The Union Forever: A TL

[Mac Gregor]

The 1956 Presidential Elections​

In the run up to the 1956 presidential elections, Leroy Conner announced his decision not to seek a third term as president. While his impeachment over the Chinese-Gun Scandal no doubt played a role in his decision, failing health and the fact that he vehemently criticized former President Kirkman for running for a third term were also factors. As Republicans scrambled to replace Conner, the Democrats experienced their own internal battles following their party’s profound transformation over the past few years.

The Republican primaries were especially contentious. Former Secretary of War Bernard Kelly made a strong showing in the early months of the campaign for the nomination but questions concerning his involvement in the Chinese-Gun Scandal forced him to drop out. Eventually the race narrowed to Vice President Luther T. Vanderbilt of New York and Senator Hal Schwendemann of California. At the convention in San Francisco Vice President Vanderbilt secured the nomination after several rounds of voting, and was paired with Congressman Malcom Kesling of Michigan. The Democrats also nominated a New Yorker for president, Senator Richard C. Anderson, the first time that two presidential candidates would be from the same state since Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas in 1860.

Richard C. Anderson

Anderson in 1933​

Richard Callaghan Anderson was born into a middle class Catholic family of Irish and Scottish background in New York City on January 12, 1890. After a happy but unremarkable childhood, Anderson graduated from the United States Naval Academy just in time to serve in the North Atlantic during the closing months of the Great War. Following the war Anderson returned home and pursued a lucrative career as a lawyer in Manhattan. Anderson first entered the world of politics in 1933 after being elected district attorney for New York County. In 1940 he was elected mayor after a failed previous attempt. Anderson proved to be a popular mayor and re-cemented the Democrats hold over the city to such an extent that one journalist dubbed his administration “New Tammany”. After serving an unprecedented eight years as mayor, Anderson easily won a senatorial seat in 1948. Considered to be a leader of the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, Anderson would be one of the few Democrats who voted in favor of the declaration of war on Peru and Bolivia and the treaty creating the League of American States. Anderson also took a more progressive view on integration than most Democrats at the time and as such was handsomely reelected in 1954.

During the early days of the 1956 presidential campaign Anderson was viewed by most pundits as a long shot at best. Many viewed him as to liberal for the party establishment and his Catholic background did nothing to help persuade Southern voters. However, in the months preceding the Democratic convention Anderson rose steadily in the polls presenting himself as the standard bearer for “responsible and world conscious Democrats.” In Cincinnati, Anderson clinched the nomination on the third ballot becoming the first Catholic to the presidential nominee for a major American political party. To balance the ticket Bryon Howley, a young conservative from the State of Mahetane, was selected as his vice-presidential nominee.

The Campaign

While Republicans touted the past administration’s triumphs in Latin America and civil rights, Anderson focused on the economy. Although the nation had mostly bounced back from the recession of 1954, some ill effects still lingered and were exploited ruthlessly by the Democrats who accused the Conner-Vanderbilt administration of concentrating of foreign affairs to the detriment of the American economy. During the televised debates Anderson painted the wealthy Vanderbilt as out of touch with the needs of average Americans whom he claimed desired “peace abroad, prosperity at home, and integrity in dealing with both.”

Results

Richard C. Anderson
Democrat from New York
31st President of the United States ​

Election night proved to be the closest in decades. Anderson’s Catholicism helped the Democrats in the normally Republican strongholds of Cuba and Puerto Rico but alienated protestant voters in the west. In the end, New York proved to be decisive after it was called for Anderson in the wee hours of the morning making him the 31st President of the United States.

​

 

[Mac Gregor]

1957​

Domestic Developments ​

U.S. Capitol during the 1957 Presidential Inauguration​

On January 15th, Presidents Conner and Anderson narrowly escaped assassination after communist Patrick Ray Dattilo emptied a revolver at their convertible as they traveled to the capitol for the inauguration. Amazingly no one was killed although the treasury agent driving the vehicle was wounded in the left arm. President Conner famously forced President elect Anderson to the floor of the vehicle and shielded him with his own body. When Anderson asked whether they should continue to the capitol, the pugnacious Conner is reported to have replied “And let that fucker interfere with the 16th Amendment? Never!” As such Richard Anderson was successfully inaugurated at noon as the nation’s 31st President. Later that day Leroy Conner and his wife Elizabeth returned to their home in Atlanta where Conner received a hero’s welcome.

On June 18, the “King of Groove” Danny “Funky” Turpin announced his retirement from music. Having been preforming nearly continuously since the early 40’s, Turpin stated his reasons for retirement as “road fatigue and a desire to be a father to my children.” Many music historians would mark Turpin’s announcement as the beginning of the end for the Groove genre as competitors began quickly forcing their way onto American airwaves. Congress would honor Turpin with the Congressional Gold Medal ten years later for his contributions to American culture and the civil rights movement.

In September, Shane Bayard’s Dreamworld Film Company premiered their first animated television series titled Ricky Raccoon and Friends on the American Television Network (ATN). Staring such beloved characters as Ricky Raccoon, Tom Turkey, and Dennis Duck the series would become one of the longest running shows on American television further cementing Dreamworld’s place in American pop culture.

​

Ricky Raccoon as seen in Ricky Raccoon and Friends
1957​

 

[Mac Gregor]

1957​

Foreign Developments​

Protesters march in London against the war in India​

The 1957 British general elections would amount to a referendum on Prime Minster Baxter’s Indian policy. While the war had generated some of the worst protest ever seen in Britain, most Britons seemed resigned to finish the conflict which Baxter announced would “terminate successfully” by the end of next year. In the end the British electorate kept Baxter’s Conservative Party in power albeit with a razor thin majority. Meanwhile in India, food shortages worsened and the war continued as British troops slowly began to withdraw out of northern India towards the Commonwealths of Burma, Madras, and Ceylon.

On April 24th, the creation of the first viable vaccine against polio was announced by Danish scientist Poul Lykketoft. Over the next few decades polio would be virtually eradiated in the developed world. However, the disease would persist in some places well into the 21st Century.

October 3rd marked the 50 year anniversary of the start of the Great War. Sadly a joint ceremony between the European powers to mark the occasion failed to occur after some Francophobic comments made by German Chancellor Kruger alienated the French government and their Italian allies. Nevertheless, the next three years would spark a series of books and films on the conflict and countless memorials dedicated to the millions who died.

In December the musical Guillaume Tell premiered in Paris to rave reviews. Based off the well-known story of Swiss folk hero William Tell, the musical became an instant success and was deemed by some to be one of the most significant cultural events of the decade. Guillaume Tell would serve as a catalyst for the revitalization of French theatre during the 1960s. An English adaptation would appear on Broadway two years later were it ran for an unprecedented 4,268 performances.

Scene from Guillaume Tell​

 

[Mac Gregor]

1958​

Domestic Developments​

William and Beatrix Dean​

In May, the Supreme Court ruled nine to two in Dean v. North Carolina that state laws banning interracial marriage were unconstitutional as they violated the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment. The decision marked the fall of the last significant legal barrier to racial integration and to most historians the end of the second wave of the civil rights movement which began 15 years earlier with the Atlanta Declaration.

While the country seemed largely content with President Anderson’s rather uneventful first two years in office the 1958 midterm elections saw the Republicans make modest gains in both houses of Congress. The balance of power however changed little as the Democrats retained control of the House of Representatives and the Republicans of the Senate.

On November 29th in Boreman, Absaroka what became known as the P.T. Barnum Circus Massacre occurred when disgruntled employee Curtis Gordon released several animals on the visiting crowds and set fire to a number of tents resulting in thirty six deaths and over a hundred injuries. The fallout from the incident bankrupted the P.T. Barnum Circus which had existed in one form or another since the late 1860s. The rival Ringling Brothers Circus Company would in the following years take over most of P.T. Barnum’s market share. In 1973 a film loosely based on the events titled The Devil’s Clown was released to enormous commercial success becoming an American horror movie classic.

In August the California Pythons beat the Georgia Crackers 13-10 becoming the first professional lacrosse team to win three consecutive National Lacrosse Federation championships.

Franklin Cummings
1958 MVP for the California Pythons​

 

[FleetMac]

Here's another state summary for you, MacGregor. If there are any changes to be made, please let me know.

Name: Commonwealth of Virginia

Current Governor: Jerry Wittman (R)
Capital: Richmond
Largest City: Hampton Roads
Admission to the Union: June 25, 1788 (10th)
Nickname(s): The Old Dominion (official), Mother of Presidents, the Tidewater State
State Song: Carry Me Back to Old Virginia (official), Take Me Home, Country Roads (popular)*
State Bird: Cardinal
State Flower: Flowering Dogwood
State Tree: American Dogwood

Professional sports teams

· Baseball: The Richmond Marblemen
· Football: The Norfolk Tides
· Rugby: The Hampton Buccaneers
· Handball: The Virginia Spiders
· Lacrosse: The Alexandria Legionaries

Post Civil War History:

The Commonwealth of Virginia originally sided with the Confederacy, but the bulk of the state fell to Union troops under the command of Generals Sumner and Pope on June 6th, 1862, obliging the CSA government to relocate to Greensboro, NC (although there would remain a fair Confederate presence in Danville until May 25th, 1863, when the remainder of the state fell to the Union). After the war, Virginia became a model for the up-and-coming "New South" (along with Tennessee), thanks to the success of Reconciliation. Nowadays, Virginia is considered a "swing state", with neither political party having a permanent hold on the state (a common trait of the political landscape is that the Governor is almost always a member of the party opposite of that in the White House). Known for its economic diversity, its natural beauty, and its influence in Federal government, Virginia remains one of the leading states within the South-Eastern U.S.

Notable Virginians:

-George Washington: General in the American Revolution, Founding Father, first President of the United States (1789 – 1797).
-Thomas Jefferson: Founding Father, political writer/orator, third President of the United States (1801 – 1809)
-James Monroe: fifth President of the United States (1817–1825), creator of the "Monroe Doctrine"
-Robert E. Lee: one of the more successful Confederate generals of the Civil War
-Arthur I. Boreman: 18th. President of the United States (1876-1884)
-Andre Brooks: entrepreneur, founder of the WNC (World News Corporation)**

*IOTL, this song's lyrics refer more accurately to western Virginia, not WV. Since there's no split between the states here, it's a moot point anyway. ITTL it's written by Will Taffey, an analogue for John Denver, and while the title and subject matter's the same, the actual lyrics are different from OTL.
**An analogue for Ted Turner and CNN, respectively.

 

[Mac Gregor]

The official roster as of 1958.

National Rugby Association

Northeastern Conference
-New York Titans
-Baltimore Baymen
-Pittsburgh Ironmen
-Philadelphia Smiths
-Boston Minutemen
Midwestern Conference
-Chicago Lakers
-St. Louis Rivermen
-Milwaukee Duetschmen
-Cleveland Boars
-Detroit Mohawks
Southern Conference
-Washington Sentinels
-Atlanta Rattlesnakes
-Miami Barracudas
-Hampton Buccaneers
-New Orleans Gators
Western Conference
-Seattle Stallions
-Santa Monica Orcas
-Halleckville Scorpions
-Houston Drillers
-Dallas Rustlers

 

[Mac Gregor]

I made list of presidents and vice presidents:

And there is still earlier mentioned persons whose haven't introduction. But there is few more:

The list looks great! As a token of appreciation here is a PoTUF on Geronimo. Cheers!


Geronimo (1829-1877)

Known as Goyathlay in his native Chiricahua language, Geronimo was born into the Bedonkohe Apache tribe along the Gila River in what was then Mexican territory. As a young man he married a woman named Alope and had three children. The turning point in Geronimo’s life occurred on March 6, 1858 when a company of 400 Mexican soldiers led by Colonel José María Carrasco murdered Geronimo’s wife and children. Geronimo became infamous to Mexican authorities for taking part in several raids into Mexico often ignoring swarms of Mexican bullets to dispatch his victims at knifepoint. Geronimo’s exploits would come to an end on March 1, 1877 when his war party became cornered in a small canyon south of Nogales in Sonora by a detachment of Mexican army soldiers. After a 36 hour standoff Geronimo and his party famously charged the Mexicans before being cut down. In Mexico Geronimo is remembered as a notorious outlaw while in the United States Geronimo has over the decades become a folk hero sparking books, films, television series, and a navy frigate the U.S.S. Geronimo which saw extensive service in the South American War.

 

[Mac Gregor]

1958​

Foreign Developments ​

On March 22 the first transatlantic telecommunications cable was inaugurated by a call from Canadian Prime Minister Joshua Holden to King George V. Stretching from Newfoundland to Scotland, the cable only permitted 38 channels but was a vast improvement over the limited radio based telecommunications then in service. Over the next few decades dozens of additional cables would be run from various points in the old world to the new world each with great capacity than that of its predecessors.

In June the Republic of Greater Syria hosted the XII Summer Olympiad in the city of Beirut becoming the first games to be held outside of Europe and North America. Kurdistan, Vietnam, and Muscat and Oman made their first appearances at the Olympics. The United States narrowly beat out Germany to become the leading medal winner.

In the 1958 French Elections President Bartlett Metivier and his National Republican Party were handsomely returned to power due largely to a booming economy and an assertive foreign policy towards Germany.

In October, Brazilian novelist Carmen de Mello released A Planície Estéril or in English The Barren Plain. The book is set in the bleak near future were South America’s rainforests have been depleted due to over logging. Although largely ignored outside of Brazil when first published, over the years A Planície Estéril has gathered an impressive international following and today is widely regarded as a science fiction and environmental classic.

1958 would see the Indian War of Independence finally come to an end after over nine years of fighting. Despite both sides being exhausted the peace talks held in Geneva, Switzerland were anything but placid. The agreement stated that British forces would completely withdraw from the Dominion of India by December of 1958. Free elections would be held in April the following year in which all factions of the Indian resistance could participate. The United Kingdom also pledged massive humanitarian assistance to the famine scarred subcontinent for the next five years. These concessions came at a price however. The future Indian government would be forced to recognize the commonwealth realms of Madras, Burma, and Ceylon as well as the British aligned princely states of Hyderabad, Travancore, and Mysore. Furthermore, due to the fractured nature of the opposition the British were able to separate Baluchistan, Assam, and the Muslim portions of Bengal from the Dominion of India in hopes of curtailing the power of an independent Indian nation. Afghanistan was even allowed to gain the Pashtun areas of the Northwest Frontier Province having been in defacto control of the area for years. Many in the UFLI were outraged by the continued fracturing of India but the United Kingdom threatened to withdraw its promise of humanitarian aid if its demands weren’t met leading some people to levy charges against Britain of using food as a weapon. In the end, the war in India was the third deadliest conflict of the twentieth century yet with Britain and her western dominions losing 76,818 killed and many more wounded. The number of Indian dead during this period, both military and civilian, is estimated at anywhere from 7-12 million.

The Indian Subcontinent
December, 1958​

 

[Mac Gregor]

Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain (1828-1918)

Hope you like this.

Thanks rick007! I have made some changes below. Keep them coming.


Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain (1828-1918)

Born in Brewer, Maine to a Congregationalist family, Chamberlain decided early in life to pursue a career in academics eventually mastering nine languages other than English including Greek, Latin, Spanish, German, French, Italian, Arabic, Hebrew, and Syriac. An ardent supporter of the Union and abolition, Chamberlain left his position at Bowdion College in 1862 and enlisted in the Army. Chamberlain was quickly elevated to colonel a given command of a regiment of volunteers. During the war Chamberlain would distinguish himself at the Battle of Lynchburg and the Siege of Danville. After the war ended Chamberlain served as a senator from Maine for one term before becoming Assistant Secretary of State in the Boreman administration. When the war with Spain erupted in 1877 Chamberlain resigned his position to take command of the 2nd Infantry Brigade under General Grant. Chamberlain proved to be a very successful commander during the attack on Santiago where he was lightly wounded by shrapnel. After the war he returned to Maine where he served as President of Bowdion College for 23 years. Chamberlain died in 1918 at the age of 90.

 

[Mac Gregor]

Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1928)

Born Arthur Ingnatius Conan Doyle in Edinburgh, Scotland to parents of English and Irish decent, Doyle received an extensive education studying literature and medicine. After a lackluster career as a physician and writer, Doyle became a celebrated correspondent for The Times during the Boer War. When Britain entered the Great War, Doyle reprised his role as a newspaper correspondent spending several months recording the events of Sir Ian Hamilton’s failed Jerusalem Campaign. After the war, Doyle returned to Britain where he wrote a number of books and short stories. Today, Doyle is most remembered for his series of books describing the imagined adventures of detective/explorer Dr. Alistair Morel. Doyle died in 1928 at the age of 69.

 

[Mac Gregor]

American Football Association (1959)

Eastern Conference

North East Division
New England Red Claws
New York Imperials
Brooklyn Blues
Philadelphia Patriots

Caribbean Division
Tampa Sharks
Santo Domingo Parrots
Havana Hurricanes
San Juan Tropics

South Division
Atlanta Strikers
Birmingham Bullfrogs
Jacksonville Coyotes
Charlotte Foxes
Memphis Cotton Bailers

Mid-Atlantic Division
Trenton Devils
Washington Resolutes
Norfolk Tides
Baltimore Blue Crabs


Western Conference

Pacific Division
San Diego Meteors
Honolulu Monarchs
Sedgewick Seals
Halleckville Mirage

Midwest Division
Indianapolis Hoosiers
Columbus Bulldogs
Cleveland Clashers
Chicago Tempests
Detroit Turbos

Central Division
St. Louis Archers
Littlerock Cougars
Louisville Riflemen
Kansas City Ruffians

West Division
Tacoma Thunderbirds
Guthrie Nomads
San Antonio Raiders
Denver Rams

 

[Mac Gregor]

Let's see how I get introducion about person of The Union Forever. There:

Lalli, thanks for the submission but I felt that I needed to make some changes. Keep the suggestions coming. Cheers.

Porfirio Díaz (1830 - 1863)

Born José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori to an Indian mother and a father of Spanish decent, Daiz joined the Mexican Army when war broke out with the United States in 1846. By the time the French invaded Mexico in December of 1861 in order to force Mexico to pay its debts Diaz had risen to the rank of Brigadier General. Diaz and his brigade were commended for their bravery at the Battle of Puebla. On June 17, 1863 Diaz was captured by French forces. Two weeks later Diaz attempted to escape and was mortally wounded in the process. Diaz is most remembered today for his last words “Nothing is so sweet as to die for one’s country.” When the French withdrew the following year Mexican President Benito Juarez pronounced him a national hero. 46 years later when Mexico joined the war against France in 1909, the division that Mexico sent to fight in Europe would be christened Profirio Propio “Profirio’s Own” in Diaz’s honor.

 

[Mac Gregor]

1959​

Domestic Developments​

In March, the Professional Baseball League (PBL) announced its first new expansion teams since 1939. Two new franchises were sanctioned, the Denver Grizzlies and the Panama Canaliers joining the Star and Liberty Leagues respectively. The addition of these two teams brought the number of professional baseball franchises to thirty.

On May 15, Shane Bayard opened the first Dreamworld Amusement Park. Although several locations were considered, Bayard settled on St. Louis, Missouri due to its central location. Over the years it would become one of the biggest tourist attractions in the country. Bayard considered the park to be one of his greatest successes and remarked “that America deserves a place where its citizens, no matter their age, can feel the joy of letting their guard drop and their imaginations run wild.”

In September, President Anderson signed into law the National Highway Sysem (NHS) Act passed by Congress earlier that year with bipartisan support. The NHS authorized the construction of a massive system of limited access highways that would crisscross the nation and, at President Anderson's insistence, be completely toll free . These “inter-states” would in time greatly improve the ease of long distance auto travel in the United States. The NHS was not without its detractors however such as the powerful railroad lobby that feared the act would erode their market share.

​

A section of the National Highway System under construction
1959 ​

 

[rick007]

Name: Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Capital and Largest City: Boston.
Admission into the Union: February 6th, 1788 (6th).
Nicknames: The Bay State, The Old Colony State, The Cod State.
State Motto: By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty.
State Song: All Hail Massachusetts.
State Birds: Black Capped Chickadee, Wild Turkey.
State Flower: Mayflower.
State Tree: American Elm.

Professial Sports Teams:

Baseball: Boston Minutemen.
Football: New England Red Claws.
Rugby: Boston Pilgrims (originally Boston Minutemen but the name was changed to avoid confusion).
Handball: Cambridge Chancellors.
Lacrosse: Lexington Legion.

Post Civil War History:

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, though untouched by the war, was still effected by it. A staunch abolitionist state they supported civil rights for Africans-Americans afterwards. Massachusetts is the fifth largest economy in the country.

Notable Massachuseans:
-Pilgrims.
-John Adams (1st Vice President and 2nd President).
-John Quincy Adams (8th Secretary of State and 6th President).
-Senator Robert Gould Shaw.
-Vernon M. Kirkman (29th President).
-Wesley Schwimmer famed documentarian.

 

[Mac Gregor]

1960​

Domestic Developments​

The 6th Winter Olympic Games are held in the Jefferson State capital of Shermanburg.[1]

In June, Powell-Blau Industries unveiled what would become the first commercially successful jet airliner the PB 690. Within a few years the PB 690 would see extensive service with airlines such as Trans Atlantic, Global, and Westeria. Although nosier and less fuel efficient than modern jetliners the BP 690 was an important aviation milestone ushering in the age of affordable jet travel.

On August 1, Winds of Time premiered on the Columbia Broadcasting Company eventually becoming one of the longest lasting American teleoperas despite near universal derision from critics for bad acting and plot contrivances. Significantly, Winds of Time would air the first interracial kiss on American television in 1965.

The 1960 presidential election returned Richard Anderson to the Whitehouse with a landslide victory. Touting a healthy economy, peace abroad, and tranquility at home Anderson easily defeated his Republican challenger Senator Clyde B. Nordquist of Ohio winning 59.11% of the popular vote, 546 out of 578 electoral votes, and 50 out of 55 states. Democrats also captured the Senate, controlling both houses of congress for the first time since the 1948 elections. Many pundits observed that Anderson’s lopsided triumph was due in part to him adopting several normally Republican positions such as infrastructure improvements, support for the League of American Republics, and refusing to move backwards on civil rights.
[1] OTL city of Boise, Idaho.

 

[Mac Gregor]

1960​

Foreign Developments ​

First successful heart transplant
January 7, 1960
Paris, France​

On January 7, the first successful heart transplant occurred in Paris, France. The patient Rodolph Sauveterre would live for 11 months following the operation.

In March, the Indonesian Congress Party (ICP) is founded in Batavia by a union of several pro-independence groups.[1] The Empire of Japan became the first foreign government to formally voice its support for the ICP four months later. Under its charismatic leader Slamet Wahyu, the ICP would within a year become the largest and best organized independence organization in the Dutch East Indies. While Dutch colonial authorities had allowed greater native political participation in recent years the swift rise of the ICP worried many that armed conflict might soon erupt.

On May 22 at 3:10pm local the largest earthquake yet recorded rocked southern Chile. Known as the Great Chilean Earthquake it measured a 9.5 before overwhelming the sensors. Centered on the town of Valdivia, the earthquake killed an estimated 5,900 people and caused billions of dollars’ worth of damage. Fortunately many of the member states of the League of American Republics donated aid to help Chile recover, a process that would take years.

Fulfilling a promise made during the conflict in India that the United Kingdom’s relationships to the dominions would be reevaluated after the war, Prime Minister Baxter held an imperial conference in London in July. After much negotiating, a document styled as the Comprehensive Charter of the Commonwealth (CCC) was drafted. The charter would in effect divide the British Empire into a three tier system. At the top would be fully independent states then consisting of the UK, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Ireland, and South Africa.[2] While in control of their own domestic and foreign policies they would still be connected by “fraternal and historical bonds” and were to interact with each other as equals. The second tier would consist of dominions with domestic autonomy but have their foreign affairs controlled by London such as Madras, Ceylon, and Burma. The third tier contained the remaining non self-governing territories. The charter made calls for elevating “those territories capable of responsible self-government” to dominion status “as soon as reasonably possible” as well as establishing representative assemblies in the more developed colonies. Other stipulations of the charter included regularly scheduled commonwealth conferences, the elimination of nearly all remaining trade barriers, and a pledge to assist one another if attacked by a foreign power. Following the conference the CCC was sent to the respective legislatures for ratification with a request that its fate be decided in 18 months’ time.

In September, the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich announced the first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction. Many hoped that further study would permit nuclear fission to be used as a power source. Unknown at the time Chancellor Kruger, fresh off his reelection victory, instructed the German military to begin investigating whether this new technology could be used as a weapon.

Throughout late summer and autumn a series of border clashes occurred between the newly independent countries of the Indian Republic and the State of Islamic Bengal over the exact location of their ill-defined border. While causalities were relatively low, Bengali leader Mohammad Hamid used the tensions as an excuse to cement near absolute power over his small country.

Flag of the State of Islamic Bengal​

[1] Batavia is the colonial capital of the Dutch East Indies and the former name for the modern city of Jakarta.
[2] In exchange for its support during the war in India, South Africa was granted full control of its foreign affairs starting in 1961.

 

[Mac Gregor]

1961 ​

Domestic Developments ​

Columbus I
First Artificial Satellite​

On July 26, the United States Navy launched Columbus I the first manmade satellite to orbit the earth. The Columbus I would stay in space for nearly a month and make over 600 orbits. In America the event was cheered as a national triumph and signaled the dawn of the space age. Overseas however foreign governments scrambled to implement their own space programs. Germany, embarrassed by the Americans reaching space first, would launch their own satellite in December.

In August, a new music genre called Futuro burst onto the American music scene with the release of the single Electric Love by the Solitaires. Relying heavily on synthesizers and electric guitar, Futuro had been germinating in New York and Havana night clubs since the late '50s. For many the fast pace and optimistic music style seemed to embody the national mood for much of the decade.

In Fletcher v California the Supreme Court ruled seven to four in favor of upholding California’s self-imposed term limits for U.S. senators and representatives. Otis Fletcher, a former U.S. representative form California’s 1st district, argued that the state’s term limits for representatives and senators violated sections 2 and 3 of article 1 of the constitution. As a result of the ruling, by the end of the decade 36 states would impose term restrictions on representatives and 42 on senators.

 

[Mac Gregor]

1961​

Foreign Developments
​

On May 27, Venezuelan dictator Jacobo Chavarria died after nearly 12 years in office. Many had hoped that Chavarria’s death would lead to a thawing in the tense relations between Venezuela and the League of American Republics. However, after a brief struggle for power Chavarria’s deputy Vicente Saturnino was installed as Venezuela’s new leader. Much like his predecessor, Saturnino continued to use the nation’s growing oil revenues to fund massive infrastructure projects and expanding the military, as illustrated by an arms deal negotiated with Japan later that year.

In June, the tomb of Pharoh Tutankhamun was uncovered by a joint team of Egyptian and German archaeologists. Located in the Valley of the Kings, the find proved to be one of the best preserved Egyptian tombs ever discovered. The treasure trove of artifacts garnered worldwide attention and led to a resurgence of public interest in Ancient Egypt.

During the 1961 Italian elections, the Italian People’s Party lost control of the government, and the center right Democratic-Republicans were returned to power after 8 years in the political wilderness. Constanzo Vincenzo, the flamboyant former mayor of Rome, was elected President. During his inauguration speech Vincenzo called for strengthening the military, expanding oil production in Italian North Africa, and eliminating trade barriers with France.

On September 14, Commanders Katsuro Tanaka and Yuudai Mori of the Imperial Japanese Navy became the first men to descend to the bottom of the Marianas Trench the deepest spot on the ocean floor. Tanaka and Mori received a hero’s welcome upon their return to Japan for their triumph and symbolizing to the world the empire’s preeminence in submarine technology.

By the end of the year, the Comprehensive Charter of the Commonwealth (CCC) was finally ratified by the United Kingdom and all of the self-governing dominions. Public reaction to ratification varied widely from celebrations in Auckland to deadly riots in Dublin. Some conservative elements felt the charter gave away to much power from London while many anti-imperialists claimed it didn’t go far enough. Regardless, the charter marked an important turning point in the history of the British Empire.

Flag of the British Commonwealth​

 

[Mac Gregor]

1962

Domestic Developments​

In March, the superhero Captain Venture made his debut appearance in an issue of Amazing Worlds Comics. Indicative of the public fascination with the ongoing space race, CPT Venture was set in the 25th century as the stalwart defender of the United Nations of Earth against a host of nefarious alien enemies. Over the next few years, Captain Venture would quickly join the ranks of other prominent American superhero characters such as Spectreman and the Red Chief.

In April, the Federal government consolidated the territorial legislatures of Samoa and Polynesia into the newly tilted Territory of Pacifica. The official reason for the move was to reduce the cost of administering the far-flung archipelagos. Some however suspected political motives as the ruling Democratic Party wished to limit the number of future states that would generally favor the Republicans. Many of the islanders were not happy about the merger especially the Samoans who resent the addition of the more numerous Polynesians and their French influenced culture. As such the issue of where to locate the territorial capital would not be resolved for several years.

Although festivities had begun the previous year, 1962 saw a multitude of events marking the Civil War Centennial and the changes that the conflict had wrought on the country. Highlights included a massive reenactment of the Battle of Warrenton, in which Vice President Howley somewhat oddly played the role of General Sumner, and a ceremony marking Abraham Lincoln’s signing of the Proclamation of Emancipation and Restoration of the Union. In the fall documentarian Brian Darr made his television debut with the premier of War between the States on the National Broadcast Service the first of many of his historical programs to receive near universal acclamation. Of the plethora of books concerning the conflict released during the early sixties, one of the most successful was the alternate history novel American Inferno by Tobias Kilmer. In the novel General McClellan is not thrown from his horse during the peninsular campaign, but due to his over cautious nature he fails to take Richmond. As a consequence the war drags on well into 1865. While one of the highest grossing fiction works of the year many critics chastised Kilmer for the dark tone of the war’s aftermath including the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

The 1962 midterm elections resulted in little change to the makeup of Congress with the Democrats retaining their control of both houses despite the loss of a few seats.
In November, the United States Navy launched Observer 3 considered to be the world’s first weather satellite.

 

[Mac Gregor]

1962​

Foreign Developments​

Cyril Atkinson
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom​

During the 1962 UK general election, Prime Minister Sir Ryan Baxter and his conservative party were forced out of government after nearly 10 years in power. The Liberal Party under Cyril Atkinson was able to form a new government despite pre-election fears that it might have to form a coalition with the left wing Socialist-Workers Party. In his first address to the House of Commons, Atkinson vowed to follow through and even accelerate some of the reforms of the Comprehensive Charter of the Commonwealth (CCC), while at home promoting a “kinder, fairer, and more peaceful Britain”. Although Baxter would retire to his West Sussex estate following his defeat, he would remain a polarizing figure in British politics for decades to come due to his role during the war in India.

In April, Italian President Constanzo Vincenzo and newly elected French President Valere Gardinier officially announced the establishment of the Franco-Italian alliance. Known as the Turin Pact after the city in which it was singed, the treaty dropped most travel and trade restrictions between the two countries as well as strengthening the ties between the French and Italian militaries. Although defensive in nature, the treaty was widely seen as an affront to Germany the reigning European economic and military heavyweight.

During the summer the 12th Olympic Games were held in the Japanese capital of Tokyo. The Games generated recording breaking attendance in both number of spectators and nations present despite the absence of China who boycotted the games over the still unresolved status of Hainan.

After centuries of foreign rule, war erupted in the Dutch East Indies after colonial authorities opened fire on demonstrators in Batavia on July 19th leaving 22 dead and over 90 wounded. Capitalizing on public outrage over the event Slamet Wahyu and his Indonesian Congress Party (ICP) issued a declaration of independence two days later. Dutch King William IV quickly requested the deployment of additional troops to quiet the rebellion to which the States-General reluctantly consented. Foreign reaction to the outbreak of hostilities varied. The Japanese immediately recognized Wahyu’s government and began sending supplies and munitions to the ICP. In contrast, the other European colonial powers largely sided with the Dutch, with Germany even providing military advisors. American President Richard Anderson, along with most of the other LAR heads of state, however called for calm and urged the Dutch to establish a peaceful transition to native rule.

In October, Russian Emperor Peter IV died after 15 years on the throne. Lacking a male heir, Peter was succeeded by his eldest daughter Empress Elizabeth II the first female Russian monarch since 1796. Despite her conservative upbringing Elizabeth is considered a reformer who wants to ease the growing ethnic and political tensions in the Empire. Naturally, the ruling conservative establishment is wary of the Empress’s political meddling, and views her as to weak to rule the empire effectively.