After the World War, the United States began to enter an isolationist phase. While the alliance with Japan was well maintained, the United States did not care much for the outside world. While some were concerned about Europe's growing instability, most saw the conflicts that began to stir up as not their concern. After all, they sat out the Great War just fine. And besides, with the next two largest navies in the world having torn themselves to pieces, surely the American Navy was more than up to the task of keeping out European aggression.
Things seemed fairly fine throughout most of the twenties. The economy was booming, and the times were good. But running beneath the surface were cracks, ever-growing behind the shroud of opulence. The cracks began to become apparent in March of 1930. The stock market entered free fall on April 19th, sending the United States economy, and that of most of the rest of the world into a downward spiral. While the Hoover administration did some degree of damage control, it was far too little, far too late.
Such a phrase could be used to describe much of Hoover's efforts. Much too little, much too late. Thus, during the next election, Franklin Delenore Roosevelt became one of the scant few Democrats to be elected into the High Office since the Civil War. As Theodore Roosevelt's cousin, FDR, as he became known, worked to soothe the public's anxiety and fears over the Great Depression. Unlike how some had feared, he very much looked down on those handful still holding onto the old ideas of the South stubbornly, preferring to lift up Americans as a whole.
However, the road out of the Great Depression was far from an easy one. Roosevelt turned to many public works programs to help stimulate the economy. While the United States did slowly begin to get back up off its feet, even FDR's best efforts were only chipping away at the issue. However, the improvements were more than enough to allow him to cruise to re-election in 1936.
The Depression began to loosen, slowly but surely, but elsewhere, the Depression was beginning to break. It still clung to the gears of American society, stubbornly refusing to leave. At the same time, things improved for the average American, things looked concerning, as Roosevelt had chosen to run for a third term, an unprecedented event in United States history. This caused a considerable amount of concern among many voters.
Despite this, Roosevelt cruised through re-election, in part due to his strong condemnation of Prince George the Sixth due to both the increasing influence of the British Crown over Canada and a border incident on June 10th, 1939.
Even while in the throws of the Depression, tensions between the United States and the British Empire had only grown, and relationships had been heated ever since King George the Fifth dissolved Parliament. While these tensions never reached boiling point, Great Britain was the only European power that could truly attack the continental United States. This border crossing caused a considerable scare among the American public.
While war was averted for the time being, the effects it had on the American people were felt immediately. Ground was broken for numerous military factories across the nation, as well as numerous new ships being ordered and beginning construction at a rapid rate. While construction did slow somewhat after the immediate threat of war had passed, Roosevelt was abundantly clear about what state the American military was in. The last major conflict the United States had engaged in was the Spanish-American War, and it showed.
The rising anti-American sentiment in Europe and Britain's alliance with France and Germany proved to be the final straw. While the United States had an ally in Japan, the odds of them being able to get to the East Coast to be able to fight in the Atlantic were slim to none. Not only did the United States need time to rearm its military, it also needed more allies.
However, most of Europe was either too small to matter or part of the Warsaw Pact, which FDR considered somewhat dubious in how much resistance the Alliance could provide against France and Germany, no matter how brave its fighters could be. While it was without much doubt that the Warsaw Pact would likely be attacked in the future, it was less about the Warsaw Pact itself, and what lay beyond.
Despite the rising anti-American sentiment in Europe, Germany and France did not try to hide their thoughts about the Russian Republic, nor did Russia itself forget World War One, or the British stealing away the Russian Royal Family before they could be tried for their crimes. It would likely be a matter of time before the Russian Republic was at war itself.
The increased military spending and the threat of another 'invasion' of the United States was the shot in the arm the country sorely needed. At the same time, FDR reached out to Japan, asking for what their thoughts would be about expanding their alliance to more powers. The Prime Minister leapt at the chance, though both had very different ideas one which nation to bring into the fold.
Intense back and forth followed, especially when both nations' legislative branches were kept informed of what was going on. Japan wanted to add China to the alliance. While relationships between the two countries had been tense, and had been for centuries at best, but relationships were cooling over the past few years, as Japan saw European holdings on Chinese cities and land as a threat to their national security.
Meanwhile, America sought to include the Russian Republic in the Alliance. FDR considered having a land ally in Europe to be of critical importance to any war that would break out from what he called the 'Three Empires'.
The Russian and Chinese governments jumped at the offer. While relationships with the United States had cooled since the revolution, bonds between the two nations were being rebuilt already, and China had been a nation that had drawn the United States' attention for some time. While the Chinese government didn't like that they would have to wait to reclaim their lost holdings, they were also very much convinced that the war would eventually come.
Trade relationships also bloomed, with Vladivostok gaining more railway lines, this time aiming south into China, to allow goods to flow from Western Russia to China. The inclusion of China and Russia into what was now called the Pacific Pact, allowed for the ordering of several warships, including, most notably, the Арктический-class by Russia, as well as a modified Alaska-class large cruiser to serve as the flagship of the Chinese Navy.
The new treaty passed through Congress, though ultimately by thin margins. Many critics of the deal made war all the more likely, pointing out the web of alliances that ultimately started off the Great War. However, records show this couldn't be further from the truth. The addition of the Russian Republic bought the United States much-needed time. Germany, Britain, and France saw the recovery being brought on by the United States rearmament program and had initially planned to nip the problem before it got out of hand.
However, the inclusion of the Russian Republic into the Pacific Pact disrupted war plans. Initially, they wanted to attack Russia after defeating the United States. While Kaiser Wilhelm wanted to attack anyway, it was Augustin who urged caution, pointing out that while Germany had beaten Russia during the last war, it had come at no small cost. And even if the Russian army didn't stop them, there was still the Russian Winter, the real reason why Nepleon lost, to worry about.
While some argue this was a mistake, allowing the Democratic powers to build up strong militaries and defenses, it's hard to imagine Augustin's caution about underestimating Russia, if only its geography and brutal winters, to be wrong either.
By 1941, unemployment had dropped considerably, and the future looked bright. However, storm clouds loomed on the horizon, and unease ate at the populous. The Great Depression was beginning to end, but every end brought a beginning.