The Star-Spangled Expanded Universe of "What Madness Is This?"

[Murica1776]

Alt! Madness Africa: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Imperialism
​

Europan Africa: Europa still dominates North Africa, although they lost their southernmost territories to the Krauts. Europan Africa is a byzantine place filled with informal and formal power sharing agreements, as well as large swathes under the most direct rule imaginable. The Europans are racist, but not as racist as the rest of the powers colonizing Africa. Catholic missionaries are rabidly active in the region, which goes over extremely well in an area mostly dominated by Muslims. Despite this, the missionaries have actually made some headway, and a solid minority of the region is Catholic. However, part of that is also due to the Europans gunning down Muslim revolts with extreme prejudice. However, after the Great War, maintaining the African empire is becoming increasingly expensive. The Americans and Germanians are licking their lips at the thought of further expansion. However, Europa shouldn't necessarily be written off just yet, although the odds are against it.

American Africa: Allegedly, Lincolnia is a beacon of freedom for the black man, oppressed on his home continent. This has been the case for African-Americans, and a few useful tribes who were rewarded with Chosen status. However, Lincolnia is just as murderous, oppressive, exploitative, and racist as the rest of the colonial powers on the continent, actually more so in many ways. The African-American population was swollen not just by those select tribes, but also by thousands of refugees from the South, mainly Maryland and Georgia. This, combined with overpopulation at home and a high African-American birthrate has made Lincolnia even more unfortunate than mainline Madness. The Yankees are engaged in an extensive Immolation of the region, and results are being achieved. 20% of Lincolnia's Infee population is dead, and the process is only speeding up. Soon, the Cavalla River will be just as American as the Charles River.

Sicilian Africa: Sicilian Africa is less oppressive than much of the continent. This is less because of any moral compunctions, and more because the relatively small Sicily can't afford to engage in as much as murderous enslavement or genocide as the bigger powers. As long as the local leaders obey Sicilian orders, and as long as wealth flows from the colony into the nation's coffers, they could care less. However, there have been some Sicilianization attempts in recent years in order to make administration easier.

Germanian Africa: Germanian Africa is a truly awe inspiring feat of imperialism. Stretching from Nigeria down to the Congo, it is a vast empire that the Germans have for themselves here. Germanian Africa is a picture perfect example of ruthless, racist imperialism. Excess settlers and troops flow out of Germania, vast quantities of wealth flow in. Due to the fairly large settler populations in certain areas, the Germanians can afford to be more oppressive than the sheer scale of the territory would indicate. There are stories from the Congo that would turn your hair white. However, in a sense the territory is somewhat self governing. White settlers, officials, and governors are given a wide berth to do as they see fit. What this means is that certain parts of the colony aren't too terrible if the white authorities are stretched thinner than ideal, or if maybe, just maybe, they're slightly less racist than others. However, certain regions, notably the Congo, are very heavily controlled and settled, and the stream of atrocities coming out of the Congo drowns out news of the terrible things the other powers are doing.

Georgian Africa: The territory of Baldwin is Georgia's only African colony. In essence, the entire colony is a massive corporate plantation, and a dumping ground for ex-slaves. Although the NLP is doubling down on anti-African racism, practical concerns prevent them from getting into proper genocide territory in the area. However, if there ever is a time where Georgia can turn their full attentions to the region, things will definitely get ugly.

Carolinian Africa: Carolina's African territories are the nation's pride and joy. Encompassing desert and jungle alike, this diverse territory is a huge moneymaker for the Carolinas. Notably, East Carolina is majority white and Afro-Carolinian, as the native Africans have been driven into the territory of Polkland to make room for further settlement. Afro-Carolinians are used for housework and town maintenance by the white settlers for now, but some cities on the coast of East Carolina have even expelled them. Carolina seems to be playing the long game, gradually whittling down the territory's population and resources, and slowly spreading white Carolinian settlement across the whole region, although there are smaller settlements in Yonderland. Time will tell what happens with this strategy, although in the day to day, it trades the sheer brutality of many powers for a more methodical method of exploitation. Also of note is the fact that the Carolinians are discreetly sizing up Georgian Baldwin, Texan Freedonia, and Dutch South Africa for further expansion. Given the adeptness of Cokie steel in conquering African lands, this is a cause of great anxiety for their would be victims. They couldn't take all of them at once, but they wouldn't have too.

Texan Africa: The Texan colony of Freedonia lives up to its name.... if you're Texan. Indeed, Freedonia is almost anarchic for these fellers, who colonize, plunder, and fight at their leisure, earning the territory the nickname "The Wild East." Major Texan corporations are all involved, squeezing everything they can out of the locals. However, more than the corporations, thousands of ordinary freebooters out to make a fortune have set up plantations, settlements, and even armed gangs governing swathes of the territory as military dictators. Also of note, Freedonia is becoming the cocaine hub of the world as the Texans find that the coca plant takes well to the territory's tropical climate.

Dutch South Africa: About the same as mainline Madness and, sadly, OTL. Apartheid is the name of the game, and the Boers aren't the kindest masters one could ask for. However, this South Africa is a tad more militarized, as Carolina's energetic imperialism in Africa has unnerved all of their neighbors except the Germanians, who believe the Cokies would never pick a fight with an empire such as theirs.

 

[traveller76]

I think the alt-Ru will be waiting for the next war in order to grab more territory. In the meantime the may be supplying various groups in the European and non union colonies.

 

[Kienle]

To be honest, it is just less RU but the level of madness is still the same, since the South are not particular nice and Illuminist Russia is doing worse

 

[Sunstone77]

Ireland: Ireland is arguably doing worse than the BU, which is saying something. Part of the country is still basically uninhabitable thanks to Yankee and British chemical weapons. The economy has only weakly recovered from the thrashing it took in the war. The Beckie Flu wreaked utter havoc through the nation, which was dependent on foreign shipments to survive the war, increasing their exposure. Despite their woes, the people of Ireland have faith in their God and Crown. And if the worst comes to pass, they will not go quietly into the night.

This is defeatist propaganda! Ireland shall fight on and crush the Anglo menace! Gardaí? Take them away!
King, Country, and the Common Man shall prevail! Éirinn go Brách!

 

[Murica1776]

Another interlude before focusing on the Middle East and Asia, this one focused on alt! Texas. Honestly, I think they'll rival the Union in craziness in their own way.

The Ideology of Texanism

The national flag of Texas

"I ain't never met an Eastern Boy worth a damn."
-George Armstrong Custer, 6th Commander-in-Chief of Texas
​

Texas is a peculiar nation. It was predominantly founded by Anglo-Saxon Southroners and Mexican Hispanics. Yet, it cannot truly be called just Southron, or just Hispanic. It is Western, but that label doesn't fully fit either. At the end of the day, Texas is best described as Texan because no other adjective can fully capture the nation's free-for-all nature, or its unique worldview. To fully understand this country, we must evaluate its ideology. To do that, we need to look at the nation's history and founders.

Texas was a nation born in 1828 out of war and imperial competition. It's not incorrect to call it the first product of the Race for the West, borne out of the confused fighting in Mexico as the Europeans and Southrons carved up the Mad Emperor's realm. This was the crucible in which Texas was forged, and it took a certain kind of man to forge it. There is no one singular Texan Founding Father. The closest there are are the Big Three of Samson Hornberry, Stephen Austin, and Marcos Hernandez, a white Hispanic adventurer from Mexico proper. These men came from wildly different places, but all had a common thread that ran between them, and indeed the people they would come to lead. All of them were hardy, adventurous, quick-tempered, fortune seeking white men who viewed constraints on their personal liberty, including the liberty to constrain their "lessers" as evil. This was the common thread that bound white Texans together. Hispanic or Anglo, they had all come from somewhere to get rich and get away from those trying to tell them what to do. When the dust settled on the Mexican War, Texas was left with itself and the new state of Arizona. Now, the real work of building a nation could begin.

Samson Hornberry was the nation's first executive, in a post dubbed the Commander-in-Chief. The Commander-in-Chief could serve an unlimited number of five year terms, and was given control over the military, and could execute treaties, appoint officials, and essentially have all the powers that would have been given to POTUS in the failed Constitution. He was to be constrained by the Texan House of Representatives, and the Texan Supreme Court. The Texan Constitution established these offices. It also established a "unabridged" right to bear arms, freedom of (Christian) religion, and forbade the government from seizing property for any reason (later leaders would find ways around this). Thus, Texas started out fairly democratic, and in many ways remains a democracy. However, Texas remained deeply racist and sexist, although sexism would mostly fall by the wayside. Slavery was fully legal, and in fact the government encouraged slave raids against Mexico and Georgia to help accelerate the pace of agricultural development. Thus, the first decade of Texan history went smoothly.

Then, in 1840, Stephen Austin led a homegrown army of about 20,000 into Mexico from Arizona. To their surprise the Mexicans, dealing with problems down south in Central America, were unable to fight back. The Mexican locals had lost much of their love for the central government, offering little resistance. Out of this little filibuster, Texas would carve the states of Sonora and Austin. In fact, this venture was what prompted the creation of states, as unitary governance of such a huge area was impractical. In 1850, Austin, then governor of the state he named after himself, attempted to stage a coup against Hornberry after a close election. Hornberry instead challenged him to a duel in front of the Alamo, San Antonio's most famous and biggest fort. They did so, and Hornberry shot him dead. Many people thought he would change the name of Austin to something else, but be refused. As he put it "It takes a certain kind of man to accept a challenge to duel from the Commander-in-Chief, rather than just turn tail and apologize. That's true Texan grit right there." This duel somehow legitimized democracy, dueling, and political violence all at once, as people took what they wanted out of the exchange. Hornberry died peacefully in 1854. Even as the nation mourned, his nearly 15 year reign in office molded the nation. His demand for grit. His tolerance for non-state actors using force to achieve their will. His love of dueling. And his views of leadership, which a Yankee might find rather similar to Social Darwinism as conceived of by Lincoln. These would all grow slowly, until one man came along and rapidly put them together into one ideology.

George Armstrong Custer was born in 1839 in New Rumsfeld, Ohio. The young lad was a tough, adventurous soul, raised in a devout AFC family. When Strong Abe came to power, he enlisted in the military, waiting for an adventure. It never came. By 1859, disillusioned by the seeming stagnation of the RUA, Custer would leave for Texas, never to return. Now there was a place one could have an adventure! He became a cowboy in Texas, fending off cattle thieves and other assorted banditos. By 1862, he had a reputation as being quick with a gun, always eager for a fight, and for being an incorrigible womanizer. He saved up enough money by 1862 to start Custer's Company, the first private military company in Texas. Although they were small at first, Custer had a knack for picking out the best, most ruthless fighters. In 1865, they hit the jackpot; the government commissioned them to finally clear the remaining Native Americans out of Arizona. Custer performed the job with gusto, and by May 1866, there wasn't a Native American left alive in the state. He received a commendation from the government for his work, and soon Custer's Company had grown into a force unto itself. They even took contracts from the Georgians to crush some of the last slave revolts, and clear their Natives as well. By 1872, Custer was one of the most powerful men in Texas. However, running his company had begun to bore him. He needed a new adventure. He found the answer in Mexico. The country was having one of its oh so frequent civil wars, and was low hanging fruit just begging to be picked. On March 14th, 1872, Custer's Company invaded Mexico with the force of a professional army, complete with Coffee Grinders. This area was actually loyal to the current government, so the fighting got brutal. Custer eventually broke the locals when he began employing similar tactics to those he used on native tribes. By February 19th, 1874, the territory was his, and he marched back into San Antonio a hero. The territories would soon be admitted as South Texas and Libertalia, and flooded by land hungry settlers. The success of the campaign made Custer a living legend. It also bolstered his nascent sense of himself as the embodiment of the Texan ideal. To great fanfare, Custer announced from the Custer's Company HQ in downtown San Antonio that he would be throwing his hat in the ring for Commander-in-Chief. This was welcome news to many. In the 20 years since Hornberry had passed, there had been 4 Commanders-in-Chief, as no one seemed capable of actually staying in power. Parties rose and fell based on the strength of the men leading them, and their ability to rally support from the wealthy. Although the Texan economy continued to thrive, this weakness at the center had encouraged a level of lawlessness that even the freedom loving Texans found intolerable. Custer declared he was running on an ideology he called Texanism, and declared his party the Texanist Party. Here's the basic outline of the ideology as written by Custer:

The Ten Foundational Tenets of Texanism

1. Texas is a God-ordained, Free White People's Republic
2. The Texan race is a unique one. A mixture of Saxon and Latin Blood, and forged in the red hot fires of conquest, adventure, and hard work. We are the sturdiest people on this continent. However, the constant introduction of fresh, sturdy white germplasm is always helpful.
3. The ideal state of the Texan is prosperity and liberty. We pledge to ensure that such a state can exist.
4. In the interest of Liberty, Prosperity, and the Texan Race, we musn't burden ourselves with care for the weak. A Texan who cannot provide for themself is no Texan at all.
5. In order to protect honest Industry, we must have Law and Order. Only then can True Texans enjoy their God-given rights.
6. We do not believe in regulating what a Texan can put in their bodies. Teetotaling is inimical to Liberty, and weakens the Texan Race. Those who die from overindulgence are either wanting in self-regulation or vigor.
7. We believe in universal White suffrage and equality of the sexes. The women of Texas are hardier than most foreign men, and a woman who can survive and thrive here is worthy of respect.
8. We believe a man should be allowed to take multiple wives, and perhaps the opposite. The sturdiest of our race ought to breed more copiously, and deny the weak the chance to breed.
9. It is right and proper for private individuals and groups to arm themselves for protection, so as not to overburden the state.
10. Territorial expansion is the ultimate expression of our freebooting heritage, and ought to be encouraged when feasible.
​

There are clear Fascist influences in Custer's ideology, even though he disavowed the AFC and became a Baptist shortly after arriving in Texas. Custer did always cling to bits of the Strong Man Theory, although he obviously found Yankee racial views incorrect. However another influence on Texanism which can't go ignored is Myra Maybelle Shirley Reed Starr, better known as Belle Starr, and later Belle Starr Custer. Belle was an immigrant from Carolina's State of Knox, and despite endemic sexism, carved out a name for herself as a mercenary and serial seductress, marrying a John Reed and Sam Starr, both of whom she defrauded. She would later personally convince Custer to allow her into the Company before the Invasion of Mexico, and she proved her mettle in fending off Mexicans and lascivious Custerites alike. Custer fell for the tough as nails woman, but there was a problem; Custer had already married Alejandra Cortez Custer, a beautiful and fair Hispanic woman who also knew her way around a gun, and in fact nearly shot and killed Custer once. However, when Custer proposed making Belle Starr his second wife, he found Alejandra surprisingly agreeable, as long as a few conditions were met. She had to be made the primary heir and executor of his estate, so she and their three children could be more than taken care of. Belle had to live in a separate home away from her and the children. However, before that could even happen, it needed to be legal. It would be easy to suggest that the two only included a plank about legalizing polygamy for their own selfish interest. There is definitely some truth to that. However, two other factors were important. First of all, thanks to the wild, frontier nature of Texas, strange romantic arrangements were more common than one might think. Cattle barons with harems weren't uncommon, while on the flip side, female bigamy wasn't uncommon, not to mention that in the Arizona wilderness a woman named Illuminada Santyana led a group she called "The Luminous Heritors of Santa Fe" which was in reality a sex cult of her 8 cowboy lovers with whom she would also consume peyote. The practice was fairly accepted in much of Texas already, in fact giving birth to a religious denomination called the Texan Church of God (which Custer would join while in office) that embraced polygamy among other things. The second reason had to do with Custer and Belle Starr's view of themselves which, while narcissistic, was genuinely believed. They had begun to view themselves as the embodiment of a new kind of human being, the Texan. Rough, tough, adventurous and with an unquenchable thirst for wealth and freedom. As they mentioned in their platform, this race was a blend of the white races, but more importantly forged by hardship, conquest, and natural selection of a sort. Such a hardy people needed to propagate their genes, and polygamy was the most efficient way. Aside from pushing Custer towards polygamy, Belle Starr also pushed Custer towards female equality (for obvious reasons) and also his anti-teetotaling stance, introducing the hardened drinker to the wonders of peyote and the occasional spoon of laudanum. A new era was dawning.

George Armstrong Custer, founder of the Texanist Party and 6th Texan Commander-in-Chief

Belle Starr, mercenary, con artist, Texanist, and second wife of George Custer.

Custer's Company clearing out the Native Americans in Texas and Arizona.
​

The election of 1875 was a violent trainwreck. Custer's Texanist Party was up against George Hernandez, son of Big Three member Marcos Hernandez and his Texan National Party. The TNP was the chosen party of the wealthy oligarchs who ran Texas and indeed formed the majority of its voters, Texas still having strict wealth requirements on voting. However, Custer was the people's choice, an independently wealthy man, and head of his own private army. It went as well as you would expect. When the vote was called in favor of Hernandez in October, Custer's Company drove him out of San Antonio and proclaimed Custer rightful Commander-in-Chief. Hernandez and his supporters were methodically tracked down and killed. After the coup, there were worries among non-Texanists, and even a few moderate supporters, that Custer would simply eliminate elections, having taken power by force. Custer did not do those things, and instead rallied people to his side on the steps of the Capitol Building:

My fellow Texans! Lend me your ears! I have heard tell of rumors recently, which claim I desire to undo all elections and establish myself as a dictator! This is, I personally assure you, hogwash and quite frankly bullshit! May God strike me down this instant if I plan to do otherwise! The fact that I was forced to lead a revolution in defense of our liberty is regrettable. I wish that I could have taken power peacefully! But the fact is that over the past 20 years, our government has been incompetent and decrepit! Something needed to be done, and I figured that it might as well be me. I am the rootinest tootinest shootinest freebootinest sumbitch to set foot in this country since Hornberry and Austin, so why shouldn't I restore order and liberty to our beloved Texas?! Ladies and gentlemen, I rebelled not to destroy the Republic, but to save it. I am a true Texan through and through, and that includes valuing our sacred right to govern. I love democracy! I love the Republic! And by God I love Texas! Thank y'all and God Bless!

There was both truth and falsehood to Custer's claim. Yes, elections remained free, and one of the first things he did was ram universal white suffrage down the House's throat, almost at literal gunpoint. However, in many ways he did become a dictator. Among his first acts in office, he made Custer's Company the Texas Rangers, a special paramilitary law enforcement agency answerable only to the Commander-in-Chief. He used the Rangers to silence some wealthy political opponents and intimidate the House. Aside from that, he led the Rangers into combat against the myriad of gangs which had arose in the past 20 years, crushing most. However, surprisingly, Custer did not conquer new territories. His reign coincided with a period of relative stability in Mexico, actually partially driven by fear of the crazed cowboy warlord dismembering the country. However, Custer did send the Army and Rangers south repeatedly on behalf of Texan business interests. Aside from this, Custer actually spent a large amount of time turbocharging the nation's economy. The Texan Commander-in-Chief ruled with nigh limitless power until his death in 1909 from lung cancer. He had ruled Texas for 35 years. His funeral was a massive national spectacle, and even the criminals who he had arrested or attempted to kill attended out of respect for the Penultimate Texan.

In the aftermath of Custer's death, his three wives (Custer married another Cokie immigrant named Martha Jane Cannary in 1880) and 13 children fought over the estate and Party, leaving an opening for Jimmy Hughes to take control as Commander-in-Chief. Hughes is a devout Texanist and Texan Ranger, who remains Commander-in-Chief to this day. He hasn't added much to the ideology, instead being content to guide the country along Custerian principles. However, his inability to control his many wives and children is affecting his competence, and making him look weak. Vultures are circling. God only knows what the 1920's and beyond will hold in store for the development of Texanism.

The reaction abroad to Texanism has been mixed. Virginia and Maryland were lukewarm, but their own current phase of wildness and hedonism has made them warm to it. Much of Europe actually admires Texas for its strength and mixed but solidly European heritage, and the power of the cowboy image is strong indeed. Georgia too doesn't mind their neighbors, although they think them odd. One might expect more hatred from such a conservative country, until one realizes how much Georgia needs Texan oil. California and Mexico hate the ideology, if only because its love of expansionism means they might be next in the crosshairs. However, their hate is but a dull flame compared to the vitriol that the RUA and Carolina have for the country and its ideology. The RU hates it for its (white) race mixing ideology and the fact that it was run by an American immigrant, who the Yankee press regularly attacked as a "worthless piece of daemonic hellspawn who will burn for eternity for his sins against Jehovah and Union." The Cokies hate the country for its more open attitudes on sex, drugs, and gender equality, as well as for the fact that Custer's second and third wives were Carolinian women. Whether Custer was a closeted rapist who deflowered them, or merely attracting the worst kind of prostitute was a widely debated topic in Carolina. Regardless, the Texanist ideology was here to stay, and would continue to warp the nation as time went on.

Texas Rangers on the hunt for criminals (1907)

A dramatic depiction of Texan Rangers fighting in Mexico to defend Texan business interests (1914)

Jimmy Hughes, 7th Texan Commander-in-Chief​

 

[Murica1776]

Alt! Madness Middle East:
​

Kingdom of Israel and Levant: Has a similar history to mainline Madness, and is currently run by a white, Europan, Catholic "Crusader" elite with Coptic collaboration. However, Israel is home to a large number of Jews who migrated to the Holy Land to escape the plague of anti-Semitic violence in Europe. The Kingdom is suffering from internal problems, and a frightening number of the Jews in Israel seem to be proficient in English and the use of firearms....

Kingdom of Jordan: Not much to tell, kind of a boring Europan client state.

Greater Arabia: United by a confederation of tribes as opposed to one monarch, Greater Arabia these days is technically neutral, but leans Europan. They get cheap security, Europa gets cheap oil. Everyone wins! Well, except anti-government forces.

Turkey: After losing Istanbul, Egypt, Palestine, and Armenia, Turkey was taken over by an Islamist dictatorship.... which proceeded to lose Iraq to a Persian jihad. Nowadays, they're under the control of a secular, revanchist, nationalist dictatorship. Despite their image problem abroad, the Turks have actually rebuilt themselves into a legitimate force.

Kingdom of Armenia-Georgia: Originally just Armenia, this Kingdom was formed in the aftermath of Napoleon II's invasion of the Ottoman Empire, and supported by Paris as a Christian European kingdom. Russia launched a failed invasion of the country during the Great War, and Armenia managed to tear away Georgia. Although ethnic tensions do exist, they're surprisingly not too bad, as many Armenians and Georgians respect one another as Christian Europeans. More importantly, they all hate the Turks more.

Empire of Persia: Persia hasn't felt this good in years. They're modernized, respected, and they just took Mesopotamia from the Turks. The biggest question facing them is where to wage jihad next, with Turkey and Central Asia providing excellent targets. For the time being, they're contenting themselves with carrying out a genocide/forced conversion combo in Mesopotamia, depending on the stubbornness of a given community.

Kingdom of Afghanistan: Afghanistan is currently united in a loose confederation, and waging jihad in China to liberate their brothers in East Turkestan (Xinjiang). How long this unity will continue is anyone's guess.

Alt! Madness Asia
​

French Raj: The French Raj was put through the ringer during the war. Rebellion, Flu, and famine damn near destroyed French control. In an extremely morbid silver lining, these events killed so many Indians that the territory is now much easier to govern, since there are fewer people to deal with and many of them desire some kind of stability even at the expense of liberty. Despite the hardship, India is still the crown jewel of the Empire, and things are looking up. Recently, the Raj expanded to encompass Tibet, a Europan protectorate turned territory due to the recent unrest in China.

Dutch Asia: Dutch Asia is arguably more impressive than Germanian Africa, which is saying something. Stretching from New Guinea into Southern China and Myanmar, the Dutch have a truly massive empire. However, there are eternal concerns about stability, which is understandable given the scale of the territory. The fact that land hungry Australia is eagerly sizing up Indonesia does little to quell concerns.

Commonwealth of Australia: Australia has a similar history to mainline Madness, becoming a Fascist power with lots of American settlers and its own Fundie church. Having united the continent in the last war, the bellicose Kangas are now eagerly watching for signs of weakness in Dutch Asia.

Republic of Japan: ITTL the Japanese are a Virginian ally, and are plurality Christian after decades of cultural imperialism. Japan is a fully modern state at this point, and is colonizing parts of southern China with gusto. Interestingly, both they and the Coreans have still been declared Lost Jews by TTL's Union. This decision wasn't driven by geopolitical necessity like mainline, but because President Roosevelt discovered a fondness for Kendo and Bulgogi during a summit in Asia. Japan doesn't give much mind to the Union, although a section of Japanese society has become fascinated with American culture and vice versa.

Confederation of Corea: Has a similar history to mainline Madness, but was founded by an earlier member of the Kim family as the whole timeline was sped up by a couple decades. This is mainly because Carolina, without East Carolina and Yankee adventures to distract their imperial impulses, devoted much more effort to converting the Coreans, who they see as racial equals. ITTL, the shared bond is also about both historically being trapped between two larger imperial rivals as opposed to a shared experience being subjected to one bullying hegemon. Corea has recently annexed Manchuria (North Corea) thanks to being built up earlier. They're treating the natives as well as you would expect.

China: The Chinese are undergoing an even worse civil war than OTL, and disruption has been so bad that some isolated areas are still dealing with Beckie Flu. In the process of being carved like a Thanksgiving turkey.

 

[Murica1776]

This update is going to be much more forward looking. As y'all are surely aware, Napo has mentioned a lot that the "theme" of the RU/NUSA is it being an exaggeration of all of America's worst traits. He also has the hilarious cyberfunk aesthetic to go with the terrible. This chapter is going to be about the "theme" and aesthetic of the alt RU and the Southron nations. Sidenote, I didn't include Maryland because it's just too small and dependent on Virginia for so much of its culture to have a lot of unique features.

RU: Theme wise, the RU is not an exaggeration of all of America's worst traits, as the RU never gained the power, territory, and diversity of regional culture to pull something like that off. By the time they did expand into Canada, mass media and the similarities between New England in Canada in climate and other factors mean that the country is basically a giant New England. So, I went with TTL's RU being a horrific caricature of New England, especially preppy New England. The Union is still genocidal against the Infees, and like mainline, tries to keep it all extremely quiet. Eventually, they might act like it never happened at all, even as they continue to advocate for genocide against others. As a people they've become horribly snobbish and obsessed with pedigree and heritage. A small clique of old money families dominates culture, if not necessarily business and politics anymore. Keeping up with the Joneses is serious business, and everyone wants to claim heritage from the Mayflower. I also think they're going to be much more ruthlessly capitalistic than even the mainline Union, and I can see Wall Street having a large shadow over the country. Conspiracies from OTL about Yankee Wall Street Financiers running amok to destabilize the world in the name of their master race will actually be reasonable explanations of various world events. Aesthetically, the Union is going to be a mix of cyberpunk, The Official Preppy Handbook, New England kitsch, and later on Scandi designs. More specifically, the big cities like Boston, Philly, New York, and Crawford City (OTL Detroit) are going to be super dense thanks to high birthrates and a lack of outlets for settlers. This will eventually become quite cyberpunkish in feel. The smaller communities across the Union, from Alaska to Michigania, from Delaware to (spoilers) Iceland and Lincolnia, will look exactly like your prototypical New England town. There will also be a huge, huge amount of Revolutionary styled kitsch, decorations, etc. as there is no Custer or drive West to create a cowboyish sense of the country. Scandinavian furniture design will be imported from America's allies and territories, and will become a staple of city dwellers and the lower class due to its compact size and inexpensive nature. Clothing wise, everyone is going to try and dress like a stereotypical New England preppy. The nation is also going to be obsessed with sailing, keeping with the New England theme, and I imagine regattas becoming the nation's second most popular sport, right behind their beloved rounders.

Virginia: Theme wise, the Virginians are TTL's shitty US, although they're less shitty than the mainline RU. The nation is bellicose about loving and spreading liberty, even as they force black people to live in what is basically Jack Frost's butthole. Plus, their democracy is practically dominated by a small oligarchy of old landowners, industrialists, and military men. The wars in the West were even more brutal than OTL, and there aren't enough Native Americans left to warrant a reservation, not to mention the expulsion of Yankee settlers (admittedly not too bad given what the alternative could have been) and Georgians (significantly more crappy). Virginia uses its increasingly popular pop culture as a weapon abroad, to the chagrin of everyone. Virginian cocaine sodas and other products are actually worse for you than Sweet Victory, and there's a strong chance they're never going to take the cocaine out. They also do have some crazy cowboyishness in em, although Texas monopolizes that. In short, they're very much an exaggeration of the bad qualities in the US, but not so much as the terrifyingly genocidal RU of mainline. Aesthetically a mixture of the 1960's, some neoclassical architecture, and a "Western" look that wouldn't be out of place IOTL. 60's style space age furniture is huge, and mod-ish fashion is popular with the clubbing set while 60's suits are business standard. Neoclassical architecture is a favorite of many, harking back to Monticello and other similar plantation homes, although some other styles do exist. Western fashion basically consists of flannels, jeans, and boots of some kind. There is also a bit of a Japanois craze, especially in sushi and women's kimonos.

Carolina: If Yankeeland is everything terrible about New England, then Carolina is everything bad about the South. Aristocrats run amok. Matters of honor are serious, nigh deadly business. Black people are tolerated only as a source of labor and household help. When they can no longer fulfill this function, they are removed from the community. When communities need land, the previously removed black people are removed again, often permanently. Poor whites, aka white trash, are often the most horrifically racist, perhaps to distract themselves from the fact that the rich and middle class kick the crap out of them too, though nowhere near as badly. Traditional gender roles are deeply engrained in the culture as the only gender roles, and those who step outside of them are punished. Protestant Christianity (in this case, Presbyterian) is the only game in town religiously. Everyone is supposed to know their place, and will be put back into it if they forget. Despite all of these restrictions, the Cokies holler about their freedom and liberty so loud it's practically deafening. The nation is famed for its Southron Hospitality, but is incredibly xenophobic when the tourists aren't around. The good ol boy network preserves aristocratic power on a local level as well. Aesthetically, Carolina is still predominantly 1950's styled, but there is lots of Revolutionary/Shatter of 1801 kitsch and neoclassical and plantation stylings too. As far as the 50's go, they dominate clothing, car design, branding, and the look of televisors (even color ones later) and tabulators (no internet) as well as many suburban homes. The Cokies are very proud of their Revolutionary and Jacksonian heritage, and the Gadsden Flag (a Carolinian invention) is almost as much of a national fetish as the Moon and Stars. Architecturally, many larger homes are styled like plantation homes, while many mid size cities and small towns have a very strong Charlestonian influence in their design and architecture.

Georgia: If Carolina is an exaggeration of the OTL South's bad traits, Georgia is a look at what the CSA would have been like had it become an independent country. It though of itself as a great power capable of reaching the West and competing with TTL's US equivalent (Virginia) and was brutally disavowed of that illusion. Angry and yearning for expansion, Georgia turned southwards, aggressively empire building in Central America and the Caribbean. At home, a somewhat oligarchic democracy has deteriorated into a full blown totalitarian dictatorship. In some ways the NLP is reminiscent of the Freedomites. Anti-black racism has deteriorated into something borderline genocidal. It is, in short, a highly militarized, resentful, genocidal hellhole. Aesthetically Georgia is full on dieselpunk, resembling 1930's-40's America, right down to the ubiquitous propaganda posters.

Texas: Texas is an exaggeration of its OTL bad qualities, and of American libertarianism's bad traits as well. The frontier spirit of grit and independence has become a Darwinistic obsession with strength and a bellicose determination that "Ain't no one gonna tell me what to do!" The cowboyish mentality has been utterly warped, twisted, and exalted beyond all recognition. Outsized Texan pride has, predictably, become a rather nasty form of nationalism. The country's racism is partially derived from Texas's long history of it, and partially from American libertarianism's issues with it (OTL, some of modern America's most famous white supremacists used to be libertarians). The government is fairly hands off, until the power of the wealthy is threatened or resources for conquest are needed. The government might be bare bones, but it is also at the whim of strongman dictators. Texan militarism and gun culture is utterly absurd, and literally everyone is armed. Private militaries and armed militias run amok. Drug use is completely unregulated. They're the rootinest tootinest shootinest bunch of cocaine fueled cowboy assholes you have ever done seen! Aesthetically, I imagine Texas to actually be fairly close to the Pinnacle Future of mainline, but with more of a Western flair.

I'll probably make an aesthetic post for each country so you can get a feel beyond these descriptions. Hope that all made sense!

 

[Murica1776]

Texas A E S T H E T I C

 

[Murica1776]

Alt! RU A E S T H E T I C

 

[Simeon]

Alt! RU A E S T H E T I C

( . . . )

What is this mongol Infee shit?

Anyways, I doubt Manhattan would be this developed ITTL, considering that there would be almost no convenient western trade to talk off.

 

[Murica1776]

What is this mongol Infee shit?

Anyways, I doubt Manhattan would be this developed ITTL, considering that there would be almost no convenient western trade to talk off.

That wasn't a strict "this is a Yankee city" and more like "this is the general feel of Yankee cities in general" ie super dense and vaguely cyberpunk looking.

 

[Murica1776]

Virginia A E S T H E T I C

​

 

[Murica1776]

Carolina A E S T H E T I C

 

[Murica1776]

After this post, I'm going to have a 1930 map of the Americas up! It's the only area that really changes in the 20's, so that's why I'm only doing that.

Georgia A E S T H E T I C

 

[Murica1776]

https://imgur.com/a/Ts2hmJd

Here's a brief overview of the events of the 1920's

American Invasion of Alaska: By 1923, President Theodore Roosevelt was 65 years old, and he wasn't getting any younger. Eventually, even a Pinnacle Man such as himself would die. However, he had vowed to himself that before he died, the Union would touch the Pacific Ocean. Fortunately for him, 1923 gave him his chance. Another round of nasty revolts in Mongolia corresponded with violent jihadist agitation in Central Asia. Russia was forced to send some of their Alaskan forces home to stop the bleeding, and they were already stretched to the breaking point in Alaska thanks to the long border with the Union. President Roosevelt seized his chance, and the Union Aeroforce unleashed hell, followed by a massive ground invasion. The Loomies were overwhelmed, and the geography and settlers would prove more difficult to deal with than the actual formal military. Nonetheless, by December 1924, America had fully taken Alaska, even if there were still ongoing pockets of resistance. The Loomies would launch a devastating counter-assault, pushing the Union back some 250 miles from the sea. That's when a most peculiar offer was given to President Roosevelt. The Cokies, vitriolic haters of all things Illuminist, offered 6 divisions in return for limited drilling and docking rights. If any other Southron nation had made the offer, Roosevelt would have shot them down point blank. However, Carolina was basically pure Anglo-Saxon Protestant, and every Cokie soldier was one more body for the potential meat grinder. Roosevelt accepted, and the Carolinian Alaskan Expeditionary Force raced up to Alaska via New England and Canada. Combined with the overextension of the Illuminists, the fresh troops turned the tide on the Russians, and the joint Yankee-Cokie force actually pushed just barely into Siberia, forcing Russia to sign a peace deal in the city of Anadyr in February, 1925. The joint task force held a triumph in Philadelphia, the only time in American history at this point in which they had marched alongside Southron troops. Yankee-Cokie relations, already a bit better than most, would undergo a further thaw later on, and this is viewed as a starting point in that trend. The Pinnacle Man marches on....

Brazilian Invasion of Guyana: In 1922, Eduist Brazil formally declared a War of Liberation against the Netherlands, in order to "kick the imperialists out of Guyana." The fact that the Brazilians were just as imperialist as the Dutch was never brought up. The war would be an epic disaster. The Brazilian forces, over-confident and under-prepared, were annihilated by the Dutch in wave after wave. While they did nearly push the Dutch out, the locals actually preferred the fairly relaxed Dutch to the Brazilians, and fought alongside their colonizers to prevent an even worse outcome. Adding to Brazil's woes, the Texas Rangers and thousands of Texan mercenaries pushed in, bolstering local forces. The Brazilians, expecting a quick victory, were stuck in a five year quagmire. They pulled out in April of 1927 as the costs of the war began outweighing any benefit, especially after there were anti-war riots in Rio that needed to be suppressed. In the end, the Brazilians had merely left Guyana open for another imperialist power.

The Dutch-Carolinian War: Tensions between the Netherlands and Carolina had run high for decades. The two countries were bitter rivals in Africa, and the border between Carolinian Africa and Dutch South Africa was a constant flashpoint. Shortly after the war against Brazil had concluded in Guyana, a garbled Dutch intelligence message indicated that Cokie troops were massing on the border with South Africa for an invasion. This was only half true. Cokie troops were on the border... for wargames. Most of the 10,000 Cokie troops involved didn't even have live rounds. The result was a bloodbath. By the time the Dutch had discovered their error in launching a pre-emptive assault, it was too late. The Dutch Ambassador was tarred, feathered, and hanged for espionage (which there was evidence for) although his family and staff were allowed to leave unmolested. The Cokies started beating the war drum, and nothing, not even a territorial bribe, could stop them. The Cokies pushed the Dutch out of Polkland, and marched into South Africa. Natives in both colonies took the opportunity to rise up, and the result was a lot of overheated grinders and a startling need for furnaces. However, the Cokies didn't pin all their hopes in South Africa, as they knew the colony's large white minority would be difficult to control. Instead, utilizing their basing rights in Cuba, the Cokies launched an invasion of Guyana in March of 1928. The Guyanans, already devastated by Brazil's invasion, and dealing with the fact that their troops were still on the border with Brazil on the complete opposite side of the colony, crumbled in a month. Corea began funneling gold and guns to Indochinese rebels, further complicating matters for the Dutch. Facing complete collapse in South America, a volatile situation in Asia, and a bloodbath in Africa, Amsterdam caved. The Cokies surprisingly didn't take South Africa, as they rightly suspected that might be a bit too much to deal with given its size and their ongoing revolts. Instead, they took Guyana, forced a $100 million indemnity on the Dutch, and made them issue a statement declaring that "This unfortunate war is the sole result of Dutch aggression, for which we deeply apologize." Tensions remained high, but the Carolinians were exuberant. Hark the Sound of imperial triumph!

The Scramble for Mexico: Mexico, long the Sick Man of the Americas, collapsed once again into civil war in 1925. It would be the nation's last. An invigorated Texas, an ever-aggressive Georgia, and the land-hungry Virginians descended upon the nation like a flock of hungry vultures. Texas had natural advantages in the so-called Scramble for Mexico, by far taking the lion's share of territory. Georgia did respectably well, but once again got blocked by the Virginians, which caused no shortage of bloody border skirmishes, and nearly renewed hostilities in the West. Virginia carved itself a nice chunk of Mexico along the Pacific, complementing its recent annexation of the Kingdom of Hawaii, long a Virginian colony in practice, if not in fact. Although fighting continued almost up til 1930, the result was inevitable; a divided, oppressed Mexico. With the Scramble's conclusion, tensions heated up in the Americas. Virginia and Georgia seemed to be on the verge of another war. Texas was eagerly eyeing up California, which was suffering from some economic problems, and in the event of a Europa wide collapse (an event that seemed more and more likely) might get carved up by the Texans and other opportunistic Southrons. War was coming....

 

[Murica1776]

Updated list of states:

States and Colonies of Texas, 1930 AD

Texas (OTL Texas, plus some land on southern bank of the Rio Grande)
Arizona (Roughly OTL Arizona and New Mexico)
Sonora
Austin (OTL Chihuahua)
South Texas (OTL Coahuila)
Libertalia (OTL Neuvo Leon and Tamaluipa)
Freedonia (Madagascar)
Custer (OTL Veracruz)
Hornberry (OTL San Luis Potosi)
Bellamy (OTL Zacatecas and Aguascalientes) (1)
Durango (OTL Durango, Nayarit and Sinaloa)
Wayne (OTL Guanajuato and Queretaro) (2)

States and Colonies of Georgia, 1930 AD

Georgia
Florida (OTL Florida minus the Panhandle)
Mississippi (OTL Alabama and Mississippi, plus Florida panhandle)
Louisiana
Oklahoma (OTL Oklahoma, plus most of Arkansas, and bits of Kansas and New Mexico)
Bogdan (roughly OTL Wyoming and Colorado)
South Georgia (Hispaniola)
New Maya (Belize)
Baldwin (Angola)
Cooper (OTL Quintana Roo, Yucatan, and Campeche) (3)
Ogelthorpe (OTL Chiapas and Tabasco) (4)

States and Colonies of Virginia, 1930 AD

Virginia (OTL Virginia and West Virginia)
Columbiana (Kentucky and part of southern Indiana)
Washington (OTL Illinois)
Iowai (OTL Iowa and southern Minnesota)
Free Negro Territory of Monroe (Northern Minnesota)
Dakota (N. and S. Dakota)
Madison (OTL Montana and part of Wyoming)
Oregon (OTL Washington and northern Idaho)
Tillamook (OTL Oregon and southern Idaho)
Jefferson (OTL Panama)
Harrison Island (Puerto Rico)
Jamaica
Bahamas
Hawaii
Tecos (OTL Jalisco and Colima)
New Worcester (OTL Michoacan and Guerrero)
Mexico (OTL Hidalgo, Mexico (province in Mexico), Mexico City, and Morelos)
Pubela (OTL Puebla and Tlaxcala)
New Southampton (OTL Oxaca)

States and Colonies of Carolina, 1930 AD

North Carolina
South Carolina
West Carolina (OTL Tennessee)
Knox (OTL Missouri with a small strip of northern Arkansas)
Jackson (OTL Nebraska and most of Kansas)
East Carolina (OTL Namibia)
Polkland (OTL Botswana and Zimbabwe, roughly)
Yonderland (OTL Mozambique)
Carolina-upon-Essex (Guyana) (5)

States and Colonies of the Republican Union

Nova Scotia
Massachusetts (OTL Mass and Maine)
Vermont
New Hampshire
Rhode Island
Connecticut
New York
New Jersey
Pennsylvania
Delaware
Ohio (Ohio plus most of Indiana)
Michigania
Keybeck (Quebec and Newfoundland)
Ontario
Burr (Manitoba and Nunavut)
Redemption (Saskatchewan, Alberta, Northern Territory)
Lincolnia (Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast)
Yukon (OTL Yukon and Columbia)
Destiny (OTL Alaska)
​

1. Named after legendary pirate captain Sam Bellamy. Although Texas always prided itself on being more of a cowboy/conquistador kind of people, the nation always admired the pirates of the Old Caribbean as a kind of spiritual kin, dedicated to adventure, freedom, and profit.

2. Named for Willy Wayne's Frontier Style Meat Slop. The company played a massive role in acquiring and developing the state, and in most ways still has more power there than the national government.

3. Named for General Thaddeus Cooper, the man who led the conquest of Oklahoma.

4. Named for the founder of the Georgia colony, James Ogelthorpe.

5. This colony is named using English naming traditions for various places, such as Straford-Upon-Avon. Essex is the name given to the Essequibo River by the Cokies. Hence, Guyana is now Carolina-Upon-Essex. The Cokie settlers go by the term Essexers.

 

[pattontank12]

After this post, I'm going to have a 1930 map of the Americas up! It's the only area that really changes in the 20's, so that's why I'm only doing that.

Georgia A E S T H E T I C

Huh was expecting some stuff from Man in the High Castle and Timeline 191 to show up.

 

[Murica1776]

Alt! RU Teddy bio incoming!

A Pinnacle President for a Pinnacle People: The Life of President Theodore Roosevelt

President Roosevelt in 1908
​

Theodore Roosevelt Jr was born to Theodore Roosevelt Sr and Martha Stewart Bulloch on October 27, 1858, in Manhattan. Theodore's family background is an interesting one. His mother was actually a descendant of Archibald Bulloch, the first President of Georgia. However, about a decade after his death, the family was disgraced by political rivals and fled to various countries across the old United States. Martha's branch converted to Fundamentalism and moved to Yankeeland, where they were welcomed as Pinnacle-Blooded Southrons who had "seen the light of Jehovah." Theodore Roosevelt Sr was of Dutch descent, and the Roosevelts were one of the most prominent families in the city. Upon meeting Theodore Roosevelt Sr for the first time in 1860, Strong Abe himself would comment "I believe the Roosevelt family to be one of our great Union's most Pinnacle dynasties. All good, honest Yankee families would do well to follow their example." By all accounts, the Roosevelt family was a genuinely warm, loving place.

However, young Teddy's life wasn't all domestic bliss and happy family memories. Born with asthma, Theodore Jr. was mercilessly bullied by many of his peers as being of "weak fluidation." His father and mother encouraged him to prove them wrong, pushing Teddy to lift weights, box, as well as read and study. His parents' encouragement helped young Teddy transform himself into a sturdy, vigorous young man, although this was only possible because of the young man's innate drive. Nonetheless, the future President would feel insecure about his childhood weaknesses all his life, and would later take great pleasure in publicly humiliating and demeaning those who had bullied him in his childhood. Perhaps the most infamous example of this was his 1891 fisticuffs match with sportsman, Minutemen officer, and fellow New York aristocrat Winthrop Astor Chanler. Winthrop, or "Wintie" as he was called, had ruthlessly bullied Theodore as a child, who he was a year younger than. Famously, he had actually nearly killed Teddy in a fight due to cracked ribs, one of which nearly punctured a lung. He derisively said afterward "So much for being a Pinnacle Man, eh Teddy?" When later President Roosevelt invited him to a fisticuffs match, he did not want to accept, for a reason soon to be explored, but felt compelled to accept. In front of the whole Cabinet and many of his New York acquaintances and friends, quite a few of whom joined in Wintie's torment of the young Roosevelt, the President of the Republican Union killed him in the ring. The last words Winthrop Astor Chantler heard before blacking out and eventually dying were "So much for being a Pinnacle Man, eh Wintie?"

Speaking of fisticuffs in a thankfully less homicidal manner, Teddy was the captain of his team at Harvard, and won renown across the nation for his combination of lightning speed, quick thinking, and his killer uppercut (pardon the pun). He graduated summa cum laude in his class at Harvard in 1880. Harvard is also where he met his wife and the love of his life, Alice Hathaway Lee, with whom he would have 7 children. After graduating from Harvard, Teddy returned to New York and enlisted in RUMP. Thanks to his competence, ruthlessness, education, and family name, Teddy rapidly rose from a Lieutenant to Supreme State Chief of RUMP for the State of New York by 1885. He hanged over 70 corrupt officers, and beat down the Irish in New York so badly that the boys in blue called him "The Paddy Killer." In 1886, aging RUMP Supreme Chief Levi Parsons Morton retired and handed over his post to Roosevelt, who had been seen as a strong contender from the beginning. Roosevelt immediately became popular nationwide for his brutal crackdown on corrupt RUMP officers, who had been an endemic source of problems for the agency. He also put down would be Infee rebels, and even some Anglo-Saxon groups who had grown disillusioned with the AFC. The young Pinnacle Man's meteoric rise was unprecedented since the days of Strong Abe, and that comparison would prove apt soon.

Winthrop Astor Chanler, bully turned victim of President Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt Sr.

Theodore Roosevelt in his custom uniform as RUMP Supreme Chief​

In 1890, President Clement Acton Griscom passed away of a sudden heart attack. The nation mourned, but not as hard as one might think. Griscom was a rich Philadelphia Main Liner who had basically bought his way to the Presidency, and was far from a national hero. The fact was that ever since Strong Abe passed away in 1872, the Second Sons, and indeed America had felt adrift. They needed a Strong Man, not some hoity toity tycoon who had no experience governing. As the Second Sons prepared for a snap election, Roosevelt put his hat in the ring for the heck of it. To the surprise of everyone, himself included, the 32 year old RUMP Supreme Chief won the Presidency of the Republican Union. His opponents said he was too young, but to many voters, that was a selling point. This young 32 year old had, in a relatively short time, overcome asthma, become a nationally renowned fisticuffs champion, a Harvard graduate, and then flew through the ranks of RUMP to become Supreme Chief. He had crushed corrupt cops, devilish Infees, and "wayward Anglo-Saxon Pinnacle Men" with equal vigor. To many, he reminded them of Strong Abe. A new era had dawned. The Roosevelt Presidency began.

The first action President Roosevelt took upon entering office was to limit the power of the Minutemen, still led by Schuyler Colfax. Although Colfax hadn't run for office, his lackeys had, and it was well known that only Roosevelt's fairly overwhelming popularity had prevented the Minutemen from executing a coup. In March of 1891, a bomb went off in the clubhouse of the Greenwich Country Club, killing Colfax and most of the Minutemen upper brass, who frequently golfed there. Immediately afterwards, Roosevelt signed an Executive Decree cutting the Minutemen's budget by 25% and limiting their powers. Roosevelt then shattered an unspoken glass ceiling by appointing Aaron Burr Douglass II the first Black Supreme Chief of the Minutemen. Douglass II was a competent, intelligent, and fanatical AFC follower from Cincinnati, Ohio, and was part of that city's group of black elites called the Cincinnatus Club thanks to his father, famous AFC preacher Aaron Burr Douglass. More important than breaking the glass ceiling, ABD II was perfect because he knew he owed the job to Roosevelt. He would be a loyal confidant and subordinate for decades, and Roosevelt would eventually restore some (but not all) of the Minutemen's funding and power as a reward. However, from here on out RUMP basically ran the domestic security scene.

The next issue President Roosevelt took care of (to the best of anyone's ability) was the Union's blooming overpopulation problem. The Union's Anglo-Saxon Pinnacle Men and Women had bred sturdy and numerous legions of world-conquering soldiers, not to mention the Pinnacle Jewish and African American refugees within the country, and of course the hideous and fecund Infees. The problem with this was that, as anyone could plainly see on a map, the Union wasn't terribly big. President Roosevelt addressed this problem in a variety of manners. He directed the Union to more aggressively colonize Lincolnia, and the Union secured a sizable chunk of land through conquest and purchase. The slow-motion genocide of the territory was partially in response to overcrowding concerns. Lincolnia also became a breadbasket for the Union, which was much needed. Secondly, he ordered the construction of Pinnacle Towns, pre-planned communities and suburbs which were modeled after the New England ideal. This helped spread out the population a bit, easing crowding in the cities. Finally, to deal with the youth crime and urchinery problem, President Roosevelt founded the narcissistically named Roosevelt Youth Brigade, with himself as Headmaster-General, in 1895. This had the effect of both easing burdens on parents, and brainwashing children even more thoroughly than before. Despite this, the overpopulation problem would never truly be solved until the Great War. Another solution Roosevelt created to ease the burden was "The Answer to the Infee Question." Although it would take the Beckie Flu for the Answer to be utilized, this was an initial plan for the elimination of 90% of America's Inferiors in a quick and quiet manner.

President Clement Acton Griscom

Aaron Burr Douglass II in his later years

The Roosevelt Youth Brigade at their first Jamboree
​

Aside from these issues, the first decade of Roosevelt's Presidency was quiet, and mainly focused on building up the economy and military for some kind of conflagration. However, the turn of the century would pose a new question; that of big business. After the Good Colonel sadly fell from his airship on the way to his 100th birthday party, nascent corporate rivalries exploded into violence. For about 4 years, from 1900-1904, Roosevelt took a hands off approach, sure that the market would correct itself and find a new Pinnacle Man to take charge. It never did, and the wars between corporations grew increasingly open and bloody, embarrassing Roosevelt and the Union as a whole. On June 1st, 1904, Roosevelt invited Goodyear II, Ford, the Van Burens, and other powerful business men to his summer home in Sagamore Hill. He was joined by his two good friends, J.P. Morgan and Samuel Prescott Bush, the Union's two biggest financiers. The finance industry was the exception to the fighting rule that had spread through the economy, as such violence drastically increased market volatility and uncertainty, which was very bad for business. Once the assorted tycoons were assembled, TR led them to the formal dining room, and locked the door. The words that followed were recorded by Bush in his diary:

"Then, President Roosevelt looked at the assorted company and made his play. "Gentlemen of the Union, I have gathered you here today to discuss your constant and violent warring on the streets of our Fair Union. I understand that you are Pinnacle Men, and Pinnacle Men fight. Social Darwinism is what makes America great! However, I will not tolerate this kind of anarchy any longer! I will not allow our Union to turn into a racially pure version of that godforsaken hellhole, Texas! You are here to make amends. If you do so and then forsake your word, I swear on the Bible and Four Books of Manifest Destiny, by the time I'm finished with you, it'll make what I did to Wintie Chanler look like a gentle chiding from a schoolmarm! And if that doesn't frighten you, both the Bank of the Union and J. P. Morgan have pledged that should violence of this scale continue, they will institute a nationwide credit freeze and publicly blame you. None of us want that. So I suggest you put aside your egos and work with us to find a permanent solution."

In the end, Roosevelt adopted the Economic Clan system of Henry Ford, but implemented regulations to make it less susceptible to monopolistic practices. Although corporate wars and armies would continue to exist, Roosevelt kept a close eye on them, and his authority went unquestioned. It was just as well. The Union needed an efficient economic machine for the coming war.

In 1911, Europe erupted into conflict. President Roosevelt offered the services of the Republican Union to the Germanian cause. The Kaiser agreed, but he didn't expect much from the Yankees, who many in Europe viewed as a stagnant backwater, forever crippled by 1812, even if they did have a decent economy and some great inventors. This view was proven to be false. Due to the false sense of security Canada had fallen into, their military was decrepit. By Patriot-Saints, 1912, the Union was firing potshots at the Alaskan border to warn off a potential Slavic invasion. The Union held a parade in Montreal to commemorate the centennial of 1812. Canada was finally American. In the peace deal, America also took some of Europan Africa. The world was utterly stunned. The Yankee backwater had actually been a juggernaut in the making. As nations across North America scrambled to make new war plans to account for this, in the streets of Philadelphia, New York, Boston and others, a carnival atmosphere descended despite the Beckie Flu. Some elements in the Union's Better population had grown to doubt Manifest Destiny because of the Union's lack of progress. These elements were quick to change their minds. The Pinnacle Man was marching onward. Judgement Day seemed to be closer than anticipated.

In the aftermath of the war, President Roosevelt was practically deified. He had won America an empire worthy of Caesar. Upon the conclusion of peace with the Europans, President Roosevelt passed the Canada Settlement Act, and Yankees poured into Canada like there was no tomorrow. He also announced the world's first vaccine for the Beckie Flu, and helped secure Fascist power in Britain and Norway-Sweden, who had joined Australia in following America's system. The Yankees had helped Britain before, but the scope of American involvement in Europe was something unseen from outside actors since the Ottoman invasions. When combined with the Beckie Flu vaccine, this only further confirmed the world's view that while the Union bloomed late, it had done so dramatically. The vaccine also had a deeper, darker purpose. Every Infee in the Union, including occupied Canada, was vaccinated. 9/10 of them dropped dead within two weeks. Out of the 10% that remained, 1/5th of them were killed by RUMP for rebelling. For those that remained, they were sent to large camps in the north of Canada for use as cheap labor, and even scientific testing. This was quite obviously horrifying. Even worse, it was practically done in secret. Rumors did trickle out, but the world had basically ignored the Union for so long that there weren't really any journalists or other people on the ground to confirm them. The Union got away with one of the largest genocides in history, and would later pretend it never happened without challenge, all thanks to President Roosevelt. The Cleansing Month also further relieved pressure on American resources.

In the aftermath of the War, Roosevelt's America was richer than it had ever been. Massive deposits of natural resources and vast tracts of farmland were opened for settlement. The Cleansing Month opened up even more land for purchase, and reduced food prices even more. In 1918, Roosevelt began the Destiny Road project to connect the nation, which drove auto ownership through the roof. Although the whole nation wouldn't be connected till after his death, all major settlements were connected by the DR by 1922. Which was just in time for Roosevelt's last major accomplishment in office, the Invasion of Alaska previously detailed. Following the Conquest and Cleansing of Alaska, Roosevelt was more beloved than ever. The Union was richer and stronger than ever, all thanks to his titanic efforts. However, although Alaska is the last big thing Roosevelt did for the history books, there was one final action Roosevelt made that changed history, although it isn't a story the Union would tell you.

In 1926, President Roosevelt learned that Reverend-Colonel Billy Sunday had been molesting children. The highest religious figure in the land had violated Yankee Teutonic Girlhood for decades. Revealing the truth would undermine all the newfound confidence and power the Union projected, but something had to be done. During a revival in Washingtonburg, Keybeck (formerly known as Montreal), a RUMP officer in disguise shot Billy Sunday in the genitals 5 times. He bled out within minutes. Roosevelt attended the funeral, and afterwards demanded a minute alone with the gravestone. He unzipped and took a leak. Afterwards, he said "Thus always to child rapists, you worthless scum sucking animal. May Jehovah laugh as you rot in hell." A fitting end for a man so vile. This was the last true major event of Roosevelt's Presidency, and he passed away in 1928. The nation mourned like never before, and crowds of people spontaneously erupted into tears at the news. Even as the nation buried their President, the funeral game of succession was beginning. A member of the President's own family would emerge triumphant.

President Roosevelt announces American victory in Canada (1912)

President Roosevelt announcing the Crusade into Alaska. He would be shot by a terrorist when touring the new territory in 1925 and said "It takes more than that to kill a Union Eagle!"

Mourners outside President Roosevelt's home in Sagamore Hill (1928)​

 

[Murica1776]

Huh was expecting some stuff from Man in the High Castle and Timeline 191 to show up.

I thought about it, but I think there are a lot of symbols in there that aren't necessarily what I'm looking for. Plus, MITHC almost has more of a 50's feel.

 

[pattontank12]

I thought about it, but I think there are a lot of symbols in there that aren't necessarily what I'm looking for. Plus, MITHC almost has more of a 50's feel.

Huh. What about Silver Shirts and general Moseley then?