Paint it Red: The Rise of the American Left (1908-1932)

[Türkisblau]

Wonderful results!

[An American Tail: Fubart Goes West]

Debs did better. Interesting.

[Pyro]

Roosevelt's Acceptance Speech, November 6th, 1912

Chapter Three: The New Presidency of Theodore Roosevelt: War Reform

  Theodore Roosevelt, the man who had served as a leading figure in the Spanish-American War, then as Governor of New York, to suddenly have been thrust into the White House upon the death of William McKinley, then in an unprecedented move to choose to run for a term of his own in 1904 and win handily, then form a brand new political party when his friends denied him the nomination, had won a third term in this election. It was quite a move to break Washington’s precedent. Some called Roosevelt a tyrant just for attempting a third run while others were unsurprised by his moxie. When he won in this chaotic, realigning election, analysts were unsure what would happen next.

  When the results were finalized, an energetic and proud Theodore Roosevelt, now 54 years old, made an acceptance speech to an enormous group of supporters. Though still recovering from his bullet wound, the president-elect walked and talked as if it was 1904 all over again. He did not make any promises, but recounted his stance on “New Nationalism” and stated that his Progressive Party would be leading the charge for positive change for the American people, yet would be willing to work with Republicans and Democrats to win this change.

  President Knox immediately fell into a sort of depression. Rejected by even his own voting blocs, he understood that his conservative agenda was not quite right for the time. Still, now that Roosevelt was no longer a Republican per-se, Knox was the leader of the conservative Republican Party. In one of his final public addresses, Knox was asked if he would try to defeat Roosevelt in 1916 to which he answered, “I am beaten. I will not run again for office.”

  One of Knox's last moves as president was to finalize an economic deal he had been working out with the Imperial German government. Britain had unleashed an effective embargo with the United States when Parliament passed a new tariff relating explicitly to U.S. goods, meaning the president needed to find an alternate route for trade. The new pact with Germany allowed for the entrance of American goods for a quarter of the rate of what Britain had once offered. This likely saved the U.S. from a severe economic recession, though Knox was not able to utilize this achievement to his advantage in the election.

  Eugene Debs of the Socialist Party came in second in Nevada and third in a number of other states. His highest vote percentage was 20%. The Socialist Party also managed to pick up an additional seat in the House, another unprecedented feat. Statewide, the SP won over twenty local elections. Debs, in the presidential election, won nearly 8% of the total vote: the highest ever for a radical party.

[Pyro]

1912 Congressional Elections      

Senate
Democratic: 51 (+6)
Republican: 43 (-4)
Progressive: 3 (+3)
Socialist: 0 (0)

House
Democratic: 295 (+60)
Republican: 125 (-33)
Progressive: 12 (+12)
Socialist: 3 (+1)

  The Senate and House elections saw another shakeup, not unlike that of 1910. In the House, the Republicans lost 33 seats and the Democrats gained 60. Twelve former Republican representatives decided to run on separate tickets in 1912, and won as members of the new Progressive Party.

  In Idaho, the incumbent Senator William E. Borah (R-ID) won re-election as a Progressive Party member. Joseph CS Blackburn (D-KY) managed to win back his seat in Kentucky for the third time. A multi-party vote in New Hampshire resulted in the victory of Robert P. Bass (P-NH) when he defeated four Republicans and four Democrats all running separate tickets. A tight election in New Jersey between Frank O. Briggs (R-NJ) and Representative William Hughes (D-NJ) ended in the surprise win for former governor Franklin Murphy (P-NJ). A similar event occurred in Oregon, when Benjamin Ramp (S-OR), who won 11% of the vote, split the left-vote with Jonathan Bourne Jr. (P-OR), leading to Harry Lane (D-OR) coming out on top.

  In New York, the incumbent Governor William Sulzer (D-NY), who had been attempting to construct state-level reforms had been undergoing a fierce impeachment charge from Tammany Hall on account of suspicious campaign funding. As evidence later piled up against the governor, it was suspected that the Democrats would deny the nomination to Sulzer. He fought for months, and even attempted to receive an endorsement from the Liberal Party when it was created, but on September 9th, the NY State Assembly voted to impeach the governor. His Lieutenant Governor, Martin H. Glynn, immediately succeeded to the role.

  Governor Glynn was also a progressive Democrat, and would quickly endorse Champ Clark for president, as Sulzer did. Charles Francis Murphy, the leader of Tammany Hall who effectively removed Sulzer from power, tolerated Glynn and supported his expected candidacy in 1912. The Republicans rallied around Job E. Hedges while the Progressives chose Roosevelt’s Secretary Oscar Straus. The Democrats had easily chosen Glynn, making it seem as though there would be a runaway. However, the new Liberal Party backed Sulzer as the “only politician willing to fight corruption” and nominated him on their first state ballot. In the end, Straus, upon receiving an endorsement from Roosevelt, won the election due to the split Democratic vote.

  Upon the retirement of Ohio Governor Judson Harmon, the next Democratic nominee, who also had won the support of Champ Clark and the Liberals, Representative James M. Cox, was elected the next governor. In Massachusetts, when the incumbent governor announced his retirement, the Lieutenant Governor, PJ Kennedy, easily won the endorsement of the Republican. Kennedy, however, lost the election to David I. Walsh (D-MA) when he failed to win over the Progressives to his side.

  Other than acting as a vehicle for Champ Clark’s presidential campaign, the Liberal Party seemed to have little standing purpose. When the election had ended and it was clear that Roosevelt would win, Clark refused to give a statement regarding the future of his Liberal Party. However, Oscar Underwood stated that the Democrats ought to re-form their coalition and bring down Republicanism as they had in Congress.

  William J. Bryan stressed that the Democratic ruling class would never again allow someone as progressive as himself be the official nominee. “The Republicans are for the financial elite. The Progressives are a Roosevelt-ist cult. The Democrats have proven to be as torrential as either of these farces. This Liberal Party may be our answer.”

[Pyro]

Theodore Roosevelt: 26th and 28th President of the United States

  Theodore Roosevelt was inaugurated as the 28th President of the United States on March 4th, 1913. Newspapers emphasized that he looked as “spry as he did in 1904” when slamming on the podium to demonstrate how powerfully he felt about the issues. Each major point was greeted with astounding applause. As it seemed, the nation was thrilled to return to the Roosevelt administration.

  The new president proclaimed that the American people were overdue for a new Square Deal. He stated that front-and-center of this new plan would be a new social insurance system accompanied by a National Health Service to provide medical care to those in desperate need. He also mentioned a workers’ compensation law, the registration of lobbyists, and a law restricting the use of injunctions in strikes. He also outlined a plan to bring about regulatory laws for trust-busting maneuvers.

  A key point of his inaugural was the recognition that in the election he won a plurality of the popular vote, but not the majority. In fact, the Democratic candidates had over 43% of the popular vote while he had 30%. He concluded from this point that ordinary Americans were "sick and tired of Washington as it has been" and that his re-election meant a "fundamental toppling of the old puppetmasters." Roosevelt also stated that because the nation was so split, he would be willing to work alongside Democrats to generate legislation.


The Roosevelt Cabinet

President                        Theodore Roosevelt
Vice President                  William Howard Taft
Secretary of State            Robert M La Follette
Secretary of Treasury       Jonathan Bourne Jr.
Secretary of War              Luke E. Wright
Attorney General              Charles Bonaparte
Postmaster General           George von L. Meyer
Secretary of the Navy       Truman H. Newberry
Secretary of the Interior    James R. Garfield
Secretary of Agriculture      James Wilson
Secretary of Com & Lab      James C. Redfield

  Roosevelt was determined not only to bring about the “new chapter" of his progressive reforms, but to bring closure to the conundrum caused by his third party victory. As he stated shortly after the inauguration, “My victory in the race does not mean a new era for American politics. Our Progressive Party will be more than willing to work with Republicans and Democrats to bring about the reforms our nation needs.” Although he worked to downplay the upheaval caused by the party split, there was no turning back, and the Progressive Party was here to stay. This thought was proven to hold more weight when RNC Chairman Charles D. Hilles declared, “To be frank, there is no possibility for the nomination of Roosevelt in 1916.”

  The first action from Roosevelt had actually been decided for him. The new, 17th Amendment to the Constitution providing for the direct election of Senators was ratified and made law. The president called this a “step to a truer democracy”. Roosevelt, in a debated agreement, signed the Underwood Tariff Act, lowering tariffs and in return, Congress passed a momentous anti-trust bill in the mid-summer. Finally, as the year went on, the question of women’s suffrage was discussed. President Roosevelt was outwardly in favor of legalizing universal suffrage, as was his party, but the Democrats were hesitant and little was done by the end of 1913.

  President Roosevelt also had inherited a mess of a foreign policy from Knox. The former president had completely soiled the country’s relationship with Britain and France, yet had drove the nation closer to Germany. Roosevelt had personally supported the Alliance (Britain, France and Russia), but recognized the reality for what it was. Issuing a total reversal of Knox's policy would, as the president's economic advisors stated, more than likely drive the nation into a financial panic. Instead, Roosevelt continued along the path set for him, and had Secretary La Follette discuss a ten-year trade agreement with the Imperial leadership of Germany. Congress, and indeed most of the nation, did not have much of an opinion on the issue of who to side with in Europe, and mainly wanted the United States to remain isolated.

[NeverAgain]

Here comes Teddy!

[Kingpoleon]

Excellent update! When are you taking this to?

[TNF]

Looking good! Great to see a fellow comrade doing alternate history, as well.

[Pyro]

Excellent update! When are you taking this to?

Not sure yet.. I guess up to the 50s? Or whenever I get bored.

Looking good! Great to see a fellow comrade doing alternate history, as well.

Yessir! Hope you'll enjoy this TL.

[Pyro]

  
  Although President Roosevelt assured Americans that he would be willing to work with Democrats to get things done, the Democrat-led 63rd Congress had no such intention. Speaker Champ Clark consistently stated that the president's agenda was too radical, too fast. Even when legislation was pushed through the House, the Senate was far more conservative and the votes almost never turned out for the president. As Majority Whip J. Hamilton Lewis (D-IL) later relented in his autobiography, "Without scruples we were. Roosevelt's Deal could not be passed, even if it hurt the common man. The party dictated that if we sided with the president, we would be cast out. All of our effort had to go towards a 1916 victory."
  
  Only the most minor reforms were able to tick through this Congress. In its first session of 1914, the only meaningful piece of reform that was passed was the Smith-Lever Act: a law setting up links between the Department of Agriculture and land-grant universities. Nothing to the caliber of what Roosevelt had described in his addresses had come close.

  On April 12th, a strike in Ludlow, Colorado came to a brutal halt when mining workers were massacred by Rockefeller Fuel and Iron Company agents. 19 to 25 deaths were reported for the workers. A week of fighting ensued until President Roosevelt decided to send federal troops to end it. Both sides were disarmed. As the president said, “I stand firm in the belief that this government needs to mediate these conflicts before it gets violent.” He reaffirmed that his new Square Deal would make law the eight hour work day. He did not mention, however, the recognition of the union.

  Shifting gears, on June 14th, Roosevelt made a major public address where he outlined a three-step plan to push reforms through the Democratic Congress in the coming months. First and most importantly, his health policy would be introduced and if passed, further steps would be taken to ensure the safety and health of the American people. The attention was totally and completely invested in domestic policy and if all had gone as planned, things may have worked out quite well for the poor in United States. Then came June 28th.

Artist's Rendition of the Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand

[Pyro]

Front Page of the Daily Telegraph, June 29th

  When 1914 had initially ticked in, it steadily became evident that a conflict was brewing in Europe. From the escalating militarism of European nations to the checkerboard of colonies in Asia and Africa, the tension had already existed for years. On a personal level, Roosevelt had desired a war for some time. He believed that the best and most remembered presidents were those who served during times of war, and was ready and willing to drag the United States into a new conflict if he was in charge.

  Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to Austria-Hungary, was shot and killed by the supposed Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip on June 28th. Austria had steadily been expanding her influence into the Balkans, sucking up small countries in the process, and this directly led to the rise of various nationalist groups throughout the region. Princip belonged to one of these, dubbed the Black Hand, which fought for Serbian independence. His action set of an effective “powder-keg” in the Balkans, meaning a countdown to full-fledged European war had begun. The president called a meeting with his military advisors on July 1st to prepare his options.

  The president had openly asked for a meeting between all major European countries to discuss the situation, but the call was unheeded and the saber-rattling did not end. He tried reaching out specifically to Britain, but another failed meeting with James Bryce had halted the prospect of peace talks with the British. Anti-Serb riots had broken out in Sarajevo, leading to the imprisonment of thousands of suspected militiamen. Throughout July, diplomatic measures failed over and over again, leading to Austria’s declaration of war on Serbia on July 28th. Russia mobilized their forces. Kaiser Wilhelm II ordered Tsar Nicholas II to stand down, but he refused. August 1st saw Germany’s declaration of war on Russia. Germany attacked Luxembourg on the 2nd, and when France failed to respond to an ultimatum, Germany declared war on them on August 3rd. The next day began with German troops marching into Belgium, thereby provoking Britain’s declaration of war on Germany.

  On August 9th, President Roosevelt organized a secret meeting between his own foreign policy sect and those of Germany and Austria-Hungary. Secretary of State La Follette, General John J. Pershing, General Erich Ludendorff, Feldmarschall Franz von Hotzendorf, and others attended. Strategic battle plans were drawn and agreements were made. Roosevelt’s time in war had granted him a great deal of experience that was funneled into these plans. He already had international respect for his handling of the Panama Canal and his ability to facilitate the end of the Russo-Japanese War in 1905.

 One of the major changes made in this meeting was that the Ottomans would send their forces west into the Balkans while the Austrians, who were expected to attack Serbia, would now totally concentrate on Russia. Another was that to prevent public opinion turning against the war, Germany would restrict its submarine movements in the Atlantic and would consult with Roosevelt if any major alterations to this agreement was necessary. Germany would concentrate its forces chiefly in the West while Austria worked in the East. Roosevelt’s men made it clear that it would take months of convincing before Congress would even consider authorizing a war, but if and when they did, the United States would push full force into the European theater. He firmly refused a landing on British shores to open a separate front, but would send his naval forces if the war requires it.

[Pyro]

President Roosevelt Visits Fort Sheridan

  The president began to make speeches to the American public demonstrating the superb necessity for war against Britain and France in the autumn months of 1914. He discussed the “traitorous British” in the past years, and the French as “untrustworthy”. Roosevelt stated that Germany had been financially assisting the United States for the past decade, and in the past four years have been opening up trade deals with unprecedented value to the US Economy. He referred to this as “Knox’s one achievement.”

  In one event he emphatically said, “We’ve been at war with the British Empire over and over again. They were our masters and are determined to see fit a return to this state. Their supporters tell us we should fight Germany. Germany? What is our history with the Empire? Our wars with the Kaiser? Zero.” Each speech ended with the clear-cut call for war. “For the sake of security and for our continued independence we must stand up to these belligerents!”

  There were those who spoke against the prospect of war. Governor Woodrow Wilson said that war in Europe would be foolish at this moment and that not all attempts at diplomatic peace had yet been tried. Champ Clark stated that “Isolation is our only option in this circumstance.” Republicans and Progressives largely sided with Roosevelt. Socialists like Eugene Debs condemned the war in Europe as a pointless waste of human lives who are defending their capitalist nation-states.

  As 1914 neared its end, it seemed as though Germany had the upper hand without any direct US intervention. With the speculation that a quick German victory would mean enormous economic gains for the businesses of America, the wealthiest owners decided to join Roosevelt in his call for conflict. A select few in the financial elite had begun loaning large sums of money to the German government, including one J.P. Morgan, Jr. who handed over $6 million for weapons and munitions.

  Meanwhile, Progressives had pushed hard for Congressional majorities in the 1914 midterm elections. Democrats fought to retain the house, but the public perception that the Congress was obstructing change meant a confident reshuffle in November.

1914 Congressional Elections      

Senate
Democratic: 51 (0)
Republican: 38 (-4)
Progressive: 6 (+3)
Socialist: 1 (+1)

House
Democratic: 232 (-65)
Republican: 155 (+30)
Progressive: 41 (+29)
Socialist: 5 (+2)
Prohibition: 1 (+1)
Independent: 1 (+1)

  In the outcome, the Progressives did manage to gain momentum and many pro-Roosevelt and pro-war Republicans switched over to the now overtly patriotic Progressives. The Democrats retained their majority but their lead was slipping in the House. Skeptics of the war voted Socialist and had two more representatives sent into the Capitol.
 
  Three independently running Progressives won Senate seats, defeating Republicans and Democrats alike. These were Ole Hanson of Washington, Victor Murdock of Kansas, and Francis J. Heney of California. In Nevada, the vote was split in five ways, resulting in the victory of Ashley G. Miller, the Socialist Party candidate, giving the US Senate its first Socialist Senator. In the House, the Democrats suffered a huge loss of over 60 seats, which were propelled into the Progressive and Republican parties. However, much to the president's chagrin, the Democrats still had majorities in both houses of Congress.

[Kingpoleon]

Roosevelt needs about 20 Democratic Representatives and four Senators for a "Grand Coalition of Compromise".

[Pyro]

Troops During the Battle of Ypres

  In 1915, the game changed for Europe. With the introduction of gas warfare, heavy artillery and machine guns, the two sides were forced into a war of trenches. The war became a stalemate. The Battle of Neuve Chapelle, a British offensive, ended without much territorial changes, although England claimed tactical victory. In the Second Battle of Ypres in April, more chemical weapons were utilized than in any prior battle and the city was demolished by artillery fire. Neither side had won in Ypres, with 87,000 dead or wounded on the Allied side and 35,000 on the German side.

  President Roosevelt, like the war in Europe, was working on two fronts in 1915. One, to push through his health legislation and two, to have Congress approve entering the war. The Democratic majority was chiefly made up of conservatives, and they repeatedly blocked Roosevelt’s ambitions. Most Republicans agreed with TR's legislation, but the Northern Democrats who would normally support progressive legislation took weeks of discussion before they were willing to compromise.

  After months of compromises and committees, the National Health Board bill finally reached the House floor. To be clear, it was not Roosevelt's vision, and measures necessary to win over Democratic votes led to the exclusion of any real teeth for the board. Regardless, after all of that work, the vote ultimately failed (223 to 212) when a handful of Democrats led by Thomas J. Scully (D-NJ) backed out, citing a lack of direction with the legislation.

  However, on April 5th the Senate passed the Hanson Bill, named for Senator Ole Hanson (P-WA), which established workers’ compensation as a national precedent and required all employers to cover on-the-job injuries. Roosevelt hoped that this would push the coal and railway industries to introduce new safety standards, thus avoiding workers’ comp costs. The House, understanding this line of thought, also passed the bill in an easy vote with nearly 300 in favor. The president signed the law on May 2nd. Some Democratic governors called the Hanson Law a socialistic and/or unconstitutional measure. Not until 1917 would the law come into effect, and disagreements over the measure would push it to the Supreme Court, where it was upheld in a 5-4 vote.

[Pyro]

Lusitania Report from the Joliet Evening Herald

  On May 7th 1915, the British liner RMS Lusitania was torpedoed and obliterated by a German U-boat. Nearly 2,200 on-board were killed. Stern conservatives and British loyalists like Joseph Foraker claimed that this was a deliberate, terrorist attack which claimed innocent lives. Many others agreed with Foraker’s point of view that the attack was a cruel move on civilians. William Jennings Bryan took the middle ground and recognized that the British were at war with the Germans and the boat was in restricted space, thus allowing its targeting.

  President Roosevelt made a firm statement on the matter on May 10th. As he stated, the sinking of the RMS Lusitania was, in fact, a deceitful and manipulative move by the British government to attempt to turn international public opinion against Germany. Roosevelt said that the ship was indeed in restricted waters and was, in fact, carrying a hefty amount of ammunition, weaponry, and gunpowder. “The Lusitania was a military target. The British Crown must be held accountable for storing these weapons on this civilian ocean liner. I do not condone the killing of innocents and rest assured, these lives will not be forgotten. But we must understand that the government of George and Asquith deliberately put these lives at risk. We cannot allow these actions go on without lifting a finger.”

  Many were skeptical and there had definitely been a brief wave of anti-German sentiment despite the president's words. However, the press and the financial sector sided with Germany and restated the bullet points from the president. The Boston Globe printed the Lusitania disaster as "Ocean Liner Sunk: Blood on British Hands". German Ambassador Johann Henrich von Bernstorff made a public statement from Washington stating exactly what had occurred and that it was a difficult situation.

  As Bernstorff stated, "We must never take lightly civilian casualties. As your president has explained, this vessel was carrying bullets and explosives manufactured to kill our men and boys. We do not take a single step without calculating how many lives it could save in the months and years ahead." He also went into details of the agreement made with the United States which restricted the usage of U-boats in the Atlantic, reassuring Americans that this incident will not be repeated.

  Although some still held suspicions whether or not the facts were all straight, the public steadily began to take Roosevelt’s side and targeted Britain as the oppressor in this war. Governor Wilson spoke out against Roosevelt often, and continued to do so now. “The sinking of this ship is a tragic event, yes. However, we must act cautiously and wait for the facts before rushing into a deadly and stagnated war.” Wilson became the leading voice of isolationist tactics following this statement and began to pick up support from anti-war Progressives.

  Roosevelt formally asked Congress to declare war on the British Empire on June 8th. He cited the Lusitania as a prime reason why the war needed to come to a close and expressed allegiance to the Central Powers. The House voted 329 to 94 in favor of declaring war. The Senate voted 78 to 10. It was less about siding with Germany as an ally but ending the conflict and more significantly, ensuring that Germany is able to come out victorious to return the war loans to the United States and those like J.P. Morgan, Jr. who continued to funnel through millions in high-interest loans. Defending their ally, France reluctantly declared war on the United States on June 10th.

[Pyro]

Soldiers Prepare for Gas Strike, June 1915

  An official alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the United States was signed by all major nations on June 15th. Roosevelt ordered a restriction on passenger and trade ships in the Atlantic and for major vessels, had American naval forces protect these goods. The president also stated that he would avoid a North American front unless prompted to do so, which meant contrary to popular expectation that he would invade Canada, there was an absolute rejection of the possibility.
 
  June 16th saw the draft take effect, and it was ordered that all able bodied men sign up to fight in Europe. A War Industries Board was later set up to set war manufacturing policies and goals. The president also stated “any union which supports out patriotic duty in Europe will be federally and personally supported by this government.” Led by Samuel Gompers, the American Federation of Labor would experience its largest expansion since its founding. The IWW and other radical unions remained firm against the war. Roosevelt, though he did oversee a propaganda commission to push the war effort and discredit anti-war sentiments, made it clear that he would not target citizens for demonstrating their right to free speech.

  As the president stated, “The great majority of American citizens support our action in the war. These minor factions may scream all they like, and such is their Constitutional right, but they will ultimately flounder.” Governor Wilson, though against the war himself, stated that it would be foolish not to introduce legislation banning espionage. Roosevelt made it clear that he would veto any such measure. “We didn’t need it against Spain and we won’t need it against England.”

  The president was correct: the majority supported the war. Banners supporting "100 More Years of American Independence" were waved in city streets. Re-enactments of American Independence War battles were highly attended. Pro-British Americans, in two instances during the initial months of American involvement in the war, were attacked in the street. Many houses chose to display the first United States “Betsy Ross” flag in solidarity with the war effort. To a lesser extent there was anti-French sentiment, but Britain was chiefly targeted as the primary antagonist.

  The entrance of the United States in the war began to change the war’s tide. It had reached a stalemate for over a year, even though the Allied forces easily outnumbered the Central Powers. The U.S. boosted the manpower of the Central Powers by millions, meaning for the first time since the war's beginning, the Allies were at a significant manpower disadvantage.

  Italy, which had been a neutral power throughout the first half of 1915, thanks in part to secret negotiations from the American government, finally decided to join the Central Powers on August 23rd when Roosevelt promised King Victor Emmanuel III that he would receive not only French Tunisia, but a portion of Southeast France consisting of all lands East of Lyon and Montpellier. Italy’s estimated 5 million-man military force pushed the odds even more in favor of the Central Powers.

[Pyro]

The U.S.S. San Diego Led the Cruiser Vanguard in 1915

  One of the first major developments in this chapter of war was Roosevelt’s controversial decision to send a huge portion of the American fleet to the British Isles. Led by Admiral William S. Sims, this league of destroyers, armored cruisers, other vessels sailed past Ireland and toward Moray Firth in September. In a skilled tactical move, the United States Navy launched their surprise offensive on the British blockade on September 14th.

  Simultaneously, the Italian Navy scuttled the British outside of Artois, forcing them to sail northward to join with the other section of their fleet in hopes of reorganizing. Almost like clockwork, the German Grand Fleet was waiting in the North Sea, and when at last the British blockade began to breakup and sail south, the Germans were there to prey on the weakened vessels.

  In a sandwich-move the U.S. and Germans demolished the British blockade and steadfastly downsized the British Grand Fleet in the North while the Italians wreaked havoc in the South. By October, the blockade was in total shambles and it was too late for the French naval forces to come to the rescue.

  The seas were safe for Central Powers’ trade transport, and a clear proclamation was made that any and all British or French ships would be sunk on sight. Overnight, the British docks closed. To make matters worse for the British, a revolutionary wave breached across Ireland and an independence movement dubbed the Easter Rising broke out less than a year later.

  Meanwhile, the Germans came out victorious in the Second Battle of Champagne, thanks in part to the assistance of American military forces. Roosevelt had a leap in support as American involvement seemed to hasten the pace of the war. However, the anti-war Socialist Party members also seemed to gain momentum. Eugene Debs, who voraciously campaigned against the war, announced that he would run for a Congressional seat in his home state of Indiana, and encouraged others to do the same.

[Kingpoleon]

Is Franklin leading any of the Navy?

[Pyro]

Is Franklin leading any of the Navy?

Aha! =)
Well, in 1915 FDR is the Assistant Secretary of the Navy, as in OTL, and is certainly helping along with organizing the Navy, but for now it's TR's insistence that he not go abroad. Though you never know where things may go!

[Türkisblau]

Love the possibilities of the Central Powers winning WWI with Roosevelt's assistance. Really great point of diversion!

[Pyro]

British Soldiers Retreating along the Frozen River Somme

  When winter came around the corner once again, the war slowed its pace once more. Each front was stuck in a deadlock. Germany was certainly winning more battles than France and Britain, but the overall tide of war was still uncertain. The trench warfare spread disease like mad, and with the seas unavailable for the Allies, British and French soldiers began to starve in the cold. Over forty thousand were estimated dead for December alone for causes unrelated to gunfire.

  In the United States, protests began to arise relating to the ongoing war effort, but also the lack of progressive change expected from the Roosevelt administration. Socialists and anarchists picketed outside of the White House for action to be taken on the home front. They began to call him “King Roosevelt” and as the death tolls accelerated going into February, these actions sparked up in cities across the U.S.

  The military conflict that seemed to last the longest was the Battle of Verdun, which quickly fell into a stalemate and would last the entirety of the first half of 1916. Eventually, by mid-August, at the cost of over 200,000 American lives and 300,000 Germans, the Central Powers would push the French West across the Meuse River. American airplanes had changed the game, and the addition of a whole slew of German and American forces from Verdun into the Somme changed the course of that battle as well.

  Cut off from food and supplies, it was estimated that one out of every three British soldiers had ammunition and only two out of three had boots. By September, Allied soldiers began disobeying orders. A similar situation was developing in Russia, where heavy losses and undernourishment, coupled with ongoing dissatisfaction with Tsar Nicholas II, had resulted in massive protests across the nation. The situation was bleak for the Entente.

[NeverAgain]

Goes to show - war ain't good for anyone.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Very interesting, and very well written. Keep it up!

[Kingpoleon]

I love how despite Roosevelt's anti-German stance IOTL you made it political pandering. I admire your innovative and creative use of ideas!

[Pyro]

Goes to show - war ain't good for anyone.

"War, war never changes."

Very interesting, and very well written. Keep it up!

Why thank you very much! Glad you are enjoying it.