1936. The year has been considered by many Americans, as one of the worst years ever. And there were many reasons for that. First was the ongoing economy crisis. The great depression was still going on. Millions of Americans were unemployed. But not only that, many of them lived in poverty. They couldn’t pay their rents, so they had to live in “Hoovervilles”. Today, people would call it “slums”. And in such villes, live was like in a slum. The one who was to blame was easily found. President Herbert Hoover.
To be fair, Hoover tried everything to solve the crisis. But none of his measures worked. And as of 1936, the economy completely broke down. Dissent was high within Americans, and Hoover seemed powerless. Something what would ease the events, which would come in the next months…
The second factor was the rise of radical powers. On the first hand, there were the “Combined Syndicates of America”, a radical socialist party. They had supporter from the left-wing of the democrats, to the bolshevist parts of the population. Their chief, John Jack Reed, wanted radical reforms, including the nationalisation of key industries and the overthrow of the capitalist system. Supported by the success of syndicalism in Europe, Latin America or Asia, Reed wanted to bring that to the USA.
His ideological counterpart was Huey Longs “America First Party”. They had supporters from many disappointed republicans (And some democrats as well) to right-wing parts of America. And Long was pretty charismatic, and many people, especially in the southern states, trusted him. Long was someone, who in their eyes, would ever say the truth and would never lie to the people…to his people.
Both factions were on the rise. The CSA had its base in the industrial areas in the north, near the great lakes. The AFP had much support in the south, traditionally a democrat turf. Thus, it became already in the beginning of the year evident, that the democrats and the republicans lost many of their loyal voters.
Elections were set in November, but…
. And here we go: