A VACW: The Red, the White, the Black and the Blue

I kicked off my 2nd American Civil war campaign today. The campaign is based around an alternate history timeline in which the United States descends into war after FDR proposes "court packing" legislation in the spring of 1937. Already unhappy about FDR's New Deal legislation, American businessmen revive a previously aborted plan to assassinate the president and replace him with "Cactus Jack", Jack Nance Garner the presidents Vice President, a vocal critic of FDR and his "leftist" policies.

One of the biggest backers of the plan is Henry Ford, who, driven by his extreme religious views has become convinced that FDR is a Communist agent. Since the aborted assassination plot in 1933 by Giuseppe Zangara, and the failed fiasco of the business plot, also in 1933. Ford has decided that the plan of assassinating FDR doesn't go far enough, he plans on replacing the entire government with a fascist one. After the previously failed plots, Ford has established contacts with the National Socialist Party of Germany and their leader. Adolf being a huge fan of, and inspired by Ford and his philosophies, commands the German SS and Abwer to give him their full cooperation. As such, Henry Ford is able to acquire detailed plans for German small arms, heavy weapons and even tanks. All of which he secretly begins manufacturing and storing in warehouses across Michigan. Ford has also recruited the Black Legion, a group of American Fascists that have a large following in the Michigan, Ohio, Indiana region. Chosen members of this group are sent to Germany by Ford to train with the SS and become the Officer and NCO core of his new private army.

The proposed "court packing" legislation sets Ford in motion. His men first attempt an assassination on FDR, putting him into the hospital in serious condition. Jack Garner takes over the county and is broadcasting live about the attempted "communist plot" to kill FDR, when the White House is attacked and captured by communist forces. Jack Nance Garner is killed by gunfire during the middle of his national address. Numerous members of the Senate, House and Supreme Court are kidnapped by communists agents and murdered. The hero of the hour, General Douglas MacArthur, who just happens to be in town for a meeting with the VP, leads U.S. Army forces from the Aberdeen Proving Grounds to the White House and battles the communists for over four hours before the White House is burned to the ground.

MacArthur assumes command of the nation, imposing martial law and addressing the stunned nation in a somber radio broadcast, where he promises to purge the nation of communist and socialist elements in our once great country. Violent outbreaks erupt across the country against known and suspected, socialists and communists. Thousands are killed and many thousands more are on the run or hiding. Thousand of MAC (MacArthur Anit-Communist) militias form over the course of a few days as order is re-established.

Then...FDR recovers from his wounds. In his first fire-side chat since his recovery he assumes command of the nation once again, urges the peoples of America to stay calm, and dissolves the state of Martial Law imposed by MacArthur .

In Washington MacArthur and J. Edgar Hoover have an emergency meeting. In which Hoover reveals to MacArthur the FBI's ongoing investigation into voter fraud from the last election and FDR. The evidence Hoover presents at the meeting shows that the communist and socialist parties conspired to get FDR elected illegally. Whether FDR was a co-conspirator in the plot is not known, but it is assumed that he was a willing participant of the plot.

The next day at noon, MacArthur addresses the nation via radio once again. He lays out the evidence provided by Hoover (but does not name him as a source) and refuses to relinquish control of the nation, as FDR's election was a fraud. Again the nation erupt into violence, major riots rock almost every metropolitan area. This time, the MAC militias find themselves the targets of the violence. In many cities the American Legion turns out to suppress the rioters and join the MAC militias if they weren't already one and the same. The violence in Pittsburgh is especially brutal with tens of thousands killed. Mutinies, desertions and executions are common fair on military bases and ships across the nation as the military forces and personnel declare their personal allegiances for one cause (or man) or the other. After the smoke settles in pittsburgh, Gen. (retired) Smedley Butler leads a rag-tag force on a march towards the nations capital. In order to depose the fascist MacArthur.

At this point in the conflict J. Edgar Hoover has assumed de facto control of the plot. He is fully aware of all the players, their roles and is now MacArthur's puppet master, and Henry Ford has suffered a fatal heart attack after a visit by friendly local agents of the FBI. Hoover plays both sides, he remains a secret adviser to MacArthur and controls the MAC militias through his network of nation wide informers and spies. While at the same time he plays the loyal public servant to President Roosevelt.

Hoover dispatches the Black Legion forces across the nation to seize important targets. These include radio stations, factories, ports, airfield and petroleum production facilities.

General Butlers march on Washington turns into a bloody and brutal campaign that stretches out though the winter and does not end until MacArthur withdraws his forces from the capitol and retires to the south. He promises that "I shall return".

Across the rest of the nation, little is known about the disposition of U.S. military forces as most have not, or cannot respond to orders issued by both parties claiming to have command of U.S. military forces.

Foreign military intervention begins when the Hindenburg explosion is proven, by an FBI investigation to have been caused by sabotage by communist agents. Germany sends forces to bolster the MacArthur regime, while France sends the Foreign Legion who land in New Orleans to assist U.S. Marines loyal to FDR fight with Texian separatists on the border of Louisiana and Texas. Soviet advisers and equipment land in ports in the Pacific Northwest captured by American communists. numerous independent National Brigades begin forming and are sent to America to fight for one cause or the other.

The Red = Communists
The White = Federal Forces
The Black = Fascist Forces
The Blue = Republic Forces