Main Character Index
United States of America
Leader of the Free World
Official Name: United States of America
Ruling Party: Independent
Ideology: Liberal Democracy
America has endured much humiliation. After a disastrous loss to the Axis in the Second World War, America was forced to cede many of her Pacific island possessions to Japan, along with important coastal ports on the West Coast. The election of Lyndon Baines Johnson after the disastrous presidency of Richard Nixon saw the nation reinvigorated with new hope as the promise of the Great Society dawned upon America. However, a Phyric victory in the South African War along with a deeply unpopular intervention in Indonesia began to turn American public opinion against Johnson, and the failure of the Great Society to make any great improvements along with failed attempts at Civil Rights legislation saw Johnson become of the most unpopular presidents in American history. The Indepdent candidate William Westmoreland, a popular war hero from the South African war has managed to win the 72' election against all odds, but it remains to be seen if he can fulfill his promise to 'Reunite America' or if he will only further divide a nation on the brink. General Tropes
- Fallen States of America: It's difficult to enter this fail state, but should the Westmoreland administration fail to pass any significant reforms, the 2nd US Civil War will break out. You have to screw things up really bad
- Oppressive States of America: There are a few factors that have led to the United States being a police state, but the main factor is the massive civil and political unrest that the United States experienced during the disastrous Johnson administration. Minorities, communists, and other political dissidents are all treated with no respect for their civil rights.
- Invaded States of America: Can happen if America falls into Civil War. Mexico, Germany, and China can work covertly to send 'volunteers' to certain factions who favor their interests.
- Enemy Within: Like a hydra at America's dark heart, the American National Vanguard party With covert funding from Germany and China.have been hard at work destabilizing the nation, organizing riots and marches, and committing acts of violence against immigrants and minorities. Unlike in the 1960s, the Yockeyites are very real threat to American democracy.
- Chummy Commies: Because of America's 'Brown Scare,' America tends to promote Communism in other nations as a viable alternative to fascism. As such, America supports the Castro Regime in Cuba, the Ho Chi Minh regime in Vietnam, and is on good terms with the Second Soviet Union at the game start.
- Black-and-Gray Morality: While America is ostensibly the last beacon of freedom, she has certainly made some questionable moral choices as a nation in the last few decades.
Presidents (1971-1975)
William Westmoreland
Party: Independent
Ideology: Liberal Democracy
In-Game Biography Click to Show
William Westmoreland is the President of the United States at game start, having been sworn in on January 20, 1972. Emerging as a dark horse candidate, Westmoreland won largely due to the turmoil caused by the aftermath of the last Johnson term. The Republican-Democrats and the NPP both failed to secure enough electoral votes, and for the first time since 1876, the election was decided by the House. Due to nobody reaching the 269 required threshold, the election ended up being decided by Congress, with some of the R-Ds and the majority of NPP members of Congress voting to elect Westmoreland, hoping he would bring stability to a fractured nation. Westmoreland has chosen George Wallace as his VP (largely in a bid to win over the powerful far-right wing of the NPP party), a compromise that he may later regret.
- Adaptational Heroism: Westmoreland is a good man, though flawed and certainly not a great statesman. But he can resist the worse impulses of his VP and make a significant change with regards to civil rights.
- Adaptational Villainy: On the other hand, Westmoreland can bow to pressure and go against his better nature, refusing to pass civil rights legislation, and kick the can down the road (with potentially catastrophic consequences).
- Big First Choice: Westmoreland's entire administration will be affected by how successful he is at passing the Economic Reform Bill. If Westmoreland fails to do this, the economic crisis in the nation will worsen, and the extreme left and right wings of the NPP will gain influence.
- Broken Pedestal: Westmoreland's tree is partially concerned with shoring up faith in the broken political system caused by the failure of the Johnson administration. Westmoreland, while an Independent, firmly believes in the democratic system and institutions, and will do whatever he can to shore up faith in American ideals.
- Evil Chancellor: Westmoreland's VP is George Wallace, perhaps the WORST choice he could have made. Wallace continually manipulates Westmoreland and threatens and cajoles him into supporting things that go against Westmoreland's better nature.
- Red Scare: Subverted. Under Westmoreland's presidency, a massive Brown Scare breaks out after the Charleston Rally.
- I Did What I Had to Do: Westmoreland is known as the 'Hero of Windhoek' for his brilliant campaign to retake the region from the forces of the Afrika Schild, however, privately the man has many regrets and bad memories from the brutal campaign.
- Mask of Confidence: Westmoreland, while openly confident and friendly, is a deeply self-conscious and self-doubting man - a trait that often gets him into trouble because he trusts his advisors more than himself.
- Historical In-Joke: One of Westmoreland's central foreign policy tenets is strengthening Vietnam as a buffer against China. Westmoreland is good friends with Ho Chi Minh, which is ironic considering Westmoreland's role in the Vietnam War in our timeline
- Secret Police: The Brown Scare of McCarthy along with Hoover's vast overreach and manipulation of Westmoreland makes Westmoreland's administration unintentionally close to that of a police state.
- War Hawk: While Westmoreland suffers from PTSD as a result of the brutal South African War, this has done little to satiate his desire for vengeance on the Germans. In fact, his chief mistake is prioritizing a focus on weakening German interests at the detriment of focusing on other rising threats, such as Nationalist China.
