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This Day in Alternate History Blog
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An Empire Reborn Part 8 By Vincent Longobardi
January 25th 1969 After decades of faithful service, Dino Grandi retires from public life and resigns his post as President of Chamber of Fasci and Corporations. Grandi plans to use his retirement to write his memoirs. February 1st 1969 Medici appoints Alessandro Pavolini as the new President of Chamber in accordance with his agreement with Pavolini to get Evola on the council. Licio Gelli, a banker and devout fascist is appointed to the position of Minister of Industry. February 10th 1969 Nixon’s cabinet enters into secret talks with the NRE on the possibility of expanding relations between the two nations. March 3rd 1969 Pro-Fascist riots once again strike the micro-state of Monaco. Believing that a Fascist coup is imminent and that only the continued and indefinite presence of French troops would prevent it, the principality begins imagining the impossible. Prince Rainier requests a meeting with Consul Medici to try to calm the mob. March 7th 1969 Medici visits Monaco and is greeted by thousands of Monagasque, he is hailed with fascist salutes and proclamations that he is their leader. To the Italian leader it appears that the nation is ripe for the taking and that it will be forced to align itself with Rome or suffer from a revolution. France cries foul over the meeting between Medici and Rainier and threatens to revoke French protection of the nation. March 10th 1969 Monaco announces that it will be joining the Lira Block as a junior member. The measure is highly received by the largely pro-fascist population. While Monaco qualified for and offered full membership in the Lira Block it turned down the offer as Rainier did not want to be held to the Mutual Defense Pact that exists for Senior Members. March 11th 1969 Paris announces that it is no longer responsible for the defense of Monaco. Shortly after this announcement, Rome declares that it will take up the cause of defending Monaco. In an official announcement the British government condemns the state of Monaco for joining the Lira Block stating that the nation has sold itself into slavery to Rome. The Soviet Union remarks that this event shows the weakness of Capitalism and the Western Democracies as they slowly succumb to their baser urges and descend into the state of Fascism. March 20th 1969 Members of the South African government and military arrive in Rome to discuss the possibility of Italian assistance on a South Africa nuclear project. April 3rd 1969 In exchange for economic concessions to the NRE, Rome agrees to provide assistance in establishing a nuclear program in South Africa. Team members from Project Jupiter will be deployed to South Africa to work with their South African counterparts. April 17th 1969 In a secret visit, National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger meets with Count Ciano and Consul Medici to discuss the possibility of a sharing of intelligence between the US and the NRE on Soviet and Warsaw pact military capabilities in Eastern Europe. It is the belief of the United States that the Italians have a much more established spy network operating in Eastern Europe because of the large number of Romanians and Hungarians living within the Empire. Kissinger informs the men that it is the intention of Nixon to establish the policy which Eisenhower originally sought in that the NRE would serve as an ally against Communism in Europe. The original meeting was intended to only be between Ciano and Kissinger and arranged by the Italian Ambassador to Washington, a Ciano supporter. Medici got wind of the meeting from his men who were spying on Ciano and not wishing to be upstaged on such an important matter again he unexpectedly showed up to the meeting. The Ambassador is immediately recalled and replaced by a man more sympathetic to Medici. April 25th 1969 "Betrayed by Kith and Kin," a film about the history of Rhodesia is released jointly in both the Empire and Rhodesia, releases in other Lira Block nations will occur over the next few weeks. The movie billed as an epic follows the history of Rhodesia from its founding up until the present times, it focuses heavily on the British betrayal of the white Rhodesians to the natives and the arrival of the Italian saviors. Taking over a year to film on location in Rhodesia. Amongst much controversy but in the name of authenticity the movie was filmed almost entirely in English with Italian and other non-speaking English speaking audiences given subtitles. April 28th 1969 Following a failed referendum to turn France’s Senate into an advisory committee and granting more power to the Regional Councils Charles de Gaulle resigns from the office of President. May 12th 1969 Consul Medici returns to Greece for the first time since his Viceroyship. He meets with the Hellenic Council and with Prince Amedeo to discuss the future of Greece and union with the New Roman Empire. The Hellenic Council is still opposed to the idea, even as the government goes deeper and deeper into its debt with Rome and as the government continues to lose power and support from the populace. June 3rd 1969 The Australian aircraft carrier Melbourne collides with the US Destroyer Frank E. Evans. 74 U.S. Sailors are killed in the collision. July 20th 1969 The United States puts the first man on the moon with the landing of the lunar module from Apollo 11 on the moon’s surface. August 1st 1969 General Gritti reports to the Grand Council on the state of Rhodesia. Violence in the nation is still ongoing but is being kept at acceptable levels with little or no violence being reported in urban areas. The Black-Rhodesians have a healthy fear of the Italians and make sure to keep their distance from anything remotely Italian. In some cases rebels believing they are on the verge of capture will go out of their way to surrender to the Rhodesian authorities rather than be apprehended by the OVRA. Gritti remarks that outside of the cities the nation is an armed camp with white militias forming up to protect small settlements, many of these militias have taken to wearing the Blackshirt as a sign of intimidation. Where ever possible these Militias are given training and arms. August 15th 1969 Tens of thousands of people travel to Woodstock, New York to take part in 3 days of Peace and Music. What was expected to attract only 5,000 people has brought nearly 100,000 youths to the tiny town of Woodstock for the events evening opening. Unknown to the party revelers, further down south in New York thousands of American Blackshirts gather to disrupt the Hippie party. Using their network of regional and national newsletters, the more militant YFM groups across the country have been able to organize in an almost military like fashion. August 16th 1969 12:30 PM Local Time Riding up in vans and buses over 5,000 Blackshirts converge on Woodstock shortly after the opening act for the day. Assembling just outside the gates, the thousands of Fascists armed with bats, batons, knives and other makeshift weapons. Seeing the crowd arrayed before them, the younger men glance around nervously towards their superiors, many of these men were former military and seemed undeterred by the odds. Somewhere along the line, the shout went out, "charge!" it was quickly followed down the rest of the line. The feeble security force on hand quickly folded over as the wave of black smashed into them, toppling the fence they envelope the last rows of concert-goers, some of whom are oblivious to their attackers presence until they are pounced upon. The crowd pushes forward trying to get away from their attackers, as those in front have no idea what is occurring. Soon dozens of people are trampled and chaos descends across the field. The muddied fields are now muddied with blood. 12:55 PM The local Police, hopelessly outnumbered withdraw further away from the battle and radio in for reinforcements from the surrounding counties and towns. They know however there aren’t enough police anywhere nearby to stop this massacre. 1:10 PM The screams and the moans of dozens of wounded is drowned out only by the screams of those still standing as the battle rages on. The Hippies are still at the mercy of the Fascists, the often drugged or intoxicated crowd is unable to mount a coherent defense against the seemingly military like assault of the Blackshirts. 1:25 PM The Fascist "Happy Hour" comes to an end as their enemies begin to fight back in earnest. Weight of numbers pushes them back across the field, but the weapon wielding Blackshirts fight on carving a bloody swath against their political foes even as their brothers begin to fall beside them. 1:45 PM Additional police support arrive and keep their distance from the riot not wanting to get caught up in the insanity of the situation. 2:30 PM Governor Nelson Rockefeller declares a State of Emergency and activates the New York National Guard to put down the riots. 3:45 PM Reports that YFM groups as well as militant left wing organizations are mobilizing throughout the Northeast lead to the closure of all lines of transport into Woodstock to prevent a full scale revolution from occurring. 4:30 PM A convoy of Blackshirts is stopped and detained as they attempt to leave New York City. 5:00 PM The order of the Fascists has broken down as causalities mount and fighting continues. Hundreds of people lie dead or dying in the fields. 5:50 PM Gunshots ring out as desperate Fascists trapped from routes of escape resort to their last line of defense against the horde who wants them dead. 6:15 PM Police from as faraway as New York City arrive with the first National Guard Units and finally action is taken to put an end to the riot. Ambulances are unable to reach the scene because of the confusion and disarray caused by the road closures and the massive activity. 8:30 PM Even after two hours of police and military intervention sporadic fighting continues as Fascists fight with Hippies, Police fight with Fascists and Hippies fight with Police. Thousands of people attempt to escape the police perimeter. August 17th 1969 After nearly a day of constant fighting, an uneasy quiet falls over Woodstock. The injured have been moved to overfilled hospitals and the bodies of the dead are being slowly carted away. Dozens are among the dead with hundreds more seriously injured. The amount of minor injuries sustained is too great to count. The "Battle of Woodstock" would be remembered as the symbolic death of the 1960's. End of Part 8.
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