2022 Turtledoves - Best Cold War to Contemporary Timeline Poll

[Gwrtheyrn Annwn]

"A Very British Transition" A Post Junta- Britian; @powerab

Geronimo : What if Osama Bin Laden was killed prior to 9/11?; @Iwanh

Texas Two-Step: Nixon nominates Connelly as VP in 1973 by @wolverinethad

McGoverning; @Yes

The Reform Party: 20 Years of History; @President Benedict Arnold

Kentucky Fried Politics: A Colonel Sanders Timeline; @gap80

America's Funniest President: Mo Udall Presidency & Beyond; @CountDVB

The North Star is Red: a Wallace Presidency, KMT Victory, Alternate Cold War TL; @TastySpam

Hale, Vladivostok!; @herlockscholmes

Indonesia ATL: The presidency of Try Sutrisno (1997-) by @GSD310

Hell or Highwater: Buddy Cianci and the Decade of Malice; @ZeroFrame

Al Grito de Guerra: the Second Mexican Revolution; @Roberto El Rey

The Iron Eagle - The History of the Cold War; @Kaiser of Brazil

Romanov Ascendant: What if the Soviet Union survived?; @Justinian

 

[ZeroFrame]

Hell or Highwater: Buddy Cianci and the Decade of Malice

"There’s one man who could’ve brought stability and trust back into our society and that man was Gerald Ford. But instead that bastard Lynette Fromme wanted him dead so she could send a message. Well, I hope she’s happy in hell!"

- James L. Buckley

In less than three decades three presidents leave office in body bags, two leave viewed as war criminals, one leaves disgraced, and another is under house arrest.

One faithful day in Sacramento California set America on the highway to hell. Unbeknownst to America and Ford his guardian angel took the day off and in three seconds the president laid dead. No one could guess how much pain the death of Ford would cause. After six years of chaos under Ford, Rockefeller, and Jackson America needs someone to calm them. Laxalt is elected but just like Ford he’s murdered in cold blood and his bombastic and unknowingly to Laxalt, corrupt vice president takes power.

Now with Vincent “Buddy” Cianci freed of the limitations of the vice presidency enacts his plan for not just the US but the world. Using the powers of the federal government, blackmailed politicians, and a clandestine criminal organization to make millions and create the largest crime ring the world has ever seen. But whether Cianci knew it his crime ring was about to come to an end in a scandal that engulfs not only the rotten political system of America but the world. By the time the US exits off the highway to hell the world will be drastically changed.

It's much more than just a story about a corrupt mayor who turns the presidency into the largest criminal operation the world has ever seen. During the course of the timeline, we see how the actions of Jackson and Cianci affect the world. We see how both Jackson and Cianci's actions change the world for better or for worst. Throughout the course of the timeline (so far) Poland, Italy, the UK, France, Panama, Nicaragua, the Soviet Union, Iran, and even the Vatican are covered.

 

[powerab]

"A Very British Transition" - A Post-Junta Britain TL

“This result has shown us facts that we’ve always known to be true. That the British people don’t want more of the same, the British people don’t want us to go backwards. This victory is the work of a coalition of forces across Britain, from those who joined me on the picket line in 2003, to the students who stormed their university building. We will now seek to build a Britain for everyone, that work starts now. We will modernise our economy and bring Britain back to the heart of global trade. We will put an end to political violence, to those who lay down their arms and seek peace through the ballot box. We welcome you. For those who continue to impose their way of life through bombs and bullets, we will find you. Finally, I say to our friends watching abroad, Britain is back. Did you miss us?" - Alan Johnson's Victory Speech in 2005, the first democratically elected British Prime Minister for 40 years.

A Very British Transition is a timeline that diverges from reality in 1968 when the British military — disgruntled by Harold Wilson's socialist-friendly government and with the implicit backing of the social establishment (including from the Queen) — seizes control of the country and establishes a junta that runs things with an iron fist for decades. Left-wingers, Celtic Nationalists and other are all imprisoned or worse as Britain turns into a Franco-style dictatorship.

Lightening slightly in the 90s and eventually giving into populist pressure, Britain reestablishes democracy with free elections in 2005. This, incidentally, is all backstory, as the timeline follows the attempts by the new British government transition back to a free culture and rejoin a world that had long shunned its dictatorship. Suddenly thrust into power is Alan Johnson, an orphaned former postie turned trade-union leader. With a divided parliament, armed nationalists in Scotland and Ireland, a culture of paramilitary political violence and military disloyalty - it is a difficult job but someone has to do it.

Originally designed as a spiritual successor to "A Very British Coup" the TL shows Johnson and successive Prime Ministers jockeying with these issues, dealing with questions of democracy, political violence and power. Can the forces of democracy work together across ideological lines to keep a free Britain, or will she slip back into despotism? The whole world is watching.

 

[herlockscholmes]

Hale, Vladivostok!

On October 16, 1972, a twin-engine Cessna carrying U.S. House Majority Leader Hale Boggs (LA), Rep. Nick Begich (AK), Begich's aide Russell Brown and pilot Don Janz disappeared en route to Anchorage from Juneau. The four passengers were headed to a fundraiser for Begich's tight re-election campaign; no trace of their bodies or the plane itself has ever been found. All are presumed dead.

Hale Boggs is notable for two significant reasons: 1) he was an outspoken critic of J. Edgar Hoover, the FBI, the CIA, and the military-intelligence complex as a whole, even alleging in the year before his death that Hoover was illegally monitoring Congressional leaders' phone calls; 2) he was rumored to have been an early critic of the Warren Commission - the group of senior U.S. government leaders tasked with establishing the concrete story of the Kennedy assassination - findings. Just before his death, Ford and Nixon speculated that he was heavily abusing pills and alcohol, descending into a paranoid state that rendered him unfit to serve on Congressional delegations.

So, what if Boggs didn't die on that October morning?

Hale, Vladivostok! traces the unlikely survival of Hale Boggs, his years in exile, and his emergence from hiding. Thrown from the air by a sudden explosion, clinging to debris in the ice-cold waters of the Gulf of Alaska, he's fortunate enough to be rescued by a passing trawler. Instead of returning to the mainland as his rescuers insist, Boggs demands to be taken far from the U.S., as he suspects he's the target of an assassination attempt. Jumping from ship to ship, he manages to find his way to Hokkaido undetected. There, Soviet agents learn of his presence and offer him safe passage to a hiding place in Vladivostok. What they want in return for their charity is not immediately clear.

The story begins with the collapse of the Soviet Union, as Boggs is forced to make a choice: try to stay hidden, with his protectors' stability far from assured, or announce to the world that he's alive after all - and why he believes someone wanted him dead. He decides to gamble on telling his story.

How will the U.S. react to his revelations? Will the country slip into turmoil? If it does, how might others respond? We're currently up to the turn of the millennium and the 2000 presidential election. Events in Russia are covered in detail. I'm hopeful we'll ultimately get to around 2006 and some of the long-term consequences of Boggs's re-emergence.

 

[gap80]

I still don’t like to toot my own horn that much, so here’s what others have said about my TL, Kentucky Fried Politics: A Colonel Sanders Timeline, in its thread since the last time that the TL was nominated (last year; this is now the fourth consecutive year (and final year, since it is a finished TL) it’s been nominated for a Turtledove):



“Well, I just spent the last couple of weeks catching up on this timeline, to the exclusion of most other interests in my spare time. Never thought I’d be this invested in a story with such a specific POD. Anyway, loving the timeline overall.” – President Eternal, Post #1092

“Beyond its remarkable quality and running length, this timeline never ceases to maintain its good wit for humor.” – Sphenodon, Post #1126

“Reading about the extensive measures KFC takes to protect the 11 herbs and spices recipe made me laugh.” – President Eternal, Post #1138

“I’ve been on this forum reading this TL for a while now and I have to say, this is incredible! Very accurate and detailed, and even the premise of a fast food mogul becoming a politician is nicely handled...I’m looking forward to future updates!” – Trevor807, Post #1149

“I am happy with this TL I will be sad when it ends eventually but I look to the wonders we’ll see on the journey” – ajm8888, Post #1158

“A ride it has been.” – Trevor807, Post #1159

“This timeline has been an absolute blast and will be very sad the day it ends.” – Sunstone77, Post #1160

“I have enjoy reading your TL.” – Rochester, Post #1161

“As the Colonel would say, ‘Perfection!’” – Trevor, Post #1170

“I’ve been basically reading this timeline for quite a while now, it’s one of my favourites on here, and I figured I’d write in to give it a little praise! One of the things I liked about this is that it’s re-readable in an interesting way…you’ve definitely crafted something great here!” – TGW, Post #1179

“Just started reading this, it’s great so far.” – Neoteros, Post #1207

“Finally caught up on this. Truly amazing. I’m kinda sad I didn’t pick this up before.” – Knightmare, Post #1220

“It’s always so weird to read this story while being a current KFC employee.” – AwesomeCarlos1, Post #1238

“After spending some months binge-reading this, I’ve finally caught up to the present day (or at least to where we are right now). There’s a lot of things I wanna say about this universe, but I think it’s more appropriate for me to sum things up by borrowing a certain phrase…this timeline is finger lickin’ good.” – jnlt215, Post #1240

“Well damn, this is great! …this is good stuff.” – TGW, Post #1252

“I can not say how much you deserve for the time and effect you put into every post here. Thank you.” – tobg999, Post #1255

“The research you do is very impressive.” – historybuff, Post #1256

“I’m really gonna miss this…” – DARTHSAND, Post #1257

“What a wild ride.” – ZeroFrame, Post #1260

“I am going to miss this TL.” – Rochester1202, Post #1261

“This TL is phenomenal and while not quite a utopia it’s damn near close to it and that puts a smile on my face…Well done brilliantly written” – Kennedy Forever, Post #1274

“This was an awesome timeline!” – hagersalthist, Post #1276

“great writing” – miner249er, Post #1278

“Thank you for all the hard work and creating such an amazing universe and narrative” – Sunstone77, Post #1285

“I’ve loved seeing this grow into what it is now. Thank you for everything man. We won’t forget this work for a very long time and it was a pleasure contributing to it.” – Igeo654, Post #1287

“Seriously I cannot sing your praises enough for completing this. …I appreciate the work you have put into this and how thoroughly researched this obviously is.” – Kennedy Forever, Post #1288

“This timeline has been amazing, one that I’m going to come back to time and time again!” – TGW, Post #1289

“*pours out a KFC Famous Bowl in memory of this TL* Wonderful TL, gap80. I can see myself coming back to read this one again and again!” – CobiWann, Post #1290

“This was a great timeline” – Bbone91, Post #1291

“Speaking as someone who found this TL fairly late in its development, I’m very sorry to see it end. Still, it was a great read, and in many ways definitely a much better world to live in than ours. Thanks so much for all your hard work.” – President Eternal, Post #1292

“Excellent ending, and lists as well. It’s been fun.” – historybuff, Post #1294

“Excellent end to an excellent TL.” – ZeroFrame, Post #1295

“This TL is brilliant from start to finish.” – Frank Hart, Post #1296

“It has genuinely been a journey watching this timeline, bravo Gap! Excellent work!” – Damian0358, Post #1297

“Great story start to finish!” – Dragolord19D, Post #1301

“I’m sad to see this timeline end because I have never read this forum too much before I discovered this for the first time. An amazing amount of detail, love and care went into this from beginning to end, and 66 years of history (nearly 90 years, counting the POD) are covered so nicely. Still, I’m glad we got it, and that’s all that matters.” – Trevor807, Post #1304

“TTL is a much better place to live IMO and it does it in a plausible way. Not utopian but still has the world a more stable place.” – ZeroFrame, Post #1316

“From the chapter I managed to read as well as from the number of full chapters, years spent researching and writing and the feedback received by your constant reader, I must say that this is one of the best written, documented, detailed and narrated TLs on this site and you are a role-model for an alternate history writer.” – Nelson Mikeson, Post #1333

“WatchMojo recently had a video about defunct famous restaurants and it was interesting to see which ones I knew because of this timeline…Being a European born in the 90s, I wouldn’t have known any of them without this timeline” – Sunstone77, Post #1340/#1349

“Congrats on finishing this epic world, it’s been one wild ride ” – Electric Monk, Post #1345

“Amazing timeline, probably the most comprehensive I’ve ever read.” – Lavender Gooms, Post #1353



Thanks for all the support, everybody! I truly appreciate it!

 

[GSD310]

Indonesia ATL: The Presidency of Try Sutrisno (1997-)

In November 1997, Indonesia's Soeharto went on a foreign trip which included attending the APEC Summit in Canada, visiting some African countries, and going on an umrah to Saudi Arabia. When he arrives back in Jakarta on 29th November 1997 he collapsed. The diagnosis was never made clear but it was widely thought that he had suffered a minor stroke.

This TL takes as its POD that Soeharto's stroke was major and that this lead to his death. Stepping into the power vacuum to assume the presidency was none other than Vice President Try Sutrisno. Try assumes the office at a perilous time; during the middle of the Asian Financial Crisis. And though the immediate challenge of repairing the Indonesian economy was already a great one, a challenge that was no less important was proving to his people and to the political elite around him that he was no placeholder.

The TL follows Try as he goes about his work as president on a day-by-day basis. It is Indonesia-centric but eventually the butterflies spills over the borders and to various countries. Perhaps an alternative title for the TL is "WI Indonesia Better Manages The Asian Financial Crisis".

I realize that it is a niche TL but I've been grateful to get a regular traffic of readers both the ones who are interested in what is happening domestically in ITTL Indonesia and those who are interested in ITTL's international developments. I thank you for your continuing support and the nomination you have given me.

 

[Kaiser of Brazil]

The Iron Eagle - The History of the Cold War

As the dust settles down, the world will never be the same again. As the forces of Liberalism and Totalitarianism finish their clash in the battlefields, they begin their clash of ideas, of influence, of domination around the world. It is said that evil is only allowed to grow because good men abstain from stopping it, and this is shown as many ignored the true danger of the German Reich, and now the world pays for that ignorance. As America finishes a bloody spectacle in Asia, with the destructive Operation Sunset finishing the Japanese Empire, the scarred nation now watches with horror what their complacency costed in Europe. As the Soviet Union falls apart in the same way it began, millions of slavs are trapped west of the Volga, now under the cruel watch of the Iron Eagle. Britain stands alone with eternal vigilance as the people fear every day that the war will begin again and the Home Islands will suffer the wrath of the Reich. Inside Germania, Europe is reshaped according to Hitler's wicked desires while the vultures circle around, waiting to take over once their Führer dies, for only the strongest shall rule the Reich. In Italy, Mussolini begins to fear that he made the wrong choice as the Empire struggles in a balancing act of independence and dependence. In the Middle East, the last remnants of the Jewish people fight a war for survival as Hitler is still not finished, with the German influence growing around the Arab states. This is the world as it enters the 1950s, and the threat of a new war continues to grow as the United States and the Greater German Reich pursue more and more deathly technologies, conflicts of interest escalate, and all of the world is intensely watching as the clock comes closer and closer to midnight.

Yes, this is a German Victory timeline, but differently from others the focus here is not the war itself, but rather it's consequences. Through the magic of Points of Divergence and Butterfly Effect that begins with the death of Franklin Roosevelt in 1921, the world is radically changed with a more isolationist America led by Burton K. Wheeler, a less capable and charismatic war leader in Britain, Stalin's paranoia becoming even worse, Hitler going towards the south rather than Moscow, all of this leading to a German victory. While there are many arguments to be made, which were already done to exhaustion in this website, that a victory for the Reich is a stretch, here we go to use it as a starting premise. As the timeline enters the 1950s, there is still much to be explored in this timeline, but one must wonder if cooler heads will still prevail or the world will descend into an explosive ending.

 

[nezza]

Can I say I was honoured to be nominated for “If They Want It They Can Have It: Ulster‘s Tragedy” and thank everyone for reading it.