Colorized photo of an M3 Lee in Arizona
The American Warlord Period began in 1933 with the outbreak of the Second Civil War. While Government forces made initial gains against the Free States in the early months, the Free States's consolidation under Generals Patton and Clark turned the tide and stalemated the war. This stalemate went on for another three years as advances were local and minor and countered by enemy advances in other parts of the line. By 1936 various American generals on both sides of the front had gained a considerable amount of influence in their sectors of control. Things began to go downhill when President-in-Washington MacArthur tried to crack down on General Marshall's excesses in the areas he commanded in New England. This led to Marshall rebelling, declaring MacArthur illegitimate and himself the true President. This started a series of powerful revolts throughout the American Army which eventually spread to the Free Stater Army. Regionalism became a national force as many generals quickly gave up their long term plans for Union and instead sought to simply consolidate their fiefdoms and the cliques around them, regardless of which side of the Front they ostensibly lay. The MacArthur Presidency in Washington, known as the Washington Clique was left with only parts of the 3rd Army under General Bradley remaining loyal. From his tiny base however controlling at times just DC and Northern Virginia, MacArthur was left unable to unify the country.
In the Free States things were arguably worse. As orders from Denver grew more angry and forceful and as President Dewey was granted more and more "emergency powers" by the Rump Congress, many generals and local politicians decided to form their own side. When these dissident dissidents rose up on August 3rd, 1937 they almost immedeatly collapsed into infighting as troops from Montana and troops from California did not work together and skirmishes between different states National Guards became common. This would normally lead to a easy victory for the MacArthurites but at the time his nation was collapsing as well. Despite the infighting many Free Stater units sent to put down the revolt joined it instead. Seeing the writing on the wall Dewey resigned without naming a successor and the warlordism which was already creeping over the front flooded over it as generals staked their claim. The New Americans were unable to secure Denver in the chaos but managed to form a stableish front stretching from Flagstaff to the Canadian border. With that America was dead and her dream lay in tatters. She would remain like so for the next fifty years.
MacArthurite GI's fire at Free Staters in St Louis.
Free Stater GI's in Minnieapolis defend their position
General Walter Short, leader of the Short Clique the largest clique in American territory, covering Texas and much of the Gulf Coast at its greatest extent in 1941.
General Benjamin O. Davis Sr, military strongman behind the Western Government. Some debate whether the Western Government was a Clique as well or an American successor state but in the end General Davis ran it from the shadows making him the most powerful man in what was once America.