The Union Forever: A TL

[Mac Gregor]

1987

Foreign and Domestic Developments​

After 17 years in power, the ruling Progressive Socialist Party lost control of the government in a landmark Brazilian election. Flavio Brandao of Mato Grosso replaced Nereu Pinto as President. Brandao’s and his moderate Center-Reform Party vowed to clean up corruption and jump-start the sagging economy. To the relief of many on the left, Brandao refused to partner with the rightwing National Alliance to amend the pacifist constitution of 1970. Instead, Brandao formed a governing coalition with the young but growing Brazilian Ecoist Party who in return for their support demanded concessions in preserving the Brazilian rainforest.

In March, elections replaced the provisional Spanish republican council with a democratically elected government . Vito Rolando Vazquez, hero of the revolution, was sworn in as president. France and Italy continued to provide substantial financial aid in order to rebuild the country. Continued persecution of suspected monarchist caused many conservatives to flee to the Carlist controlled territories of the Canary and Balearic Islands.

The 1987 World’s Fair was held in the Persian city of Isfahan. Shah Hamid Hassan Qajar re-designated the city as the imperial capital the same year in a not so subtle nod to the past glories of Safavid Persia. To be fair, the Persian Empire was as economically and military powerful as it had been in centuries thanks to the booming petroleum sector and growing industrial base. Sadly, the Shah and his ruling Imperial Nationalist Party had over the past decade increasingly consolidated power in their own hands reducing parliament to a rubber stamp and bending the courts to their will. Despite the erosion of democracy, the World’s Fair did an effective job highlighting Persia’s transformation from a dusty backwater to a bustling rising power.

In September, the Union of Malaya became an independent nation inside of the British Commonwealth. With most of its peninsular territory devastated during the Asia-Pacific War, the new nation was politically and economically dominated by its capital city Singapore. In a televised address to the nation, Malaya’s Prime Minister Teo Wan promised to continue reconstruction, guard against growing Technocratic influence, and pursue close relations with the Community of South Asian States and the rest of the British Commonwealth.

After months of debate, the Kingdom of Portugal adopted a new constitution in November. Adhering to the provisions of the Dublin Conference, King Manuel III retained his throne but significant power was delegated to a new bicameral parliament. Political parties were legalized with the notable exception of communists. The new constitution also redefined Portugal’s relationships with its remaining oversea territories. The Azores, Madeira, Cape Verde, and São Tomé and Príncipe remained autonomous regions within the kingdom. East Timor became an independent nation but kept Manuel III as head of state and continued a close relationship with Portugal. In order to mark this important political transformation, a new flag was adopted reportedly designed by Prince Fernando himself.

Flag of the Kingdom of Portugal​

 

[Mac Gregor]

Here is a short update to tide everyone over through Thanksgiving. Cheers!

Micronesia joins the Union

On November 22, 1988 Micronesia became the 57th state to join the Union. Composed of no fewer than 1,871 islands, Micronesia incorporated the Marianas, Marshal, Palau, and Hortense Islands.[1] Although it stretched across 2,600 miles of the Pacific Ocean, it held only half a million citizens. Like its sister state Pacifica, Micronesia delegated considerable autonomy to its counties. Having seen an extensive military buildup during the war, Micronesia had the highest military to civilian ratio in the United States. President Peatross was present at the statehood ceremony in the capital city of Dedodo on the island of Guam. During his remarks, President Peatross mentioned that the addition of Micronesia to the Union illustrated America’s commitment to peace and development in the Western Pacific an unsubtle reference to the growing threat of China and the Technocratic Union. ​

Flag of the State of Micronesia, the rising sun symbolizes Micronesia's place as the eastern most territory of the United States​

[1] The Hortense Islands are OTL's Caroline Islands . They are named after Hortense de Beauharnais, Napoleon III’s mother.

 

[Mac Gregor]

1988 Presidential Election​

At the start of the year, President Andrew Peatross looked like a shoo-in for a second term. However, as events often have it, troubles at home and abroad soon eroded his support and emboldened his rivals.

The Recession of 1988

Easily the biggest obstacle to Peatross’s reelection was the 1988 recession. While America and the world had been riding high on a booming post war economy a sharp downturn in February plunged the nation into the worst recession since the Panic of 1976. Most economists primarily blamed foreign factors like the coup in Mesopotamia but others thought that Peatross’s protectionist policies had hampered international trade. By the summer, unemployment was nearing 9% and fuel prices were reaching record highs. Smelling blood in the water, Republicans soon coalesced around the young congressman from Illinois, Abraham Lincoln IV.

Abraham Lincoln IV

Abraham Lincoln IV was born on October 6, 1944 in Norfolk, Virginia. His father Abraham Lincoln III, then a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy, moved his family often as his job dictated. When hostilities broke out against Peru and Bolivia in 1949, the family moved back to Illinois. Tragically, Abraham Lincoln III was killed a few months later when his ship the USS Cuba was torpedoed. The death of his father greatly affected young Abe who would lionize him for the rest of his life. Following in his footsteps, Lincoln attended the U.S. Naval Academy and was commissioned as a naval aviator in 1966. The tediousness of military life however failed to live up to Lincoln’s expectations and Lincoln left active service four years later. While studying law at Harvard, a family tradition, Lincoln met Gwen Scrivener and they married soon after graduation. With the enormous name recognition of his family, Lincoln easily gained placement in a successful Chicago law firm. Having remained in the naval reserve, Lincoln was recalled to active duty in late 1978 as war loomed in the Pacific. Due to a shortage of qualified pilots, Lincoln was able to get a flight assignment aboard the USS Manifest Destiny. In 1980, Lincoln briefly saw action against the Japanese during the Bonin Island Campaign at the Battle of Chichi Jima.

Once back in Chicago, Lincoln threw himself into Republican politics easily winning a congressional seat in 1982. Despite accusations of inexperience, Lincoln joined Ohio governor Bobby Wentz as the Vice Presidential candidate on the Republican ticket. While the Republicans ultimately lost the election, it catapulted Lincoln to national stardom. During the Peatross presidency, Lincoln would become the face of the insurgent wing of the Republican Party that wished to take a tougher line with China.

The Campaign

During the campaign, President Peatross stressed his record of paying down the national debt, reducing it from 87% to 66% of GDP in just four years, and protecting American manufacturing jobs. However, the recent economic troubles made these achievements ring hollow with voters. Lincoln maintained that Peatross’s protectionist stance was blunting economic recovery. On foreign policy, Lincoln stated that Peatross had not done enough to protect democracy in Asia allowing China to undermine the war’s hard won gains. Peatross attacked Lincoln’s youth and lack of executive experience. Third parties were less prevalent than during the previous election, but the environmentalist Ecoist Alliance re-nominated Tracy Harlow and gained a respectable following. The growing concern about China and the Technocrats all but obliterated Jarrod Baumgartner and his American Technocratic Party’s campaign.

The Results

As expected, Peatross did well in much of the conservative South and the industrial Northeast and Midwest. However, Democrats failed to carry California and Texas in large part due to young voters pulling for Lincoln and his Texan running mate Governor Palmer Lockwood. In the end, the Republicans won with 48.2% of the popular vote and 333 electoral votes making Abraham Lincoln IV at 44 the second youngest president in American history after Vernon Kirkman.

 

[Mac Gregor]

1988

Foreign Developments​

On January 5, the British protectorates of Aden and Hadhramaut united to become a fully independent state styled South Arabia. Although the new nation decided to not remain inside of the British Commonwealth, South Arabia maintained close economic and defense ties with Britain. Aden would continue to serve as an important port of call and over the years developed a reputation as a tax haven and resort city for Arabs, South Asians, and Africans. The 1988 Winter Olympics are held in Stockholm, Sweden.

After nearly 47 years on the throne, German Emperor Fredrick IV died at the age of 92. He was succeeded by his eldest son who was crowned Wilhelm III. Unlike his progressive father, Wilhelm III was a more conservative man with deep ties to the German military. In speeches later that year, the outspoken Wilhelm III expressed his support for his so called “three pillars of German greatness”; traditional family values, scientific achievement, and military prowess. Needless to say, these facts did not sit well with many German progressives who saw the new emperor as a reactionary.

On February 2, the oppressive King of Mesopotamia Aqil II was ousted in a military coup and executed sparking months of street fighting and civil unrest. Led by Colonel Isa Abu Samad of Basra the revolution pitted Sunni progressives and most of the Shia population against loyalists in the Mesopotamian army and conservative Sunnis. As chaos swept the country, oil prices spiked helping to trigger a worldwide recession. After failing to capture Ramadi, Abu Samad sought the assistance of Persia to break the stalemate. Shah Hamid Hassan Qajar agreed to help providing money, air support, and advisors. By the end of the year, Abu Samad had gained control over the Euphrates River Valley and established himself as the ruler of the new State of Mesopotamia. Other Arab powers such as Egypt, Arabia, and Syria decried this extension of Persian influence and refused to recognize Abu Samad’s regime.

On July 12, a series of explosions rocked the IEF city of Mukden, Manchuria killing 24 people and wounding 95. A group known as the Manchurian Technocratic Movement took credit for the attacks. The IEF blamed China for sponsoring the terrorists; an accusation the Chinese government denied but did state that the MTM’s goals of a Technocratic Manchuria free from the IEF were “understandable.” Further bombings and targeted killing of IEF officials continued as the year progressed.

In August, the Pan-American Highway was officially declared complete after the final segment was finished in the Colombian state of Darién uniting North and South America. Considered a modern marvel the 30,000 km Pan-American Highway allowed contiguous road travel from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego. Over the next several decades, expansions, spur lines, and tunnels will push the Pan-American Highway even further.

On September 20, China became the fourth nation to send a man into space with launch of Shíxiàn I.

In December, the six year long civil war in Mozambique came to an end when warlord Mario Macumbi gained control of the capital city of Chiveve at the convergence of the Buzi and Pungwe Rivers. Macumbi soon installed himself as the first president of the Republic of Mozambique and began a ruthless crackdown on any suspected rivals. Constantly short on funds, Macumbi would acquire a reputation of cozying up to any foreign power who could supply him with money and weapons to prop up his regime.

​

Flag of the Republic of Mozambique​

 

[Mac Gregor]

1989

Foreign and Domestic Developments

A real color image of Venus taken from the IEF spacecraft Odisseya
​

In January, the Imperial Eurasian Federation conducted the first manned Venus flyby when cosmonauts Grigol Iona and Saveliy Mihaylov passed by the planet on their 14 month journey. Besides taking pictures and atmospheric readings a lander was also dispatched to the surface. Unfortunately, the lander failed to make communication contact with IEF mission control. Despite this setback, the flyby was hailed as an exploration milestone and a national triumph in the IEF. Upon their return to earth, they received a hero’s welcome, a welcomed distraction to the growing unrest in Manchuria and Central Asia.

In April, President Lincoln became the first American head of state to visit Japan. During his tour of the country, Lincoln voiced his support for Japan’s postwar democratic progress. At a speech in Osaka, Lincoln bluntly contrasted the growth of democracy in Japan with the spread of technocracy in Southeast Asia. In time, many historians would claim the Osaka speech as the official beginning of the cold war between the United States and China’s Technocratic Union. While well received in Japan and several other Asian nations, Lincoln’s remarks were deeply divisive in the United States where many wished the president to concentrate on the struggling economy.

During the summer, Vantage Industries released the Portal Master home computer. Vantage marketed the Portal Master as an easy way to access the global computer matrix or “globtrix” that was increasing in popularity. Success of the Portal Master forced a change in leadership at rival Janssen Computing Machines (JCM) which struggled to keep up.

In October, Manuel III the ailing king of Portugal died. His eldest son, the loyalist civil war commander Prince Fernando, became King Fernando V. In his first three months, King Fernando V oversaw the withdrawal of the last British peacekeepers illustrating Portugal’s transition to a relatively stable constitutional monarchy.

During 1989 the British territories on the island of Borneo achieved full independence within the British Commonwealth. Sarawak became a constitutional monarchy under the long ruling Brooke dynasty. The territory of Northern Borneo was sold for a hefty sum to Brunei which remained an absolute, if mostly benevolent, monarchy. Both nations would use their oil wealth to develop one of the highest standards of living in Southeast Asia and Oceania.

In the United States, the decidedly urban music genre known as “underground” grew in popularity after the Detroit based band Jumbo Shrimp performed on the television show Coast to Coast.

Throughout the year, Christian rebels in the southern region of the Dominion of Chad scored several victories against government forces. The lack of support from other nations in the British Commonwealth eventually forced the collapse of the dominion government. In the arid northern portion of the country, Muslim army officers seized control and established the Islamic Republic of Chad. In the tropical south, the rebels formed the Christian dominated Republic of the Umbangi. The two new nations failed to agree on their common border with firefights and cross border incursions becoming all to common. The disintegration of Chad proved an embarrassing failure for the British Commonwealth who due to public disinterest and fears of antagonizing Muslim-Christian rivalry proved unable to intervene.

​

Flag of the Islamic Republic of Chad​

 

[Mac Gregor]

The world as of January 1, 1990.

 

[Mac Gregor]

Because you asked, here is the government map circa January 1, 1990.

 

[Mac Gregor]

And here is the freedom index from Harper's Weekly for January, 1990.

 

[rick007]

Kendrick Arneson(1891-1920)

Kendrick Arneson in his flying gear.

Born in Smithville, Absaroka, May 14th, 1891, Kendrick Arneson was determined to make a name for himself. At 18, shortly after graduating high school, Arneson joined the army to fight in the Great War. After a few months in the trenches, Arneson transferred to the U.S. Army Flying Brigade where he quickly rose in rank to Sergeant. After the war, he stayed in the U.S. Army Flying Brigade and was eventually promoted to Captain. He married Maud Lindburgh on June 12th, 1912. They had four children, Theresa, Joan, Irene and Robert. A believer and promoter of flight Arneson saw the potential of the airplane to connect the world together. Sadly, Kendrick Arneson was killed in a plane crash on June 19th, 1920 at age 29.

 

[Mac Gregor]

1990

Domestic Developments

NAVIHO satellite in orbit

​

On March 16, America’s space-based global navigation program, commonly referred to as NAVIHO for Navigational Homing Orbitals, became fully operational with the launch of the 24th satellite in the system’s constellation. NAVIHO replaced earlier positioning systems created by the U.S. Navy and was open to anyone who had a receiver. In the decades to come the NAVIHO system would expand and become integral to the development of self-driving autos and autonomous unmanned machines.

In the fall, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 7 to 4 in Chicago Business Advocacy Council v. United States that federal law limiting financial contributions to political campaigns was constitutional.

In a landmark piece of legislation, President Lincoln signed into law the 1990 Military Reform Act in September. Arguably the biggest overhaul of the U.S. Army and Navy in American history, many of the changes had been hotly debated since the Asia-Pacific War. The single largest reform was that the Departments of War and Navy were now placed under a single Department of Defense. The Navy was increased to seven fleets; North Atlantic, South Atlantic, West Pacific, South Pacific, Central Pacific, East Pacific, and Indian Ocean. The fact that four of these fleets were located in the Pacific was not lost on China who decried the military expansion as a threat to peace. The Marine Corp, which remained under the Navy, was reduced to a single division of four brigades. America’s nuclear arsenal of over 800 warheads remained divided between the navy’s submarines and the army’s bombers and ballistic missiles. While some had called for an independent “Air Force” this was rejected by the Army and Navy. The Army Air Corp was reorganized into three aviation divisions. The rest of the Army was expanded to ten divisions. President Lincoln hoped that these reforms would better enable the United States to ensure global stability in a world increasingly divided between rival power blocs.

Division Name "Nickname" (HQ location)
1st Infantry Division “First to Fight” (Ft. Greene, North Carolina)
2nd Aviation Division “Ready Steady” (Ft. Roosevelt, New York)
3rd Infantry Division “Crocodiles” (Ft. Kheillor, Hawaii)
5th Cataphract Division “Rolling Thunder” (Ft. Oglethorpe, Georgia)
7th Infantry Division “Caesar’s Own” (Ft. Sherman, California)
8th Air Cavalry Division “Roughshod” (Ft. Stuart, Cuba)
10th Aviation Division “Thunderbirds” (Ft. Jackson, Tennessee)
17th Cataphract Division “Battle Born” (Ft. Grant, Ohio)
28th Cataphract Division “Rhinos” (Ft. Sheridan, Laramie)
31st Airborne Division “Cloud Soldiers” (Ft. Ramirez, Panama)
42nd Aviation Division “ Gryphons” (Ft. Sumner, Washington)
64th Infantry Division “Daredevils” (Ft. Simpson, Guiana)
88th Infantry Division “Los Locos” (Ft. Bell, Arizona)
​

 

[Mac Gregor]

1991

Foreign and Domestic Developments

Fùzhì the first successfully cloned animal​

The 1991 World’s Fair was held in the Chinese capital of Peking. In a powerful blend of the ancient with the modern, the Chinese Technate staged an impressive spectacle. Visitors could tour the ancient Forbidden City then stroll to Heng Jiang Plaza, formally known as Tiananmen Square, to see the latest technology. Easily the biggest attraction at the fair was Fùzhì a chow chow and the first successfully cloned animal.

In the British dominion of the Federated States of West Africa, the African Nationalist Party gained control of the Federal government in the January general election. Over the course of the next ten months the Nationalists leader Isatou Camara, a veteran of the Asia-Pacific War turned lawyer and politician, pushed through a referendum for full independence. West Africa’s abrupt departure from the British Commonwealth was a slap in the face to British Prime Minister Ned Fraiser who had campaigned on keeping the Commonwealth together.

After months of negotiation, the Nuclear Arms Limitation Treaty (NALT) was signed in Geneva by representatives of the United States, China, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Persia, and the IEF. The treaty limited the number of nuclear warheads to no more than 500 with a combined yield of no more than 75,000 kilotons. While the treaty was signed by individual nations, one of its unique features is that the signatories acted as “trusted guardians” for their various alliances. That is to say that they alone would be allowed to operate nuclear weapons in their various alliance systems. Therefore France and Italy which had developed nuclear weapons under a joint program and were both members of the Turin Pact were only entitled to a combined total of 500 warheads. Likewise, Russia was in theory prevented from helping one of its allies, say Romania, from developing its own nuclear weapons. Reaction to the treaty varied. While most Americans supported the treaty, foreign policy hawks resented having to give up over a third of their nuclear arsenal. Anti-nuclear groups like the Better World Society thought the treaty didn’t go far enough and wanted the total abolition of nuclear weapons.

In July, the IEF announced the deployment of 80,000 additional troops to squash the growing bands of technocratic and nationalist insurgents plaguing Manchuria. With neighboring China providing sanctuary and support, IEF security forces had a very difficult time securing the area. The Manchurian Crisis, as the conflict was often known, proved deeply unpopular in the non-ethnic Russian parts of the IEF especially in Central Asia. Bronislav Mihaylov, now serving in his ninth year as Prime Minister, hoped to win the conflict before the IEF destabilized further.

In November, the movie Void Quest by American director J.S. Mathieson broke all preexisting records to become the biggest box office bomb to date losing an estimated $98,000,000. An extravagant in not somewhat bewildering space opera, Void Quest became a synonym for cinema debacle. The flop bankrupted the studio West Coast Entertainment and ruined Mathieson who would eventually immigrate to Tibet to live out his life as a Buddhist monk. Curiously, over the years Void Quest would develop a cult following with regular midnight screenings for its devoted fans.

Having failed to gain statehood during the chancellorship of Herman Lasker, the German colony of Cameroon saw a series of protests and demonstrations by various groups upset with the status quo. Some organizations such as the Deutsch-Kamerun Partnerschaft (DKP) wished for complete integration while other like the Kameruner Volks Dämmerung (KVD) wanted full domestic autonomy if not outright independence. In Berlin, the new conservative government of Ernst Osterloh largely ignored the situation but did send a commission under Stanislaw von Hassel to “formulate possible future options.” ​

 

[Mac Gregor]

1992
X
Domestic Developments ​

​

On March 20, Guiana became the 58th state to join the Union. Having spent 81 years as a territory, Guiana’s population had grown from mere 36,000 to 496,000 citizens. Guiana’s economy remained divided between the export of raw materials such as lumber and gold and the burgeoning space industry that took full advantage of Guiana’s location near the equator. Former presidents Gavin, Stewart, and Peatross joined President Lincoln at the official ceremony in the capital city of Cayenne.

During the summer, the United States National Museum in Washington, D.C. reopened a massive updated exhibit on American air and space achievements. Permanent displays included Samuel Pierpont Langley’s Aerodrome the first successful heavier than air flying machine, Lance Rockhill’s American Eagle which completed the first transatlantic flight, and the Artemis X reentry module.

The Republicans went into the 1992 Presidential Election justifiably full of confidence. President Lincoln had an impressive list of accomplishments including the Nuclear Arms Limitation Treaty (NALT), the 1990 Military Reform Act, and the strengthening of anti-technocratic alliances overseas. At home, the United States had fully recovered from the 1988 recession and the economy was growing strong. Attempts by his Democratic rivals, former Senator Ray D’Este of Connecticut and Utah Governor Karl McMaster, to paint Lincoln as a threat to peace failed to resonate with voters. When the votes were tallied, Lincoln won reelection in a landslide capturing 56.1% of the popular vote and carrying 46 states.

​

 

[Mac Gregor]

Good update but... Gordonia? Axum? Which ones are those?

Does independent within the commonwealth mean they still recognize the British king?

I believe Gordonia is supposed to be roughly OTL South Sudan. As for Aksum, I'm guessing it's TTL's name for Eritrea (which also includes Djibouti, if I'm not mistaken).

Yes Aksum is pretty much OTL's Eritrea. The name Aksum was selected by the French when the area became a French colony and was retained by the British after they gained possession during the Great War. Djibouti is not in Aksum but is the capital of neighboring Puntland, a British Dominion.

Gordonia is located in OTL's South Sudan. It is named after Charles Gordon the celebrated soldier and colonial administrator. I have attached a map of Africa and the Middle East to clear things up.

 

[Mac Gregor]

I can see the Spanish republic being a federation, but I'm not sure why France would be.

Also, weren't Syria and Serbia federations?

I also suggest Goa and Nigeria be federations.

Serbia is not a federation, much to the chagrin of the Bosniaks. Goa isn't a federation, as it is to small. Syria despite having a fair deal of provincial autonomy is actually still a unitary state. I agree about Nigeria and the Spanish Republic. Lets make them federations.

Ok, so here is the updated map. Keep in mind that some nations are listed as unitary states even though they resemble federations in some ways. For example Syria has considerable provincial autonomy. Portugal has a number of autonomous regions but is technically not a federation. Denmark and Iceland are in personal union but have individual governments. Let me know if y'all see any issues and I will make the changes.

 

[Mac Gregor]

1995

Foreign and Domestic Developments ​

In the German Empire 1995 general election, Chancellor Ernst Osterloh and his Conservative Party retained control of the government citing economic strength at home and laudable achievements in the space race. The Conservatives did suffer a reduced majority though, largely due to concerns over the political status of Cameroon. Both in Cameroon and in Germany the issue sparked a growing number of demonstrations and protests some of which were growing increasingly violent. The Von Hassel Commission, which since 1991 had been tasked with finding a permanent solution, was due to finally publish its recommendations early next year.

After being diagnosed with terminal thyroid cancer, American Vice President Palmer Lockwood of Texas resigned in February. Senator Franklin M. Blanton, from Ohio, was nominated by President Lincoln and approved by the Senate becoming the first African American vice president in U.S. history..

During the fall, San Salvador hosted an impressive gathering of prominent fiction and nonfiction authors. Over the next decade, the biennial San Salvador Book Festival would grow to be one of the largest in the world.

During the 1995 UK general election the Conservative-Imperial Progressive-Unionist coalition government under Ned Frasier failed to gain a majority despite a recovering economy. Most voters disagreed that Prime Minister Frasier had successfully halted the British Commonwealth’s “slow decent into irrelevance.” A new coalition between the Liberals and the Democratic Labor Party, recently founded by members of the now defunct Socialist Workers Party, formed a government. Liberal leader Geoffrey Lever became Prime Minister with an agenda concentrating on domestic issues.

The 1995 World’s Fair was held in Kyoto, Japan. The former imperial capital had been selected to host the World’s Fair in 1979 but was moved due to the then ongoing Asia-Pacific War. Emperor Shinjiro, who assumed the throne early that year after his father Nobuhito died after a reign of 59 years, used the exposition to demonstrate Japan’s impressive economic comeback and transition to democracy.

In yet another spat of violence in Manchuria, IEF forces and soldiers from the Technate of Korea briefly exchanged artillery fire across the Yalu River. While luckily no one was killed, over a dozen were seriously injured. The IEF claimed the cause of the event was that it was trying to interdict technocratic guerrillas slipping across the border. A Technocratic Union spokeswoman maintained that the people in question were refugees fleeing “imperial Russian aggression”. Days after the event, IEF Prime Minister Bronislav Mihaylov announced the deployment of another 45,000 troops to Manchuria. Unsurprisingly this increase in troops did little to quiet the growing antiwar movement inside of the IEF.

During his first few months in office, British Prime Minister Geoffrey Lever's cabinet signed a treaty with the Republic of Egypt effectively handing over controlling interest of the Suez Canal. Britain stayed on as a minority partner. This had followed years of tense negotiation between the United Kingdom and the Egyptian government of President Atef Hegazi over who would administer the canal. President Hegazi had even hinted privately that if Egypt was not given control, military actions would be considered. While the treaty would not take effect until December 31, 1999 and Britain would get preferential access during times of war, Conservatives lambasted the agreement as an unnecessary and foolhardy arrangement.

Current flag of the Republic of Egypt​

 

[Mac Gregor]

Just read through this TL and it's one of my favorites on this site.

How's New Jersey faring ITTL?

Thanks Veranius, and welcome! On New Jersey

Name: State of New Jersey
Capital: Trenton
Largest City: Newark
Governor: Dr. Jesse Koczon
Admission to the Union: December 18, 1787 (3rd)
Nickname(s): The Horse State (official), The Tomato State
State Song: New Jersey Swag
State Bird: Wood Duck
State Flower: Common Blue Violet
State Tree: American Elm

Professional sports teams
• Baseball: Newark Bricklayers
• Football : Trenton Devils
• Rugby: New Jersey Bounders
• Handball : Jersey City Maniacs

New Jersey History 1860-2000:

During the second half of the 19th century, New Jersey was a cradle for American industrialization. As such, New Jersey would develop into a bastion of the pro-labor movement. During the 1920s a number of infrastructure projects, such as the Sesquicentennial Bridge connecting Philadelphia and Camden and the Alexander Hamilton Bridge over the Hudson River, turned New Jersey into important crossroads linking New York and New England to the rest of the country. Traditionally the Democratic Party has dominated state politics with brief interludes of Republican governance. In recent years, the economic transition away from heavy industry to service jobs has resulted in unemployment slightly above the national average.

Notable New Jersians:
• Richard Stockton, signer of the declaration of independence
• James Fenimore Cooper, author
• George McClellan, Civil War general and commander of the Army of the Potomac from July 26, 1861 - May 13, 1862.
• Philip Kearney, American Soldier during the Mexican-American and Civil Wars, Governor of New Jersey from 1869-1872
• Carrie Glenworth, Ruckus singer and performer
• Ralph Castro, comedian
• Andrew Peatross, U.S. President from 1985-1989
• Sally Deignan, Ecoist activist

 

[Mac Gregor]

1996

Foreign Developments ​

The XV Winter Olympiad was held in Innsbruck, Germany.

In March, Pope Clement XVI died after 13 years on the Throne of St. Peter. The College of Cardinals chose French Bishop Corentin Lefebvre as the new pope. Crowned Gregory XVIII, he became the first non-Italian pope since 1523 and the first French pope since 1378.

Doctors Calvin Beatty and Amir Kawawa, New Zealander and East African scientists from the Royal Astronomical Foundation, confirmed the first discovery of an extrasolar planet on July 29. Orbiting the star 70 Virginis some 60 lightyears away, the planet was determined to be over seven times the mass of Jupiter. Because of its size, the planet was given the nickname “Jumbo.”

During the summer, the Canadian city of Manitoba, Assiniboia hosted the Global Ecoist Summit. Attended by many well-known ecoist activists and politicians such as Tracey Harlow and Sally Deignan, the summit called for more supporters of ecoism to run for political office as was already happening in Central and South America. Unsurprisingly, disagreements over economic policy between socialist and free market ecoists were debated but not resolved.

In August, Saidai Mohan and Arvind Verma the prime ministers of the Commonwealth of Madras and the Indian Republic held their first high-level bilateral talks since the Asia-Pacific War. During the mutual goodwill visits, the prime ministers discussed easing trade barriers on certain goods and technology sharing. China loudly protested the meeting fearing Madrasian-Indian rapprochement and sent a missile cruiser inside of Indian territorial waters to “make our displeasure known.”

On September 11, the Eurasian Aviation and Space Bureau announced plans to conduct a manned flyby of the planet Mars by the end of the millennium. This announcement came seven years to day the after the IEF successfully completed a manned flyby of Venus. Certain government opponents, such as incarcerated Turkic activist Ismail Fitrat, lambasted the proposed mission as an expensive diversion to the war in Manchuria and the IEF’s “internal decay.”

After two years of increasingly unstable government, pan-African nationalists seized control of the Congo Republic during a military coup in December. Led by Augustin Mihambo, the nationalists were largely inspired by Semere Kelati in West Africa. In the capital of Leopoldville, soon to be renamed Lukunga, Mihambo proclaimed that “a new day has dawned on Africa.”

Flag of the Congo Republic under Augustin Mihambo​

 

[Mac Gregor]

1996 Presidential Election​

After eight years in office, President Abraham Lincoln IV could look back on an impressive list of achievements aborad and sustained economic growth at home. Many in the Republican party wished for Lincoln, only 51 years old, to following in his great-grandfather's footsteps and run for a third term. While Lincoln reportedly considered doing so, he eventually announced in January of 1996 that he would not be a candidate. Instead, he threw his considerable clout behind his Vice President, Franklin Blanton.

Franklin M. Blanton

Franklin Marion Blanton was born on January 30, 1933 to middleclass parents in Marietta, Ohio. When Blanton was 12 years old his father Bernard Blanton moved the growing family to Akron where he opened a successful chain of grocery stores. Franklin Blanton later won a scholarship playing Lacrosse at the Ohio Institute of Technology in Cuyahoga Falls and graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering. Blanton was only lightly involved in the second wave of the civil rights movement but did participate in a number of marches during his college years. For most of the 1950s and 1960s, Blanton worked at a variety of jobs in Cincinnati and Columbus where he was often lauded for his attention to detail. In 1969, Blanton met Beatrice Getty during a conference in Atlanta. After a long distance courtship, the two married in the summer of 1971. In 1976, Blanton was approached by the Fairfield County Republican Party to run for the Ohio General Assembly. Blanton ousted the Democratic incumbent in a surprising upset and would eventually go on to become a state senator. In 1982, Blanton was elected to the United States House of Representatives where he quickly befriended another freshman congressman Abraham Lincoln IV of Illinois. In 1988, Blanton was elected to the United States Senate and won reelection in 1994. In 1995, Vice President Palmer Lockwood resigned due to thyroid cancer. Blanton soon landed on President Lincoln’s shortlist of nominees and after a brief vetting process was confirmed by the Senate.

The Campaign

Most political scientists agree that the Republicans went into the 1996 elections with the odds stacked heavily in their favor. President Lincoln campaigned hard for Blanton who kept nearly all of Lincoln’s policies and vowed to lead America into the 21st century. Blanton quickly secured the Republican nomination after seeing off only a handful of unimpressive challengers. For his running mate Blanton selected Governor Lenny Rutledge of Alabama. The Democrats fielded Trevor Jeffries of New Mexico and Chase Moynihan of Dakota, a lackluster ticket that failed to persuade voters that the Republicans strong stance against the Technocrats and penchant for budget deficits were a serious threat to national stability. The Ecoist Alliance nominated Ken Chavez of Panama and Sally Deignan of New Jersey.

The Results

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Franklin M. Blanton
Republican from Ohio
37th President of the United States​

On election night the Democrats suffered their third presidential loss in a row, winning only 19 states. The Ecoist performed better than expected capturing nearly 3% of the vote. The Republicans cruised to victory scoring 54.2% of the popular vote and 427 electoral votes making Franklin M. Blanton the first African American to be elected president.


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[Mac Gregor]

1997​

Foreign and Domestic Developments

Rocket Launch by the Technate of China​

The Technate of China's Sub-directorate for Space Exploration launched the first module of Jìnzhǎn the nation’s first space station. Although it would not be fully completed until 2003, it served as a powerful reminder that in space China was catching up with their American, German, and IEF rivals.

On April 18, the anniversary of the coronation of Poland’s first king Boleslaw the Brave, massive demonstrations for greater autonomy and political freedoms took place in Warsaw and Lodz. While these sorts of protests were nothing new, the fact that similar demonstrations broke out in Finland, the Baltic, and Central Asia seized media headlines around the world. As had become usual, Empress Elizabeth II urged calm while Prime Minister Bronislav Mihoylev and his military supporters sent in the troops to restore order. While the official death toll of 46 appears to be far too low, the exact number may never be known due to government censorship.

Sphinx, an advanced computer developed by the Danzig based Dimendberg Corporation, beat Lubomierz Alkaev the highest ranking chess grandmaster at the time. The well-publicized series of matches highlighted the progress that computers had made over the last few decades.

The year saw an especially severe hurricane season in the Caribbean. The American states of Cuba, Puerto Rico, Santo Domingo, and Guadeloupe and Martinique suffered significant damage, as did the British dominions of the Bahamas and the West Indies Confederation. President Blanton, and to a lesser extent Prime Minister Lever, were blamed for the slow response to aid the islanders.

On October 2, the aged Shah Hamid Hassan Qajar stepped down after 31 years as Persia’s ruler in favor of his son and groomed successor Naser Ali Qajar in what turned out to a remarkably smooth transition. Naser Ali’s father had returned Persia to a position of power it had not enjoyed since the Safavids. With an empire won by war, financed by petroleum, and armed with nuclear weapons, Persia was a force to reckon with. As the new Shah took his seat on the Sun Throne in Isfahan, Naser Ali stated in a televised address that Persia “had yet greater heights to reach.”

The Atlanta Goobers won the 1997 Professional Baseball League Championship against the Panama Canaleers. This marked the Goobers’ 6th consecutive championship a new record in American baseball. When Goobers manager Pablo Cruz was asked by a reporter what the plan was for the next season Cruz simply stated “get better.”

Although repeatedly delayed for further consideration, the Von Hassel Commission finally published their much-anticipated plan for the political status of German Cameroon. By the end of the year, the sprawling colony was divided along the Ogooel and Ivinda Rivers into two states with the same political rights as the other parts of the German Empire. South Cameroon with its capital in Fredrickstadt had the oil wealth of the Kabinda region. Douala served as the capital of North Cameroon and due to its position along the equator hosted the majority of Germany’s space launch facilities. Needless to say, many Conservatives were upset that Cameroon was put on equal status with the likes of Prussia and Bavaria. However, Chancellor Ernst Osterloh had finally come to the realization that if a solution was not arrived at soon Cameroon stood a good chance of falling into the hands of African nationalists as had seized power in the neighboring Congo. As such he convinced enough of his own party and the Democrat opposition to approve the proposal.

 

[Mac Gregor]

1998

Foreign and Domestic Developments

Flag of the Technate of Vietnam​

Vito Rolando Vasquez, now serving his third term as President of Spain, introduced yet another economic plan to try and bolster the anemic economic growth afflicting the country. Since the revolution, Spain had failed to keep pace with France and Italy its Turin Pact partners. The statist policies of President Vasquez and his Social People’s Party prompted many wealthy Spaniards to emigrate. In sharp contrast to the Republic of Spain, the Royalist controlled Balearic and Canary Islands had witnessed a sustained economic boom fueled by substantial German aid, tourism, and banking.

On February 27, Hayati Değirmenci the President of the Turkish Republic met with Azeri dissident Nasib Ibrahimov in Istanbul. During their well-publicized conference, the two made numerous calls for greater solidarity amongst the world’s Turkic peoples and the release of Turkic political prisoners in the IEF and Persia. Needless to say, the governments of Persia and the IEF ignored these demands and made statements claiming that Turkey was trying to incite ethnic insurrections.

In March, the British government launched an investigation into whether members of the Foreign Office had been bribed into selling the colony of Northern Borneo to Brunei back in 1989. After months of hearings, five officials including Simon Cornish the sitting Foreign Minister were forced to resign. Prime Minister Geoffrey Lever claimed he had no knowledge of any wrongdoings during his role in the Bates-Morgan cabinet but the Tory opposition lambasted the Liberal government as being “thoroughly and utterly corrupt.”

XXI Summer Olympiad was held in Huế the capital of the Technate of Vietnam. Although the city was virtually destroyed during the Asia-Pacific War, it had been rebuilt into a model of “Technocratic efficiency.” While the games went smoothly enough many athletes and journalists commented on the drab geometrical layout of the city and the near constant surveillance they experienced during their visit.

In the Imperial Eurasian Federation, Prime Minister Bronislav Mihoylev reluctantly announced that a general election would take place next year. Many predicted that the ruling Motherland Party would lose handsomely due to the sputtering economy, growing ethnic tensions, and the bloody stalemate in Manchuria.

During the summer, much of the world entered an economic recession. Most economists identified the primary cause as the overvaluation of technology and computer based companies in the Americas and Europe earning this economic downturn the nickname the “globtrix recession.”

In the U.S. midterm elections, the Republicans took a beating losing control over both houses of congress. While losing seats during midterms is nothing new for the party in power, the extent of the loss was seen as a clear indication of the publics disfavor with President Blanton’s handling of the economy.

By the end of the year, Emile-Antonine Ouellette of Montreal, Canada became the first woman to climb the Nine Mountains(M9) a grueling course consisting of some of the tallest peaks around the globe.

Name/Height/Country

Mt. Leonard Wood/6,194m/United States of America
Mt. Aconcagua/6,961m/Argentine Republic
Mt. Everest/8,848m/Kingdom of Nepal and Kingdom of Tibet
Mt. Kilimanjaro/5,895m/ Federation of East Africa
Mt. Carrera/4,897m/Antarctica (Republic of Chile)
Mt. Carstensz/4,884m/Republic of Indonesia
Mt. Blanc/4,808m/French Republic and Republic of Italy
Mt. Kosciusko/2,228m/Federation of Australia
Mt. Elbrus/5,642m/Imperial Eurasian Federation