Richmond in a CS Victory.

[NKVD]

I think the Union would probably just move the capital to New York or Pennsylvania (with Philadelphia or NYC as the temporary capital). I don't think the Western states would be as pissy as the Southern states were when a location for the capital was originally being decided on.

As for the Confederacy, what about Montgomery, the original capital before May of 1861?

 

[Reggie Bartlett]

I think the Union would probably just move the capital to New York or Pennsylvania (with Philadelphia or NYC as the temporary capital). I don't think the Western states would be as pissy as the Southern states were when a location for the capital was originally being decided on.

As for the Confederacy, what about Montgomery, the original capital before May of 1861?

Richmond being the Confederacy's capitol was part of the deal for Virginia joining the CSA.

I don't think Montgomery is going to happen, many Confederate officials didn't like it, even when they were there.

 

[NKVD]

Richmond being the Confederacy's capitol was part of the deal for Virginia joining the CSA.

I don't think Montgomery is going to happen, many Confederate officials didn't like it, even when they were there.

That sounds odd. "Sure, we'll join you in rebellion, but only if you make our great capital the national capital!"

 

[thekingsguard]

The Us wouldn't move from DC - far more likely, the carve off Virginia North of Fredericksberg, seeing as a good chunk of it was under Union Control during the whole war.

 

[Reggie Bartlett]

The Us wouldn't move from DC - far more likely, the carve off Virginia North of Fredericksberg, seeing as a good chunk of it was under Union Control during the whole war.

That in itself depends on the type of victory, if it is an 1862 victory, everything North of Fredericksburg at the time still lay under CS control, the border is the Potomac.

If it is an 1863-1864 victory, you may have a point. But I'm not too sure if the US or CS governments are willing to parition off what is left of the existing state of Virginia, much less agree on it, after the whole West Virginia affair.

 

[Roberto]

They'd probably end up with an equivalent of the DMZ, de facto if not officially.

Moving the (US) capital would basically be an acceptance of the CSA's final, definite secession, which it would take a LOT for the Union government to actually do. Hell, even a CS victory would really be a ceasefire.

Hmmm, the Korean War parallels are kind of interesting. Turtledove admirers could probably write an intriguing (if not realistic) TL that takes the analogy to its logical extreme.

What the territorial situation in the Chesapeake looks like would be a big question. Either a) it's a neutral waterway, which everyone would know will only lead to the next war or b) the US makes the C&D Canal ocean-craft navigable a couple decades earlier. Baltimore and Annapolis will end up being a lot more important than OTL either way.

 

[GOU Limiting Factor]

The cheeky answer is 'exactly how big a crater can you make with non-nuclear explosives?' If there's ever another war, Richmond gets fucking plastered - if there's more than one, Richmond will stop being a Confederate city in short order.

There's gotta be at least one poorly-conceived monument on Belle Isle (although Mayo Island is easier to see from the capitol, IIRC). Fewer express- and highways, so the city is probably more tightly packed, and the city center will be more built-up. I could see high-rises with excessive gate security becoming very popular.