The United Empire of America.

There's a right way and a wrong way to critique a timeline. This was the wrong way.

Agreed, Burton(I'm surprised at Jack, especially.)

In any case, at least he's not banned; that way, I can try to help him out a little. :)

TBH, I do realize the original premise may have been a little over-the-top. But it can be worked with. After all, if 'Decades of Darkness' can become popular(a really decent TL in its own right.) then doesn't this TL deserve a chance, too?

It really just needs some adjustments, that's all.
 
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TBH, I do realize the original premise may have been a little over-the-top. But it can be worked with. After all, if 'Decades of Darkness' can become popular(despite its flaws, and they are there; not to mention some of the speculatory posts on there aren't exactly well thought out or plausible, though, truthfully, the latter is certainly no fault of the author's in either case.) then doesn't this TL deserve a chance, too?

Jesus H. Christ, is there any blasted thread you won't complain/discuss/complain again about DoD in?
 
Jesus H. Christ, is there any blasted thread you won't complain/discuss/complain again about DoD in?

Seriously? C'mon, man, give me a break. :(

To be honest with you, I do believe the two ideas do have some similarities, and all I said here was, if that TL can become popular(which it did, fair and square.) why can't this one be given a chance as well?

After all, many of the best authors on here like CalBear and Jared were new, too, once upon a time. Frankly, Caracalla doesn't deserve a chance as well(though I was a little offended by his remarks about Frenchmen, tbh, and I'm sure we can agree on that.)?
 
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Cook

Banned
In this timeline America has conquered Canada and Mexico. It stretches from the Arctic Ocean to Central America. It is ruled by the Proconsul and it has millions of troops under arms. Infact at the start of the war it has 20 million men under arms. During the Revolution, Arnold remodeled the army on the Roman Republic, so it has legions, and half of the slaves were sent into the army and became a quasi-jannsairy armed wing of the army. they number about 10 million, so America has a standing army of about 30 million troops under arms. I hope this helps
With no land border other than a narrow one in Central America why would this Greater America require such a large army and how are they affording it?

For a comparison, in 1914 the world’s largest peace-time army was Tsarist Russia’s, and it had strength of just under 1.5 million men. When mobilised in August 1914 this was expanded to 3 million and the Tsar had a man-pool of 22 million to call on, but could not afford to cloth, arm and equip such a force. Between 1914 and 1917 Russia mobilised a total of 14 million men, and bankrupted itself doing so.

An America with oceanic borders such as you have described would require a stronger navy, but doesn’t seem to have much need for a large standing army, and certainly not the enormous one you are proposing.
 
With no land border other than a narrow one in Central America why would this Greater America require such a large army and how are they affording it?

For a comparison, in 1914 the world’s largest peace-time army was Tsarist Russia’s, and it had strength of just under 1.5 million men. When mobilised in August 1914 this was expanded to 3 million and the Tsar had a man-pool of 22 million to call on, but could not afford to cloth, arm and equip such a force. Between 1914 and 1917 Russia mobilised a total of 14 million men, and bankrupted itself doing so.

An America with oceanic borders such as you have described would require a stronger navy, but doesn’t seem to have much need for a large standing army, and certainly not the enormous one you are proposing.

Very true. I do believe it is possible for America to raise a pretty large army, depending on its population size at the moment, but the entire man-pool, as you termed it? Not really possible. Even OTL's America couldn't quite do that, and frankly, I agree with you on this: TTL's America might not need quite that large an army anyhow.
 

Spengler

Banned
It has the potential to be an interesting story, as long as the writer owns the fact that elements of it are over the top.

One of my most successful timelines had Barack Obama adding twelve states to the USA and murdering Rick Perry with a shotgun. He even gets BOLOs as an indirect result of facilitating the unification of Korea.
link please?:D
 
Guys

I think the single biggest problem is that if Arnold did do such a military coup then the rebellion would lose a lot of its current support. Many waivers would be alienated by the fact you're basically got a dictator in charge and their colonial representatives, some of their leading citizens killed/arrested.

In that case you would probably get the rebellion restricted to a relatively small number of hard-liners isolated in the wilderness and probably quickly scattered and killed. Even if somehow, even more extensive French aid, a rebellion is won, the anti-Arnoldites are going to be markedly larger in number and the 'free' US will probably be lucky to be half the size it was OTL.

Furthermore, if somehow the US, calling it that for simplicities sake, stays highly militarised and possibly a military dictatorship, as Zmflavius says its a drastically different nation and one that will not only start off far weaker but be far less likely to attract investment or immigration. Especially since relations of such a state with Britain are going to be far worse than OTL.

Also, given the relative disparity in resources between Britain and the 'US' even OTL before about 1870-80 the idea of annexing Canada is at the least verging on ASB unless you're speculating at least 1812 levels of distraction by Britain and once such distraction is over there will be questions about Canada.;)

Even assuming some other route to the 1914 start point of the main plot as others have said that huge army is ASB and would be impossible to maintain except possibly under the most extreme totalitarian state.

There might be possibilities for an American empire that goes very dark, like DoD, but I think it would have to start differently and follow another path. Say in the period after independence political and economic failures prompt conflict in the 1780's and ultimately some strongman takes over and you get the Roman type set-up for the US. Still rather unlikely and going to have a huge number of butterflies but far more likely than the POD taken here I think.

One other thing is that, regardless of the period of the main story is set I think the date of the POD dictates the category the story goes in. Thinking here of the example of the TL "Axis of the Andes" which was moved from post to pre 1900 by a moderator because while no real changes occur until ~1930 the original POD was a decision by a character in the 1890's. Hence I think the moderators would decide this TL, if resumed would go into the pre-1900 section.

Steve
 
I'm sorry for offending the poster that I did in this thread. It was childish and not in my nature to offend someone like that. As an African-American I should know better, considering some of the racism I have experienced in my life. I love history, I have my degree in it, and this timeline is something that I hope will be really good. I have alot of ideals, and with your alls help I hope that it becomes successful. Thank you for giving me another chance to post on here and I hope that we can bury the hatch and show respect to one another.:)
 
After some thoughts and reflections I have changed the numbers for the standing Imperial America Army and Minority Legion Forces. In enjoy the first part of the timeline :):

August 6, 1914: The start of the greatest war in history and the rise of The United Empire of America as a world power begins with the sink of the HMS Queen Victoria by French terrorists(The Marquis) in the middle of the English Channel. Ever since the British Empire defeated and occupied Northern France jointly with the Kingdom of Prussia(Now called the Greater German Empire) after the defeat Napoleon. The French of Northern France have waged a long guerrilla war aganist the occupation forces. With the sinking of the Victoria the heir to the British throne, Prince Albert Victor was killed along with over 500 British citizens. The British goverment demanded that the Southern French government hand over the leadership of The Marquis which had fled south. The Southern government refused and The British Empire, along with the Greater German Empire, declared war on South France. Soon South France's powerful friend across the Atlantic Ocean would moblize its forces and come to there aid.

August 31, 1914: A massive joint Anglo-German force of 300,000 troops invades South France by attack the Southern forces along the River Loire. In the first few hours the Anglo-German Army advances in fits and starts across the river, thousands of men are killed or wounded by the Southern forces but the Army gains a several foot holds across the river. Near the town of Nevers, a Southern French Army has been a thorn in the Anglo-German Forces, and is forcing them to have wage a horrific street battle for the key town.

September 8, 1914: The German 5th Army has captured the town of Nevers after brutal street fighting. The Germans in there anger have raised the town to the ground and reports of civilian massacres have filitered out of the town. In Northern France the Anglo-German command has been forced to call back some units from the invasion force, because a small uprising has broke out in Northern France. This uprising well grow as time wears on, but as more and more Anglo-German forces landed in Northern France the uprising will be no cause for concern as of yet.

Comments or suggestions so Far?:)
 
September 10, 1914: Senate Chambers of The United Empire of America is a buzz as the leader of the Empire, Proconsul Benedict Arnold IV, rises before them, "Honored members of the Senate, citizens of the Empire. Our comrades of the Nation of South France have requested our support against the Anglo-Hun hordes that have attacked there country. The time has come to finally settle the score against our old foes the British, and avenge the Great Washington!", he shouted. A great cry rose from the senators, there fists were raised in the air. The Proconsul returned the salute and spoke again, "I here by declare war on the British Empire and her Hessian lapdogs!" With that the Senate broke out in wild cheers, and the Empire was at war.
 
September 12, 1914: word has reached Marseille, the capital of South France, that the United Imperial forces are being moblized to come to there aid. The southern forces have manged to hold the Anglo-German forces at the city of Poitiers, but the pressure is building up. Already more and more men are being called up, but its taking much time to arm them and send them to the front. The Southern leadership knows that it just has to hold on until the Imperial forces can arrive.

September 14, 1914: London, England; Prime Minister H.H Asquith looked at General Douglas Haig. "What do you mean, the French are fighting harder than you thought?", he asked anger rising in his voice. General Haig stood and stared straight at the Prime Minister, "Sir the French are fighting for every piece of French land. We have suffered 20,000 casualties, our German allies have suffered twice that many." Asquith shook his head and gazed at the map of France, already the Anglo-German Army was one week behind were they should have been. Also reports were coming in that the Marquis were stepping up there attacks in Northern France causing units to be recalled from the front. Now the so called "United Empire', had just declared war on the Empire. He knew that they had to knock South France out before the Imperials arrived in France. He was about to say something when one of his aides burst in the room holding a piece of paper. "What is is Tibbit!", he snapped. "Mr Prime Minister, the Italian Army has attacked the Greater German Empire in Tyrol!" Tibbit brust out. Asquith and Haig looked at each other in shock, the war had taken on a new twist.
 
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They beat France during the Napoleonic War. In this TL the Napoleonic War was far more destructive and because of this the British and Prussians decided to occupy Northern France, and keep a garrison of troops there. The Greater German Empire is all of Germany and the Austro/Hungarian Empire combined. It was started by Bismarck after the defeat of Austria in the 1860's.
 
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