The Airship Legacy

[balom]

To say the truth I think this whole Wallace in rebellion is a bad idea. The author is trying to get a level of civil rights comparable to OTL by creating a much more extreme Southern reaction. A more interesting concept would be where the Civil rights movement achieves only a partial success (for example the Civil Rights act passes but the Supreme Court rejects quotas and disparate impact). Also the new rights should be under legislative fire for a couple of decades. Every time something bad happens in the black community (like the crack epidemic) the Southerners will scream that "This Negroes are out of control and it's the North's fault"

[Eckener]

Originally Posted by balom

To say the truth I think this whole Wallace in rebellion is a bad idea. The author is trying to get a level of civil rights comparable to OTL by creating a much more extreme Southern reaction. A more interesting concept would be where the Civil rights movement achieves only a partial success (for example the Civil Rights act passes but the Supreme Court rejects quotas and disparate impact). Also the new rights should be under legislative fire for a couple of decades. Every time something bad happens in the black community (like the crack epidemic) the Southerners will scream that "This Negroes are out of control and it's the North's fault"

anybody else agree? I for one think a stronger reaction from the south is quite plausible, especially since the african americans haven't has as much of a chance to "proove" themselves as they did with WWII OTL.
And I don't think this scenario would end with something similar to OTL Civil Rights...because I think the south will be far more bitter about this, and resist change much more strongly. Now Alabama will serve as an example of federal power, but there will still be resistance, much stronger resistance, IMO.

But I'd love to here other people's thoughts on this.

BTW, I'm behind on getting this next update done...school and work lol.

[phx1138]

A couple of things. Why Louis Rothchild (fictional, AFAIK) rather than, say, Hans-Joachim Marseilles or Heinz Baer (top fighter aces)? And isn't Al a bit young? Could've made it Deke (for laughs)... Or, if you don't mind using a guy who would already've been a bit famous, Yeager. Or, showing TTL's different, Dick Bong (OTL killed when his P-80 augured in on a test flight). On Joe Kennedy: Old Joe (the patriarch) was pretty old by 1956 & AFAIK had pretty well given up hope of being Pres, & was grooming his sons. If JPK Jr was KIA (as he was OTL), he'd have been the Senator & candidate in '56. There's also about an even chance Ike would be Dem candidate; both parties courted him. Having not read "Part One" I can't say, but what about Brad? Or, if you're feeling hostile to Germany, Patton? Or, if you're feeling like causing WW3, Dougout Doug? 80

[phx1138]

Originally Posted by Eckener

Okay so what I'm thinking for the British Empire is this:
-Dominion status is given to South Africa and India

Would you include Kenya?

Originally Posted by Eckener

All other currencies within the Dominion are regulated by the Imperial Commonwealth Bank.

I don't see Canada agreeing, & I really doubt Oz would, either.

As for the civil rights movement, it's not like it hadn't existed. A. C. Powell was threatening a march on Washington in the '30s, IIRC, & there was widespread black migration thanks to war jobs. All it really needed was somebody to light the fuse. Don't forget, tho, it wasn't really Rosa Parks. In the States, it was the murder (lynching?) of Emmet Till. (In Canada, it was Viola Desmond, who I bet even most Canadians had never heard of before she died... I hadn't. )

Originally Posted by Eckener

...the first Canadian airship sometime in early 1952.

I presume you don't know we were building Vickers Vimys in 1919. Airships aren't that hard. I also presume this was meant to parallel the C.102?

Originally Posted by Eckener

...the newly formed Canadian Airship Service.

So what has RCAF been doing since 1924?

Originally Posted by Eckener

LONDON, SEPT 19- His Majesty King George VI of the United Kingdom passed away late last night, surrounded by his family and close friends. His Majesty had been suffering for sometime from lung cancer, first discovered by doctors some two years ago.

I'm less than convinced he'd live 2 more years...but maybe.

Originally Posted by Eckener

BERLIN, AUG 13- The Imperial Rocket Force has announced that Rudolph Nollert, Franz Jager, and Josef Reichmann have landed on the moon.

Originally Posted by Eckener

CAPE CANAVRIL, JUNE 9- America has made it to the moon! Today, Cosmonauts Allen Shepard, Neil Armstrong, and “Buzz” Aldrin stepped out onto the surface of the Moon,

You do realize how much thrust it would take to put a 3-man spacecraft on the lunar surface? I also wonder why the Germans are fictional, & why it's not (say) the crew of Apollo 8 for the U.S. Also, how did the U.S., which was (as stated) so far behind, catch up so fast?

Originally Posted by Eckener

Cosmonaut Nollert stepped out of the Lunar Lander and proclaimed, “For me, this is just a small step, but for mankind, it is a giant leap forward.”

...

Originally Posted by Eckener

“In the name of the Kaiser and the German people, we claim the Moon not only for Germans, but for all mankind.”

I very much doubt it.

And on civil rights, can you explain why a) you delayed rather than held to OTL, or even accelerated and b) why you used no OTL figures beyond King?

For the complaints, tho, I really like your solution to Palestine.

Originally Posted by Eckener

By 1975, there were nearly 100 ships in passenger service between the German, American, British, Canadian, and Australian airship programs.

I'm afraid that number is enormously too low. Think of the 747. Airships are vastly cheaper to buy & operate than big liners (which appear to be your model) & much cheaper to operate than even jumbos. And it wouldn't take 2 days to cross the Atlantic by airship, but maybe 1; even in the '30s, airships were capable of 100 knots, 3x faster than the fastest liners, which were doing it in under 3 days. How long did it take for the 747 to make air travel from an expensive luxury into a commonplace? A decade? Airships would do it faster, & it would be more luxurious than liners to boot. The liners would disappear before WW2; there might still be "local" cruise liners, but even that could be displaced by airships.

Originally Posted by Eckener

Jet engines had been used by the Amerian and German militaries since the early 1950s,

Jets first appeared in '39 OTL. To reach zep recce platforms (think AWACS), they might sooner. And jetliners (which might not actually be called that; the term was coined for the Canadair C.102, mentioned above) would be only a niche market for fast business travel or priority packages (think Concorde or super-FedEx).

Originally Posted by Eckener

Lufthansa had completely switched to jet aircraft by the end of the 1970s. U.S. Airways began using jet aircraft in 1972, and American Airlines in 1973, and within a decade they’d switched over completely to jet aircraft.

Never. The cost of operating airships, & the consequent profit, given the huge passenger traffic, is too high. It's why Concorde never displaced 747: too costly to operate, too few passengers, fare prices too high. (Forget noise, economics would have prevented it.)

Originally Posted by Eckener

...more cities in the US and North America and the Pacific...Britian began using jet airliners in in 1974, and in 1985, all but the London-Sydney airship routes had been discontinued...and the LA-Honolulu Route

That's absurd, I'm afraid. The longer the trip, the greater the advantage airships have.

Originally Posted by Eckener

The US Navy maintained scouting airships up until 1991,

For long-duration ocean patrol & surveillance, like AWACS or ASW, airships curbstomp aircraft. Even a small airship can stay out for 2 wk at a time easily.

Originally Posted by Eckener

While there were several new cross-country highways, based on the designs of the German Autobahn, railtravel was still far more effective as a way to travel throughout the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. It wasn’t until the 1980s that a second interstate highway expansion allowed for more people to travel by car more effectively than before.

Without Ike, there might be no Interstate system at all. A network of state highways, maybe, but not a dedicated federal system. And rail travel would be much better. It might even be true hi-speed rail, capable of over 200mph.

Originally Posted by Eckener

After the expansion of the Federal Highway Network, and the gradual decrease in federal funds to rail and mass transit, automobile ownership began to grow quite rapidly in the US, so that by 1990, nearly 69% of Americans were licensed to drive cars, compared to just 34% in 1940 and 45% in 1960, and 56% in 1980.

IMO you're drawing a false parallel. Car ownership & use had more to do with wages. Could people afford to own & drive cars? I grant you, the Interstates changes the willingness & ability to drive long distances, but not locally. More money for mass transit (street rail, trolley) will discourage car ownership, as it isn't needed; it may also mean the cost of driving is higher, since roads/highways have to be funded more from gas &/or licencing taxes.

In re electronics: if space travel is ahead, IMO so should electronics. Lunar flights used some of the first digital computers, & weight (when even the number of windows & including seats was an issue for the landers!) is crucial. Don't forget, tho, the very early computers were used by British intelligence to crack the German Enigma cypher. How does a change in the war change that? And with airships, you might get something like cellphones or satphones much sooner than OTL, with airships (instead of satellites) acting as relay platforms.

[phx1138]

Some final comments. ;p I can imagine a situation in re blacks & the Klan resembling OTL Prohibition in the '30s: lots of gunfire, lots of lynchings, anarchy, martial law, & claims of "Northern occupation". Threats of secession? Maybe. Actual civil war? Maybe something close... One hell of a mess, tho. 80 Looks like things are going to get extremely interesting. ;D

[Eckener]

Hey thanks phx1138! I really like getting constructive criticism like this. It definitly helps.

TBH large parts of this second half have been harder to write and when it comes to fictitious names I was just trying to get an update out and wasn't sure what else to put.

As far as the Canadian Airships, again, this was just my utter lack of knowledge on the subject. Thanks for the info.

With the stuff you've pointed out, along with my own dislike of some of the things I've already posted, I'm seriously considering rewriting most of the "Legacy". And more suggestions would be appretiated.

By the way, have you had a chance to read over the "Airship President TL"? I'd like to know what you think about it.

[phx1138]

No, haven't read Airship Pres yet. I'm trying to read 3-4 things now, so I haven't gotten to it. ;D I'll put up some comments when I do, tho, be sure of that. ;p

FYI, I do like the general direction you're going. And anything where airships rule is a winner with me. ;D ;D

[phx1138]

Well, since an invitation beats a cold reading... ;p You may regret it, however.

I do like your solution to the Nazis, even if I'm far from certain Eckener would actually accept; I have no idea how political he was. I also think you underestimate the impact zeps have on transatlantic travel, as mentioned above. I'm also a bit unsure Hull would be Pres (not Garner? or whoever was FDR's VP); I find VP Will Rogers a bit like the idea of Al Franken as VP.

I'm afraid your GPW scenario is pure bunk.Without Germany taking out France & threatening to bring down Britain, the chances of Japan striking south are near zero; without the Neutrality Patrol & Lend-Lease convincing Japan of U.S.-Brit solidarity, odds of an attack on the P.I. (or Pearl) is about zero, too. Besides, there was a standing constiuency in IJA for attacking SU. That said, I see no reason it wouldn't go more/less just as it did OTL, & that's not "stalemate", that's "panic in DC, the Japs are coming!" It's also an unmitigated disaster for Japan, as OTL. I will say you've far too charitable with Kimmel & the Pacific Fleet; I'd wager much if it sunk by more experienced IJN aviators (tho the relief of Wake Island thread here suggests I may be wrong). It wouldn't take but a couple of years, with the full attention of the U.S., let alone with Britain allied, so the 18mo or so you use is pretty near right. Would there be a Chinese Civil War? IMO, that depends a lot on what's going on in Europe, & how much aid the SU is able to give, as well as how involved in the war with Japan the SU was; without a lot of supplies left in Manchuria & Korea, I wager Chiang wins pretty handily.

And I have to sign off for now. I'll read further & add more later. If you're still talking to me then. ;p

[Eckener]

Originally Posted by phx1138

Well, since an invitation beats a cold reading... ;p You may regret it, however.

I do like your solution to the Nazis, even if I'm far from certain Eckener would actually accept; I have no idea how political he was. I also think you underestimate the impact zeps have on transatlantic travel, as mentioned above. I'm also a bit unsure Hull would be Pres (not Garner? or whoever was FDR's VP); I find VP Will Rogers a bit like the idea of Al Franken as VP.

I'm afraid your GPW scenario is pure bunk.Without Germany taking out France & threatening to bring down Britain, the chances of Japan striking south are near zero; without the Neutrality Patrol & Lend-Lease convincing Japan of U.S.-Brit solidarity, odds of an attack on the P.I. (or Pearl) is about zero, too. Besides, there was a standing constiuency in IJA for attacking SU. That said, I see no reason it wouldn't go more/less just as it did OTL, & that's not "stalemate", that's "panic in DC, the Japs are coming!" It's also an unmitigated disaster for Japan, as OTL. I will say you've far too charitable with Kimmel & the Pacific Fleet; I'd wager much if it sunk by more experienced IJN aviators (tho the relief of Wake Island thread here suggests I may be wrong). It wouldn't take but a couple of years, with the full attention of the U.S., let alone with Britain allied, so the 18mo or so you use is pretty near right. Would there be a Chinese Civil War? IMO, that depends a lot on what's going on in Europe, & how much aid the SU is able to give, as well as how involved in the war with Japan the SU was; without a lot of supplies left in Manchuria & Korea, I wager Chiang wins pretty handily.

And I have to sign off for now. I'll read further & add more later. If you're still talking to me then. ;p

Well, my main issue with the first half of this TL was the GPW...military history is just NOT my forte, not even close, and that definitely comes out. As for the Chinese Civil War, yes it would. They were going at it before WWII AFAIK, and I don't see any reason why that would change. And with Japan defeated and the Americans involved in China, I would think that the Communists would be in worse shape, and the SU was never very keen on helping out China.

I look forward to hearing what else it is you have to say!

[phx1138]

Originally Posted by Eckener

Well, my main issue with the first half of this TL was the GPW...military history is just NOT my forte, not even close, and that definitely comes out. As for the Chinese Civil War, yes it would. They were going at it before WWII AFAIK, and I don't see any reason why that would change. And with Japan defeated and the Americans involved in China, I would think that the Communists would be in worse shape, and the SU was never very keen on helping out China.

I look forward to hearing what else it is you have to say!

Actually, there wasn't anything else of controversy for me. ;p I agree on the CCW. The SU actually gave quite a bit of aid to China during the SJW; it was the leftovers after the PacWar ended that made the real diff, AFAIK.

I did wonder about the technical development of zeps. They seemed to stay pretty static through the '60s, which struck me a bit odd. Better materials & engines would've made for more efficient lifters, no? And they'd have been applied to tasks beyond just passenger flight. (OK, getting into more detail than is warranted. ;p) I wonder if you've got an idea how big the max size might be? Los Angeles was 78K cu meters with a 46t lift; could zeps've gotten a lot bigger, with (say) Kevlar frames & skins & something like diesel turbocompound engines?

[docfl]

Just a minor detail, US airways wasnt around then. It was Allegheny up unitl the late 70's. From the wiki Allegheny changed its name to USAir in 1979 following the passage of the Airline Deregulation Act the previous year, which enabled the airline to expand its route network into the southeastern United States. In the early 1980s, its routes in the Northeast were fed by Ransome Airlines, among others. Later, USAir acquired San Diego-based Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA) and Winston-Salem, NC-based Piedmont Airlines in 1987 and 1988
docfl

[alphaboi867]

Originally Posted by phx1138

...Airships are vastly cheaper to buy & operate than big liners (which appear to be your model) & much cheaper to operate than even jumbos. And it wouldn't take 2 days to cross the Atlantic by airship, but maybe 1; even in the '30s, airships were capable of 100 knots, 3x faster than the fastest liners, which were doing it in under 3 days...Airships would do it faster, & it would be more luxurious than liners to boot. The liners would disappear before WW2; there might still be "local" cruise liners, but even that could be displaced by airships...

Airships would not displace ocean liners in the way that airplanes did. The crew to passenger ratio is too high. Liners would still be much cheaper (per passenger) to operate and passengers would travel in greater luxury. The airship experiance would be more like a flying first class train than an ocean liner. Unlike airships ocean liners can also carry cargo; real cargo, not just mail.

[Eckener]

Originally Posted by alphaboi867

Airships would not displace ocean liners in the way that airplanes did. The crew to passenger ratio is too high. Liners would still be much cheaper (per passenger) to operate and passengers would travel in greater luxury. The airship experiance would be more like a flying first class train than an ocean liner. Unlike airships ocean liners can also carry cargo; real cargo, not just mail.

Airships could carry "real" cargo....just not as much, and not at the same time as passengers. That's why somewhere back in this TL I have the emergence of cargo carrying airships...and I think they would keep on going even during the "downturn" of passenger airships.

And we could have the more "economy" size airships doing transatlantic flights as well, which would cut into ocean liners and keep the transatlantic jets at bay....to a point.

[Eckener]

just as an FYI, I haven't forgot about this TL. I've been busy with the end of school. I've got finals the first week of May, then I'll have plenty of time to work on a good update.

Any ideas, critiques, suggestions for me in the meantime?

[GreatScottMarty]

I am curious to see what happens in Alabama? Anything of note happening in Europe or Asia?

[Eckener]

Originally Posted by GreatScottMarty

I am curious to see what happens in Alabama? Anything of note happening in Europe or Asia?

Alabama: there will be a short "war", which wont last very long and result with the pro-segregation government and constitution of Alabama being ousted (and will end with Wallace's death). The capital of the state will move to Birmingham. This will also quiet pro-segregationists in other states, and result in a grudging acceptance of Federal policy. However, the show of force will hurt Joe Kennedy Jr., and end in him not being reelected in the next election.

Europe: The USSR is collapsing into civil war. the Russian Empire will get involved, and help destroy the two communist states that have emerged, and will work with the democratic state out in Vladivostok, which has received support from China and Japan and the USA.

as for Asia...I'm open to suggestions.

[GreatScottMarty]

Africa as well....

Communism seems to be much less of a worry; so sticking with that theme it would be nice to see the US and Germany be much more Realpolitik about their relations to the Anti-colonial movements. Neither Country has colonies or any vested interest in the colonial movement and both seem to be the real powers of the world. It much more stable and democrat Africa emerging would be cool to see; but would be a bit of peace-wank (which I haven't seen much of on this board )

[phx1138]

Originally Posted by GreatScottMarty

Africa as well....

Communism seems to be much less of a worry; so sticking with that theme it would be nice to see the US and Germany be much more Realpolitik about their relations to the Anti-colonial movements. Neither Country has colonies or any vested interest in the colonial movement and both seem to be the real powers of the world. It much more stable and democrat Africa emerging would be cool to see; but would be a bit of peace-wank (which I haven't seen much of on this board )

I would suggest, without Japanese success against Britain & France as OTL (however inflated it may have been over reality), & without both being weakened by a major European war, the chances of decolonization are much reduced. You could see a shift toward Commonwealth, perhaps, rather than pure colonies, under pressure from Germany (without colonies, nothing to lose) & the U.S. (ditto, plus an attitude against colonization, however faint it might be TTL).

I'm especially intrigued by the prospect of no wars in Algeria, Korea, & Vietnam, no slaughter in India at partition, no extended guerrilla wars in Namibia & elsewhere... And no Cuban missile crisis, & no Castro... (Which means Michael Corleone gets his casinos in Havana.) Does this also butterfly the creation of Israel & the persistent wars & terrorism?

[Eckener]

Originally Posted by phx1138

I would suggest, without Japanese success against Britain & France as OTL (however inflated it may have been over reality), & without both being weakened by a major European war, the chances of decolonization are much reduced. You could see a shift toward Commonwealth, perhaps, rather than pure colonies, under pressure from Germany (without colonies, nothing to lose) & the U.S. (ditto, plus an attitude against colonization, however faint it might be TTL).

I'm especially intrigued by the prospect of no wars in Algeria, Korea, & Vietnam, no slaughter in India at partition, no extended guerrilla wars in Namibia & elsewhere... And no Cuban missile crisis, & no Castro... (Which means Michael Corleone gets his casinos in Havana.) Does this also butterfly the creation of Israel & the persistent wars & terrorism?

~interesting idea about the colonization. I myself support a more "Imperial Commonwealth" system for this TL, with most of the British Empire retaining closer ties to the UK.

~as for Cuba: Castro does try and have his revolution in January of 1959, however the US invades in force, and kills Castro and his revolution.

~"Israel" ITTL is the Union of Palestine, made up of the State of Israel and the State of Palestine, with shared powers for the territory as a whole, and local autonomy. Jerusalem serves as the shared capital and is not in either state. So I'm not sure about the terrorism issue....It could still flare up, but over different stuff.

[Eckener]

and as promised, a new update

PART VII: KENNEDY FIGHTS RACISM AS SOVIETS DISAPPEAR

August 27, 1974: Everything is moving very rapidly in regards to Alabama. The state government, led by that fool Wallace, have continued to pledge unwavering defiance against the Federal Government’s attempts at desegregation. Humphrey’s funeral was only two days ago, and now I get word that Governor Wallace is planning more outright defiance of the Racial Equality Act. We’ve got to do something, and fast, or the situation might spiral further out of our control.
-Personal Diary of President Joseph P. Kennedy Jr., “Personal Documents of President Kennedy Jr.,” The Kennedy Institute, Boston, MA.

ALABAMA CLOSES BORDERS TO FEDS

MONTGOMERY, SEP 1- Alabama Governor George Wallace today declared a state of emergency along the state’s borders, and has dispatched the Alabama National Guard to the border crossings along all major highways. From what our correspondents in the state have learned through undisclosed sources at the Alabama State House, the National Guardsmen are ordered not to allow any federal official to cross into Alabama. Furthermore, Governor Wallace has given a 72 hour notice to all officials of the Federal Government to leave the state. The governor said this a press conference held at the Alabama Governor’s Mansion: “This state will fight for the rights of all states in this Union, and that is the right to govern themselves as they see fit, without interference from the government in Washington. It is the duty of the Federal Government to protect the many states from foreign invasion and to ensure that all the states in this Union get along. It is NOT the right of the Federal Government to dictate how the states should behave within their own borders. The sooner that President Kennedy learns this lesson, the better it will be for all of us!”
As of yet, the President nor any official in Washington has given any sort of public response to Alabama’s actions, but the mood in the capital is tense, and our sources at the White House have stated that the President has been in high level meetings with his advisors since the announcement from Montgomery went out over the wires.
-“Alabama Closes Borders to Feds,” The New York Times, September 1, 1974.

PETROGRAD BOMBED

PETROGRAD, SEP 3- Soviet terrorists exploded a bomb onboard a crowded U-bahn train in Petrograd, killing 84 people. The terror group, called the Soviet Russia Liberation Force, stated that this was in retaliation for the Imperial Baltic acceptance of refugees from the war-torn Soviet Union.
Czar Vladimir I declared that “up until now, Free Russia and the Imperial Baltic Federation had no interest in involving itself in the affairs of the dissentigrating Soviet Union. However, now that the violence from that country has spread over into ours, claiming 84 innoncent Russian lives, we must act. That is why I am calling on the Imperial Duma to declare a state of war to exist between ourselves and the Central Russian Republic and the Socialist Republic of the Ukraine. It is time to end this failed experiment in socialism one and for all!” This was given to an address before the Imperial Duma, and broadcast live on the Baltic Radio Network.
Troop mobilization has begun in Russia, and it is expected that the Russian Army will make a strike towards Moscow within the month. The Imperial Baltic Federation has also requested that Poland and Germany give assistance in bringing down the “decaying Soviet states”. So far, neither nation has given any statement as to whether or not they will support the IBF’s invasion of the Soviet States.
-“Petrograd Bombed,” Frankfurter Zeitung, September 3, 1974.

SHOWDOWN IN MONTGOMERY

MONTGOMERY, SEP 4- A showdown is brewing in the Alabama state capital as the 72 hour “eviction” notice for all Federal officials expires at noon. At the Federal Building on Church St., the employees are still at their posts. We have been told that President Kennedy ordered the officials in Montgomery to stand their ground. Outside the building, the Montgomery Police Department has closed off the road, and members of the Alabama National Guard are poised outside, supposedly to go in and evict the officials at noon. Governor Wallace has stated “the Federal officials here in Montgomery have known about the deadline since the first. Since they’ve chosen to ignore our orders, we will remove them by force.”
The White House issued a statement this morning that if any member of the Alabama National Guard or other Alabama law enforcement official were to cause harm to any Federal official, that army units from surrounding states would be called in to deal with the problem.
-“Showdown in Montgomery,” The Washington Post, September 4, 1974.

CIVIL UNREST IN AMERICA

WASHINGTON, SEP 5- U.S. government officials have confirmed that rebels in the state of Alabama have opened fire on the U.S. Federal building in that state’s capital, Montgomery. According to a statement issued by the White House this morning, “members of the Alabama National Guard stormed the Church Street Federal Building in Montgomery Alabama shortly after 12:00 p.m. on September 4, 1974. The Guardsmen forced all Federal Officials in the building to leave. When some refused, the Guardsmen opened fire. When those outside heard the gun shots, more Guardsmen entered the building, guns blazing. It is currently estimated that over 100 people were killed in the massacre, most of whom were civilian employees of the Federal Government.”
In response to this attack on the Church Street Federal Building, President Kennedy has ordered that the nationalization of the Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida National Guards, and has called out regular U.S. Army troops. These armed forces are massing on the Alabama border, and are preparing for what looks like an all out invasion of the state. The U.S. Navy has been deployed in the Gulf Coast, to blockade the Port of Mobile, and several U.S. Navy airships have been deployed, flying over Mobile, Montgomery, and Birmingham. Loudspeakers aboard the airships are calling on the state’s citizens to ignore the orders being given by Alabama’s Governor, George Wallace.
In a televised address to the nation, President Kennedy told the American people that the Alabama State Government had 24 hours to resign and allow Federal troops to come in and pacify the area, or face forceful removal from office.
This crisis started after the passage of the Racial Equality Act, which is supposed to bring about the end of racial segregation in the United States.
-“Civil Unrest in America,” The Times (London), September 5, 1974.

VON BRAUN DIES

PEENEMÜNDE, GERMANY, OCT 9- Officials at the Imperial Rocket Force Command in Peenemünde, Germany, have confirmed that the famed Dr. Wherner von Braun has died from complications due to pancreatic cancer. Dr. von Braun was the head of the design team at the IRF, and was responsible for most of the recent rocket designs used by the space agency.
Kaiser Louis Ferninand has declared a period of mourning throughout the German Empire, and it is expected that Dr. von Braun will receive a state funeral in Berlin.
This new development is just the latest in a line of recent setbacks endured by the German space program, after the terrible loss of the A-19 rocket in May of this year, which has postponed the German’s goal of going to Mars before 1980. The A-19 rocket had been deemed a failure by Dr. von Braun, and his team was still in the early stages of design on the new A-20 rocket when the scientist collapsed a week ago and was sent to the Peenemünde Military Hospital.
-“Von Braun Dies,” The Times (London), October 20, 1974.

What is sometimes referred to as the “Alabama War” was the worst point for the Racial Equality Movement in the United States. Alabama Governor George Wallace declared via the radio that “Alabama no longer recognizes the legitimacy of the Government in Washington, and will not do so until the Racial Equality Act is repealed and President Kennedy, Jr., resigns.” So, at 7:00 p.m. on September 5, 1974, U.S. Army and Navy troops “invaded” the State of Alabama. The U.S. Navy blockaded the Port of Mobile, and fired on 7 different ships that tried to attack the blockade ships. The U.S. Navy’s airships served as scouts as the U.S. Army poured in from Alabama’s three landlocked borders.
The U.S. Air Force bombarded the National Guard Armory in Montgomery while Army troops headed towards the state capital. As dawn rose on September 6, the City of Birmingham had declared it’s loyalty to the Federal Government, and became the base of operations for the U.S. Army in Alabama. By the end of September 6, Mobile was in Federal hands as well, after the U.S. Marines landed and took over the city. On September 8, the Air Force began to bomb the Alabama state government offices in Montgomery, including the Alabama State House and the Alabama Governor’s Mansion, along with other key strategic points in the city. On September 9, Federal troops began the so called Battle of Montgomery, which lasted until the early hours of September 10, when the Alabamans surrendered after Governor Wallace took his own life in the ruins of the Alabama Governor’s Mansion. On September 12, the last pockets of resistance to the Federal authorities had surrendered, and President Kennedy signed an executive order placing the State of Alabama under Martial Law until a new state constitution could be written and a new state government could be established.
The 1974 Alabama Constitutional Convention met in Birmingham from October 1, 1974 until November 21, 1974. The new constitution guaranteed equal rights for all the citizens of Alabama, and specifically banned the practice of segregation in the state. Another important clause was that the new document banned anyone who had taken part in “Wallace’s Rebellion” from holding office in the State of Alabama. In April of 1975, special elections were held to choose the new state Governor and the new state legislature. Thomas Whistler, the Mayor of Birmingham who had been against Wallace, became the new governor. Birmingham officially became the state capital when the legislature passed the New Capital Act on August 1, 1975.
After the uprising in Alabama, and the huge show of force from the Federal Government, the rest of the south knew that the Kennedy administration meant business. By the end of 1974, every state but Mississippi and Louisiana had passed equality laws, and those two states did so by February of 1975. Racial Equality was now the law throughout the United States. In most places, integration went fairly smoothly, with a few minor riots in Mississippi and Louisiana at the start of the 1976 school year.
The Movement gained even more prominence in 1977, when the reelected President Kennedy made Martin Luther King, Jr. the Secretary of the Interior.
-Macon, Dr. Allen. Equality and America. Atlanta: Southeast Dixie Press, 1998.

IMPERIAL ARMY SMASHES INTO KREMLIN

MOSCOW, NOV 19- The Imperial Baltic Army has taken the Kremlin. Moving swiftly, the Imperial Army was able to defeat what remained of the Red Army of the Central Russian Republic within just a few short months. The remnant of the CRR government was captured as units of the Imperial Army took the Kremlin, and a cease fire has been signed. It is expected that the “Russian War” will be coming to a close. We have learned from sources in Petrograd that the Imperial government has also called for a cease fire with the Socialist Republic of Ukraine, and that is expected to go into effect within a day or so.
-“Imperial Army Smashes Into Kremlin,” Berliner Morgenpost, November 20, 1974.

The Imperial Baltic Army took Moscow on November 19, 1974. On that day, the hammer and sickle of the Soviet state came down from the Kremlin, and the double eagle of the restored Russian monarchy took it’s place, for the first time in 57 years. Communism in Russia was finished for good. On November 22, a cease fire was signed with the Socialist Republic of Ukraine, ending the fighting of the Russian War of 1974. On January 1, 1975, delegations from the Imperial Baltic Federation, the former Central Russian Republic, the Socialist Republic of Ukraine, and the Vladivostok Democratic Republic met in Warsaw, Poland, to discuss the permanent dissolution of the former Soviet Union.
Imperial Russia wanted to take back all lands of the former Russian Empire that had been in Soviet hands after the Polish War. However, the IBF had failed to defeat the Ukrainians, who were demanding independence to “form a true Socialist Republic based on Marx, not on Stalin and Lenin.” And the Vladivostokians wanted independence as well, arguing that “the old Russian empire was just to vast to make administration truly effective, and we would do much better operating on our own.” And the CRR delegation argued, most unsuccessfully, that after nearly six decades without a monarchy, their portion of the Soviet Union would not likely wish to be back under such a “counter-revolutionary system.”
On Febuary 12, 1975, after many days of often heated debates, all the parties signed the Warsaw Treaty, formally ending the Russian War and dissolving the Soviet Union. In the document, the Imperial Baltic Federation formally recognized the independence of the Socialist Republic of Ukraine and the Vladivostok Democratic Republic. The rest of the Soviet Union was to be incorporated into the Imperial Baltic Federation, as 2 separate Imperial states, Muscovy and Siberia, separate from Russia.
On April 30, 1981, there was a popular revolution in Kiev, bringing down the communist regime in that country, ending the 64 year legacy that the 1917 revolution had started. By the end of that year, Ukraine had a democratically elected President and legislature, and the communist party was banned. The world cheered.
However, the trouble was not over for this region. In 1979, a revolution began in the territory of Georgia, part of the Imperial State of Muscovy. The Georgians demanded independence from the IBF. Soon, other non-Russian nationalities demanded their independence. The issue was resolved the Volvograd agreement, which gave independence to 9 different states in the Caucuses and Central Asia. The breakup of the former Soviet Empire was complete.
- Plaks, Dr. Jeffry, History of the Baltic Empire, Cambrigde, MA: Harvard University Press, 1991.

So that wraps up the Racial Equality Movement..for the most part at least, along with finally ending the Soviet Union and communism as a whole.

And now I'm open for suggestions, cause I really have no idea where to go from here and redevelop how the 80's, 90's, and the 2000's play out.
Also, I am going to rewrite parts of the "technology" update, especially the airship bit. After suggestions from phx, I think that I will not totally kill off the airship as I did originally. I think that he's right in the fact that the USN would keep the airship corps (though possibly downsized) for surveillance (oo, thought just occurred to me: could airships be useful in handling some of the US border problems? just a thought).

Anywho, like I said, open to suggestions.