The Hand of God - a CSofA aar

[Elias Tarfarius]

The Grey Man's Burden

The year of 1898 saw some of the swiftest victories ever won by Confederate arms. The CSN's "Grand Battle Fleet" soundly defeated the Spanish navy twice in the Florida straits and then once more off Hispanola. On land, the "Army of Cuba" under Field Marshal Beauregard and General Joseph Wheeler got aid and inteligence from the Cuban revolutionaries of Jose Marti, leading to the series of decisive battles around Santiago de Cuba. This included the famous battle of San Juan hill in which future president Woodrow Wilson lead the final and victorious charge up to capture the machine gun positions at its summit. The Spaniards in Cuba were whipped and they knew it, but that was not to be all. Puerto Rico fell to the gray-clad men and then came the news of the invasion of the Philippines after Admiral Raphael Semmes had rounded South America and defeated the Spanish fleet guarding Manila Bay. With this news all hope was lost and the Spanish ran to the negociation table. In the Christmas Day Treay of 1898, all the conquered lands, Spain's last jewels of empire, were all given to the Confederacy. There were fireworks in Richmond that cold, December night and the following day was declared a day of thanksgiving by President Fitzhugh Lee.

Admiral Semmes on the deck of his old flagship, CSS Alabama


Wilson - The Confederacy's one time warrior hero and adroit politician


Lee - Hero from the War of Independence, nephew of "the Marshal", and two term President (a rarity in Confederate history) 1897-1901, 1902-died April 28, 1905 in office

Yet, with the end of the war, the "Grey Man's Burden" didn't get any lighter. Soon, Filipinos and Cubans realized they had just substituted one overlord for another. This became all the more clear with the swift occupation of Hawaii in March of 1899, sweeping aside the minimal resistance of the native army and navy (although use of those term exaggerates their real strenght). So the Filipinos and Cubans went to arms again and caused the Lee Administration to have many migrains. This also served as a rallying cry for the growing Socialist party which had been slowly nurtured by L.T. Coldwell since the 1860's. Now he and his associates were touring the nation with the message, "Throw the bums and robbers out of Richmond!" There policy was simple and spoke to the needs of the common man as no party had done before: end needless bloodshed in imperialist war, care for the needy and jobless at home, fund industrial growth again as in the 1870's, 12 or 14 hour work days, etc. The message was even more clear when the Socialist won 1/4 of the seats in the House and even a seat in the Senate.* These were by no means carpetbaggers, but men mostly from the Deep South were these issues struck home the most despite the thriving conditions of the big cities like Atlanta and Birmingham.

Lucius T. Coldwell and his companions barnstormed communities across the South in the summer of 1899, spreading their message to all who could listen.

Soon, the Lee administration, being so hard pressed at home and abroad, declared that they had planned all along to give the Filipinos independence as long as they allowed the CSN permenent use of their ports and as along as the new government followed a similar foriegn policy as Richmond. This was quickly agreed to by the weary Filipine revolutionaries and seen as a victory when January 1, 1900 came with them being the leaders of a "free" nation. President Lee did not see it as a loss but, "throwing over useless cargo so that the ship of state may move freely again." That left the Cuba question still on the table. Despite the chiding of the Socialists, how could the South give up that isle which so many had dreamed of possessing for so long. President Lee agreed and had the War department raise five new division to garrison the unrulely island in add to the five already there from the war. Jose Marti had hope that Cuba would soon get the same deal as the Philippines but instead got crushing of the revolution in short order. The signal was clear, the men in gray were here to stay.

Marti - twice defeated revolutionary who was shot in 1903 by the Confederate organized Cuban police

*It was a man named Robert Albert Gore of Tennesee that won that seat in the Senate.

[Elias Tarfarius]

The World marches onward to the Battle of Armageddon

The years between the Confederacy's first imperialist adventure (not counting the invasion of Mexico in 1873) and 2nd Moroccan Crisis in the spring of 1911 were ones of increase tension as everyone now scrambled to "find their place in the Sun" while Britain doggedly sought to maintain hers and the "Balance of Power" system that had prevailed since 1815. Kasier William II's Germany now stood ready to blast this to pieces for the sake of a new "Prussian" order on the Continent. The Confederacy became deeply invovled in this European squable by 1911 because of its long standing defensive allainces with France and Britain* and its newly regained status as one of the 8 or 10 great powers of the globe. This strong bond then forced the United States to counter this alliance and immediately turned to Imperial Germany in the wake of the Spanish-Confederate war, alarmed by their southern kin's new found power. Kaiser William, for once, used his diplomatic marbles to secure the United States in 1907 as a "junior" ally to the old Three Emperor's Alliance of Gemany, Italy, and Austria concocted by Bismarck in 1878. The Union now could feel secure from Anglo-French retaliation if she decided to settle past scores with the Southern nation. Little did the men in New York know that in the same year as the German-American treaty of mutual protection was announced, Richmond secretly signed a treaty of mutual defense with another Empire, Japan.

*Still, the Confederacy never became an official member of the Entente along with France, Russia, and lastly Britain.

[C.V. Mannerheim]

Singing:

Over there....
Over there....
send the word, send the word
Over There...

That the Rebs are coming!
The Rebs are Coming!
The Rum-tum-tumming Er'y where!

Over there....
Over there....
Send the word, send the word, to prepare
The Rebs are coming!
The Rebs are coming!
and they wont come back 'till it's
OVER, OVER THERE!

Cvm

[HJ Tulp]

Great updates! Give those Yanks a royal kicking!

[Elias Tarfarius]

Blood up to the Horse's bridle

Confederate troops, called "Johnnies" by friend and foe, prepare to 'go over the top' during the month-long battle of Lexington, Kentucky in the early autumn of 1911

Kaiser William II of Germany refused to back down over German interest in Morocco and so it was that the 2nd Moroccan Crisis of 1911 became the spark of world war. Italy saw this as a chance to take French North Africa for themselves while Austria prepared her southern armies to "intervene in Balkan matter" while Germany took on the French eagle and the Russian bear. With the Kaiser's approval of the Alfred von Schlieffen plan for such a war was put into action and chief of staff von Motlke called von Schlieffen out of retirement to help him with its implementation. With that, the stage was set for one of the swiftest military victories in the history of war to that date. The armies of the Second Reich swept through Belgium in May and then northern France in June, culminating in the decisive battle of the Marne in which General Karl von Bulow and General Alexander von Kluck combined to destroy General Charles Lanrezac's 5th Army and the British Expeditionary force of Sir John French. Thereafter, despite heavy casulities, the two general occupied Paris while French and the remnants of the BEF were driven to the coast and would have been caputred at Dunkirk if it had not been for a quick rescue on the night of June 20th by a combined CSN/RN fleet. With such luck, the French government were already considering surrender at their temporary capital at Bordeaux until General Joseph Joffre convinced them not to at gunpoint. The war would go on, for the time being.

Helmuth von Moltke and Alfred von Schlieffen - Masterminds of one of the most decisive campaigns in the history of Warfare


General Joseph Joffre - The life preserver of the French Republic

In the meantime, the alliances also triggered the most major war ever since on the North American continent. When Germany declared war on the Entente on May 5th, all the other Central Powers* did the same, including the United States. US President and virtual dictator Theodore Roosevelt was in his third term and, although he and the Kaiser had never gotten along*, he saw the German general war as a chance to finally reconquer the South without having to face the Royal Navy and the French Army. This would be TR's best chance also at being the greatest man in American history since Washington. Perhaps, the Senate would proclaim him President for Life and have a triumph for him through the streets of the recaptured District of Columbia. Or so he dreamed.

Commander-in-Chief Roosevelt dressed for battle: "I Am Entitled to the Medal of Honor and I Want It"

In Richmond, war veteran Woodrow Wilson was humored and saddened by Roosevelt's folly. "Our Confederacy is now a fortress and no Trojan horses shall enter her," he told reporters on May 6. "100,000 men are in northern Virginia, 150,000 in Kentucky, and another 10 divisions in the Trans-mississippi and I have seen their entrenchments and they would have made Marshal Robert proud." After keeping to a policy of offensive warfare since 1861, the Wilson administration changed this to an almost completely defensive strategy in 1908. The Secretary of War said that with the Army's manpower problems, there was no way the nation could take the chance of lauching the classic and usual invasion of the North. Instead, the government invested in fixed fortications in northern Virginia and Kentucky (leaving the Trans-mississippi open for more mobile warfare), raised 5 new engineer units, and enlarged the Navy with 3 new dreadnoughts every year from 1908 to 1911. The US War Department countered with their superior industry and manpower. The Roosevelt administration refused to do any investing in forts anywhere in the country; "There is not a fortication built yet that cannot in some way be bypassed!" declared TR. The US Navy had 5 new dreadnoughts produced every year between 1908 and 1911. The US Army by 1911 had 300 standing divisions and was rumored to have at least 200 more in reserve. President Roosevelt and the Secretary of War also drafted a plan of attack, hoping to match the genius of von Schlieffen, in which the main US thrust would come not in the East (as traditionally) but in the Trans-mississippi while strong forces backed by heavy artillery and two brand new German railway guns for each army would attack the "fortresses of the Rebel frontier."
The Navy also came up with its own plan, wanting to lure the smaller CSN into a decisive battle, which they expected to happen either near New York or off Hampton Roads and Norfolk. The new US "Office of Public Information on Martial matters" opened up as soon as the declaration of war was made public and sent to Richmond via telegraph. The "Office" served as the source of official reports as to what was happening in the war, since no reporters were allow anywhere near the front, they cesored any newspaper that did not follow their set guidelines as to "proper" reporting not only of US actions but also those of her Central power allies*, and they also produce propoganda ad infinitum.

The Office of Public Information on Martial matters was made famous for, among other things, its forceful propoganda to propel the nation once again to fight her Southern kin...


and it worked!

*The Central Powers included (in order of declartion of war) Germany, Austria, Italy, the United States, Bulgaria, and China (joined Jan. 1st, 1912).
*Roosevelt claimed the Kaiser was simply jealous of all Roosevelt's accomplishments and his "manly" virtue.
*Such as the German deprivations of Belgium, the Turkish slaughter of Armenians, Austrian acts of brutality in the Balkans, etc.

[Elias Tarfarius]

The Bottomless Pit

The North American continent quaked with its first battle summer since the 1880's and it would be one not soon to be forgotten. Fifteen divisions under President Theodore Roosevelt invaded the Transmississippi on a front sweeping into Arkansas and the newest "nation" of the Confederacy, the Indian state of Sequoia*. Roosevelt drove the eight divisions under his presonal command down the Mississippi as fast as he could, hopping to divide the Confederacy as quickly as he could early in the war. "The whores of New Orleans are waiting," the gruff old aristocrat-cowboy-politician exclaimed to his young troopers to quicken their pace. It must have worked, for by the end of June, they were marching into Shreveport in northern Louisiana. Roger Mercer* and Arthur Macarthur, the leaders of the eastern armies that were susposed to "bust the forts of Johnny Reb", were not so lucky. Their armies as of July had suffered 44% casualities in return only a toehold in Northern Virginia and Kentucky. By this time, Roosevelt realized that his flank and rear were in great danger but it was too late. Rupert Stuart*, son of J.E.B. Sruart and Joseph Wheeler Jr were able to cross the Mississippi at Vicksburg and encirlce the would be American Ceasar at Fort Smith, Arkansas in mid-July. Yet, at the same time, Joshua Chamberlain, a heroic commander from the first war between the states and now the general in charge of the other flank of the Transmississippi army, marched into Houston and then San Antonio. "I have seen Texas before and must report that in fifty years time it had not changed a bit," wrote Chamberlain to his family.

Joshua Chamberlain: "The Union is in trouble when old men half in our graves are needed to lead her armies!"

In Richmond, President Wilson was not celebrating. Despite his proclaimations of a "Fortress Confederacy," Roosevelt had nearly taken New Orleans before he was cut off, the Union armies advance made advances, however small, into Virginia and Kentucky, Delware was under complete Yankee occupation, the nation's allies in Japan and Mexico had yet to intervene, it appeared as if Texas and Sequoia were lost, and the nation's allies in Europe were already on the ropes. France, despite "Joffe's 18 Brumiere", was about to fall as German armies rushed into Brittany and Maine. The Russian hordes had been routed and destroyed by Paul von Hindenburg at Tannenburg; the German army, full with troops fresh from the West, now pushed into the Russian Baltics and Poland aiming for Saint Petersburg before the coming of winter.
Battles raged in Africia and Asia as the Italians took French colonies, the British took Italian colonies and the Japanese grabbed all the German pacific colonies except for New Guinea. It was truly a world war and Wilson feared he and his countrymen had bitten off more than they could chew.

von Hindenburg: "The United States, I fear, is the weakest of the Reich's allies. My greatest fear is that I would be the one sent across to help the backwoods bastards in bucksins... yelling 'ye ha' and other nonsense. Heaven forbid!"

*The Indian Territory was finally granted statehood in 1900. It was to be "An equal and sovereign state amongst these Confederate States of America and is to serve as a refugee for the Indian peoples of our Confederacy." Other minorities also soon found it to be a refugee from second class citizenship or political discrimination. Despite that, the Indian upper class, mainly Cherokee and Creek, would keep a strangle hold on all government offices for the next 40 years.
*A descendant of the General Mercer of the Continental Army during the Revolution.
*Named by his father for Prince Rupert of the Rhine, nephew of Charles I and Royalist cavalry general during the English Civil War.

[Ksim3000]

Excellent updates Elias Tafarius, very good! I hope that The Confederacy somehow manage to beat off The Union invasion but the way it is going, I do doubt it. Anyway, update soon.

[JoshWeber]

Does anyone know why the South tended to have better generals than the North?
Northerners would leave the military as soon as possible for careers. The South was largely undeveloped so those were the good jobs once the people were trained.

[Henry v. Keiper]

Does anyone know why the South tended to have better generals than the North.

Well when you think about it, it was a more of matter that the North picked the WRONG guys to lead in the east and the Southerners picked the right guys. In the western campaign it was almost the opposite.

[JoshWeber]

Well, I guess maybe I shouldn't say better generals. I should just say more good generals.

[anonymous4401]

I just came in to say that this AAR is amazingly great, really amazingly great!

[krpugh]

bump - something coming soon in this post

This AAR written in very good [Harry] Turtledove fashon. Well done!

[anonymous4401]

Well, this is an old AAR. Well, not really, but it hasn't been updated in a while. Shame, it's really good.

Harry Turtledove fashion? Surely you will not disgrace this great piece of writing by applying that adjective to it!

[Pacer]

why did you take so long to give the indians their own state? I'd assumed youd given them statehood along time ago.

[anonymous4401]

why did you take so long to give the indians their own state? I'd assumed youd given them statehood along time ago.

I guess it was a decision that he decided more to make on historical grounds than gameplay grounds. In the game, people normally grant statehood to their western states ASAP, but in reality we didn't do that.

[Elias Tarfarius]

Stalemate

Following the indecisive battles of 1914, President Roosevelt decided he would only succede if he imitated his German allies in the use of big guns to blow up the border fortifactions. "This immobile warfare be damned. America has the power to blow Mr. Wilson's 'Fortress Confederacy' sky high and we shall indeed do it," The President openly told a reporter from the New Your Times in October of the year. An executive order went out to the industrial giants of the nation and the order was for many big guns as soon as possible (along with adequate ammunition). The earliest that a sizeable number could be ready was said to be July, 1915. Roosevelt was please and the armies of the Union now fell back on the defensive while plans began for the coming "big push."

The inaction of the Union forces did little good for the Confederate high command. So far, their allies had been totally ineffective; Mexican attacks into Califorina and Texas were repulsed with heavy losses to the Mexicans and the Japanese had remained on the defensive, fearing a sudden strike from the Philippines, except for a farcifical 5,000 man expedition to Alaska begun in August to conquer the "rich northern land" as it was refered to by the public. The Confederate Army had not the manpower to launch an offensive of its own, fearing the loss of life would break the nation even if a breakthough was achieved. The only bright spot in the picture was the Navy, which ruled the waves along side the Royal Navy, keeping both the USN and the Kreigsmarine bottled in their harbours. The British, who had in August insituted conscription in order to prop up France, offer to send an expeditionary force to aid the Confederates, but President Wilson graciously refused the offer saying, "We must fight this one alone and prove ourselves truly a nation." All the Confedrates could do was to repair their defenses, build more permanent lines in the Transmississippi, and finish to the process of mobilizing the national industries to war.

[anonymous4401]

Does this mean that this AAR will finally be finished?

Hooray!