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Description

Another, rather nonsensical one, where a second American Civil War resembles the OTL Syrian Civil War. This one does take place in the late 20th century, rather than the early 21st century. Many thanks to the people on my Discord who helped brainstorm this.

The PoD is Nixon winning the 1960 presidential election as opposed to Kennedy. Nixon ends up being a one-termer, his reaction to the Cuban missile crisis being one which almost led to nuclear annihilation (he backed a much larger attempt to use Cuban nationals to overthrow Castro). He loses to Johnson, who pursues a much more aggressive war in Vietnam. The war in Algeria is even worse for France, leading to a group of French officers to side with French Algerians to form their own breakaway state. Western Europe enters a period of 1968-esque unrest, leading eventually to full revolutions in France. Nixon wins after Johnson’s second term, as Vietnam was even worse than OTL, Europe ends up in flames, and the economy takes a downturn. Nixon ran as an anti-communist who would turn back the tide in Western Europe, but during his term actually pursued détente with the Soviets, who have more reformers in their government who are concerned about the rising power of hardline communist China.

Nixon’s second term proved even more unpopular than his first, as he reneged on his promise to retake Europe (knowing that this could start WWIII), withdrew from Vietnam, and tried to push civil rights through in the South. This unpopularity fueled Nixon’s paranoia, leading to him using his presidential powers to target political enemies on the left and the right. People were arrested on false charges or had their lives ruined by the IRS. This only fueled resentment against the federal government, which had been growing since the 1960s. The South was a powder keg, particularly after the assassinations of civil rights leaders and segregationist politicians. Violence between radical groups began, as did violence between state governments and pro-segregationists against the National Guard. New religious movements emerged in the mid-1960s, some of which preached peace and love, but others preached that the End Times were near and that America’s sin will lead to brutal judgment. One, the Christian Identity movement, proved to be very popular among those who saw America as a fallen nation.

The Second American Civil War began after National Guard troops fired on a group of student demonstrators in Berkeley, California. The California state government demanded that Nixon withdraw all federal troops from the state, to which Nixon refused. Outraged, politicians who opposed Nixon demanded that he resigned, and Nixon also refused. Believing that Nixon had become a tyrant, they proclaimed a new American government, which should replace Nixon’s, which had lost all legitimacy. Portions of the military and National Guard defected to the opposition.

The Opposition mostly held large, urban areas, where Nixon proved to be the most unpopular. In the South, a group of left-wing Southern Democrats, moderate civil rights leaders, and black nationalists aligned to form the Southern Autonomous Republic, an interim government that was dedicated to racial justice and opposing the Nixon government. Other groups jumped in to the fray, such as secessionists. Texas seceded from the Union outright, as did Colorado. Religious separatists also joined the fight, seeking to create a more moral United States. The largest of these, the Christian Identity Army, eventually took over large swathes of the Midwest and the East Coast. Brutal in its tactics, the Christian Identity Army was eventually denounced by the Opposition and was militarily opposed by them, but this did not stop the Christian Identity Army’s rise.

Nixon took on emergency powers, suspended any federal elections, and went into war mode. His tactics proved brutal, leading to some Opposition groups to match him. The Christian Identity Army established a brutal theocracy, with repressive religious laws reminiscent of the Puritan era, the Protestant Reformation, and the Dark Ages. Nixon called in favors from the international world, and received an unlikely backer: the Soviets. Nixon successfully persuaded the Soviets that the Opposition could not hold onto the country, and that their victory would inevitably lead to a victory for the Christian Identity Army. Allowing that group to hold America’s nuclear weapons would spell doom for the whole world. The Soviets thus intervened to help Nixon’s government, a move which has helped Nixon win back a lot of territory.

Elsewhere in the world, the Soviets are implementing reforms akin to OTL China, slowly transitioning towards a market economy while staying politically repressive. Soviet power is supreme, although they haven’t fully filled the vacuum left by America. Western Europe is under the control of socialists who, increasingly, have turned from opposing the Soviet model to becoming fully coopted by it. Hardline Maoist China sees itself as the true torchbearer of communism under the brutal Gang of Four, and is plotting to subvert Soviet power worldwide.

Spain has established its own reactionary bloc, beginning this project as America retreated from world affairs and Western Europe erupted into chaos. The Spanish and their Portuguese allies have succeeded in wooing parts of the world which were not entirely onboard with the American system, such as South Africa, and those afraid of China and the Soviet Union, such as Japan and South Korea. Spain’s power is much weaker compared to that of the Soviets and the Chinese, but they hope to grow their power by picking up more allies, such as from the Non-Aligned Movement.

The Non-Aligned Movement is moving in a more defensive-oriented direction, as the leading powers within it perceive the Soviets and Chinese as major threats.

The Second American Civil War has spilled over into both Canada and Mexico. Canada had to deal with the left-leaning Quebecois independence movement, and eventually granted Quebec autonomy. Mexico is under a pseudo-fascist regime backed by Spain and its allies, and it is wracked with revolutionary movements in the north and south.

Britain remains the only surviving member of the “Western, democratic world.” Its government is extremely paranoid and defensive, hearkening back to the darkest days of World War II.

Brazil went through its own religious revolution, and the brutal Catholic regime there is similar to the Christian Identity Army, although the two regimes hate each other. The Brazilians have been supporting Nixon’s government as well, albeit more covertly than the Soviets.

Description

Another, rather nonsensical one, where a second American Civil War resembles the OTL Syrian Civil War. This one does take place in the late 20th century, rather than the early 21st century. Many thanks to the people on my Discord who helped brainstorm this.

The PoD is Nixon winning the 1960 presidential election as opposed to Kennedy. Nixon ends up being a one-termer, his reaction to the Cuban missile crisis being one which almost led to nuclear annihilation (he backed a much larger attempt to use Cuban nationals to overthrow Castro). He loses to Johnson, who pursues a much more aggressive war in Vietnam. The war in Algeria is even worse for France, leading to a group of French officers to side with French Algerians to form their own breakaway state. Western Europe enters a period of 1968-esque unrest, leading eventually to full revolutions in France. Nixon wins after Johnson’s second term, as Vietnam was even worse than OTL, Europe ends up in flames, and the economy takes a downturn. Nixon ran as an anti-communist who would turn back the tide in Western Europe, but during his term actually pursued détente with the Soviets, who have more reformers in their government who are concerned about the rising power of hardline communist China.

Nixon’s second term proved even more unpopular than his first, as he reneged on his promise to retake Europe (knowing that this could start WWIII), withdrew from Vietnam, and tried to push civil rights through in the South. This unpopularity fueled Nixon’s paranoia, leading to him using his presidential powers to target political enemies on the left and the right. People were arrested on false charges or had their lives ruined by the IRS. This only fueled resentment against the federal government, which had been growing since the 1960s. The South was a powder keg, particularly after the assassinations of civil rights leaders and segregationist politicians. Violence between radical groups began, as did violence between state governments and pro-segregationists against the National Guard. New religious movements emerged in the mid-1960s, some of which preached peace and love, but others preached that the End Times were near and that America’s sin will lead to brutal judgment. One, the Christian Identity movement, proved to be very popular among those who saw America as a fallen nation.

The Second American Civil War began after National Guard troops fired on a group of student demonstrators in Berkeley, California. The California state government demanded that Nixon withdraw all federal troops from the state, to which Nixon refused. Outraged, politicians who opposed Nixon demanded that he resigned, and Nixon also refused. Believing that Nixon had become a tyrant, they proclaimed a new American government, which should replace Nixon’s, which had lost all legitimacy. Portions of the military and National Guard defected to the opposition.

The Opposition mostly held large, urban areas, where Nixon proved to be the most unpopular. In the South, a group of left-wing Southern Democrats, moderate civil rights leaders, and black nationalists aligned to form the Southern Autonomous Republic, an interim government that was dedicated to racial justice and opposing the Nixon government. Other groups jumped in to the fray, such as secessionists. Texas seceded from the Union outright, as did Colorado. Religious separatists also joined the fight, seeking to create a more moral United States. The largest of these, the Christian Identity Army, eventually took over large swathes of the Midwest and the East Coast. Brutal in its tactics, the Christian Identity Army was eventually denounced by the Opposition and was militarily opposed by them, but this did not stop the Christian Identity Army’s rise.

Nixon took on emergency powers, suspended any federal elections, and went into war mode. His tactics proved brutal, leading to some Opposition groups to match him. The Christian Identity Army established a brutal theocracy, with repressive religious laws reminiscent of the Puritan era, the Protestant Reformation, and the Dark Ages. Nixon called in favors from the international world, and received an unlikely backer: the Soviets. Nixon successfully persuaded the Soviets that the Opposition could not hold onto the country, and that their victory would inevitably lead to a victory for the Christian Identity Army. Allowing that group to hold America’s nuclear weapons would spell doom for the whole world. The Soviets thus intervened to help Nixon’s government, a move which has helped Nixon win back a lot of territory.

Elsewhere in the world, the Soviets are implementing reforms akin to OTL China, slowly transitioning towards a market economy while staying politically repressive. Soviet power is supreme, although they haven’t fully filled the vacuum left by America. Western Europe is under the control of socialists who, increasingly, have turned from opposing the Soviet model to becoming fully coopted by it. Hardline Maoist China sees itself as the true torchbearer of communism under the brutal Gang of Four, and is plotting to subvert Soviet power worldwide.

Spain has established its own reactionary bloc, beginning this project as America retreated from world affairs and Western Europe erupted into chaos. The Spanish and their Portuguese allies have succeeded in wooing parts of the world which were not entirely onboard with the American system, such as South Africa, and those afraid of China and the Soviet Union, such as Japan and South Korea. Spain’s power is much weaker compared to that of the Soviets and the Chinese, but they hope to grow their power by picking up more allies, such as from the Non-Aligned Movement.

The Non-Aligned Movement is moving in a more defensive-oriented direction, as the leading powers within it perceive the Soviets and Chinese as major threats.

The Second American Civil War has spilled over into both Canada and Mexico. Canada had to deal with the left-leaning Quebecois independence movement, and eventually granted Quebec autonomy. Mexico is under a pseudo-fascist regime backed by Spain and its allies, and it is wracked with revolutionary movements in the north and south.

Britain remains the only surviving member of the “Western, democratic world.” Its government is extremely paranoid and defensive, hearkening back to the darkest days of World War II.

Brazil went through its own religious revolution, and the brutal Catholic regime there is similar to the Christian Identity Army, although the two regimes hate each other. The Brazilians have been supporting Nixon’s government as well, albeit more covertly than the Soviets.