June 16 incident

  

June 16 incident
Part of Opposition to Amelia Abarough and the Cold War
Antillean citizens attempted to distrust pro-coup elements of the army
Date 16 June 1952 Location Columbia City, Hispaniola, Antilles Result Coup unsuccessful Coup forces defeated by General Douglas MacArthur Amelia Abarough remains in office as president, regime maintained Purge of the armed forces of suspected dissident sentiment and members Suppression of the Ku Klux Klan and political opposition Beginning of the Great Blue Terror and the Abarough Period Increase in defection to the American mainland
Belligerents
Government Antillean Marine Corps Antillean Army loyalists Pro-government demonstrators	Opposition Antillean Army dissidents Ku Klux Klan Anti-government demonstrators
Commanders and leaders
Amelia Abarough Douglas MacArthur	George Ossoff Arnold J. Greene

The June 16 incident , also known as the 616 incident, the 616 massacre, the June 16 massacre and the June uprising, was an attempted coup d'état by dissident elements of the Antillean Armed Forces, primarily elements of the Antillean Army and National Guard, lead by General of the Armies George Ossoff with the backing and direct cooperation by Grand Wizard Arnold J. Greene of the Ku Klux Klan, against the government of President Amelia Abarough which took place on June 16, 1952. Ossoff sought to depose Abarough from power and instal a provisional military junta and to establish a new government that would be a resurrection of the "Unholy Alliance". The coup ultimately failed inspite of initial gains as loyalist elements of the armed forces under Douglas MacArthur stopped the coup and ended with Abarough remaining in power. The incident is described as one of the most pivotal moments in Antillean history as it lead to the beginning of the Great Blue Terror and Abarough's ascension as a right-wing autocrat who ruled the Antilles as a one-party dictatorship from 1952 until her death in 1983.

The uprising was the result of numerous factors that occured well before 1952. One of the main factors was the conflict between the KKK and the Abarough government as the latter viewed the former as its threat to its administration on the island and Abarough herself personally despised the Klan and wanted to disband them, but they had powerful allies which prevented it such as George Ossoff, though the brief alliance between the Federalists and the KKK was ended shortly after the Antillean government was established. Both Ossoff and Abarough had a tense relationship at best over Ossoff's backing of the klan and white supremacist views while Abarough did not hold such positions. In 1932, the Antilles joined the American Coalition in the Great War against the United Commonwealth in hopes of reclaiming the American mainland, but the Continental States and their allies in the Landonist International would win in North America and the Antilles was never able to establish a formal position in the Caribbean nor the Gulf of Mexico attack the mainland.

After the losss in the war, the Antillean government enhanced censorship and political repression to maintain Abarough's government as it feared being deposed over the Antilles' defeat in the war and the inability to fufil the Great Return. Post-war repression caused unrest and internal opposition to form with the KKK aligning with Ossoff and pro-Ossoff officers in the military to depose Abarough as she used the post-war turmoil to crack down on political opposition. Planning for the coup started around 1944 and Ossoff spent eight years gaining allies, supporters in all branches of the military and organized the Klan into a sufficient militia force. The coup occured on June 16 in Columbia City in Hispaniola. The coup was initially succeeding as the capital city was secured, but a counter-attack by MacArthur and loyalist forces retook the capital and Ossoff would be detained along with Greene and other officers in the coup. This would kickstart the Blue Terror, a period of political repression on the Antilles, and lead to furuther authoritarianism, Abaorugh establishing a cult of personality, increased anglicization efforts and further armed resistance.

The legacy and long-term view of the incident has left a contested and highly debated topic in modern Antillean society. Many have defended Abarough stopping the coup citing Ossoff's white supremacist and equally dictatorial positions, however many question instigating the terror and believe that Abarough went too far and proved that she was a far-right despot comparable to derzhavist dictatorships of the past. The event has also been credited with kickstarting the modern Antillean independence movement and the desire to proclaim Antillean sovereignty and relinquish all claims over the American mainland.

Background

Post-Retreat turbulence

Main articles: Unholy Alliance (Antilles), Martial Act of 1917, and Hispaniolan Anarchy

In 1921, the government of the United Commonwealth of America had effectively lost the Continental Revolutionary War after president Carson Henderson was captured and later executed after the Continental Revolutionary Army captured Chicago and the remaining forces loyal to the Federalist regime were isolated in the south and in the neighboring states of the Republic of Acadiana and Florida. With dessertion at an all-time high, acting president Amelia Abarough ordered a general retreat to the Antilles before they could reconqure the mainland. Suffering from substantial losses, Abarough reluctantly agreed to form a temporary alliance with the Ku Klux Klan known as the "unholy alliance" due to it fighting as an anti-Landonist militia during the war and was used to supplement the depleted ranks of the United Commonwealth military.

Abarough herslef only allowed for the formation of the alliance due to the inability to replace all losses and issues of discipline and desertion. Ossoff himslef supported the formation of the unholy alliance and used both the situation of the Federalist forces and his position as one of the army's best generals to push for forming the alliance. The United Commonwealth Navy would conduct the withdrawal of all military personnel, vital historic artifacts, government officials and supportive civilians while the army remnants and the KKK militia would act as a rearguard unit while Abarough had to withdrawal to Columbia City in the future provisional commonwealth of Hispaniola.

Relationship between Ossoff and Abarough

Further information: George Ossoff

Great War and aftermath

Main articles: Antilles in the Great War and Caribbean Sea campaign

Further information: Aftermath of the Great War

Aftermath

Immediate reactions

Main article: Columbia trials

Blue Terror

Main article: Great Blue Terror

Legacy

See also: Legacy of Amelia Abarough

See also

• History of the Antilles
• List of massacres in the Antilles
• Political status of the Antilles
• Great Blue Terror
• Abaroughism
• Antillean defectors