Alcohol still prohibited e.g. in USA and Finland when WWII starts

What happens if alcohol is still prohibited when WWII starts, in those countries where it was earlier prohibited. USA and Finland are probably the most "interesting" countries here.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prohibition

The first half of the 20th century saw periods of prohibition of alcoholic beverages in several countries:
  • 1907 to 1948 in Prince Edward Island,[6] and for shorter periods in other provinces in Canada
  • 1907 to 1992 in the Faroe Islands; limited private imports from Denmark were allowed from 1928
  • 1914 to 1925[7] in the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union
  • 1915 to 1933 in Iceland (beer was still prohibited until 1989)[8]
  • 1916 to 1927 in Norway (fortified wine and beer were also prohibited from 1917 to 1923)
  • 1919 in the Hungarian Soviet Republic, March 21 to August 1; called szesztilalom
  • 1919 to 1932 in Finland (called kieltolaki, "ban law")
  • 1920 to 1933 in the United States
 
The Portuguese in Angola, imposed limitations on liquor consumption for non assimalado Africans. A certificate of civilization was "earned"
 
It's really hard to see Prohibition continuing in the US until World War II. Remember, the Congress that voted to enact the 21st Amendment in January 1933 was a lame-duck Congress--i.e., this was before the new, more Democratic, more anti-Prohibition Congress elected in 1932 met. Both major party presidential nominees (FDR and Hoover) stood for repeal in 1932, and even if the Democrats had nominated someone other than FDR they would still have backed repeal--even McAdoo favored a referendum on it.

One of the things that made repeal inevitable was the Depression--with the federal government in a huge deficit, liquor taxes as a source of revenue became very tempting. But if there were no Depression, it is doubtful there would be a World War II as we know it...
 
It's really hard to see Prohibition continuing in the US until World War II. Remember, the Congress that voted to enact the 21st Amendment in January 1933 was a lame-duck Congress--i.e., this was before the new, more Democratic, more anti-Prohibition Congress elected in 1932 met. Both major party presidential nominees (FDR and Hoover) stood for repeal in 1932, and even if the Democrats had nominated someone other than FDR they would still have backed repeal--even McAdoo favored a referendum on it.

One of the things that made repeal inevitable was the Depression--with the federal government in a huge deficit, liquor taxes as a source of revenue became very tempting. But if there were no Depression, it is doubtful there would be a World War II as we know it...

And in Finland too it was very difficult maintain prohibition much longer than in OTL. People really hated whole law and there was big smuggling problem and there was several home brewers. Even many politicians who supported prohibition begun turn against that when they saw problems. Finally it was repealed via referendum on 1932. And still there was several limits for alcohol long time after prohibition. Many strong alcohol drinks were and are still mostly allowed sell only in state-owned alcohol stores and strong beer was prohibited some decades after the refenrendum.
 
Actually, I think the Soviets keeping it banned would have rather interesting. The need to police such a policy (though it might be able to be justified in a policy of preserving grain for the 'market' rather than seeing it disappear into fermenting bins) is enough in and of itself, but could we see the Nazis, at least on a localized scale, implement something like Tsourus's Operation Red Lightening?
 

trurle

Banned
Actually, I think the Soviets keeping it banned would have rather interesting. The need to police such a policy (though it might be able to be justified in a policy of preserving grain for the 'market' rather than seeing it disappear into fermenting bins) is enough in and of itself, but could we see the Nazis, at least on a localized scale, implement something like Tsourus's Operation Red Lightening?
Alcohol prohibition in Soviet Union would see as much popular opposition as in Finland. Likely resulting in severe death toll due widespread consumption of home-distilled spirits and substitutes.
 
Finland would have been in a real risk of becoming a Mexico-typed narco state. Hence the national referendum saw 70% support for the proposal to end the Prohibition, and this is unlikely to change. So in order to keep alcohol illegal, you'd need to butterfly away the Finnish democracy.
 
Alcohol prohibition in Soviet Union would see as much popular opposition as in Finland. Likely resulting in severe death toll due widespread consumption of home-distilled spirits and substitutes.
The difference of course being that Stalin is, well, Stalin.

What might stop him is the fact that prohibition at this time was associated with the Tsarist government who tried a partial ban in WWI (in order redirect potatoes and grains to military use).
 
Trotsky might have a different attitude. Alcohol is the last remembrance of bugerois morality. A worse opiate for the masses than religion.
 
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