Maybe Mussolini is one of the leaders fighting back against the Red Tide from the east. Though I'm now getting images of Soviets and Soviet-supported revolutionaries as radical as the Chinese Red Guards of the cultural revolution. I was going to suggest the Soviets launching a pogrom on a massive scale but I don't know if it works with the Jewish Trotsky being in charge.
Man of the Hour, A Franklin Pierce Story
- Thread starter CELTICEMPIRE
- Start date
Maybe Mussolini is one of the leaders fighting back against the Red Tide from the east. Though I'm now getting images of Soviets and Soviet-supported revolutionaries as radical as the Chinese Red Guards of the cultural revolution. I was going to suggest the Soviets launching a pogrom on a massive scale but I don't know if it works with the Jewish Trotsky being in charge.
I love all those TL ideas, @CELTICEMPIRE, especially FDR being assassinated and Kai-Shek winning the Chinese Civil War.
Uh, you do realize that those are two different TL ideas, right @HonestAbe1809? Celtic was listing different TLs, not parts of a singular one.
Uh, you do realize that those are two different TL ideas, right @HonestAbe1809? Celtic was listing different TLs, not parts of a singular one.
Oops. I just misunderstood it and thought that these ideas must apply to this timeline.
That's correct, they'd still retain many Christian ideas.
Taft was supportive of Wilson's policies OTL
@President Eternal is correct that these are two separate TLs.
Unlikely
Fascism exists in this TL, and Mussolini has already taken power in Italy. Hitler never takes power in Germany, however.
This looks like it could be ONE timeline. (besides the two Roosevelt ones, but still)
If not, I would like to see the first one. Taft wins, but instread of a War in Europe, he heads to an intervention in Mexico which either delays/stops a US in WW1
It's definitely supposed to be different timelines, and I hope to write most if not all of them over the next decade.
Chapter XLI, 1884
No one really knew who the Democratic nominee was going to be in 1884. Samuel Tilden, 1880 vice presidential nominee, was spoken of as a possible nominee. Another potential nominee was Senate leader Thomas Hendricks of Indiana. Secretary of the Treasury Thomas F. Bayard of Delaware was a candidate for the nomination, but it was uncertain if he could win enough Northern delegate to become the nominee. Senator Allen G. Thurman of Ohio ran. He claimed that his anti-monopoly stance could win back many Farmer-Labor voters. There were two dark horse candidates as well. One was Louisiana’s former General P. G. T. Beauregard, famous for his exploits in Japan. He was also a Southerner who refused to use his talents for the CAR. And finally, there was Benjamin Pierce, son of former President Franklin Pierce and a Senator from New Hampshire. He had fought in the Eastern Theater of the Secession War. On the first ballot at the convention in St. Louis, there was no winner, not even a clear front-runner.
After a few more ballots, it was a competition between Tilden, Bayard, and Pierce. Then Pierce began to gain at the expense of Tilden, and around the same time Beauregard threw his support to Pierce as well. Pierce made a deal with Thurman to give him a cabinet position and with Thurman’s supporters to pursue some anti-monopolist policies. On the eleventh ballot Benjamin Pierce was nominated for president. Thomas F. Bayard was nominated for vice president. The party platform pleased conservatives in the party, as did Bayard’s selection as Pierce’s running mate. Pierce did not limit himself to what was written on the platform. He would advocate the passage of some anti-trust laws, for instance. He would also advocate renewed American expansionism. The Farmer-Labor Party nominated Benjamin Butler for president and James B. Weaver for Vice President, the exact same ticket they had run in 1884. Butler expected to do better than in 1880, but still had no expectations for victory. He hoped to sweep the West along with Massachusetts and Maine, and once again deadlock the electoral college. The Prohibition Party would run former Kansas Governor John St. John of Kansas for President and Minister John Russell of Michigan for Vice President President. While temperance was popular among many, the party would receive only a small fraction of the vote.
(Thomas F. Bayard)
Cassius Clay claimed that the establishment of the gold standard would lead to prosperity, a sentiment echoed by Pierce but disputed by Butler. Pierce argued that America needed to expand its territory, and that expansion would come in the Caribbean and Pacific. Clay warned that Pierce’s foreign policy positions would lead to war with Spain, something that Democrats claimed was unlikely to occur. Meanwhile, Butler rallied his base along the usual issues. His supporters were many, but nowhere near a majority. In parts of the South, disenfranchisement of blacks along with the enfranchisement of former Confederate soldiers meant that the Whig Party was going to be at a disadvantage. Clay’s appeal as a supporter of the Gold Standard was neutralized by Pierce’s support for the Gold Standard. Pierce also had the advantage of being the son of a popular deceased president. In the end, Pierce would claim victory. He won a landslide in the electoral college, while he just barely beat Clay in the popular vote. This time, Butler would not get to play kingmaker.
Benjamin Pierce (D-NH)/Thomas F. Bayard (D-DE): 4,160,605 Votes (43.60%), 244 Electoral Votes
Cassius Marcellus Clay (W-KY)/James G. Blaine (W-ME): 4,118,999 Votes (43.16%), 136 Electoral Votes
Benjamin Butler (FL-MA)/James B. Weaver (FL-IA): 1,118,465 Votes (11.72%), 25 Electoral Votes
John St. John (P-KS)/John Russell (P-MI): 141,103 Votes (1.48%), 0 Electoral Votes
Others [1]: 4,019 Votes (0.04%), 0 Electoral Votes
1: Socialists in the North and over 500 Jefferson Davis write-ins in Mississippi
After a few more ballots, it was a competition between Tilden, Bayard, and Pierce. Then Pierce began to gain at the expense of Tilden, and around the same time Beauregard threw his support to Pierce as well. Pierce made a deal with Thurman to give him a cabinet position and with Thurman’s supporters to pursue some anti-monopolist policies. On the eleventh ballot Benjamin Pierce was nominated for president. Thomas F. Bayard was nominated for vice president. The party platform pleased conservatives in the party, as did Bayard’s selection as Pierce’s running mate. Pierce did not limit himself to what was written on the platform. He would advocate the passage of some anti-trust laws, for instance. He would also advocate renewed American expansionism. The Farmer-Labor Party nominated Benjamin Butler for president and James B. Weaver for Vice President, the exact same ticket they had run in 1884. Butler expected to do better than in 1880, but still had no expectations for victory. He hoped to sweep the West along with Massachusetts and Maine, and once again deadlock the electoral college. The Prohibition Party would run former Kansas Governor John St. John of Kansas for President and Minister John Russell of Michigan for Vice President President. While temperance was popular among many, the party would receive only a small fraction of the vote.
(Thomas F. Bayard)
Cassius Clay claimed that the establishment of the gold standard would lead to prosperity, a sentiment echoed by Pierce but disputed by Butler. Pierce argued that America needed to expand its territory, and that expansion would come in the Caribbean and Pacific. Clay warned that Pierce’s foreign policy positions would lead to war with Spain, something that Democrats claimed was unlikely to occur. Meanwhile, Butler rallied his base along the usual issues. His supporters were many, but nowhere near a majority. In parts of the South, disenfranchisement of blacks along with the enfranchisement of former Confederate soldiers meant that the Whig Party was going to be at a disadvantage. Clay’s appeal as a supporter of the Gold Standard was neutralized by Pierce’s support for the Gold Standard. Pierce also had the advantage of being the son of a popular deceased president. In the end, Pierce would claim victory. He won a landslide in the electoral college, while he just barely beat Clay in the popular vote. This time, Butler would not get to play kingmaker.
Benjamin Pierce (D-NH)/Thomas F. Bayard (D-DE): 4,160,605 Votes (43.60%), 244 Electoral Votes
Cassius Marcellus Clay (W-KY)/James G. Blaine (W-ME): 4,118,999 Votes (43.16%), 136 Electoral Votes
Benjamin Butler (FL-MA)/James B. Weaver (FL-IA): 1,118,465 Votes (11.72%), 25 Electoral Votes
John St. John (P-KS)/John Russell (P-MI): 141,103 Votes (1.48%), 0 Electoral Votes
Others [1]: 4,019 Votes (0.04%), 0 Electoral Votes
1: Socialists in the North and over 500 Jefferson Davis write-ins in Mississippi
Election 1884 Statistics
This election saw a general swing towards the Democrats. The Farmer-Labor Party increased it's support in the North while remaining stagnant in the South.
By Region:
North [1]:
Pierce: 2,847,412 Votes (42.31%)
Clay: 2,809,131 Votes (41.74%)
Butler: 941,295 Votes (13.99%)
John St. John: 128,560 (1.91%)
Others: 3,431 Votes (0.05%)
South [2]:
Pierce: 1,313,193 Votes (46.68%)
Clay: 1,309,868 Votes (46.59%)
Butler: 177,170 Votes (6.30%)
John St. John: 12,543 Votes (0.45%)
Others: 588 Votes (0.02%)
By State:
Closest States:
Best States:
Worst States:
1: North of the Mason-Dixon line.
2: South of the Mason Dixon line/South of the Missouri Compromise Line, includes New Mexico.
By Region:
North [1]:
Pierce: 2,847,412 Votes (42.31%)
Clay: 2,809,131 Votes (41.74%)
Butler: 941,295 Votes (13.99%)
John St. John: 128,560 (1.91%)
Others: 3,431 Votes (0.05%)
South [2]:
Pierce: 1,313,193 Votes (46.68%)
Clay: 1,309,868 Votes (46.59%)
Butler: 177,170 Votes (6.30%)
John St. John: 12,543 Votes (0.45%)
Others: 588 Votes (0.02%)
By State:
Closest States:
Washington: 0.2%
Tennessee: 0.2%
Kansas: 0.6%
Ohio: 0.7%
North Carolina: 0.8%
Tennessee: 0.2%
Kansas: 0.6%
Ohio: 0.7%
North Carolina: 0.8%
Best States:
Best Pierce States:
Arkansas: 54.2%
Delaware: 54.1%
Virginia: 50.7%
Maryland: 50.5%
Georgia: 49.7%
Best Clay States:
South Carolina: 62.5%
Vermont: 62.1%
Mississippi: 54.5%
Alabama: 48.7%
North Carolina: 48.0%
Best Butler States:
Massachusetts: 40.3%
Nebraska: 36.5%
Jefferson: 35.0%
Washington: 34.4%
Kansas: 33.8%
Arkansas: 54.2%
Delaware: 54.1%
Virginia: 50.7%
Maryland: 50.5%
Georgia: 49.7%
Best Clay States:
South Carolina: 62.5%
Vermont: 62.1%
Mississippi: 54.5%
Alabama: 48.7%
North Carolina: 48.0%
Best Butler States:
Massachusetts: 40.3%
Nebraska: 36.5%
Jefferson: 35.0%
Washington: 34.4%
Kansas: 33.8%
Worst States:
Worst Pierce States:
Massachusetts: 21.6%
Vermont: 26.1%
Nebraska: 29.8%
Jefferson: 32.5%
Oregon: 34.0%
Worst Clay States:
Kansas: 30.0
Washington: 30.9%
Jefferson: 31.5%
Nebraska: 31.5%
Utah: 32.5%
Worst Butler States:
Delaware: 2.0%
Virginia: 2.3%
Florida: 2.5%
Maryland: 2.6%
Georgia: 2.7%
Massachusetts: 21.6%
Vermont: 26.1%
Nebraska: 29.8%
Jefferson: 32.5%
Oregon: 34.0%
Worst Clay States:
Kansas: 30.0
Washington: 30.9%
Jefferson: 31.5%
Nebraska: 31.5%
Utah: 32.5%
Worst Butler States:
Delaware: 2.0%
Virginia: 2.3%
Florida: 2.5%
Maryland: 2.6%
Georgia: 2.7%
1: North of the Mason-Dixon line.
2: South of the Mason Dixon line/South of the Missouri Compromise Line, includes New Mexico.
Chapter XLII, Nicaraguan Development
In 1878 William Walker surprised Nicaragua and the world by declining to run for reelection. His Vice President, Nazario Escoto, would win the election with minimal opposition. By stepping down, Walker wanted to show the world that he was not going to remain in power indefinitely. Very little changed as power was transferred. Early on in Escoto’s presidency, Mormons came to the country in the thousands. At first, the gender ratio of the Mormon immigrants skewed heavily towards women. That was because the majority of the immigrants were from polygamist families. Neither the Anglo-Saxon nor the Hispanic population were too keen on this practice. There was a misconception among the less educated in the country that Mormons were another branch of Protestantism. Protestants were quick to point out that this was incorrect. Polygamous families were encouraged to settle in the interior, away from the major population centers. Many of these communities founded during this time persist to the present, often isolated from the rest of Nicaraguan society.
In 1880 America was under Democrat control once again. Walker hoped that this would lead to annexation. He made a tour of the United States, arguing that Nicaragua had become sufficiently American and that it should be admitted as a state. While he was unsuccessful, interest in annexation of Nicaragua rose to levels not seen since before the Secession War. When Walker returned, he and his allies pressured Escoto to not run for reelection. Walker would win the election of 1882 and Escoto would be Vice President once again. Nicaragua opened new lead and Zinc mines, and the industrialization of the country began. Industrialization led to urbanization. Rural people moved to the cities, and most of them could not speak English. These were the types of people who were not the biggest supporters of the Walker administration. Marxism was introduced to the country around this time, heightening fears of a revolution. Walker was no fan of Marx and his theories, but he saw the advantages of increased class conflict. Every time the workers struck upper- and middle-class Nicaraguans became more favorable to American annexation.
While there was potential for a revolution in Nicaragua, Costa Rica was already in turmoil. Walker had to put his plans for unifying the two countries on the backburner. There was too much violence going on in Costa Rica for it to be fully integrated. While Nicaraguan statehood seemed unlikely, Costa Rican statehood was a non-starter. Generals Charles Frederick Henningsen, Birkett D. Fry, and Francisco Castellón were able to keep the cities mostly under control, but the countryside was in in revolt. There was pressure on Walker, especially from the native-born Nicaraguan members of his government, to leave Costa Rica. Walker refused. He saw the conquest of Costa Rica as an important part of his legacy. In 1884, Walker received news that made him exceedingly happy. The election of Benjamin Pierce as US President was met with joy from the pro-annexation faction in Nicaragua. Franklin Pierce’s administration had been the friendliest to Walker. The fourteenth president had told Walker that Nicaragua might eventually become a state. Pierce’s son in the executive mansion offered the greatest opportunity for Nicaraguan statehood that Walker might ever get.
(Charles Frederick Henningsen)
In 1880 America was under Democrat control once again. Walker hoped that this would lead to annexation. He made a tour of the United States, arguing that Nicaragua had become sufficiently American and that it should be admitted as a state. While he was unsuccessful, interest in annexation of Nicaragua rose to levels not seen since before the Secession War. When Walker returned, he and his allies pressured Escoto to not run for reelection. Walker would win the election of 1882 and Escoto would be Vice President once again. Nicaragua opened new lead and Zinc mines, and the industrialization of the country began. Industrialization led to urbanization. Rural people moved to the cities, and most of them could not speak English. These were the types of people who were not the biggest supporters of the Walker administration. Marxism was introduced to the country around this time, heightening fears of a revolution. Walker was no fan of Marx and his theories, but he saw the advantages of increased class conflict. Every time the workers struck upper- and middle-class Nicaraguans became more favorable to American annexation.
While there was potential for a revolution in Nicaragua, Costa Rica was already in turmoil. Walker had to put his plans for unifying the two countries on the backburner. There was too much violence going on in Costa Rica for it to be fully integrated. While Nicaraguan statehood seemed unlikely, Costa Rican statehood was a non-starter. Generals Charles Frederick Henningsen, Birkett D. Fry, and Francisco Castellón were able to keep the cities mostly under control, but the countryside was in in revolt. There was pressure on Walker, especially from the native-born Nicaraguan members of his government, to leave Costa Rica. Walker refused. He saw the conquest of Costa Rica as an important part of his legacy. In 1884, Walker received news that made him exceedingly happy. The election of Benjamin Pierce as US President was met with joy from the pro-annexation faction in Nicaragua. Franklin Pierce’s administration had been the friendliest to Walker. The fourteenth president had told Walker that Nicaragua might eventually become a state. Pierce’s son in the executive mansion offered the greatest opportunity for Nicaraguan statehood that Walker might ever get.
(Charles Frederick Henningsen)
Completely forgot to comment on this. Sorry about that.
Anyway, liking the update on Nicaragua, and I'm very curious to see if Walker achieves his dream of statehood.
Anyway, liking the update on Nicaragua, and I'm very curious to see if Walker achieves his dream of statehood.
Chapter XLIII, Pierce the Younger
Benjamin Pierce, son of Franklin Pierce, was inaugurated in 1885. Pierce decided to keep many of the cabinet members that the late Winfield Scott Hancock had appointed. There were some exceptions though. Secretary of State Samuel Tilden was getting old and would die soon, he was replaced with Senator William Freeman Villas of Wisconsin. As Hancock’s Secretary of the Treasury was now Vice President, that position was given to Representative John G. Carlisle of Kentucky. Senator Daniel Voorhees of Indiana became Attorney General. George Washington Glick of Kansas remained as Secretary of War. George Pendleton of Ohio remained as Postmaster General. Secretary of the Navy Arthur Sewall and Secretary of the Interior Richard Bland had to go. They were put on the cabinet due to the 1880 cooperation between Democrats and Farmer-Laborites. Now that the alliance between the two parties had been broken, there was no longer any need for them. The new Secretary of the Navy would be Edward Woodruff Seymour of Connecticut, great-nephew of Horatio Seymour. The New Secretary of the Interior was Richard Coke of Texas.
The apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree, as the old saying goes. Benjamin Pierce was much like his father. He was a committed expansionist, much more so than his predecessors. After the Douglas administration’s purchase of Alaska, the only American expansion had been in the Pacific. But Pierce turned his gaze towards Latin America. Two opportunities caught his eye. One was Nicaragua, still ruled by the man who owed his continued reign to Pierce the elder. The other was the Spanish empire, particularly Cuba. The people in Cuba were being oppressed by an Imperial power, eliciting sympathy from many Americans. And the island still had legal slavery, though it was being gradually phased out. Pierce wanted America to acquire Cuba and possibly Puerto Rico as well. Early on in his presidency, he said that this should be done “Through peaceful means.” But the US government’s offers to purchase the island were turned down by the Spanish government. Pierce had some success in foreign policy, however. In the Summer of 1885 America and France negotiated an alliance.
America was mostly at peace, with some exceptions. The Navajo continued their raids in the Southwest. As Americans moved into the vast Dakota Territory, conflict with the Indian tribes there was inevitable. In the South, there was still some racial violence. Former confederate soldiers rioted over being denied the right to vote in Louisiana. What followed was the New Orleans Compromise of 1885, proposed by Louisiana native P. G. T. Beauregard and former general and politician Benjamin Butler. The right of former confederates to vote should be restored immediately, and in return, the voting rights of blacks should not be infringed upon. Louisiana passed legislation to enshrine this compromise into law with tripartisan support, and Mississippi followed. President Benjamin Pierce hailed the compromise as a great achievement. Many believed that the compromise would lead to Democrats taking back the entire South and reneging on their promise to uphold the rights of freed slaves. After some debate, South Carolina restored voting rights to former Confederates in 1886. Alabama was the final holdout. The local Whigs were convinced that restoring voting rights would be tantamount to surrendering the state to the Democrats forever.
In 1886, Cubans revolted against Spain, and Spain responded with brutal force. American media brought Spanish atrocities to the public’s attention. President Pierce spoke before Congress in August, arguing for a declaration of war against Spain. This sparked fierce debate. Whig Senator George Hoar of Massachusetts strongly opposed any war, arguing that America was a republic, not an empire. The Farmer-Laborites mostly opposed war as well and there were talks of a potential alliance between the Farmer-Labor and Whig parties. And the Democratic Party wasn’t entirely on board with war either. But Pierce received help from an unlikely source. Former President John Fremont, who had mostly retired from politics, announced his support for the war. This convinced enough Whigs to allow the declaration of war on Spain to pass. US and Spanish fleets soon clashed on the Florida Coast. The Spanish Navy was proving to be a harder adversary to beat than the Americans had suspected. In the Pacific, Philippine rebels were emboldened by the news. At the same time, over in Europe France began to mobilize troops.
(Spanish soldiers in Cuba)
The apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree, as the old saying goes. Benjamin Pierce was much like his father. He was a committed expansionist, much more so than his predecessors. After the Douglas administration’s purchase of Alaska, the only American expansion had been in the Pacific. But Pierce turned his gaze towards Latin America. Two opportunities caught his eye. One was Nicaragua, still ruled by the man who owed his continued reign to Pierce the elder. The other was the Spanish empire, particularly Cuba. The people in Cuba were being oppressed by an Imperial power, eliciting sympathy from many Americans. And the island still had legal slavery, though it was being gradually phased out. Pierce wanted America to acquire Cuba and possibly Puerto Rico as well. Early on in his presidency, he said that this should be done “Through peaceful means.” But the US government’s offers to purchase the island were turned down by the Spanish government. Pierce had some success in foreign policy, however. In the Summer of 1885 America and France negotiated an alliance.
America was mostly at peace, with some exceptions. The Navajo continued their raids in the Southwest. As Americans moved into the vast Dakota Territory, conflict with the Indian tribes there was inevitable. In the South, there was still some racial violence. Former confederate soldiers rioted over being denied the right to vote in Louisiana. What followed was the New Orleans Compromise of 1885, proposed by Louisiana native P. G. T. Beauregard and former general and politician Benjamin Butler. The right of former confederates to vote should be restored immediately, and in return, the voting rights of blacks should not be infringed upon. Louisiana passed legislation to enshrine this compromise into law with tripartisan support, and Mississippi followed. President Benjamin Pierce hailed the compromise as a great achievement. Many believed that the compromise would lead to Democrats taking back the entire South and reneging on their promise to uphold the rights of freed slaves. After some debate, South Carolina restored voting rights to former Confederates in 1886. Alabama was the final holdout. The local Whigs were convinced that restoring voting rights would be tantamount to surrendering the state to the Democrats forever.
In 1886, Cubans revolted against Spain, and Spain responded with brutal force. American media brought Spanish atrocities to the public’s attention. President Pierce spoke before Congress in August, arguing for a declaration of war against Spain. This sparked fierce debate. Whig Senator George Hoar of Massachusetts strongly opposed any war, arguing that America was a republic, not an empire. The Farmer-Laborites mostly opposed war as well and there were talks of a potential alliance between the Farmer-Labor and Whig parties. And the Democratic Party wasn’t entirely on board with war either. But Pierce received help from an unlikely source. Former President John Fremont, who had mostly retired from politics, announced his support for the war. This convinced enough Whigs to allow the declaration of war on Spain to pass. US and Spanish fleets soon clashed on the Florida Coast. The Spanish Navy was proving to be a harder adversary to beat than the Americans had suspected. In the Pacific, Philippine rebels were emboldened by the news. At the same time, over in Europe France began to mobilize troops.
(Spanish soldiers in Cuba)
Earlier Spanish-American War, with added French involvement? Very interesting; I look forward to seeing how this plays out.
Chapter XLIV, War with Spain
On August 21, America was at war. The first phase of the war was dominated by naval combat. US and Spanish fleets fought off the coasts of Florida and Cuba. In the West, the US Navy engaged their Spanish counterpart off of Pacific Islands and the Philippines. Meanwhile, France had mobilized its troops, but had not declared war yet. Spain was hoping that the threat of German or Italian involvement on the side of Spain would cause France to rethink. Spain was losing on the seas against just one enemy. Then, on October 1, France declared war. French soldiers in Africa invaded Spanish Guinea. The French Navy aided the Americans in the Pacific as well. On October 9, the first US troops landed in Cuba. On the 11th Santiago de Cuba fell to a combined Naval bombardment and infantry assault. On the same day, Guantanamo Bay fell as well. The Navy was commanded by George Dewey while Thomas J. Jackson led American forces on the ground. American soldiers were soon joined by Cuban rebels. Before long Eastern Cuba was out of Spain’s control.
(American soldiers)
Spain was not faring any better against France. Spanish Guinea did not last long. French troops from Indochina began to land on some of the Philippine Islands. The Italian government favored Spain, as Spanish King Amadeo I was the brother of Italian King Umberto I. On October 1, Italy declared war on France, believing that Germany was about to join the war as well. Spanish diplomats begged the elderly Kaiser Wilhelm I to intervene. There was a sizable portion of the German military that supported going to war with France. But neither the Kaiser nor Chancellor Otto von Bismarck were particularly eager to go to war. For one, they didn’t think Germany would gain much by fighting a second war with France. There was also concern over possible Russian, Austrian, or British intervention. Germany would remain neutral in the conflict. Italy had chosen poorly. Regardless, Italian troops would invade Corsica. After about a week they were forced off the island by the French. The United States never declared war on Italy, and Italy never declared war on the United States.
In Cuba, US soldiers and Cuban rebels freed slaves as they liberated towns. This made for great press back in the states. Nicaragua declared war on Spain, but Nicaraguan troops never saw combat. On November 2, Havana fell. Spanish control of Cuba was effectively over. Around the same time, US troops landed in Luzon. For two weeks, Americans and Philippine rebels laid siege to Manilla. On the 17th, the city fell. The French had already captured Puerto Princesa earlier in the month. Spain sued for peace and a ceasefire was signed on November 22. In 1887, American, Spanish, French, and Italian diplomats met in Vienna to discuss peace terms. Cuba and Puerto Rico were handed over to the United States, as well as most of the Philippines. France would be given Spanish Guinea and Palawan Island in the Philippines. The Cuban rebels were happy to be free from Spain, but they were cautious. It was unclear if America was going to give them independence or if Cuba would become another American state or territory.
(American soldiers)
Spain was not faring any better against France. Spanish Guinea did not last long. French troops from Indochina began to land on some of the Philippine Islands. The Italian government favored Spain, as Spanish King Amadeo I was the brother of Italian King Umberto I. On October 1, Italy declared war on France, believing that Germany was about to join the war as well. Spanish diplomats begged the elderly Kaiser Wilhelm I to intervene. There was a sizable portion of the German military that supported going to war with France. But neither the Kaiser nor Chancellor Otto von Bismarck were particularly eager to go to war. For one, they didn’t think Germany would gain much by fighting a second war with France. There was also concern over possible Russian, Austrian, or British intervention. Germany would remain neutral in the conflict. Italy had chosen poorly. Regardless, Italian troops would invade Corsica. After about a week they were forced off the island by the French. The United States never declared war on Italy, and Italy never declared war on the United States.
In Cuba, US soldiers and Cuban rebels freed slaves as they liberated towns. This made for great press back in the states. Nicaragua declared war on Spain, but Nicaraguan troops never saw combat. On November 2, Havana fell. Spanish control of Cuba was effectively over. Around the same time, US troops landed in Luzon. For two weeks, Americans and Philippine rebels laid siege to Manilla. On the 17th, the city fell. The French had already captured Puerto Princesa earlier in the month. Spain sued for peace and a ceasefire was signed on November 22. In 1887, American, Spanish, French, and Italian diplomats met in Vienna to discuss peace terms. Cuba and Puerto Rico were handed over to the United States, as well as most of the Philippines. France would be given Spanish Guinea and Palawan Island in the Philippines. The Cuban rebels were happy to be free from Spain, but they were cautious. It was unclear if America was going to give them independence or if Cuba would become another American state or territory.
It's been one year since I started this TL. I plan on finishing the main story by the end of the year.
It's been quite the ride, too. I've thoroughly enjoyed it thus far!
Thank you very much! And I'll continue to add to this story even after the official end, just like with mt Bryan TL.