tl 191 Kentucky WI

[rob2001]

What if the Union had been able to hold onto Kentucky after the War of Secession. Is it possible, how would it change the 2nd Mexican War and both Great Wars? Would it be worth it?

 

[RamscoopRaider]

What if the Union had been able to hold onto Kentucky after the War of Secession. Is it possible, how would it change the 2nd Mexican War and both Great Wars? Would it be worth it?

It damn well should be possible, if Lincoln leaves someone smarter in charge there then they can hold it with even a reduced amount of troops given the shitty CSA logistics in the area, as long as the Union can put up a moderate amount of fighting Bragg cannot take Kentucky

Kentucky has about an eighth of the CS population, and a pretty good chunk of their industry, without Kentucky the CSA will be much weaker

Assuming there is still a Second Mexican War Union forces will be able to advance directly into Tennessee without forcing a crossing, Britian and France will still win the war for them, but it will have been relatively more bloody for the CSA

Assuming there is a Great War Union forces can punch straight into Tennessee to begin with and advance further faster against a 10-12.5% smaller CS Army, possibly ending the war a year early. The Union will thus take Tennessee instead of Kentucky during the peace, and assuming someone like Featherston still takes over, gets Tennessee back and launches Blackbeard, any assault would be able to be stopped on the Ohio River, saving much US industry and preventing the country from being cut in half

 

[rob2001]

grant and sherman

Let's say that either Grant or Sherman are able to keep Bragg from taking Kentucky. Is that possible? Would Grant not end up a drunk, like in How few remain?

 

[RamscoopRaider]

Let's say that either Grant or Sherman are able to keep Bragg from taking Kentucky. Is that possible? Would Grant not end up a drunk, like in How few remain?

Definitely, Braggs logistics sucked, as long as they can last a week or so without being destroyed Bragg has to turn back to keep his army in munitions

If either of them pull off some semblance of a victory they'd get picked for general in chief, Rosecrans got picked because he screwed up the least before the war ended, if someone gets an actual victory (Shiloh apparently was counted as a draw in TL-191) they'd get the slot and Stonewall Jackson would get his face stove in trying to stop them before the British bail him out

 

[rob2001]

2nd mexican war

How would the 2nd Mexican war be handled if Kentucky was still a U.S. State and their was someone competent in charge of the army. I think the north would have pushed the confederate army all the way to the Tennessee Georgia state line, before England and France joined the war. I think this would won the war for the North.

That might have saved the Republican party, but what it would have done to the relations between the U.S. and the C.S.A. Would the north consider that they have avenged themselves for the disaster 20 years earlier, would the C.S.A. be angry at England and France for not entering the war sooner, what about slavery, would the C.S.A. still have slavery? Would the south join the other side in the Great War or would they still fight alongside England and France? What about the north with a victory in the 2nd Mexican War, would they still join Germany in the Great War, or would they fight alongside C.S.A., England, and France, or would they remain neutral?

 

[RamscoopRaider]

How would the 2nd Mexican war be handled if Kentucky was still a U.S. State and their was someone competent in charge of the army. I think the north would have pushed the confederate army all the way to the Tennessee Georgia state line, before England and France joined the war. I think this would won the war for the North.

That might have saved the Republican party, but what it would have done to the relations between the U.S. and the C.S.A. Would the north consider that they have avenged themselves for the disaster 20 years earlier, would the C.S.A. be angry at England and France for not entering the war sooner, what about slavery, would the C.S.A. still have slavery? Would the south join the other side in the Great War or would they still fight alongside England and France? What about the north with a victory in the 2nd Mexican War, would they still join Germany in the Great War, or would they fight alongside C.S.A., England, and France, or would they remain neutral?

Honestly I don't see the US winning the Second Mexican War, even with someone competent in charge the US Army is still going to be small and funds starved, same with the Navy, that's politics, the British and French will still sweep the seas and start burning the coasts, so the US will still lose, on the other hand this time I see the USA still keeping Northern Maine so it will be a minor loss

Honestly with less of a need for revenge from lost territory I see the US being neutral to start with, and if the Entente starts losing dog-piling on them

The CSA got rid of slavery to convince Britain and France to help, that won't change

This all assumes a butterfly net, without Kentucky the CSA may not be able to afford to buy Sonora and Chihuahua and thus no Second Mexican War, and the change in alliances may butterfly the Great War

 

[CT23]

Would there still be a Great War? If so, with more resources and people (Kentucky), might the US be able to get into Georgia?