Let's talk about the south! Oh. oh, God
oh YouTube no!
please-- the American Civil war was the result of decades of tension between the North and
South. We all know how it ended. The United States won,
the Confederacy was dissolved, and slavery ended.
In that whirlwind of conflict, it's often cast aside that the
CSA had full intentions of being a legitimate nation alongside the USA;
but, as they lost the war, that dream lasted only a brief moment before being snuffed out. The
idea of the south winning that war, becoming its own country, and competing against its Northern neighbor has
fascinated alternate history writers for decades.
I mean, I even covered it. It sparks the imagination of how such a nation would have operated after decades,
Maybe even spanning into the 20th century
What would the Confederate States of America be like?
And nobody imagined such a world better than the author, Harry Turtledove, who wrote a series of novels
detailing an alternate reality where the United States, lost the Civil War, and the Confederate became their own
Independent nation this is the Southern Victory series over the course of several novels
We see a world where the south lives on. What I want to do is talk about this world that Turtledove crafted.
Including the alternate history he made, in an easy to digest format. Maybe even a few jokes, who knows
I'm not going to talk about characters, but if you're thinking of reading these books for the scenario alone
Then I would recommend clicking off because there are going to be spoilers, so, since this is alternate history
How does Turtledove's scenario split from our own actual history what if that leads to the south winning the war?
One guy doesn't screw it up
Yes, that's it one lonely messenger actually does his job
How does it happen in the fall of 1862 a message from General Lee himself is?
successfully relayed announcing a full-scale invasion of the North, special order
191 in our timeline that message never made it it, was lost and
intercepted by the Union who then used said
Information of an invasion to catch the confederates off guard whoops in this alternate timeline things are different
The Confederates while undermanned had tactically superior generals in the Union well nobly
using the unions and competence to their advantage, Lee decide to send his troops straight across the Mason-dixon line and into the city of
Philadelphia the Southern Invasion Catches Union General George McClellan
off-guard the Union forces are viciously defeated leaving the city open for Confederate capture the fall of
Philadelphia is a turning point in the conflict and in American history
It's the moment that the northern cause seems hopeless, to not only the United States.
But the world as well one
constant fear during the war was that the
Confederates would use their cotton exports to leverage support from Europe and in Turtledove's world, this becomes a reality
Britain and France recognized the way the war is going, and
Recognize the cause of the confederates even if they're against the practice of slavery
They sure do like that cotton, and it's always good to side with the victory. So Europe forces the United states to enter
negotiations with the south it's over the Civil war, or war
Succession as it comes to be called has come to an end a peace treaty is signed and the Confederate states of America, is
officially recognized now two
Rival nations are forced to share, the same continent
Lincoln's Legacy is in Shambles his rise to power is seen as what divided the country, and he soon voted out of office.
Now in our timeline
Lincoln's entire Legacy
Was always on the line. The actions he took were often seen as one of a dictator, and if the war was lost
It would have backfired immensely so the CSA now rules itself.
Now what? Well the novel's actually skip over a few decades?
This is a time for rebuilding, and expansion. While the two countries have lived in peace. There is always an undercurrent of tension
The CSA is able to achieve many dreams.
They actually had in our own history the great thing Turtledove is able to do, is to make these play out.
One of which, is the purchase of cuba from Spain. Now in our timeline Southern power really wanted Cuba.
Because of the sugar fields, and many foreigners that can be exploited. Cuba is purchased and becomes another state in the Confederacy.
Not only that, but both north and south have been expanding west in the last 20 years
Indian territory becomes the Confederate state of Sequoia, and
General mucking about occurs in the West. Fun stuff. Not too far West though, because the U.S was so poor,
They actually couldn't purchase Alaska from the Russians. So Russia just keeps it and
Nobody ever went to Hawaii, so the sandwich Islands are now a British colony
This is the unique turn that a Southern victory has on the legacy of what we think of as
"America." North America is a much more hostile place.
It's a muddled a complicated mess, the relationship between North and South
Devolves into constantly suspecting each other. Instead of American policy being towards overseas colonies,
expanding its tiny little Empire. Both nations are too poor to do much and
Focus on whatever the other is doing. This has to do with really one thing.
Slavery. He says as the entire comment section erupts, but Turtledove's novel rightly
So focuses on the subject of slavery in the confederacy. You can't avoid it
So, I'm not the issue of slavery comes up many times in the CSA even in the 1880s
it's still the bedrock of the South, and by this time it's become a
Detriment to the image of the Confederates times are changing with the industrial revolution
In full swing the appeal of human labor is less, and less,
Why keep such a system, when another is much more efficient. They've maintained relationships with Britain and France since the war.
But both nations constantly remind them of how backwards the Southern economic model is.
It's becoming an unneeded pain.
So the CSA itself has a question to ask. What to do about slavery? This is cause. By all places.
Mexico with everything that changed, Mexico is, still the same. In debt and
Really just a mess the failing Mexican empire in a desperate attempt to get money. Sells its two Northern States
Chihuahua and Sonora to the Confederacy
long story short the Union doesn't like the southern expansion. The new President is hardline Anti Confederate, and
threatens war against the confederates. To stop what they're doing. Which wasn't really a smart move, since the
Confederates legally weren't doing anything wrong
So what does this have to do with slavery? The Confederates knew that in a war against the union they might risk losing everything.
And so they needed allies
The British and French would only support the CSA if they stripped away their slavery image
and so the CSA does just that. They begin to slowly get rid of the
Institute of slavery. But before talking about those
ramifications. We're off to war, The Second Mexican War, which actually doesn't involve Mexico at all, so good job naming that. Now the
specifics of the War aren't really important. In most regards
It's a repeat of the first war. The U.S is incompetent, the South holds its own,
The Mormons do some rebelling, and the British do some invading. The United states tries to invade the South through Louisville.
Though this goes
Horrendously. The fighting is so brutal it's the first use of Trench warfare, in Modern history, and the U.S.
Is forced to concede defeat. This defeat shapes the United States relationship with the rest of the world.
The Confederates have shown to be a favourite child of the British and French.
This alliance causes deep resentment from the Americans.
This is at a time of immigration as well, particularly German. The Second Mexican War is important because the U.S. forever
Becomes enemies with the British and French, who choose time, and time again to side with the Confederates, so the U.S.
Goes looking for more allies. The heavily Germanic United States finds a natural friend, in another
Underdog country. The German Empire, as the 20th century comes around the corner.
Secret alliances are drawn. Not just as tensions rise in Europe
But on the North American continent, as well. Now, this is just one book.
Turtledove's Southern Victory series, is quite long. Far too much content to cover for say a 10-minute YouTube video or
20-minute video. So, that's why I'm splitting this into a few parts. So how will I... Hey Cody!
Hey, Emperortigerstar. Look this series is far too long to cover by just myself, so how about let's do this.
Split it up into four parts. I cover part one, and three. You cover part two and four.
I mean, that's quite a bit of work, and also
I only came over to ask you to stop... Well it's settled then.
Fantastic! Part two will be on Emperortigerstar's channel, and then part three with mine in July, and
So forth. Do I have a say in... This is Cody, of Alternate History Hub.
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