AHC/WI: Business Plot Succeeds

Something I just came across from a book someone linked me to, and looked into more on Wikipedia, was the plot to overthrow FDR in 1933. The plot was ultimately betrayed by Smedley Butler, whom the plotters had tried to recruit for their coup to become the leader of the new government.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_Plot

So what if the coup gets put into action? Does it have any chance at success
 

Japhy

Banned
The idea that a cabal of Capitalists, Legionnaires, and Ultra-Conservatives somehow were able to unite to actively plot the overthrow of the Roosevelt Administration is highly unlikely.

The idea that such a cabal having readied all the preparations for a coup would have turned to Smedley Butler to be their leader, despite his public, vocal, and well-known politics in regards to US policies internationally, domestically, and economically is absolutely ridiculous.
 
If they managed it within a week of their takeover various left wing groups in America start organizing their own "Labor Plot" to overthrow them. This is basically the best propaganda windfall the SPUSA and CPUSA could ever, ever hope for given how it essentially proves every single thing they've accused the American rich of being absolutely correct and conveniently proves that those reformist progressives really where just naive fools to think the right would ever allow for real change at the same time. You'll have a few years of American Pinochet before things explode for the fascist Cabal.
 

Japhy

Banned
If they managed it within a week of their takeover various left wing groups in America start organizing their own "Labor Plot" to overthrow them. This is basically the best propaganda windfall the SPUSA and CPUSA could ever, ever hope for given how it essentially proves every single thing they've accused the American rich of being absolutely correct and conveniently proves that those reformist progressives really where just naive fools to think the right would ever allow for real change at the same time. You'll have a few years of American Pinochet before things explode for the fascist Cabal.

Except, besides Butler's illogical testimony, there's nothing to prove that a secret Cabal was moving to destroy American Democracy.
 
And just like all previous threads to be based on the plot, it is dealing with the AH equivalent of "WI: The Boogeyman was real?"

Its bunk for discussion.

I know that, it's just kind of fun to talk about what happens after it succeeds. I'm entirely willing to admit its a ridiculous premise but its a ridiculous premise that makes a very fun situation.
 

Flubber

Banned
I know that, it's just kind of fun to talk about what happens after it succeeds. I'm entirely willing to admit its a ridiculous premise but its a ridiculous premise that makes a very fun situation.


Leaving aside the ridiculousness of the premise, what were the alleged Plotters' actual goals? I think any discussion of the plot - which never actually existed in any real sense - would depend on what the Plotters wanted to do.
 
Leaving aside the ridiculousness of the premise, what were the alleged Plotters' actual goals? I think any discussion of the plot - which never actually existed in any real sense - would depend on what the Plotters wanted to do.

According to Beutlers testimony the plan described to him was to force Roosevelt to accept a "Co-President" who would make the actual decisions & leave Roosevelt as a figurehead to make soothing speeches on the radio.

The approach to Beutler makes sense in the context of his history. He had become very popular as a leader among the Marines and Naval officers who had worked with him. He had also established a rep as a tough law and order man. In the late 1920s he had been given leave of absence from the active service in the Marines to become Police Commissioner of Phildelphia. While he pissed off a number of politicians he was popular among a fair portion of the business community and middle class. That extended to a large part of the police force as well, tho he was less appreciated by some.

There is some indication Beutler was a bit soured by the Philidelphia experience. He may have been disgusted by the corruption, duplicity, and stupidity of the politicians and other leaders he encountered.
 

Japhy

Banned
According to Beutlers testimony the plan described to him was to force Roosevelt to accept a "Co-President" who would make the actual decisions & leave Roosevelt as a figurehead to make soothing speeches on the radio.

The approach to Beutler makes sense in the context of his history. He had become very popular as a leader among the Marines and Naval officers who had worked with him. He had also established a rep as a tough law and order man. In the late 1920s he had been given leave of absence from the active service in the Marines to become Police Commissioner of Philadelphia. While he pissed off a number of politicians he was popular among a fair portion of the business community and middle class. That extended to a large part of the police force as well, tho he was less appreciated by some.

Except that by the 1930's he'd become a well known speaker of Anti-Interventionist, Anti-Corporate causes. War is a Racket did not come out of the ether, it was a clear growth out of what Butler had publicly and loudly been saying for years since he'd left the service, and plenty of comments he made in Philadelphia that hit the press showed no sign of him being remotely near what a plot would have needed in a leader.

Popularity and "Tough on Crime" ideals a Dictator or Putschist do not make. Approaching Butler in 1933 for a "Business Plot" would be like going to Curtis LeMay, John Foster Dulles, or Dwight Eisenhower to lead a "Peace Plot" in 1950 to create a Finlandized US Government and end the Cold War.
 
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