August 9 1921 – Franklin D. Roosevelt falls into the cold waters of the Bay of Fundy. By the end of the day is dead from pneumonia and hypothermia.
1923 – Adolf Hitler commits suicide after the failed Beer Hall Putsch.
1925 – Paul von Hindenburg is elected President of Germany
1928 – Herbert Hoover wins the Presidency of the United States.
1929 – The Stock Market crashes sending the world into the Great Depression.
- Howard Davies [fictional character 1], a graduate of Harvard with a degree in economics, returns to the United State from traveling in the USSR. While he is disillusioned by Soviet Communism he does believe in the principles of Socialism. He begins working with unions and speaking throughout the country on the economic benefits of Socialism. Soon, a movement begins to develop.
1930 – Davies now leads the Democratic Socialist Party, a group formed from his early speaking. It’s a conglomeration of labor unions, farmers, intellectuals, and minorities. The Party has won nearly forty seats in the Congress, mostly at the expense of the Republicans, and continues to draw the attention of more and more out of work people. Among the people that attend a DSP rally is a forty-one year old former sergeant from the Great War, named James Michalek [fictional character 2]. Though the unemployed blue collar Michalek is disillusioned with capitalism he despises what he sees as class warfare when he believes people should be uniting around their common American identity.
- Michalek begins speaking at his own functions and printing a paper called the United American to combat the DSP’s paper called the United Worker. Michalek begins attracting the attention of people as well
-In Germany, the Reichstag remains in control of the Social Democrats and Catholic Centre Parties but the DNVP is rapidly increasing in number and becomes the second largest party after the Social Democrats.
1931 – Michalek, now head of the National Democratic Party, forms an alliance with Alvin Owsley, former head of the American Legion. Together they found the American Defense Corp. The ADC is made up of veterans and other men who “seek to defend the American way of life from foreign socialist corruption”. They dress is black field boots, black pants, and blue shirts. They begin marching in the streets of big cities, intimidating opponents, and committing crimes against opposition groups. Michalek and the NDP also begin receiving financial support from business leaders and political support from local officials, all of whom fear the growing influence of the DSP.
1932 – In a four way election between Herbert Hoover, John Nance Garner, Howard Davies, and James Michalek no single party is able to gain enough electoral votes to win the presidency of the White House. The vote goes to the Congress and though there are no members of the NDP currently in Congress (this is the first time they have stood for election) Michalek receive sizable support from both the elite and the poor. The DSP also accuses the NDP of intimidation and terrorizing its supporters. In the end a bargain is reached, the House Democrats will vote for Garner, making him President and Senate will vote for Michalek to become Vice President. The NDP also wins a sizable minority in both houses of Congress. Making the House 140 Democrats, 107 Republicans, 103 Democratic Socialists, and 85 National Democrats and the Senate 40 Democrats, 23 Republicans, 18 National Democrats, and 15 Democratic Socialists.
- Franz von Papen is selected as Chancellor by President Hindenburg. The DNVP and its conservative allies achieve a majority in the Reichstag.
1933 – Garner is sworn in as President, he begins formulating a moderate approach to dealing with the Depression. Michalek, meanwhile, wants more radical change. Advocating for a “third way” similar to Mussolini’s Italy.
- In July, John Nance Garner is assassinated, though it’s never proven a Democratic Socialist is arrested and dies under mysterious circumstances while in prison. James Michalek is sworn in as President and immediately signs an executive order banning the Democratic Socialist Party and declaring those that are in office are to be removed and special elections held for their seats. In the special elections the National Democrats pick up a majority in the House of Representatives and a near majority in the Senate. The Congress now acts to reform major parts of the government and begins cracking down on dissenters.
- Following Michalek’s swearing in he makes a speech to the country in which he “calls on all true Americans to unite against the foreign socialist menace.” He goes on to declare that “class is unimportant when compared with the unity that nationhood can bestow.”
- When violence erupts in New York City, a DSP stronghold, Michalek federalizes the National Guard and with the ADC moves in and crushes the dissent. He then declares a state of emergency for the country and suspends several laws.
- Paul von Hindenburg dies. Papen, acting as Chancellor, invites Wilhelm II to retake the throne. He accepts, but is surprised when he learns he will only be a figurehead. Papen and the DNVP have succeeded in securing most power for the Chancellor. The DNVP have also made sure that they have a permanent majority in the Reichstag that assures Papen is in complete control.
1923 – Adolf Hitler commits suicide after the failed Beer Hall Putsch.
1925 – Paul von Hindenburg is elected President of Germany
1928 – Herbert Hoover wins the Presidency of the United States.
1929 – The Stock Market crashes sending the world into the Great Depression.
- Howard Davies [fictional character 1], a graduate of Harvard with a degree in economics, returns to the United State from traveling in the USSR. While he is disillusioned by Soviet Communism he does believe in the principles of Socialism. He begins working with unions and speaking throughout the country on the economic benefits of Socialism. Soon, a movement begins to develop.
1930 – Davies now leads the Democratic Socialist Party, a group formed from his early speaking. It’s a conglomeration of labor unions, farmers, intellectuals, and minorities. The Party has won nearly forty seats in the Congress, mostly at the expense of the Republicans, and continues to draw the attention of more and more out of work people. Among the people that attend a DSP rally is a forty-one year old former sergeant from the Great War, named James Michalek [fictional character 2]. Though the unemployed blue collar Michalek is disillusioned with capitalism he despises what he sees as class warfare when he believes people should be uniting around their common American identity.
- Michalek begins speaking at his own functions and printing a paper called the United American to combat the DSP’s paper called the United Worker. Michalek begins attracting the attention of people as well
-In Germany, the Reichstag remains in control of the Social Democrats and Catholic Centre Parties but the DNVP is rapidly increasing in number and becomes the second largest party after the Social Democrats.
1931 – Michalek, now head of the National Democratic Party, forms an alliance with Alvin Owsley, former head of the American Legion. Together they found the American Defense Corp. The ADC is made up of veterans and other men who “seek to defend the American way of life from foreign socialist corruption”. They dress is black field boots, black pants, and blue shirts. They begin marching in the streets of big cities, intimidating opponents, and committing crimes against opposition groups. Michalek and the NDP also begin receiving financial support from business leaders and political support from local officials, all of whom fear the growing influence of the DSP.
1932 – In a four way election between Herbert Hoover, John Nance Garner, Howard Davies, and James Michalek no single party is able to gain enough electoral votes to win the presidency of the White House. The vote goes to the Congress and though there are no members of the NDP currently in Congress (this is the first time they have stood for election) Michalek receive sizable support from both the elite and the poor. The DSP also accuses the NDP of intimidation and terrorizing its supporters. In the end a bargain is reached, the House Democrats will vote for Garner, making him President and Senate will vote for Michalek to become Vice President. The NDP also wins a sizable minority in both houses of Congress. Making the House 140 Democrats, 107 Republicans, 103 Democratic Socialists, and 85 National Democrats and the Senate 40 Democrats, 23 Republicans, 18 National Democrats, and 15 Democratic Socialists.
- Franz von Papen is selected as Chancellor by President Hindenburg. The DNVP and its conservative allies achieve a majority in the Reichstag.
1933 – Garner is sworn in as President, he begins formulating a moderate approach to dealing with the Depression. Michalek, meanwhile, wants more radical change. Advocating for a “third way” similar to Mussolini’s Italy.
- In July, John Nance Garner is assassinated, though it’s never proven a Democratic Socialist is arrested and dies under mysterious circumstances while in prison. James Michalek is sworn in as President and immediately signs an executive order banning the Democratic Socialist Party and declaring those that are in office are to be removed and special elections held for their seats. In the special elections the National Democrats pick up a majority in the House of Representatives and a near majority in the Senate. The Congress now acts to reform major parts of the government and begins cracking down on dissenters.
- Following Michalek’s swearing in he makes a speech to the country in which he “calls on all true Americans to unite against the foreign socialist menace.” He goes on to declare that “class is unimportant when compared with the unity that nationhood can bestow.”
- When violence erupts in New York City, a DSP stronghold, Michalek federalizes the National Guard and with the ADC moves in and crushes the dissent. He then declares a state of emergency for the country and suspends several laws.
- Paul von Hindenburg dies. Papen, acting as Chancellor, invites Wilhelm II to retake the throne. He accepts, but is surprised when he learns he will only be a figurehead. Papen and the DNVP have succeeded in securing most power for the Chancellor. The DNVP have also made sure that they have a permanent majority in the Reichstag that assures Papen is in complete control.