The Union and CSA
In North America, the Confederacy fought with all the strength of a cornered animal, desperate to fight off Union invaders, desperate in their own right to end this bloody affair. The Union, believing its forces incapable of defeat this late into the war, sent the Mississippi Division on three long and bloody campaigns to take Austin, Atlanta, and Jackson. The Atlanta campaign, headed by Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman, was the most brutal and successful. Given near-complete autonomy by President Lincoln, Sherman applied destructive tactics, spreading his troops to inflict damage on as much Confederate land as possible.
While Sherman’s Confederate counterpart, General Joseph Johnston, was originally successful in stalling the Union advance, managing to inflict large casualties onto the Union Army, albeit at great cost, by October, much of his force had been killed or had deserted. Unable to defend Atlanta through open battle, he and his army retreated into the city, hoping to wait out an anticipated siege. Without large Confederate opposition, Sherman was able to reach Atlanta in early November, resulting in the short battle of Atlanta and the month long siege that followed. On December 16, Atlanta fell into Union hands and, after ordering the city evacuated, on December 21, Sherman directed his forces to raze the city to the ground, thereby inflicting severe damage to both Confederate infrastructure and morale.
In the other two campaigns, Union armies were less fortunate. Both the Jackson and Austin campaigns resulted in stalemates, with both sides suffering heavy losses. The stalwart defence of its positions resulted in a much needed boost of Confederate morale, softening the blow of the Union march on Atlanta. As the year drew to a close, however, deserters and slave revolts in Confederate lines resulted in a slow but steady Union advance. In the words of President Lincoln, “And his truth is marching on! Though it may be at a snail’s pace.”
The Union’s most ambitious campaign, however, was the “March on Richmond” by the Army of the Potomac, headed by General-in-Chief Grant himself. Unfortunately for the Union, a series of events undermined the campaign. First, Grant was ambushed by Confederate forces on his journey to rejoin his troops, wounding him and delaying his arrival. As a result, it would not be until early August that Grant was able to take charge of the Army, and it was not until late in the month that he began his campaign. This delay meant that Richmond and its surroundings had ample time to prepare their defences, and, with General Robert Lee himself at the Confederate helm, Grant’s armies were defeated and battered by the military genius. While the Union suffered heavy casualties in each successive battle, Richmond's defenders come out none the worse for wear. By late November, Grant had issued a full retreat, believing the only other option was complete annihilation. In order to celebrate this momentous victory, Jefferson Davis, the Confederacy’s President, declared November 22 to November 29, the days of Grant’s retreat, to be “Victory Week” and a national holiday in the Confederate States, lifting the dampened Confederate spirits.
Elsewhere, however, Confederate ranks were spread far and thin, breaking underneath heavy Union pressure. With nearly all of the Confederacy’s soldiers on the front lines, dissension bred within its inner borders. Starting in early April, emboldened slaves took up arms against their former masters, setting their former plantations to flames and capturing many of the surrounding Confederate cities. By late November, much of the western Confederacy was either in the hands of Union forces or the revolting slaves, many of whom joined the recovering Mississippi Division. Even by December, slave revolts continued throughout the Confederate heartland, as the manpower required to put them down would have weakened Confederate lines and invited attacks from Union forces. Dissent took hold even in the Confederate front lines, resulting in the “Bloody Month” of April, with several Confederate officials found dead in their homes, and hundreds of soldiers mutinying against their acting officers.
Not all of the Union's actions were related to the war, however, as on August 7, President Lincoln granted recognition to the French-appointed Emperor of Mexico, Maximilian II, in exchange for closer future relations with France and Mexico. Behind closed doors, the Union secured the neutrality of both the French and British, and rumors spread of mysterious contacts with the Union’s Russian friends.
Canada
In contrast to the conflicts raging throughout the rest of North America, the United Province of Canada sat peaceful and serene under the watchful British eye. With the support of the UK’s economic powerhouse, the Canadian administration, led by Governor General Charles Monk, turned its focus to the industrialization and expansion of the Colony.
A campaign of several successful acts and subsidies by the colonial government pursued the industrialization of both the Western and Eastern provinces of Canada. The campaign was largely successful, resulting in a large growth of new and old companies and factories dominating the Canadian market. Friendly, and some unfriendly, competition between these rising companies, caused large economic growth within both the East and West, the latter only just edging past its competitor. While nothing compared to the colonial giants of Europe, many notable economists compared Canada’s then-current economy to that of a sizable nation.
At the same time, another Canadian campaign saw several tax cuts and subsidies issued for rising railroad companies, and, with the economy on the rise, these companies put their saved money to good use. By the end of the year, fledgeling railroads connect the newly formed economic centers of Canada, boosting trade throughout the country. Despite this seeming success, the price to ride on these railroads continues to rise throughout the year, as companies make use of unchallengeable monopolies. Economists warned that without government intervention the entire economic system could collapse onto itself.
With the economy on the rise, the Canadian government turned its eye toward both Rupert's Land and the Northwest Territories, both privately owned by the Hudson Bay Company. With new funds bolstering the colonial treasury, and the political clout of the British at its back, a long series of negotiations followed over the procurement of the territory. By the end of the year, a deal was made. On November 19, the HBC handed over the two territories in exchange for a payment of 45 million pound sterling plus irrevocable trading rights in the area for the next 20 years.
The last of the Government’s main goals in 1864 was the expansion of its local military forces, with an extensive recruitment campaign securing several thousand men into local militia. The men’s lack of training and discipline, as well as the militia’s lack of organization, however, hampered the sizable number’s effect.
With the Canadian economy secure, a conference was called to determine the future of Canada and its surrounding colonies. The conference began on Thursday, September 1, with a banquet for the delegates. Parties and banquets were held each night after the day's discussions had ended, except for Sunday, September 4, when they did not meet. The representatives from the Province of Canada dominated the conference, overshadowing the concerns of the Maritimes, and laying out foundations for the union that benefited them the most. Four of the first five days were spent outlining the Canadian position, and the Maritime representatives did not discuss their own plans until September 6 and 7. This domination of the conference would prove largely to the benefit of the aspiring colony, with many of the delegates being won over to the idea of a unified Canadian nation, albeit still operating within the British Empire.
Lastly, in order to endear him and his nation to his southern neighbor, on September 3, Monk sent a sizable force of 1,000 volunteers to the American Union army, promising it Canada’s full support in the American Civil War. Though unusable in the already launched campaigns, Union officials believed the Canadian support could prove useful in the next of the Union’s attacks by shielding the damaged Potomac forces.
Latin America
On the 21st of May, the French Appointed Emperor of Mexico, Maximilian, landed in Veracruz. With Mexico City already in the hands of the French, Maximilian created his court at Chapultepec Castle, and began several liberal reforms in order to better the lives of the lower class. This includes the annulment of previous debts and the banning of forced servitude for those who could not pay theirs off. With these liberal reforms in place, Mexico was able to reopen relations with the previously hostile Union, resulting in the recognition of his title as Emperor. Many of the Emperor’s followers believe that victory is not far away.
Spain
1864 saw a strange cohesion between the opposing Spanish Liberal and Conservative political factions on the matter of how best to spend the country’s resources. Both sides agreed that two things needed to be accomplished for Spain to regain its former prestige: economic growth and colonial expansion. While this like-minded objective would allow for the success of both of these goals, the peace was not to be kept. By December, the groups were once again at each other’s throats, each threatening to light the flame of rebellion.
While the peace existed, however, the government set to work. For economic growth to be secured, Spain needed both a strong industry and foreign trade agreements. Not possessing the assets for full scale industrialisation, the Spanish administration turned its eye to the underdeveloped Basque region, hoping to polish this “diamond in the rough.” This was accomplished through a series of local benefits and tax cuts to companies in the region, as well as a large infusion of government assets into the region. This would have unprecedented success, resulting in hundreds of factories and banks opening in the area. Following this rapid industrialisation, tens of thousands of individuals flocked to the area, either bringing their businesses with them or seeking out work for themselves. The region was ill equipped for the burgeoning population, however, and infrastructure was put to the test as it struggled to maintain even the most basic of services. Without government intervention, the region may see famine and disease spread as a result of its newly arrived residents.
The matter of trade agreements was a harder nut to crack. Rather than turning towards its neighbors in Europe, Spain focused on two of its former colonies, Argentina and Mexico. Negotiations in Mexico were hampered by the ongoing internal conflict, as ambassadors were unsure with which side to propose the deal. The USA’s recognition of Maximilian helped the ambassadors in their decision, convincing them to seek out the Emperor himself for their proposal. Maximilian, eager to further diplomatic ties in Europe, hastily agreed to the trade agreement and, on October 29, the deal was signed. In contrast, Argentina, which originally had been eager to sign such an agreement, experienced second thoughts upon seeing the actual proposal and as a result, negotiations would take up much of the year before a deal was finally struck in late December. The late signings of both of these treaties meant no economic benefits were gained during the year by Spain.
Lastly, Spain was poised to regain another of its former colonies, the island of Hispaniola, now home to the nations of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. After much deliberation, a formal declaration of war against both nations was announced on March 3. A naval blockade around the isle was established on May 16, and the first Spanish troops landed on June 3 in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince. The fighting was over quickly, and by the 8th, control of the city had been ceded to the Spanish. With their capital lost, the rest of Haiti quickly was overwhelmed, while in October, the government of the Dominican Republic issued a formal surrender as well. On October 29th, the governments of Spain, Dominica, and Haiti signed the “Treaty of Santo Domingo,” recognizing Spanish annexation of the isle. Fighting in the isle continues, however, as loyalists refuse to recognize the validity of the treaty.
The Ottoman Empire
Recognizing the economic wounds inflicted by the Crimean War, the Empire’s administration began an extensive recovery plan. Deliberating on where to start, the Empire settled on the expansion of the country’s railroad system. This was to be established through concessions and subsidies to the Empire’s two private railroad companies: Ottoman Railroad Company (ORC) and The Smyrna Cassaba Railway (SCP). Thanks to the Empire’s singular focus on the expansion of these companies, each thrived throughout much of the early year, creating several railways between the Empire’s largest cities. The companies then made an unprecedented move when, on April 16, the heads of both companies announced that they were to merge and form the United Ottoman Railroad Company. With the financial might of the two companies combined, work began on a trans-country railroad. By late December, the constructed railroad spanned from the dissident Balkans down to the region of West Anatolia. The increased infrastructure has already shown minor benefits on the Ottoman economy, and with the country more connected than ever, even the Empire’s infamously poor administration has improved.
Russia
Alexander II, Tsar of Russia, began the modernization of his backwards (at least from his perspective) nation. Firstly, he began an expansion of the Russia’s bureaucracy, recruiting many of the country’s educated elite to govern the large nation. This would prove largely successful, as ambitious noblemen jumped at the chance to expand their personal power. Not all was well with this decision, however, as the noblemen’s ambitions resulted in a rise of corruption throughout the empire. While currently manageable, it is not beyond reason for the problem to escalate in the near future.
Alexander then began the modernization of the Russian economy. He adopted the gold standard, and then, in an attempt to take advantage of the new standard, began a lengthy campaign to mine the resources from the wealthy, if inhospitable, lands of Siberia. Large numbers of expeditions sponsored by the Russian administration surveyed the landscape for any valuable resources. State-controlled mining towns and companies were set up at any found deposit, while railroad companies battle for government contracts to connect the new frontier with Europe. As the year progressed, over a hundred of these mining towns were formed, filling the Russian treasury with coal, gold, and similar precious metals and minerals. However, conditions in these mining towns remained deplorable, hampering the appeal of immigration into the area, and leaving the towns largely understaffed.
Lastly, Alexander began the westernization of his Army, devoting his remaining resources to the “Modernization Plan.” This plan consisted of the opening of several new officer academies as well as the development of new military drills. While the academies were easy enough to construct and staff, Alexander’s military elite were hard pressed to think of any new drills. It would come to a surprise to the entire nation when one of the new academy’s recruits, Gefreiter (Private) Vladislav Kuznetsov, constructed a lengthy training plan, making use of the newly constructed towns in Siberia which alternated between the men working as labour for the towns and conducting the old military drills in the unfamiliar harsh climate. Kuznetsov proposed that the training would help solve the issues of undermanned towns, while at the same time strengthening the body of the Russian troops. The plan was handed to his commanding officer, and later presented to Alexander himself. Though the training program was officially implemented on October 24, it has yet to be carried out due to the exceedingly harsh winter.
In early August, an ambassador arrived from America, carrying important news for Alexander. It is unknown what discussions have occurred between them.
