The American Monarchy

[Хahar 🤔]

He's been through ...what? 130?

And it's taken a while.

[Person Man]

6 months? Crap.

[Хahar 🤔]

6 months? Crap.

Why crap? That means we can read a lot longer.

Seriously, Lief, you should flesh this out into a book. I'd buy it.

[Lief 🗽]

World Map 1920:


Larger Image

Major nations have colors, while minor nations/rebels are in white. Outlined nations/areas mean that the color of the outline has de facto control, while the filled-in color has de jure control.

Specific things:
Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland, Albania and Livland (the Baltic state) are all officially independent nations, but part of the German Zollverein, and are thus at least partially economically and politically linked to Germany. Poland, Albania and Livland have Hohenzollern kings. The German area in France represents the German-occupied zone. Ukraine is controlled by Anarchist and Monarchist rebels.

[Robespierre's Jaw]

Thanks for doing this Lief. I was wondering how the state of the world looked like in 1920.

This question  has no  mportance to the TL at all but I just want to know if Australia is Constitutional Monarchy in this TL?

[Хahar 🤔]

Thanks! This is great. Where does the name Livland come from?

[Lief 🗽]

Australia is in the same situation as it was in our timeline. ANZAC troops did fight for the British, in the Middle-East and then on the Western Front.

Livland is German for Livonia, which was a Medieval area encompassing modern day Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania.

[Robespierre's Jaw]

Australia is in the same situation as it was in our timeline. ANZAC troops did fight for the British, in the Middle-East and then on the Western Front.

YAY! Billy Hughes is still Prime Minister. But damn it, Stanley Melbourne Bruce will become Prime Minister on February 9, 1923 what joy that will be .

[Хahar 🤔]

Does New Britain belong to Japan?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

In Britain, labor groups throughout the country (from coal miners to railroad workers to dock workers) went on strike, culminating in unrest throughout the country worse than the “Great Unrest” of the early 1910s. Andrew Bonar Law’s Conservative-Independent Liberal government became increasingly weak, to the point that elections were needed in early 1920. British troops in Ireland were also increasingly bloodied, as the Irish populace turned against the harsh anti-revolutionary measures undertaken by the British. This all culminated in a landslide Labour victory in February 1920, giving Ramsay MacDonald (an original opponent of the war) a narrow majority in the House of Commons. MacDonald immediately pursued peace in Ireland.

1. Unless the timeline has changed things a lot (not really been reading it much, so might have missed summet) a Labour majority in the Commons as early as 1920 would have been impossible under just about any circumstances possible; there was no national Labour organisation to speak of before 1918 and the party was only active in a minority of constituencies.

[MasterJedi]

Great map, you're still pissing me off with Alaska though. So now I have to hope that America can get it eventually.

[Lief 🗽]

In Britain, labor groups throughout the country (from coal miners to railroad workers to dock workers) went on strike, culminating in unrest throughout the country worse than the “Great Unrest” of the early 1910s. Andrew Bonar Law’s Conservative-Independent Liberal government became increasingly weak, to the point that elections were needed in early 1920. British troops in Ireland were also increasingly bloodied, as the Irish populace turned against the harsh anti-revolutionary measures undertaken by the British. This all culminated in a landslide Labour victory in February 1920, giving Ramsay MacDonald (an original opponent of the war) a narrow majority in the House of Commons. MacDonald immediately pursued peace in Ireland.

1. Unless the timeline has changed things a lot (not really been reading it much, so might have missed summet) a Labour majority in the Commons as early as 1920 would have been impossible under just about any circumstances possible; there was no national Labour organisation to speak of before 1918 and the party was only active in a minority of constituencies.

Well, I'll change it to a Labour-Liberal coalition government then, with MacDonald as PM, then.

[Jake]

Seriously, Lief, you should flesh this out into a book. I'd buy it.

Narratives and timelines are totally different beasts.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

I'm surprised that Finland is still in Russian hands.  The Grand Duchy of Finland was the place pre-Great War that had the most autonomy in the Russian Empire and there was a short lived Kingdom of Finland in 1918 with one of the Kaiser's brothers-in-law, Prince Frederick of Hesse being elected King by the Finnish Parliament.

More importantly, how did the Pacific get carved up?  Is Tahiti and the rest of French Polynesia now American?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

In Britain, labor groups throughout the country (from coal miners to railroad workers to dock workers) went on strike, culminating in unrest throughout the country worse than the “Great Unrest” of the early 1910s. Andrew Bonar Law’s Conservative-Independent Liberal government became increasingly weak, to the point that elections were needed in early 1920. British troops in Ireland were also increasingly bloodied, as the Irish populace turned against the harsh anti-revolutionary measures undertaken by the British. This all culminated in a landslide Labour victory in February 1920, giving Ramsay MacDonald (an original opponent of the war) a narrow majority in the House of Commons. MacDonald immediately pursued peace in Ireland.

1. Unless the timeline has changed things a lot (not really been reading it much, so might have missed summet) a Labour majority in the Commons as early as 1920 would have been impossible under just about any circumstances possible; there was no national Labour organisation to speak of before 1918 and the party was only active in a minority of constituencies.

Well, I'll change it to a Labour-Liberal coalition government then, with MacDonald as PM, then.

A minority MacDonald government with Liberal support would seem more likely (which is what happend the two times MacDonald was a Labour P.M anyway) as the Liberal's financial backers (stereotypically rich lawyers) would not have been happy to see their party in coalition with Labour.

[HappyWarrior]

Can't wait for the next update.  I wonder if Gandhi will be important in this TL. 

[Person Man]

Should we plan a general schedule, yet? I would really like this to go through 2025. It would be neat if the U.S. lost WWII and were Varisilles'd (forced to pay 1 trillion dollars, had to give up all territory North of 44 and south of 28, and couldn't have a defense budget over 5% of the government's budget and had couldn't have colonies..and that the monarchy was abolished... and then there was the Confederate Republic.. and then there would be an American Empire...and then there would be a WWIII...and a post war.

Perhaps the parties could change, too.

Perhaps this could be a good 1920-1980 idea...

In the 1920s, the Liberals finish off the Populists and they form the Labor Party and become big under PM Rooseveldt (1931-1946) and PM Long (1946-1949) and the Liberals go under and are replaced by the Nationalist Party, who gains power in 1949 under Prime Minister Linburgh (who is more hawkish in this TL) and starts WWII in 1954. After losing in 1961, America is placed in the interrim control of the Labor Party under Chancellor Steveson. After an economic downturn in the early 70s, the nationalist regain control under Chancellor Goldwater and Goldwater is assisnated by foregin agents in 1976 as concerns grow that Goldwater may be getting out of the 1961 Treaty of Rio de Janero. The move destabilzes the government but Nationalist Chancellor Robert Dole stabilizes the government and ferments fears of foreigners and builds a strong right-wing agenda. In 1980, a joint British-French regime change operation was launched out of independent Canada into New York and Vermont, in order to overthrow the nationalist government in Arlington. The invasion goes badly a Chancellor Dole establishes himself as Emperor in the Arlington House and claims that the Third Great War has begun.

[Lief 🗽]

Good guess, but a little off.

I have a general idea as to what I'll do through at least the 50s and 60s.

There will be some surprises in the 20s and 30s.

[Хahar 🤔]

Sounds fun.

[Robespierre's Jaw]

Lief, I will be very happy indeed if we never get Prime Minister Ronald Wilson Reagan. Let's hope for his sake that he stays in Hollywood and make crappy films, such as Bed Time for Bonzo!

I actually wouldn't mind Huey Long as Prime Minister likewise with Hiram Johnson, Robert La Follette and a few others. As long as Huey makes an appearence I shall be quite pleased

[Person Man]

Good guess, but a little off.

I have a general idea as to what I'll do through at least the 50s and 60s.

There will be some surprises in the 20s and 30s.

Can't wait.

[Lief 🗽]

The American Monarchy: 1920 - 1922

Theodore Roosevelt returned to the United States a hero in April 1920. While there was initially grumbling from isolationist elements in the Liberal Party (and ardent opposition from the Populists), Roosevelt, due to his immense popularity with the public as well as the large American territorial gains in Canada and across the globe, was able to get the Senate to easily ratify the Treaty of Rome. Realizing his popularity and support among the public, Roosevelt, shortly after the treaty had been ratified, called for elections in the summer.

The SDP convention, held first and beginning in early May in Chicago, was dealt a shock when an ailing Eugene V. Debs declined to run again for the Senate. Stating that it was time he “pass the torch”, Debs left the stage to a thirty minute long standing ovation. A wide-open nominating contest ensued, as numerous SDP politicians threw their hats into the ring. Notable among the candidates what their relative youth: New York City Mayor Norman Thomas (35 years old), Ontario Senator J. S. Woodsworth (45), Massachusetts Senator William Z. Foster (39) and Governor of Hamilton Francisco Villa (42). On the first ballot, Thomas came in last, seen as too young and inexperienced. Villa, representing Western interests, gained a plurality against the two eastern candidates on the second ballot, eventually causing Woodsworth to drop out by the fifth ballot. On the sixth ballot, Villa gained a slim majority and was elected as the SDP leader. In July, he would easily win an open Senate seat in Hamilton. The Populist convention, held in Montgomery, saw John Garner easily secure re-election: despite his unpopularity among the general public, he still had strong backing from rank and file Populists. Finally, at the Liberal convention in New York City, Theodore Roosevelt was elected, after making a series of deals with the economically liberal party bosses who were opposed to much of Roosevelt’s economic progressivism.

In July, the Liberals won a clear victory, securing a majority in the Senate for the first time since the election of 1907. The SDP, though losing over 30 seats, was able to consolidate its hold on the West, and made inroads in many Southern states among blacks and the working class. Theodore Roosevelt was forced by party leaders to fill his cabinet with mostly pro-business Liberals, instead of the progressive Liberals that he was more ideologically close to. Roosevelt was nonetheless able to get his friend Elihu Root the position of Deputy Prime Minister and newly-elected California Senator Hiram Johnson (another progressive) the position of Secretary of the Interior. Nicholas Longworth, seen as the leader of the conservative wing of the party, was appointed Secretary of State. Also notable in Roosevelt’s new cabinet was the abolition of the Secretary of Labor cabinet post, as conservatives in the party saw it as pandering to socialists and trade unions, instead creating a Secretary of Commerce.

The Senate after the Election of 1920:
Liberal Party: 255 Seats (+34)
Populist Party: 77 Seats (-2)
Social Democratic Party: 124 Seats (-31)
Prohibition Party: 1 seat (-1)
Total: 457 Seats



The Second Roosevelt Cabinet (July 1920):
Prime Minister: Theodore Roosevelt (L-NY)
Deputy Prime Minister: Elihu Root (L-PA)
Majority Whip: William Borah (L-KS)
Secretary of State: Nicholas Longworth (L-OH)
Secretary of the Treasury: John Calvin Coolidge (L-MA)
Secretary of War: Frederick H. Gillett (L-MA)
Attorney General: Charles G. Dawes (L-IL)
Secretary of the Interior: Hiram Johnson (L-CA)
Secretary of Agriculture: James W. Good (L-IA)
Secretary of Commerce: Herbert Hoover (L-IA)

First on Roosevelt’s agenda was organizing the territory gained from the war. The Canada Act passed in November 1920, divided what had been unofficially called “Canada Territory” into six new states, to be admitted as soon as possible: Oregon (OR), Upper Columbia  (UC), Lower Columbia (LC), Vancouver Island (VI), Winnipeg (WG), and Madison (MN), the territory between Upper Columbia and Winnipeg. It organized the rest of Canada into the Yukon Territory. Land was also added to the states of Quebec and Ontario. Finally, the act provided for British citizens living in the new states and territory to gain easy citizenhood, and set aside millions of dollars for investments in reconstruction throughout the new states. In early 1921, Roosevelt oversaw the passage of the American Colonies Act, which reorganized America’s newly gained colonies in Africa, Latin America and the Pacific, and set aside millions of dollars in aid to the colonies and ordered sizable garrisons of American troops. Opposition Leader Fransisco Villa offered an amendment (known as the Villa Amendment) guaranteeing the freedom of every colony after twenty years, which failed after a narrow 219 to 233 vote.

Meanwhile, in 1921, Europe was again hit by a wave of revolutions. After defeating Monarchist revolutionaries (and deporting the Tsar and his family to Germany) and ending the revolution in the Ukraine, Kerensky’s government in Russia was wracked again when communists, led by Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov (who called himself Vladimir Lenin) led a communist revolt¹. The communists took the cities of Moscow and Petrograd, where they established Soviets. Kerensky appealed to the still largely unorganized League of Nations as well as the United States for support. Roosevelt, unwilling to let communism topple the democracies of Europe, led the League in approving a military expedition 20,000 strong (with 10,000 of the 20,000 from the United States) to aid Kerensky’s government. Led by American General Fred Funston (leader of the RAEF during the Great War), the League of Nations military expedition arrived in the summer of 1921, taking back Petrograd by January 1922.

At the same time, in Austria-Hungary, Emperor Franz Ferdinand's attempts at reform and greatner ethnic autonomy within the empire had failed to quiet the voices of revolution and nationalism. In the summer of 1922, nationalist revolts erupted in Budapest, Prague, Zagreb and Sarajevo. Franz Ferdinand, desparate to hold the empire together, called for a major political restructuring, turning the empire into a confederation of states. Béla Kun, supported by thousands of Communists and former soldiers declared a Hungarian Soviet Republic in Budapest in October 1921. When Franz Ferdinand ordered the army to put down the rebellion, he was faced with dissertion and mutiny, the few units that did make it to Budapest unable to take the city. By 1922, the Austro-Hungarian Empire had completely dissolved, and Franz Ferdinand, pressured by the Leage of Nations (and especially Germany and the United States), signed the Treaty of Salzburg, which officially recognized the new nations of the Kingdom of Austria (which he would still lead), the Soviet Republic of Hungary, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, and the Republic of Czechoslovakia. Over the next few months, regions throughout the former empire held plebiscites, joining Poland, Romania, Serbia, and Italy.

In 1922, Secretaries of State and the Treasury Longworth and Coolidge presented the Prime Minister with a budget, significantly cutting the taxes he had raised during the war and increasing the tariff to the levels it had been during Mark Hanna’s administration. Roosevelt negotiated with Coolidge, Longworth and the conservatives in his party to come up with a final budget, with slightly higher taxes and lower tariffs than Coolidge had originally suggested. Despite grumbles from the progressive wing of the party, Roosevelt was able to pass the budget in the summer of 1922. In October 1922, Roosevelt oversaw the passage of the Meighen Federal Reserve Act, sponsored by Arthur Meighen (L-ON), which created a centralized Federal Reserve System in the United States. It passed over bitter opposition from the SDP and Populists.

¹ Vladimir Ulyanov had escaped from Switzerland into Austria and then Russia during the chaotic final months of the war.

[Verily]

Is Meighen actually supposed to be from Ohio now, or from Ontario? (I suppose since he lived in Ontario but represented Manitoba, it wouldn't be entirely unprecedented...)

[Lief 🗽]

Typo. Should be ON (Ontario). Meighen spent most of his life in Ontario in our timeline, so I assume that if he entered politics in this timeline, he'd be representing a district in Ontario.

[Hatman 🍁]

Woodsworth represented a constituency in Manitoba, so why is he an Ontario Senator? Same reasoning as Meighen?