And here is a map of the front lines as of December 31, 1978. Enjoy.
The Union Forever: A TL
- Thread starter Mac Gregor
- Start date
1978
Domestic and Foreign Developments
Domestic and Foreign Developments
On January 1, the French territories of Western and Eastern Sahara were granted independence. Borrowing a name from its storied past, Western Sahara was rechristened the Republic of Ghana with its capital in the ancient city of Timbuktu. After much debate, Eastern Shara was given the uninspired name of the Saharan Republic and a government was established in the southern city of Zinder. Although now independent, both nations remained heavily tied to France. The local currencies were pegged to the franc and the French military retained several bases. French President Jourdain Gaëtan trumpeted the move as the solution to the long running “African question” and as a major achievement for his administration. The French people in large part agreed, and reelected him and his National Republican party handsomely later that year.
In the United States, a much anticipated report on drug use in America was released in April. The government commissioned report made headlines for failing to find conclusive evidence of the medical dangers of Marijuana. The report also showed that the flow of cocaine from South America had fallen 20% over the past decade due to government and international efforts. While deploring drug use, President Stewart urged state governments to “make rational choices” when regulating illegal drugs, and added that “legislation should not be used to make criminals out of ordinary law abiding Americans.”
On March 6, the coalition government of German Chancellor Julius Holzner fell after the Social Democrats bolted over disagreements concerning the ongoing war in the Belgian Congo. Unable to form a majority, a new coalition of Conservatives and rightwing Christian Democrats came to power under Ulrich von Ritter. Von Ritter swore to “stand by the Empire’s friends” in the Association of European States and defeat the Congolese rebels. Unsurprisingly, many Germans on the left were dismayed by the bloodshed to keep Belgium’s African colony subdued.
In June, the 16th Summer Olympiad was held in Seville, Spain. King Juan IV, crowned only a few months earlier, presided over the opening ceremonies. With the majority of the world’s population involved in the ongoing Asia-Pacific War, many nations declined to send athletes. Furthermore, pro-democracy demonstrations disrupted several events making this, in the words of one commentator from Harper’s Weekly, “the worst Olympics in memory.”
After years of tortuous negotiations, Peru and Bolivia joined the League of American Republics after Chile and Ecuador finally dropped their objections to inclusion. Now with 17 member states, the LAR included all independent nations of the western hemisphere excluding Venezuela and British Commonwealth realms.
In November, the United States held congressional midterm elections. Fueled by anger over the downing of Westeria Flight 131, the elections catapulted a number of hawkish candidates into Congress. As usual, the midterms went against the sitting president’s party with Republicans making modest gains in the Senate and recapturing the House of Representatives from the Democrats.
On December 20, the Imperial Eurasian Federation’s spacecraft Svetilo broadcasted the first detailed photographs of Jupiter. Scheduled to visit Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune over the next several years, Svetilo confirmed the IEF as a major player in the ongoing competition to explore the solar system despite recent American and German success with their lunar programs.
A photograph of Jupiter taken from the IEF spacecraft Svetilo
December, 1978
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Harriet Tubman (Born Araminta Ross c.1822-1913)
Born into slavery in Maryland, Tubman changed her first name to Harriet when she married John Tubman around 1844. After suffering a head injury in 1849, Tubman escaped. However, she went back to rescue slaves starting the underground railroad. During the Civil War she provided intelligence to Union troops heading south. After the war she took up Suffrage and the cause of African American civil rights becoming a leading member of the E Pluribus Unum Society. Harriet Tubman died on March 10th, 1913 at the age of 91.
Born into slavery in Maryland, Tubman changed her first name to Harriet when she married John Tubman around 1844. After suffering a head injury in 1849, Tubman escaped. However, she went back to rescue slaves starting the underground railroad. During the Civil War she provided intelligence to Union troops heading south. After the war she took up Suffrage and the cause of African American civil rights becoming a leading member of the E Pluribus Unum Society. Harriet Tubman died on March 10th, 1913 at the age of 91.
Jefferson Davis (1807/1808-1873)
Born in Kentucky in 1807 or 1808 (not even Davis himself was sure) Jefferson Davis is a controversial figure in American history. After his family moved to Mississippi in 1811, they set up a plantation and owned slaves. Davis went to West Point in 1824 and graduated 23rd in a class of 33. Then he married Zachary Taylor's daughter Sarah in 1835 although she sadly died three months later.
In 1844 Davis married again this time to 17 year Varina Howell. In 1846, Davis raised a regiment of volunteers to fight in the Mexican-American War of which he was the colonel. He served under his former father in law Zachary Taylor. When the war ended he returned to Mississippi and was appointed to the Senate. Serving until 1853 when he was made Secretary of War by President Franklin Pierce. In 1857 Davis returned to the Senate. On January 21st, 1861, "The saddest day of my life" he would later recall Davis left the Senate.
Shortly thereafter he was elected first president of the Confederate States of America. Though he tried to win the war as best he could Davis was unable to bring his country together and he was deposed on July 3rd, 1863. After being imprisoned for two months Davis, with his wife Varina, went into exile. When asked shortly before his death about why the Confederacy lost he said "The Confederacy is dead and on it's tombstone reads 'died of a theory'". Jefferson Davis died January 15th, 1873 in exile in London, roundly despised by the people he was supposed to govern.
Loving it. What is his OTL quote of "died of a theory" referring to?
Southeast Asia and the Pacific
January-June, 1979
January-June, 1979
Vietnamese civilians flee the Allied advance
May, 1979
Indochina
After the fall of Hue in December, the fate of the Indochina campaign was never seriously in doubt. The Allies captured the Kampuchean capital of Phnom Penh after a brief siege on February 16. The Japanese and their remaining Vietnamese allies fought a bitter regard action as Technate and Siamese troops advanced on the southern city of Saigon. The Emperor and what remained of the Vietnamese government fled the country as the last Compact troops were hastily evacuated on April 27. The Japanese had no choice but to leave behind large amounts of heavy equipment which was quickly repurposed by the Allies. Disturbingly, there were several reports of mass executions of Vietnamese officers and officials as the Chinese wished to eliminate any potential resistance to the post war order.
Papua
With Borneo secure, the Commonwealth turned east to finish the job on Papua. General Sir Peter Carter had been fighting for well over two years to drive the Japanese off the island and now finally had the resources to do it. On March 9, the Commonwealth launched an offensive at four different sectors along the front. Years of jungle fighting had hardened both sides, but months of Allied submarine attacks on Compact shipping had left the Japanese bereft of supplies. After weeks of savage fighting, often a pointblank range due to the thick vegetation, the Japanese decided that their position had become untenable. The last major actions of the campaign occurred in early June, when Allied soldiers, mostly British, Australian, and New Zealanders, captured Wewak and Port Edward on the northern shore. Unwilling to be evacuated to the nearby island of New Britain, the Japanese commander General Noboru Fujimoto committed seppuku, as his predecessor had, before Allied troops overran his position. When Papua was finally deemed cleared on June 11, Australian Prime Minister Mason Duffy ordered church bells rung throughout the country optimistically stating “the beginning of the end is at hand.”
Hainan
Having finally cleared Indochina of Compact soldiers, the Chinese Technate redirected their efforts towards seizing the island of Hainan. Lost to the Japanese in 1954, Hainan had been extensively fortified over the years. On June 9, an invasion force of 169,000 men, almost exclusively Chinese, hurled itself against the beaches. While Allied bombers had battered the island for months, the Japanese defenses were still formidable. On one beach, code named gōngjī “rooster”, Technate soldiers were evacuated after a series of Japanese redoubts slaughtered them upon landing. In such bitter fighting, heroism was ever present. A Chinese unit that earned special distinction during this campaign was the innoxiously titled Detachment 298 a special forces outfit that fought for weeks behind enemy lines despite suffering 65% casualties. Despite losing the island’s capital of Haikou, the Japanese still held the southern half of the island by the end of the month. As both sides poured more munitions and men into the conflict one Japanese commander remarked that the once lush island resembled photos of the barren lunar landscape and was “just as hostile to life.”
After the fall of Hue in December, the fate of the Indochina campaign was never seriously in doubt. The Allies captured the Kampuchean capital of Phnom Penh after a brief siege on February 16. The Japanese and their remaining Vietnamese allies fought a bitter regard action as Technate and Siamese troops advanced on the southern city of Saigon. The Emperor and what remained of the Vietnamese government fled the country as the last Compact troops were hastily evacuated on April 27. The Japanese had no choice but to leave behind large amounts of heavy equipment which was quickly repurposed by the Allies. Disturbingly, there were several reports of mass executions of Vietnamese officers and officials as the Chinese wished to eliminate any potential resistance to the post war order.
Papua
With Borneo secure, the Commonwealth turned east to finish the job on Papua. General Sir Peter Carter had been fighting for well over two years to drive the Japanese off the island and now finally had the resources to do it. On March 9, the Commonwealth launched an offensive at four different sectors along the front. Years of jungle fighting had hardened both sides, but months of Allied submarine attacks on Compact shipping had left the Japanese bereft of supplies. After weeks of savage fighting, often a pointblank range due to the thick vegetation, the Japanese decided that their position had become untenable. The last major actions of the campaign occurred in early June, when Allied soldiers, mostly British, Australian, and New Zealanders, captured Wewak and Port Edward on the northern shore. Unwilling to be evacuated to the nearby island of New Britain, the Japanese commander General Noboru Fujimoto committed seppuku, as his predecessor had, before Allied troops overran his position. When Papua was finally deemed cleared on June 11, Australian Prime Minister Mason Duffy ordered church bells rung throughout the country optimistically stating “the beginning of the end is at hand.”
Hainan
Having finally cleared Indochina of Compact soldiers, the Chinese Technate redirected their efforts towards seizing the island of Hainan. Lost to the Japanese in 1954, Hainan had been extensively fortified over the years. On June 9, an invasion force of 169,000 men, almost exclusively Chinese, hurled itself against the beaches. While Allied bombers had battered the island for months, the Japanese defenses were still formidable. On one beach, code named gōngjī “rooster”, Technate soldiers were evacuated after a series of Japanese redoubts slaughtered them upon landing. In such bitter fighting, heroism was ever present. A Chinese unit that earned special distinction during this campaign was the innoxiously titled Detachment 298 a special forces outfit that fought for weeks behind enemy lines despite suffering 65% casualties. Despite losing the island’s capital of Haikou, the Japanese still held the southern half of the island by the end of the month. As both sides poured more munitions and men into the conflict one Japanese commander remarked that the once lush island resembled photos of the barren lunar landscape and was “just as hostile to life.”
An Australian soldier using a flamethrower on an enemy foxhole
Papua
April, 1979
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Victory in India
January-June, 1979
January-June, 1979
Battle of Calcutta
As the former capital of the British Raj and India’s chief eastern port with some 8,900,000 inhabitants, Calcutta’s importance was self-evident. Having slogged their way through Assam and Bengal, the Chinese Technate was determined to capture the city at any cost. Beginning on January 4, Technate forces under General Ming Bai Du made an armored thrust well to the north in an attempt to surround the city. In response, Indian General Saral Narang successfully contested the crossing of the Ganges River at Farakka, where a missile strike disabled one of the Technate’s pontoon bridges. However, the Chinese soon broke through at other points including a daring crossing of the Padma River at Rajshahi made under murderous artillery and automatic weapons fire. Over the next three months, the Chinese slowly strangled the city until house to house fighting began in the impoverished outskirts. Although by no means the largest engagement of the war, the battle of Calcutta would prove one of the most vicious as 450,000 Chinese soldiers grappled with over 300,000 Indian defenders in a life and death struggle. When the city finally fell on May 28, the Hooghly River that runs through the city was reported to literally run red with blood as soldiers and civilians fleeing the fighting were indiscriminately killed by Technate helicopters. With Calcutta captured the entire eastern front for the URI collapsed with only a handful of depleted units to contest any further advance along the Gangetic Plain.
Invasion of the Punjab
Pressed hard on other fronts, Indian General Kshitij Patil did his best to contain the Persian offensive despite crippling shortages in ammunition, fuel, and reinforcements. Further complicating matters for Patil, the largely Muslim population of the states of Sindh, South Punjab, and West Punjab were rising up in open rebellion against the perceived wrongs committed by the Nanda regime. After a brief pause to consolidate their overstretched supply lines, the Persians resumed their push eastwards in mid-February. Despite several URI victories at places like Khangarh and Rajanpur, the Persians inevitable gained ground. By the end of May, the URI had lost control of Multan, Sukkur, and Bahawalpur. On June 1, an overly ambitious attempt to capture Lahore failed after the Persians foolishly underestimated its defenses. The final battle of the campaign came to a successful end on June 16, when Karachi finally surrendered. Fittingly, General Patil’s last transmission to his superiors before being captured read simply “the Indus is lost.”
Fall of Ēkatā Śahara
With the Indians fully engaged in the east and west, Field Marshal Marion Fitzpatrick decided to continue his drive north towards the URI capital. Named Operation Guillotine because of its goal to “cut the head of the serpent,” Fitzpatrick hoped that by capturing Ēkatā Śahara “Unity City”, the war in India would effectively be over. Formerly known as Nagpur, Ēkatā Śahara was the showpiece of Harshad Nanda’s India. As such, Nanda personally took command of its defense, ringing the city in trenches, anti-cataphract ditches, and landmines. The battle would rage for 84 days, as Commonwealth forces methodically cleared the capital’s defensive belts. As the final push to capture the city center began on June 18, Harsad Nanda was killed when a Madrasian aircraft dropped an OP-19 “bunker buster” bomb on his underground headquarters. The city capitulated the following morning as jubilant Commonwealth troops toppled a bronze statue of Nanda in Unity Square in what was at the time the most watched television broadcast in history.
Armistice
News of Nanda’s death spread like wildfire throughout the URI. His appointed successor Shrinivas Dev Korrapati, the secretary general of the Internal Security Commission the URI’s feared secret police, announced on June 20 that the war would continue “until the last drop of Indian blood.” Fortunately for India, Korrapati would not get his wish. On June 22, Korrapati was deposed by a group of Indian officers led by Colonel Adjeet Gadhavi, who rightly understood that the war was lost. The following day, the URI flag was lowered over Delhi’s Red Fort and the tricolor swastika banner of the Indian Republic was raised. An armistice with the Allied Powers went into effect at noon on June 24, ending nearly three years of bloody conflict on the subcontinent.
United Republic of India
1968-1979
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Here is a country profile to give us a break from the war. Cheers!
Name: Republic of Greater Syria
Capital: Damascus
Largest City: Beirut
Population: 18,326,000 (1975)
Official Language: Arabic
Demonym: Syrian
Government: Presidential Republic
Head of State and Government: President Jamil Khalid al-Jabiri
Independence: 10 April 1943 (from Turkey)
Currency: Syrian Dinar
Brief History of Syria 1860-1979
With the British having failed to take Ottoman Syria during the Great War, the region would remain under Turkish rule until 1943 when after six long years of fighting it finally won independence. Under its first president, Fareed Bakri Kattan, Syria struggled at first to consolidate its diverse population into a cohesive nation state. Eventually, a workable solution was reached. Although Sunni Arabs remained dominate in most political and military circles the nation’s Shia Arab, Turkish, Christian, Jewish, and Druze minorities lived largely unmolested in Syria’s heterogeneous society. By the 1970s, Syria had developed considerably, boasting a growing middle class, rising literacy rates, and semi-respectable democratic elections. Since independence, Syria’s foreign policy has remained woefully undefined often shifting dramatically depending on the government in power. While maintaining friendly relationships with the Republic of Egypt, Syria has squabbled off and on with its other neighbors Turkey, Kurdistan, Mesopotamia, and Arabia. In a promising sign of reform, Syria’s newly elected leader President Jamil Khalid al-Jabiri has called for a regional conference in the resort city of Gaza in the autumn of 1979 to discuss “a comprehensive agreement for Near Eastern solidarity.”
Name: Republic of Greater Syria
Capital: Damascus
Largest City: Beirut
Population: 18,326,000 (1975)
Official Language: Arabic
Demonym: Syrian
Government: Presidential Republic
Head of State and Government: President Jamil Khalid al-Jabiri
Independence: 10 April 1943 (from Turkey)
Currency: Syrian Dinar
Brief History of Syria 1860-1979
With the British having failed to take Ottoman Syria during the Great War, the region would remain under Turkish rule until 1943 when after six long years of fighting it finally won independence. Under its first president, Fareed Bakri Kattan, Syria struggled at first to consolidate its diverse population into a cohesive nation state. Eventually, a workable solution was reached. Although Sunni Arabs remained dominate in most political and military circles the nation’s Shia Arab, Turkish, Christian, Jewish, and Druze minorities lived largely unmolested in Syria’s heterogeneous society. By the 1970s, Syria had developed considerably, boasting a growing middle class, rising literacy rates, and semi-respectable democratic elections. Since independence, Syria’s foreign policy has remained woefully undefined often shifting dramatically depending on the government in power. While maintaining friendly relationships with the Republic of Egypt, Syria has squabbled off and on with its other neighbors Turkey, Kurdistan, Mesopotamia, and Arabia. In a promising sign of reform, Syria’s newly elected leader President Jamil Khalid al-Jabiri has called for a regional conference in the resort city of Gaza in the autumn of 1979 to discuss “a comprehensive agreement for Near Eastern solidarity.”
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The War Spreads Westward
The Americas
January-June, 1979
The Americas
January-June, 1979
British Guyana
Hampered by the harsh jungle terrain and limited resources assigned to his theater, Lieutenant General Brayden Huddleson had made painfully slow progress since landing in British Guyana in July of 1978. During the early months of 1979, Commonwealth forces reestablished a semblance on control over the northern half of British Guyana and began to push westwards into Venezuela to the mouth of the Orinoco River. The small number of available Commonwealth aircraft were unable to provide more than limited ground support allowing the Venezuelans to thwart the Commonwealth’s advance. By June, Commonwealth troops had become hopeless bogged down along an overextend front. As the war dragged on the corporatist regime of Venezuelan dictator Vicente Saturnino turned against perceived “domestic enemies.” Saturnino arrested or executed an estimated 20,000 “subversives and undesirables” during the first half of 1979 alone.
Raid on Bucaramanga
The long running border dispute between Venezuela and Colombia had lasted for decades. Since the start of the Asia-Pacific War, firefights grew more common and violations of Colombian airspace occurred on a near daily basis. In March, a League of American Republics commission to review the situation stated that while “the armed forces of both nations have committed transgressions” the government of Venezuela was “responsible for initiating 80% of hostile actions and flagrant violations of international law.” Fearing that it was only a matter of time before Colombia entered the war, Saturnino decided to strike first. Saturnino foolishly hoped that by delivering a crippling blow against Colombia, it and the rest of the LAR would not wish to become entangled in the war. During the early morning hours of June 27, the Venezuelan Air Force attacked the Colombian city of Bucaramanga targeting key command and control facilities, army barracks, and the sizable airfield northwest of the city. The Colombians were caught completely by surprise losing over 78 aircraft on the ground and 4,187 personnel killed or wounded. Although the cream of his Air Force had been destroyed, President Duilio Crespo defiantly asked the Colombian Congress for a declaration of war that afternoon. With an overwhelming majority, Congress granted Crespo’s request.
United States enters the War
President Margaret Stewart addressing the nation
McKinnis Garden, White House
June 30, 1979
Within an hour, news of the attack on Bucaramanga reached President Stewart in the White House. For the past three years, she had successfully tried to keep America out of war. However, it was clear to all that such a blatant attack on a LAR ally could not go unpunished. Although Brazilian President Ricardo Barroso called for another round of sanctions against Venezuela, Stewart realized that the time for talk was over. The biggest question facing Stewart was whether to declare war on Venezuela or on its ally Japan as well. After a heated meeting with her cabinet that ran well into the night, it was narrowly decided to declare war only on Venezuela. However, during the predawn hours of June 28, a Japanese submarine sunk a Colombian destroyer off the coast off Buenaventura. Reconvening in the morning, President Stewart informed her cabinet that she would ask for a declaration of war against Venezuela and Japan. Allowing 48 hours for the military to ready itself in the Pacific and Caribbean, Stewart went before Congress on the afternoon of June 30. In her speech, Stewart invoked the collective defense clause of the Charter of the League of American Republics and listed the series of aggressive acts committed by Japan from the killing of Americans in Vancouver to the downing of Westeria Flight 131. With a vote of 71 to 41 in the Senate and 364 to 137 in the House, the United States of America at last entered the war it had tried so hard to avoid.
The frontlines as of July 1, 1979
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Name: Kingdom of Hungary
Capital and Largest City: Budapest
Population: 11,012,000 (1978)
Official Language: Hungarian
Demonym: Hungarian
Government: Parliamentary Monarchy
Head of State: King Ferdinand VI
Head of Government: Prime Minister Pista Ruzsa
Independence: July 3, 1910 (from Austria-Hungary)
Currency: Florint
Brief History of Hungary 1860-1979
In 1867, after the disastrous defeat at the hands of Prussia, the Austrian Empire was reformed granting Hungary some limited measures of self-government under a shared monarchy with Austria. Now styled Austria-Hungary, the region would remain a part of the Dual Monarchy until the end of the Great War. Following the defeat of the Imperial Entente, the Kingdom of Hungary was restored as a fully independent nation. After bitter negotiations between the Allied Powers, a Hapsburg nephew of the last Austro-Hungarian Emperor Maximilian I was crowned King Francis II. In 1916, the country was plunged into disarray after Robi Vencel Ignacz and his Communists seized power and proclaimed the Hungarian Socialist Republic. It would be sort lived and Francis II was reinstated after German and Russian troops crushed the so-called “Red Revolt” nine months later. Over the next several decades, Hungary drew closer to Germany and was a founding member of the Association of European States in 1963. Domestically, Hungary remained trapped under a succession of repressive and illiberal governments. As such, tensions between reformers and conservative monarchists flared up repeatedly throughout the ‘60s and ‘70s leaving many to wonder whether another revolution was in the making.
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Treaty of Colombo
With Harshad Nanda dead and his corporatist regime deposed, the victorious powers gathered in the Ceylonese capital of Colombo to hammer out a final peace treaty. Although the war continued in the Pacific and Venezuela, a settlement was finally reached in November after over four months of intense negotiations. The lengthy treaty would impose several conditions and redraw the map of the subcontinent.
Indian Government
The treaty made a number of stipulations on the shape that India’s post war government was to take. The corporatist Raṣṭriya Ekata Parṭi (REP) was permanently banned and any high ranking REP politician was barred form ever holding public office. Free, fair, and democratic elections were to be held no later than July of 1980. India was to renounce aggressive war and any territorial claim to neighboring counties. The Indian government was also forced to apologize for the war and pay reparations worth 40 billion British Pounds.
Military Restrictions
Also imposed in the treaty were several limitations on India’s military. Ground troops were hereby capped at 300,000 and cataphracts at 250. The Indian air force was prohibited from possessing any medium to heavy bombers and restricted to a mere 200 aircraft including attack helicopters. India forever renounced the right to possess chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons. The Indian Navy could not exceed 100,000 tons and was forbidden to operate aircraft carriers or armed submarines.
Territorial Changes
As expected, the treaty made numerous territorial changes at the expense of defeated India. Bengal’s western border was expanded to include the now ruined city of Calcutta. At the strong insistence of the Portuguese delegation the three settlements of Portuguese India had their territory expanded to more “defensible borders.” The Commonwealth of Madras gained territory to have a contiguous border running from Goa to Hyderabad. Mysore gained a small corridor to the sea, and Hyderabad made modest gains in the southwest. Along the Indus River, two new nations were formed out of the predominantly Muslim states of Sindh, South Punjab, and West Punjab. These included the Republic of Sindh with its government seated in Karachi, and the Republic of the Punjab with its capital in Multan. Awkwardly, Baluchistan was forced to cede a large swath of territory to Persia which was politely termed a “border readjustment.”
Spheres of Influence
While not explicitly mentioned, the Treaty of Colombo effectively carved out new spheres of influence for the major powers. Baluchistan, Sindh, and the Punjab
all become heavily tied to Persia. The Chinese Technate acquired massive influence over Assam and Bengal. In the south, the Commonwealth of Madras positioned itself to become the leader of a new coalition of small Indian nations.
Ratification
While the Indian provisional government in Delhi found these terms harsh, they correctly realized that they were in no position to argue. Furthermore, large of amounts of aid in food, medicine, and equipment needed for reconstruction was made dependent of ratifying the treaty. As such India resultantly agreed to the terms on November 4, 1979 with all the other signatories signing by the end of the year.
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Name: Sultanate of Arabia
Capital: Mecca
Largest City: Jeddah
Population: 12,494,000 (1976)
Official Language: Arabic
Official Religion: Islam
Demonym: Arabian
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Head of State and Government: Sultan Talal bin Hasan
Independence: August 14, 1910 (from Ottoman Empire)
Currency: Arabian Dinar
Brief History of Arabia 1860-1979
Until the Great War, much of what would become the Sultanate of Arabia was controlled either by the Ottoman Empire or by an assortment of Bedouin tribes. Following the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in 1910, Hussein bin Ali the Sharif and Emir of Mecca declared himself Sultan of Arabia and Caliph of all Muslims. Over the next nine years, Hussein and his Hashemite supporters fought a bitter war against the House of Saud in the Arabian interior. In the following decade after the decisive Battle of Riyad, Hussein consolidated his authority over the Arabian Peninsula. Upon his death in 1931, Hussein was succeeded by his son Hasan. Sultan Hasan spent much of his reign putting down revolts by Yemeni tribesmen and Wahhabis. After Hasan’s death in 1948, his eldest son Talal ascended to the throne after successfully surviving an attempted palace coup by his brother Abdullah. Sultan Talal did far more than his father or grandfather to modernize the country. By exploiting Arabia’s enormous oil resources, Talal constructed a new series of highways, railroads, and airports opening up vast tracks of territory to the outside world. In Jeddah, Talal founded the Royal Islamic University becoming in time one of the premier centers for education in the Muslim world. Although Talal kept a tight grasp on absolute power, he did establish a proto-legislature called the Council of Elders in 1967. Demestically, the Sultanate of Arabia remains heavily divided with religious conservatives and rival families looking for a way to gain power at the expense of the Hashemite monarchy. While Arabia mostly avoids foreign entanglements, Talal over the years slowly shifted Arabia away from the British towards an alliance with Germany, whom Talal referred to as having “more to offer and less to fear.”
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Venezuela
July – November 1979
American soldiers from the 5th Infantry Division firing at a Venezuelan bunker
November 13, 1979
July – November 1979
American soldiers from the 5th Infantry Division firing at a Venezuelan bunker
November 13, 1979
With the introduction of Colombia and the United States into the war, Venezuela’s prospects for victory all but evaporated. Over the next 40 days, Allied aircraft and missiles swarmed over the length and breadth of the country, decimating Venezuela’s remaining air defenses. By the time the United States was ready to commit ground troops in mid-August, most of the nations of the League of American Republics had entered the war. With the exception of Mexico, Argentina, and Chile however, few contributed significant forces.
On August 11 amidst blistering heat, a joint American and Mexican force of some 38,000 men landed on the Paraguana Pennisula in western Venezuela. Because President Stewart wished to knock Venezuela out of the war as soon as possible, little time was allowed to rehearse the landing. As such, it got off to a rocky start with several costly accidents. To make matters worse, the Venezuelan defenders fought tenaciously before retiring south along the Isthmus of Medanos. Although capturing the Paraguana Pennsula deprived Venezuela of a key oil refinery the fighting inflicted heavy losses on the American and Mexican marines. Further west, Colombia rallied from the surprise attack of June 27, and began to move eastwards. By September, the Colombians had reached the defenses of the important city of Maracaibo before stiffing resistance forced them to dig in. Maracaibo would not fall until November 1. Meanwhile in the east, with the Venezuelans stretched to the breaking point, Lieutenant General Huddleson and his Commonwealth troops finally forced a crossing of the Orinoco River.
With the Venezuelans collapsing in the east and west, Admiral Normand Pfeiffer, commander of the United States Caribbean Fleet, hatched an audacious plan to topple Venezuelan Dictator Vicente Saturnino’s regime. Dubbed Operation Foxhound, the plan entailed an amphibious landing on either side of the capital city of Caracas. With many of the best Army units earmarked for the Pacific, Admiral Pfeiffer was forced to use a number of militia units to make up the shortfall, most of which came from the Caribbean states of Cuba and Santo Domingo. On October 22, elements of the 31st Airborne Division and the 8th Air Calvary Division landed behind enemy lines roughly 25 miles east of Caracas. Ground forces stormed ashore hours later under a hail of artillery and small arms fire. During the chaotic first wave, the 72nd Infantry Regiment (Cuban Militia) distinguished itself by bravely capturing an important draw off the beach allowing the landing of cataphracts later that day. On October 24, as Venezuelan forces tried to contain the beachhead, the second landing occurred west of the city. Venezuela’s costal mountain range made moving inland extremely difficult, and it would take nearly a month before Caracas was surrounded. By the time Allied troops finally stormed the deserted Presidential Palace the city was a smoldering wreck.
In the waning days of the Battle of Caracas, Saturnino fled south to the city of Calabozo vowing to carry out a guerrilla war against the occupiers. However, on November 27 the Venezuelan military decided to take matters into its own hands. Vicente Saturnino was arrested after a brief firefight with his guards, and Brigadier General Jose Narvarte Orzua was declared the head of a provisional government. Once in power Orzua immediately requested an armistice with the Allies. On November 29, despite some continued fighting with hardliners, 30 years of corporatist tyranny in Venezuela finally came to an end.
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The War Against Japan
July – December 1979
A Technate "incinerator" in action against the Japanese
Hainan
August, 1979
July – December 1979
A Technate "incinerator" in action against the Japanese
Hainan
August, 1979
Opening Blows
The entry of the United States into the war on June 30, 1979 caused a maelstrom in the Pacific as the belligerents’ vessels and aircraft raced to strike first. American and Japanese submarines prowled each other’s waters forcing merchant shipping into port. On July 2, Japan scored a surprise upset against the Allies when, contrary to the predictions of U.S. Navy commanders, scores of Japanese missiles slammed into the American navl base at Subic Bay in the Philippines. Although the U.S Asiatic Fleet had put to sea during the preceding weeks, the missiles destroyed or damaged a large number of dry docks, communication facilities, and oil storage depots. Rear Admiral P.G. Yost, the man responsible for base defense, would be recalled to Washington over his inadequate preparations.
Hainan
Throughout July, a brutal battle of attrition continued unabated on the island of Hainan. Technate troops burned the Japanese out of their defenses one pillbox and tunnel at time. A difficult task aided by the deployment of flamethrower-equipped cataphracts known simply as Fénhuà lú (“incinerators”). The Japanese defenders expected no quarter and Chinese commander General Liu Bangguo ensured none was offered. On August 18, General Liu declared the island secure although desperate pockets of Japanese survivors would emerge periodically for the next three months. Virtually the entire Japanese civilian population on Hainan was either evacuated by the Japanese government, killed in the fighting, or “removed for safety concerns” and interned on the Chinese mainland. Some estimates but the total casualties for the Battle of Hainan at over 1.1 million, making it one of the costliest engagements of the war. Many feared that the next major operation, the invasion of Formosa, would be even bloodier.
Korea
Korean protestors grapple with Japanese police
Pusan, Korea
September, 1979
By the second half of 1979, the Korean tinderbox was ready to ignite. Allied propaganda made it well known that if victorious an independent state would be established after the war, an attractive prospect to most Koreans. Over the past year, a steady stream of Technate Special Forces units had infiltrated into Korea. Resupplied by airdrops or living off the land, these roving detachments sabotaged rail lines and attacked soft targets forcing a far larger number of Japanese troops into static defense. More importantly, Chinese Special Forces began to organize Koreans, mostly deserters form the Imperial Japanese Army, to fight against their overlords. Armed with captured Japanese weapons, these guerrilla bands proved near impossible to squash as they often blended into civilian populations or hid in Korea’s rugged mountainous terrain. Japanese reprisals against villages and cities thought to be sympathetic to these guerillas was swift and brutal. Understandably, this only further angered the Korean people. In early September, a series of wildcat strikes by Korean workers soon spread to encompass the entire peninsula. Japanese authorities denounced the strikes as treason and ruthlessly tried to force laborers back to work. In a single week, an estimated 800 to 1,200 Koreans died in attempts to break the strike. By October, Korea was declared to be in open revolt. Many cities, including Hamhung, Seoul, Pusan, and Pyongyang became paralyzed by guerrilla attacks and street violence. Large numbers of Japanese colonists who had settled in Korea over the past several decades fled to Japan as vengeful Koreans sought revenge for 80 years of subjugation.
South Pacific
In the South Pacific, the United States and the British Commonwealth decided against attempting to retake the myriad of islands seized by Japan at the start of the war. Isolated and bereft of supplies, the Allies believed the garrisons on these islands posed little threat. The lone exception being the island of New Britain, which by hosting several Japanese airfields, remained a dangerous nuisance. Endeavoring to neutralize the Japanese presence, the Allies mounted no less than four high altitude bombing raids with varying results. A small taskforce led by the aircraft carrier HMCS Maple Leaf continued to put pressure on the islands in order to divert dwindling Japanese resources.
Bonin Islands
USS Puerto Rico firing on Iwo Jima
November 5, 1979
Having ruled out a South Pacific approach, the United States moved against the Bonin Islands located some 1,000 km south of Tokyo. Although sparsely populated, the Bonins were targeted due to their proximity to the United States Territory of Micronesia and the obstacle they posed to American bombers flying out of Saipan and Guam. The United States commander in the Pacific, Admiral Donnell Thornburg, ordered the systematic bombing off all occupied Bonin Islands, a laborious and costly task that ended up consuming a huge chunk of America’s bombers. The United States Army Air Corp under General Olen Ferrara, who wished to concentrate on bombing the Japanese Home Islands, opposed this strategy. Despite the controversy, tens of thousands of tons of ordinance was dropped on the tiny volcanic islands by November. The first island to be attacked was Iwo Jima “Sulfur Island.” The Japanese viewed the Bonins as their first line of defense against the Americans and fortified them accordingly. Originally uninhabited, Iwo Jima had since the 1950s hosted a sizable airfield and missile complex. While aerial bombardment had rendered the surface a wasteland, the island’s maze of underground tunnels and bunkers were still largely intact when elements of the 1st Marine Division and 3rd Infantry Division stormed ashore on November 5. The landing of green American troops against seasoned Japanese veterans proved chaotic to say the least. The Navy, comprising the bulk of the Asiatic, Central Pacific, East Pacific, and South Atlantic Fleets, fared little better as anti-ship missiles from neighboring Chichi Jima sunk several vessels including the aircraft carrier USS Valley Forge and the battleship USS Mahetane . The British Commonwealth provided naval support during Iwo Jima as well, losing amongst others the missile cruiser HMS Gibraltar. The Japanese declined to commit their remaining aircraft carriers to the fight sealing the island’s fate. When the island was finally deemed cleared on December 21 over 9,481 allied soldiers, sailors, and aviators had lost their lives with nearly 27,000 wounded. At home, Americans would celebrate a somber Christmas as President Stewart tried to persuade them that the sacrifice was worth it.
Japan
In Tokyo, Prime Minister Ryota Hayashi felt besieged as the Japanese war effort faltered. By December, Japan stood alone against the combined might of the Chinese Technate, British Commonwealth, and the League of American Republics. Japanese cities were increasingly coming under attack by Allied bombers leaving large swaths of Hiroshima, Kyoto, Osaka, and Sapporo in flames. The Allied navies had twelve aircraft carriers compared to Japan’s remaining five. The Imperial Japanese Army had lost Indochina, Hainan, Papua, and Iwo Jima. Korea was disintegrating into rebellion and shortages of everything from food, fuel, and raw materials were causing the Japanese economy to sputter to a halt. At a cabinet meeting on December 24, several ministers called on Hayashi to enter into negotiations with the Allies. Hayashi curtly refused, stating that submitting to the Allies demands would be “a dishonor unbefitting the Japanese Empire and his Imperial Majesty.” As such, the 1980s dawned with half the world still at war.
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1979
Domestic and Foreign Developments
Domestic and Foreign Developments
On January 18, Pacifica became the 56th state to join the Union. At the ceremony in the state capital of Apia, President Stewart was joined by former presidents Gavin, Anderson, and Kirkman in a touching display of unity. Composed of the Samoan and American Polynesian Islands, many hoped that granting statehood would ward off any would be aggressors such as Japan. Spread out over 120 islands, Pacific adopted a highly decentralized state constitution that delegated considerable autonomy to the various counties.
In March, the Danish tabloid Gnist uncovered a long-term homosexual affair between Crown Prince Konrad of Sweden and his driver Adolf Karlsson. The scandal generated a firestorm of controversy across Europe and the Americas concerning homosexuality. Eventually the Swedish government pressured Konrad to step down from the line of succession. Konrad retained the title Duke of Gotland where he lived, along with Adolf Karlsson, for the rest of his life.
On April 4, the first 24 hour news network the World News Corporation (WNC)was launched in New York City. The brainchild of Virginian entrepreneur Andre Brooks, WNC soon saw its stock prices skyrocket as information hungry Americans tuned in to follow the war.
In late April, the Republic of Liberia held its first democratic election in over a decade. Charishma Mathews of the New Wig Party was elected as the nation’s first female president. Over the next several years, Mathews did much to modernize the country turning Monrovia into an important shipping hub on the West African coast.
The 1979 World’s Fair was held in the Italian city of Trieste after the original host Kyoto, Japan was deemed “unsuitable at the current time” by the International Committee for the World’s Fair (ICWF).
On September 9, Syrian President Jamil Khalid al-Jabiri hosted a regional conference in the resort city of Gaza. With delegates from Arabia, Egypt, Kurdistan, Kuwait, Mesopotamia, Oman, Persia, Sudan, Syria, Turkey, and the UGE the conference was one of the largest gathering of Middle Eastern nations in history. Despite three weeks of discussion, the meeting failed to reach any significant agreement besides the usual calls for Muslim unity and continued peace. The conference did however reveal some growing fault lines in the region, such as concerns over Persia’s recent conquests in India and Turkey’s increasingly belligerent attitude towards its neighbors.
In December, Russian poet Verusha Kuznetsov’s second book, A Noble Tower, was published. As an early example of Russian Neo-Romanticism, Kuznetsov’s work helped fuel a growing resentment in certain portions of the IEF for non-ethnic Russians, which some believed were weakening the nation by promoting multicultural “Eurasianism.”
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Victory over Japan
January-April, 1980
January-April, 1980
USS Nathan Hale in action near Chichi Jima
February 28, 1980
Invasion of Formosa
After four months of recuperating and refitting following the Battle of Hainan, the Technate of China invaded the island of Formosa on January 2, 1980 in what was the largest amphibious invasion in history. Having been occupied by the Japanese since 1897, Formosa was considered an integral part of the Japanese Empire and to be held at all costs. Much like on Hainan, the fighting was tenacious and brutal as soldiers grappled with each other in claustrophobic underground tunnels and catapracts clashed above ground. In the air, the Allies enjoyed near complete air supremacy. This allowed helicopter gunships and bombers to wreak havoc on Japanese positions. General Juro Minami, the commander of the island’s defenses, in a desperate move ordered suicide attacks against the Chinese invaders. While unnerving, these had little impact on the overall battle. By March, the provincial capital of Taipei and the rest of the heavily populated western coast had fallen to the Allies. It would take a further five weeks before the rest of the island capitulated on April 11. Like many battles between the Techante and Japan the exact casualties will never be known, however most historians estimate total casualties somewhere between 1.3 and 1.5 million combatants and civilians.
Battle of Chichi Jima
After the costly success at Iwo Jima, the United States directed its efforts against the largest of the Bonin Islands, Chichi Jima. With Chichi Jima captured, American bombers from Micronesia would have a clear path to devastate the key cities of Tokyo and Yokohama. Understanding the critical importance of Chichi Jima to the defense of the Home Islands, the Imperial Japanese Navy consolidated its remaining strength to oppose the landings. On February 28, the Japanese Fleet led by Admiral Saburo Tsukino steamed south to intercept the Allied invasion force under Admiral Gerald Cartwright. The battle would prove to be the largest of the war in terms of ships, surpassing the Battle of the Spratley Islands, pitting 5 Japanese aircraft carriers (Takasago Koku, Shikoku, Hokkaido, Aichi, and Taiwan) against 10 Allied carriers (HMAS Queensland, HMS Albion, HMS Victorious, HMSAS Springbok, USS John Paul Jones, USS Manifest Destiny, USS Ragged Island, USS Robert T. Lincoln, USS Saratoga, and USS Sundern). Unlike other naval engagements of the war, the contest in the waters around Chichi Jima lasted less than 12 hours. With a clear advantage in numbers, the Allies decimated the Japanese Fleet destroying all of their aircraft carriers and 20 other vessels. The Allies lost the aged USS Manifest Destiny and the HMSAS Springbok was badly damaged. With the remnants of the Imperial Japanese Navy scattered or cowering in port the Allies completed their landing on Chichi Jima. On April 8, the island was declared secure at a cost over 10,000 Allied lives.
Fall of Ryota Hayashi
The fall of Formosa and the destruction on the Japanese Fleet persuaded all but the most delusional hardliners that the war was now lost. At the request of several moderates, Emperor Nobuhito publicly called for Prime Minister Ryota Hayashi to resign on April 19. Enraged, Hayashi ordered the Emperor to be taken into “protective custody.” Fortunately for the Emperor, the troops sent to capture him defected after a brief standoff with the palace guard. As pressure mounted, Hayashi soon found himself surrounded inside Kobushi party headquarters by soldiers loyal to the Emperor. Realizing that the end was near, Hayashi committed suicide by a pistol shot to the head on the morning of April 22.
Armistice
Immediately following Hayashi’s death, Emperor Nobuhito appointed the anti-corporatist academic Hachiro Kimura as interim Prime Minister. On April 24, Kimura signed an armistice with the Allied powers on board the HMS Victorious. At the ceremony, representatives from the British Commonwealth, League of American Republics, Kingdom of Portugal, and the Technate of China stood in reticent triumph as Kimura signed the armistice document on live television. After nearly three years and ten months of war and millions of deaths, the guns finally fell silent.
Crowds celebrate news of the armistice in London
April 28, 1980
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Treaty of Manila
With the war finally over, delegations from the former belligerent nations gathered in the Philippine capital of Manila. During the sweltering heat of the summer of 1980, diplomats squabbled and schemed to forge a lasting peace while satisfying their national interests.
Japanese Government
Having been instrumental in removing Hayashi and the corporatists from power, Emperor Nobuhito managed to enter into the Manila negotiations from a position of relative strength. Nevertheless, the peace treaty imposed several harsh conditions on the Japanese government. Japan was forced to apologize and accept blame for starting the war. The corporatist Kobushi party was permanently banned, and a new constitution providing for free multiparty elections was to be drafted. Nearly two dozen individuals were handed over to an Allied tribunal to be tried for war crimes. Japan was also saddled with a sizable indemnity of 75 billion British Pounds.
Military Restrictions
As in India, several limitations were placed on the Japanese military. At Manila, the Chinese delegation pushed for full demilitarization. Representatives from the British Commonwealth and the LAR however, wished for Japan to be able to defend itself against an ascendant China. After a series of tense negotiations an agreement was finally reached. Japan was prohibited form ever possessing nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons. The Imperial Navy was banned form operating aircraft carriers and limited to 150,000 tons for the next 30 years. The Imperial Army was capped at 500,000 troops including reservists for a similar length of time.
Territorial Changes
The Treaty of Manila made several important changes to the map of East Asia, essentially dismantling the Japanese Empire. In Southeast Asia, the Kingdom of Siam returned to its pre-1972 borders. Japan was to evacuate all South Pacific islands that belonged to the British Commonwealth before the war. Hainan, Formosa, Japan’s Antarctic territory, and a host of smaller islands including the Parcels and Senkakus were ceded to the Technate of China. Korea became an independent state for the first time in over 80 years with elections scheduled for 1982. After considerable debate, the United States gained control over the Bonin Islands. President Stewart was initially reluctant to gain any territory for her country’s part in the war, but the high price paid for the islands and their usefulness as a buffer for the Micronesian Territory changed her mind. One of the most contentious issues of the conference was the fate of the Ryukyu Islands. Despite never being captured during the war, the Chinese sought to annex all of the Ryukyu and Daito Islands. Britain, which wished to have something to show for its efforts in the Pacific, also made a claim for them. Eventually, a compromise was reached where the islands would remain part of Japan but be demilitarized. Over the years, many in China would view that the Western powers cheated them out of the Ryukyu Islands.
Spheres of Influence
As worked out in the Cape Town Conference during February of 1977, China gained a massively expanded sphere of influence after the war. By the end of the year, Vietnam, Laos, and Kampuchea had all declared themselves technates. Despite falling in China’s new area of influence, the United States and Britain fought hard for Korea to have a chance to pick its own government. Many in the West hoped that China would respect the Korean people’s decision when they went to the polls in 1982.
The World following the Treaty of Manila
September, 1980
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(Be sure to see the update on the Treaty of Manila on the previous page.)
The Cost of War
In the months following the war, historians began the arduous process of tallying the dead. While the exact number is impossible to know, most put the figure somewhere between 32-35 million fatalities arguably making the Asia-Pacific War the world’s most deadly conflict since the Mongol conquests of the 13th and 14th centuries. The table below contains the most widely cited figures from the British Museum.
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1980
Foreign and Domestic Developments
German Space Station Freiden
February, 1980
Foreign and Domestic Developments
German Space Station Freiden
February, 1980
In February, Germany’s Imperial Space and Aeronautics Commission established the world’s first space station, the Freiden. Having completed their lunar program the previous year after seven successful landings, the German Empire viewed the Freiden as the next step for further manned exploration of the solar system.
On April 25, the 1,200 km North African High-Speed Railway began service from Oran to Tunis. A joint French-Italian project, the railway was at the time the longest high-speed railway in the world. While celebrated by most as an engineering marvel, some critics derided it as an over expensive ploy to placate France and Italy’s North African citizens.
1980 in the United States saw the dramatic rise in popularity of a music genre called metcrew. Made popular by artists such as Heather Durand and the band The Plumbers, metcrew usually featured a piano, Spanish guitar, and drums. While metcrew songs covered a wide variety of topics, they are most remembered today for their wistful tone and sorrowful love ballads.
During the summer general election, German Chancellor Ulrich von Ritter and his Conservatives retained control of the government. Infighting amongst the Social and Christian Democrats seriously undermined their efforts to capitalize on public hostility to the ongoing war in the Belgian Congo. Following their defeat at the polls, the leadership of the Social and Christian Democrats began negotiations to merge their two parties in order to create a united front against Conservative dominance. However, by the end of the year a formal agreement remained elusive.
On October 12, the Technate of China exploded their first atomic bomb in the Gobi Desert under the cryptic code name “Shining Gear.” While originally designed for use against Japan during the Asia-Pacific war, Technate Chief Executive Heng Jiang believed that possessing nuclear weapons would only further his nation’s growing clout on the world stage.
In November, President Margaret Stewart was reelected by a landslide, capturing over 60% of the popular vote and a whopping 565 electoral votes. Her Republican challengers Lloyd Hostetler of Kentucky and Corrine Atherton of Washington, the nation’s first female vice presidential candidate, managed to win only Kentucky, Santo Domingo, and a handful of western states. Most pundits believed that Hostetler and Asherton did as well as could have been expected considering President Stewart’s popularity. In the end, military victory and a bustling economy made President Stewart all but unbeatable. The Democrats also managed to win the House of Representatives. The Republicans only consolation from the election was retaining control of the Senate.
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Happy Thanksgiving everyone, here is a quick profile on Kurdistan. Enjoy!
Name: Kingdom of Kurdistan
Capital: Amed
Largest City: Arbel
Population: 11,982,000 (1980)
Official Language: Kurdish
Official Religion: Islam
Demonym: Kurd
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Head of State and Government: King Seraw Aga
Independence: October 23, 1911 (from Ottoman Empire)
Currency: Kurdish Lira
Brief History of Kurdistan 1860-1980
Before the Great War, the territory that would one day become the Kingdom of Kurdistan was divided into a number of Ottoman Vilayets. During the war, the region was invaded by Russian forces and after the Treaty of Brussels established as an independent Kingdom under the protection of the Russian Empire. For the first the half of the 20th Century, Kurdistan remained an impoverished backwater wedged between its more powerful neighbors. In the 1950s however things began to improve after Kurdistan’s significant oil wealth began to be developed, creating not only a small number of wealthy elites but also a growing middleclass. Politically, Kurdistan remains a repressive absolute monarchy under the Hesenan dynasty. Kurdistan has several long running border disputes with its neighbor Turkey, but threats of Russian intervention has largely kept the peace. In recent years, King Seraw Aga has expressed interest in moving Kurdistan towards a more independent stance. This can be seen by his negotiations to build an oil pipeline through Syria to the Mediterranean.
Name: Kingdom of Kurdistan
Capital: Amed
Largest City: Arbel
Population: 11,982,000 (1980)
Official Language: Kurdish
Official Religion: Islam
Demonym: Kurd
Government: Absolute Monarchy
Head of State and Government: King Seraw Aga
Independence: October 23, 1911 (from Ottoman Empire)
Currency: Kurdish Lira
Brief History of Kurdistan 1860-1980
Before the Great War, the territory that would one day become the Kingdom of Kurdistan was divided into a number of Ottoman Vilayets. During the war, the region was invaded by Russian forces and after the Treaty of Brussels established as an independent Kingdom under the protection of the Russian Empire. For the first the half of the 20th Century, Kurdistan remained an impoverished backwater wedged between its more powerful neighbors. In the 1950s however things began to improve after Kurdistan’s significant oil wealth began to be developed, creating not only a small number of wealthy elites but also a growing middleclass. Politically, Kurdistan remains a repressive absolute monarchy under the Hesenan dynasty. Kurdistan has several long running border disputes with its neighbor Turkey, but threats of Russian intervention has largely kept the peace. In recent years, King Seraw Aga has expressed interest in moving Kurdistan towards a more independent stance. This can be seen by his negotiations to build an oil pipeline through Syria to the Mediterranean.
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Sean O'Grady (1941-1976)
Headshot c. 1953
Born in Mobile, Alabama, on December 7th, 1941, Sean O'Grady was the third of four children. Discovered during a studio tour in 1950 O'Grady was soon a star of Shane Bayard's films. He was an immediate success, especially with his thick Southern accent. However, he was ridiculed for that same accent by his follow child actors and students.
His last film role was 1957's John Swift and the Pirates, an animated adaptation of the J. M. Barrie classic. After leaving acting in movies, O'Grady turned to stage. Eventually he started taking drugs. O'Grady spent the next decade and a half in and out of rehab.
After one last stint in rehab in 1972, Sean O'Grady retreated from public life. Sightings of O'Grady were sporadic at best over the next few years as he went further into his addiction. On December 28th, 1976, Sean O'Grady died of complications of his addiction. However, in a sad turn of events his body wasn't identified until early 1978 when his mother came looking for him to say goodbye to his dying father. Sean O'Grady was reburied in Mobile.
Headshot c. 1953
Born in Mobile, Alabama, on December 7th, 1941, Sean O'Grady was the third of four children. Discovered during a studio tour in 1950 O'Grady was soon a star of Shane Bayard's films. He was an immediate success, especially with his thick Southern accent. However, he was ridiculed for that same accent by his follow child actors and students.
His last film role was 1957's John Swift and the Pirates, an animated adaptation of the J. M. Barrie classic. After leaving acting in movies, O'Grady turned to stage. Eventually he started taking drugs. O'Grady spent the next decade and a half in and out of rehab.
After one last stint in rehab in 1972, Sean O'Grady retreated from public life. Sightings of O'Grady were sporadic at best over the next few years as he went further into his addiction. On December 28th, 1976, Sean O'Grady died of complications of his addiction. However, in a sad turn of events his body wasn't identified until early 1978 when his mother came looking for him to say goodbye to his dying father. Sean O'Grady was reburied in Mobile.