Battle of Central Park

+ Communist Political Support grows in New York and the Northern East Coast States
	+ NUF Support in the Northern States diminished.

Combatants| * United States of America
	+ US Army New York National Guard
	+ New York Police Department
	+ The Blueshirts
	+ The Redshirts

### Civilian Casualties

300 Killed160 Wounded

The **Battle of Central Park** was a Three-Way Battle fought in August 1937 in the United States of America in New York. It was a culmination of several events which had tipped the scale of extremism and began with an American Soviet Bloc march on New York in order to secure Northern Support. The US Army New York National Guard and New York Police Department would engage in combat with the Redshirt Militants as the National Union of Fascists 'Blueshirts' ,who were heavily outnumbered, jumped into the fighting to prevent a ASB control in New York.

## History

### Prelude

1930s America was a time of Political Turmoil. The Great Depression and Failure of Herbert Hoover's Government to deal with the depression resulted in many Americans losing faith in the Federal Government and turning to Political Extremes. The American Soviet Bloc and The National Union of Fascists were the two prominent Factions who rose. The ASB support focused heavily from the Great Lakes Region where the NUF found ground in the Southern States.

The US under Hoover didn't acknowledge these extremist Parties which had led to them increasing their support and becoming violent. The NUF formed 'The Blueshirts' who were closely modelled off Hitler's Brownshirts and Mussolini's Blackshirts. The ASB formed 'The Redshirts' in response. Throughout the 1930s, The NUF and ASB would continue to clash in the Streets of the Eastern States for control and support of the State and they would clash in Congress against the Republicans and Democrats.

In 1936, Franklin D Roosevelt run on a policy of cracking down on the ASB and NUF. Upon his inauguration, he continued his policy and began tight crackdowns on the two groups which resulted in Clashes between Government Forces and Extremist Forces. By the start of 1937, most of the South Supported the NUF and the ASB had a large backing in the Western States and Roosevelt was determined to stop this trend.

The American Soviet Bloc wanted to have definite control over the Northern States above Washington DC. John Reed and other ASB Leaders realised that they would need to have a strong grip over New York City in order to secure Northern Support. With 2,000 Redshirts, they marched from Chicago to New York to stage a Rally and Demonstration for the Workers of New York to see. Initially, it was intended to be non-violent.

The NUF Legion in the East Coast who had been trying to spread propaganda and gain followers in Philadelphia heard about this and began to March on New York to halt the ASB and win support in New York. George Lincoln Rockwell ,a Local NUF Commander at the age of 19, organised a force of 1,500 Blueshirts to attack the ASB in New York.

The US Government caught wind of the March and tasked Major General William Haskell and the US Army New York National Guard to assist the NYPD in stopping a Battle for New York.

### Battle

In the Morning of August 2nd, John Reed and his Supporters marched into Central Park and began protesting the crackdowns on ASB Movements. The NYPD had already deployed around Central Park and were ordered to keep the Communist Protest and an NUF Counter Protest apart. Many ASB Redshirts began attacking the NYPD and by 10am the NUF had arrived.

The Two Sides began beating their way through the NYPD Line and managed to break through, causing the NYPD to withdraw and secure the area to contain the rioters. For hours, The ASB and NUF Fighters engaged in Close Quarters Fighting in Central Park and fighting spilled out into the streets around Central Park. In the Evening, the rioters began turning on the NYPD line who were now encircling the violence and many NYPD officers were beaten by groups of Paramilitants. Army National Guards Units had now started to arrive to crush the conflict.

On the 3rd, Gunshots were heard. It is unknown who fired the initial shots and who it was fired at but the conflict erupted and all 3 sides began opening fire on each other. The Battle Lines were drawn with the NUF in the Southern Section, The NY National Guard and NYPD surrounding the Outside of Central Park and the ASB in the North. Central Park was closed off and the area became a warzone with gunfire and conflict occurring at all hours of the day.

On the 5th, General Haskell ordered Operation Closing Action. This involved The National Guard breaking the Lines of the ASB and NUF in the centre and splitting the two sides apart. Over 300 National Guardsmen charged from either side and by the morning of the 6th, had successfully drove a wedge between the ASB in the North and the NUF now confined to the South. Small groups of ASB Fighters were trapped on the NUF Side and were promptly pushed out, either being shot by the NUF or captured by the National Guards.

On the 7th, President Roosevelt ordered a close to the Battle of Central Park. Haskell ordered his forces to close in and crush the Southern NUF Pocket. George Lincoln Rockwell and over 300 NUF Fighters would be killed in the Fighting. Over 500 would be captured and some would escape. In the Morning of the 8th, the last of the NUF surrendered.

On the 8th, Haskell planned the same offensive but for the ASB in the North. The ASB were better prepared however and began to prepare an assault on the surrounding Soldiers in the North and break out. Just as the National Guardsmen closed in, The Main Force of the ASB broke out from the Encirclement and began to fight through the streets. The Remaining Redshirts who stayed in Central Park would eventually be forced out as fighting between the Government Forces and ASB spread onto the streets with ASB Fighters splitting up and escaping the conflict.

Eventually on the 10th, the gunfire fell silent as the last ASB Detachment escaped New York.

## Aftermath

The Direct Aftermath of the Fighting was evident on the streets of New York and throughout Central Park. 50 National Guards and 34 NYPD Police Officers were killed and 300 Civilians were killed. 459 NUF Fighters and a promising, young leader were dead which crushed NUF Support in New York. Only 65 Redshirts out of 2,000 had been killed and John Reed managed to escape.

The Way the US National Guard handled the situation was deemed to be too aggressive and many Newspapers depicted the US National Guards as the ones who fired the first shots. The ASB saw a roar of support from the Workers of New York as they saw the ASB protest as a peaceful protest that was attacked by the far-right and the US Government. Many New Yorkers openly joined the ASB and began establishing New York Communist Soviets and several New York Communists began running for Senator and other positions. The Battle of Central Park was a Tactical US Victory but the main Political Victory was won by the ASB.

The Trend of ASB support would continue until 1939 and the Assassination of FDR which sparked National Upheaval against the ASB which resulted the new President Eisenhower regaining support of New York.