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Somehow the borders of Confederation live on.
Yay, yay, yay! The Confederacy will never die! Well, at least the "Solid South" won't until the 1960s, then it'll turn into a new Solid South. :glare:
Rockefeller has the benefit of having an author who likes him, and a multi-party system that keeps dividing the opposition vote that grants him victory!
rockefeller has the benefit of having an author who likes him, and a multi-party system that keeps dividing the opposition vote that grants him victory!
CURSE YOU FIRST PAST THE POST! Edit: And the forum for making all the letters little when I want them capital.
I must admit, I'm a bit lost?
Death to the Imperials!
The Imperial Galactic Empire will never die!
Episode Nineteen: John Rockefeller Jr.
Episode Nineteen, Part VIII
Number 26: John Rockefeller Jr.
Party: Republican
43 years old, from Ohio
The Treaty of Paris, Part II
As the election cycle of 1916 raged, President Rockefeller remained in Paris to finalize the peace treaty with the Allies and Central Powers to bring about a final conclusion to the Great War. By the summer of 1916, German forces, though depleted, started to turn the tide against the socialist revolutionaries in the country. At the same time, socialist uprisings began to occur in war-torn Russia.
Although Rockefeller opposed French (and British, reluctantly) plans to punish Germany, Rockefeller ultimately fell silent and complied with the harsh measures thrust onto Germany. The Monarchy was to be abolished, a republic instituted, and only a small standing army of 150,000 was to be appropriated – after the end of the German Civil War. It was however, in the Allies interest to see the German forces subdue and end the socialist revolution in Germany. The once mighty Austro-Hungarian Empire had been decimated and had accepted earlier terms to peace. While the Habsburgs retained their ancient throne, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Romania had all been lost to new nationalist countries or had joined with existing national countries (Austrian Romania).
In Germany, the German Empire, although it would cease being an empire, was largely intact, only with a demilitarized zone in the Rhineland. Germany was also forced to compensate France, the United Kingdom, and Russia for war damages sustained during the war, with a small sum going to the United States as well. Economically, Germany was also to be strangled with anti-trade declarations and laws, with France and Britain withdrawing trade exports to Germany down to less than 10% total exports by the year 1925. Rockefeller, despite his opposition, remained reluctant to voice his disdain for the plan because of his hopes for the creation of the League of Nations. Rockefeller’s allies promised him that, if he went along with the French plan to restrict/punish Germany for the war, the Allies would lend their full support for the prospective League of Nations.
Germany, forced into submission, accepted the terms of the peace treaty. In 1917, Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicated the throne and the Weimer Republic was instituted, with another wave of socialist and communist uprisings occurring, that would last until put down by the German Army in 1918.
The League of Nations was the planned international coalition of nation states that would prevent further war, foster international cooperation and development, spread liberal democratic institutions, and promote foreign aid to many of the newly independent countries emerging in the post-war world. Rockefeller’s dream was for the United States of America to be the global leader of this league, with the United Kingdom and France following close behind. This tripartite alliance heading the League of Nations would hopefully keep the peace that was established in the Treaty of Paris – indefinitely. As President Rockefeller put it, “This League of Nations will ensure global peace for generations to come.”
Delegates from all major countries, including some of the newly independent nations of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire, gathered in Paris for the final rounds of the peace talks.
After the League, Rockefeller also constituted an additional plan to foster internationalism and ensure a successful peace: governments should be open in dealing with other governments (no secret alliances), open international trade, the newly independent nations should be democratic in origin (but allowing for self-determination demands that the people “vote” for their domestic governance. Theoretically, if the population voted for a socialist republic, there would be no intervention from the US, UK, and France), the reduction of military forces of every nation back to pre-war levels, and that naval forces should be capped based on pre-war sizes. Rockefeller’s ability to include the Allies with his plans made him an international celebrity of sorts. He signed the Treaty of Paris, with all of his provisions, on October 29, 1916.
Rockefeller, upon winning the 1916 election, receiving the news overseas, returned to the United States in triumph. However, he would be forced into fighting with Republicans and Democrats and Progressives over the internationalist aims of the Treaty of Paris. In American governmental law, foreign treaties need ratification from the US Senate. Republican Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, vowed to join with anti-internationalist forces within the Democratic and Progressive parties to overturn the outlines of the Treaty of Paris. In 1917, President Rockefeller, although coming home a celebrity and victor of re-election, would have a major domestic political struggle on his hands.
Preparing to Defend the Treaty
In March of 1917, as Rockefeller was sworn in for a second term, he re-shuffled his cabinet to include more supportive internationalists. In a surprise move to some, but less surprising to others, he nominated New Jersey Senator Woodrow Wilson to become Secretary of State. However, this was seen as a political lapse on Rockefeller’s part. Although the nomination would cross party lines and garner decent Democratic support, Wilson, being a Senator, was one of the more vocal supporters of the Treaty and League of Nations. His nomination to the State Department meant one less pro-peace treaty vote in Senate if New Jersey’s newly appointed Senator was an isolationist.
At the same time, Rockefeller convened a private meeting in the White House with members of his party and party representatives, including former President Theodore Roosevelt. Rockefeller wanted to ensure and outline his plan of selling the peace treaty to the nation and how vital it was for the United States to be the strong-willed moral leader of the League of Nations. Prospective support for the Peace Treaty was estimated that 2/3 of the Republican Party would support the treaty, and about 40% of the Democratic Party would also support the treaty, with unknown support from the Progressive Christian Party. The Democrats would be the wildcard. According to Woodrow Wilson, a majority of Democrats had internationalist leanings, how strong however – was an unknown factor. In addition, Wilson informed Rockefeller that it was probable that Democrats with internationalist leanings would vote against the treaty on party opposition grounds.
Republican Senator Henry Cabot Lodge of Massachusetts, also the Senate Majority leader. He was the fiercest critic of the planned League of Nations, and was a rising star in the Republican Party's isolationist wing.
Episode Nineteen, Part VIII
Number 26: John Rockefeller Jr.
Party: Republican
43 years old, from Ohio
The Treaty of Paris, Part II
As the election cycle of 1916 raged, President Rockefeller remained in Paris to finalize the peace treaty with the Allies and Central Powers to bring about a final conclusion to the Great War. By the summer of 1916, German forces, though depleted, started to turn the tide against the socialist revolutionaries in the country. At the same time, socialist uprisings began to occur in war-torn Russia.
Although Rockefeller opposed French (and British, reluctantly) plans to punish Germany, Rockefeller ultimately fell silent and complied with the harsh measures thrust onto Germany. The Monarchy was to be abolished, a republic instituted, and only a small standing army of 150,000 was to be appropriated – after the end of the German Civil War. It was however, in the Allies interest to see the German forces subdue and end the socialist revolution in Germany. The once mighty Austro-Hungarian Empire had been decimated and had accepted earlier terms to peace. While the Habsburgs retained their ancient throne, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Romania had all been lost to new nationalist countries or had joined with existing national countries (Austrian Romania).
In Germany, the German Empire, although it would cease being an empire, was largely intact, only with a demilitarized zone in the Rhineland. Germany was also forced to compensate France, the United Kingdom, and Russia for war damages sustained during the war, with a small sum going to the United States as well. Economically, Germany was also to be strangled with anti-trade declarations and laws, with France and Britain withdrawing trade exports to Germany down to less than 10% total exports by the year 1925. Rockefeller, despite his opposition, remained reluctant to voice his disdain for the plan because of his hopes for the creation of the League of Nations. Rockefeller’s allies promised him that, if he went along with the French plan to restrict/punish Germany for the war, the Allies would lend their full support for the prospective League of Nations.
Germany, forced into submission, accepted the terms of the peace treaty. In 1917, Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicated the throne and the Weimer Republic was instituted, with another wave of socialist and communist uprisings occurring, that would last until put down by the German Army in 1918.
The League of Nations was the planned international coalition of nation states that would prevent further war, foster international cooperation and development, spread liberal democratic institutions, and promote foreign aid to many of the newly independent countries emerging in the post-war world. Rockefeller’s dream was for the United States of America to be the global leader of this league, with the United Kingdom and France following close behind. This tripartite alliance heading the League of Nations would hopefully keep the peace that was established in the Treaty of Paris – indefinitely. As President Rockefeller put it, “This League of Nations will ensure global peace for generations to come.”
Delegates from all major countries, including some of the newly independent nations of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire, gathered in Paris for the final rounds of the peace talks.
After the League, Rockefeller also constituted an additional plan to foster internationalism and ensure a successful peace: governments should be open in dealing with other governments (no secret alliances), open international trade, the newly independent nations should be democratic in origin (but allowing for self-determination demands that the people “vote” for their domestic governance. Theoretically, if the population voted for a socialist republic, there would be no intervention from the US, UK, and France), the reduction of military forces of every nation back to pre-war levels, and that naval forces should be capped based on pre-war sizes. Rockefeller’s ability to include the Allies with his plans made him an international celebrity of sorts. He signed the Treaty of Paris, with all of his provisions, on October 29, 1916.
Rockefeller, upon winning the 1916 election, receiving the news overseas, returned to the United States in triumph. However, he would be forced into fighting with Republicans and Democrats and Progressives over the internationalist aims of the Treaty of Paris. In American governmental law, foreign treaties need ratification from the US Senate. Republican Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, vowed to join with anti-internationalist forces within the Democratic and Progressive parties to overturn the outlines of the Treaty of Paris. In 1917, President Rockefeller, although coming home a celebrity and victor of re-election, would have a major domestic political struggle on his hands.
Preparing to Defend the Treaty
In March of 1917, as Rockefeller was sworn in for a second term, he re-shuffled his cabinet to include more supportive internationalists. In a surprise move to some, but less surprising to others, he nominated New Jersey Senator Woodrow Wilson to become Secretary of State. However, this was seen as a political lapse on Rockefeller’s part. Although the nomination would cross party lines and garner decent Democratic support, Wilson, being a Senator, was one of the more vocal supporters of the Treaty and League of Nations. His nomination to the State Department meant one less pro-peace treaty vote in Senate if New Jersey’s newly appointed Senator was an isolationist.
At the same time, Rockefeller convened a private meeting in the White House with members of his party and party representatives, including former President Theodore Roosevelt. Rockefeller wanted to ensure and outline his plan of selling the peace treaty to the nation and how vital it was for the United States to be the strong-willed moral leader of the League of Nations. Prospective support for the Peace Treaty was estimated that 2/3 of the Republican Party would support the treaty, and about 40% of the Democratic Party would also support the treaty, with unknown support from the Progressive Christian Party. The Democrats would be the wildcard. According to Woodrow Wilson, a majority of Democrats had internationalist leanings, how strong however – was an unknown factor. In addition, Wilson informed Rockefeller that it was probable that Democrats with internationalist leanings would vote against the treaty on party opposition grounds.
Republican Senator Henry Cabot Lodge of Massachusetts, also the Senate Majority leader. He was the fiercest critic of the planned League of Nations, and was a rising star in the Republican Party's isolationist wing.
Neutrality is better than American Imperialism.
I agree!
Still no Chase Osborn?
Fear not, he will appear in the next to updates, just as I promised!
Although I hope you like how he is included since I have no family relationship with him and I am simply going off of historical precedence via his politics I read about.The League of Nations will end war forever? Great!
Hopeful optimism, the source of humanity's greatest strength and weakness!
Episode Nineteen, Part IX
Number 26: John Rockefeller Jr.
Party: Republican
43 years old, from Ohio
The League of Nations
In the spring of 1917, as Rockefeller was home and fully endorsing the articles of the treaty proposing the instituting of the League of Nations, of which Rockefeller envisioned the United States being a major leader, if not the primary leader within the League. Naturally, isolationist and anti-imperialist sentiment in the United States was running high and there was significant opposition, even with his own Republican Party. Senate Majority leader Henry Cabot Lodge, a leader among the conservative isolationist wing of the Republican Party, stated in a speech on the Senate floor that, “The League of Nations will die, or the United States will die with its acceptance.”
In a display of bipartisanship between the major parties, Democrats and Republicans opposed to the League banded together his colleague and anti-imperialist Republican progressive from Idaho, William Edgar Borah, along with Democratic Senate Minority leader James Reed and Senator Thomas Gore. Along with other Republicans and Democrats in the Senate, this group of anti-League of Nations senators became known as the “irreconcilables” for the belief that their opposition to the League could never be reconciled with compromise.
Republican Senators William Edgar Borah and William Cabot Lodge, the two most important leaders among the Irreconcilables. Ironically, some of the strongest support, but also some of the strongest opposition to the the League of Nations came from Republicans.
However, Rockefeller had other power players in his pocket. Former Governor of Michigan turned Senator Chase Osborn was among the League’s strongest proponents from within the Senate. Woodrow Wilson, the former Democratic Vice Presidential nominee in 1912 and Senator from New Jersey was galloping across the country to drum up popular support for the League, promising bi-partisan politics and international peace for generations to come. His replacement in the Senate, William Hughes, was also a strong champion for the League. In the Senate, after a long speech against the League from Lodge, Senator Osborn took the floor to rally support in favor of the League, “In this monumental moment, not only in American history but the history of the human race – it is necessary to take the leadership thrust upon this great country to guide humanity toward its providential redemption.”
By a narrow margin, the vote in the Senate for the passing of the articles of the Treaty of Paris that included the League of Nations was amended. The League would come into existence – naturally, but the United States was not going to become a participatory member; just an outside observer. The lines were drawn, and the Irreconcilables had won. The League was defeated, and American internationalism was now suffering a dramatic decline. The failure of the United States to join the League of Nations, the brainchild of its own President – John Rockefeller Jr seemed to doom the administration and its supporters.
Prohibition
Although a successful domestic agenda that had passed women’s suffrage via constitutional amendment, in 1918, reeling from the defeat of the League of Nations, Rockefeller came to support the growing tide of Americans and American intellectuals who were crusading for prohibition. Believing this would be the salvation of his second-term administration, Rockefeller supported a constitutional amendment for prohibition that would go into effect New Year’s day 1920. Prohibition was strongly supported by nativists, Protestants, especially Methodists, many progressives, but most importantly women. Former politicians that had found trouble in support for the League of Nations fell back on their support for women’s suffrage and prohibition during their election cycles, and the Rockefeller Administration reclaimed a high level of popularity.
Women were the most important demographic group in their support for prohibition. Women groups, like this one above - the Women's Christian Temperance Union, were instrumental in the political process of getting prohibition passed!
Anti-Discriminatory Religious Act
Although enshrined in the American Constitution that no office holder shall be denied his seat because of his religion, the prevailing spirit of anti-Catholicism in the United States was calming but still prevalent. In the Deep South, a revitalized Klan was strongly anti-Catholic, claiming a Papist conspiracy to control the United States. The Klan argued that many of the Catholic political leaders in America had endorsed the passage of the League of Nations to support their claims. While true in the sense that most Catholic politicians came to support the League, the otherwise absurd Papal conspiracy theories never had any ground in reality. A new wave of Anti-Catholic sentiment in the United States seemed to be on the verge of exploding, but Rockefeller took immediate action to quell such fever.
In 1919, the anti-discriminatory religious act was passed by Congress and re-iterated the Constitutional provisions that one’s religion was not a target for political outrage or rebuke. In the spirit of ecumenism, which was a major tenet within the progressive movement in America, this act seemed to fit the progressive agenda of the United States of the past 20 years.
Military Re-structuring
Following the Great War, over 3 million Americans had joined the American army and navy to fight for democracy and peace. By 1918, the US military was overburdened and needed reform. Rockefeller oversaw the greatest reduction of military forces in American history. From nearly 2.5 million soldiers in uniform, by 1921, the United States Army was to be reduced to 100,000 standing professional soldiers with an additional 250,000 national guard militia and reserves. The Navy was also to be reduced according to the Treaty of Chicago, a gathering of the world’s great naval powers: The United Kingdom, United States, Russia, Japan, Italy and France.
Military de-armament was, however, popular among the powers who had just fought the war. And despite the United States not being a member of the League, a spirit of peace and optimism in the post-war world was regaining strength. All the American soldiers and sailors who would be re-integrated into the domestic labor force would have a military pension fund for their service, available in 20 years for return on investments. By 1920, the next presidential election was brewing and contenders on both sides were appearing. Candidates calling for a “Return to Normalcy,” continuing the progressive agenda, or continuing in the footsteps of Rockefeller and Roosevelt were all appearing. Among Republican contenders included Senators Chase Osborn on the progressive internationalist wing, Henry Cabot Lodge on the isolationist wing, and Robert La Follette on the anti-international but domestically progressive wing. Among Democratic leaders included Secretary of State Woodrow Wilson among progressives, Thomas Gore among Protestant nationalists and anti-imperialists, and a dark horse Catholic governor from New York – Al Smith.
Number 26: John Rockefeller Jr.
Party: Republican
43 years old, from Ohio
The League of Nations
In the spring of 1917, as Rockefeller was home and fully endorsing the articles of the treaty proposing the instituting of the League of Nations, of which Rockefeller envisioned the United States being a major leader, if not the primary leader within the League. Naturally, isolationist and anti-imperialist sentiment in the United States was running high and there was significant opposition, even with his own Republican Party. Senate Majority leader Henry Cabot Lodge, a leader among the conservative isolationist wing of the Republican Party, stated in a speech on the Senate floor that, “The League of Nations will die, or the United States will die with its acceptance.”
In a display of bipartisanship between the major parties, Democrats and Republicans opposed to the League banded together his colleague and anti-imperialist Republican progressive from Idaho, William Edgar Borah, along with Democratic Senate Minority leader James Reed and Senator Thomas Gore. Along with other Republicans and Democrats in the Senate, this group of anti-League of Nations senators became known as the “irreconcilables” for the belief that their opposition to the League could never be reconciled with compromise.
Republican Senators William Edgar Borah and William Cabot Lodge, the two most important leaders among the Irreconcilables. Ironically, some of the strongest support, but also some of the strongest opposition to the the League of Nations came from Republicans.
However, Rockefeller had other power players in his pocket. Former Governor of Michigan turned Senator Chase Osborn was among the League’s strongest proponents from within the Senate. Woodrow Wilson, the former Democratic Vice Presidential nominee in 1912 and Senator from New Jersey was galloping across the country to drum up popular support for the League, promising bi-partisan politics and international peace for generations to come. His replacement in the Senate, William Hughes, was also a strong champion for the League. In the Senate, after a long speech against the League from Lodge, Senator Osborn took the floor to rally support in favor of the League, “In this monumental moment, not only in American history but the history of the human race – it is necessary to take the leadership thrust upon this great country to guide humanity toward its providential redemption.”
By a narrow margin, the vote in the Senate for the passing of the articles of the Treaty of Paris that included the League of Nations was amended. The League would come into existence – naturally, but the United States was not going to become a participatory member; just an outside observer. The lines were drawn, and the Irreconcilables had won. The League was defeated, and American internationalism was now suffering a dramatic decline. The failure of the United States to join the League of Nations, the brainchild of its own President – John Rockefeller Jr seemed to doom the administration and its supporters.
Prohibition
Although a successful domestic agenda that had passed women’s suffrage via constitutional amendment, in 1918, reeling from the defeat of the League of Nations, Rockefeller came to support the growing tide of Americans and American intellectuals who were crusading for prohibition. Believing this would be the salvation of his second-term administration, Rockefeller supported a constitutional amendment for prohibition that would go into effect New Year’s day 1920. Prohibition was strongly supported by nativists, Protestants, especially Methodists, many progressives, but most importantly women. Former politicians that had found trouble in support for the League of Nations fell back on their support for women’s suffrage and prohibition during their election cycles, and the Rockefeller Administration reclaimed a high level of popularity.
Women were the most important demographic group in their support for prohibition. Women groups, like this one above - the Women's Christian Temperance Union, were instrumental in the political process of getting prohibition passed!
Anti-Discriminatory Religious Act
Although enshrined in the American Constitution that no office holder shall be denied his seat because of his religion, the prevailing spirit of anti-Catholicism in the United States was calming but still prevalent. In the Deep South, a revitalized Klan was strongly anti-Catholic, claiming a Papist conspiracy to control the United States. The Klan argued that many of the Catholic political leaders in America had endorsed the passage of the League of Nations to support their claims. While true in the sense that most Catholic politicians came to support the League, the otherwise absurd Papal conspiracy theories never had any ground in reality. A new wave of Anti-Catholic sentiment in the United States seemed to be on the verge of exploding, but Rockefeller took immediate action to quell such fever.
In 1919, the anti-discriminatory religious act was passed by Congress and re-iterated the Constitutional provisions that one’s religion was not a target for political outrage or rebuke. In the spirit of ecumenism, which was a major tenet within the progressive movement in America, this act seemed to fit the progressive agenda of the United States of the past 20 years.
Military Re-structuring
Following the Great War, over 3 million Americans had joined the American army and navy to fight for democracy and peace. By 1918, the US military was overburdened and needed reform. Rockefeller oversaw the greatest reduction of military forces in American history. From nearly 2.5 million soldiers in uniform, by 1921, the United States Army was to be reduced to 100,000 standing professional soldiers with an additional 250,000 national guard militia and reserves. The Navy was also to be reduced according to the Treaty of Chicago, a gathering of the world’s great naval powers: The United Kingdom, United States, Russia, Japan, Italy and France.
Military de-armament was, however, popular among the powers who had just fought the war. And despite the United States not being a member of the League, a spirit of peace and optimism in the post-war world was regaining strength. All the American soldiers and sailors who would be re-integrated into the domestic labor force would have a military pension fund for their service, available in 20 years for return on investments. By 1920, the next presidential election was brewing and contenders on both sides were appearing. Candidates calling for a “Return to Normalcy,” continuing the progressive agenda, or continuing in the footsteps of Rockefeller and Roosevelt were all appearing. Among Republican contenders included Senators Chase Osborn on the progressive internationalist wing, Henry Cabot Lodge on the isolationist wing, and Robert La Follette on the anti-international but domestically progressive wing. Among Democratic leaders included Secretary of State Woodrow Wilson among progressives, Thomas Gore among Protestant nationalists and anti-imperialists, and a dark horse Catholic governor from New York – Al Smith.
Ugh, more government intervention... prohibition is the easiest way to increase home-brewing.
Prohibition, League of Nations, AND discrimination??? How American can you get in one update?
Ugh, more government intervention... prohibition is the easiest way to increase home-brewing.
I have a friend who home brews the most delicious porters and ipa's ever!
Which just happen to be my favorite type of beer brews! Prohibition, League of Nations, AND discrimination??? How American can you get in one update?
Should have had the United States join the League of Nations so we could run the world a 30 years earlier than normal!
*I can't believe we're almost finally done with this. I have the last proper update and epilogue on my files, just whenever I get around to posting them!
Not him, please!
Even Harold Lloyd as a president would be less painful for the USA!
Even Harold Lloyd as a president would be less painful for the USA!
The AAR is titled: Clay to Smith...doesn't really leave much to the imagination in the final election update and the epilogue does it?
If we're going with Harold Lloyd, I'd nominate Buster Keaton as his VP, even though I think he's not old enough to be VP in case of succession!
Darn it. I thought that it could be any Smith (not the most uncommon surname in the world).
In Harold Lloyd we Trust!
In Harold Lloyd we Trust!