Changes: Shattered Union

Latest revision as of 18:45, 18 June 2017

The basis of a new nation, the United States of America, is torn. The bloody civil war created due to the secession of the states to the south, now known as the Confederate States of America. A new world would be created, a new nation, and history is changed. The threads of what would have been a united future superpower have been torn.

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+The basis of a new nation, the United States of America, is torn. The bloody civil war created due to the secession of the states to the south, now known as the Confederate States of America. A new world would be created, a new nation, and history is changed. The threads of what would have been a united future superpower have been torn.
+[[Category:Shattered Union]]
-tWhat if the [[Confederate States of America(Shattered Union)|Confederacy]] had succeeded in annexing the northern Mexican provinces, allowing them access to the Pacific and more resources and manpower? Would it have been enough to win the war? And if so, what would the [[Confederate States of America(Shattered Union)|Confederacy]] look like, with a large Hispanic population and a chance to capture more land in the west? This timeline explores one scenario and goes through the decades, watching the changes of history resulting from a Shattered Union.
+[[Category:Timelines]]
-==December 1860-April 1861==
-On December 20, 1860 the state of South Carolina seceded from the [[United States of America(Shattered Union)|United States of America]]
-. This was done because Abraham Lincoln had won the elections, an anti-slavery and anti-states rights president who promised to stop the spread of slavery. soon other southern states seceded, and by February there were seven states had were independent. On February 8th thee states formed the Confederate States of America. As they states declared independence they forced out the Union forts and bases in their land. At first Abraham Lincoln didn't think they were serious. but on April 12th the Confederate army opened fire upon the FT. Sumter, capturing the union fort. This was considered the beginning of the [[War of Secession(Shattered Union)|War of Secession]]. Throughout the next few months more states would secede until by mid June 11 states had become full members of the [[United States of America(Shattered Union)|CSA]].
-== May-June 1861 ==
-The [[Confederate States of America(Shattered Union)|Confederacy]] sends John T. Pickett to Mexico, for the purpose of negotiating a treaty that will give Mexico's northern provinces to the newly-born [[Confederate States of America(Shattered Union)|CSA]]. There were several reasons why the [[Confederate States of America(Shattered Union)|Confederacy]] wanted this. First, of course, there were many resources there. The mines of Sonora and Chihuahua brought in tons of gold and silver, and if this were directed to the [[Confederate States of America(Shattered Union)|Confederacy's]] coffers it would make them a richer nation indeed. But of course this was useless at the time, as the [[Confederate States of America(Shattered Union)|CSA]] was blockaded by the Union on all sides, destroying its economy and making any money worthless.
-Which is where the second and even more valuable reward comes in. Mexico's northern provinces bordered hundreds of miles of ocean, certainly next to impossible to blockade with the Union's small Pacific fleet, and contained Guaymas, one of the most impressive ports in the western hemisphere. With coastline shipping goods and gold to purchase it with, the newborn [[Confederate States of America(Shattered Union)|Confederacy]] would no longer have a material or technological disadvantage.
-Before Pickett left, he was explicitly told not to cause any trouble. So when he reached Veracruz, he made sure not to stir up rebellion and appear like a honest and well-meaning person to the Mexicans. While obviously the northern provinces were valuable to the [[Confederate States of America(Shattered Union)|Confederacy]], they weren't nearly as much so to Mexico. Mexico was in a state of chaos right now and the president had little, if any, control over the frontiers of his nation. So selling them would cost nothing and only boost his coffers to stabilize his remaining nation.
-On June 23, 1861, the Treaty of Veracruz was signed between Mexico and the [[Confederate States of America(Shattered Union)|CSA]]. This treaty gave the [[Confederate States of America(Shattered Union)|Confederacy]] Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuilla, both Bajas, Nuevo Leon, and Tamaulipas from Mexico for a total of seven million dollars. This was a great success for the [[Confederate States of America(Shattered Union)|CSA]], as they now had even more land the Union would have to invade, more resources, a staging point to invade New Mexico and California, and a Pacific port free from American interference. They quickly made use of this.
-== Summer of 1861 ==
-With northern Mexico in their hands, any worries about food shortages or supply problems went away. Whatever the [[Confederate States of America(Shattered Union)|CSA]]. needed, they could simply ship in from Guaymas. And with an extra few hundred miles of coastline on the gulf, the Union blockade on the Atlantic was weaker anyways. So when the Union blockade was set up, the [[Confederate States of America(Shattered Union)|Confederacy]] was not as worried as in OTL. But meanwhile the [[Confederate States of America(Shattered Union)|CSA]] had other problems, as border states will still deciding their allegiance and clearing their state of Union bases and West Virginia was in open rebellion.
-By July 15, 1861, the chaos died down and the sides were drawn. Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Florida were Confederate completely. Virginia was also Confederate, but West Virginia was rebelling against the [[Confederate States of America(Shattered Union)|CSA]]. Kentucky, California, and Maryland were Union but had men on both sides, and Missouri was Union but by mid-July much of southern Missouri was under the [[Confederate States of America(Shattered Union)|Confederacy]]. This was thanks to the governor Pierre, who tried to make Missouri confederate and who still had some of Missouri under that very nation. And finally the Indian territory had sided with the [[Confederate States of America(Shattered Union)|CSA]].
-The first major battle of the war was the Battle of 1st Manassas on July 21, 1861. At this battle just 15 miles from Washington DC many American congressman and civilians showed up to watch, as they thought it would be a humiliating defeat for the [[Confederate States of America(Shattered Union)|CSA]]. They quickly found out it was the other way around as the Confederate army routed the Union forces and won the battle. However both sides fought poorly, and the bloodiness of the battle showed sides this was going to be a long war.
-Confederate General Henry Hopkins Sibley launched an invasion of New Mexico on July 23, 1861. Throughout the past month the [[Confederate States of America(Shattered Union)|CSA]] had been moving in tens of thousands of soldiers into Texas and the newly purchased provinces from Mexico. The invasion was launched by several armies from Texas, Chihuahua, and Sonora. As the [[Confederate States of America(Shattered Union)|CSA]] was never farther than a couple hundred miles, the supply lines were easily kept and after the Battles of Tucson and Mesilla the Union was forced to withdraw. By early September the [[Confederate States of America(Shattered Union)|CSA]] had control of all of New Mexico south of the 34th parallel.
-Meanwhile in the rest of the war, Kentucky and Missouri were both being fought over, with the [[Confederate States of America(Shattered Union)|Confederacy]] attempting to hold south Missouri and capture Kentucky. The Union blockade was up but was difficult to manage, particularly due to the even longer coastline of the [[Confederate States of America(Shattered Union)|Confederacy]]. A US landing at Veracruz is attempted but at the Battle of Veracruz the attack fails and the US is forced to withdraw.
-==Fall of 1861-Winter of 1862==
-As September ended the war looked to favor the Confederacy. Much of southern Kentucky and Missouri were under their control, as was the southern half of New Mexico and a large handful of former Mexican provinces. unfortantely for the CSA they had lost the Battle of Cheat Mountain, ensuring Union control over western Virginia. This lowered Confederate morale somewhat, so to recover it the war department planned a campaign in the west, as well as gain resources and expand their Pacific coastline.
-The Union forces located here were few, as the USA regarded the west as largely unimportant compared to the border states being fought over east. They were mostly correct, as little west of the Missippi River except for Missouri was worth fighitng over with large forces. However the state of California contained many gold mines, which under Confederate hands would go one step further to a stable economy even under blockade.
-On October 7th, Confederate armies in New Mexico and Baja, with support from forces in Texas and the other Mexican  provinces, launched an invasion of California and northern New Mexico. The 4th Baja Norte Brigade and 2nd Sonora calvary won the Battle of San Diego, and the 1st Sonora Regiment and the newly formed New Mexican Brigade won a desive victory at the Battle of Blythe. When the California Brigade retreated futherr west they won again at the Battle of Salton, although the 1st New Mexican Battalion was defeated by the 2nd Californian Infantry at the Battle of Indio. Despite this, the Californian Brigade withdrew to Los Angeles, hoping to better defend California from that position.
-In New Mexico the Confederacy wom the Battles of Pecos and Albuquerque but lost the 1st Battle of the Little Colorado, and well as aminor engagement  near the Rio Grande. The Texas Brigade and Chihuahua Regiment pushed farther and captured Cerillos, less than a hundred miles from the New Mexico capital of Santa Fe. However teh USA was beginning to become competent in the west and sends more soldiers there, who win the Battle of Moriarty. The CSA then wins the Battle of Black Rock, the last major engagement of the western theater until the spring. [[Category:Shattered Union]]