|
Updated Sunday 15 May, 2011 12:18 PM |
|
|
Join Writer Development Section Writer Development Member Section
This Day in Alternate History Blog
|
Amerika - The German Block, its
evolution and history One of the pivotal occurrences in US
politics in the 1800s is the somewhat belated coalescing of the various German
groups in the Union into one solid block of voters. Up until the post-War of
Secession period, Germans had generally opted either to assimilate as quickly as
possible, alternatively to keep their culture, but assimilate politically into
the American populace. What makes this even more interesting is,
that it can be traced back and placed at two specific government acts with
exactly one month between them occurring during November-December 1863. The one
was the order on 25 October to Major General Carl Schurz - himself a German - to
give up some twelve thousand troops under his command in eastern Missoury, thus
forcing him to evacuate the Saint Louis region, let the CSA occupy what was one
of the densest concentrations of German settlers in the Union. The other was the
25 December order dropping Ulysses S. Grant from command of the Army of
Maryland, and in his place but Major General Franz Sigel, also a German. The already existing animosity and rumors
of German cowardliness in the Union army, as well as the nativist feelings among
many of the Anglo-Saxon families that had been resident in the Union for
generations was added to the later Radical/American leader Ulysses Grants
feeling of betrayal to produce the myth of the German "backstab", that
German (and for that matter, also Democrat and Irish/general Catholic) scheming
had produced the Union defeat in the War of Secession. Using the Radical party - a splinter from
the wartime Union Party - as a vehicle, the myths soon took on a life of their
own, and bands of war veterans began seeking out and "punishing" those
elements they saw as having betrayed them. At the same time, the Americans (in
1867 the Radical Party was renamed the American Party. After that, whether you
used the term "Radical" or "American" much depended on
whether you were for or against them) began actively attacking the
"seditious elements" in its propaganda, and the mob violence merged
with political campaigning to form a large-scale offensive against anything
German. The Democratic party, in power until 1868, preferred to look the other
way and let her opponents (the Germans more and more concentrated in the Union
Party) tear each other apart. Whereas the German people might otherwise
have chosen to assimilate to avoid the persecution, the infusion of German
refugees from Missouri (where the victorious secessionists werent about to let
bygones be bygones) spread the feeling of having been betrayed by the very Union
they had fought to preserve among the remainder of the German population.
Coupled with the Radical/American attacks and anyone German (even if trying to
assimilate), the German vote soon began coalescing around the two foremost
German leaders of the time, the very same two people the Radicals had as their
hate-icons: war hero Franz Sigel and the famous orator Carl Schurtz. Concentrating in the Union party, the
Germans found out that not only would they have to take matters into their own
hands politically, but also physically. Following the widespread arson of German
property in the spring of 1867, the Turnvereine (litterally ”Gymnastics
societies, but mocked as "Turncoats" by the Americans) provided the
basis for a widespread movement of self defense. At times working with the Irish
gangs to protect themselves against American mobs, the Turnvereine soon grew so
effective in protecting German interests, that they probably, by scaring away Anglo-Saxon
voters, provided some of the basis for the 1870-71 American victory in the
mid-term congressional elections. Another institution that emerges at the
same time is the English-language Offsetting this somewhat - other than the
gridlock in congress that kept the American presidency in check - was two
European events in the same period, namely the defeat of France at the hands of
Prussia in 1870, and the subsequent erection of the German Empire in 1871, and
the lifting of German privileges in Russia in 1872, setting a flood of German
farmers streaming to the US. Attempts by the American presidency to stop this
inflow are blocked, strengthening the German
block in time for Grants War 1875-80, and the 2nd War of Secession that
is sets off when the Grant administration tries to cancel the 1876 election. By the time it is all over, the United
States of America have been split into two, both claiming that name: the
Anglo-dominated USA in the New England and Pacific states and upstate New York,
and the German-dominated USA in the rest. As Gemans make up little less than half the
US (West) population, their power and prestige surges, greatly helped by the
12-year Schurz-administration, that runs from 1881 to 1893. Initially only
vice-president, Schurz is propelled into the presidency by the assassination of
president Chester A. Arthur and a faborable ruling by the supreme court, and
elected twice thereafter thanks to the 14th Amenment, allowing immigrants to
become president. President Schurz´ administration see many
changes to the benefit of the German block, among others mandatory German
classes in schools, and immigration laws tailored to keep out anglos and let in
Germans. With the terrorist acts perpetrated by the Grand Army of the Republic,
right from occasional bombings over the assassination of president Arthur to the
attempted assassination of president Roosevelt, the administration is also
handed a prime opportunity to wreak havoc on the American opposition, firmly
tying to that very same terrorism in the mind of the public. Following the Schurz administration, the
anglo elements briefly regain the presidency 1893-97, but manage to make
themselves so thoroughly unpopular that the next 20 years see power solidly
placed in Union, and thus, German hands. This is the period that sees the first
large wave of people choosing assimilation rather than opposition among the
anglo minority, as many a Smith and Hoover changes his name into Schmidt and
Huber, and gives his children a German upbringing and education. Prominent among
those making that choice are of course the later presidents Theodor Roosevelt
and Herbert Karl Huber, the latter
born Hoover. This is also the period that sees the
German talent blossom in America as it has blossomed everywhere else, and many
of the inventors and entrepeneurs that have formed Amerika as it is today make
their mark in that period. To mention a few, the Blumenthal department stores, Böing
airplane factories, Wistinghausen electrical supplies and machinery and Kreisler
and Stutenbecker autos should be known to all. The military also becomes
dominated by Germans, such as Georg A. Köster, best known for his harsh
treatment of American mercenary bands trying to cross into WA from EA, 3rd Great
War commander Johannes J. Pförsching, and 4th Great War generals Dwight D.
Eisenhauer and Carl A. Spaatz and admiral Thomas W. Nimitz. The final blow to the American element is dealt with the 3rd Great War where WA, with all the Anglo-Saxon nations poised for its destruction, finally embraced its Germanness. As the anglo invasions were dealt with, an amazing 800 cities and towns changed their names from the anglo-sounding to more patriotic ones, while thousands of streets, squares, businesses, and literally millions of people had theirs changed, also. This is where New York became Neu Wilhelmshafen, Chicago became Schurzhafen and Saint Louis became Bismarck. The process was finally topped off when the consequence of the division of the old USA was finally drawn, and WA was renamed simply Amerika.
|
