From the article archive
Fractured Earths: The Cords That Bind Thee
Hello again and welcome back to this fracture in time. One small change forever altered the fate of a country that will become the world’s most powerful nation. However, this third article is less about the former Colonies than what is going to happen on the other side of the pond. Before we start I would like to add one new addition to article to help present ideas that may not fit into the chronology. It is called a Pause Point (example: [PP: ] ). When this appears it means that I am “pausing” to share the significance of a situation and the implications of it that the article won’t cover for consideration of size. Of course we still have the ATL (Alternate Timeline) and OTL (Our Timeline) for your convenience.
The immediate results of (up to five years after) the Indian Land and Rights Act was no small amount of turmoil. The nation was finally forced to confront the contradiction of Manifest Destiny and what Christian morals ultimately demanded. Of course proponents of Westward expansion didn’t suddenly disappear off the landscape, but the nationally conscience won out and the bill was narrowly passed. The main group affected was settlers, but no immediate resistance sprang up because they kept the land they sat on. However, it wouldn’t stay that way. Westward settlement was hitting its peak and free land was no longer in great supply. There were several large (and half-baked) attacks by new settlers on Native American territory. Without the support of any law men or contingents of the Army they were easily repelled relatively small bands on horseback. The Army, under standing orders from Lee, gathered up the survivors and sent them back to their homesteads. The violence and organization of these attacks were blown out of proportion and significantly enhanced the reputation of the tribes as soldiers. This served as a hedge of protection against those who didn’t accept the new order.
The new order also opened other doors. Significant numbers of men from various tribes enlisted in the Army to help externally protect Native lands. They passed on their combat and horse-riding skills to the whites [PP: This will become more important in the first half of the 20th]. As the Army was downsized toward the end of Lee’s term as President, many young Native Americans became lawmen and were highly valued for their skills, particularly by the Texas Rangers and Federal Martials.
Across the pond history largely went unchanged from OTL. America’s trepidation with European politics dated back to President Washington and it had its own vast social changes to keep it busy. The parallel with OTL European history breaks down with Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905). FDR hadn’t been elected President (he was a Senator ATL) and his offer for negotiations in OTL never took place. The Czar just kept pumping conscripts into the front as he suffered loss after loss to the Japanese. Thus the nearly successful OTL revolution was successful here because a rather disillusioned army marched on Moscow. Lenin was in-country for this bout and gained a foothold in public opinion earlier. After winning them over the “White” Russians (referring to political alignment, the same as “Red” socialists) were far more marginalized as they had a smaller support base. The civil war was far smaller. There was no one to volunteer to shoot Lenin and he didn’t suffer from the subsequent imbedded bullets and the surgery to remove it (both of which probably contributed to an earlier death due to his health problems). He survived into the 1930s.
A wrong turn down a road in Sarajevo still caused the Great War. America stayed out of this one, sending humanitarian aid and making cuts on tariffs and giving loans to various European nations in accordance with its neutrality. Without American or Russian support Germany won the war by late 1917 and an over-zealous Kaiser occupied France and Britain, while forcing reparations on both nations. An ardent German nationalist named Adolph Hitler came back a decorated war hero like OTL. Despite German victory it had drained national coffers to the bottom of the chest and there was no money for soldiers’ pensions. On top of that were the additional occupation forces in France and Britain. Veterans, now without jobs, started listening to the vision of this Adolph Hitler and joining his new Nationalist Veterans Party (Nationalistisches Veteran-Beteiligtes or NVB). It grew quicker that anyone could predict and gained some very important voices in the German Army. They weren’t the only faction around; a coalition of democratic socialists and businessmen threaten a workers strike and total industrial shift to exports if the Kaiser didn’t create a parliament for representation of the people. The Kaiser gave in, fearing that the Army wouldn’t back him. The new Parliament, instituted by a constitutional convention in 1919, started revamping laws and overturning every the Kaiser’s vetoes. The problem came when the socialists’ policies started butting heads with business interests. The coalition quickly disintegrated and the private interests looked for a group more compatible with their goals and that had a window to the “common people.”
This came in the form of the NVB. Hitler supported private business and class systems (compatible with their assets and social position). The NVB was only second to the various socialist parties in lower class popularity (Veterans and their families were members of the party…a lot of people). The socialists were forced to align with the more extreme Marxists who were only ones who shared their long term goals. The Conservatives (nobility and half the Army) were left out in the cold. In characteristic opposition to Marx’s “science”, nationalism won over socialism and Hitler was finally elected to Parliament in 1924, and was subsequently elected Chancellor of the Parliament. Finally things snapped. The Kaiser ordered loyal Army units to surround the Parliament building. Army commanders loyal to the NVB caught the plan early and removed the aging commanders and placed the Army under the command of Hitler. The Kaiser was caught on the German border, trying to flee into Switzerland. By order of the Parliament he was put on trial for “Crimes against the Fatherland” and was hung. Hitler culminated the end of 1924 by declaring himself Supreme Chancellor and publishing Mein Anblick (My Vision).
Austria-Hungary was ready to fall by 1925. Despite the Great War she had relinquished many of her territories (who had joined the Soviet Union) and was experiencing in-fighting in her royal family as to what to do about the tide of entropy. The Austrian NVB chapter had gained much strength since its founding in 1920. The Austrian Army was only nominally under their control in the spring. To call it a coupe is to use the word rather loosely. NVB propaganda fueled infantry as they marched into the palace and took the Royal Family prisoner. Parliamentary representatives were in Berlin by fall.
France and Britain were not so easy to win over. Their populations did not trust Germany with her army sitting inside their borders. Hitler re-directed their rage against the Kaiser instead of Germany as a whole. He built himself up as a hero in their eyes as he turned their revenue starved economies into trading partners and quickly removed troops and sanctions. He then swelled their egos with Aryan ideals. NVB chapters quickly followed. The party won majorities in the respective national legislatures.
Of course they made drastic (and some would say illegal) changes to their governments, driving politicians and nobility to the shores of the United States where they set up governments in exile and were allowed diplomatic status, although these governments in exile weren’t fully recognized. She also received a large influx of Jews, intellectuals, and anyone who hated the NVB. The U.S. maintained ambiguous relations with the new NVB government, trading and communicating through neutral nations. The U.S. itself had expanded even more than in the 1860s, developing its own style of Imperialism. Germany had forced Britain to sell off her colonies to pay war debts. The U.S. had snatched every last one at bargain basement prices and turned them into states as fast as possible (Canadian provinces, Caribbean islands, and islands around South America). She also possessed former Spanish holdings (which she had paid reasonable prices for…by using her navy), all now states. Hawaii was also proud to be the only constitutional monarchy in the Union.
Mussolini has also come to power. Hitler was developing grand plans. The U.S. couldn’t stay neutral much longer. But war wouldn’t come for another ten years. Next time, Eurasia descends into fire.
The immediate results of (up to five years after) the Indian Land and Rights Act was no small amount of turmoil. The nation was finally forced to confront the contradiction of Manifest Destiny and what Christian morals ultimately demanded. Of course proponents of Westward expansion didn’t suddenly disappear off the landscape, but the nationally conscience won out and the bill was narrowly passed. The main group affected was settlers, but no immediate resistance sprang up because they kept the land they sat on. However, it wouldn’t stay that way. Westward settlement was hitting its peak and free land was no longer in great supply. There were several large (and half-baked) attacks by new settlers on Native American territory. Without the support of any law men or contingents of the Army they were easily repelled relatively small bands on horseback. The Army, under standing orders from Lee, gathered up the survivors and sent them back to their homesteads. The violence and organization of these attacks were blown out of proportion and significantly enhanced the reputation of the tribes as soldiers. This served as a hedge of protection against those who didn’t accept the new order.
The new order also opened other doors. Significant numbers of men from various tribes enlisted in the Army to help externally protect Native lands. They passed on their combat and horse-riding skills to the whites [PP: This will become more important in the first half of the 20th]. As the Army was downsized toward the end of Lee’s term as President, many young Native Americans became lawmen and were highly valued for their skills, particularly by the Texas Rangers and Federal Martials.
Across the pond history largely went unchanged from OTL. America’s trepidation with European politics dated back to President Washington and it had its own vast social changes to keep it busy. The parallel with OTL European history breaks down with Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905). FDR hadn’t been elected President (he was a Senator ATL) and his offer for negotiations in OTL never took place. The Czar just kept pumping conscripts into the front as he suffered loss after loss to the Japanese. Thus the nearly successful OTL revolution was successful here because a rather disillusioned army marched on Moscow. Lenin was in-country for this bout and gained a foothold in public opinion earlier. After winning them over the “White” Russians (referring to political alignment, the same as “Red” socialists) were far more marginalized as they had a smaller support base. The civil war was far smaller. There was no one to volunteer to shoot Lenin and he didn’t suffer from the subsequent imbedded bullets and the surgery to remove it (both of which probably contributed to an earlier death due to his health problems). He survived into the 1930s.
A wrong turn down a road in Sarajevo still caused the Great War. America stayed out of this one, sending humanitarian aid and making cuts on tariffs and giving loans to various European nations in accordance with its neutrality. Without American or Russian support Germany won the war by late 1917 and an over-zealous Kaiser occupied France and Britain, while forcing reparations on both nations. An ardent German nationalist named Adolph Hitler came back a decorated war hero like OTL. Despite German victory it had drained national coffers to the bottom of the chest and there was no money for soldiers’ pensions. On top of that were the additional occupation forces in France and Britain. Veterans, now without jobs, started listening to the vision of this Adolph Hitler and joining his new Nationalist Veterans Party (Nationalistisches Veteran-Beteiligtes or NVB). It grew quicker that anyone could predict and gained some very important voices in the German Army. They weren’t the only faction around; a coalition of democratic socialists and businessmen threaten a workers strike and total industrial shift to exports if the Kaiser didn’t create a parliament for representation of the people. The Kaiser gave in, fearing that the Army wouldn’t back him. The new Parliament, instituted by a constitutional convention in 1919, started revamping laws and overturning every the Kaiser’s vetoes. The problem came when the socialists’ policies started butting heads with business interests. The coalition quickly disintegrated and the private interests looked for a group more compatible with their goals and that had a window to the “common people.”
This came in the form of the NVB. Hitler supported private business and class systems (compatible with their assets and social position). The NVB was only second to the various socialist parties in lower class popularity (Veterans and their families were members of the party…a lot of people). The socialists were forced to align with the more extreme Marxists who were only ones who shared their long term goals. The Conservatives (nobility and half the Army) were left out in the cold. In characteristic opposition to Marx’s “science”, nationalism won over socialism and Hitler was finally elected to Parliament in 1924, and was subsequently elected Chancellor of the Parliament. Finally things snapped. The Kaiser ordered loyal Army units to surround the Parliament building. Army commanders loyal to the NVB caught the plan early and removed the aging commanders and placed the Army under the command of Hitler. The Kaiser was caught on the German border, trying to flee into Switzerland. By order of the Parliament he was put on trial for “Crimes against the Fatherland” and was hung. Hitler culminated the end of 1924 by declaring himself Supreme Chancellor and publishing Mein Anblick (My Vision).
Austria-Hungary was ready to fall by 1925. Despite the Great War she had relinquished many of her territories (who had joined the Soviet Union) and was experiencing in-fighting in her royal family as to what to do about the tide of entropy. The Austrian NVB chapter had gained much strength since its founding in 1920. The Austrian Army was only nominally under their control in the spring. To call it a coupe is to use the word rather loosely. NVB propaganda fueled infantry as they marched into the palace and took the Royal Family prisoner. Parliamentary representatives were in Berlin by fall.
France and Britain were not so easy to win over. Their populations did not trust Germany with her army sitting inside their borders. Hitler re-directed their rage against the Kaiser instead of Germany as a whole. He built himself up as a hero in their eyes as he turned their revenue starved economies into trading partners and quickly removed troops and sanctions. He then swelled their egos with Aryan ideals. NVB chapters quickly followed. The party won majorities in the respective national legislatures.
Of course they made drastic (and some would say illegal) changes to their governments, driving politicians and nobility to the shores of the United States where they set up governments in exile and were allowed diplomatic status, although these governments in exile weren’t fully recognized. She also received a large influx of Jews, intellectuals, and anyone who hated the NVB. The U.S. maintained ambiguous relations with the new NVB government, trading and communicating through neutral nations. The U.S. itself had expanded even more than in the 1860s, developing its own style of Imperialism. Germany had forced Britain to sell off her colonies to pay war debts. The U.S. had snatched every last one at bargain basement prices and turned them into states as fast as possible (Canadian provinces, Caribbean islands, and islands around South America). She also possessed former Spanish holdings (which she had paid reasonable prices for…by using her navy), all now states. Hawaii was also proud to be the only constitutional monarchy in the Union.
Mussolini has also come to power. Hitler was developing grand plans. The U.S. couldn’t stay neutral much longer. But war wouldn’t come for another ten years. Next time, Eurasia descends into fire.
Recovered from the Gaming Outpost database backup. Original wording is preserved; damaged punctuation and presentation markup have been repaired. Historical links without a local match point to the Internet Archive.