Don Partridge

Don Patridge
Fictional Character
Southern Victory POD: September 10, 1862
Appearance(s):	The Victorious Opposition through In at the Death
Type of Appearance:	Direct
Nationality:	Confederate States
Date of Birth:	Late 19th century
Occupation:	Politician
Political Party:	Freedom Party
Political Office(s):	Confederate States Senator from Tennessee, Vice President of the Confederate States, President of the Confederate States

Donald "Don" Partridge was a Freedom Party politician, a former Senator from Tennessee, Vice President of the Confederate States of America from 1940 to 1944 during the Featherston Administration, and the last President of the Confederate States from July 7 to 14, 1944, at the end of the Second Great War.

Partridge replaced the disgraced Willy Knight as Vice President after the latter's coup attempt was crushed by Jake Featherston in December 1938. Partridge was considered by most commentators (and by Featherston himself) to be a lightweight, a nobody, and harmless in regards to political ambition, which suited Featherston fine. The Vice President spent most of his time with well-to-do ladies or telling bad jokes to Featherston, as his function as President of the Senate was very minimal.

Following the death of Jake Featherston on July 7, 1944, Partridge became the 14th and last President of the Confederate States. He traveled to Pineville, North Carolina to sign his country's unconditional surrender, which was accepted by General Irving Morrell on behalf of the United States, and both the office of President and the Confederacy itself ceased to exist. Patridge demonstrated how much of a light-weight he truly was when he attempted to get back to the business of running the CSA after signing the surrender, even though the papers he'd read and signed made it clear that the CSA no longer existed.

Partridge was taken into custody and held for possible war crimes charges, although Morrell consoled him by saying that if history remembered him, it would be as the man who brought peace.

Literary Comment

Partridge's name is similar to that of OTL U.S. Vice President Dan Quayle, who served from 1989-1993 under President George H. W. Bush. (Partridge and quail are two branches of the Phasianidae family of birds.) Quayle was also frequently derided for being a lightweight. The penchant for bad jokes may have been borrowed from another US VP, Thomas R. Marshall, who served from 1913-1921 under Woodrow Wilson.

See Also

• Karl Dönitz, Kriegsmarine admiral and last head of state of Nazi Germany. Like Partridge, he inherited the mantle after most of Germany was occupied by the Allied Forces and the country was on the verge of collapse and surrender.

References

Political offices (Southern Victory)
Preceded by A period of vacancy, preceded by Willy Knight	Vice President of the Confederate States 1940-1944	Succeeded by None
Preceded by Jake Featherston	President of the Confederate States July 7-14, 1944	Succeeded by None; Martial Law Administered by the United States Army
Party political offices (Southern Victory)
Preceded by Willy Knight	Freedom Party Vice Presidential candidate 1939 (won)	Succeeded by None, Party dissolved