The Road to Liberty - a U.S.A. PDM AAR

[rorlegion]

That Europe looks nice, with the only semi-weird looking border being the A-H Romanian one. Another good update, which is naturally expected of a man of great talent.

I think when Hungary rebelled, Romanian rebels took advantage and took territory from Hungary before it was gobbled up by Austria - I can't remember for sure though. And thanks!! That means a lot from someone who as their own fantastic AAR.

The KKK needs to be crushed, and who better than Grant? The Europeans borders are sublime-it seems closer to 1914 than 1866! A Great War must be in order...America shall triumph!

I agree. The South needs to get with the program. It looks like a great war could break out at any moment. I'm going to try and stay out of it and take advantage of the destruction it causes when it does erupt

The debt, it hurts...

I knoww, I may have bit off more than I can chew :/

Wait, when did Austria lose Galicia? Also, I'll be curious in finding out whether Grant's administration TTL will be wracked with scandals like OTL.

I think either Prussia or the NGF used a "Free Peoples" CB against Austria during one of their wars a few years back. I have a feeling Grant will be occupied for some time with a major war coming up.

I too am loving that Europe. The coals are burning...

Time to make smores!!

Looking forward to Grant's presidency!

As I alluded to in another comment, I'm going to take advantage of his military experience and leadership. I don't know much about Grant, but I'll read up on him. He seems like a likeable guy haha

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I have unpolished graphics and savegame files up until 1880, so I should be updating with a bit more frequency. Maybe two updates per week or per 1.5 weeks. Thanks for reading and stay tuned!

 

[Zorro]

As I alluded to in another comment, I'm going to take advantage of his military experience and leadership. I don't know much about Grant, but I'll read up on him. He seems like a likeable guy haha!

His personal memoirs are worth the read.

 

[Zzzzz...]

Europe looks like bad business. Hopefully, the United States would continue staying out of Europe to prevent trouble. (Then pick them off one by one! Mwahahaha!)

 

[metalinvader665]

Yay, more content.

At least Austria gets to have the US as a debtor as compensation for losing Banat and Galicia. Odd Italy couldn't manage to take at least Lombardy with the state Austria-Hungary's in.

I think in this timeline Lincoln's going to have a majorly different legacy than in our own. Probably more divisive, like FDR. Or maybe equally as well regarded, but for different reasons.

The KKK won't like all the Liberians fleeing to America, but I'm sure a man like Grant will deal with them well.

 

[blitzthedragon]

Wasn't Grant's presidency in OTL one of the most corrupt administrations in American history?

 

[Zorro]

Wasn't Grant's presidency in OTL one of the most corrupt administrations in American history?

Yes, he delegated a lot and people took advantage.

 

[InvisibleSandwi]

Grant's presidency in this AAR may or may not go the same way - on one hand, he hasn't had to preside over the biggest parts of Reconstruction, but on the other hand, the USA's imperialist adventures in Africa and the massive debt may present different problems. Guess we'll just have to see what happens!

 

[GreatUberGeek]

Wasn't Grant's presidency in OTL one of the most corrupt administrations in American history?

Credit Mobilier scandal and all that jazz...very sad for such a good man, he started out rich and ended up poor.

 

[GaryTheWalrus]

I hope TTL's Grant is less corrupt from the lack of war between states, and more prosperity among the states.

 

[Nathan Madien]

Grant! Grant! He's our man! If he can't do it...oh! Who am I kidding? Of course he can! He's Grant!

 

[rorlegion]

Vol. VI, Ch. 2: The War Over Canada
UK Aggression Will Be Punished
June 20, 1870

​

Leaders in the UK were worried after Ulysses S. Grant was elected president in 1866. They were under the belief that such a strong military leader would seek conquest, and what easier target than the their North American holdings? Colonial Canada was hardly defensible since it shared such a wide border with the U.S. Months after Grant was elected, the decision was made: the UK would prepare for war. It send hundreds of thousands of troops, mainly from Britain and Ireland, to Canada.

Up to this point, Grant's administration was fairly laid back. Grant's only prerogative was to facilitate moderate economic growth and pay as much of the national debt without raising taxes or tariffs. By 1868, he had implemented no new federal programs. In fact, there was nothing notable done by his administration since he was elected.

All of this changed in November of 1867. The political leadership in the US was aware of significant naval activity between the UK and Canada. Inquiries made by the Department of State to the British government were satisfied by trade reports supplied by the UK's embassy in Washington, D.C. The U.S. was not unprepared for war, but it certainly wasn't expecting invasion from Canada. On November 29, 1867, the State Department received a declaration of war from the British government. The U.S. was to immediately evacuate and surrender Columbia or it would lose both Columbia and all African colonial holdings through war. In a meeting with his cabinet, probably the for the first time in nearly two years, Grant stood up out of his chair, paced through the oval office, and decided it was time to formulate a plan of defense.

UK allies included Denmark, Belgium, Cyprus, and the Ionian Islands. The U.S., in having asserted the Monroe Doctrine throughout the Americas, had several nations in North and South America join them in their defense: the USCA, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Uruguay, and Chile.

Pictured: War Plan for the Northeastern Front

Pictured: War Plan for the Northwestern Front

Pictured: War Plan for the Caribbean Islands​

Grant had seven battalions and four colonial armies, each numbering around 30,000 men, at his disposal. Grant and his military advisers divided their plans into four theatres: the Northeastern, Northwestern, Caribbean, and African. Nearly all of the heavy fighting was expected to take place along the Northeastern front. Four battalions, stationed in Maine, New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C., were ordered to occupy Canada as soon as possible. Military leadership in the U.S. expected resistance, but it did not know where. It expected British armies to invade into New York first, as losing New York City would certainly force the U.S. to yield to British demands.

Three battalions stationed along the West Coast were ordered to start occupying the vast unpopulated areas of Western Canada. Little resistance was expected here. The plan for "island hopping" from the Third War of Independence was again adopted. Two colonial armies, one stationed in the USCA and the other in Venezuela, received orders to occupy as many British islands as quickly as possible. The Americans received reports from its allies in the area that these islands were completely undefended. The garrison in Ifni (formerly in Morocco) was ordered to dig into their position and stay put. The garrison in Liberia, after the war had begun, was ordered to secure an access treaty with tribes near Accra and occupy British ports in the area.

This marked the fourth time the United Kingdom has attempted to assert dominance over the United States. Grant knew the U.S. now had the resources and manpower to make it the last. He wanted to seize all of Canada, but he knew the UK would never agree to such a proposal, not even if the U.S. occupied London. He determined that the British must not share a border with the U.S. in North America - this, he thought, should stop the UK from ever invading the land of the free ever again. Grant had faith in the U.S. armed forces; that the U.S. would win the war, however long it took to occupy the vastness of Canada. He concluded that the U.S. would settle for no less than seizing western Canada and forcing the British to form a new Canadian government and withdrawal from North America.

Note: In the following images, blue represents the United States and red represents the United Kingdom. The color of the battle icon represents which side won the battle.

---

Progress of the War Between November 29, 1867 and February 26, 1868​

The first battle of the war was an utter disaster for the Union. In December of 1867, the battalion stationed in Maine assaulted a UK soldiers garrison of 42,000 near Frederickton, Canada. General Leopold Stewart, commander of the most experienced force in the British military, knowing the approaching U.S. army's artillery outnumbered his two to one, set fire to the forests near Frederickton. The U.S. artillery was useless in this battle. Thick smoke blackened the battlefield, terrifying Commander Barnum's inexperienced men. Barnum ordered a charge into the abyss, only to be met with exploding artillery shells that devoured his men. Stewart's men counter-charged through the smoke, and easily drove back the Union army. Barnum sounded the retreat and the British gave pursuit. In the end, Barnum lost half his force - over one-third had been killed in the battle and the rest had disappeared into the unknown.

---

Progress of the War Between February 27, 1868 and March 15, 1868​

Few battles were fought in the Northwestern Front. The first was the Battle of Glenora, high atop the mountains of the Canadian Rockies. This was difficult terrain to move artillery through, and travel times were expected to be triple what they would otherwise be. Eventually, in January of 1868, a Union army stationed along the West Coast found British troops beginning to dig in to their mountaintop position. It was a tough fight for veteran commander Eugene Coburn, but he and his men got the upper hand by directing their artillery to fire shells above British positions, causing snow and rock to tumble downward. By the end of February, the British gave up their position and retreated northward down the mountain. In the end, the U.S. lost 4,793 troops, and the UK lost 8,032 of 24,000. In the Northeastern Front, the colonial army stationed in Venezuela was ordered to ship out to Boston to reinforce Commander Barnum's shattered army.

Other Notable Battles:
Battle of Watertown, NY - Victory - Enemy Retreat to Ottawa
1st Battle of Buffalo, NY - Victory - Enemy Retreats to Kingston
1st Battle of Kingston, CAN - Victory - Enemy Retreats to Ottawa (~2,000 UK soldiers captured)
Battle of Bangor, ME - Defeat - Retreat to Central Maine
Battle of Detroit, MI - Defeat - Retreat to Sandusky

---

Progress of the War Between March 16, 1868 and May 3, 1868​

American forces suffered a humiliating defeat in Detroit. Nearly half of the men who fought had been killed, injured, or succumbed to disease. Even worse, the commander had been killed by artillery shrapnel. Luckily, reinforcements commanded by veteran Civil War commander Lafayette McClellan shored up the disorganized American force. Unbeknownst to the British, the American force, now numbering nearly 30,000 was marching back to Detroit to meet them. In March of 1868, near Sandusky, Ohio, the two armies clashed. Even though the British had numerical superiority, American artillery outnumbered British artillery four to one. The British fought bravely in the face of barrage after barrage of artillery shelling. Bravery was not enough in this new era of modern warfare, however, and the British lost over 17,500 soldiers before retreating to another British position in Michigan. McClellan lost 4,639 men in the battle and gave pursuit. He did not make it far, falling ill with influenza. He passed the torch to his next-in-command, Lieutenant Donald Wilson, a rookie fresh out of the war college in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Other Notable Battles:
Battle of Caribou, CAN - Defeat - Forces Routed (several thousand U.S. soldiers captured)
2nd Battle of Buffalo, NY - Defeat - Retreat to Erie
1st Battle of Ottawa, CAN - Victory - Enemy Retreats east of Montreal
Battle of Central Maine - Defeat - Retreat to Southern Maine

---

Progress of the War Between May 4, 1868 and July 2, 1868​

Wilson met a combined British force at Grand Rapids, Michigan, but disorganization led to an early retreat to South Bend, Indiana. His men were rapidly losing faith in his leadership skills at this point, culminating in a loss at South Bend. Wilson's demoralized 20,000 men fought an enemy numbering 19,000, but soon fled southward after a successful bayonet charge by the British. After regrouping and giving an impassioned speech, Wilson returned to South Bend, won a minor skirmish, and gave chase toward the Wisconsin Territory.

Other Notable Battles:
Battle of Grand Rapids, MI - Defeat - Retreat to South Bend
Battle of Fort Vermilion, Canada - Defeat - Retreat to Mountains in Western Canada
Battle of Lewiston, ME - Defeat - Retreat to New Hampshire

---

Progress of the War Between July 3, 1868 and August 2, 1868​

While the Americans were losing battle-after-battle everywhere else, they were doing surprisingly well where it mattered: the populated industrial cities in Ontario and Quebec. The battalion stationed in New York, commanded by Christopher Ford, had won all of four battles, driving the British out of northern New York state. Although the Americans had already taken the city of Ottawa, the Second Battle of Ottawa lasted nearly a month. Ford pushed back the British a mile at a time, over one hundred miles west of Ottawa before his advance ended. The much larger and experienced American force utterly destroyed British morale, as British casualties outnumbered American two-to-one. Eventually Ford stopped pursuing the disordered British force and marched back to Ottawa for some much needed R&R.

Other Notable Battles:
Battle of Cape Coast, Colonial Africa - Defeat - Retreat to the Jungle North of Accra
1st Battle of Erie, PA - Defeat - Retreat to Pittsburgh
2nd Battle of Lewiston, ME - Defeat - Retreat to New Hampshire
2nd Battle of South Bend, IN - Victory - Enemy Retreats to Wisconsin Territory
Battle of Sudbury, MA - Victory - Enemy Routed (thousands of UK soldiers captured)
2nd Battle of Erie, PA - Defeat - Retreat to Pittsburgh

---

Progress of the War Between August 3, 1868 and September 12, 1868​

American forces originally stationed in Washington, D.C. were not as fortuitous as Ford's men. These forces under the command of Christopher Rice were in full retreat after having lost several battles throughout Pennsylvania. Rice knew he had to hold Pittsburgh: the steel mill of the United States. A new battalion of fresh recruits was recently assembled in Washington, D.C., and was on its way to Pittsburgh. Rice was worried his demoralized men would not hold out by the time they arrived. Day after day of hard fighting went by, yet there was no sign of reinforcements from Washington. Rice's officers urged him to retreat, but Rice was certain relief would come. The British, outnumbering Rice now two-to-one, surrounded Pittsburgh and were closing in fast. Rice was on the verge of surrendering when reinforcements finally arrived. His men, however, were already fleeing the city. Even though Rice now had the numbers to fight back the British, he and his reinforcements chased after the thousands who fled. Rice wanted to rout his enemy, who was now deep in unfamiliar territory, and he needed all the manpower he could gather to force a surrender of the British in Pennsylvania.

Other Notable Battles:
Battle of Eau Claire, WI - Victory - Enemy Routed (~4,000 UK soldiers captured)
Battle of New Caledonia, CAN - Victory - Enemy Retreats to Unknown Position

---

Progress of the War Between September 12, 1868 and December 21, 1868​

In September, Rice returned to Pittsburgh and did just that - after one week, the British honorably gave up the city, choosing to keep their lives rather than cripple their enemy. By late September, the U.S. started turning things around. Nearly all of the British armies were ordered back to Ontario to make a push to re-capture Ottawa. This was a fatal mistake. The British did not correctly time the assault on the city. Troops assaulted American-occupied Ottawa weeks apart from one-another. To make matters worse, American troops were well-rested and well-fed, unlike their enemy who were tired from their hundred-mile marches. Ford fought back wave after wave of British assaults over the course of two months. Eventually the fighting stopped altogether. At the end of December, other American armies had arrived in Ottawa. Officers arriving in the city literally found Ford with his pants down in a back-alley brothel, enjoying all that Canada had to offer. Thus began the occupation of Canada.

Other Notable Battles:
Battle of Montreal, CAN - Victory - Enemy Routed (~14,000 UK soldiers surrendered)
2nd Battle of Pittsburgh, PA - Victory - Enemy Routed
Battle of Accra, Colonial Africa - Defeat - Retreat to Jungles North of Accra
Battle of Green Bay, WI - Victory - Enemy Routed
2nd Battle of Glenora, CAN - Defeat - Retreat to Prince Rupert
Battle of Prince Rupert, CAN - Victory - Enemy Routed (~12,000 UK soldiers surrendered)
2nd Battle of Accra, Colonial Africa - Victory - Enemy Retreats to Cape Coast
2nd Battle of Cape Coast, Africa - Victory - Enemy Retreats to Jungles North of Accra

---

What won the land-based war in Canada for the U.S. was its ability to quickly muster manpower. Canada was hardly as populous as the United States, even in Ottawa and Montreal. Thus, the British had to ship troops over from Europe in order to re-supply and reinforce their armies. Because the Americans blockaded all but the frozen north, where the UK was unwilling to risk going, supplies and manpower from Europe to Canada ground to a halt, giving Americans the edge they needed to win the land war.

By mid-1869, after the British had already rejected several opportunities for peace talks, military officials devised a plan to blockade the British isles in Europe to force American peace terms. Similarly named to the Anaconda plan, this was dubbed "Operation Snake and Coil." Several new ironclad warships were under construction in the U.S., and it was always a risk to send the American Navy to Europe. But it was a risk Grant thought worth taking. He ordered the go-ahead on the operation and nearly the entirety of the U.S. navy sailed for Brest, France.

After resupplying in Brest, the U.S. navy began the operation. Several times the mighty UK navy engaged certain squadrons, and every time the U.S. regrouped and fought them off. Three major battles ended in the sinking of nearly half of the British navy. By 1870, the British agreed to enter into peace talks. The U.S., in pressuring the British, refused to accept a ceasefire, and the blockade continued until June 15, 1870, when the British finally signed the Treaty of London.

The Treaty of London ensured several things. For one, the British were to forever withdraw their claims to the Columbian territory. Secondly, the U.S. was granted all lands and minerals in Columbia, Alberta, and Sakatchewan in Canada. Lastly, the British agreed to establish a semi-autonomous government in Canada, which would rule affairs in North America independently from London. At last, Grant had removed what he believed to be a constant threat to American sovereignty. No longer would the British have a direct route into the United States.

Pictured: Territory Gained from the United Kingdom

Casualties in the War Over Canada outnumbered casualties in all other wars between the U.S. and the UK combined. By the conclusion of the latest conflict, nearly half a million men had either lost their lives or become crippled by war. One major change occurred over the course of this war, however. The British no longer ruled the high seas. The Atlantic saw the rise of a new master: the American navy, which would soon retire all wooden ships and replace them with those made of iron, making it the largest and most modern navy in the world.

At the start of the war, the U.S. debt remained at £1,661,391.60 - still a barely manageable debt for Grant's administration. During the War Over Canada, the U.S. was required to borrow an additional £1,877,808.90 from Austrian and private American creditors. By the end of the war, the debt totaled £3,539,200.50. Grant knew neither the Republicans or Democrats would support raising taxes or tariffs, and he was fraught with worry and stress throughout his second term. How would America ever pay such a massive debt?

 

[GreatUberGeek]

Whoa-that was unexpected. What wargoal did the UK have?
It seemed like you were going to lose there, but you pulled it off quite nicely, even with the debt. Grant is definitely going to have a lot of trouble.
On a random side note, I went to South Bend this summer. No signs of invasion...yet...:glare:

 

[99KingHigh]

Quite the war - screw the Civil War - this conflict was far more interesting.

 

[volksmarschall]

Kick the British out of North America. America for the Americans! :rofl:

Quite the war - screw the Civil War - this conflict was far more interesting.

I most certainly agree, this war seemed of the much more interest than the Civil War. Seems like you got a relatively easy run in the west, while the action in the east seemed tense. And you got the navy all the way to the coast of England! Quite the accomplishment there!

Bravo!

 

[MiltonS]

Well I for one was worried about the eastern theater - glad to see you pulled it off!

 

[sealy300]

Kick the British out of North America. America for the Americans! :rofl: ...

"We Must Keep America American!" ~President Coolidge
"Oh Really, How American Are You? Are you Cherokee, Dakota, Creek?" ~John Green

 

[Nathan Madien]

I was confident all along that Grant would win in the end and he did!

 

[Killerflood]

So they thought they could take Columbia off you, huh? Whoopsie!

About the peace, that border is even weirder than OTL's American-Canadian border. Yeah, I mean, there are 90 degree angles in country borders and unusually straight borders as well, but this takes the cake.

It's sad about the debt though. So apparently the USA will be heading down this road again?

 

[rorlegion]

It's sad about the debt though. So apparently the USA will be heading down this road again?

It ain't called The Road to Liberty for nothin' :rofl:

One-word spoiler for how I plan on tackling the debt:

Spoiler

Socialism

The road won't end there, however

 

[volksmarschall]

"We Must Keep America American!" ~President Coolidge
"Oh Really, How American Are You? Are you Cherokee, Dakota, Creek?" ~John Green

My personal favorite is from H.L. Mencken:

Questioner: If you find there is so much that is unworthy of reverence in the United States, then why do you live here?

Mencken: Why do people go to zoos? :rofl: