Dieselpunk Story Background

Copyright (C) 2011 by Kevin L. O'Brien

At the turn of the 20th century, an eccentric genius working for the US army at its weapons development and proving ground named Elizabeth Mabuse, developed a number of innovations that revolutionized technology. Among them were dramatically increasing the efficiency and power output of diesel engines, the development of turbosuperchargers, creating compact electrical batteries with high storage capacities and high power output, inventing miniaturized mechanical systems, and devising compact programmable binary differential analyzers. She also originated advanced diesel formulations, additives, and new production methods, including liquefaction of coal, shale oil, and natural gas, and derivation from biomass. She laid the groundwork for rocketry, cybernetics, missiles, and directed energy weapons, and she conceived of the theoretical and mathematical basis of electrogravitics.

The army approached Pres. McKinley with her discoveries, but whereas he could see the potential of a few of her innovations, he barely understood the rest, and some frightened him. He vacillated on a decision for several months, and then was assassinated. Mabuse argued for using the newly invented x-ray machine to find the second bullet, but his doctors refused. She predicted he would die of a massive infection, which he did. This lent her credibility in the eyes of the new president, Theodore Roosevelt, who became excited by her ideas. He not only understood their general implications, he also saw their benefit to the military and American prestige. He envisioned them making America the richest, most industrially powerful, and mightiest military nation on Earth, while also vastly improving the lives of the average citizen. He approached J. P. Morgan with an offer to give Morgan and his cronies a virtual monopoly on exploiting the new innovations in exchange for not opposing him on his business and financial reforms. They agreed.

During the remainder of his first term, 1902-1904, while the industrial foundations were being laid, Mabuse completed her experiments and invented the first practical antigravity device, which created lift and thrust using electromagnetic fields to push against the Earth's magnetic field. During his second term, 1905-1908, Morgan and his cronies began mass producing the new diesel engines, diesel fuels, batteries, and differential analyzers, while adapting the miniature mechanical systems to existing machines. Mabuse developed new innovations based on her work: robots, rocket engines, and electrogravitic lifters. She also laid the theoretical and mathematical groundwork for artificial intelligence. During his third term, 1909-1912, Morgan etc. began building superpowerful ships, heavily armored land vehicles, and huge locomotives. Mabuse developed the first self-aware autonomous robot, particle beam weapon, and high-speed heavy hovercraft. And during the first half of his fourth term, 1913-1914, Morgan etc. produced armored airplanes, missiles, land hovercraft, and the first hovership, a destroyer.

Roosevelt knew that the price of having these innovations was that Morgan etc. would sell them to the world at large. He couldn't stop it, but he could restrict it. He made sure first of all that nothing could be sold abroad unless the US either had something better or a strong defense against it, and secondly, he banned the export of certain innovations altogether, while allowing others unrestricted export. Among the latter were the new diesel engine designs and diesel fuel formulations, and the differential analyzers. Mabuse objected to the latter being traded freely, claiming they could be used to reverse engineer existing innovations and design independent innovations, but for once Roosevelt overrode her, because he didn't understand what she was trying to say. Meanwhile, Europe was in an arms race, and desperately wanted the American innovations. The diesel technology alone allowed them to create faster, stronger ships, aircraft, and land vehicles, including the new tanks, while the batteries allowed them to increase the power available to machines, and the miniaturized mechanical systems made the machines more efficient. They also clandestinely acquired rocket engines, robots, and lifters, and as Mabuse predicted, used the differential analyzers to reverse engineer the devices. As such, at the start of the Great War in July 1914, they had more powerful weapons than a decade before, but they were not able to take full advantage of all the innovations yet. Nonetheless, the new weapons preventing the onset of trench warfare.

Roosevelt wanted to get in the war badly, but he had no excuse until the sinking of the Lusitania in May 1915. America's early entry into the war on the side of the Allies against the Central powers had two effects: one was that it prevented the Russian Revolution, though the Allies forced the Romanovs to enact democratic reforms; the other was that is forced the Central Powers to sue for peace in 1916. The war ended in a stalemate. Roosevelt negotiated a settlement in which all borders would return to those before the war. He also forced Austria-Hungary to pay reparations to Serbia and Germany to Belgium, but otherwise he simply wanted to restore the pre-war status quo and balance of power. The US dominated the negotiations with its great military power, which gave it the most powerful fleet in world, though not the largest, as well as the most powerful air force, and the ownership of the only hovership fleet, small as it was. However, most political analysts at the time and later historians believed that all he had really done was reset the clock on all the old animosities. They predicted the world would be back at war in five to twenty years.

Roosevelt served a fifth term as president, 1917-1920, then two terms as president of the League of Nations, 1921-1928. He also won a second Nobel Peace Prize. He died in 1931 at the age of 73, satisfied that he had fulfilled his destiny. In his final decade, he tried to reign in European and later Asian ambitions, as well as maintain the balance of power in the face of an ever increasing arms race. Unfortunately, the presidents after him were not as diligent at keeping the new innovations from being sold all over the world, so the genie was out of the bottle. As well, Britain independently developed the ioncraft, an air vehicle that used ionized air for propulsion, which made their aircraft faster than diesel prop planes, though not the American rocket planes, and more maneuverable. Their only real vulnerability was that they were unarmored. Meanwhile, Germany invented the turboprop engine, which increased the speed and power of prop-driven aircraft, though they were still inferior to the American rocket planes.

It is now 1934. Roosevelt's policies prevented the Great Depression, so the prosperity of the 20's continued through to the mid 30's. The United States dominates world politics. It is the richest, most powerful country in the world, with the greatest industrial capability and the most innovative inventers. With the exception of the ioncraft, the turboprop, and a few derivative designs, it has been able to maintain its technological edge. Its navy is the smallest in the world, but the strongest. It has the largest hovership fleet in the world, as well as the largest, most powerful air force. Its army is the smallest in the world, but it uses mobile armored and artillery units and robotic infantry. It is the only country equipped with particle beam weapons, used by their largest hoverships and protecting their major cities. Land-based hovervehicles are ubiquitous; there are almost no wheeled vehicles left except for locomotives. All manual and service labor is done by robots. While that caused high unemployment at first, access to free education made it possible for 98% of the population to earn the degrees necessary to obtain professional jobs. Virtually everyone enjoys a high standard of living; though racial prejudice still exists, even minorities are much better off than they were a decade or so before. However, weaknesses are beginning to show, most notably in a lack of critical natural resources. Roosevelt had followed a policy of imperial acquisition to obtain lands rich with resources, but most of the world had already been claimed. Most analysts do not believe the US can maintain its lead too much longer.

The United Kingdom still has the largest navy in the world, but it is still limited to Great War-era guns, making it less powerful overall. Its army is the third largest, but nearly as advanced as the US army, except that it still relies heavily on people rather than robots. It has the third largest air force, but its ioncraft make it superior to the air force of any other country except the US. It has the smallest hovership fleet, but it has a large force of airships driven by ioncraft engines that are capable of carrying troops and ioncraft all over the world. Its industrial capacity is about third, and it relies on American goods. Nonetheless, its worldwide empire supplies it with vast natural resources. Its people are fairly prosperous, but many still live in rural villages which the innovations haven't reached yet, and it has the fewest robots of the major powers. Its empire, the largest in the world, makes it a rival to the US on the world political stage. Ostensibly, the US and the UK are allies against Germany and Austria-Hungary, however, the alliance was based on the trade of resources for technology. It has become strained lately because the US has given all the technology it can, yet still expects resources. The US wants to work out a deal in which it trades manufactured goods for resources, but the UK is trying to build up its own industrial power in its colonial possessions. Some analysts believe a new world war could erupt between America and Britain. Its greatest weakness is its conservative traditionalism. Many innovations that could make it stronger are rejected, such as robots for example because they would interfere with the traditional master-servant relationship.

Germany and Austria-Hungary formally merged in 1927 to form the Pan-Germanic Empire. Though Austria-Hungary benefited the most from the merger, the combination increased the power of both. They have the second largest navy, which is more modern than Britain's; the second largest air force; the second largest army, though it's not as modern as America's or Britain's; and the second largest hovership fleet. Their industrial capacity is second only to the US, while their combined empire is second only to the UK. Their people are almost as prosperous as those in the US, though there are fewer robots for manual and service labor; however, their factories are almost completely manned by robots. All of this together would probably make them the second most influential power in the world, but Pan-Germany is still counted as third due to British prestige and the size of its empire. Even so, their existence keeps the US and the UK from becoming enemies. They have two weaknesses: one, is a belief in their racial superiority, which often makes them jump before they are ready; the other, is the ethnic divisions within the territory of the old Austro-Hungarian Empire. Many Pan-Germans would willing give these minor states their independence just to get rid of them, but the political authorities want to expand their industries into those states.

The Russian Empire is almost the poor boy on the block. Its overall military power is the most outdated of the major powers. It has the smallest air force, its navy is only slightly larger than America's, and its hovership fleet is only slightly larger than Britain's. It has the weakest industrial capacity, the smallest empire except for the US, and the worst standard of living, even compared to other European countries. It ranks fourth in international influence, but as an ally of the US and UK, it poses a serious threat to Pan-Germany. It is also a strong regional power, being as all of its neighbors are weaker. It does, however, have three advantages: it has a huge internal territory for expansion, even bigger than the US; it has more resources than America, Britain, and Pan-Germany combined; and it has the largest army in the world, equal to if not greater than the combined armies of the other major powers, supplemented by a large robot force. Its weakness, however, is internal strife caused by class warfare and political fractionation. Many analysts believe the country is ripe for revolution, either by the Soviet party or the Imperialist party.

As for the rest of Europe, France and Spain are no longer considered major powers, Spain due to the loss of her empire and France because she was the hardest hit during the Great War. Spain has only a token military force that is highly obsolete, but it has a strong industrial capacity and a good standard of living. They are allies of the US and UK. France's military and industrial capacity were devastated in the Great War and have not yet fully recovered; their armed forces are weaker than Russia, though their industrial capacity is better. However, they still have a large empire with plentiful natural resources, and a high standard of living. They are also modernizing at a rate that rivals America's. They are allies of the US and UK. Italy had been a member of the Allies in the Great War, but since the rise of the National Fascist Party and its leader Benito Mussolini, it has grown closer to Pan-Germany. It has the strongest military in Europe except for the major powers; its navy and air force are larger than Russia's, but it has only a token hovership force, smaller even than Britain's. It has a strong industrial capacity and a high standard of living, and is also rapidly modernizing. Its empire is even smaller than America's, but Mussolini has designs to aggressively expand it. Scandinavia, the Low Counties, Switzerland, and the Balkan States are all officially neutral, however, the Low Countries and the Balkans tend to side with the Allies. They are all reasonably prosperous and have good industrial capacities, but militarily have only token forces, smaller even than Spain's. However, Belgium has a small empire that provides it with industrial resources. The Ottoman Empire lost many of its remaining colonies during the Great War, but its military and industrial capacity remained intact. It has been slow to modernize and its forces are small, but some analysts consider them the fifth major European power after Russia. They are concentrating on building a hovership fleet at the expense of their other branches; at present, their fleet is larger than Russia's, though still smaller than Britain's.

The Japanese Empire is the new kid on the block. Currently their military is highly modern, but smaller than that of the Western powers, though growing rapidly. The same is true of their industrial capacity and standard of living. They have a small empire, but it too is growing. Currently it is an ally of the US, but its expansionist policies have put it at odds with Britain, France, and Russia. It also has designs on the Philippines and Hawaii, of which the US is aware but discounts as being a speculative venture at best.

Of the rest of the world, Africa, the Middle East, China, and Southeast Asia have been almost completely divided up by the various empires, except for the South African Boer Republic (the British having lost the Second Boer War). India is under the control of Britain; Australia and Canada are independent, but recognize the British sovereign as their head of state and defer to the British Parliament. Mexico, Central, and South America, thanks to the Monroe and Roosevelt doctrines, are independent, but are under American control, though Brazil and Argentina are able to exert a large degree of independence.

Globally, the world is an armed camp. It is dominated by a handful of imperial nations, whether they be democratic, monarchical, or totalitarian, who have claimed as colonies or dependents virtually every part of the world beyond the borders of Europe and North America, except Antarctica. These nations have in turn formed two power blocs: the Triple Entente, consisting of America, Britain, and Russia, and the Triple Alliance, consisting of Germany, Austria-Hungary (now Pan-Germany), and Italy, with Japan an independent third party. In addition to their member's colonies, the blocs also contain various allied states: for the tE, this includes Canada, Australia, France, Spain, Portugal, Brazil, and nominally the Low Countries and the Balkan States, while for the tA this includes the Ottoman Empire, South Africa, Argentina, and nominally Scandinavia. In addition to their own military might, the imperial powers also station expeditionary and defensive forces in their colonies, to conduct or prevent raids into or by rival powers. So far, the blocs have been able to maintain a state of cold war, with an occasional hot brush war in the colonies, due to a balance of technological and military power, an alliance structure that places opposing nations in close proximity, thereby guaranteeing that virtually no one is safe from attack, and the negotiating power of the League of Nations backed by the United States, the only power not vulnerable to hostile neighbors. Nonetheless, most analysts believe the current situation is unstable and that even a minor shift in technological advantage or the alliance structure could plunge the whole world into war.

It is a Western Caucasian dominated world, with other races and ethnic cultures treated as second-class citizens, even within democracies with high standards of living and education available for all, but more so in colonial possessions or dependent states. The division between the Haves and Have-nots has increased dramatically, with the imperial powers and their allies enjoying unprecedented prosperity while their colonies live in poverty. While some provide primary education services, native students who are promising are sent to secondary schools and universities within the imperial nation to be indoctrinated into their assumed place within imperial society. This has spawned a number of independence movements in the colonies, which are encouraged and supported by rival powers.

Environmentally, despite the current diesel technology being highly efficient, it is not particularly clean, and large amounts of carbon dioxide and particulate pollutants are pumped into the atmosphere each year. So far, these have created a balance between warming and cooling, with the particulates having a slight edge, but the balance is delicate and minor perturbations could cause disastrous climate changes. Smog is fairly common, especially in Europe, but even in major American cities, and in some places can be fairly toxic. The oceans and major rivers are used as garbage dumps, and while for now they remain fairly clean, some coastal waters and rivers have become badly contaminated. Deforestation and desertification in the colonies has increased as land is converted into plantations for food and cash crops, while other areas have been ruined by open-pit mining or industrial expansion. Some animal species haven been driven to extinction by overhunting, loss of habitat, and pollution, while many others are threatened. A few analysts believe that the world is facing a major ecological disaster that will strike in several years, or at best a few decades, but they are largely derided as fear-mongering Cassandras and Luddites.