Franklin Roosevelt 1st UN Secretary General

[Derek Jackson]

Eleanor gets him to stop smoking, he lives for three years longer. He resigns the Presidencey just after the formal surrender of Japan. He recognizes Vietnamese independence.

How big a difference does this make?

[Cook]

I’m trying to work out which would be more unlikely, Franklin Roosevelt listening to Eleanor or him being willing to give up the presidency before hell froze over.

[IchBinDieKaiser]

Yeah, quite unlikely. He was just short of being an outright dictator by 1945, especially by American standards. If he hadn't died he probably would have served until 1949, and I wouldn't be surprised if he ran again in 1948, he'd find an excuse.

[mowque]

Originally Posted by IchBinDieKaiser

Yeah, quite unlikely. He was just short of being an outright dictator by 1945, especially by American standards. If he hadn't died he probably would have served until 1949, and I wouldn't be surprised if he ran again in 1948, he'd find an excuse.

This is a bit unfair. He did win open elections fair and square.

[Arachnid]

Originally Posted by mowque

This is a bit unfair. He did win open elections fair and square.

It's possible to be an elected dictator. Ask the Romans.

Anyway this is mindblowing ASB not least because how do you thing the Soviets would react?

[IchBinDieKaiser]

Originally Posted by Arachnid

It's possible to be an elected dictator. Ask the Romans.

You could also ask Mexico. Can anyone say Porfirio Diaz?

[Plumber]

The rabid partisanship against a man who died serving our nation is not only despicable, but bizarre since it involves a Brit. FDR didn't control domestic legislation after 1938, and if he wanted to be a dictator, could have like nearly every other world leader when he came into power. If you want to look at a plausible American Democratic Party dictator, look at Woodrow Wilson, who loved Phillip Dru, who wanted the Sedition Act made permanent, and who destroyed his own son-in-law's attempt at the 1920 nomination in his megalomaniac lunge for a third term, despite probably being the most unpopular president in history at that point.

Originally Posted by Cook

I’m trying to work out which would be more unlikely, Franklin Roosevelt listening to Eleanor or him being willing to give up the presidency before hell froze over.

The latter, as there's some evidence of it. But I'm really not sure Stalin would let him do anything. He's also going to try to dictate things to Truman, who won't take it well. I see him causing a lot of trouble. France will also be pissed over Vietnam. That leaves Clement Attlee, dependent on Truman, and Chiang Kai-shek, who will be out soon. Ouch.

Despite this, I can see his only term as Secretary General setting Hammerskoldesque precedents.

[QuoProQuid]

I have to agree that the notion of FDR being a de facto dictator as odd. While the man had some very serious problems, he did not aspire to despotism. Although I have no doubt that he could have become a dictator following the Great Depression, there is no evidence that he ever wanted to be one. By and large, he followed the will of the American people.


Getting back to the question, I'm not sure the Soviet response to Secretary-General Roosevelt would be as negative as some here are suggesting. Although they disagreed with each other's politics, the two had a fairly good relationship and shared correspondance. The Cold War did not begin until 1947 OTL and at this point it is the Brits who are more opposed to the Soviets than the Americans. If anything, I would expect the Cold War to start off with a slower tempo with Roosevelt alive. It will temporarily sustain some degree of cordiality between the two superpowers, at least until Roosevelt's death.

Elsewhere, I expect that Truman is going to spend much more of his term trying to get out of Roosevelt's shadow. The United Nations will probably be seen as an organization with a bit more teeth.