Timeline 191: TR's Third Ter

[RamscoopRaider]

Oddly enough aircraft carriers seem to be the one defense item the Socialists did not neglect during the Sinclair Administration. It is mentioned in one of the Sam Carsten scenes in The Center Cannot Hold set in 1928 that the U.S. Navy has 3 purpose built aircraft carriers in service plus the Remembrance. (That is one more aircraft carrier than the OTL U.S. Navy had by 1928.) I doubt TR would do much better at building aircraft carriers than that (especially since most of the prominent admirals during his third term will probably still be battleship men who believe that aircraft carriers are only of use for scouting and raiding.)

Realistically, until 1936-39 that was all aircraft carriers were good for. It took that long for carrier planes of the performance to threaten battleships actually paying attention

TR might try to match the British who had 5 in 1928 with one more still being worked on

 

[wilji1090]

Could Theodore Roosevelt help delay the onset of the Great Depression though? As I understand it, it was Russia defaulting on a debt that sent the waves crashing into the New York Stock Exchange in canon. I don't see Roosevelt willing to prop up the Russian economy...

 

[m0585]

Could Theodore Roosevelt help delay the onset of the Great Depression though? As I understand it, it was Russia defaulting on a debt that sent the waves crashing into the New York Stock Exchange in canon. I don't see Roosevelt willing to prop up the Russian economy...

Quite possibly. However, Roosevelt wouldn't make it to 1929 (either electorally or mortally). It all depends on who succeeds him in 1924. I do see Roosevelt practicing deficit spending to keep the U.S. Military strong.

 

[bguy]

Realistically, until 1936-39 that was all aircraft carriers were good for. It took that long for carrier planes of the performance to threaten battleships actually paying attention

TR might try to match the British who had 5 in 1928 with one more still being worked on

Are those numbers for British carriers from the books or from OTL? If the later its possible that the British in TL-191 weren't able to build as many carriers as they were in OTL as with them having to face both German and U.S. submarines and commerce raiders in the First Great War (and with neither the U.S. or Germany having any reason not to commit to unrestricted submarine warfare right from the beginning), I imagine British merchant shipping losses were much greater in the TL-191 First Great War than they were in OTL's WW1. As such the British would have needed to produce more destroyers and merchant ships (and probably more battle cruisers as well to try and hunt down U.S. commerce raiders) than they did OTL, and that in turn might have forced them to forego some of their planned aircraft carriers.

Could Theodore Roosevelt help delay the onset of the Great Depression though? As I understand it, it was Russia defaulting on a debt that sent the waves crashing into the New York Stock Exchange in canon. I don't see Roosevelt willing to prop up the Russian economy...

I doubt he could prevent or significantly delay the Depression, but if TR is able to work with the Socialists to pass old age pensions, unemployment insurance, a farm relief program, and securities regulation (all things that were part of TR's New Nationalism Program in OTL) then that would certainly help soften the Depression a great deal. (i.e. the U.S. might end up with something like 10% unemployment rather than 25%.)

 

[RamscoopRaider]

Are those numbers for British carriers from the books or from OTL? If the later its possible that the British in TL-191 weren't able to build as many carriers as they were in OTL as with them having to face both German and U.S. submarines and commerce raiders in the First Great War (and with neither the U.S. or Germany having any reason not to commit to unrestricted submarine warfare right from the beginning), I imagine British merchant shipping losses were much greater in the TL-191 First Great War than they were in OTL's WW1. As such the British would have needed to produce more destroyers and merchant ships (and probably more battle cruisers as well to try and hunt down U.S. commerce raiders) than they did OTL, and that in turn might have forced them to forego some of their planned aircraft carriers.

I doubt he could prevent or significantly delay the Depression, but if TR is able to work with the Socialists to pass old age pensions, unemployment insurance, a farm relief program, and securities regulation (all things that were part of TR's New Nationalism Program in OTL) then that would certainly help soften the Depression a great deal. (i.e. the U.S. might end up with something like 10% unemployment rather than 25%.)

OTL, but only one was completed during the war and it was a converted passenger liner. Others were one converted Battleship (nonstandard design and not all that good, not worth keeping as BB), three large light cruisers (really extremely shitty Battlecruisers, one of which took until 1930 to finish, not worth keeping as BC) and one purpose built (laid down in 1918). Of course UK could go either way, more CV's than OTL, less or the same. They have two hostile naval powers unlike OTL, and 1 year more peacetime, but are in a worse financial shape and need to keep older ships longer and spend more on other services

Should have posted this 1:00 but WiFi at Toyota service center was shit

 

[threadnecromancer]

Could Theodore Roosevelt help delay the onset of the Great Depression though? As I understand it, it was Russia defaulting on a debt that sent the waves crashing into the New York Stock Exchange in canon. I don't see Roosevelt willing to prop up the Russian economy...

Hard to say I think, the Whites probably would have won a little faster with TR as he'd have probably meddled in the Russian Civil War.