1937: Parsley Massacre leads to war

The Vulture

Banned
For the unfamiliar, this should give you a basic idea: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parsley_Massacre

My question is, suppose for whatever reason Haiti instead declares war on the Dominican Republic? In this time of volatile politics, it could rapidly turn into a proxy war. Mussolini, in particular, with his love of grand gestures, might send troops to Trujillo in order to show the United States Italian military might right in their own backyard. Somoza might also get involved, and there was also some major US business interests in Haiti at this time.

This is something I'm really curious about and have been vaguely thinking of doing a timeline over, so any help you can give would be good.
 
For the unfamiliar, this should give you a basic idea: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parsley_Massacre

My question is, suppose for whatever reason Haiti instead declares war on the Dominican Republic? In this time of volatile politics, it could rapidly turn into a proxy war. Mussolini, in particular, with his love of grand gestures, might send troops to Trujillo in order to show the United States Italian military might right in their own backyard. Somoza might also get involved, and there was also some major US business interests in Haiti at this time.

This is something I'm really curious about and have been vaguely thinking of doing a timeline over, so any help you can give would be good.

The US might have been disorganized from the depression... but certainly not so off balance as to just let a European power just waltz into the Caribean. If Mussolini even so much as thought about anything other minding his own business America would send its entire battlefleet to curbstomp his ass (superiority of at least 4 to 1)
 
For the unfamiliar, this should give you a basic idea: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parsley_Massacre

My question is, suppose for whatever reason Haiti instead declares war on the Dominican Republic? In this time of volatile politics, it could rapidly turn into a proxy war. Mussolini, in particular, with his love of grand gestures, might send troops to Trujillo in order to show the United States Italian military might right in their own backyard. Somoza might also get involved, and there was also some major US business interests in Haiti at this time.

This is something I'm really curious about and have been vaguely thinking of doing a timeline over, so any help you can give would be good.

There's a little something called "The Monroe Doctrine" that would prevent Mussolini from interfering in the Caribbean. Not to mention the logistical difficulties etc. Furthermore, given Italy's interests being in the Mediterranean and Africa, and their desire to NOT piss off the US (given the fact that they continued trade during the Ethiopian War despite the LoN embargo) I just don't see it happening.

If anything I'd wager that the US would probably try to intervene in the conflict, perhaps removing Trujillo after peaceful attempts fail.
 

The Vulture

Banned
Yeah, I was just looking for a way to either start World War Two early or possibly just have a war between two major powers. While the idea of the Italian Navy steaming into the Caribbean so Mussolini can help his buddy Trujillo seems dramatic (and like just the kind of stupid move Benny the Moose would make), I guess it's not very plausible.
 
There's a little something called "The Monroe Doctrine" that would prevent Mussolini from interfering in the Caribbean. Not to mention the logistical difficulties etc. Furthermore, given Italy's interests being in the Mediterranean and Africa, and their desire to NOT piss off the US (given the fact that they continued trade during the Ethiopian War despite the LoN embargo) I just don't see it happening.

If anything I'd wager that the US would probably try to intervene in the conflict, perhaps removing Trujillo after peaceful attempts fail.

Incidentally, during the buildup to WWII, the US and other nations in the Americas jointly invoked the Monroe Doctrine to protect various colonies in the Americas from Nazi & Italian intervention. (I wish I could find that "No Trespassing by order of James Monroe" editorial cartoon...
 
You'd have a hard time getting the Haitian pres to declare war. IOTL he cared very little about what happened to the Haitian victims and accepted a token payment, which was never even made. And Haiti frankly didn't have the military means to threaten Trujillo.

Perhaps you might get an uprising by Haitian migrants themsleves out of desperation that might lead to US intervention to "preserve order."
 
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The Vulture

Banned
Duvalier? I think you've got Papa Doc mixed up with Sténio Vincent, who was President of Haiti at the time.

Not that Vincent didn't do what you ascribe to him, just want to make sure we're all on the same page here.
 
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