US capital after CSA victory

Well, saying that DC will remain the capital of the Union out of defiance despite its proximity to the border is kinda like saying Seoul will remain the capital of South Korea out of defiance of the North despite its proximity to the border.

Wait a minute... :D
 
Well, saying that DC will remain the capital of the Union out of defiance despite its proximity to the border is kinda like saying Seoul will remain the capital of South Korea out of defiance of the North despite its proximity to the border.

Wait a minute... :D

How did the South Koreans do things in the 1950s and 1960s when another Korean War seemed probable? Did they have everything concentrated in Seoul?
 
Well, saying that DC will remain the capital of the Union out of defiance despite its proximity to the border is kinda like saying Seoul will remain the capital of South Korea out of defiance of the North despite its proximity to the border.

Wait a minute... :D

How did the South Koreans do things in the 1950s and 1960s when another Korean War seemed probable? Did they have everything concentrated in Seoul?

And where in South Korea wouldn't be vulnerable to attack? It's not that big a country.
 
I'd vouch of Philly. Not only was it the first capitol, it would totally fulfill the nostalgia purpose.

To me, it would also be problematic for the Union to hold the border at Fredericksburg, VA. Because that was Mosby's country. Solid Pro-CSA.

The Potomac would make an ideal border, it allows space for the old capitol to lie between the New-old Capitol of Philly and the CS Capitol of Richmond. Around a hundred miles of likely fortified ground either way for awhile. With Stonewall's shiny new Citadel sitting in nearby Lexington.
 
I think <gasp> that Turtledove got one thing right in his South won the Civil War series: DC stays as the official capital, but all real work gets done elsewhere...perhaps inaugurations and a ceremonial opening of Congress, and a few offices. There are small "embassies" there with big "Consulates" in the real capital. Each government office has an office in DC also. If you go that route, Philadelphia isn't a bad choice for the main administration, as it's not too far away...

So basically, like the situation in West Germany, where West Berlin was still the "official" capital but the real center of government was in Bonn?

That sounds doable.

Now the question is, where is the new capital going to be? Philadelphia and New York both have history behind them, but they're both on the East Coast. There might well be a need to "balance" the eastern and western states, like how the site of Washington, DC was chosen as a balance between north and south. At the same time, any location too close to the US-CS border is out of the question. In that case, I'd expect the center of government post-war to be along or near the Great Lakes. Chicago is an obvious choice, but the state of Illinois might be too associated with "the man who lost the war", and the city might be too far west for the East Coast to accept. I liked the suggestion of Toledo, Ohio; other choices might include Cleveland, Youngstown, and Erie, all of which are along or close to the Pennsylvania-Ohio border (a clear boundary between east and west if ever there was one).
 
Assuming the Republicans are still a force in said victory scenario, they would likely block New York City because of supposed Pro-Confederate leanings and the city also being thoroughly Democratic. That is, unless the city became some sort of Federal District and was taken away from New York somehow, but I doubt the State of New York would allow that. I think Philadelphia is a more plausible choice; it was the original original capital city and is relatively Pro-Northern and far enough away from the border assuming there are defenses in between the Potomac and the Susquehanna (and both rivers are fortified).
 
I think it would be the official capital, but the ministries and Congress would most likely go to Philadelphia, the division between official and administrative capital that some states have to this day (er countries that is)

Best Regards
Grey Wolf

That seems likeliest to me as well, in some form.

Washington would remain, at least for a while, the official, nominal capital; but many key government functions and offices would be relocated to a safer, workable location like Philadelphia or Chicago. There would also be plans and logistics in place to relocate most of the rest of government as well should war break out again with the CSA.

Would that be workable in the long run? Hard to say. Much would depend on how relations with the CSA played out in succeeding decades.

Sometimes, Turtledove gets it right. This seems to be one of those times.
 
Top