The United Divided

As the American Republic has rejected the ultimatum and insists on continuing its war of aggressive domination in Florida and its maltreatment of its people, Illinois hereby declares war on the American Republic.
 
Dropping.
 
 
We have been informed that the New President of the American Republic has accepted most of our demands. As such, we are happy to declare peace.
 
To clarify, the new President of the American Republic has agreed to sign the following treaty, revisions in red.

Revised December Ultimatum said:
The AMERICAN REPUBLIC, henceforth called the CONSTITUENT, agrees to observe the following terms:

1. The CONSTITUENT shall withdraw all her military forces and agents from the sovereign territory of The REPUBLIC OF NOVA AFRIKA.

2. The CONSTITUENT shall withdraw all her military forces and agents from the territory formerly regarded as the SPANISH PROVINCE OF FLORIDA, excepting the provinces in the Florida panhandle not ceded to the Nova Afrikan Republic, and to be henceforth recognized as the SEMINOLE REPUBLIC.

3. The CONSTITUENT shall withdraw all her military forces and agents from the island of PUERTO RICO.

4. The CONSTITUENT shall sign a TREATY establishing PEACE and an END to the hostilities of the war taking place presently between the CONSTITUENT and the REPUBLIC OF NOVA AFRIKA and the VICEROYALTY OF NEW SPAIN.

5. This TREATY shall establish, permanently:
i. the territorial integrity and political sovereignty of the REPUBLIC OF NOVA AFRIKA, including the three provinces directly south of Nova Afrika's 1925 borders, with the Right of Return for all BLACK AMERICANS,
ii. the territorial integrity and political sovereignty of the SEMINOLE REPUBLIC,
iii. the territorial integrity and political sovereignty of the independent NATION OF CUBA,
iv. a mutual recognition of territorial integrity and political sovereignty between the CONSTITUENT and the signatories of NEW SPAIN, LOUISIANA, ILLINOIS, FRONTIER,
v. the rights of BLACK AMERICANS and INDIGENOUS AMERICANS residential to the AMERICAN REPUBLIC to move freely, purchase property, keep property, gain employment, own private enterprise, have legal representation, be free of slavery or indentured servitude, not be subject to torture or inhumane punishment, the right to recognition as a full & equal Person before the Law with full & equal rights thereof, not to be subjected to arbitrary arrest or detention, access to effective remedy by all national tribunals, fair and public hearings, nationality, free and peaceful assembly, and participate politically, without any prohibitions on equal access to the fundamental standards of living.

FAILURE by the CONSTITUENT to ratify these terms within TWENTY-FOUR HOURS will result in a continuation of hostilities AS WELL AS the DECLARATION OF WAR by ILLINOIS and LOUISIANA and FRONTIER upon the CONSTITUENT, for FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THIS ULTIMATUM.

The following map clarifies the post-war borders of the American Republic, the Nova Afrikan Republic and the Seminole Republic:

 
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The Communard scourge is a threat to all civilized nations of the world! Their insidious influence has already reared its head in Europe, and it seeks to carve out a dominion in the Americas as well. We cannot stand idly by and leave Canada to fight without the support of her fellow Frenchmen. Illinois declares war on the United Socialist States of America! Death to Communism on every continent!
 
The Nova Afrikan Republic is watching the breakdown of the rule of law and the escalation of violence in the American Republic with great concern. We will make an appropriate and proportional response when we get a more accurate understanding of what is going on. Civilians fleeing the violence are welcome to seek refuge in our borders, although Afrikans will be given priority. Our armies are being mobilised at our borders to prevent any violence spilling over into our peaceful republic.
 
1928

The heaven and earth are changed,
Alas! the sun and the moon leave their courses,
I, once the center of all eyes, am driven to the farthest confines,
Oppressed by an arrogant minister my life nears its end,
Everything fails me and vain are my falling tears.


New France Region

In Canada, Governor Trudeau’s control of the levers of power over the province is being reinforced with a greater emphasis on “The Party” (of Order), expanding their membership from just a small group within the government to a de facto requirement for many civil service jobs, politicizing the bureaucracy and administration. The lack of a civil society in Canada, outside of labor groups, has contributed to acceptance of this new development given that many see the alternative as communism or civil war (looking at their Anglo neighbors). The stirrings of a mass movement are also present, or at least the muscle of one, with many veterans filling out the ranks on the streets. While not yet officially endorsed by the party, these partisans promise to provide a new tool for the government to directly confront the newly radicalized anti-war and labor movements.

(Canada: +5% National Unity)

The opposite of Canadian centralization occurs in Louisiana, as anti-government politicians, rural populists, and the remnants of the opposition Liberal Party convened in New Orleans to organize the newly dubbed Parti Popular de la Louisiane and formally contest future elections in concert against the ruling Conservatives. The Populists adopted a number of, well, politically popular components into their platform, including race-based segregation, anti-corporate regulations, and an expansive program of public works and welfare. The Populists still have an uphill battle to overcome the Blues’ institutional advantages, with the rural population that they hope to draw much of their support from disenfranchised and largely politically disinterested. Fortunately for New Orleans they reaffirmed their commitment to the democratic process, freezing out the radical movements that are contemporaneously gaining influence in Louisiana’s neighbors.

(Louisiana: +1% National Unity)

The relative peace across Francophone America does not leave their governments complacent: military R&D continues apace. Cooperation between New French engineers across North America bore fruit again, with Canadian designers producing the new “Mitsou” Fighter. The Mitsou has drawn appreciation among military theorists, outclassing any other fighter on the North American continent and being compared to German designs for engine power and armament. Among those interested are the National French government in Europe, which is endeavoring to procure the license for its own purposes.

(Canada: +1 Air Design Bonus)

The recent Gulf War had been fought on the Mississippi River, threatening that lifeline of French trade. While the worst of the damage was repaired during the war, as a necessity to deploy Coalition troops to Texas, the Louisianian government continued to clean up remnants of wreckage this year. Bridges that had been detonated over the Mississippi were rebuilt and modernized, along with general improvements to navigation. Relations on the ground remain complicated between Louisiana and Nova Afrika, however: while the influence of the Nova Afrikan League was enough to end the fighting, many Africans in Louisiana remain skeptical at best of the white-dominated government, especially in the annexed territories on the eastern bank of the Mississippi. Steeped in African separatism, reconciling them to the multi-racial society of Louisiana will require considerable work.

(Louisiana: +4 EP Income, -1% National Unity) (Nova Afrika: +1 EP Income)

Conscious of the severe impediments to their logistics that their reliance on the Mississippi had posed, the French-American Concordat, in cooperation with independent California, began the first stages of work on a transcontinental railway network. Divided politically and economically, America lacks the dense railway networks of Europe. The New French proposal would alleviate it, with each participating nation beginning work on the construction of their own leg, though currently the networks themselves remain largely disconnected. The exception to that statement is Illinois, which finished the chief line between Chicago and St. Louis and began to connect its own network to the Frontier, which for better or worse may soon open the Great Plains to broader development and integration. French investors are particularly interested in coal mining on the far western border, but development here would bring them into conflict with tribal authorities wary of white settlers.

(California, Icaria, Frontier: +2 EP Income) (Illinois: +3 EP) (Canada: +1 EP Income)

The successful establishment of near-complete native control over the French Frontier (which some are pushing to rename something more reflective of it's new governance) has inspired similar groups in neighboring states to campaign for increased autonomy. The Navajo of the Icarian Union, the Comanche of Texas, and the Metis of inland British Columbia are increasingly politically and culturally aware of their potential for political influence despite their minority status in their governing nation.

(Icaria, Texas, Columbia: -2% National Unity)

Atlantic Coast Region

For the past several years the American Republic has been embroiled in a series of conflicts, sparked by the New Spanish invasion of Texas. As of late 1927 it was clashing with native guerrillas in Florida, fighting New Spanish troops in briefly-occupied Nova Afrika, facing an invasion from its northern Communist neighbor, and dealing with a bitter partisan campaign across much of the Deep South by African resistance fighters.

These conflicts alone were enough to push it to the limit, with its military overstretched and fighting desperate defensive actions, but it was the underlooked invasion of the Seminole Republic that would be the final straw. The Seminole’s independence had been guaranteed by the Baton Rouge Accord, an article they had relied upon when rejecting the American demands for submission, and their confidence was rewarded as their supporters within the French-American Concordat presented Atlanta with an ultimatum: withdraw from the Seminole lands, make peace with Nova Afrika and New Spain, and give unprecedented equality to the country’s colored population.

As mentioned, the American Republic was militarily incapable of fighting on another front (indeed, it was effectively losing on all of its current fronts) but at the same time for President Walker acceptance of the ultimatum was politically impossible. Rather than confront the hard decision he was persuaded to resign, and former Vice President Horton swiftly accepted the coalition’s terms. To his credit he succeeded in negotiating continued American control over northern Florida, fulfilling a long-held territorial ambition, but both men’s legacy would be tarred by this political capitulation (comparable to the creation of Nova Afrika around the turn of the century). Despite their material gains, the Treaty of Jackson was viewed as a defeat for the American Republic.

(American Republic: -5% National Unity, -6 EP Income) (Frontier: +2% National Unity) (Nova Afrika: +5% National Unity, +1 EP Income) (New Spain: +3% National Unity, +1 EP Income) (Cuba: +5% National Unity) (Seminole Republic: +Existence)

Of course, this didn’t end the turmoil. First and foremost, the Democratic Party had deliberately empowered and emboldened nativist paramilitary groups across the Deep South over the past several years. While their political arm was a significant minority in Atlanta they were not able to stop the passage of the legislation accompanying the Treaty of Jackson, but the Nationalists were a very vocal opposition and moved past legislative efforts to openly calling for patriots to march on the capital to “stop the perversion of our great republic”. This wasn’t just rhetoric: a March on Atlanta was organized by nationalist groups, with a militia of ~10,000 moving on the city led by nativist congressmen. Already stretched thin, Horton discovered that much of the American army was sympathetic to the radical demands and what formations were available near the capital had been compromised into inaction. President Horton nonetheless refused the demands and then tried to flee Atlanta, but before he could get far he was captured by a nationalist militia and promptly returned and coerced into signing over power to William McAdoo as emergency President.

A swathe of states in the Upper South (Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, newly liberated Virginia) have refused to recognize the nationalist regime and maintain their allegiance to the constitutional order under Horton. A provisional government of officials that had successfully fled Atlanta was put together in Louisville to serve as an alternative and rival to the Nationalist government in Atlanta. They’ve also brought with them a substantial portion of the standing army, centered around the forces fighting the USSA in Virginia. But the greater part of the army had spent the last few years working hand in hand with nationalist militias and were thoroughly aligned with them ideologically. And, outside of the constitution, the Democratic Party lacks credibility, bled off by the disasters of the past few years (or, decades). They desperately need to regain political legitimacy: one possible avenue is through alignment with the Radical Party, who nearly supplanted the Democrats across the northern states in the previous election. But the Radicals themselves, who’ve fully embraced the racial equality promised in the Treaty of Jackson along with a platform some consider closely aligned to the northern socialists, may not need or even want such an alignment: if elections were held next year they are favored to win the whole pot, though the formation of a government of national unity for the duration of the civil war has some potential. On top of all of this, the nominal President Horton remains a nationalist prisoner complicating the exact governance structure.

Exacerbating this civil war was that only a portion of the African guerrillas laid down their arms. The Nova Afrikan League’s influence over the broader population was greatly diminished from how it had been prewar: the communist-affiliated rebels continued to fight, and many diehards chose to align themselves with the Reds rather than make peace. The American FBI had spent the last several years concentrating the African population in urban areas: these camps were soon dismantled (or, abandoned in the chaos of the civil war) and this left a large displaced and unemployed population nominally under the control of a fairly hostile government. The Nationalists may be more united and clear of purpose than the Constitutionalists, but they have far more opponents, including potentially the same coalition that imposed the Treaty of Jackson. With the latter in mind McAdoo has pledged to abide by the Treaty, even as he slow walks implementation of many of its articles due to the present emergency (though, in fairness, it is also only nominally recognized in Constitutionalist territory for much the same reason).

(American Republic: Split into American Republic (Constitutionalist) and American Republic (Nationalist), stats significantly rejuggled)

Faced with the heavier CC25 tanks being deployed by the Americans, New England has unveiled an upgunned version of their Lancaster-Burke. The 1928 Pattern’s armament will have an easier time piercing heavier armor, a feature most military theorists expect to appear in the future. Some of these newer models have already entered service with New England’s army and seen action against the Americans.

Prior to the outbreak of the Civil War the American Republic had arranged the purchase of several companies’ worth of the new Lancaster Burke design to reinforce their understrength armored corps. Fuller’s administration was faced with the difficult decision of which government to supply them to: in the end, they opted to give them to the Constitutionalists, who were engaged to some degree with their enemies in the United Socialist States of America. Unfortunately this has damaged their relations with McAdoo's faction in Atlanta.

(American Republic (Constitutionalist): +2 1928 Pattern Brigades)

There was also a faction that would have preferred to keep them and deploy them where they were sorely needed on the front directly: the USSA heavily reinforced its forces in New York over the winter. When the New Englanders went on the offensive in the Spring, they discovered that they were locally outnumbered north of New York City and were pushed back by Socialist counter offensives. The ground lost was swiftly regained, however, as American troops were forced to redeploy and shorten their lines in response to attempted flanking by the Canadians from the north and the arrival of Columbian reinforcements.

In New York City itself, the New Englanders once again pushed directly into the city, overrunning the outskirts before bogging down in the dense city blocks. Here they were chiefly resisted not by American regulars but by local militias and citizenry: Philadelphia may be the capital of the revolution but New York City was its heart. Much as previously the New Englander offensive was shortly abandoned in response to the high casualties from directly assaulting the city. The continued overstretch of the New Englander army also scuttled plans for a proposed naval invasion of the Jersey Shore, as the army refused to divert troops from the tight New York front and the Navy refused to risk its valuable marine infantry without the guarantee of support, even if the only resistance expected were socialist militias.

(New England: -9 Divisions, -1 1928 Pattern Brigade, -1 1924 Pattern Brigade, -2 Sopwith D4 Squadrons, +1 Military Quality) (Columbia: -1 Division, -2% National Unity) (USSA: -5 Divisions, -2 CC25 Brigades, -1 Harrison Armored Car Brigade, -3 Carter Recon Squadrons, +1 Military Quality, -5 EP Income)

As mentioned, the third component of the Anticomintern entered the war against the Socialist Government in Philadelphia. The powerful Canadian military had already been deployed to the border and war was declared: despite this, there was relatively little fighting for the first four months of the year. The USSA’s leadership expected a “phony war” with the New French forces, committing only a sliver of their military to the border while concentrating against their other foes, but in truth the Canadians and their allies were just waiting for the snows to melt. Unprecedentedly late snowfall (more than two feet in late April) in Pennsylvania significantly delayed the beginning of their ground operations, but when they did move they met relatively little resistance in upstate New York and western Pennsylvania. The massed advance drew American troops off from other fronts, who engaged in pitched battles for control of western cities like Ithaca and Pittsburgh but were ultimately unsuccessful in the face of superior Canadian numbers and air power. The USSA’s formidable armored corps struggled to operate in the face of overwhelming French airpower and the main hindrance to the Canadian and Illinoisan advance would be the Appalachians, which provided plenty of opportunities for American troops to defend from concealed positions where bombing was more difficult.

Domestically, the invasion of the USSA has largely ended the detente that existed between the government and the local labor movement in Canada, which has renewed its ties with the anti-war movement and regionalist entities in opposition to the Party of Order. The new Canadian Social Democratic Party promises to be a continued headache for the government if it holds together. In Illinois, leftists have been marginalized and frozen out of the political process very thoroughly: their recourse has been a (minor) campaign of robbery and bombings.

(Illinois: -1 Division, -1 CA3 Brigade, -2% National Unity) (Canada: -4 Divisions, -1 Nieuport Squadron, -8% National Unity) (USSA: -4 Divisions, -1 CC25 Brigade, -1 Harrison Armored Car Brigade, -2 Carter Recon Squadrons, -15 EP Income, -1 IP)

As the USSA faces two separate invasions from the north, and the American Republic descends into civil war, an informal ceasefire was concluded between the two combatants. Socialist troops withdrew from much of Virginia, establishing a new frontline along the easily defensible Potomac, while Virginia swiftly aligned with the Constitutionalist faction. A tense standoff continues along the river line and in the mountains: both sets of Americans left minimal forces but the Constitutionalists dearly wish to burnish their legitimacy by liberating Maryland and Delaware from occupation.

(American Republic (Constitutionalists): +10 EP Income, +1 IP)

In better times, the mass mobilization of industry and government to conduct a major war could have seen a temporary economic boom. Unfortunately for New England, it still struggled to occupy all of its industry, though this year it managed to keep the lights on through substantial loans and foreign arms exports. The mass mobilization has also strained the nation’s manpower: many factory positions are now being taken by women, immigrants, and children, who are subject to significant exploitation by both big business and government pressure. Public support for the government has reached a new nadir and this has empowered the local trade unions and the New Englander Labour Party to demand the government negotiate an end to the war or face a crippling general strike.

(New England: -10% National Unity)

They may find a willing partner here: the USSA is in the midst of a fight for its life and its military prospects are grim, with much of Pennsylvania and New York occupied by capitalist troops. Even with the widespread suppression of criticism and dissent, partly from nationalist fervor and partly from state security forces, several senior figures within the socialist government have brought up the increasing necessity of a negotiated settlement to preserve some portion of the revolution. A key factor being the loss of West Pennsylvania’s oil and coal production, without which Philadelphia cannot expect to maintain its diminished mechanized forces for more than another year.

(USSA: -5% National Unity)

The end of the Gulf War and the outbreak of the (Second) American Civil War has obviously left the African population across the American South in chaos. Their relative unity behind the Nova Afrikan League has largely collapsed. The Nova Afrikan position as the chief opponent of white supremacy has been taken up by the loosely organized Communist militias, receiving direction from Philadelphia. The Nova Afrikan League itself, outside of the titular nation, is increasingly sidelined by the African National Congress, a new political movement organized along similar ideological lines to the Native American National Congress that had successfully established a strong native component in the French-American Concordat. But fighting for their nominal rights, under one flag or another, is less appealing to many than getting out of dodge. A mass refugee movement has left American territory for greener pastures in the same coalition that imposed the Treaty of Jackson (plus Canada). Largely unskilled and impoverished, they are currently little more than cheap labor filling the cities of their new nations, aggravating many of the native population (especially in the northern French states, which until now had no substantial African population).

(Nova Afrika: +2 EP Income, -2% National Unity) (Illinois: +4 EP Income, -8% National Unity) (Louisiana: +4 EP Income, -4% National Unity) (Canada: +1 EP Income, -2% National Unity) (American Republic (Nationalist): -5 EP Income, +5% National Unity)

Nova Afrika watched the ruin of its great enemy in the American Republic in the aftermath of the Gulf War. But reconstruction was slow: the Mississippi Republic’s already frail infrastructure was devastated by the back and forth of American and New Spanish advance and much of the population (plus the influx of refugees) reached a new level of poverty. What little funding the state had went into a drastic reform of the military along French lines: an encouraging sign for hardliners who would see President Garvey take advantage of the American Civil War, but they are few and largely already fighting the Americans alongside the Reds. For most of the population the exhilaration of victory will soon wear off and return to mundane concerns of corruption and welfare.

(Nova Afrika: Adopt French Doctrine, +1% National Unity)

Gulf Coast Region

Much like in Louisiana, the reigning Texan Democratic Party is facing opposition from a new political party. Unlike in Louisiana they lack the substantial basis of goodwill among the population to draw on, with reconstruction efforts slowing while much of the state remains far from recovery. This newly empowered “Texan Liberal Party”, worryingly, draws much of its funding and support from the French-speaking population, proposing closer alignment with the French-American Concordat for the Republic’s future security and as a solution to its current economic woes. Among the Anglo population, hit hardest by the war, support for the Democratic Party has also dipped, with resentment against the bombing and scorched earth campaigns conducted by the victorious coalition fuelling radicalism outside the political process. The Democratic Party’s “One Texas” program has slowed the bleeding, but their postwar record is lacking and the boost to unity from the invasion will soon disappear.

(Texas: -6% National Unity, +1 EP Income)

While their political position deteriorates, the Texan government unveiled a new indigenous aircraft design, the XP28. The investment into this craft has been a subject of domestic criticism, with Texan per capita income not yet recovered to pre-war levels and the airframe still requiring substantial modification to hold any weapons. For the moment it has just been a useful exercise in developing the local talent within their aviation industry.

(Texas: +1 Air Design Bonus)

Peace, in New Spain, was a triumph. Not just a triumph (though some were mixed on what exactly New Spain gained from the Treaty of Jackson), nor a triumph in the sense that the end of any war is a triumph for humanity, but a Triumph, as victorious army formations parade down the streets of Mexico City like the Romans of the old world. The same boulevards widened and glorified by the lately deposed Carvajal, whom much of the military held in a (posthumous) reverence. Under the gaze of King Amadeo II, whose regime was at best tolerated. You can guess where this is going.

King Amadeo, to his credit, also recognized what was coming. His options to avert it were limited: perhaps he trusted in negotiation, or luck, to prevent what was the perfect opportunity for a coup d’etat from coming to fruition. Either way he was disappointed: the nationalist military held its parade, surrounded the (vice)royal palace, and demanded his abdication. There are few things more persuasive than ten thousand rifles and the brief New Spanish monarchy soon came to an end, replaced with the military dictatorship of the “Mexican Commonwealth” under Generalissimo Felix Diaz at the head of a junta. The old nobility, empowered by Carvajal, was swiftly booted from power, replaced with Carvajal’s diehards augmented by nationalist military officers in a new stratocracy.

(New Spain: Change Name to Mexico, Change Ideology to Nationalist, Change Ruler to Felix Diaz, +5% National Unity)

The new nationalist government moved quickly to provide tangible benefits to the population to reinforce its rule. Capital in former New Spain, now Mexico, was always in short supply: the Spanish financial system had always been dominated by Italy or France. The Mexican People’s Bank was an endeavor aiming to rectify this, though in practice the funding provided by the Mexican government was snatched up by big business and existing enterprises, which used them to widen their influence over the economy. It did buy them warmer relations with said corporate entities, however.

(Mexico: +6 EP Income, +1% National Unity)

The end of the Gulf War, and the military’s assertion of control over the apparatus of the Mexican state, codified a number of changes in the army. The “Mexican Revolutionary Army”, while descended from the New Spanish Army of a few years before, had learned important lessons about the value of firepower and mobility from the Gulf War. Now that it was the priority for the new government it was able to make good on its ambitious plans, introducing artillery and motorized vehicles in numbers that would have been politically infeasible before. One small consequence of the political stability was the breakdown of cohesion: the Mexican General Staff was dissolved, its ranks populated by Imperialist officers, and each member of the junta had their own coordinating body for the formations under their control.

(Mexico: Create Mexican 1928 Doctrine, -1% National Unity)

The potential fragmentation of the military into cliques was just one of many worries for the new government. Amadeo’s brief reign had seen the formation of the Partido Liberal Constitucionalista, a democratic movement pushing for an end to his emergency’s powers and the establishment of a constitution and parliamentary government. They didn’t go away with the end of the Imperialist government: the opposite, as their ranks were swelled to match their conspicuous funding in the aftermath of the coup d’etat. The PLC remains lukewarm at best but has yet to reach an internal consensus on the junta, the party’s leadership remaining opaque for the moment on how to adapt their platform to the new political terrain.

(Mexico: -5% National Unity)

Pacific Region

Icaria continues to attract immigrants from their estranged French siblings, targeting socialists and communists that are increasingly ostracised in their homelands by the conservative governments. For the eastern French nations this is a safety valve against radicalism, as Icaria works to absorb some portion of leftist thinkers into its own societal fabric. Many intellectuals tangentially associated with socialist movements, facing increased scrutiny and harassment by the government, have opted to emigrate to New Eden where they have been promised a more tolerant environment. More tolerant doesn’t mean totally accepting: the Icarians themselves are not always in alignment with the newcomers.

(Icaria: +4 EP, -4% National Unity) (Canada, Illinois: -2 EP, +2% National Unity)

The tensions between the new immigrants and long-time Icarian communards seems destined to escalate: from minor cultural issues to broader ones like equality of the sexes and the division of labor, the Icarian protosocialists have diverged significantly from the mainstream leftists joining the Union over the past century. Traditionalist leaders within the Union have warned President Allain that continued integration with the New French states threatens their way of life and vowed to block plans to integrate the rapidly growing town of New Eden with the Transcontinental Railroad. New Eden itself is already increasingly divorced from the rest of Icaria: women are able to live on their own, private property has quietly resurfaced, and the communal ethos that the Icarians cherish has yet to be adopted by the immigrants. At least the growth of these social tensions has been accompanied by the growth of industry, albeit not along the communal lines envisioned by the Icarian government.

(Icaria: +1 IP, -10% National Unity)

The Transcontinental Railroad isn’t the only construction project going on in North America: like the New French, the Columbians are belatedly recognizing the value of rail networks, particularly in connecting their coast with the interior of the country. Crossing the Rocky Mountains will be a substantial endeavor (involving lots of dynamite) but already they’ve provided significant value in connecting communities and providing a basis for geological surveys. The vastness of the Columbian Interior, or Rupertsland, hidden behind the Canadian Rockies, holds immense potential.

(Columbia: +5 EP, +3% National Unity)

While independent from Mexico City, California continues to remain politically tied to another power. In this case, Japan: Japanese military advisors spent the year instructing the Californian National Army in modern light infantry and marine tactics, alongside a glut of Japanese investment into the Californian economy. It seems Japan has supplanted Spain as California’s patron: for some independence-minded Californians a distant “partner” is better, but others are wary of the increasing Oriental influence along the Pacific Rim.

(California: Adopt Japanese 1925 Doctrine, -2% National Unity)

Carribean Region

With New England’s army fully engaged in combat with their American neighbors, the New Granadans moved to press their claims to Guyana. Granadan forces crossed the border with the neighboring Anglo colony, meeting minimal resistance from their small army. They’ve pressed up to the edge of their claims on the Essequibo River, suffering casualties more from disease and desertion than actual combat. This represents an immense gamble for the New Granadan government: while Guyana is much weaker, it has appealed to New England for assistance and their relationship with Mexico is deeply unsettled by the recent coup.

(New Granada: -1 Division, -2% National Unity)

With Cuba’s independence secured by the Treaty of Jackson, Texan trade officials were among the first to establish relations with the government in Havana. Their goal was to secure trade deals and favorable commercial relations with the new independent nation. Both nations made great hay out of the show of mutual amity, but neither nation had much in the way of capital to take advantage of their relationship, reducing it to just a photo op.

(Texas, Cuba: +1% National Unity)

The loyalties of the powerful American fleet are unclear due to the civil war: the bulk of its fighting capacity has massed in Havana harbor, where senior officers weigh their options. While disdainful of the failures of the Constitutionalist government, costing them their limited gains by bungling international diplomacy, the navy has no love for the paramilitaries and extremists backing the new government in Atlanta. The main commitment of the American Navy is to unity: they are unwilling to fight each other, even individual officers have sympathies to different sides.

(+American Carribean Fleet as semi-independent faction)

Now that the burden of French power projection in the Carribean is solely falling on them, the Louisianans unveiled a design for a small escort carrier. New French power lies in their air force, and the Baton Rouge-class carrier allows them to operate their fighter and bomber squadrons away from land-based airfields. Armchair admirals remain skeptical of the ability of aircraft to meaningfully contest control of the seas against a proper battleship, however.

(Louisiana: +1 Ship Design Bonus)

Wider World

Revolutionary Britain has been dominated by ongoing political, social and economic crises: severe rationing, agricultural and industrial reform, nationality questions, and intervention in the French Civil War. Clashes in London, political or otherwise, between moderates and hardliners within the British Congress reached their height this year as the moderates invited revolutionary guard troops to take control of the capital and secure the revolution against extremists. To the surprise of no one, military rule has not solved any of these questions and it has only paralyzed the British government further. What gains have been made in the British domestic situation are solely due to developments elsewhere in France and the Platine Federation.

The French Civil War came to its bloody conclusion this year: White forces continued their advance on Paris, slightly complicated by the withdrawal of Canadian troops as war broke out in North America. The capture of the city itself was anticlimactic, despite Communard plans for an apocalyptic last stand, as the Socialist leadership turned on itself in a round of betrayals and assassinations that paralyzed the city’s defence. Royalist troops would secure the city with relatively little fighting, though individual neighborhoods continued to resist the new government through the year. The Fall of Paris did not mean the final end of French Socialism, but the power vacuum from the collapse of the central leadership began mass desertions and emigrations among the Reds, as they attempted to disappear among the population or flee into exile in Britain or Iberia. The Government of National Restoration has declared victory in the war, though significant pockets of resistance remain, and began drawing up ambitious plans to press forward across the Pyrenees.

(Canada: -3% National Unity) (Illinois: -1 Division, +1% National Unity)

As the governments in both London and Paris fall, the Russian government in St. Petersburg narrowly survived an attempted coup by disaffected nationalist officers. The liberal government, with close ties to Germany, lacks support across much of the country, particularly in the military. However, the bulk of the nationalist military strength are far from the capital, on the borders: the attempted coup was carried out by junior officers at the head of several training brigades near the capital. But they failed to properly coordinate with the high command, which was delayed in mobilizing long enough that the Tsar threw his backing behind the constitutional government. The would-be plotters were arrested after a several hour stand-off with police and loyalist troops and many senior figures within the Russian military have been dismissed over the fallout. However, though the government has survived, the Tsar’s personal prestige is badly damaged and he has lost the support of many in the in the military.

In Egypt, the French Government-in-Exile has struck a number of compromises with the local malik, including independence after the end of the French Civil War, for his continued support in their weakened state. But the fixation of the regime on the war in Metropolitan France doesn't mean they are neglecting Egypt: archaeological excavation and research continues, with an influx of German support. The Franco-German expeditions are not only studying the pyramids: a research team uncovered a strange metal ring-like structure, the exact role of which in Ancient Egyptian religious ceremonies has been widely speculated upon.

The tenuous alliance between the British Exiles and the Indian National Congress has begun to break down: not from deliberate efforts, but from the INC's weakening influence over the broader Anglo-Indian nationalist movement. In the aftermath of the double humiliation last year by the Iranians and Deccani the power sharing agreement is widely considered to be overly favorable towards the exiles, with ultranationalist groups criticizing the INC for compromising on full independence and sovereignty for India. Clashes and riots in the streets, chiefly between the rival nationalist groups, are on the rise.

The ascendance of the Jian over the Qing did not mean the end of the Civil War in China. It did take some of the wind out of the rebel sails: a substantial portion of the loose coalition opposing the government in Beiping were anti-Manchu as much as anything else. Groups that remained monarchist were able to reconcile with the government. Nonetheless the Jian position was still tenuous: their enemy’s position coalesced as a republican coalition in the south, while their German sponsors were far from enthusiastic in their support for them (harboring great sympathy for the deposed Qing). Their new patron was the Japanese Empire: what began as arms purchases and trade agreements soon escalated into “volunteers” and military advisors as the war against the southern republicans took on new ferocity.

The formal end of the (New?) Spanish Empire has deeply unsettled the political climate in Peru, where loyalist politicians convened and declared their own independence along the Californian model. Peru remains dependent on Californian support to maintain its independence in the low intensity conflict with the Andean Republic: Californian troops kept a handle on an upsurge of military pressure following Lima’s formal break with Mexico City, clashing with Andean fighters across the mountains.

(California: -1 Division)

The elections of 1928 went as expected, with a Radical government coming into power in Buenos Aires. But Constitutional Republican control of La Plata is deeply baked into the bureaucracy, the judiciary, and the military, and so the Radicals are finding themselves deeply frustrated in enacting their domestic programs. Internationally however they were able to recognize Revolutionary Britain, resuming formal trade with the Republicans and going a long way to alleviating the island’s agricultural issues.

Moderator Notes

Look ma! I'm maintaining a consistent update schedule.

I um forgot about the Founding Fathers' Contest. The winner is joint between NinjaCow and Grandkhan, because it's clear they collaborated.


Stats will be up tomorrow, for those curious the Nationalist and Constitutionalist split of the military is approximately 60/40, with some nationalist paramilitaries formalized into proper divisions on top of that.

I'm setting the deadline for orders for the 1929 Update to be Midnight EST, Sunday March 15th.

Confederal government has received a slight buff: it is now immune to the effects of low national unity period.
 

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The Nova Afrikan Republic recognises the righteous and lawful ascension of Generalissimo Felix Diaz. We hope that under his enlightened reign, the friendship between the Nova Afrikan and Mexican peoples will only grow stronger.
 
Officially taking the reins of the sole legitimate government of the American Republic.
 

Attention, citizens of New Spain! It is I, General Félix Díaz. Yes, that's right, the same General Díaz who relieved the Siege of Venice, the same whose men famously held the Allied line at the Isonzo, long enough to evacuate the women and children in Treviso! I have long been the servant of New Spain, and I will forever be the servant of Her People!
My countrymen, I come to you today in a moment of Triumph, marred by grief. This is not a petty grief, or a personal grief, or a minor occurrence: this is the grief of an entire nation, whose soul is crying out in sorrow for the poor fate of its dearly departed Leader.

I am referring, of course, to that murder of vultures who, having squandered their fortunes in the decrepit districts of Old Spain, came to roost in Mexico City to feed on the entrails of Spain's Proudest Daughter. I am referring to the men of "King" Amadeo, who, unsatisfied with the graciousness of the late, great Alfonso Luís de Carvajal, murdered him and stabbed our nation in the back in its moment of Triumph. What was to be a great celebration of our shared destiny was spoiled by the decadent, sinful greed of these nobles of the old world!

My countrymen, though this is a grievous betrayal, and there is no greater shame for a King than to commit Treason, we must not allow ourselves to fall into despair. For Justice can still prevail - and it will still prevail, by our hand! We of the New Spanish army have raised the banner of Mexico, and we have forced the former King to relinquish his crown. The Kingdom of New Spain is no more! From henceforth, we will no longer rely on an ancient crown, whose only tools are lies and betrayal - we have spawned a new nationality, and for this we require a new nation!

Let it be known to the world that we shall create in this country a new Commonwealth of our Nation, Mexico. We reject the pathetic ambitions of kings and queens who could not resist cannibalizing their own Empire. We will not be driven by cruelty and avarice. We are a people of hope, religion, justice, equality, and courage. Mexicanos, rejoice! Your nation is at last your own!

My countrymen, let us put our shoulders to the wheel, and work together to realize our shared destiny. We, your Mexican Revolutionary Army, have delivered the snake of Old Spain into the talons of the Eagle of Tenochtitlán. Now as we feast, perched upon the cactus of history, let us drive piles into the ground and put up the foundation of our new nation.


A great Constitutional Convention shall be held in Mexico City, with representatives from all the communities of Mexico, and there we will build a brighter future together!

¡Viva México!

mexicancommonwealth.png

Let our colors be:
Red, for the blood of Courageous Heroes!
White, for Unity & Purity!
Green, for Hope & Service!
 
The Nova Afrikan Republic considers itself neutral in the Second American Civil War. We wish to maintain cordial diplomatic relations with both Atlanta and Louisville until both parties can come to an agreement regarding the future of the American Republic. Having said that, it is the opinion of the Nova Afrikan Republic that the Treaty of Jackson is binding to both Atalanta and Louisville. While we understand that certain elements of the treaty are difficult to implement due to the current situation in the American Republic, we will not tolerate fragrant disregard of the treaty by either group.

EDIT: Of particular concern of is section 5.i of the Treaty of Jackson, which guarantees Afrikan (Black) Americans are permitted the right of return to the Nova Afrikan Republic. We ask that Atalanta and Louisville do not interfere with Afrikans seeking refuge in the Nova Afrikan Republic or other nations due to the current political instability.
 
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Charles-Émile Trudeau, speaking on behalf of the Province of Canada,

Enjoins the Constitutionalist and Nationalist factions of the American Republic to declare a cease-fire and seek a peaceful resolution to their conflict.

We also specifically encourage the nationalists to release President Horton immediately, in the interests of collaboration and peace.
 
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The people of the American Republic and the Province of Illinois,

Recognising in each other the traits of veritable amity, and reflecting on the unfortunate hardships that both endure after the lengthened sufferance of war that has built between them a spirit of comradeship, affirm that

1. In full accordance with the spirit of the anti-Communist coalition they both partake in and in exaltation of its values of liberty, equality, and fraternity, the American Republic and the Province of Illinois reaffirm that an unconditional and fraternal state of peace exists and has always existed between them in fact if not in paper,

2. With the will to expand their cooperation and friendship under the banner of the Coalition, the Province of Illinois and the American Republic pledge to improve not only travel and trade between them, but also military assistance and cooperation against the Communist threat, and to such an end they freely grant each other's forces right of passage as deemed necessary to take effective action against the Communsits and as agreed between the respective governments.

Signed in Louisville, on the 12th day of February in the year of 1928
 
Right so it's clear I'm not going to resume this. The ongoing apocalyptic pandemic has disrupted my day to day life significantly and I'm struggling to resume work on this.

However, you all deserve a proper send off. There will be a wrap-up update in which I resolve ongoing conflicts and provide an idea of the next 10 to 20 years of development.

Send in ENDGAME Orders by 7/31/2020.

Endgame Orders should consist of

1) Between 2 and 5 bullet points providing long-term direction for your nation, including the resolution of any ongoing issues.
2) Vote for your favorite player to receive the Player's Choice Award.
3) Weigh in on the wider world: provide 1st and 2nd ranked choices for Red Britain/Iberia, France, Germany, Russia, or Japan as the new dominant world powers.
 
Well then, time to re-read the thread and scour the Inbox for relevant conversations.
 
1) A respectable showing in the War of Communist Containment
2) Heavy industrialization of the Interior Plateau
3) Annexation of southern Alaska
4) Gradual shift towards the Japanese sphere until Columbia is straddling the line between them and Britain

PCA) Tobi, because I'm a sucker for loyal friends

Preferred powers: 1st Japan, 2nd Red Britain
 
1) Unite Democrats and Radicals to sign peace with the Coms and destroy the Fascists.
2) Reconstruction the HELL out of the South. Floggings will continue until morale improves.
3) Continued rapprochement with Mexico towards establishing a dual hegemony over the continent (or at least part of it)

PCA) Crezth

Mexico for dominant world power. If not, France, then Japan.
 
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