Chilean States of America

[Lumine]

Full credit to Kal for a fascinating scenario idea.

Presidents of the United States of America:

The Progressive Reforms (1921-1927)

29th: Robert M. La Follette (Progressive), March 20th, 1921 – September 12th, 1924
Having unexpectedly won the 1920 Election as a populist insurgent against Vice-President Marshall (hampered by Wilson's unpopularity) and Governor Coolidge (hurt by a lack of charisma), "Fighting Bob" faced the daunting task of wanting to get major progressive and social reforms though a remarkably hostile Congress. Indeed, although La Follette eventually secured popular support for his reforms, conservative Democrats and Republicans made sure to block the administration's proposals amidst growing tensions in Industrial America and increasing unpopularity towards Congress.

A series of highly unpopular Congressional bills (which, among other things, cut on the army's salaries) proved to be decisive, and a group of younger officers led by the brash colonel Douglas MacArthur openly protested on the floor of Congress by rattling their sabers. A stunned nation saw the officers organize in a Military Committee which forced La Follette into appointing key military figures to the Cabinet and pressured the conservative Congress into passing most of La Follette's social agenda in a single day, after which La Follette - unwilling to become a pawn of the increasingly powerful officers - resigned and left the country into self-exile.

30th: John J. Pershing (Military Junta), September 12th, 1924 – January 23rd, 1925
Taking control over the military on account of his status as General of the Armies on a soft-coup, Pershing was nonetheless on the more conservative side of the military and proved unwilling to cave to the continued demands of MacArthur and the younger officers. Political pressure steadily increased against the Pershing Junta after suspending the elections, closing down Congress and enacting increasingly conservative policies, leading MacArthur and his like-minded officers to storm the White House and force Pershing to resign.

31st: Leonard Wood (Military Junta), January 23rd – January 27th, 1925
As the most senior officer of the anti-Pershing generals, Wood temporarily assumed control in Washington D.C. as a new Military Junta was formed.

32nd: Herbert Hoover (Republican, Military Junta), January 27th – March 12th, 1925
Finding it necessary to have the Junta led by a civilian so as to speed up the normalization process and ensure the return of President La Follette, Wood and MacArthur agreed on the popular and moderate Hoover, seen as acceptable by Republicans, Progressives and Democrats alike. Hoover did his best to restore some semblance of normalcy and prevent further revolts, and invited La Follette to return.

33rd: Robert M. La Follette (Progressive), March 12th – October 1st, 1925
Returning from self-exile and assuming the Presidency again, La Follette set to the task of pursuing several Amendments to the Constitution in order to update the constitutional framework of the nation and further empower the President against Congress, whilst extending the Presidential term to six years without immediate reelection. Successfully ratifying the new Amendments, La Follette faced a last crisis due to the ambitions of the increasingly popular War Secretary MacArthur, who was determined to run for President.

Securing the resignation of his Cabinet in a stratagem to secure MacArthur's resignation (whom he dared not outright fire), the President was stunned to see MacArthur decline to leave office and allegedly prepare to use the constitutional vacuum to replace La Follette. Having grown to distrust and dislike the Colonel, La Follette negotiated with the main parties the nomination of a consensus presidential candidate and appointed an old rival as Secretary of State before resigning.

34th: Calvin Coolidge (Republican), October 1st – December 20th, 1925
La Follette's last act of defiance against MacArthur, Coolidge was installed on the Presidency during the election period due to his perceived personal virtues and responsibility and due to the support of the Congressional republicans, ensuring the success of the gambit to isolate MacArthur despite La Follette's distaste for his politics. For his part Coolidge presided over the election, in which the "consensus candidate" was elected in a landslide over the insurgent protest candidacy of Eugene Debs.

35th: Thomas R. Marshall (Democrat), December 20th, 1925 – May 10th, 1927
Experienced and renowned for his wit, former Vice-President Marshall was chosen as a compromise candidate among the main parties in order to avoid a chaotic election and ensure stability. Marshall, though enthusiastic about his election and keen to ensure the nation recovered from the constitutional crisis made the key mistake of selecting now General MacArthur as his Vice-President, thinking the ambitious officer would be content to wait for his time to run. Though competent, Marshall's Administration was under heavy fire by socialists, anarchists, the KKK, militant conservative groups and such other foes and crippled by an economic crisis.

As soon as the hapless President turned unpopular MacArthur made his move. Enlisting new ally J. Edgar Hoover - head of the powerful Bureau of Investigation -, the Vice-President ensured several prominent allies of Marshall were arrested over trumped-up charges of corruption. Embarrassed by the scandal and threatened by MacArthur and Hoover the President resigned, elevating MacArthur to the Presidency.

America was about to have its first Dictator.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Man, the complicated rules of Chilean succession are going to make it quite a weird experience.

Well done. Waiting for more.

[Lumine]

The MacArthur Regime (1927-1931)

36th: Douglas MacArthur (Military Dictatorship), May 10th, 1927 – July 26th, 1931
Despite the highly questionable methods employed by MacArthur in order to reach the White House, it should be said that he had plenty of supporters during the first three years of his dictatorship. Although the irregular 1927 Presidential Election could hardly be seen as a democratic triumph - MacArthur was, after all, the only candidate against a few unpledged electors - it's seen suggested the public was fed up enough with the economic decline and the lack of order and stability to have actually elected MacArthur in a fair election. The brash and tough talking general certainly did not shy away from pressing politicians into participating - and thus legitimizing - his regime, culminating in the (in)famous 1930 Congressional Election in which the main parties negotiated with MacArthur (in a secluded hot springs resort) the composition of the so called "Hot Springs Congress".

For the better part of two years the MacArthur regime seemingly restored order with an iron fist, arresting or sending opponents into exile - Alaska was a particularly popular destination - as the powers of the state and particularly of Hoover's Bureau were drastically increased. Despite the impact of rampant repression and large-scale censorship of the press the opposition - led by La Follette and others from Europe - was kept in check via an initial surge of economic prosperity, MacArthur drastically raising public spending in order to fund public works and social programs. It seemed as if the regime would last for a decade, up until the moment in which Wall Street crashed and the country was hit by the Great Depression.

Despite attempting to spend his way out of the crisis with further spending increases and with a tightened grip on the country MacArthur soon lost control, and by the middle of 1931 large-scale protests threatened to tear the nation apart. Forced to choose between resignation or a massacre and having been dealt a major blow after the resignation of the Cabinet, MacArthur brought the Vice-President into the White House, saluted him as President and took the first plane to Mexico.

37th: Alvan T. Fuller (Republican), July 26th – July 27th, 1931
The shortest serving President in all of American history, the once respected and still ambitious Fuller had nonetheless lost much of his prestige on account of the controversial activities of the administration, and within a few hours Congress, the military and prominent businessmen all told Fuller he was in no way the adecuate person to handle the situation and requested his resignation. Fuller complied.

38th: John Nance Garner (Democrat), July 27th – September 3rd, 1931
Speaker Garner assumed office intending to correct the lack of direction from the nation, and found initial success on it. Offering key concessions to the opposition - such as calling an emergency Presidential election and restoring freedom of the press - "Cactus Jack" quickly emerged into a popular figure and a possible solution to the political chaos. Intending to stand in the coming election Congress forced him to resign to prevent another MacArthur situation, and a confident Garner complied. He'd be back.

39th: Cordell Hull (Democrat), September 3rd – November 15th, 1931
Garner's successor as Speaker and then as President, Hull assumed the Presidency during the 1931 Election (in which Garner secured a landslide against the returning La Follette Sr.), the sole major event of his presidency being an attempted pro-socialist mutiny by the Pacific Fleet that was crushed by the Air Force.

40th: John Nance Garner (Democrat), November 15th, 1931 – June 4th, 1932
Cactus Jack's confidence proved correct, his conservative platform and approach being more appealing to a nation desperate for stability than the passionate progressive pledges of La Follette. Determined to make his mark on the White House the initially popular Garner saw his appeal crash the moment austerity and spending cuts ended much of MacArthur's programs, and despite the return of an autonomous and stable judiciary the growing agitation by the unions and the socialist movement - as well as the agitation of the MacArthur supporters - steadily weakened the Garner administration. In early June a cabal of socialist officers - who had infiltrated key units - moved on Washington, seized the White House and forced Garner to resign.

The time for the Socialist Republic of America had come.

[DKrol]

Man, the complicated rules of Chilean succession are going to make it quite a weird experience.

Well done. Waiting for more.

[Lumine]

The Socialist Republic of America (1931-1932)

41st: Smedley Butler (Socialist Junta), June 4th – June 12th, 1932
A prominent commander among the pro-socialist forces that stormed Washington D.C. and forced Garner into resignation and exile, the eccentric general Butler kept control over the provisional junta before a President was chosen.

42nd: Norman Thomas (Socialist Junta), June 12th – September 13th, 1932
After so many struggles, at least the American socialist movement - having drastically grown in strength - had their radical and well spoken leader in office. Under the Thomas-led Junta the Socialist Republic of America was proclaimed, taking immediate steps to nationalize a few key industries while bands of workers and farmers moved on their own to take control of determined areas. Fully intending to secure his power Thomas overestimated the power of his own supporters as opposed to the MacArthur supporters within the army (which had enabled the coup to get rid of Garner), and promptly alienated both the La Follette - due to Thomas's radicalism - and MacArthur - due to refusing the return of the General - supporters, thus losing a viable power base to support the socialist regime.  

It took only three chaotic months - and further economic strife - for the pro-MacArthur generals to tire of the would-be American Lenin, and once again the tanks rolled into Washington D.C.

Back to Democracy (1932)

43rd: Jonathan M. Wainwright (Military Junta), September 13th – October 2nd, 1932
Leading the counter-coup against the Socialists was general Wainwright, previously one of the most capable - if low profile - of MacArthur's lieutenants. Wainwright quickly undermined his own control over the nation due to his refusal for calling elections and the speculation on whether he'd invite MacArthur to return to the presidency, and within two weeks the pro-democratic generals and several governors threatened rebellion unless Wainwright returned the Presidency to civilian control. The general, just like his predecessor and so many short-lived Presidents, marched into exile as well.

44th: Charles Evans Hughes (Republican), October 2nd – December 24th, 1932
With Congress previously suspended the highest ranking civilian was Chief Justice Hughes, whose tenure was spent organizing the 1932 Presidential Election to ensure a return to democracy. Campaigning against a vastly divided opposition and having learned from his defeat at the hands of Garner, it was old Fighting Bob La Follette who once again emerged as President of a desperate nation.

[Elcaspar]

Man, the complicated rules of Chilean succession are going to make it quite a weird experience.

Well done. Waiting for more.

Here's to someone lasting for more than a couple of months in this mess of a system.