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The Weltkrieg[]
1917[]
American intervention in the Weltkrieg was alleviated after Wilhelm II refused to resume unrestricted submarine warfare.
John "Jack" Reed, an American journalist working for the socialist magazine "The Masses," departed New York in August with his wife and colleague, Louise Bryant, to write on the climate of Russia following the February Revolution. Having arrived in Petrograd shortly after the Kornilov affair, they were witness to the beginning of the October Revolution and the fall of the Winter Palace, during their stay they ingratiated themselves to the new government as fellow socialists.
1918[]
Following his return from Russia, Reed would praise the Bolsheviks and begin working on a book about the October Revolution
As the war began to turn against the Entente and their allies, American investors began demanding more collateral from their clients, which included most of the French gold reserves.
In September, Huey P. Long, a young Louisiana lawyer, is elected to a seat on the Louisiana Railroad Commission; this would be the first political office Long came to serve in. A vocal enemy of the monopolistic Standard Oil Company, he quickly gained a reputation as a great campaigner, orator, and populist.
1919[]
In early 1919, Jack Reed would publish "Ten Days that Shook the World." Becoming the definitive English account of the Russian Revolution, the book would go on to earn Reed great notoriety among American leftist circles.
By 1919 support for the Temperance Movement reached its zenith, with over half of the states in the country having implemented laws on the prohibition of alcohol, and most others having implemented local restrictions on the sale of alcohol. Attempts to implement Prohibition on the federal level would fall flat however, with wet senators having filibustered attempts to implement a ban on the sale of alcohol. In addition, several publicized cases of methanol poisoning caused by the production of moonshine, and the continued production and sale of alcohol in dry states, began to turn public opinion against the Anti-Saloon League and the Temperance movement at large.
By the end of the year France had surrendered, signing the Treaty of Versailles with the Central Powers. Despite the loss of the Entente, which resulted in significant losses for American investors, the United States maintained a state of economic stability and military security.
The Roaring Twenties and the Red Wars[]
1920 - The Emergency National Congress of the Socialist Party[]
Prologue[]
The dilemma at the heart of the Emergency National Committee could be traced to the simultaneous revolutions in Russia and France and the resulting debate on which group to support. Following the elections in 1919, Benjamin Gitlow, C. E. Ruthenberg, William B. Lloyd, and John Reed were among the new leadership of the Socialist Party of America, yet many saw the elections as creating a rift in the party as many Bolsheviks in the party mourned the collapse of the Bolsheviks in Europe, whereas the growing strength of the French revolutionaries in western Europe were shifting many within the SPA to syndicalism. With this in mind, the NEC announced its intention to hold an Emergency National Congress to determine the future of the Socialist Party in the days before May Day.
The Congress[]
In the opening session of the Congress, the Executive Secretary, Alfred Wagenknecht, called a sizable crowd to order. He would go on to commend the party for its success in organizing the workers since its ascent to leftism, while also placing emphasis on the successful dock strikes against efforts to supply the American Expeditionary Force in Russia. Wagenknecht then shifted the crowd's attention to the primary issue of the session, that being how to respond to the growing influence the Commune of France was having on leftist movements across the globe.
Gitlow would start out the discussion by voicing his support for the new Commune, pointing out their success in driving out reactionary forces and their success in controlling their own territory. Ruthenberg would then fire back, noting the disorganized state exhibited by the CGT, despite it being the last holdout of leftism across the world. Ruthenberg would then go on to claim that through Jacobin contacts, he had come to learn that the "natural allies of the French worker" were being sidelined in favor of "disorganization and pro-German military activities". (The carefully worded dogwhistle in reference to anarchist and Syndicalist politics was just the opening salvo in the long dance between the Syndicalist and Communist factions of the Party as they had repeatedly attempted to win the dwindling right-wing socialists to their own sides.)
The heated exchanges continued for nearly an hour, but ultimately John Reed was able to somewhat quiet the bickering crowds. Reed would then note his mourning for the failure of the leaders of the Russian Revolution, and the workers he had seen all throughout Petrograd that must have been suffering for having chose liberation. But Reed saw little reason to, at least on May Day, not celebrate one of the last successful revolutions on Earth. Reed reasoned that if the socialists and CGT could cooperate, it could allow for rapprochement between the estranged IWW and Socialist Party and allow them to work together to bring freedom to the United States. Reed's thought had proven radical enough that the crowd fell into a murmur and sudden applause, much to Reed's bewilderment.
Later, Eugene Debs would make an appearance at the Congress, marking a rare instance of intra-party cooperation at the Congress. According to Debs, Reed had the right ideas on intra-party unity. Over eight years prior the SPA voted to expel Bill Haywood and his allies due to their preference for direct action and sabotage for the labor cause. The party had never been able to recover from the split.
“If we had not driven away our close friends in those years, who is to say what we could have gained? The toil of the workers, the cries of children without parents, the anguish of war – how much could us united have stopped? We have been given a sign, a chance to make things right, and we must take it, or be lost."
Deb’s heartfelt plea to rescind the 1911 expulsions and amendments attacking direct action and sabotage could not fall on deaf ears, not even to those less inclined to the IWW and the new French state. The stage was set for reconciliation in the American Left.
Aftermath[]
In the aftermath of the Congress, not much would end up changing for the Socialist Party of America. Debs would go on to break his 1912 electoral record in his 5th presidential bid while the party would continue its slow march into popularity and national politics. While the party politics would continue to revolve around the dichotomy of the Communist and Syndicalist wings of the party for years afterward. But there was no denying the importance of the Emergency Congress in creating a general sense of solidarity among the American left.
1920[]
In November, the United States would see its first elections in which women had the right to vote, thanks to the 18th Amendment which had gone into affect on November 1st. The Democratic ticket of William McAdoo, and Alexander Palmer would be elected into power.
As the dust began to settle from the French Civil War, and the Russian Revolution began to collapse, Jack Reed was sent to report on the newly formed French socialist government. Taken aback by the comparative efficiency and providability of the CGT government compared to that of the Bolsheviks, Reed becomes an ardent supporter of the syndicalist cause.
1921[]
The promising political career of Franklin D. Roosevelt is tragically cut short when he succumbs to acute poliomyelitis.
In the aftermath of the Matewan Massacre and the murder of Sheriff Sid Hatfield, 10,000 UMW coal miners in Mingo County, West Virginia, began a guerrilla war against their employers. Against the advice of Mary "Mother" Jones, the strikers marched on neighboring anti-Union stronghold Logan County over a peak called Blair Mountain. The Battle of Blair Mountain ended in a union victory, and Logan was soon under their control. Nearby AFL and IWW members began to travel to the region to support the uprising. President McAdoo, on the advice of Vice-President Palmer, ordered the Army in. Brigadier General William Mitchell, a proponent of close air support, worked with "Sheriff" Don Chaffin of Logan to drop explosives and tear gas on the town. Logan was surrounded and ordered to unconditionally surrender or be tried for treason. After diplomatic overtures by William Blizzard and the other leaders of the uprising failed, morale collapsed and the miners surrendered, although most hid their weaponry in caches rather than turn them in. General Mitchell's promises of amnesty proved to be hollow – and Blizzard, Jones, and many others were tried and executed.
In the aftermath of the Mingo War, Vice-President Palmer begins a program of left-wing suppression. However, the "Palmer Raids" backfire as their uncoordinated nature, along with shock and rage over the executions of the Mingo War's leaders, drive leftists together under the Socialist Party of America, which begins to grow as an electoral force.
1922[]
Now Chairman of the Louisiana Public Service Commission, Long successfully sues the Cumberland Telephone & Telegraph Company for unfair rate increases, earning $440,000 in refunds for 80,000 customers. Long defeats appeals of the case all the way to the Supreme Court, prompting Chief Justice and former President William Taft to call Long “one of the greatest legal minds [he had] ever met”.
1923[]
A general strike is called in Seattle. Workers from all unions and backgrounds join together, first to demand a bevy of concessions from the city and its industries – and then begin to move towards a far grander design. A General Strike Committee is formed for the "Seattle Commune", becoming the de facto city government from early-April to mid-May. When news that the Army is about to be deployed again breaks, the Committee disbands and work resumes. With a lack of violent actions to prosecute, there are no executions like Mingo - and the aftermath is an overall increase in the bonds between American leftists. Jack Reed, returned from France, plays an active part in the Commune's government, and his writings both increase the popularity of syndicalism among Americans and elevate him to a leading voice in socialist politics.
1924[]
McAdoo and Palmer are re-elected to a second term. Long runs an unsuccessful Gubernatorial campaign, but pioneers the use of radio advertisements and sound trucks in Southern politics.
The Great Depression[]
1925[]
The TUC's general strike spooked conservatives and brought smiles to the left, but Washington and Wall Street remained confident that the situation was under control. As the British Revolution takes shape, it becomes clear that America's greatest trading partner has suffered an irreparable blow, and panic sets in. On April 20th, the inevitable comes to pass, and the New York Stock Exchange takes its largest recorded plunge. The Roaring Twenties come to a roaring halt.
A lone bright spot arrives in May, as Charles Lindbergh makes the first solo transatlantic flight from New York to Paris.
A special "pan-union" congress is called in Philadelphia on July 12th, where Jack Reed and the leaders of the IWW put forth a bold plan to form an umbrella organization to coordinate union activities and policy, to the end of bringing the revolution to America, tentatively named "The Combined Syndicates of America". Though the plan is met with general approval, several constituent unions within the AFL object to the goal of revolution. A meeting between Reed and representatives of the dissent unions worked out a compromise. The anti-revolution unions would be organized into a uniquely autonomous branch of the CSA headed by Norman Thomas, the famous socialist and anti-war activists. "One Big Union" was now a reality.
The Socialist Party convenes on October 4th, and is quickly swayed towards the CSA's program of direct action, or at least that cooperation with the program would bring electoral success.
1926[]
The United States recovers some of its dignity by spearheading the creation of the Legation Cities in the aftermath of the German Intervention in China, citing the Open Door Policy. Notably, Quentin Roosevelt, the son of former President Theodore Roosevelt, is sent as part of the US diplomatic efforts to protect American Interest abroad. In addition to gaining recognition as an able diplomat during the Intervention, Quentin Roosevelt earned some additional fame for his aviation skills.
But the economic situation continued to be dire, and accordingly American businesses reluctantly begin to drop their longstanding enmity towards trading with the German Empire. California and the Pacific Northwest turn towards Japanese instead, resuming steady economic growth. Elsewhere, the unemployment rate remained in the double digits.
The November congressional elections see the Socialist Party of America jump from five seats to twenty-three seats in the House of Representatives, and Seymour Stedman of Illinois becomes the first Socialist senator.
1927[]
The Columbine Mine Massacre occurs. The growing leftist voice in government will not let the matter rest, and eventually Federal charges are brought against the Rocky Mountain Fuel Company and several police officers. Although only one man is convicted, it is the first time in U.S. labor history that anyone has been brought to justice for violence against strikers.
1928[]
In May, Huey Long is elected Governor of Louisiana, under the slogan "Every man a king, but no one wears a crown" – and begins a massive public works and enrichment program. His vicious attacks on corporate power and the upper-class lead his detractors to label him a socialist, which he viciously denies, calling the CSA and Socialist Party power-hungry conspirators aiming to topple the United States. Harder to deflect are the accusations of demagoguery and abuses of power.
In November, Herbert Hoover and Charles Curtis easily defeat Al Smith and Joseph Robinson, promising a great program of rail and other construction to combat unemployment. The Socialist Party, running Norman Thomas, takes several Midwestern states – though not enough to keep the Republicans from a majority of electoral votes. Jack Reed runs for Senator in New York to support the bid, and is swept into power in an upset.
Rise of the Kingfish[]
1929[]
After four months of complete government inactivity between the McAdoo and Hoover administrations, the 19th Amendment is proposed and passed, moving Inauguration Day to January 20th and the reopening of Congress to the 3rd.
After nearly being impeached over an oil tax for funding his social programs, Long becomes even more convinced that people's interests must be fought for outside the law, and grows increasingly dictatorial in his methods.
Norman Thomas uses his failed Presidential bid to win the New York City Mayoral race, becoming one of many Socialists now holding major offices throughout the country.
1930[]
The longtime Catholic radio preacher, Father Charles Coughlin, begins attacking both socialism, syndicalism, and the greed of the capitalist classes for creating the conditions to allow these ideologies to flourish. He draws in millions of listeners of all backgrounds and denominations.
After the Louisiana legislature shoots down most of his proposals, Long abruptly begins a bid for the US Senate - and wins. However, he refuses to stop being Governor, and leaves the Senate seat as vacant while he is away from D.C., claiming that the bid was a referendum on his popularity with the people of Louisiana, Long returns to pushing his reforms with a new mandate.
1931[]
Coughlin is dropped by CBS after he refuses to let them review his scripts – so he raises money from his listeners to create his own network.
Labor disputes in America have begun to return better results for workers, from a combination of public sympathy, CSA organizing and direction, and Socialist Party support. With the Republican's work program not addressing any of the systemic problems plaguing the American lower classes, direct action and a Socialist administration are seen as the only reasonable solutions by most unionized workers. Working in the Senate has begun to open Reed to the idea of "reform from the top", and he begins conferring with the social democratic wing of the SPA on running for President himself.
Long's programs give Louisiana some of the best infrastructure in the United States, but the Governor takes a heavy, nigh-dictatorial hand in all State affairs. In October, Lieutenant Governor Paul N. Cyr demands that Long resign the position and enter the Senate. In response, Long summons the Louisiana National Guard to garrison the Governor's mansion and defend himself from the "coup". After suing in the Supreme Court to get Cyr removed on a technicality, he appoints his friend Oscar K. Allen as the new Lieutenant Governor and future puppet. His power base secured, Long finally takes his seat as Senator.
Storm Clouds[]
1932[]
At the Democratic National Convention, Huey Long runs for the Presidential nomination but the party instead chooses long serving Maryland governor Albert Ritchie. Long responds by forming his own party – the "America First Party”.
The Presidential election is the most chaotic in recent memory – as the Socialists and the somewhat recovered Democrats peel off states from the Republicans, and many states are won without a majority of votes. With a hung Electoral Collage, the House of Representatives narrowly re-elects Hoover as President, causing widespread outrage.
1933[]
The Dust Bowl begins in South Dakota, but soon becomes centered around the Oklahoma Panhandle and Kansas. The storms reach all the way to D.C., and New England's winter snow is tinted red. Farmers and their communities are forced to migrate in the millions, many heading west to California. The industrial-worker and miner focused Socialists are unable to offer solutions to the problem, especially with the displaced rural populations now competing for work in the big cities.
1934[]
After years of planning, the America First Party is officially founded by Senator Huey Long.
The AFP grows rapidly amongst southern and rural populations, being endorsed by Father Coughlin, whose National Union for Social Justice has aligned itself to the party. He coins the slogan "All for Long or All is Lost". The rise of the AFP also attracts radical spiritualist and esoteric political theorist William Dudley Pelley, whose "Silver Legion" paramilitary have begun to intermix with Long's own "Minute Men" paramilitary groups and become increasingly entrenched within the party. Despite this Long tries to keep Pelley and the Silver Legion at a distance, but does not condemn or disavow their support.
Quentin Roosevelt, groomed as the Roosevelt family's heir after the death of Franklin in 1921, narrowly defeats Norman Thomas to become Governor of New York.
1935[]
Charles Lindbergh takes an interest in nativist politics after a German immigrant is convicted for the kidnapping and murder of his son. His fame and notoriety leads to Long seriously considering him as his candidate for Vice President – although eventually settling on his longtime ally William Lemke instead – and making him a prominent figure in the party.