Pay the Bonus
- Thread starter Napoleon53
- Start date
Thanks you very much for the kind words! It means very much to me and is why I write!
Now, here is the official seal of the Liberty League:
Now, here is the official seal of the Liberty League:
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Jack Brisco
Banned
Mighty good! Not only that, it makes me think. I always enjoy things that make me think.
I put a lot of thought into that flag alone. The style resembles that of Prussia, the bolt is very BUF while reversed like the actual crack in the Bell. The phrase is lifted from the actual Liberty League and I drew inspiration from "Come and Take It." The bell also kinda resembles a stahlhelm from the back, and the chunky styling is reminiscent of Der Stahlhelm paramilitary. Ooh, and the clanger in the ball is leaning right.
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This chapter deals exclusively with international affairs directly following the Fourth of July Coup, and the next chapter will cover the internal affairs with microscopic detail.
"AND WE'LL MAKE MEXICO PAY FOR THE BONUS"
OR, HOW AMERICA LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE LIBERTY LEAGUE
US Troops on parade before leaving to collect payment of American war debts
The ruling Liberty League had to act fast. When Pershing took the White House and arrested FDR for espionage and collusion with a foreign government, VP John Nance Garner, marshal of the National Guards of Virginia and Maryland, was immediately installed as President, which helped to make the League's rule look more legitimate. However, Garner was merely a figurehead, and Pershing held the real power as the "Secretary of General Affairs." Due to his sincere loyalty and service to the League, Patton was promoted to General and placed in charge of the security of Washington, DC.
Now, the new government was on the move. It had to placate the people immediately. It outlawed the Democratic and Republican Parties, but didn't discourage new ones for now. In that moment in time, there was only the League. The Constitution was suspended under a state of emergency by an executive order signed by Garner and Pershing, and Congress and the Supreme Court disbanded. Acting with no constraints, Pershing immediately announced Prohibition had been ended. This was a wise move, and it won the loyalty and support of a vast, vast percentage of America. Now they had to begin some sort of fix for the economy. Many plans were bandied about, but by early August, the President, Pershing, and the Cabinet had arrived at a conclusion.
For over 40 years, Starting with the Spanish-American War, America had been embroiled in a series of conflicts to the south of the border. Known collectively and informally as the "Banana Wars," it had seen an extensive loss of men and treasure, with little to be gained. For most of the conflicts, America had crowned itself a liberator or savior in Mexico, Cuba, Nicaragua, Honduras, Haiti, Dominican Republic, all in the Caribbean, and the Philippines in Asia. From fighting the Sandinista, to quelling Pancho Villa, putting down the Negro Rebellion in Cuba, to supporting Panama's declaration of Independence from Colombia, America had invested much. Now, Pershing, a veteran of many of those same conflicts, said it was time to be rewarded for their efforts. The Pershing Plan was simple: March into the countries America had aided or assisted and collect tribute. This would then be used to pay veterans their bonuses and to put capital and spending money into the economy.
Above all was Mexico. The unstable nation had a deep-seated rivalry with the US, and above all was the Zimmerman Telegram, in which Germany had conspired with Mexico to attack the US and reclaim Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and California. To quote Pershing's speeches, "Mexico stabbed us in the back and cannot be trusted!" Mexico had gold. Mexico had oil. Mexico had farms. Mexico had things which the struggling US needed badly. And so it was that in mid-August, 1933, Pershing called all able bodied men to join the military. He whipped into a shape in weeks that hadn't been seen since 1919. Millions of men, ready to go at any time.
General Patton was then instructed to take troops, cavalry, and tanks to Corpus Christi, Texas, and they were placed on high alert. On August 20th, the US ambassador to Mexico acting on behalf of the American government demanded Mexico's government under Abelardo L. Rodríguez pay the USA the sum 700 million dollars in installments over the next five years. If the money was not paid, the US armed forces would march south and confiscate appropriate resources and put in place a trade embargo to squeeze it out of them. Mexico, very unstable since the resignation of President Pascual Ortiz the year before and still recovering from losing a fifteenth of its population in a decades long civil war, was thrown into a panic.
Many cried for war, but the President knew his country would simply be annihilated by the vastly superior US forces. He had good reason to fear Patton, as the man had practically invented mobile vehicular warfare during the Pancho Villa Expedition, and had strapped the corpses of Mexican fighters to the front of his truck. On August 28, 1933, General Patton and his entourage of some 500 troops crossed the border under truce flags and arrived in Mexico City on September 8th. There, Patton and Rodríguez signed the 1933 Expeditionary Force Reimbursement Accord, and Mexico pledged to deliver the sum of 600 million dollars, plus 20 percent of the money gained from oil sales. Also the US was given exclusive trade rights with Mexico until the year 1999. Rodríguez was utterly humiliated, and his regime was very unstable. However, in exchange for his cooperation, the US was to open Camp Coolidge, five miles from Mexico City, as a permanent base for 400 US troops who were sworn to uphold Rodríguez as the rightful President of Mexico. This also approved the leasing of several tanks to the Mexican government, plus military trainers. They were almost immediately needed, as riots broke out across the capital city. With the use of tear gas and small arms, the attempted revolt was almost immediately crushed. This firmly cemented Mexico as a puppet of the United States and a major early and much-needed success of the Pershing-Garner government. On a side note, taking a major interest in these affairs was Nazi Germany, whose agents and officials were quite present at the signing of the Accord.
Patton's Army marches to Mexico City to attend the signing of the 1933 Expeditionary Force Reimbursement Accord and to begin the construction of Camp Coolidge
As Mexican treasure was sent back to the States, the first real payment of Bonuses was accomplished, and armed with this new cash some veterans began to create new business or get a new lease on life. Next, that fall in late October, similar demands were sent to Cuba and Nicaragua, and as the US Navy was anchored not far from their shores, they also gave in to US demands. The rest of the regions followed soon after, and before long gold, oil, and cash was flowing into the US economy, and its effects could be felt nationwide. Things were still not good, but definitely getting better. Critics were shut down by Pershing: "We are owed this. Our boys died for them. This is merely fair. You can't ask for your neighbor's help when you are down and not expect him to do the same. Besides, we keep this entire damn hemisphere safe thanks to the Monroe Doctrine, and this is the least they can do. I don't look upon them as inferiors, but merely as neighbor's who can't afford to protect themselves from aggressive foreign powers."
This all led to the summoning of national leaders to Miami, Florida, in December of 1933. On Christmas Day, Mexico, Cuba, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, and Panama all agreed to sign themselves into a treaty and trade agreement with the United States, known as the North American Protection Sphere (NAPS). This treaty placed every country which had been "assisted by the US government in internal conflicts from 1899 to present day" under a yearly reimbursement debt, and also promised the US easy ports for their Navy and the first say about trade agreements. However, in exchange the US also promised immediate protection from any foreign powers, leasing or gifting of military equipment, and assistance to the governments of said nations in the form of cheap foodstuffs, emergency relief, and "in-country advisors" that would essentially help keep whichever dictator happened to be in power in any given region.
The world's reaction to NAPS was quite mixed, and France especially officially condemned it as "wanton aggression by a state gone rogue." The Soviet Union also condemned it. Britain remained neutral, however many resented the formation of the alliance (though however Prince Edward and Oswald Mosley of the British Union of Fascists (BUF) spoke positively). Germany, Italy, and Spain all applauded the effort by the US to pull its economy back together whilst strengthening trade and borders. Also, after the US, those same countries were next in line for any trade deals and they were to profit heavily from the US's "hemispheric protection racket."
As 1933 drew to a close, America's economy had come roaring back, but at the expense of constantly battling civil unrest. However, the improvements in the economy were undeniable, and many "found their loyalty bought with a bonus."
"AND WE'LL MAKE MEXICO PAY FOR THE BONUS"
OR, HOW AMERICA LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE LIBERTY LEAGUE
US Troops on parade before leaving to collect payment of American war debts
Now, the new government was on the move. It had to placate the people immediately. It outlawed the Democratic and Republican Parties, but didn't discourage new ones for now. In that moment in time, there was only the League. The Constitution was suspended under a state of emergency by an executive order signed by Garner and Pershing, and Congress and the Supreme Court disbanded. Acting with no constraints, Pershing immediately announced Prohibition had been ended. This was a wise move, and it won the loyalty and support of a vast, vast percentage of America. Now they had to begin some sort of fix for the economy. Many plans were bandied about, but by early August, the President, Pershing, and the Cabinet had arrived at a conclusion.
For over 40 years, Starting with the Spanish-American War, America had been embroiled in a series of conflicts to the south of the border. Known collectively and informally as the "Banana Wars," it had seen an extensive loss of men and treasure, with little to be gained. For most of the conflicts, America had crowned itself a liberator or savior in Mexico, Cuba, Nicaragua, Honduras, Haiti, Dominican Republic, all in the Caribbean, and the Philippines in Asia. From fighting the Sandinista, to quelling Pancho Villa, putting down the Negro Rebellion in Cuba, to supporting Panama's declaration of Independence from Colombia, America had invested much. Now, Pershing, a veteran of many of those same conflicts, said it was time to be rewarded for their efforts. The Pershing Plan was simple: March into the countries America had aided or assisted and collect tribute. This would then be used to pay veterans their bonuses and to put capital and spending money into the economy.
Above all was Mexico. The unstable nation had a deep-seated rivalry with the US, and above all was the Zimmerman Telegram, in which Germany had conspired with Mexico to attack the US and reclaim Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and California. To quote Pershing's speeches, "Mexico stabbed us in the back and cannot be trusted!" Mexico had gold. Mexico had oil. Mexico had farms. Mexico had things which the struggling US needed badly. And so it was that in mid-August, 1933, Pershing called all able bodied men to join the military. He whipped into a shape in weeks that hadn't been seen since 1919. Millions of men, ready to go at any time.
General Patton was then instructed to take troops, cavalry, and tanks to Corpus Christi, Texas, and they were placed on high alert. On August 20th, the US ambassador to Mexico acting on behalf of the American government demanded Mexico's government under Abelardo L. Rodríguez pay the USA the sum 700 million dollars in installments over the next five years. If the money was not paid, the US armed forces would march south and confiscate appropriate resources and put in place a trade embargo to squeeze it out of them. Mexico, very unstable since the resignation of President Pascual Ortiz the year before and still recovering from losing a fifteenth of its population in a decades long civil war, was thrown into a panic.
Many cried for war, but the President knew his country would simply be annihilated by the vastly superior US forces. He had good reason to fear Patton, as the man had practically invented mobile vehicular warfare during the Pancho Villa Expedition, and had strapped the corpses of Mexican fighters to the front of his truck. On August 28, 1933, General Patton and his entourage of some 500 troops crossed the border under truce flags and arrived in Mexico City on September 8th. There, Patton and Rodríguez signed the 1933 Expeditionary Force Reimbursement Accord, and Mexico pledged to deliver the sum of 600 million dollars, plus 20 percent of the money gained from oil sales. Also the US was given exclusive trade rights with Mexico until the year 1999. Rodríguez was utterly humiliated, and his regime was very unstable. However, in exchange for his cooperation, the US was to open Camp Coolidge, five miles from Mexico City, as a permanent base for 400 US troops who were sworn to uphold Rodríguez as the rightful President of Mexico. This also approved the leasing of several tanks to the Mexican government, plus military trainers. They were almost immediately needed, as riots broke out across the capital city. With the use of tear gas and small arms, the attempted revolt was almost immediately crushed. This firmly cemented Mexico as a puppet of the United States and a major early and much-needed success of the Pershing-Garner government. On a side note, taking a major interest in these affairs was Nazi Germany, whose agents and officials were quite present at the signing of the Accord.
Patton's Army marches to Mexico City to attend the signing of the 1933 Expeditionary Force Reimbursement Accord and to begin the construction of Camp Coolidge
This all led to the summoning of national leaders to Miami, Florida, in December of 1933. On Christmas Day, Mexico, Cuba, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, and Panama all agreed to sign themselves into a treaty and trade agreement with the United States, known as the North American Protection Sphere (NAPS). This treaty placed every country which had been "assisted by the US government in internal conflicts from 1899 to present day" under a yearly reimbursement debt, and also promised the US easy ports for their Navy and the first say about trade agreements. However, in exchange the US also promised immediate protection from any foreign powers, leasing or gifting of military equipment, and assistance to the governments of said nations in the form of cheap foodstuffs, emergency relief, and "in-country advisors" that would essentially help keep whichever dictator happened to be in power in any given region.
The world's reaction to NAPS was quite mixed, and France especially officially condemned it as "wanton aggression by a state gone rogue." The Soviet Union also condemned it. Britain remained neutral, however many resented the formation of the alliance (though however Prince Edward and Oswald Mosley of the British Union of Fascists (BUF) spoke positively). Germany, Italy, and Spain all applauded the effort by the US to pull its economy back together whilst strengthening trade and borders. Also, after the US, those same countries were next in line for any trade deals and they were to profit heavily from the US's "hemispheric protection racket."
As 1933 drew to a close, America's economy had come roaring back, but at the expense of constantly battling civil unrest. However, the improvements in the economy were undeniable, and many "found their loyalty bought with a bonus."
You mean in real life? Yes, there was a real Liberty League consisting of anti-FDR businessmen, technocrats, and bipartisan politicians. Much of what has happened ITTL is actually based on the actual Liberty League and the alleged Business Plot.
I'm just hoping for a countercoup ending with most of the League lined up against a wall with a blindfold and cigarette.
Flag of Pershing's post as Secretary of General Affairs. (I have huge difficulty getting rounded words right so bear with me, lol).
Flag of the North American Protective Sphere (NAPS), established 1933.
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That's in good fun but that helps show the realistic aspect of the TL. It's a little far fetched to believe so many people would go along with it, but people in the Great Depression were just as tired of Democrats and Republicans as any of us. So far, the US hasn't been a true... I guess villain, more just a giant bully. Many of the "John Doe fascists" mean quite well and it's easy to see why so many would flock to the cause. For now...
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The clan idea is basically a trade guild crossed with national socialism. At least that's what I've developed so far.
THE FOUNDATION OF NATIONAL INDUSTRIALISM
AND THE ECONOMIC CLANS
Henry Ford, the creator of National Industrialism
The seeds were planted for the corporatocracy the United States would become as the main companies that financed the overthrow of Roosevelt now found themselves wielding most of the power amidst a climate of hysteria about Marxism. This was their hand to play, and they did not want to miss their chance.
When Henry Ford was appointed as Chief Advisor to the Secretary of General Affairs, he began formulating an entirely new method of governance and way to worm the US out of the Depression. He discussed with Pershing and Garner a new method to completely revive the economy. The first, he said, was to eliminate Prohibition. This was done almost immediately. Now, the next step was to have meetings with all the major corporations and businesses. A "Convention of the Corporations to discuss the prospects of reviving American infrastructure and capital" was hosted at the Empire State Building, now the central office for the Liberty League as a political party and movement. There a new way of business was about to be unveiled.
Ford unveiled the "Clan System for National Industrialism" on September 9, 1933. It would be months before bickering was ended and rules were set, but for the most part it was a success. Each part of an industry was divided between the five "Business Clans." These clans were as follows:
The first mission Ford gave the clans was to create enough jobs for everyone. Surprisingly, this mostly worked. Unemployment fell a staggering 9 points between September, 1933, and January, 1934. The cost and goods needed for Patton's excursion into Mexico, and then later base and ship building within the NAPS as a whole, shot the economy right in the arm and the American people began to finally see a light at the end of the tunnel... Even if the light led to fascism. It is interesting to note that for the longest time Adolf Hitler's office in Berlin had had a portrait up of Henry Ford, the only portrait in the entire office. Following the release of Ford's manifesto, Hitler had a new portrait commissioned and sent as a good-will gift to Ford himself. Ford repaid the favor and hung a portrait of Hitler in his own office and then commissioned a portrait of Hitler to be made and sent to the German Chancellery.
Portrait of Chancellor Adolf Hitler of Germany (1933), commissioned by Henry Ford and gifted to the Reich Chancellery
Now, as the government prepared its economic policies, the military was overwhelmed trying to crush mutinies and revolts. In California oil hands staged a leftist rebellion. Dwight D. Eisenhower, now a Lt. General, was placed in charge of quelling the uprising. It quickly became a massacre as the leftists were systematically rounded up and executed. More and more of the Left began fleeing north to Canada, such as William Z. Foster and Louisiana's Huey Long. There they set up the US Government In Exile. They petitioned the world to aid them in attaining the release of Roosevelt to lead their cause, and received aid from France and the Soviet Union, but were largely ignored by the rest of the world. This was likely because the world of the Great Depression merely wanted America to remain stable for a while or risk another financial collapse. Indeed, that is one reason why German and Italian agents were so ready to help out the fledgling government.
Now the government began it's true propaganda campaign. They would rope Hollywood into it, form a secret police force, and crack down even harder on dissent in 1934. They would also experience a major international incident that would in turn lead to the severing of diplomatic relationship with its new arch enemy: France.
THE FOUNDATION OF NATIONAL INDUSTRIALISM
AND THE ECONOMIC CLANS
Henry Ford, the creator of National Industrialism
When Henry Ford was appointed as Chief Advisor to the Secretary of General Affairs, he began formulating an entirely new method of governance and way to worm the US out of the Depression. He discussed with Pershing and Garner a new method to completely revive the economy. The first, he said, was to eliminate Prohibition. This was done almost immediately. Now, the next step was to have meetings with all the major corporations and businesses. A "Convention of the Corporations to discuss the prospects of reviving American infrastructure and capital" was hosted at the Empire State Building, now the central office for the Liberty League as a political party and movement. There a new way of business was about to be unveiled.
Ford unveiled the "Clan System for National Industrialism" on September 9, 1933. It would be months before bickering was ended and rules were set, but for the most part it was a success. Each part of an industry was divided between the five "Business Clans." These clans were as follows:
- The Transportation and Machinery Clan - Headed by Robert Sterling Clark, this Clan consisted of the Singer Corporation, Santa Fe Railways, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Fargo Motor Company, and many others.
- The Banking Clan - One of Nazi Germany's innermost tentacles inside America, it was possibly the most important clan, consisting of all the major banks in the country. It was helmed by Prescott Bush, and heavily influenced by German tycoon Fritz Thyssen
- The Distilleries Clan - Led by a redeemed Al Capone following his full pardon due to his syndicate going to bat for the US government against leftists during the Chicago Riots following the Fourth of July Coup and later assistance in ratting out illegal liquor manufacturers in the North American Prosperity Sphere. Extremely influential and wildly popular, he led the major mob families that had pre-existing illegal distilleries into "going legit." Capone Brewery opened in late December, 1933, employing thousands of people.
- The Agricultural Clan - Led by a convoluted chain of command, it mostly just had control of seed supplies, and was supposed to ensure appropriate distributions to local markets. Worked a lot with with the Transportation and Machinery Clan to ensure adequate supplies and tractors and other resources reached farmers struggling through the dust bowl.
- The Armaments Clan - Captained by Winchester's board of directors, and probably the second most influential clan. Worked hand-in-hand with the Banking Clan and the US Government. Included all major firearms companies. New guns without the "ARMTC" seal of approval were almost worthless.
The first mission Ford gave the clans was to create enough jobs for everyone. Surprisingly, this mostly worked. Unemployment fell a staggering 9 points between September, 1933, and January, 1934. The cost and goods needed for Patton's excursion into Mexico, and then later base and ship building within the NAPS as a whole, shot the economy right in the arm and the American people began to finally see a light at the end of the tunnel... Even if the light led to fascism. It is interesting to note that for the longest time Adolf Hitler's office in Berlin had had a portrait up of Henry Ford, the only portrait in the entire office. Following the release of Ford's manifesto, Hitler had a new portrait commissioned and sent as a good-will gift to Ford himself. Ford repaid the favor and hung a portrait of Hitler in his own office and then commissioned a portrait of Hitler to be made and sent to the German Chancellery.
Portrait of Chancellor Adolf Hitler of Germany (1933), commissioned by Henry Ford and gifted to the Reich Chancellery
Now, as the government prepared its economic policies, the military was overwhelmed trying to crush mutinies and revolts. In California oil hands staged a leftist rebellion. Dwight D. Eisenhower, now a Lt. General, was placed in charge of quelling the uprising. It quickly became a massacre as the leftists were systematically rounded up and executed. More and more of the Left began fleeing north to Canada, such as William Z. Foster and Louisiana's Huey Long. There they set up the US Government In Exile. They petitioned the world to aid them in attaining the release of Roosevelt to lead their cause, and received aid from France and the Soviet Union, but were largely ignored by the rest of the world. This was likely because the world of the Great Depression merely wanted America to remain stable for a while or risk another financial collapse. Indeed, that is one reason why German and Italian agents were so ready to help out the fledgling government.
Now the government began it's true propaganda campaign. They would rope Hollywood into it, form a secret police force, and crack down even harder on dissent in 1934. They would also experience a major international incident that would in turn lead to the severing of diplomatic relationship with its new arch enemy: France.
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