After a much earlier succession than in OTL the Confederate States of America becomes an independent nation in 1857. In 1860 Abraham Lincoln is elected President of the United States and holds the remnants of the union together. For the next 90 years the U.S and C.S engage in a cold war that divides the world. In 1950 after a much more destructive and crippling second World War than in OTL, the U.S and C.S emerge as the most powerful nations on earth.