I think Bismark is happy others learn his bluff and use it themselves
by Borkerman
I think Bismark is happy others learn his bluff and use it themselves
by Borkerman
4 Comments
The main reason why Andrew Johnson pardoned several former confederates was because he folded when Grant threaten to resign when Johnson sought to prosecute Lee, which technically violate the surrender agreement between Grant and Lee where no one in Lee’s army would face any legal repercussions. Johnson folded because a), he know he need Grant, and, b), Grant’s replace would almost currently have been Sherman, someone whom Johnson nearly [fired](https://youtu.be/GEUEin0M5r8?t=833&is=pjdU1TZIWXbM9t6f) for giving peace Terms of Surrender more lentient then Grant’s, who would also most likely resign should Johnson try to prosecute former confederates federal military leadership.
Interestingly enough Lincoln plan to pursue little to no legal action against former Confederates though had he not been assassinated or survived it may have been more successful as it would be seen as a magnanimous leader and not a weak one capulating to his generals, which is my guess of one of the reasons why Johnson failed reconstruction, people jist saw Johnson as weak and all bark, no bite (Johnson when he was military Governor of Tennessee advocating hanging confederate)
And as a result the schism was never fixed and the US is still divided to this day.
No wonder the politicians who tried to end democracy on Jan 6th through a violent coup attempt aren’t punished either.
And it’s one thing to not have punished the confederates. It’s another to not even make a national curriculum, to ensure the truth of the war is taught to the next generation.
Instead an organisation like “The daughters of the Confederacy” was allowed to form. Idolizing traitors to their country, downplaying the horrors of slavery and just making up shit.
It’s no wonder misinformation and “Fake News” is allowed to thrive in the US to this day.
With reconstruction botched that badly, the US would really have been better off just letting the south go.
Imagine how far the country would’ve gone by now without the South constantly fighting against every bit of progress. Most of them are “taker states” anyway. Living off of funding from blue states.
Lee was also untouchable given A. How popular he was among southerners and B. How he used that influence to get them to stand down instead of fighting an insurgency like many in the Confederate government and in his army wanted to. Going after Lee meant possibly reigniting tensions and getting more Americans killed
And this had /massive/ implications for the future that we’re seeing even today. The far right reactionary bigots know all they need to do is throw enough of a tantrum and we won’t do /dick/ to them in the name of ‘unity and forgiveness’, but this isn’t justice, and frees them to promote the same toxic nonsense on and on again…