The 2nd American Civil War

The 2nd American Civil War, originally uploaded by studestevo.

It all began September 11th, 2001 with an attack on America by fundamentalist terrorists from the Middle East. When a series of incompetent leaders in the US reacted by involving the nations military in the ancient middle eastern civil war between Sheite and Sunni sects, American fortunes steadily declined. First there was the insurgencies in Iraq, then full civil war which did nothing but pit the American military in the crossfire. Eventually the war raged on and grew. Attacks on America's ally, Isreal culminated into a chaotic battle where America felt compelled to throw in the bulk of their already overstretched military. This battle took place between, America, Isreal, and some nato allies and Iran, Syria, Lebanon and various middle eastern groups. Two massive armies met in a pitched battle in Syria. It was like a prophesy, taking place near the place called armageddon. Many religious groups thought this truely was a sign of the end times. Isreal got some intelligence that the other side had low yield nuclear weapons and that the arab army was actually on a massive suicide mission. The Americans didn't heed the advice of the Isrealis. Isreal kept the bulk of her army in reserve, while the American army and her Nato allies went headlong into the trap. The resulting conflagration left the Western forces in tatters -- shattered and ineffective. This left the overstretched American military in other parts of the middle east isolated and targeted. The US government lost all prestige all over the world. Save the massive nuclear stockpiles in the US, the United States was no longer seen as a super power, but as a weak has been.

In the meantime, the hard core conservative forces that started the oil wars, as they came to be called, found themselves unpopular after Iraq. This brought in a more liberal anti-military administration. Conservatives across the country couldn't stand that, so they went back to what they were doing in the 90's, dreaming up conspiracy theories and forming militias. Two noteable militia groups formed out of the resurgent militia organizations -- one was called the Northwest Alliance formed around many racist groups who wanted to form an isolationist nation in the northwest part of the United States. The other, actually a southern offshoot of the Northwest Alliance, was called the Confederate States of America, or CSA. They formed around many southern racist groups and far ultra right religious groups. They formed when a liberal administration was voted in. Then, the American mood shifted again, and another far right wing group was voted in. The liberals wanted to diplomatically back out of the wars in the middle east. The right wingers wanted to not only carry on, but also extend the war into Iran. When the right wingers got back in, the set up was created for the climatic battle that came in Syria. Meanwhile the economic fortunes of the US went south, as the US's dependence on oil soured every aspect of American life. Average citizens began looking for simple answers to complex issues, and for scapegoats. There were many instances of unrest at home, with anti war protesters fighting pro war forces, often violently, and different ethinic groups fighting each other in the streets through gang activity and even out right riots in many large cities. There were no leaders in Washington dealing with any of these issues realistically. Americans began to look at their elected leaders as a class of plutocrats who thought of nothing but their own careers.

During the liberal administration, a militia group and the US government got involved in a pitched battle. It was called the Battle of the Merrimeck River in Missouri, close to St. Louis. It ended when the dug in militia members and their families were napalmed, much to the horror of the nation. It was especially bad when the truth came out that the militia had been set up by government forces, and were actually only realistically defending themselves against an illegal raid. The reaction was strongest in Idaho, when a new political party called the Northwest Alliance, strongly alligned with the Aryan Nations, got their governor elected. He promplty started defying the federal government on many issues, but never strongly enough to warrant military intervention. After the battle in Syria, where many Americans lost all confidence in their government, the Governor of Idaho made his move. He declared Idaho an autonomous state, and declared that all legal bonds between his state and the federal government were null and void. He kinda forgot to consult his legislature though. They immediately censured the governor and started impeachement proceedings. However, he countered by declaring them outlaw, and called upon the Idaho national guard to take over the state house. Most of the National guard refused that order. However, the militia groups of the state showed up in large numbers, and attempted to execute the governors orders. As they did, open warfare broke out in Boise and in the mountains between the militias and the Idaho National Guard. The federal government responded by calling on state national guard units to go to the aid of the Idaho National Guard. However, in Idaho, as in all states, the national guard units were weakened terribly, as they were sent to the middle east, and many were destroyed in the battles there. Many National guard units that tried to respond were ambushed on the way by militia units sympathetic to The Idaho governor. They started calling themselves the Northwest Alliance. The violent insurgency spread throughout the northwest and west. In the south, a weaker version of the Northwest Alliance began an insurgency based out of the allegeny mountains. This group, with similar aims, called itself the Confederate States of America, or CSA.

This was not the only crisis facing the federal government. Due to the obvious misshandling of crises in Washington, many states, mostly conserverative southern states began their old campaign for states rights. A conference of mostly southern governors met, and decided to press for greater autonomy among the states. Among their aims were repeal of the federal income tax in favor of state taxes and a flat tax and a national sales tax, and also for states to have a primacy in determining their own affairs. The met with the president, and due to the state of the weakened federal government, he had no choice but to aquiesce. The northeastern states were totally against this plan thinking this was not good for the nation as a whole. However they were powerless as well. A dual system evolved, where the northeastern and midwestern states were on the old system, and the southeastern states were on the new. Each state could vote to decide afterward. Eerie echoes of the American Civil war of the 1860's were spoken in the halls of congress and in the living rooms of the land. America was trying to regroup and martial her resources. The leaders, if they had been listening and watching, would have known that the nuclear genie was out of the bottle. The leadership was brilliant in its idiocy.

The Northwest alliance proved resiliant, and determined. The Idaho national guard was destroyed. Anybody who opposed the governor was rounded up and shot. He held an absolute dicatorship in the northwest and encouraged other insurgencies all across the US and Canada. The US could not rally any force to defeat them. Even regular US troops were ineffective. Then, it got really dangerous. The Northwesterners got ahold of nuclear weapons. They found themselves in possetion of nuclear silos. America's Nato allies were concerned. Even though it was beleived that World War III had been happening for sometime, so far all out nuclear war had been adverted. The United States Federal government seemed unable to avert this crisis, so the painful call went out for her Nato allies to get involved. By this time, japan, now an active part of nato had a growing effective navy. She sent a submarine to monitor the Northwest alliance, and assist if needed. The Northwest alliance had aquired many weapons, including a small air force and missiles. The world was shocked when the japanese sub was sunk with loss of all life aboard. Nato began pressing the US government for them to be allowed to come into the Midwest and west to secure the nuclear arsenal. Many in Washington argued that it was treason to allow any foreign nation to step on American soil. They didn't have any time though to argue this.

No one knows who exploded the device, or what the device actually was. Was it Middle eastern terrorists? Or was it the domestic ones? It doesn't matter. The federal government, already weakened and struggling to get back on its feet, was beheaded, when a low yeild nuclear device went off in the national mall. The government was not prepared and the timing couldn't be worse. As all congressmen and other leaders in washington were meeting to discuss the Nato plan, the bomb went off, killing not only them, but the executive branch of the government all the way down to the secretary of education, who was a woman suffering from cancer, and was away in California for treatment. She was the new President of the United States. She flew back immediately to the new temporary capitol. After a couple of days, when it was apparent that she was not up to the task, the next unthinkable thing happened -- a military coup.

Martial law was declared. The states in the northeast protested, and asked for help from Canada. Nato waited no longer, and came into the United States and took over all the nuclear sites. It was found that the northwest alliance didn't have the capabiltity of launching any nuclear missiles and the sites that they held were obsolete and incapable of military use. In the meantime, the southwestern states with a new immigrant majority made of mostly of mexican expatriots held a vote. It became known as the Mexican Plebiscite. Feeling that the federal government was basically gone, and that anarchy was taking over the US, it would be better to cast their fortunes with the Federal Republic of Mexico. it was not outright succession, but rather an opening of the border with people in the southwest sharing dual citizenship with mexico. However, many in the new anglo minority began fighting an insurgency -- a race war of sorts began in the southwest.

A radical right wing group was in power in Texas, feeling that the states rights were not enough. They saw the deterioration of the US as a sign, and when they were in danger of losing their state to the plebiscite, they decided to become the lone star nation. Texas succeeded from the Union, the first such state to really formally do so. They were followed by Oklahoma, Arkansas, Western Louisanna, southern Kansas and southwestern Missouri. Forces were sent west to fight the Mexicans. Ethnic cleansing began in parts of Texas.

In an effort to ease the transition and appeal to those states under Nato control, the government of Canada offered the benefits of Canadian law. There were many takers as the canadian system had long appealed to many americans. Noteably the Northeastern states went for it as did the far northwest pacific regions down to San Francisco. The Northwest Alliance was now being demolished in the midwest and focused their anger southward. They even threatened to nuke San Francisco, but their threats were empty. Mainly they raided south into the plebiscite attempting to "cleanse" any "non-white". As a military force they were pretty well contained to a small area around Boise and the mountains.

The next region to formally succeed from the Union, was Utah. Seeing all this as a sign of the second coming, radical mormons took over the capitol and declared the autonomous state of deseret. They fought mostly defensive battles against insurgents.

The Republic of Texas and the United States fought skirmishes, but never really outright war. However, the Texans fought the Nato forces in Missouri, Illinois, Kansas and other parts of the midwest. A terrible battle erupted in St. Louis, leaving that city and much of the area around it in ruins. On the western side of the state, they took a page from history declaring themselves nuetral. People euphemistically referred to the kansas City Metropolitan area as "Kingdom City." Nominally, they are a part of the United States, but actually they are autonomous -- hence the initials, (SAZ) or Semi-autonomous Zone. Their position in the heart of the midwest and as a nuetral transportation center made them the switzerland of the midwest. Many kansas citians became rich off the trade flowing through their city.