The Modern Confederacy: 2000 and Onwards

[Kingpoleon]

October 1929 - March 1931: BACKGROUND PART ONE OF THREE

Chancellor Wilhelm Marx and Vice Chancellor Erich Koch-Weser(front row, the first two on the left)

After the Great Depression began in 1929 in late October, many areas began to experience great economic pain. Germany held special elections, and there was a strong backlash against socialism and fascism, with Wilhelm Marx and Erich Koch-Weser winning a majority of 301 seats. All across Europe, the big incumbent parties were thrown out of office. In America, the lack of an immediate special election led to an interesting new coalition forming in the South.

President Henry L. Stimson became President after Hoover was killed in the November 19, 1929 train bombing, and Vice President Curtis was wounded and resigned in the famed shooting by Giuseppe Zangara on December 1. An attempt was made on the Cabinet members by Frank Nitti and Frank Costello, who's thugs managed to kill a good number of staffers as well as assassinate several of the Cabinet members, the unofficial Chief of Staff and official Press/Administration Secretary George E. Akerson, Governor Franklin Roosevelt, House Minority Leader John Nance Garner, and FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, as well as slightly wounding Senator Hiram Johnson and Speaker Nicholas Longworth.

Charles Lindbergh, Huey Long, and Richard Russell Jr. met on December 29, 1930 in Jackson, Mississippi. Over a year of riots, demonstrations, and general economic pain from "a d*mned Yankee President" had caused resentment to build in the populace. Charles Coughlin had drawn a good amount of followers in the South from his radio talks, and he held several demonstrations, in Atlanta, Miami, Houston, and New Orleans. Coughlin held a march with roughly 7,500 supporters in Jackson that same day.

With the support of Alabama's Senator-elect John H. Bankhead II, Alabama's Governor-elect Miller, Mississippi's Governor Theodore Bilbo, Florida's Senator Duncan U. Fletcher, and Governor of Florida Doyle Carlton, the Big Three declared the creation of the Union of Southern States, including Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. The remaining former Confederate states immediately began negotiating to join while promising secession if the federal government ordered an attack on the U. S. S.

50,000 troops under General Johnson invaded Louisiana, leading Russell and Long to send in the Southern Militia. Lead by former Major Harwell Goodwin Davis, the twenty-three thousand Southerners managed to kill 15,000 federal troops at the cost of just four thousand of their own. Retreating to Shreveport, Lindbergh lead a delegation to Texas, asking for assistance. Long loyalists in cities rallied their machines, turning out twenty one thousand Louisianans to support the Southern Militia.

While Hugh S. Johnson marched to Shreveport, Lindbergh managed to convince Texas to vote to secede, followed by Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Missouri. News of the 80,000 troops coming from Ohio convinced Kentucky to secede, while the reinforcing sixty-five thousand federal troops in Tennessee caused the latter to secede. South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, New Mexico, and Arizona soon all followed.

General Douglas MacArthur lead a new contingent from Arkansas and Texas, surrounding General Johnson with ninety thousand Southern troops. Outnumbering Johnson three to one, Lindbergh lead an aerial bombing of Johnson's forces while the Southern Militia kept them pinned down. Within four hours, Johnson's forces of thirty-five thousand was either destroyed or surrendering, with Johnson and about a hundred officers and staffers allowed to leave after promising to convince the federal armies to stop attacking.

Former Lieutenant Colonel Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., recalled from being Governor of Puerto Rico, lead the sixty thousand federal troops before encountering MacArthur's forces near Vicksburg, Mississippi. After nine hours of fighting, Roosevelt withdrew north rapidly, with his second cousin faking a retreat in towards a WWN direction with a handful of men and a great deal of artillery and machine guns, as well as aerial support to pick up survivors.

Brigadier General/Air Commodore George Kenney meeting with Charles Lindbergh

Roosevelt eventually escaped only to find that the federal government, fearing mafia attacks as unrest continued to rise, had agreed to recognize the Union of Southern States. Roosevelt was chosen to become the delegate to officially recognize them, being joined by Marine Corps Lieutenant Merrill Twining, Air Force Squadron leader Nathan Farragut Twining, and newly promoted Air commodore George Kenney. On March 15, 1931, the Union of Southern States was officially recognized by the United States of America.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Fascinating.

[Kingpoleon]

March 1931: BACKGROUND PART TWO OF THREE

Map of the Union of Southern States(in green) and the United States of America(in gray)


Following the peace treaty, the USS announced a Constitutional Convention, beginning April 8. The delegates included John Bankhead II, Theodore Bilbo, Strom Thurmond, Herman Talmadge(the youngest delegate, being only nineteen when the Conference started), and Olin Johnson. Charles Coughlin, Huey Long, Richard Russell, Charles Lindbergh, and Douglas MacArthur were the leading delegates. After five ballots, Charles Lindbergh was selected as President of the Convention, receiving support from the other four.

Lindbergh immediately called Bankhead, MacArthur, Long, Talmadge, and Thurmond to his office. There, they sat up rather late for three days as recess had been called. The Big Five managed to keep at it, and they eventually had a rough draft ready. The government was given strong federal powers, with each state electing two Senators for eight year terms and between one and fifty* Delegates, based on population, for two year terms.

The three unofficial regions were: The Western Region, comprising Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas; the Key South Region, made up of Florida, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana; and the Upper South Regional Union, which included Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, and West Virginia.

The President was given four year terms, with no one allowed to serve more than three terms. The Chancellor of the House of Delegates was granted powers nearly on the level of the President, as was the Southern Premier(elected by the Governors). Any of the three could sign legislation, but the President could veto it. The Chancellor and Premier required the signature of either the Senate Majority Leader or the Deputy President or the majority of the Governors to overrule the President. With the support of the Chancellor or Premier, Congress could override a veto or executive order with just three-fifths of the vote in both chambers.

The Constitution, with minor tweaks, was officially passed and signed May 3, 1931. The first elections would be held May 3, 1932. Long, MacArthur, and Lindbergh immediately went about gathering into parties. Huey Long and Charles Coughlin would form the People's Party. Douglas MacArthur, Richard Russell, and their associates formed the Federal Party. Charles Lindbergh, with little to no support from politicians, started the Reform Party.

At the People's Convention, Huey Long was nominated for President, Charles Coughlin for Deputy President, and Herman Talmadge for Premier. Long and Coughlin promised "an era for the people, regardless of race, and for the worker, regardless of income. Every man will be as rich as a king!" The Federal Party nominated Douglas MacArthur for President, Richard Russell for Deputy President, and John Bankhead II for Premier. MacArthur was touted as a strong leader and a staunch conservative.

The Reform Party, although it lacked politicians' support, was very popular among the general laity. Charles Lindbergh nominated the Speaker of the Texas Chamber of Consuls, Coke Stevenson, for Vice President, and declared they would support Acting Minister of Justice Allan Shivers or Military Governor of Florida Claude Pepper for Premier. Charles Lindbergh's acceptance speech was very nationalistic, while Stevenson generally seemed to somewhat moderate Lindbergh and focus his speech on strengthening ties to "Wilhelm Marx's Germany."

80: Reform Party, 37: Federal Party, 24: People's Party


The victory of Lindbergh and Stevenson was somewhat hollow. The only Governorships they captured were in Texas(Allan Shivers), Arizona(Barry Goldwater), New Mexico(Bronson M. Cutting), Missouri(Harry S. Truman), Florida(Claude Pepper), and Tennessee(Al Gore), despite winning several other states. After several ballots, John Bankhead II was elected Premier. Lindbergh immediately appointed Herman Talmadge, an independent, Chancellor.

Lindbergh's Cabinet:
Minister of Foreign Affairs: Alben W. Barkley(Reform, 33-0-1)
Minister of Economics: Oskar K. Allen(People's, 20-14)
Minister of the Military:  Douglas MacArthur(Federal, 30-4)
Minister of Justice: John Nance Garner(Federal, 26-8)
Minister of the Police: Harry S. Truman(Reform, 31-3)
Minister of the Interior: John J. Doles(People's, 23-11)
Chief of Staff: Donald A. Hall(Reform, 29-5)

Charles Lindbergh immediately began preparing a delegation to visit Berlin. Deputy President Stevenson, Ambassador to Germany Marrow, Senator Eugene Talmadge, and Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Clifton Daniel, were the big names willing to go. Chief of Staff Donald A. Hall immediately called on several aviator friends to fly them over to Berlin to meet with President Wilhelm Marx, Chancellor Ludwig Kaass, and Vice Chancellor Erich Koch-Weser.

Coke Stevenson's negotiations with President Marx went surprisingly well. A basic outline of Spain, Germany, Romania, Yugoslavia, and the U. S. S. was signed and agreed upon. King Alfonso XIII, Prince Paul and Princess Helen(the Yugoslavian regents), and King Nicholas I(who became Crown Prince when his brother had a morganatic marriage) sent ambassadors and royals to sign it, but King Nicholas I came himself. On December 1, 1932, the alliance was officially signed.

President Marx was, at the time, preparing the legislation to reinstate the Hohenzollerns under Crown Prince Wilhelm in a Constitutional Monarchy. He planned to become their first Chancellor, but the elections of May 1933, following their reinstatement, gave Erich Koch-Weser the first government. Alfred Hugenberg, whose party became more moderate and mainstream, agreed to join Koch-Weser's government instead of the slightly smaller center-right party, Centre.

Meanwhile, in America, a presidential election was held. The date for the inauguration was moved to April 15, as the transition period needed plenty of time. The Democratic Party nominated Charles W. Bryan(who promised to consider retirement after one term) and Alfred Smith, while the Republican Party nominated Alf Landon and Hiram Johnson.

181: Charles W. Bryan/Alfred Smith, 144: Alf Landon/Hiram Johnson, 31: Gov. Daniel Hoan/NYC Mayor Allan Benson

The surprising strength of the Socialist Party would reverberate. Three Senators were elected: Norman Thomas(New York), Emil Seidel(Wisconsin), and Henry Wallace(Iowa). Upton Sinclair, Darlington Hoopes, Vito Marcantonio, George Counts, and seventeen other Socialists were elected to the House. Counting the four F-L Representatives, twenty-five Representatives were lead by Upton Sinclair in the House and would manage to be a force in terms of passing very progressive legislation.

Charles Lindbergh on May 1, 1933, officially signed the International Trade Treaty And Pact, which promised free trade between Germany, the United Kingdom, Romania, Yugoslavia, Spain, and the U. S. S. One of Long's proposals, basic income guarantee and extension of food stamps, seemed to help recover the economy. All investment banking establishments comprising ten percent or more of the South's GDP were nationalized. The Miami Regional Stock Exchange was established, with privatized oversight, just weeks before both(specifically April 9, 1933).

*For their first elections, however, the biggest state, Texas, was eligible for twenty-one Delegates

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

How do Lindbergh and Coughlin find themselves Southrons?

[BuckeyeNut]

Missouri, West Virginia, and Kentucky joining the USS doesn't make any sense in the 1930's.

Especially West Virgnia.

[President of the great nation of 🏳️‍⚧️]

Missouri, West Virginia, and Kentucky joining the USS doesn't make any sense in the 1930's.

Especially West Virgnia.

Something something racist hicks.