settlement, and he was (at the time of May 1796) removing the Native Americans from the western parts of North Carolina and South Carolina. This task would take a while; Jackson had only just begun in 1796. (The removal of Native Americans was a gradual process—and it was not restricted to “British Columbia”; the United States of America would also do this).

He spoke to one of his lieutenants, who was also almost boiling under the heat of the sun. This day was sweltering, even though it was in May. The colonial militia was operating with the assistance of various British Redcoats—this was a correction of a previous failed system. More oversight was needed supposedly to prevent the militias from rebelling like they did in the American Revolution to the north.

“What do you think of how we got here?”

“We got here when the delegates of the Deep Southern colonies ran away from that Continental Congress nonsense which led to the most grievous wound the British Empire had ever received. Putting out all those fires in the rear caused by so-called ‘Southern Patriots’ was how I got experience in fighting. I served with the British Redcoats fighting various “Southern Patriots’ who wanted to either join the United States of America, or more likely, tie us up here so that the Empire would lose to the north. The first failed, and the second succeeded.”

Jackson reflected on what his lieutenant had stated. So the whole campaign, of all the plantations torched, of all the chaos and fighting that had occurred in “British Columbia”, that was all a distraction. It was a bad idea to criticize the British generals, but Jackson inwardly thought that they had fallen for some stratagem.

“Which battles did you serve in?”

“Sir, I served in the battles of Camden and Cowpens. The fighting was ferocious due to the existence of many ‘Southern Patriots’ who were fighting our forces. They were highly mobile and in the battle of Camden, ambushed our commander, who died of his wounds. They did not fight in formation like the Redcoats did—but they were surprisingly disciplined. These enemies did not retreat easily, or crumple under pressure as well as I had hoped. We still won the battle of Camden, but Cowpens was a mutual defeat.”

“I like what you are saying, about how we got here, and about where you fought. I am thinking we got here not only because of our delegates. We got here because our temperament is different than that of Americans. I feel as if the Americans are going to struggle—governing is harder than winning a war. Nevertheless, we need to advance from here as well. Getting more room for settlers by clearing the Indians would be a good start, as we were supposed to do that. Immigration… I am thinking that the large amounts of new land would get more immigration here?”

“Sir, I think that most of the immigration would come from Britain due to possible incentives on settlement due to population pressure. There could also be a large movement of Irish people here due to another bout of land clearances.” (Note: immigration to “British Columbia” was still lower than to the United States of America)

“These people should help with the development here. I do not want to be called the ‘backwater of the Empire’ and be ridiculed.”

“Do not worry. There will be expansion, and more newly-settled areas.”



Jackson knew that the Americans hated their neighbors to the south, calling them cowards, slavemongers, and other insults. The “British Columbians”, in turn, heavily distrusted the Americans. He remembered the American Revolution—he was not always the pioneer that he was now. Battles here and there, the occasional attack on a town, slaves escaping a plantation (no doubt caused by a mysterious proclamation that supposedly stated that slaves who fought for the Patriots would gain freedom), and the Redcoats clamping down on any signs of rebellion. Jackson was not just a frontiersman who famously shot a man on Main Street in a duel. He was also working on becoming a lawyer when the British Redcoats wanted him to continue exploring “British Columbia” and opening its expanses for settlement due to his renown as a pioneer.

 

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While the 1890s may seem placid for America in terms of civil rights, the international rivalry with Great Britain was still going strong. The United States wanted to build a navy to rival the British Navy in case of an armed conflict. This navy took money. A recession in the early 1890s caused the socialist movement to increase in power, as many workers angry at pay cuts turned to socialists in the search for solutions. Eugene Debs gained prominence in 1894 after leading a railway strike aimed against the railway conglomerate of George Pullman. This railway strike spread to other countries and almost paralyzed America before Congress was forced to act. Something had to be done, otherwise the United States of America would cease to function. The difference between this and other strikes in the U.S. that usually ended up with the police or company militias breaking up the strikes (usually with force), was the size of this one. Harrison did not do very much about the strike at first, claiming it would end by itself. Congress had to pass laws concerning better payment of workers and the establishment of a minimum wage. The apathy of Harrison was one reason why many people around the country detested him.



Other groups such as the Progressive Party and the Democratic Party attempted to draw workers away from the socialists by endorsing party platforms that would reverse the pay cuts and in the case of the Progressive Party, increase the quality of health care. Employer-mandated health care did appear in the 1880s, but the quality was largely terrible, especially when compared to Germany, the Scandinavian countries, Denmark, and even Italy. The Progressives and western Democrats largely agreed with the workers, while Republicans and northeastern Democrats usually supported the corporations.



Benjamin Harrison (Republican), president from 1892-96, having defeated Grover Cleveland (Democrat) in the Cleveland candidacy, did very little about the socialist problem and generally sided with the corporations like most of his party. The term “Hyperion to a Satyr effect” was coined for Harrison, especially because everyone remembered the greatness of the past. To say he was a shadow of past presidents is accurate due to his lack of accomplishments. The only thing good about his administration was the buildup of American naval power to rival Britain. Harrison’s lack of results, from economic to domestic policy, led to his loss in 1896. William Jennings Bryan (Democratic) won the election handily in 1896 over Harrison (Republican) and James Weaver of the Progressive Party.



The West had closed in the early 1890s, with the last big episode of violence occurring due to grazing and water rights disputes in 1890-1893. During the 1890s, the “Matthew Bison” tours (real name unknown: he fought in some of the range wars) gave many Americans a glimpse of what the Old West supposedly looked like. Matthew Bison was not, however, particularly accurate. He and many others often make the West seem more grandiose than it really was—violence was not as common as he claimed. Other media such as dime novels also capitalized on the West and the frontier; examples include “Cabin on the Prairie” by Laura Wilder, and “Showdown at the OK Corral” (1899) by Upton Sinclair. “Showdown at the OK Corral” by Sinclair was important because it framed the range wars as a struggle between smaller ranchers and farmers and the large corporations, adding an element of the class struggle in the twilight of the Old West.



It was around the 1890s that pollution started to become a problem. While not to the extent of the 1950s and 1960s which started the Environmental Regulatory Agency, climate change and acid rain awareness, and the River Cleanup Project, many American cities had high levels of pollution due to the concentration of industries. Factories that produced many types of product (especially chemicals) generated air pollution due to chemical compounds like sulfur dioxide entering the atmosphere. The burning of coal and petroleum (Petroleum was found in oil wells—most of the U.S. petroleum supply originated from Texas at this point) also led to large carbon dioxide emissions, which contributed to global warming (which would lead to repercussions like rising sea level which floods coasts, more extreme weather conditions like hurricanes, and other phenomena). The “Black Blizzard of 1896” was caused by the erosion of prairie soil in the Great Plains. Erosion of prairie soil happened when the plants whose roots were supposed to hold the soil down died. This happened due to high rates of grazing from cattle, and from the high rates of harvesting crops in the Great Plains. In the winter, the crops were harvested, and much of the prairie grass died. Dust storms happened when winds blew the soil away. In response, new farming techniques needed to be brought in. Conservation efforts would eventually arise to protect the remaining parts of the prairie in a hope to reduce soil erosion.

 

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1900s

The early 1900s was an era of intense rivalry. Tensions were exploding between the U.S. and the British Empire, and the advancements of science and technology would make a future war even more destructive. The end seemed to be approaching for peace. The actions of Prime Minister David Lloyd George of the British Empire were at least partially responsible. He once claimed, “The Empire is under threat? Bring it on. This will be our finest hour, defending the Empire against all its enemies.”

This display of bravado was part of the British mindset back then. What a mistake it would eventually be when the war inevitably arrived. The war that would eventually destroy the Empire. That was in the future, though. The British Empire had reached its zenith by the early 1900s, and it was overtaken economically by the U.S.A. Germany was comparable or slightly above it industrially. Even the politicians knew it, as Britain had teamed up with Russia, France, and Spain due to fears of American and German dominance. The excesses of colonialism remained, especially in Africa, where the South African Boer Butchery occurred. (Boers were often mistreated and dumped in camps where they had massive problems with malnutrition and disease). Once again, the Germans and Americans denounced this human rights abuse. Sporadic rebel movements also appeared in some of the British colonies and dominions. The British Empire feared that some of these rebel movements were backed by Germans or Americans. Australia was the only dominion without some rebel movement of some form. Rogue Normanists existed in “British Columbia” who were tired of the British Empire; they were called “Lost Causers” because everyone else thought that they were a lost cause. “British Columbia” and Australia were chugging along, with no particularly great leaders, but at least there were few particularly awful ones in either dominion. The same could not be said in Africa.


The African colonies had plenty of discontent due to systemic racism. The colonizers generally abused the colonized people, especially through resource depletion. Perhaps the worst person in this regard was Cecil Rhodes, who was especially bad even by colonial standards, has his area (Rhodesia) had some of the highest mortality rates of any colonized region. Urban legends of Africans being fed to the lions existed (although ere never substantiable)—it only added to the fearsome reputation of Cecil Rhodes. This would only continue into the coming war, as he would raise several African battalions to protect the British Empire, but their use would be rather limited.


Reformists did exist. Some of the old “Gladstone clique” wanted to reform the Empire, to make it less… “dangerous”. (Attempts were tried, but little made it through the British Parliament. The reforms were also unlikely to improve life for colonized peoples in Africa and India, the two worst affected areas. Systemic racism meant that many officials believed those areas of the Empire were usually neglected except as a source of resources, especially Africa. India had just enough effort placed into its governance to prevent rebellion. This would eventually cause problems in the “Dreadful War”, but that would be in the future.


Germany:

Germany had formed in the fires of the 1848 Revolutions, after the collapse of the Austrian Empire and the formation of a Republic in Prussia after the Kaiser lost all support, including with the military, who thought he was too small-minded. Revolutionaries all over Germany and in Austria combined their efforts to form a country they called “Grossdeutchland” (it translates to “Greater Germany”, but most English records simply refer to it as Germany, with no offense taken). The country became a titan of Europe, and many powers were suspicious of it. The fragments of the Austrian Empire, however, were willing to team up with Germany to prevent Russia from swooping in and taking them over. Some other countries, like Netherlands and Spain, had complaints about the balance of power being shifted, but German diplomats attempted to assuage their concerns. This had mixed success—it was able to prevent Denmark and Netherlands from joining the “Dreadful War”, but was unable to prevent Spain from joining the “Entente” faction (British Empire, France, Russia). One of the great leaders of Germany was Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. During the 1860s and 1870s, he set Germany on a sound foundation economically and militarily, and he also started the first building blocks of the welfare state.

Germany had become a great power, with its industries and economy rivaling that of the British Empire and not far behind the United States of America. It had a welfare system that was among the best in the world, superior to those in the U.S. and in the British Empire. This welfare system allowed Germans to ride out economic recessions to a better degree than citizens of other countries. Germany also had a large military, with the largest land army in the world at the time. It had also participated in the naval race with Britain and the U.S. All these led to high taxation rates in Germany. Still, Germans were eagerly looking at the future, when they would surpass the British Empire and gain their undisputed place in the sun.
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Chancellor Otto von Bismarck

 

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Just before the Dread

Denmark

Denmark saw the formation of a new constitutional government and the deposition of its King. The rebellions of the late 1840s spread there. King Christian failed to reform his country in time, and soon, almost the whole of Denmark stood against him. This forced his abdication. Denmark became a republic soon after, with constitution-building becoming successful. It helped that most hardliners or potential strongmen were discredited since they attempted a counterrevolution that was quickly destroyed. Denmark had concerns about the growing power of Germany in the 1860s onward, but was well aware that it would be overrun quickly in the event of a war. Denmark was not a major player on the international stage, though. It was always considered a minor power, and attempted to have at least decent relationships with major countries for as long as possible. Norway and Sweden were in similar situations in terms of geopolitics. The main difference is that Sweden and Norway had reformed quickly, getting a constitutional monarchy structure of government. The formation of “welfare states” also continued apace in all three countries due to their progressive nature. The U.S. attempted to invite them into a trading agreement with itself, Germany, and various other nations, and they accepted due to the increased profits.

France:

France was stewing in vengeance. An ill-fated attempt to attack Germany as Germany was trying to unify had failed dramatically. The war was simply put, a calamity. The French armies had worse leadership and worse numbers than the German ones, and as a result, lost the war (called the Franco-German War). The lost war led to the downfall of the French monarchy and the seizure of the area called Alsace-Lorraine. A desire for revenge consumed France after the formation of another Republic. This government started to learn from the lessons of the defeat and re-arm as quickly as it could in the hopes of getting revenge over Germany. Germany, for its part, viewed France warily and used it as the reason for why the German military was kept so large. There was a large amount of suspicion of anyone suspected of siding with Germany. One of the first modern fear campaigns was the “Red, Black, and White Scare”, which was a purge of the general staff blamed for losing the war with Germany; this purge occurred in 1855. The removal of the old military staff was considered highly unfair due to the staff often not getting a fair trial.

Russia

Russia was attempting to modernize, but by the early 1900s, it was a bit too late. It was still a rather undeveloped country despite various Czars trying to industrialize. Russia still had one of the most autocratic regimes of any major country in the early 1900s. Much of this can be placed at the feet of Czar Nicholas II. He believed that Russia was stronger that it actually was; this led to overconfidence, thinking that Russia could survive without drastic changes. In 1905, a rebellion occurred; it was eventually crushed by 1910, but a revolutionary undercurrent would continue to exist, just not on the surface. People like Leon Trotsky and Vladimir Lenin would have roles in the 1905 rebellion, and they would become famous in later uprisings. Much of the working class in Russia, along with parts of the middle class, became dissatisfied with Czarist rule. This revolutionary movement would end up crippling the Russian war effort later in the “Dreadful War”. In Russia, the “Dreadful War” would be well-named, as it would lead to grievous damage to Russia. One reason for this was the callous nature of the Russian generals; it was not much of an exaggeration to say that they valued the equipment more than the soldiers who were going to use it. Russia never had enough armament factories to equip its soldiers properly, and it had difficulty getting supplies from other countries due to a German blockade and a general deficiency of money. Simply put, it entered the “Dreadful War” unprepared.

Latin America

Mexico was plodding on at a steady pace, thanks to the “Good Neighbor” policy of the U.S. The failure of Santa Anna discredited strongmen in Mexican politics, as someone with that amount of power would be likely to fail gloriously and become far too self-interested to govern adequately (or at least that was the prevailing theory). Many governments in Central America became known for little more than fruits and corruption. The U.S. was busy with its rivalry with the British Empire, but did attempt to increase civics education in these countries via bringing in funds for education there to prop up democracy.

Nicaragua had an interesting case. Its location meant that German engineers had an idea to make a canal to dramatically shorten ship travel between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans to facilitate trade. The large lakes of Nicaragua combined with a seemingly easier route than in Panama (less arduous terrain) seemed promising. A system of canal locks was proposed to navigate the terrain. There was a problem, though. Mosquitoes. Or more accurately, mosquito-borne diseases. It took a while for scientists to figure out what was causing the disease outbreak in the canal workers. This was accomplished partially because of the American scientific effort. Marshes and swamps bred large numbers of mosquitoes that carried diseases, so these marshes and swamps ended up drained in an attempt to control mosquito populations and reduce the incidences of disease. The great scientist who found out that mosquitos were responsible for the outbreaks of malaria and yellow fever in the area was William Gorgas. This man made the Nicaraguan canal possible. Construction started in 1898 and finally finished in 1909.

South America typically had some of the same issues as Central America. Gran Columbia was the main attraction here. Its leaders had attempted to live up to the ideals of Simon Bolivar, with varying degrees of success. Economic development, however, was not progressing very well, and internal divisions were problematic. As a result, despite the large size of Gran Columbia, it was usually seen as a regional power only. Argentina and Brazil were attempting to develop their industries, but in the case of Argentina, it fell under strongman rule.


China

The Pan-China War led to the collapse of the Qing Empire. The main reason was that the revolutionaries in China were much more willing to trade with Europe than the Qing were, so the Europeans helped the revolutionaries beat the Qing. The war, however, was brutal. This was perhaps the most brutal war in history up until the “Dreadful War”. Millions died in the countryside. One reason why so many people joined the rebels was due to the popular, if eccentric, preacher called Hong Xiquan. This man was charismatic and was capable of swaying large audiences into joining the “Chinese Federal Rebellion—later Chinese Federal Government”. It was not just Chinese fighting Chinese—many volunteer companies from America, Germany, France, Britain, Spain, Russia, and Japan (who formed the “Seven Nation Army”) joined the fight against the Qing dynasty. With the technological advantage enjoyed by Europeans in the late 1850s and 1860s, they were a game changer. The Chinese Federal Government had won by 1866, but China was ruined by the war. The trade agreements that the Chinese Federal Government had to sign in exchange for the foreign help primarily helped the foreigners. China would take until 1900 to fully recover from the Pan-China War, and it was in little state to fight another war.

 

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I put the first part about the Ottoman Empire in the Russian + Ottoman section as well to expand that chapter to 1,000 words or more.

The Ottoman Empire seemed doomed to collapse. The once-proud empire now controlled Turkey, Iraq, and little else. By 1875, the Ottomans had lost all their holdings in Europe, Egypt, and some of their Middle Eastern holdings. A movement called the “Suleimanists” attempted to overthrow the Sultan (Abdul Hamid II) in the Ottoman Empire. They were a “lost golden age” movement, with their invocation of Suleiman (one of the wisest sultans in the history of the Ottoman Empire) and their desire to rejuvenate the Ottoman Empire. The rotting infrastructure of the Ottoman Empire would be restored to full health—or so they said. Another reformer faction called the “Young Turks” who wanted to dismantle the Ottoman Empire also appeared in the 1880s. They clashed with the “Suleimanists”, especially due to the glacial pace of reforms. An attempt to build a constitution in the Ottoman Empire (in contrast to successful attempts in Greece, most of the Balkans, and Egypt) failed due to the autocratic nature of the Sultan. Power struggles ensued, and soon, a rebellion would arise. Many people in the Ottoman Empire looked at the higher standard of living in the U.S. and in Europe and wondered why they could not have such comforts—and placing the blame at the feet of Sultan Abdul Hamid II. The “Suleimanists” (who wanted to make the Ottomans strong) and the “Young Turks” were diametrically opposed. Both wanted Sultan Abdul Hamid II gone, but would hate each other. They did get much of the military to oppose the Sultan, and it ended with a coup d’état of Sultan Abdul Hamid II. Not long after the Sultan was killed in a fight between his loyalists and soldiers who supported the “Young Turks” or “Suleimanists”, those two factions started to fight with each other. This internecine fighting ended up with the “Young Turks” victorious and the complete demolition of the Ottoman Empire in 1889.



Turkey would be founded, along with Iraq. Turkey would stagger onward, trying to rebuild from the decline and fall of the Ottoman Empire. Some of its leaders also wanted to regain lost Ottoman territories in the Middle East once Turkey recovered economically…

And now for new content

Italy (This content will also appear in the 1848 Rebellions area)

Italy was also affected by the rebellions in the late 1840s and early 1850s. Italy in this time period was not one country. It existed in several pieces such as the Papal State, Venice (Austria lost it in the Austrian Explosion but was allowed to use some of its ports), Piedmont-Sardinia, and the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. Many people such as Giuseppe Garibaldi wanted a unified Italy. Garibaldi also wanted an Italian republic, and Americans were more than willing to help him there. The “Red Shirts” were Garibaldi’s army. In the words of the “Archetype Archive” (a collection of archetypes in stories), they were a “ragtag bunch of misfits”. His followers were very diverse, from all walks of life; they shared a desire to unify Italy and push it into the future. Garibaldi started out in late 1859 and by the end of 1860, had not only taken over the Two Sicilies, but solidified his hold over the country. The building blocks of a new republic also appeared by the end of 1860 in the Two Sicilies. His army expanded dramatically after his campaigns in the Two Sicilies—mostly from defections from his enemies. “He started with one thousand; he ended with twenty thousand”.

Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia was still considered underdeveloped. France had sent forces to colonize the area. The French Navy had also used explorers to find valuable resources in the area. As with most colonization instances, the local culture ended up heavily damaged from the colonization process. Some of the local kingdoms, like Thailand and Vietnam, became mere puppets of the French. This started to occur from the late 1850s onward, as the French were trying to gain resources to repair their damaged industries from a lost war. Much of the once vast regional resources ended up fueling the European economies, at the expense of the local area. The French were not the only ones in the area. The British took over an area near India called Burma; the Dutch expanded the “Dutch East Indies” in what is now called Indonesia. Siam (now Thailand) remained independent, but it came under heavy influence from European powers. Note that rubber was very important in this region, and many plantations formed to harvest it. These plantations were often known for worker abuse, especially due to the insatiable need for rubber for many types of products in the industrialized west. Rubber needed to be made, seemingly at almost any cost.

Australia

Australia was settled by the British in the late 1700s and early 1800s. The explorer James Cook was important for the discovery and settlement of Australia because he catalogued good places for settlement, along with routes on how ships could get to Australia. Naturalists had a field day with the large number of endemic plant and animal life, with so many new species to categorize. The settlement in Australia started off at the coasts and expanded inward. Australia became a dominion of the British Empire after 1860 when enough settlement had taken place and the Aborigines were largely driven out. Its development continued at a fast pace, especially because unlike in Africa or in India, there were very few native rebellions, and those that did occur were driven out very quickly. One of the first big industries in Australia was the whaling industry. The main resource obtained from the whales was their oil, but blubber and whalebone were also collected for various items. The next big industry in Australia was the wool industry; sheep herding became important there. Prospectors and geologists also found reserves of minerals in Australia, triggering mining rushes. All these industries brought degrees of prosperity to Australia, and they also brought waves of immigration.

Coming soon

 

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I just realized that the roadmap is completely out of date. I will make a new one...

"Just Before the Dread Part 2 Revision" (adding the Nordic countries and Australia. Italy and Netherlands remain neutral).
"The Powder Keg" (This is the frenzied political situation right before the "Dreadful War")
“The Age of Iron and Blood” ("Dreadful War" part 1. This is the WWI equivalent, with trench warfare everywhere. US + Germany + Various other countries vs. Britain, France, Spain, and Russia. This is the European fronts first.)
“Industrialized Horror” (Dreadful War Part 2. The American--"British Columbian" front.
"The Tide Shifts" (Dreadful War Part 3. The tide of the war shifts as the gory action continues)
“Home Unrest” (Why some countries cannot fight anymore and why the "Dreadful War" ends)
“An Uneasy Peace” (Immediately after the "Dreadful War")

“The World Depression” (A massive economic depression worldwide. Why it started and how it affected nations across the world)
“National Recovery” (The US and its recovery; the process of how)
“Recoveries Worldwide" (Recoveries around the world; how various countries dealt with the problem.)
“Foretaste of Horror” (The rise of the Black Legion)

"The Darkest Hour" (Beginning of the "Grand War"; Alliances, why it started, new weapons)
“Hell is Empty, and all the Devils are Here” (Grand War Part 2. Fronts across the world.)

“For the Future of Mankind" (Grand War Part 3.
“Light at the end of the Tunnel” (Grand War Part 4)
"The Final Victory" (Final portion of the "Grand War")
“A fellowship of nations?”
"Into the Future"

 

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Late British History, the collapse of the Empire
This was an old test for an old writing project. It's an in-universe material.

1830s: How did the “Sack of Charleston” affect public perception of the British Empire? (20 points)

The Sack of Charleston was known for its brutality since the British Navy and Army bombarded a city with their warships, with heavy casualties including civilians. This was only partially mitigated by the fact that they were putting down a rebellion founded on slavery. France questioned Britain’s actions in the Sack of Charleston, and this was widely considered to be the first well-documented British wartime atrocity of the industrial age. Even many in the United States (who hated their neighbor to the south due to a perceived "stab in the back during the Continental Congress") thought the Sack of Charleston was too much. Many people started to see the British Empire as a brutal and vicious imperial power after the "Sack of Charleston".

1850s: Why did the “Fiasco in India” happen, and what were the effects? (20 points)

Mismanagement by the British colonial government and East India Company caused a rebellion by many Indian groups dissatisfied with British rule. The exploitation of Indian resources for the benefits of factories back in Britain did not benefit most Indians. As they were working long hours for the benefit of a colonial power and receiving few benefits in return, the Indian rebels sparked a rebellion that took large amounts of British forces to take down. Indian culture suffered as a result due to the overzealousness of some British officers and battalions. The harvesting of food resources by the British armies also may have exacerbated famine, leading to the deaths of thousands of Indians in a drought. Many other countries in Europe, particularly Germany, complained about British injustices in India, which damaged German—British relationships and contributed to the tense atmosphere right before the Dreadful War.

1860s onward: How did the British Empire lead to the Pan-China War? (20 points)
The British wanted to trade with China, but the Chinese didn't want to trade with Britain. So the British joined forces with the French (who also wanted to trade with China), and used gunboat diplomacy to defeat the relatively weak Chinese armed forces and force concessions from the Chinese. However, the Qing dynasty was always unwilling to trade with Europe, so the British Empire and other European powers saw alternative solutions. The weakness of China caused many rebellions to occur, which ended up in the Pan-China War. This war led to the downfall of the ruling Qing dynasty and the eventual formation of a republic in China. It was also the bloodiest war prior to the "Dreadful War", with millions dead across the Chinese countryside and China took decades to recover. One reason why the war was so bloody was because European powers like the British were stocking the rebels with modern equipment (in exchange for lucrative trade deals).

1890s-1900s: What were Normanists, and how did they affect the Dreadful War?
Normanism was an ideology found in "British Columbia". It was previously thought dead since the 1860s, but had made a resurgence in the early 1900s, just before the “Dreadful War”. This time, it infected a secret society called the “Knights of the Golden Circle” (KGC). This group, like the previous “Normanists” were also known for animosity towards the USA. However, they had far greater ambitions than the “graycoats” of the past who tormented regular people but did not cause much more damage than that. These “KGC” were considered some of the most dangerous political organizations, as they were responsible for many lynchings that occurred at this point. A series of political assassinations occurred in the USA, including the murder of Vice President Taft and several Senators. The culprits were the Normanists in British Columbia. When the British authorities failed to extract the Normanists after a US ultimatum, war broke out soon after.

1910s: Why did the British Empire Lose the Dreadful War? (20 points)

The British Empire lost the Dreadful War due to inept leadership, both political and military. Politically, they caused the United States to join the side of Germany and the Nordic countries due to a combination of war crimes and sinking US ships trying to trade with Germany due to “unrestricted war”. The British and their allies in the Entente (Russia, France, Netherlands, and Spain) were not enough to compensate for the industrial might of the USA and Germany. Militarily, the British Empire failed to exploit the new technology of aircraft effectively in breaking trench warfare; the Americans and Germans were more capable of airplane usage than the British due to larger aviation industries in the USA and in Germany. The British Empire attempted to compensate with the development of armored vehicles called Tanks. However, Tank usage came a bit “too little, too late” as the tide of the war had already turned by then. Inept generalship helped cause many of these slaughterhouse battles where thousands died for only a few meters of land. These were common in the "British Columbian Front" and the "French-German front" in such disasters such as the Battle of Nashville, Norfolk, and Greensboro for the former, and the battles of Verdun and Paris for the latter. The colonial brigades never saw action in either front due to a Japanese surprise invasion of British holdings in Asia such as Singapore and Burma. As the casualties piled on, the British public sought an end to the war after losing too many of their own countrymen and seeing no progress.

1930: Why did the Black Legion come to power in Britain? (20 points)

Losing the Dreadful War against Germany, Austria, and the United States caused problems for Great Britain’s economy, and greater wounds to its pride due to losing the colonies. The Black Legion was a militarist organization that came to power, blaming the ineptitude of previous British generals in the Dreadful War, and the inept British government during the era. Many people agreed with the Black Legion, looking for scapegoats. Partially due to this scapegoating, and also due to promises of economic redevelopment, the Black Legion came to power in Britain after the end of the Dreadful War.

 

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The old system disappeared with the falcons that used to fly above us. The Empire, our status, it's all gone and something far worse came out of it. The English Lion has lost its claws and teeth, as the American Eagle reigns supreme.

-Ian Fleming

This quote was about the rise of the “Black Legion” government in Great Britain after the “Dreadful War”. American hegemony was only rivaled by Germany, and the two were still on good relationships, so the American Eagle was the dominant power of the world. The British Empire had collapsed and been replaced with “Black Legion” era Britain, which was somehow worse in almost every way. The book “Disappeared with the Falcons” by Ian Fleming was about this departure of a once-glorious Empire.


Test 2

Why did battles of the “Dreadful War” become so bloody?

Battles in the “Dreadful War” became so bloody due to the trench warfare. This type of warfare had the sides make large fortifications called trenches to protect their soldiers. Moving out of a trench exposed the soldiers to getting killed by machine gun fire, rifle fire, and other types of attack. Large amounts of manpower ended up being wasted to try and attack the other side’s trenches. The size and number of the trenches meant that flanking attacks were difficult to pull off successfully. Thousands of people would die for only a few meters of land. It did not help that trench conditions were very unsanitary, so disease became a constant problem, in addition to artillery, shrapnel, bullets, and shells.

Why was the Tannenberg Disaster so bad for Russia?

Russia had some generals that were not competent at being generals. In addition, the Russian Army was heavily under-equipped, lacking many tools of warfare such as enough modern rifles and medicine. In addition, the logistical and communications areas of the Russian Army were terrible, to the point that the Germans could easily intercept Russian radio transmissions and know about the locations and intentions of the Russian forces. The Russian general staff was leading armies to attack Russia. However, the German general Hindenburg was able to use his armies to surround two Russian armies in a large bog. The Russians ended up trying to launch several futile assaults on the German positions, and were repulsed with heavy losses, unable to break out. This was exacerbated by the poor performance of Russian rifles and artillery, so the Russian soldiers were outranged and destroyed. Almost 30,000 Russians were killed, and over four times that number became prisoners of war. This massive loss caused a contagion of defeat in other Russian forces, who also collapsed to the Germans.


Why did Russia collapse in the Dreadful War?

Russia collapsed in the “Dreadful War” for several reasons. Russia was very unprepared for the war, having insufficient war materials, especially modern rifles. Not only was Russia trying to fight a front against Germany, it was also getting sneak attacked by Japan in the area called Transamur. This two-front war was too much for Russia, especially due to the inept rule of Czar Nicholas II. After big losses near Vladivostok to the Japanese, and along most of Russia’s western border to the Germans, Czar Nicholas II decided to abandon the Transamur region to Japan to focus on the German armies. It was too late by then, though. The German armies had steamrolled through much of the Russian armies and people in Russia were very tired of the war by then. Rebellions broke out all across the country as protestors demanded an end to the war. Soldiers sent to stop these protests often joined them, making the rebellion grow in size and strength. The Czar was forced to abdicate in 1916, and the war with Germany ended soon after.

 

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Finally…

In 1912, the Presidential Election was between Theodore Roosevelt (Republican), Charles Hughes (Progressive), and Al Smith (Democrat). Roosevelt won the Presidential Election easily since Wilson and Smith competed with each other due to similar constituencies. Theodore Roosevelt promised to finish off the remaining “bad” trusts and monopolies in the U.S. in a trust-busting campaign promise. However, history would soon bring him into a collision course with one of the deadliest wars ever. He would not be known for the trust-busting effort and addressing “systemic racism”, but for leading the U.S. through one of the greatest crises that ever beset the country.



What happens when you lose not only one loved one, but several?

The U.S. had to ask that question when an assassination spree gripped the nation in April 1913. Within a few days, several important figures were killed. Vice President Taft fell victim to an assassin’s bullet—thankfully a similar attempt on President Roosevelt failed miserably and the suspect was apprehended. “It took more than that to kill a Bull Moose”. Other assassination attempts took out U.S. Senators and Representatives; most of the assassins fled south due to their “Normanist” connections. The American public was outraged by the wave of assassinations and Roosevelt responded to this. He demanded the British authorities in “British Columbia” turn over the assassins in a month or risk war. The British Empire did not respond, leading to a declaration of war on May 2nd, 1913.

Both the United States of America and the British Empire were building up for a possible war in the years before the conflict. The war drew in Germany, Norway, Greece, and Brazil on the US side (the Allied Powers); and France, Russia, Netherlands, Belgium, and Spain on the British side (Entente). Japan would take advantage of the fact that Russia and Britain were embroiled in war and sneak attack the Transamur region in Russia and some of the British Empire’s holdings in Asia. The “Dreadful War” had begun.

The U.S. Navy and the Royal Navy (Britain) fought off the coasts of the U.S. and “British Columbia”. The Royal Navy was slightly stronger than the U.S. Navy, but some of the Royal Navy’s strength was used in an attempted blockade of Germany. Several naval battles ensued as the British Navy attempted to blockade the United States, but failed due to the U.S. Navy. On land, trench warfare was the norm in the German/French front and the American front. The British and “British Columbian” forces did advance somewhat, past the North Carolina and Virginia border, leading to various towns being burned. By the first month of the war, though, the U.S. had largely stopped the British advances, and the doldrums of trench warfare fully began to set in. Thankfully for the Americans, the British general in charge of the “British Columbia” front was General Haig. He… wasn’t exactly a good general. Haig in the early parts of the war was stuck along the U.S.—“British Columbian” defenses and had thrown away thousands of lives trying to get past them. The American defenders were holding fast, but they had similar problems in their own offenses. By December 1913, there was little progress. Some people had hopes that the two sides would white peace by Christmas, but that was not going to happen

The European front had started when France attempted to catch Germany by surprise with a quick mobilization and attack Germany’s western border. This did not go well for the French, who faced the same trench warfare quandary that the British and Americans were facing. The Russians, due to their alliance with the British and French, sent their armies to cause another front to attack Germany from the east. This caused a problem for Germany, since fighting multiple-front wars is a bad idea most of the time. Thankfully for Germany, its generals were able to hold the line with their armies. In fact, such was the speed of the French mobilization that it was not carefully done. This was a surprise attack with a high-risk high-reward factor. However, the Germans had met this almost rashly quick offense with a stalwart defense. At first, the loss of life seemed to be very mutual, with both sides exhausting each other out, but France was starting to give ground in an attempt to lure the Germans forward into a trap, but the German general staff including von Moltke the Younger refused to fall for it. Getting encircled was usually going to lead to the destruction of the encircled army. The French armies would demand the assistance of British forces to help them. Some British Expeditionary Forces did arrive to help the French, along with parts of the British Navy in an attempted blockade of Germany which led to several battles alongside the German coast, but most of the British armies were still in “British Columbia” fighting the US armies



Germany was meanwhile gaining ground against Russia in the German-Russian front. The Russian army was handicapped by a lack of modern war materials and ineffective leadership. Speaking of encirclements, the Germans won the Tannenberg Disaster by encircling the Russian armies there. The German general Hindenburg was fantastic at his job, with the large victories over the Russians in the German-Russian front. Soon, by January 1914, the Russians started to give ground. The Russian armies tried a scorched-earth campaign in what is now Poland, often burning towns and their industries to deny them to the Germans. This campaign also led to the destruction of many cities and their inhabitants. The Polish people, already ruined by the war, became angry at the Russians for the destruction of their towns and people. Some formed partisan movements that attempted to harry the Russian armies.



The Russian situation was even flimsier on the home front than on the battlefields because many people were getting restless and uneasy about the mishandling of the war. The rise of a socialist movement called “Engelsism” (named after Friedrich Engels, a founder of socialist theory) started to happen in Russia at this point. Vladimir Lenin and Leon Trotsky became important figures there. Even some military figures questioned the decisions of Czar Nicholas II when it came to running Russia in this war. His poor decision of trying to lead the Army hampered its effectiveness. Not even the infamous Russian winter could help that much.



German propaganda claimed that “The Russians think the equipment is more important than the soldiers.” This combines the high number of casualties especially on the Russian side with the constant shortages of equipment, but to say that the Russians would rather retrieve guns than soldiers was an exaggeration.

 

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The war became a hellscape in the “British Columbian” front. What broke the monotonous trench warfare where thousands of lives were lost along the BC-US border was the usage of airplanes by the United States of America. Due to “British Columbia’s” lack of high-tech industries at the time, they and their British overlords had difficulty using this new technology. Bombing runs by the US helped clear trenches in a more effective way than most land assaults. The Wright Company, named after the original inventors of the airplane, was noted for building larger aircraft capable of bombing runs. Other types of aircraft included reconnaissance aircraft, which were smaller and faster for seeing where the enemy was. The British and “British Columbians” attempted to build their own planes to fight the US aircraft, but those attempts were less successful due to the planes in Britain needing to be shipped near the front (the “Dreadful War” airplanes had a limited range; they could not cross the Atlantic Ocean unassisted), and “British Columbia” had few factories capable of making aircraft. Air aces like the “Red Chief” became famous for using fighter aircraft to take down enemy planes. The “Red Chief” was a famous American aviator known for the destruction of many British and “British Columbian” aircraft. This person was the most well-known fighter ace of the “British Columbian” front of the “Dreadful War”.

That was not to say that the British and “British Columbians” were not capable of innovation. They built some of the first tanks and poison gases. The first tanks were used by the British in helping the French destroy the Germans in the Verdun offensives, and other examples were used in the “British Columbian” front in attempts to push into US soil. Poison gas caused a big scare in the US, especially at the Battle of Nashville, where poison gas ended up causing horrific devastation on the US trenches. This development of poison gas led to the development of gas masks and their widespread use among the soldiers, which made poison gas far less effective after the Battle of Nashville. Poison gas and other chemical weapons were the first “weapons of mass destruction.” Despite all these advanced weapons, the most important weapon of the “Dreadful War” was the shovel due to the need to construct trenches.

Most of the battles were inconclusive, but in March 1914, the USA finally broke through the “British Columbian” border in the Tennessee campaign. This was made possible by the usage of airplanes, but also by a tactical blunder by the British high command. Some of the Royal Navy had to be diverted all the way to India due to Japanese raids on British colonies. Losing India and the other Asian holdings would be a tremendous blow to the Empire. This ended up allowing the US Navy to coastal raid North Carolina. Some land forces rushed to defend the coast, leaving a weak spot in Tennessee, which the Americans exploited. It didn’t help that reinforcements from Britain were not arriving in the numbers they used to because the rapid failing of the Russians caused the French government to request more British expeditionary forces to help with their advance on Germany, or at least to prevent German armies from advancing into France.

There was also fighting in Alaska and the Yukon, where Russian forces in Russian-controlled Alaska attempted to form a second front on the North American continent to help their British allies. US forces garrisoned in the northwest fought back. This field of conflict had little effective fighting, but it meant that by the time Russia had to sue for peace, it had to cede Alaska.

 

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A British plane in the "Dreadful War". Biplanes were common in this period due to inefficiencies in wing design; the biplane model was stronger at the expense of some speed.

US Tanks in action during the "Dreadful War". The British and French invented the tank, but American and German forces (and many other countries too) were able to build their own after capturing some enemy tanks and finding out how they worked.

 

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Dreadful War Continued

The end of “British Columbia” began when General Pershing led the main offensives into the area in early 1916. The Sacking of Atlanta had occurred in March 1916; its success caused “British Columbia” to be effectively split into two pieces. Louisiana and Arkansas fell soon afterwards due to the encirclement of the British and “British Columbian” troops there. Thousands died and thousands more surrendered, especially as it became clear there was no hope of rescue due to the departure or sinking of much of the Royal Navy.

Some of the last major battles in the “Dreadful War” in “British Columbia” included the South Carolina campaign, where much of the region ended up in flames due to the “Sherman doctrine” (named after William Sherman, who observed the first modern wars in the Russo-Turkish War and the Pan-China war; the first total wars). Charleston had the unfortunate fate of being sacked twice; once way back in the “British Columbian Rebellion”, and another time in January 1917. By then, almost all the “British Columbian” forces were corralled into South Carolina and Florida, and were attempting a last stand. The situation for Britain became even worse due to the loss of its allies in the Entente.

France and Russia had already become lost causes, as the army mutinied in Russia, and Russia had to sue for peace. This treaty, called the Treaty of Salzburg, shaved off large volumes of Russia’s western lands to be turned into new nations. However, most of them were German “protectorates”—examples included Poland, Ukraine, Estonia, and Latvia. These were independent in theory, but were economically reliant on Germany. The army mutinies in Russia had also led to the deposition of Czar Nicholas II, as the army turned on him and forced him to abdicate, not wanting any part of his war. Russia would remain unstable for some time, but it would be out for revenge.

France fell similarly, but this time, the situation at home became untenable, especially after the Battles at the Marne. The problem with the French army was that it was running low on supplies and morale after the German offensive led by Moltke the Younger, Schlieffen, and Von Kluck, was able to penetrate French defenses by exploiting vulnerabilities in the defense. The production of German panzers (modified tanks) was essential for the German advance. The German “big offensive” almost reached Paris, with Paris itself within days of falling. The French government decided to flee to Marseilles and leave General Gallieni to defend Paris, fearful of being captured. The German General Von Kluck quickly approached the Marne, hoping to cross the river to take Paris, and hasten the fall of France. Battle was joined on July 30, 1917. The French thought they saw a crucial gap in the German lines—which they could exploit and send the Germans fleeing. However, the French didn’t have enough manpower to do so. To solve this problem, Joffre, the overall commander of the French forces, begged for help from Sir John French, the commander of the British forces in France, to send reinforcements to the French lines.

French refused; Joffre was throwing away the lives of thousands of his own men, he thought, for no clear gain. The attack seemed doomed to fail, even with the additional British support--Sir John French thought the Germans were trying to trap them. The British troops, already too few due to the losses in the failed “British Columbian” front, would be needed for a defense of the Home Islands from a U.S. attack. With no other option, the armies of France attacked the Germans at the Marne, and were destroyed.

Ferdinand Foch's Ninth Army stayed behind as a rearguard as the French retreated behind Paris; the last message received from him was a telegram; "The center has collapsed, the right wing is retreating; situation excellent; am going on attack." Shortly after, he was killed, and his army wiped out, nearly to the man.


The French, their armies in tatters, their capital lost, soon lost even more-- half their territory fell into German hands. Netherlands and Spain, fearful that the Germans would invade them too, white peaced out of the war, leaving Britain to stand alone. The German High Seas Fleet, the US Navy, and reinforcements from Brazil, Greece, Denmark, and Sweden realized they had to blockade Britain to force it to surrender. The US Navy and German High Seas Fleet fought the remainder of the Royal Navy in the English Channel. Food shortages and other resource shortages started to appear in Britain by September 1917, and they became much worse after the destruction of most of the Royal Navy by January 1918. Battles in the English Channel caused heavy losses among the Royal Navy, US Navy, and German High Seas Fleet alike, but by that point, the Royal Navy had the most difficulty restocking its numbers. It was a naval campaign of attrition.

The Home Isles were under threat, which caused the British Empire to relocate its colonial soldiers in defense of the homeland. This forced the British Empire to make peace with Japan, resulting in the loss of Burma and much of British Southeast Asia. The Japanese Army also took the French holdings in Southeast Asia now that France could barely fight back. As if the situation could not get worse for the British Empire, somehow, it did. Many of the colonial troops had dubious loyalty when taken away from home—especially the Indian ones, who rankled at their mistreatment. The African colonial brigades had similar problems; it really did not matter as much since most of those soldiers ended up intercepted at sea and having their ships sunk.



The British population had almost run out of supplies by 1918…

 

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Dread War: Conclusion

Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair

-Percy Bysshe Shelley, Ozymandias

The inevitable awaits. All empires and republics rise and fall. The British Empire, by October 1918, had almost fallen apart and was seriously talking about peace negotiations. There was a great fear by the British government that it would face the same fate as the Russian government and be overthrown. The only option left was to sue for peace. Already, workers’ strikes and other rebellions were starting, especially in Ireland, and some feared the rise of socialist or “Engelist” revolution. The reports of “Engelists” were exaggerated, but Britain was definitely facing one of its darkest hours.



Britain was in chaos by September 1918. A rebellion was brewing, aiming to overthrow the old system. Winston Churchill, previously a naval officer, saw that the British government was unsalvageable. He and several other naval officers claimed that the British Navy was going to be unable to resupply Britain if the war continued onwards. As a result, they attempted to overthrow the British government, then surrender to the Americans. Much of the British public was already tired of the “Dreadful War” now that they had no chance of winning. Marches and strikes began to occur; Churchill, his compatriots in the Navy, other malcontents in the Army, proto-labor unions, and people just generally tired of war turned out in the thousands. The British Home Guard was used in an attempt to stop these movements—but it failed, just like the army mutiny in Russia. In this case, though, the situation became even worse. It wasn’t just like Russia, where the Czar abdicated, or France, where the government system was sacked, but the Republic still remained. No, the entire edifice of government collapsed when much of the Army wanted no part of this hopeless conflict. The general who made the dumb decision to use the Home Guard to stop the attempted rebellion was General Haig, sent back to Britain after his failure in the “British Columbian front”; eager to prove himself, he made yet another critical mistake. Most of the people wanted peace, after seeing food shortages. The British government was “moving the deck chairs on the Kanzler” (an expression of doing nothing that matters; named after the German ship “Kanzler” sank while the Captain and helmsman did not do enough to get the crew and passengers to safety). Haig’s own troops turned on him; unconfirmed reports showed him being torn apart and his body parts being shown to the public.

(Note: OTL General Haig wasn’t this incompetent. This timeline Haig is extra incompetent due to him repeatedly going on the offensive in the “British Columbian front” even though the defensive was stronger than the offensive, causing massive casualties. He also did not think the British Army would turn on him when facing the rebellion)



Soon, the marchers and rebels marched up to the Houses of Parliament. After a brief standoff, the Parliamentarians were forced to surrender. The rebels were now in charge, and the first order of business was making peace with the US, Germany, et al. The day was October 30th, 1918 when the final peace treaty, the Treaty of New York, was signed.



The final peace terms were relatively harsh.

US: Independent Caribbean colonies, “British Columbia” ceases to exist and becomes a US protectorate until it can be divided into states. Independent Ireland.

Germany: War indemnity from Britain, in addition to the one France had to give to Germany. Forced downsizing of the British Army and Navy, with no British submarines.

Needless to say Britain was out of money; the peace, while welcome, caused many people to seek scapegoats for the lost war (usually the military, or the old politicians, or in some cases even the Irish, for some of them were sympathetic to the Americans). The only reason why Africa, India, and Australia were untouched in the peace treaty was because Britain needed some way to actually pay off the indemnity. The Empire was dying, if not already dead; the Ozymandias quote never seemed so relevant.

 

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Dreadful War: Requiem

“British Columbia” would cease to exist. It would be reincorporated as “Greater Carolina”, but most countries knew that it was a US protectorate, and barely independent. The US had much rebuilding to do after the “Dreadful War”. The first part was rebuilding the parts of Texas, Virginia, Kentucky, and other states on the border of “British Columbia” that were damaged by the trench warfare of the “Dreadful War”. This process was relatively quick, and done within a year. The US also had to reward its allies, and gave them more economic support, especially with Denmark, Sweden, and Brazil. A USA—German research agreement also arose out of the ashes of the “Dreadful War”. Next was the rebuilding of “Greater Carolina”, or sometimes called “Reconstruction”. Much of this “Reconstruction” was not just all the ruined industries or farms; society had to be changed completely. Some of the change was symbolic—the destruction of statues of British or “British Columbian” officials. A very important change was the confiscation of most large agribusinesses there, possible because they were owned by either the British or by “British Columbian” officials who had either fled or surrendered, and as a result, could be seized in the war. Making sure people had a living wage was important, especially because of the great injustices done to the poor of “British Columbia” in the past. This had to be rectified. One idea was the “40 Acres and a Tractor”, which, while overambitious, was a sign that the US would improve the lives of the downtrodden in its protectorate, while keeping the door open for its integration into the US proper. Guerilla warfare still continued in “Greater Carolina” for some time, which led to the hunting down and arrest of the perpetrators, as well as the banning of British and “British Columbian” iconography temporarily.



India was in flames after the “Dreadful War”. While the Japanese attack on Burma had been repulsed, it had damaged Burma in terms of infrastructure. The British authorities found themselves facing a resurgent Indian independence movement in the late 1910s and especially in the 1920s. While the “Dreadful War” peace treaty left India in British hands, the Americans, Germans, Brazilians, Swedes, and Danes knew that the British authorities would not be able to hold on to India for very long with the arms treaties mandating the reduced size of the Royal Army and Navy.

Churchill was a complicated figure in the United Kingdom. He signed the appalling Treaty of Washington, but he also ended the war and removed the corrupt previous government, who would have prolonged this pointless war. With the resources he had, there was no real way he could contest Indian independence; that time was coming quickly. He was placed in the “nadir of British history”, and would attempt to rebuild the country. Paying off the war indemnities was the first part—some of it was financed by African resources, and other parts from selling off British goods and weapons. At least Britain did not reach hyperinflation like Russia did, where the ruble collapsed and had to be replaced.

Many Indians, including the Indian army that was a British Expeditionary Force, saw little reason to fight for their colonial overlord. This became especially important after the “Dreadful War” went sideways, and as soon as it ended, many Indian soldiers joined the independence movement led by Bose. Bose wanted a strong India, and unlike some other important figures in India, was willing to fight for it with violence if necessary. He also feared that Japanese imperialism was becoming a big problem in Asia, trampling the very people it was supposed to protect. As a result, Bose wanted India to become a counterweight to Japanese influence. China was trying to be this, but it had little success alone. The Pan-China war was so devastating that Chinese soldiers were unwilling to fight another war unless China itself was invaded. As a result, the Japanese government often thought China was “more bark than bite”.



The Indian Army rebellion originally started at the end of the “Dreadful War”, but ballooned afterwards when the British armed forces became decrepit. Bose and other revolutionaries clamored for independence, citing the numerous injustices performed by the British in India, particularly the desolation of Indian culture. People listened, and they turned out in droves. One unpopular British policy was the salt tax; salt was necessary for its role in preserving food, but the only source was the British storehouses. Several marches occurred where the people involved marched to the sea and collected sea salt in defiance of the British law. The Punjab Massacre occurred in January 1918 when British soldiers massacred anti-war demonstrators in Punjab. These anti-war demonstrators arose due to the supposed futility of the “Dreadful War”—Indian support for the British Empire was high when the war started, but it fell off over time, as many Indian soldiers were dying in far-off locations, or were stuck in Burma holding off the Japanese, but with massive casualties. It was then that the Indians decided to fight back.

Some Indian independence promoters even conspired with the Germans to make Indian independence a reality. This will be continued later.

 

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Some Indian independence promoters even conspired with the Germans to make Indian independence a reality. This will be continued later.

Even before the Punjab Massacre, there was a conspiracy created by the German Foreign Office and underground Indian independence movements. The goal was to start a pan-Indian rebellion to get India out of the British sphere of influence. While the conspiracy started as early as 1915, it would not be until 1920 that India would gain its independence. The anti-colonial activities arose in India due to chronic mistreatment of Indians by British soldiers and authorities. In particular, there was a scheme called the Rowlatt Scheme which sent brigades of Indian soldiers to fight in the trench warfare fronts in “British Columbia” and in Western Europe, with very heavy casualties. Indian soldiers were also sent to defend Burma and Southeast Asia from Japanese attacks, but this did not generate as much fury as the slaughter in more distant fronts due to the proximity of the Southeast Asian front. Some attempted mutinies did occur in 1916, such as one in Bengal, but were crushed, resulting in a draconian political act called the 1916 Defense of India Act.

The 1916 Defense of India Act only made Indian nationalism more intense, as many Indians would refuse to support a colonizing power that was removing their free expression. Other problems with the 1916 Defense of India Act included the Germany was not the only country that wanted India out of the British sphere—the United States of America also wanted this, and its efforts stretched even before the “Dreadful War”. As early as 1908, various groups in America highlighted the suffering of Indians under British rule.


After the Punjab Massacre, many Indian soldiers realized that they could not fight for a power that had massacred their own people. The integrity of many Indian corps disintegrated as troops deserted or joined the Ghadar Party, one of the fiercest pro-Independence movements, and one of the most willing to fight back. Joining them were many workers who wanted to completely tear down the remnants of the “Nabob” system, which centralized much of India’s wealth into the hands of British or British-Indian corporations. These workers also armed themselves, and prepared for a final conflict when Britain was unable to crush them.

Not all independence supporters agreed with the fighting, though. Various figures like Mohandas Gandhi disapproved of the use of violence, but they ended up sidelined in the struggle for independence in India. The moment arrived soon after the “Dreadful War” ended, and the British Army and Navy were downsized. No longer could the Royal Army and Navy roll in and quell a rebellion. Attacks on British-held property became more common, as the garrison in India became overwhelmed.



The End of British India occurred when Churchill realized he could hardly do anything with the resources he had. Simply put, there was no other option than to simply let India go. This occurred in 1919, after the fall of British authorities and corporations in India by October 1919, and Indian Independence was recognized on November 19th, 1919. Bose was able to declare victory—the next step was how to govern India.

 

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The reconstruction of “Greater Columbia” was the main challenge for the United States of America in the 1920s. This region was almost completely devastated by war. One of the first economic rebuilding efforts occurred in 1919, with the construction of factories in “Greater Columbia”. The construction of factories there would help utilize the local resources which were unutilized in the past. The US wanted “Greater Columbia” to be less dependent on agriculture due to an agricultural depression in this period. This agricultural depression happened because the price of agricultural products collapsed after the “Dreadful War”. Europe needed more crops due to the war; after it ended, the demand dropped off due to the resuming of European agriculture. In addition, many farms in “British Columbia” prior to its destruction ended up torched as part of a “total war doctrine”. This economic reconstruction process would take large amounts of time and money.



It was not just the infrastructure that had to be repaired or replaced. The social culture had to be changed entirely. Banning British paraphernalia and taking down statues of British or “British Columbian” figures was only the surface level. Federal troops would remain there to prevent any guerilla uprisings; laws would be placed to protect voting rights, especially of the previously marginalized African Americans. This also benefited poor whites, who benefited from the removal of poll taxes. The sharecropping and tenant farming systems had to end due to the horrible living conditions they subjected many of their agricultural workers. This was considered “slavery by another name” by many Americans and their politicians, and rightfully was prohibited. This could be done because of the protectorate’s nature—high amounts of US control until the 1930s, upon which it could apply to join the US proper. Constitution building in “Greater Carolina” was based off the US model to further integrate “Greater Carolina”. With this emphasis on rebuilding, the US had difficulty going on any other foreign adventures. This caused



It might have seemed difficult to integrate “Greater Carolina” due to the large cultural differences. However, both sides were very tired of the “Dreadful War”, and this was the project that 1920s America was most fixated on. This process would eventually start to see the standard of living for many people in “Greater Carolina” rise above pre-“Dreadful War” levels by 1927 (although that was primarily among the bottom 30%). The culture of 1920s America was hopeful, after getting out of the millions of lives lost on both Allied and Entente countries, including more than a million dead in the USA. The almost nihilistic culture of the “Dreadful War” was starting to disappear as the smoke cleared. New forms of music and art appeared in the United States of America, aided by a public willing to celebrate the end of the “Dreadful War”. Jazz started to be popular for the first time, for example. New forms of medical science also appeared due to the outbreak of a virulent strain of influenza near the end of the “Dreadful War”.

 

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Quote Gallery

“We must fight against the empires of Spain, France, Britain, and Russia for a brighter tomorrow. They are obstacles standing in the way of progress. The light that is America will never be extinguished. Now we do our Founders proud!”



The fascinating story about America from its founding was its ability to not just survive, but thrive while keeping its ideals of the founders, that all men were created equal. The fact that America never stopped trying to treat all its citizens equally is something that must be respected.



The ‘Dreadful War’ seems to live up to its name as the darkest conflict humanity has ever faced. However, the US arose victorious from the ashes of the conflict, while keeping its moral integrity.”

Various quotes post-“Dreadful War”

And now I’ll need to do a special



The History of Independence Day in the US

Independence Day celebrates the birth of the US from the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776. This holiday is celebrated throughout the United States of America. Some of the first official celebrations began in the 1820s after the US was in a sounder economic footing than in previous decades. Various balls occurred, which were the first organized Independence Day celebrations. The Independence Day celebrations in 1836 were especially important because they also celebrated the end of slavery, and the beginning of the American quest for equal rights.

Firework celebrations are almost synonymous with Independence nowadays. Some of the first firework celebrations occurred in the 1840s in New York. As the United States of America expanded in size and prosperity, more people celebrated Independence Day. New technologies such as the telegraph, radio, and television brought reports of Independence Day celebrations or the celebrations themselves to more people. Particularly notable celebrations included the Celebrations in 1860 and especially the one in 1876 celebrating America’s centennial. By then, the US was starting to become a major power, and the celebrations became more grandiose with the increased wealth of America. Another reason these celebrations became more grandiose was due to rivalry with the British Empire. A one-upmanship competition arose in many aspects, from Naval warfare to economic rivalry to celebrations. The US wanted to show the world its grandeur, and celebrating its independence became one such way of doing so. While the “Dreadful War” put an end to celebrating Independence Day in a grand fashion, people were still proud of how far their country went, especially after victory in the “Dreadful War”.

 

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The USA was busy rebuilding itself and its protectorate, but it was also very tired of any foreign adventure. The “Dreadful War” also sapped the energy of Germany due to the massive casualties. As a result, most of the American influence in the 1920s was economic, scientific, and cultural. American foreign aid helped with the rebuilding of German, Belgian, and Dutch assets trashed in the “Dreadful War”. The issue with American foreign aid in this period was that it was not evenly distributed. Most of it went to countries it was allied to for rebuilding. As a result, resentment grew in the defeated Entente nations of Spain, France, Britain, and Russia.



The British Economy was completely trashed by the “Dreadful War” and the paying of reparations. The independence of India soon afterwards further jeopardized Britain, especially since one of the most important resource sources in India was lost. To add to this, the reports of the “Boer Calamity” had finally been released to the rest of the world. This “Boer Calamity” had occurred during the Boer War (1899-1902), but the British government had largely managed to keep it a secret until its collapse at the end of the “Dreadful War”. Now the secret was out—the horror of the concentration camps used to store Boers during the war and use them as forced labor. Even though this was entirely an indictment of the pre-“Dreadful War” British government, it spurred further hunts for justice. Nations around the world wanted the perpetrators of the atrocity brought to justice. The British government under Winston Churchill claimed that it would hunt down the suspects and bring them to trial if the reparation money reduced in time. The Americans and Germans did agree to remove ¼ of the reparation money that they wanted in exchange for the old British government figures in charge of the atrocity brought to justice. This did happen, and much of the British colonial authorities in charge of the South Africa colony who survived the “Dreadful War” ended up being tried for crimes against humanity; most were found guilty and received life sentences.

The hunt for the war criminals, sometimes called the “Great Hunt”, was only part of the search for greater meaning in the 1920s. This desire for justice, to punish the wrongdoers of the era, was part of a global outpouring of rage for the disasters of the “Dreadful War” and the atrocities before it. The art style also changed, especially when covering war. The old panoramas of enemies fleeing in terror were replaced by ruination—the glory had completely disappeared from war. The literal “art of war” had changed to reflect the devastation of modern battles. Other art styles started to form, especially the export of American art forms due to American global dominance. The music style of “Jazz” started to form in the 1920s, with heavy influence from African Americans. The location of Harlem, New York was instrumental for the early Jazz movement, with music players, composers, and theorists organizing and playing new pieces and styles. Books also dealt with the new search for meaning—or thought that life had no meaning. The nihilist movement started to appear during this time, especially from people horrified at the casualties of the “Dreadful War”.

 

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“It couldn’t get any worse”

Winston Churchill sat up in his residence at No. 11 (where the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom lived). He had plenty on his metaphorical plate, attempting to guide the shattered country out of the darkest hour of British history. Some called him illegitimate due to the coup of the pre-Dreadful War government; others called him weak for the unconditional surrender that ended the Dreadful War. In truth, there was little he could do. The old government would have stubbornly dragged the fight on until American and German soldiers had landed on the British shores and captured or killed the British armies there. It would also have wrecked the British economy even further due to the devastation of war arriving home.

He saw the various newspapers brought to him, as well as the news report his media team prepared for him to find out what was going on that day.

“It couldn’t get any worse”; he thought to himself. First, the reparations to Germany and a smaller reparation to the US, were hobbling the already wounded British economy. The British economy also had to adjust to the loss of the dominions. The Dominion of “British Columbia” and the Caribbean dominions were given independence in the Treaty of Washington that ended the “Dreadful War” and were now in the American sphere. The Dominion of India was lost after the Royal Navy was forced to downsize due to arms treaties; these changes further rattled the British economy due to the loss of their raw materials and products. Only the Australasian Dominion and the African colonies remained. The African colonies did get dominion status, but Churchill feared any restlessness there could become uncontrollable.

Something had to be done about the collapsing economy. Social spending seemed like the right answer. However, Britain ran out of money.

But get worse things did. Newspapers reported the collapse of the US stock market. This would send shockwaves across the world due to the close ties between the US and European economies. The US would want its reparation money as quickly as possible now. The social program done to provide welfare for Britons failed as the inflation rates rose and kept rising. Long lines at the banks started to occur in many countries, but especially in Britain, where reparations and the “Dreadful War” flayed the economy. The infamous “Pile of Money Worth Nothing” painting, made in 1928, would symbolize the increasing worthlessness of the British pound as more of it was printed due to the economic laws of inflation.

Churchill sank. He would be seen as a hero for ending the “Dreadful War”—at least among his base. But if he could not solve this depression, he would be cast out in ignominy…

Dark shadows started to rise in Britain, blaming the economic collapse on the Americans, and also on the failure of wealthy businesses in Britain. These shadows would eventually coalesce into the “Black Legion”, but as of 1927, they were not big threats… yet.

 

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This period from 1927 to about 1936 was called the Economic Calamity due to the complete collapse of the US economy, and the economies of many other countries around the world. Bank runs and panic attacks started to occur in the year 1927 with the stock market crash of "Black Week" from January 7 through 14 where the stock market plummeted. Effects of the Economic Calamity included collapses in industrial production, sharp spikes in homelessness, unemployment, and poverty, and gross domestic product declines. Black Week was a stock market crash caused by the expansion of the US stock market after the Dreadful War (most of the expansion occurred in the early 1920s. More to come.

Drastic changes had to be done for the United States to get anywhere near the prosperity of old. The one bright spot was that the last of the Knights of the Golden Circle were finally hunted to extinction or brought to trial—they would no longer trouble America with assassination sprees or hate crimes. Racial relations in America were primarily due to financial purposes—white, black, Asian-American, etc. were all suffering from the same financial problems of the depression. Everyone wanted a way out (even though some racial violence did occur, it was not at very high levels). The US economic sector needed radical changes, and quickly.


Agricultural reforms also needed to happen, with a massive disaster like the Soot Wall happening around that time. The Soot Wall occurred when massive clouds of wind-blown soil formed walls of doom which blanketed the Great Plains and charged into cities, causing “dust pneumonia”. This phenomenon also wrecked the farmlands of the Great Plains. The Soot Wall was partially due to an existing drought in the 1920s getting out of control, but it was also exacerbated due to the exhaustion of soil nutrients in the Great Plains. Intensive agriculture due to the extra demands of food for the expanded US Army in the “Dreadful War” would lead to the soil erosion in the Great Plains. Musicians of the time would often remark at the “dust blowing in the wind”, and how the old Great Plains seemed to have “blown away with the wind”.


Europe was also badly affected by the Economic Calamity. The German economy and many countries neutral in the “Dreadful War” crashed due to their trade connections with the US economy and the end of the post--“Dreadful War” economic euphoria. The countries on the wrong end of the “Dreadful War”—especially Britain, France, and Russia, who bore the brunt of it (Spain and Netherlands had less punishing peace terms), were even worse off. Germany, once its economy started tanking, decided to demand the reparation money immediately. This eventually spiraled out of control and led to a military crisis, especially in Russia, where some of Russia’s westernmost areas ended up being occupied by German forces until Russia paid off its reparation money. This obviously caused revanchism to increase in Russia.


The poverty rate skyrocketed as many people in America and around the world started losing hope. First the horrors of the “Dreadful War”, now this. This would be a time for new leaders to start making waves around the world; the economic recovery would have to begin quickly for the countries to survive. One thing in common with many of these recoveries was a realization that the old system was barely functional and much had to be changed.