A Scandalous Freedom: An Alternate History Piece

[Moblin Major General]

A lot of the events of the world now revolve around the politics in the USA. Going back over 100 years to the election of 1896, where Conservative Republican William McKinley defeated Democrat William Jennings Bryan. But what about the 20th century would've changed if WJB, regarded as the youngest Presidential candidate of all time, had actually been elected?

Here's a list of what could be expected from this alternate history:

• A fairer end to World War I
• No Great Depression
• A Fascism/Democracy Cold War
• much more!

Chapter 1: The Election

A lot hinged on the Election of 1896. Grover Cleveland's Presidency was unremarkable at best, and the aristocracy of the Gilded Age didn't seem like it would going anywhere fast. On the one hand, Ohio Governor William McKinley seemed poised to let the Robber Barons of J.P. Morgan, J.D. Rockefeller, and Andrew Carnegie continue to harass and disenfranchise the public with their continuing monopolistic tendencies. On the other hand, young Nebraska Representative William Jennings Bryan brought hope to the poorer masses by wanting to implement the Silver, rather than the Gold, standard. One of the most rhetorical speeches he gave was the "Cross of Gold" speech, which all but cemented his place in the White House. The only reason why he won by a close margin was because of the Robber Barons choosing to back William McKinley.

After his inauguration without incident, the Robber Barons prepared for the end of their "rule" over the economy. President Bryan called for criminal trials against Carnegie Steel, Standard Oil, and J.P. Morgan and Co. The fallout from these trials broke up Standard Oil, cost J.P. Morgan and Co. many hundreds of thousands of dollars, and saw Carnegie Steel become a national industry. However, the personal fortunes of the Robber Barons were unaffected by the trials, as they had feared, but they all suddenly faced an identity crisis. Without their companies to invest in, they suddenly found themselves becoming philanthropic, which improved all of their reputations immensely. Many conservatives criticized the White House for implementing, " a measure resembling Marx and Engels."

Domestic feuds were the least of President Bryan's problems, however. His concern for the oppressed spread beyond the United States. The Spanish Empire, or whatever was left of it, was bringing the hammer down on rebels in Cuba and the Philippines. Wanting to exercise Monroe Doctrine, President Bryan dispatched the USS Maine to the Bay of Pigs to convince the Spanish that threatening the island's imminent sovereignty would not be tolerated. However, once it was in Spanish waters, there was a mysterious explosion aboard. Many Republicans thought it was a Spanish mine, but upon further investigation, it was revealed to be a leak in the boiler. The Spanish, however, still felt the need to try and stay relevant in European politics, and declared war upon the US. Reluctant as he was, President Bryan allowed the Navy to blockade Cuba and The Philippines while the Marines and an independent group called the "Rough Riders" led by Asst. Secretary of the Navy Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt overwhelm the Spanish forces. In a matter of days, the war was over, and both Cuba and the Philippines were liberated. Regardless of the disappointment of the Republicans to capitalize on potential spheres of influence, it was made clear to Europe that the United States of America weren't going away, and that if the right person is elected, Democratic Republicanism could work.

[blah the Prussian]

Nice to see people following my footsteps. Message me if you have any questions about how things might go.

[henrymidfields]

I should do an alternate timeline myself too. I wonder how will you navigate the economy away from the Great Depression. Or did the above events pretty much doomed the prospect of a Great Depression already?

[blah the Prussian]

The GD was probably inevitable from the 1910s. Although, if the US economy keeps growing something is going to snap, no matter what.

[Moblin Major General]

@blah2127: Thanks for your support, and I might take you up on that if I have trepidations on the direction this ends up going.

@henrymidfields: The GD was actually a very complex affair, but if it did happen in this timeline, it would probably by centralized and not an international affair.

[Moblin Major General]

Chapter 2: Reform

The Spanish-American War garnered much praise for the then 38 year old William Jennings Bryan, clearing the way for a successful platform on which to take a second term, in which he declared his running mate to be none other than Theodore Roosevelt himself, stepping in for a sickly Arthur Sewall. This time, the pair ran up against Garret Hobart, the running mate of William McKinley. This time, Bryan won by a landslide. America was less of an imperial nation like Russia under Tsar Nicholas II or Germany under Kaiser Wilhelm II, but more following the Monroe doctrine and holding influence over nations rather than truly conquering them. But it almost was not. On September 5, 1901, President Bryan had been giving a speech to an open crowd in Columbus, Ohio. A would-be assassin named Leon Czolgosz attempted to shoot Bryan point-blank next to the podium. However, as he fired, Bryan was tackled by his former opponent, William McKinley. As Bryan was thrown to the ground, McKinley took 2 hits in his abdomen. Czolgosz was thrown to the ground and apprehended. 9 days later, the former Ohio governor succumbed to his wounds, but not before Bryan himself expressed his thanks, and his regrets.

In the following days, Czolgosz was charged with attempted assassination of the President and murder in the first degree. Czolgosz was sentenced to the electric chair, although President Bryan later granted clemency to his assailant. Czolgosz spent the rest of his life the United States Disciplinary Barracks, assigned with the task of helping to complete the prison. Czolgosz died in 1928 at the age of 55.

The fallout from the attempt lead to Bryan attempting to enact many reforms, including those suggested by Vice President Roosevelt, creating the Forest Service and National Park Service, as well as a comprehensive list of animals that were in danger of extinction, with a bill to protect these animals that invoked stiff penalties if violated. The lase measure managed to save species like the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker, Passenger Pigeon, and Red Wolf from total extinction. It also paved the way for the international ban on whaling. The successes of these reforms allowed President Bryan to be named one of the best Presidents in American history.

The election of 1904 came, with Bryan, although still very young for a president, had enough with the office. The Democratic Party chose conservative Alton B. Parker, a safe choice, but rather underwhelming considering the previous 8 years. The Republicans, eager to expand upon the sphere of influence granted by the Spanish-American War, elected William Howard Taft as the nominee. Compared to the momentous 1896 election, 1904 was comparatively bland, with Taft winning the election. However, under Taft, the Americans started a project that was abandoned by the French: The Panama Canal. The Canal expedited travel between hemispheres. Other than that, the only other marked accomplishment of Taft's was the annexation of the Hawaiian Islands, something that many believed McKinley would have done had he been elected in 1896. In 1908, Taft lost to Democrat Woodrow Wilson. Wilson introduced measures such as the 16th Amendment, allowing women to vote after the death of famous suffragist Susan B. Anthony in 1906. Other than that, Wilson also failed to do much in the way of anything notable.

1912, However, showed an evolving problem in Europe. Republicans chose Charles Evans Hughes as the nominee, and won the election by a close margin. Hughes went along the same lines as Bryan and Roosevelt, in that he wished to protect sovereign nations. As such, he signed a defense pact with Belgium's Albert I after Germany's rapid militarization. In response, Germany's Foreign Minister sent what was to become known as the von Jagow Note, which stated that Germany would sign a non-aggression pact with the United States, which secretly caused them to abandon the Schlieffen Plan, in which they had planned to invade Belgium in order to disable France, should a European war break out. However, with the US backing the vulnerable Belgium, Germany now had an effective buffer to prevent France from sending troops into Germany so that Germany could focus on a potential war with Tsarist Russia. To complete this mutual pact, President Hughes met with Kaiser Wilhelm II on June 28, 1914. Consequently, that's when IT started.

[henrymidfields]

Ah, is there going to be another assassination attempt like Real-life Sarajevo? And this time, the US President's getting killed?

[blah the Prussian]

I honestly highly doubt Wilson would have given women the vote as early as 1906. He was as opposed to it as everyone else. Interesting developments in Europe, though. I assume that Germany is going to win WWI if they aren't invading Belgium. As a pointer, it is highly likely that, had Germany not attacked Belgium, France would have attacked it, because that is simply the only way they would have managed to mount a successful invasion of Germany. It the President does get assassinated instead of Franz Ferdinand, the latter's survival will be significant.

[Moblin Major General]

No spoilers. Also, while I know Wilson was a conservative bastard, I wasn't about to let him introduce the real 16th amendment like he had in history. That was legislated from the bench, which I view as illegal in all cases, regardless of how helpful it may have been.

[blah the Prussian]

No spoilers. Also, while I know Wilson was a conservative bastard, I wasn't about to let him introduce the real 16th amendment like he had in history. That was legislated from the bench, which I view as illegal in all cases, regardless of how helpful it may have been.

Yes, but without major social changes suffrage in 1906 just wouldn't happen. The death of Susan B Anthony wouldn't have been enough of a catalyst.

[Moblin Major General]

@blah:Taft was still President in 1906. Wilson did it because the fallout of her death created a rallying cry that within 5-6 years would've mandated such a change. He did it to try and get votes from them, but it backfired on him.

Chapter 3: The Great War

June 28, 1914. On the streets of Sarajevo, Franz Ferdinand, brother of Franz Joseph, was gunned down by Serbian activist Gavrilo Princip. Tension escalated between Serbia and Austria-Hungary, prompting Austria-Hungary to invade Serbia. Hearing of the assassination, President Hughes made a call to General John Pershing to begin landing troops in Belgium after being briefed on the factional divide in Europe. At the same time, Kaiser Wilhelm summoned Field Marshall Erich Ludendorff and Field Marshall Paul von Hindenburg to discuss a plan to invade Russia. Russia soon moved against the Austro-Hungarian Empire, prompting Germany to invade Russia. The Ottoman Empire also began assaulting Russia's Southern Flank. This prompted France to enact Plan XVII, which was the French counterpart to the Schlieffen plan. However, the non-camouflaged French ran straight into American lines, whose superior firepower and enhanced tactics brought the advance to a grinding halt, and in fact pushed the French back into their borders. Pershing tasked a young First Lieutenant by the name of George S. Patton, and a captain named Douglas MacArthur to lead an advance into France. At the same time, The United Kingdom, a former ally of France's, condemned the employment of Plan XVII, citing their own defense pact with Belgium. As a result, France was cornered by 4 different armies at once, forcing a peace suit by December 24. On December 25, American, German, French, British, and Belgian troops all came together for Christmas.

On the Eastern Front, however, the victory wasn't nearly as swift, even with the Italians coming in to complete the Triple Alliance Powers alongside Germany and Austria-Hungary, along with the support of The US, The UK, a token force of Belgians, and the Ottoman Empire. Propaganda reels depicted this overwhelming force staving off the Russian Barbarian. Britain's decision to back the Central Powers was controversial in that it was a well known fact that Tsar Nicholas II and King George V were cousins. At the same time, however, it was also well known that Kaiser Wilhelm and King George were as closely related. Of course, this had no bearing on the current situation in Eastern Europe. Each force was evenly matched, although a little British invention called the Tank easily swung the conflict in the favor of the Central Powers. By early 1917, as the Tsar faced almost open rebellion as well as the seizure of Moscow, he sued for peace. The date was March 7, 1917. 3 years of war were over, but problems with Russia would last until the early 1960s.

The Treaty of Warsaw was profound and unprecedented. The Central Powers were aware that Russia had little to no money due to the incompetence of Nicholas II. So they seized the reparation funds in land. In the following years, all the land seized from Russia would become independent states, some forming states with Iran, others like the Caucasus becoming independent states, and others still deferring to Moscow on matters of state. In the month's after the surrender of Russia, the empire temporarily was a theocratic state headed by the Orthodox Church, a move seen as unpopular with King Emmanuel III of Italy, who was a devout Catholic. This was short lived, as the elections held in early November were heralded as the October Revolution, which saw former enemies of the state such as Vladimir Lenin and Leon Trotsky ascend to positions in VKP, or the Russian Communist Party. Had the war lasted another 6 months, it was predicted that the VKP would've attempted a coup. Fortunately, the democratic system won out, and although the Bolsheviks were a considerable liberal movement in Post-Tsarist Russia, any potential plans for a coup were stopped by the election.

France was spared a lot of destruction due to its swift defeat. Britain and Germany also wanted it to face stiff reparations, but President Hughes's Fourteen Points speech in the Treaty of Antwerp spoke volumes to what the goal should be for the world going forward. "If it is the war to end all wars, let us create a world where war would be no longer possible." With this, The League of Nations formed, with all belligerents being members, and having Britain, America, Germany, Austria, and Turkey at its head. However, as most countries lacked the manpower to hold many of their colonies in Africa and Asia, as well as the war almost bankrupting the Ottoman Empire, the powers that be relinquished most of their holdings the world over, with the exception of the British in India, the Belgians in the Congo, and the US territories of Puerto Rico and Hawaii. But what this would hold for most of the Old World remained to be seen.

Edited March 4, 2016 by Hylian Air Force

[blah the Prussian]

I suppose that that makes sense. In any case, firstly it was Leon Trotsky and not Vladimir Trotsky; might have been a typo. Secondly, I don't think that the US would have been able to deploy enough of an army to Belgium to stop the French, although, since this President is more militaristic, there could be a larger US standing army, which would have explained it. Everything seems fine other than that. What is the situation in the Ottoman Empire? Since there was no mention of wars in the Balkans is it still Constitutional, or are the Three Pashas in power?

[Moblin Major General]

@blah: The Ottoman Empire relinquished it's holdings alongside the other European Powers and became Turkey. I mentioned Turkey on the Security Council, not the Ottoman Empire. I know that Versailles more or less created Turkey, but even if the Central Powers had won our World War I, I doubt the Ottoman Empire would've lasted far beyond it.

[blah the Prussian]

@blah: The Ottoman Empire relinquished it's holdings alongside the other European Powers and became Turkey. I mentioned Turkey on the Security Council, not the Ottoman Empire. I know that Versailles more or less created Turkey, but even if the Central Powers had won our World War I, I doubt the Ottoman Empire would've lasted far beyond it.

Oh, that's going to be devastating. The Three Pashas weren't goign to be in power for that to happen, but they probably will now. The Stab in the Back myth for the Turks is going to be horrific. Did they just relinquish their Slavic holdings, or did they release the Arabs, Kurds, and Armenians as well?

[Moblin Major General]

The following chapter is a short Summary of every major player in The Great War up to 1920.

The United States

Coming off of the success of the Great War, the reception of the US into the League of Nations was mixed. The Republicans only wished to be a passive member that obeyed the edicts of the League, while the Democrats wished to be more active in policing the globe. The Election of 1920 was a close match between Warren G. Harding, paired with Calvin Coolidge, and James Cox, paired with Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who, like his cousin Theodore, had been Assistant Secretary of the Navy. This was a landmark election, as the winner effectively would determine the foreign policy of the United States going forward. By a close margin, the people chose James Cox, leading the US into a world of politics for which it had yet to learn, but would come to easily master.

Germany

Germany's victory in the Great War granted it many resources from it's former colonies, allowing it to continue manufacturing arms. At the same time, however, the influence America had on it's government was significant enough that Wilhelm II chose to abdicate to the Reichstag, allowing for the creation of the Weimar Republic, modeled closely on the Three Branch System used in the US.

France

France was forced to pay 1,000,000 francs to Germany, Britain, and America, and 2,000,000 to Belgium. Initially, France ceded it's colonies to Britain and Germany, but those were later freed by Germany and Britain when a majority of the other colonies were granted independence.

Britain

Ironically, it was Britain that prompted the mass independence of many colonies held by the empires of the world. As powerful as it was economically, the Empire's military was not as strong as previously thought, and the land flush was prompted by a concern that Britain would collapse under its own weight if it continued to rule in places other than it's long-held colonies, such as Canada, Australia, and India, with the former two setting affairs in order to become sovereign states in their own right.

Russia

As stated previously, Russia became Parliamentary after it surrendered to the Central Powers. However, this did not save it from troubles. Much of the empire was carved out by ethnic regions. At any rate, it was barred from forming an alliance or agreement with any Balkan state, particularly Yugoslavia, Hungary, or Czechoslovakia.

Austria

Austria was probably the most ravaged member of the Central Powers after the Great War apart from the Ottoman Empire, and as such, Franz Joseph broke Austria-Hungary into Austria, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia.

Turkey

Two factors led to the rise of Turkey: the rise of Enver Pasha, and the colonial flush. Enver Pasha wanted to make the Ottoman Empire a Turk-centric state, and was given the opportunity when the flush occurred. From this came many states, the most powerful of which, at least militarily, was Palestine, which would soon become the Kingdom of Israel, as many Jews had been displaced by the Great War's Eastern Front.

Japan

Japan never officially took part in the Great War, but was positively affected by it. Japan took the opportunity to overtake the former colonies in Southeast Asia and the Pacific, save for the Phillipines, Java and it's allies(those belonged to the Dutch, a long time trade partner), and Australia. As you will see later, this has several severe ramifications.

Serbia

Serbia was left utterly devastated by the Great War, and without Russia, had no allies for which to call upon. At first, Serbia was split into many smaller states, but after a series of wars called the Balkan Wars, was again reorganized into Yugoslavia. Yugoslavia, unlike Serbia, had better relations on which to build with its neighbors.

[blah the Prussian]

Nope. I'm sorry, but Germany is not becoming a Republic. Wilhelm would never abdicate willingly, and the people aren't angry at him here; I'm not just saying this because I'm a Hohenzollernophile.

[henrymidfields]

Are we talking about a situation where an Anglo-Japanese Alliance did not occur? Or is it one that the Alliance was not renewed in 1905 and instead, abandoned well before 1914? If that Alliance is as per real-life, then I doubt that Japan would absolve itself from participating in World War I. (Though an alliance certainly didn't stop real-life Italy from turning against the Central Powers.)

Edited April 6, 2016 by henrymidfields

[Moblin Major General]

Nope. I'm sorry, but Germany is not becoming a Republic. Wilhelm would never abdicate willingly, and the people aren't angry at him here; I'm not just saying this because I'm a Hohenzollernophile.

Well... that's just your opinion, man. Remember that monarchs=imperialism in this timeline, except for Britain, and Wilhelm realizes that he cannot trust his son to run Germany effectively, as shown in A History of the 20th Century.

Are we talking about a situation where an Anglo-Japanese Alliance did not occur? Or is it one that the Alliance was not renewed in 1905 and instead, abandoned well before 1914? If that Alliance is as per real-life, then I doubt that Japan would absolve itself from participating in World War I. (Though an alliance certainly didn't stop real-life Italy from turning against the Central Powers.)

Japan was allied with Britain, who was allied with Germany, meaning that they didn't attack Micronesia because Germany was Japan's ally indirectly. Once the flush happened, however, all bets were off, except with Holland, if only because Holland was the only link it had to the rest of the world for 150 years. Sure, they probably moved against Russia like the whole of Europe did, but Russia ended up not belonging to anyone.

[blah the Prussian]

Well... that's just your opinion, man. Remember that monarchs=imperialism in this timeline, except for Britain, and Wilhelm realizes that he cannot trust his son to run Germany effectively, as shown in A History of the 20th Century.

Japan was allied with Britain, who was allied with Germany, meaning that they didn't attack Micronesia because Germany was Japan's ally indirectly. Once the flush happened, however, all bets were off, except with Holland, if only because Holland was the only link it had to the rest of the world for 150 years. Sure, they probably moved against Russia like the whole of Europe did, but Russia ended up not belonging to anyone.

I like Wilhelm, a lot more than most, but even I recognize that he would not have had that kind of foresight, nor would he be all that torn up over being a symbol of imperialism. This is simply my advice: don't have Wilhelm abdicate peacefully, because it's outright impossible.

[Moblin Major General]

Headline: April 8, 1923: A group of angry war veterans gather outside the Reichstag in protest. Leading them is Corporal Adolf Hitler, an ethnic Austrian. Hitler was frustrated that the veterans weren't commemorated as they were in Britain and the US. Kaiser Wilhelm forced Field Marshall Ludendorff to break the protest with force. The protestors armed themselves, and a fight broke out. In the commotion, Hitler, ace pilot Hermann Goering, and Heinrich Himmler, an unsuccessful farmer, were all killed, as well as Joseb Besarionis, a member of the VKP visiting Berlin in order to help the Spartacist Party. The backlash threatened riots, with many calling for Kaiser Wilhelm's abdication. Before abdicating, Wilhelm appointed Von Hindenburg Chancellor of Germany and proclaimed the Weimar Republic.

[blah the Prussian]

Headline: April 8, 1923: A group of angry war veterans gather outside the Reichstag in protest. Leading them is Corporal Adolf Hitler, an ethnic Austrian. Hitler was frustrated that the veterans weren't commemorated as they were in Britain and the US. Kaiser Wilhelm forced Field Marshall Ludendorff to break the protest with force. The protestors armed themselves, and a fight broke out. In the commotion, Hitler, ace pilot Hermann Goering, and Heinrich Himmler, an unsuccessful farmer, were all killed, as well as Joseb Besarionis, a member of the VKP visiting Berlin in order to help the Spartacist Party. The backlash threatened riots, with many calling for Kaiser Wilhelm's abdication. Before abdicating, Wilhelm appointed Von Hindenburg Chancellor of Germany and proclaimed the Weimar Republic.

Much improved. I still think a a Republic is implausible, but it isn't impossible, and it is, TBH, less implausible than some of the stuff I got up to. Also, this is much more of a nitpick, but it wouldn't be called the Wiemar Republic; the Wiemar Republic was called as such because it was declared from Wiemar, with Berlin being occupied by the Soartacists at the time.

Edited April 6, 2016 by blah the Prussian

[Moblin Major General]

Much improved. I still think a a Republic is implausible, but it isn't impossible, and it is, TBH, less implausible than some of the stuff I got up to. Also, this is much more of a nitpick, but it wouldn't be called the Wiemar Republic; the Wiemar Republic was called as such because it was declared from Wiemar, with Berlin being occupied by the Soartacists at the time.

And I got to kill off 4 of the worst people in our timeline in a somewhat satisfying way.

[blah the Prussian]

And I got to kill off 4 of the worst people in our timeline in a somewhat satisfying way.

Actually, that gives me an idea for a humiliating thing to happen to Heydrich in my timeline.

[henrymidfields]

And I got to kill off 4 of the worst people in our timeline in a somewhat satisfying way.

Although, I have a sneaking suspicion that you'll introduce someone else just as bad...or will you?

[blah the Prussian]

I hope so. Dystopias are just so much more fun.