AHC: Yuri Gagarin as leader of USSR/Russia

[New Cleo Genesis]

This came from a joke suggestion I made on another website.

With a PoD after the flight of Vostok 1, have Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin become the leader of either the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics or a Russian successor state thereof. You are free to arrange whatever plausible predecessors to him you may wish.

 

[HendrykPL]

Brezhnev dies on 1961. Khrushchev approves plan to land on the Moon and encourages Gagarin to join Communist Party. Later he became strong supporter of some Khrushchev reforms. He became observer of Soviet Space Program. When Khrushchev resigns his successor is Alexei Kosygin who in need of strenghtening political position appoints Gagarin to Central Committee. When Kosygin dies there is a crisis between hardliners and reformes so both sides agree that moderate Gagarin should take Kosygin seat.

 

[wietze]

i prefer Valentina Tereshkova in charge of the USSR instead

 

[Kibbutznik]

i prefer Valentina Tereshkova in charge of the USSR instead

Based on her one and only flight, I'd say that would be horrible. She botched the entire mission due to negligence, and on her return, Korolev notably stated that (I'm paraphrasing) "Do dnya moei smerti, bab v kosmose ne budet' ("Until my death, there will be no bitches in space").

Her negligence guaranteed the end of all careers for other prospective female cosmonauts, thus actually harming practical feminism.

 

[Miss Teri]

Based on her one and only flight, I'd say that would be horrible. She botched the entire mission due to negligence, and on her return, Korolev notably stated that (I'm paraphrasing) "Do dnya moei smerti, bab v kosmose ne budet' ("Until my death, there will be no bitches in space")..

When I first read that quote, it said, "Broads".

 

[Kibbutznik]

When I first read that quote, it said, "Broads".

As a Russian, I always felt that 'baba', as a slang term, was a simply more crude, female-oriented version of 'bitch'.

Personally, I think both translations get Korolev's message across.

 

[Dathi THorfinnsson]

I really doubt the Gagarin could gain enough power to take the top spot.

Thus, I suspect, the only way to achieve this is to have him GIVEN that spot.
Have 2 major figures vie for the top job, neither of whom can quite get enough support. So they form a troika with Gagarin as a public, popular, face for their régime. This probably only lasts until some single person (maybe one of the others in the troika, maybe someone else entirely) builds enough of a political base to take full control.

IMO

 

[New Cleo Genesis]

I really doubt the Gagarin could gain enough power to take the top spot.

Thus, I suspect, the only way to achieve this is to have him GIVEN that spot.
Have 2 major figures vie for the top job, neither of whom can quite get enough support. So they form a troika with Gagarin as a public, popular, face for their régime. This probably only lasts until some single person (maybe one of the others in the troika, maybe someone else entirely) builds enough of a political base to take full control.

IMO

This was actually a bit like what I was thinking as well.

 

[WotanArgead]

t's funny! But no more. Gagarin did not understand politics, he was not a bad pilot, and very charming, but it has not turned out, would be the head. Besides, he was too good a man to do here, so that's down.
But here he could get the general well.

 

[HendrykPL]

That's it. If he didn't understand politics he would be great compromise between hardliners and reformists because both factions would want to control him.

 

[Pesigalam]

As a Russian, I always felt that 'baba', as a slang term, was a simply more crude, female-oriented version of 'bitch'.

I'm a native Russian speaker and baba, although a crude/sexist term, is far tamer than suka (bitch). Baba would be interchangeable with 'babe' in English as far as I know.

 

[King of the Uzbeks]

i prefer Valentina Tereshkova in charge of the USSR instead

What TL is that again?

 

[Tzaero]

What TL is that again?

The unfinished "Down the road to defeat"

 

[Michel Van]

i prefer Valentina Tereshkova in charge of the USSR instead

What TL is that again?

In 2001: A Space Time Odyssey
she had here space flight with two other woman in space in Vostok 6
She build up a power base inside the Communist party during 1960s and in post 46, she will play a important role
for rest look who the TL progress

 

[NOMISYRRUC]

Going by her OTL political career I agree that Valentina Tereshkova becoming Soviet leader is far more plausible. My idea is that she becomes leader instead of Gorbachev.