The strange obsession on AH.com with hanging Confederate leaders frankly has a lot more to do with grinding modern political axes than it does with an impartial and rational reconsideration of the course of American history.
Years? Far, far longer than that, I think.
A navy is not just a bunch of metal ships with guns. It is thousands of officers and crewmen who have experience at sea, who have been rigorously trained, who have mastered the complicated procedures of running a ship to the point that they can do them...
It would have a not-inconsiderable impact on the war itself, for the Free French did provide considerable manpower to the Allied cause, especially in 1943, as well as critical intelligence from within France. But the main impact would be after the war. De Gaulle's great achievement was that he...
Assuming that the Soviets aren't using nuclear weapons for fear of a nuclear response, I don't see how the Soviets can pull this off any more than Philip II, Louis XIV, Napoleon, the Kaiser, or Hitler could.
You know, I never thought of this. I should have made mention of it in House of the Proud.
My own guess is that the stars would be removed as the Union readjusts its view of itself in the years after the end of the war.
All of the enormous material and manpower advantages of the Union over the Confederacy would not mean anything if there is not the political will to use them. In this scenario, we could easily see a total collapse of political will in the North, especially in light of European intervention.
A very interesting POD.
Another point to consider is the impact such a Confederate success would have on the mid-term elections in November. The Democrats might regain control of the House of Representatives, which could spell even further trouble for the Lincoln administration.