The West (and the Rest) is Red - A Map and Wikibox Timeline

Preface
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PREFACE

This is a new TL that I have in the works, which will be told by maps (Making Qbam/Mbam maps is what I crave) and wikiboxes, which is why I put my TL here. Also, I didn't feel like going through the effort to do nitty-gritty research in order for this TL to be in the post-1900s section, so there's that. Also with college in summer break and lots of free time on my hands, I decided it was the ripe time to make a good ol' fashioned TL.

So to get it out of the way, the PoD for this timeline is that FDR insists to keep Henry Wallace as his VP in 1944, with Henry Wallace not replaced by Harry Truman ITTL. When FDR passes away in April 1945, Henry Wallace is sworn in as the 33rd president of the United States (I'm sure nothing will go wrong right?). I was inspired to do this TL from a prompt from GURPS Lenin-1 (a world in which Soviet Marxism-Leninism dominated the world due to no Cold War), though I hope to do it in a more plausible way. From there on, I will describe the events of this TL through maps and wikiboxes, probably lasting from the 1940s to the 2000s as best. Also, a head up, this TL will be quite dystopian and fall heavily in the favor of communists, so there might be some wonky things that might teeter close to ASB that I have planned. Plus, I haven't done an official TL in quite a while so my writing and research skills are a little rusty at best. This timeline is mostly done for fun for all intentions so I hope I don't have to fight flamewars in the comments.

With that out of the way, I hope to have my first map of the TL posted very soon.
 
Is this a Soviet Cold War Win without the stupid trope of USA exploding into bozillion states for no reason? Then I'm very intrigued
 
Is this a Soviet Cold War Win without the stupid trope of USA exploding into bozillion states for no reason? Then I'm very intrigued
Personally, I find the trope that the USA had to dissolve 1991 USSR-style as unnecessary for a Soviet victory TL (as I am no big fan of parallelism). I will give some hints, that the USA will remain mostly intact by the end of the century ITTL, albeit isolated and struggling.
 
parallelism
That's literally the only reason why people write it, ignoring the fact that USA is largely ethnically homogeneous while USSR was populated by peoples who differ from each other like French do from Japanese
USA will remain mostly intact by the end of the century
I think that realistically to win the Cold war for the USSR would mean to snatch Western Europe and so kinda force USA into going isolationist again, so basically have Western expansion of the Warsaw Pact to the Azores instead of OTL Eastern expansion of NATO to the Bug river

USA can be more left-leaning, but overall I think that the existing democratic system is not going anywhere either way for because how smoothly it works, even if there's a Communist President I would expect him to be democratically elected by the people over other candidates

I had some personal thoughts about it, and I think that a way to achieve that may be in, other than have Wallace bungle it up for the USA early on, is to have Stalin die early, I believe he had his first heart attack back in 1947, maybe without his paranoia and extreme cruelty split with Tito can be avoided and Greek civil war won by communists, Korean war avoided entirely or maybe even relationship with Israel can be friendly-neutral then

Then maybe UK and France split with the US over Suez crisis and clinge on to colonies more, until in 1968 there's a leftist popular uprising in France, just like IOTL, only here it succeeds, after witch France and Iberia(Salazar's regime in Portugal was toppled by left leaning officers IOTL, I expect them to be even more leftist ITTL and Spain is likely to follow after Franco's death), after witch point it is basically done

UK will not fall for Soviets nor it will end it's'special relationship' with USA no matter what if not only for reasons such as Soviet style Marxism being absolutely incompatible with UK democratic traditions, but simply for the geopolitical truth that UK for as long as it exists was ALWAYS opposed to whoever was potential continental hegemon of Europe at the time, regardless of the ideology - the French, the Spanish, Napoleon, Kaiser, Hitler, Stalin, and even now with Brexit it is a continuation of the same line - so the UK will not join any Soviet-led organization, but with the rest of Europe under Soviet rule it doesn't matter as much

Avoiding invasion of Czechoslovakia is absolutely necessary as IOTL it was the last straw that finally ended all(already fading after 1953) sympathy that European leftist intellectuals had left for USSR, with more radical ones then shifting their interest to Maoism and more moderate ones ending it with Marxism altogether

Those are my thoughts, maybe they're in the same lane as yours, but maybe not, anyways I'm excited to see what you have planned, I'd love to see where this is going
 
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I'm also wondering if you're gonna have a lineup of USA Presidents Wallace and then Robert Taft like in For All Time TL, as this combination is an ultimate killer for any aspirations USA has in Europe!
 
I think that realistically to win the Cold war for the USSR would mean to snatch Western Europe and so kinda force USA into going isolationist again, so basically have Western expansion of the Warsaw Pact to the Azores instead of OTL Eastern expansion of NATO to the Bug river
That is what I have planned, however, I shall detail it in future chapters, no spoilers ya know...
USA can be more left-leaning, but overall I think that the existing democratic system is not going anywhere either way for because how smoothly it works, even if there's a Communist President I would expect him to be democratically elected by the people over other candidates
That is if the USA accepts a socialist world, America had been typically a right-leaning country and with the Soviet Union and communism ascendent (temporarily), the USA could have a nasty reactionary response and double down on McCarthyism and communist paranoia, i.e. fortress North America. Though, with a stronger communist world, the American left could receive funding and inspiration from the rest of the world and challenge both the Democrats and Republicans, perhaps under some sort of socialist unity party or whatnot.
I had some personal thoughts about it, and I think that a way to achieve that may be in, other than have Wallace bungle it up for the USA early on, is to have Stalin die early, I believe he had his first heart attack back in 1947, maybe without his paranoia and extreme cruelty split with Tito can be avoided and Greek civil war won by communists, Korean war avoided entirely or maybe even relationship with Israel can be friendly-neutral then
Well, I plan on having Stalin live to 1953 as IOTL, but good ideas nonetheless. However, I will tease that the post-Stalin leadership will be much different from OTL.
Then maybe UK and France split with the US over Suez crisis and clinge on to colonies more, until in 1968 there's a leftist popular uprising in France, just like IOTL, only here it succeeds, after witch France and Iberia(Salazar's regime in Portugal was toppled by left leaning officers IOTL, I expect them to be even more leftist ITTL and Spain is likely to follow after Franco's death), after witch point it is basically done
All good ideas too, defiantly will cover all of these countries in future maps. However, I will hint that France goes commie earlier than the 1960s.
UK will not fall for Soviets nor it will end it's'special relationship' with USA no matter what if not only for reasons such as Soviet style Marxism being absolutely incompatible with UK democratic traditions, but simply for the geopolitical truth that UK for as long as it exists was ALWAYS opposed to whoever was potential continental hegemon of Europe at the time, regardless of the ideology - the French, the Spanish, Napoleon, Kaiser, Hitler, Stalin, and even now with Brexit it is a continuation of the same line - so the UK will not join any Soviet-led organization, but with the rest of Europe under Soviet rule it doesn't matter as much
I'm still indecisive about what path the UK will take, but you are correct that the UK will be taking its own path. Definitely under President Wallace, the 'special relationship' will be seriously strained, with Wallace focusing on cheering up the Soviets instead of the British. And with America doubling down on isolationism and leaving the British to fend for themselves, London will have a hard time resisting the ever more powerful communist bloc. Though, in the case that the British adopt socialism, it will be a democratic form of it and will be vehemently opposed to Soviet Marxism-Leninism.
Avoiding invasion of Czechoslovakia is absolutely necessary as IOTL it was the last straw that finally ended all(already fading after 1953) sympathy that European leftist intellectuals had left for USSR, with more radical ones then shifting their interest to Maoism and more moderate ones ending it with Marxism altogether
It all depends on how much Moscow wants to keep their client states in check. If the Soviets engage in such military invasions (quite likely) like in OTL, perhaps a split might occur between communists in France and the Soviet Union.
I'm also wondering if you're gonna have a lineup of USA Presidents Wallace and then Robert Taft like in For All Time TL, as this combination is an ultimate killer for any aspirations USA has in Europe!
Shh, no spoilers.
 
America had been typically a right-leaning country and with the Soviet Union and communism ascendent (temporarily), the USA could have a nasty reactionary response and double down on McCarthyism and communist paranoia, i.e. fortress North America. Though, with a stronger communist world, the American left could receive funding and inspiration from the rest of the world and challenge both the Democrats and Republicans, perhaps under some sort of socialist unity party or whatnot.
That is true, I meant that if majority of the world goes red the overton window surely will move left anyways in America too
Though, in the case that the British adopt socialism, it will be a democratic form of it and will be vehemently opposed to Soviet Marxism-Leninism.
Even if there's a lasting leftist govt in Britain they wouldn't ally themselves with Soviet, neither will democracy and probably even monarchy itself will be done away with simply because there's no real reason for it and for how integral those are to British free-spirited mindset
 
The End of World War Two
THE PEOPLE'S CENTURY: THE HISTORY OF THE 20TH CENTURY
BY: LEAM HANKS ET. AL.

CHAPTER 15: THE POSTWAR ORDER: THE AFTERMATH OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR

VICTORY IN EUROPE AND THE POTSDAM CONFERENCE


The Second World War in Europe had finally ended in the long-awaited victory of the allied powers. With the suicide of Hitler on April 30 and the subsequent capture of Berlin by the Red Army along with the allies breaking past through the Rhine River, the German Third Reich was finally vanquished. On May 9th, 1945, the remaining German command would unconditionally capitulate to the allied powers, ending the Second World War in Europe. With the end of the war in Europe, the victorious allied powers would meet in the German city of Potsdam outside Berlin, with the conference starting in July 1945. The participants of the Potsdam Conference were the United States, represented by President Henry Wallace, the Soviet Union, represented by General Secretary Josef Stalin, and the United Kingdom, represented by Winston Churchill, though later replaced by Clement Attlee due to Churchill losing the 1945 election in Britain. The main objectives of the Potsdam Conference were to resolve a postwar peace in Europe and the conclusion of the war against Japan, which was still fighting against the allied powers.

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THE BIG THREE: These three men were British PM Clement Altee (then Churchill), American President Henry Wallace, and General-Secretary Josef Stalin

In April 1945, President Roosevelt had died in office, with Vice President Henry Wallace succeeding him as the new President of the United States. Under Wallace, the initial distrust of Stalin by some American and British officials, especially in the face of Soviet actions in Poland and Eastern Europe, would be put aside by Wallace. Wallace aimed to establish good relations with Stalin to prevent tensions and maintain cooperation with the Soviet Union in order to build his vision of peaceful postwar order all the while keeping the peace in Europe. During the conference, Wallace would focus on negotiating with Stalin and Molotov during the conference and agree to much of their demands. The relationship between Churchill and Wallace during the conference quickly soured, due to Wallace being a critic of British imperialism and his preference to negotiate with Stalin and Molotov instead. Churchill would also criticize Wallace as ‘appeasing’ to Soviet dictates, further deteriorating their relationship from its height during Roosevelt back during WW2. With the British sidelined, the Potsdam Conference would be dominated by the likes of the Soviet Union and the United States.

After the conclusion of the conference in August 1945, the allied powers would conclude the final agreement for a future postwar Germany. The allied would divide Germany and Austria into separate occupation zones under France, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Soviet Union as was planned during the Yalta Conference. Wallace would also abandon the original proposal at the Yalta Conference that envisioned Berlin and Vienna being occupied jointly by the allied powers, with the cities instead remaining in Soviet control. Wallace would claim that sending American troops into Berlin and Vienna would ‘provoke’ the Soviets and threaten the state of peace in Europe. The allies would also impose the five ‘D’s’, which were demilitarization, denazification, democratization, decentralization, and deindustrialization of Germany. The allies also planned for the transformation of Germany from a pre-war heavy-industry economy to an agricultural and light-industry economy. This was to be done through the establishment of the Allied Control Council, a joint council of the allied powers which would control the German economy and serve as its governing body.

As was decided in the Moscow Declaration of 1943, the allies would lead the prosecution of the National Socialist leadership and German war criminals through public trials. The conference also saw the reduction of all German territory to their pre-war borders and the expulsion of all Germany living beyond the newly-established borders, such as in East Prussia, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and much more of Europe. The allies would also recognize the new borders for Poland and Germany with the new Oder-Neisse enforced in the East as the new border between Germany and Poland. The Soviet annexation of East Prussia would also be recognized by the allies. The Germans in these territories would be expelled in an ‘orderly and humane fashion, although this was largely unenforced, with thousands of German expellees dying on their way to Germany.

Other terms in the Potsdam Conference also included the American recognition of the pro-Soviet and communist government in Poland under the Provisional Government of National Unity and also the pro-Soviet Provisional Government in Austria, led by social democrat Karl Renner as president. Another Soviet demand was their proposal to establish a trusteeship over Tripolitania, part of former Italian Libya, drafted by Molotov. The Americans (for obscure reasons) would accept the Soviet proposal, hoping that to appease Soviet demands for a Mediterranean base, Stalin would be more malleable in the postwar order. So it was decided that the Soviet Union would acquire a mandate over Tripolitania, with Libya becoming jointly governed by the British, Soviets, and French until an independent government was formed. During the conference, Wallace would also secretly tell Stalin about the results in the recent Trinity Test, although Stalin was not surprised (since the Soviets had spies in the program). Wallace’s recognition of the communist governments in Poland and Austria and the appeasement of Stalin to get the Soviets to join the war against Japan would earn him much criticism in the United States and Britain, with some critics comparing the Potsdam Conference to the 1938 Munich Conference and Chamberlain’s appeasement of Hitler, substituted with Wallace’s appeasement to Stalin.

During the Potsdam Conference, the allies also drafted the Potsdam Declaration, which outlined the terms for a Japanese surrender during the Pacific War in Asia. The terms would call for the prosecution of Japanese leaders and generals responsible for starting various wars in Asia, such as the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Pacific War. Another protocol was the reduction of Japanese territory only to the home islands (i.e. Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu, and Shikoku) and the renunciation of any conquests (i.e. Formosa, Korea, Sakhalin, Kurils). This also included a withdrawal from all occupied territories in Asia and the demilitarization of the Japanese military forces. The Potsdam Declaration would also be added to include a protocol on the partition of Japan into occupation zones under the British, Chinese, Soviets, and Americans, which Wallace agreed on in exchange for the Soviet Union declaring war on Japan. Korea and China would also be recognized by Wallace as being in the Soviet sphere of influence to additionally coerce the Soviets in joining the Pacific War.

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GERMAN OCCUPATION ZONES: After the Potsdam Conference, the victorious allied powers, the British, French, Americans, and Soviets, would jointly occupy Germany with the aim to establish a people's democratic state.

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THE TRIPLE OCCUPATION OF LIBYA: The former Italian colony of Libya would be in an interesting situation in which the Soviets, British, and French would jointly govern the territory, with the aim to establish a free and independent republic.

VICTORY OVER JAPAN AND THE END OF THE PACIFIC WAR

With the European Front of World War Two concluded in an allied victory, the allied powers would turn their attention to the Pacific War. The Japanese had continued to fight even after the capitulation of Germany in May 1945, determined to come out with a conditional peace or alternatively fight to the death. The United States by July 1945 had already liberated the Philippines back from Japanese occupation and had recently captured Okinawa from Japanese forces after a fierce battle. With the Japanese unwilling to do an unconditional surrender, with the Premier Suzuki declaring that Japan will rather fight to the very end, the allies would begin plans to invade mainland Japan on a set date on November 1 under Operation Olympic, which envisioned an American amphibious invasion of Kyushu on mainland Japan. The casualty estimates of such an offensive would be staggering for both the Japanese and Americans, but the allies deemed it the only way to achieve victory over the Japanese.

The situation would change however in July 1945, when the American nuclear project would bear fruit with a successful detonation of an atomic bomb in the form of the Trinity Test in the New Mexican desert. With a working atomic bomb, President Wallace would be left with a choice on whether or not to use it on Japanese cities to help hasten a surrender. However, Wallace would be adamant about the use of atomic weapons against Japanese cities, as his pacifism weakened his will to use the destructive, and radicative, potential of the nuclear bombs immediately. Fearing that by using nuclear weapons against Japan would set a bad precedent, Wallace would order the bomb to be put on hold. Hoping that the proposed Soviet entry into the war against Japan and that the current resources at disposal in an invasion of Japan would force the Japanese into an unconditional surrender.

This day would come on August 9th, 1945, when the Soviets launched a massive invasion of Manchuria, under the control of the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo. The Soviet invasion of Manchuria came as a surprise to the Japanese, who did not expect the Soviet Union to join the war against Japan. The million-strong Red Army would pour into Manchuria, sweeping aside the Kwantung Army by the end of August, the Red Army had captured all of Manchuria except for Japanese holdouts in Southwest Manchuria. Despite the Soviet entry into the war, the Japanese militarist government refused to comply with the demands of the Potsdam Declaration, especially about the clause that had the Soviet Union occupy one-fourth of Japan and the anti-monarchist sentiment of Wallace. With the Japanese committed to still fighting on, the planned Operation Olympic would take place in the beginning of start of November, with American and allied troops planning to land on the beaches of Kyushu. The Battle of Kyushu was particularly brutal on the level of Iwo Jima, with the Japanese defenders fighting to the death and armed civilians attacking allied troops doubled with both sides using chemical weapons.

Operation Olympic would take place just as the Soviet Union secured Sakhalin and the Sakhalin Islands, preparing for the invasion of Hokkaido. In a month prior to Operation Olympic, the Red Army would invade Hokkaido from Sakhalin and the Kurils in August 1945. With most of the IJA in Southern Japan fighting the Americans and the IJN practically nonexistent, the Red Army were able to secure beachheads and occupy all of Hokkaido North of the Rumoi-Kushio line by September 1945. By December 1945, the Americans would be victorious in Kyushu, occupying the lower half of the island while the Soviets swept through Hokkaido. The Americans would also conduct another landing in Shikoku in December 1945, managing to secure a beachhead at the cost of heavy casualties. With the American objective reached, which was the capture of Southern Kyushu and Shikoku by December 1945, the Americans would began planning for Operation Coronet, the invasion of Tokyo.

Back home, Wallace had to deal with increasing issues over the invasion of Japan. American war-weariness had reached its climax by the end of 1945 and many in Wallace's cabinet were convinced that an atomic bombing of Japanese cities were the only way to force a surrender. Facing pressure from his own cabinet and receiving reports of the carnage from the battles of Kyushu and Shikoku, Wallace would reluctantly approve the use of a nuclear weapons by the beginning of Operation Coronet in March 1945. In March 1946, before the Americans landed in Tokyo, the first atomic bomb against a civilian target would be deployed, with the Japanese city of Kyoto destroyed by one American atomic bomb. The destruction would be massive, with the Japanese shocked about the scope of the destruction.

Operation Coronet would start in the beginning of March, 1946, outnumbering Olympic in its size and scope, with nearly 25 divisions to be used in the operation. Operation Coronet would start with an American landing in the Kanto Plain. The allies would push the Japanese up the two peninsulas, planning to encircle Tokyo and capture the Japanese capital. The Japanese by this point in the war had committed most of their army to stop the initial invasion and were now relying on guerilla tactics to resist the allies. Though a brutal battle, the Americans were able to establish beachheads and would advance to the outskirts of Tokyo by April 1946. The Emperor and military moderates would realize the futility of continuing the war, with the Japanese nation being invaded by all sides and their enemies now possessing city-destroying bombs. The Japanese government would unconditionally surrender, accepting the Potsdam Declaration in May 1946 and instruct the surrender for all Japanese soldiers. Although many generals refused to surrender, with even a radical militarist coup attempt taking place, the war was all but over for the Japanese. Allied soldiers from the Soviet Union, America, and the British would quickly occupy Japan as per the terms of the Potsdam Declaration.

In August 1946, the allied leaders would meet yet again, this time in Vladivostok to discuss how to manage the postwar order in East Asia. It was agreed to implement the protocols of the Potsdam Declaration, with Japan partitioned into occupation zones. However, the Chinese delegation would reject the proposal to have the Chinese occupy Skikoku, with Chaing Kai Shek focused on the inevitable civil war against the communists rather than occupy faraway land. So the Chinese zone in Shikoku would be given to the British Commonwealth Zone in Japan instead. Emperor Hirohito would also be forced to abdicate as Emperor of Japan, with the abolition of the Japanese monarchy soon taking place soon after. Hirohito's abdication would take place in July 1946, ending what was the world's oldest monarchy, lasting some thousands of years.

Korea would also be fully occupied by the Soviet Union, with a military-civil government under the People’s Republic of Korea led by Korean nationalist Lyuh Woon-hyung. The status of European colonies did not remain clear, as Wallace wished to see self-determination for Indochina and the East Indies instead of being returned back to European colonialism. Decolonization had already begun to take place in Southeast Asia, with the American territory of the Philippines being granted independence on July 4, 1946. This resulted in a protocol on self-determination in the Vladivostok Conference approved by Stalin and Wallace, putting more pressure on the French and Dutch who wanted to re-establish their colonies.

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JAPANESE OCCUPATION ZONES: Following the terms of the Potsdam Declaration, the Japanese home islands would be jointly occupied by the Soviets, British, and Americans. The Chinese zone was given to the Americans during the Vladivostok Conference, as shown on this map.

FOCUS QUESTIONS:

1) WHY DID PRESIDENT WALLACE AIM TO APPEASE THE SOVIET UNION AT POTSDAM? EXPLAIN THE REASONS.
2) WHY DID WALLACE DECIDE NOT TO USE AN ATOMIC BOMB AT FIRST ON JAPAN? EXPLAIN WHY.
3) WHAT FACTORS LED TO JAPANESE CAPITULATION? EXPLAIN THE REASONS.
 
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Victory in Europe and the Potsdam Conference

An interesting concept, though I can't imagine how Libya would be split like that, even as an attempt to appease the Soviets. There were (as far as I remember, anyway) essentially zero Soviet troops present in North Africa to even move into that occupation zone, which at the time was controlled by the Brits. For that matter, how did the Americans get Britain to hand over a significant chunk of Libya? Not even mentioning the stick that'd be raised by Idris.

Finally, if it's designated as a Military Administration which, ostensibly, was to be temporary, how would that appease Soviet hopes for a base in the Mediterranean? Why would Stalin accept it unless he knew it'd be permanent (and even then, why would he accept a colony so far from the Russian mainland?), and in that case why would the Allies be willing to permanently cede a chunk of Libya to the Soviets, a chunk the Soviets had zero troops in at V-E Day?

Again, a neat idea, but I'm really not sure how the Libya split would come about.
 
even as an attempt to appease the Soviets
I believe this was an actual OTL proposal, but I personally always assumed that that was just Trump-style negotiations on Stalin's part - demand something outlandish that you don't need anyway to then trade it off for something that you actually need, here it comes to life
 
The Iran and Turkish Straits Crisis
THE PEOPLE'S CENTURY: THE HISTORY OF THE 20TH CENTURY
BY: LEAM HANKS ET. AL.

CHAPTER 15: THE POSTWAR ORDER: THE AFTERMATH OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR

THE IRAN CRISIS


Since the Anglo-Soviet of Iran in 1941, the allied powers had occupied the country of Iran throughout the duration of World War Two. Following the ousting of Reza Shah, his son Mohammad Reza Pahlavi would become the new monarch of Iran. The allies however would promise that the military presence in Iran was not an occupation and that they would withdraw in the joint ‘Tripartite Treaty’ of January 1942. In September 1945, the British and Americans would withdraw from Iran, honoring the Tripartite Treaty, however, the Soviets would remain in Northern Iran and maintain their military presence past their deadline of March 1946. In addition, the Soviets would sponsor communist ‘People’s Democratic Republics’ within their occupation zone in Iran, which were the Azerbaijan People’s Republic led by Sayyid Jafar Pishevari and the Kurdish Republic of Mahabad under Perheva Qazi Muhammad. Stalin would also increase the presence of the Red Army in both of these provinces, which would only increase tensions between Iran and the Soviet Union, who saw the breakaway republics as an integral part of Iran.

The situation in Iran started to turn into a regional crisis, with the prospect of an armed conflict between the Soviet Union and Iran becoming all the more likely. Tensions were made worse when the Iranian army attempted incursions into the Kurdish Republic of Mahabad, though they were repelled by the Kurdish militias. Though lacking Anglo-American support, espically with the Americans still focused in cleaning up the Japanese in the Pacific, the Iranians could do little to resist the Soviet hegemon in the North. Under pressure from the Soviet Union, in June 1946, the Soviet-Iranian Oil Agreement was signed, with the Soviet Union agreeing to withdraw troops from Northwest Iran in exchange for a 50% oil share and influence in the Iranian government. Another term was the recognition of the independence of the Azeri and Kurdish Republics. The Soviets would pull their troops out of Northwest Iran, beginning in June 1946 and completing their withdrawal by July 1946. The Soviet-Iranian Oil Agreement would be heralded as a ‘great diplomatic victory’ thanks to the ‘genius’ of Stalin by the Soviets. The British on the other hand would be wary of the perceived spread of communist and Soviet influence in the Iranian government following the Soviet-Iranian Oil Agreement, backing a tribal uprising in Southern Iran against the Iranian government. As for the Iranians, any attempt to renege the Soviet-Iranian Oil Agreement and the resolution to the Iran Crisis, with a failed attempt to reverse the treaty in 1947 by the Iranian Majlis due to Soviet pressure. Iran would essentially become a client state of the Soviets, with communist influence only growing.

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IRAN FOLLOWING THE SOVIET SETTLEMENT: Following the final settlement of the Iran Crisis, the world would recognize the independence of South Azerbaijan and Kurdistan (Mahabad).

THE TURKISH STRAITS CRISIS

Another crisis in the Middle East during the same time as the Iran Crisis would be the Turkish Straits Crisis. The crisis would start in August 1946, where the Soviets would present a note to the Turks, complaining the way Turkey was handling the straits and how it did not represent the interests of other Black Sea nations. Additionally, the Soviets would use the agreement reached during the Potsdam Conference, which gave the Soviets a blank check to enforce their desired laws in the straits. The note would conclude that the current administration of the straits was no longer tolerable to the Soviets and demanded that the original 1936 Montreux Treaty be re-written in a new international conference as was agreed by Stalin and Wallace in the Potsdam Conference. The crisis would worsen in the following months, with the Soviet Union increasing its naval presence in the Black Sea close to Turkish shores. A large number of Soviet troops were also deployed to the Balkans to increase pressure on the Turks to relinquish to Soviet demands. The Turks would attempt to reach out to the British and Americans for assistance against the Soviets, but the Americans agreed to the Soviet’s demands as was during the Potsdam Conference while the British were not powerful enough and unwilling to back Turkey against Soviet claims.

Eventually, the Turks would give in to Soviet demands, with a Turkish-Soviet Conference opening in October 1946 in Sochi. During the Sochi Conference, the Soviet Union would lay out their demands for the Turkish straits as was agreed during the Potsdam Conference. These included that the straits be demilitarized and free of any Turkish and foreign military presence. The straits were also to be free to any kind of Soviet ships, including both merchant and military. The Soviets would also be allowed to have a naval presence in the Straits and can be permitted to establish naval bases. The Turks would find such demands of the Soviets as appalling, as it essentially forced the Turks to bow to the whim of Stalin and give up a significant potion of their sovereignty to Soviet domination. Though with a lack of American and British support and facing the prospect of a Soviet invasion, the Turks accepted the demands of the Sochi Treaty. This would turn Turkey into a status similar to Finland, in which its foreign policy would be dominated by that of the Soviets. The Soviets would also begin to heavily influence the Turkish government similarly to Iran, in the hope of establishing a friendly communist regime.

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TURKEY FOLLOWING THE SOCHI TREATY: The provisions of the Sochi Treaty of 1946 would include the demilitarization off all Turkish provinces bordering the Sea of Marmara, the Black Sea, and the Dardanelles Strait.

FOCUS QUESTIONS:

1) WHY DID THE SOVIETS DESIRE INFLUENCE IN IRAN AND TURKEY? EXPLAIN WHY.
2) WHY DID PRESIDENT WALLACE AGREE TO SOVIET DEMANDS? EXPLAIN HIS AGENDA.
3) WHAT FORCED THE GOVERMENTS OF IRAN AND TURKEY TO ACCEPT SOVIET DEMANDS?
 
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Announcement:

I decided to change the invasion of Japan, instead of surrendering in August 1945, the surrender is delayed until December 1945. This is due to Wallace refusing to use the atomic bomb in August 1945, instead hoping that the entry of the Soviet Union in the war against Japan would help Japan to surrender.
 
Decolonization of Asia
THE PEOPLE'S CENTURY: THE HISTORY OF THE 20TH CENTURY
BY: LEAM HANKS ET. AL.

CHAPTER 15: THE POSTWAR ORDER: THE AFTERMATH OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR

Following the end of the war in the Pacific, the Japanese occupation forces in Southeast Asia would be demobilized and allied troops would land to re-occupy their colonies. With the end of World War Two, a new world order would be created, one based on the values of self-determination for all peoples. The age of New Imperialism would end, although the European powers would attempt a foray to re-establish their colonies in Southeast Asia. This would lead to struggles between the nationalists of the colonies and the European colonists after World War Two. During the Vladivostok Conference, President Wallace made it clear that imperialism and colonialism will no longer be tolerated in the postwar world. This would be the basis of the Vladivostok Declaration in August 1946, which aimed to achieve self-determination in Southeast Asia.

After the Japanese surrender in June 1946, the communist Viet Minh led by Ho Chi Mihn would declare the independence of Vietnam and attempted to court other powers in recognizing Vietnamese sovereignty. The Viet Minh had already been conducting a guerilla campaign against the Japanese since 1944, aided by generous amounts of American support. Following the abdication of the Vietnamese Emperor and the surrender of the Japanese, the Viet Minh would assert control over the whole of Vietnam, declaring the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in July 1946. Despite the Vietnamese declaration of independence, the French along with the British troops in the region refused to recognize the Ho Chi Mihn’s government. With the landing of French troops in Saigon following the surrender of Japan with the aim of the reconquest of the colony. In late-1946, French troops would land in Northern Vietnam, bombarding the city of Haiphong and landing troops in the city. This would begin the Indochina War between Vietnam and France.

During the Vladivostok Conference, the Vietnamese issue would be brought up to the Americans, which the Vietnamese wanted American and Soviet support to deter a possible French reconquest of Indochina. Wallace sympathized with the Vietnamese, deeming their desire for self-determination as important to consider. Following the French invasion of Vietnam in late-1946, President Wallace would condemn the French action, declaring that ‘imperialism is no longer welcome’. To make things worse for France, President Wallace would also decide to recognize Ho Chi Mihn’s Democratic Republic of Vietnam in late-1946, putting significant pressure on Paris to recognize Ho Chi Minh's government. The American recognition of Vietnamese independence would spark outrage in Paris, especially by Charles de Gaulle, who was a strong advocate for the reconquest of Indochina by France. Though under pressure from the French communists doubled with threats of America withdrawing financial aid, the French would comply. In mid-1947, the French would formally abandon all claims to Indochina and recognize the independence of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.

Another independence struggle took place in the Dutch East Indies. Much like in Vietnam, the Dutch East Indies was occupied by the Japanese until the formal surrender of the Japanese in June 1946. With the surrender of the Japanese in June 1946, Indonesian nationalists would declare their independence under Sukarno along with other Indonesian nationalists in June 1946, with news of the independence spreading to much of Indonesia. With the surrender of Japanese forces, a new struggle broke out in Indonesia between the Indonesian nationalists and the occupying force of Dutch-British-Australian soldiers. The Dutch wanted to re-establish their colony of the Dutch East Indies with the assistance of the British Empire. From mid-1946 to early-1947, the Dutch would be able to reclaim much of Indonesia, with the exception of the provinces of Java and Sumatra, which remained hotbeds of nationalist groups.

President Wallace however would disapprove such an action, rejecting any notion that the Americans will assist the Dutch in ‘colonial bondage’ against the Indonesians. Much like for Vietnam, President Wallace would condemn the Dutch attempt to reconquer their colony and would put pressure on the Dutch government in the form of threats to withdraw financial aid for postwar recovery. Facing financial pressure by the Americans and desiring to rebuild their country from the German occupation, the Dutch relented to American demands and recognized the independence of Indonesia in 1947. However, the Dutch were allowed to remain in control of West Papua New Guinea. The newly-independent United States of Indonesia would be quickly recognized by the Americans and the Soviet Union.

The British, unlike the Dutch and the French, were able to reassert their control over Singapore and Malaya. The British had liberated the colony during the Pacific War during Operation Mailfist, which lasted from December 1945 to March 1946. The Second Battle of Singapore had seen much of the city destroyed in urban combat, though the British were victorious against the Japanese. Following Japanese surrender in May 1946, the remaining Japanese holdouts in Malaya would surrender to the British, with Malaya, Singapore, Sarawak, and Brunei being placed under British military occupation. In late-1946, the British would establish the Malayan Union as an autonomous protectorate of the British Empire. The British would also successfully re-establish colonial control over Burma, which was occupied by the Japanese during World War Two. Wallace would be critical of British ‘imperialism’ and had hoped for independence, though the British would promise that both Burma and Malaya would be granted independence once the colonies were rebuilt.

The independence wave in Asia would be the start of a great national awakening across the colonized world. In the new world order established at Potsdam and Vladivostok, the age of ‘new imperialism’ was over and self-determination would be applied on a global scale unlike what was applied during the Paris Peace Conference of 1919. This new wave of nationalism, built along socialist and communist lines, would appear in the Arab world and Africa throughout the 1950s and 1960s.

FOCUS QUESTIONS:

1) WHAT FACTORS LED TO THE EUROPEAN POWERS IN ASIA ABANDONING THEIR COLONIES? EXPLAIN WHY.
2) WHY DID THE EUROPEANS AIM TO RECONQUER THEIR COLONIES FOLLOWING WORLD WAR TWO?
3) WHAT ROLE DID PRESIDENT WALLACE PLAY IN THE DECOLONIZATION OF ASIA? EXPLAIN HOW.
 
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