ITTL Giuseppe Zangara mortally wounds FDR in the assassination attempt. FDR is pronounced dead hours later on February 15, 1933. I know this TL has been covered by many (including Philip K. Dick's The Man in the High Castle) but this is MY take on the scenario
Part 1: Coup d'état
The VP, John Garner is eventually inaugurated as the president. He takes the same stance as Hoover on the economy, which does not help and only spirals the nation further into economic despair. His first 100 days are marked by one crisis after another, including the final collapse of the American banking system (prevented in part by a bank holiday by FDR). This greatly increases the popularity of extremist organizations on both the right and left. The Communist Party of America has particular appeal with the distraught farmers and The Silver Legion of America has the appeal of many city-dwellers. It is also backed by industrialists such as Henry Ford. The Fascist SLA promises to restore the economy back to its former state and bring America into a golden age of prosperity. It blames primarily the European Powers for "dragging us into World War 1 and crippling our economy by forcing to baby them". It also blames Blacks and immigrants "for stealing our jobs and crippling our economy". The Communist Party never gains real support as it is seen by many as "anarchists destroying world order". Popularity of Fascist movements skyrocket as even the most democratic Americans lose faith in the in an increasingly ineffective government. Hitler follows these developments in America with great interest.
In September of 1934 unemployment reaches a high of 35% and the country is on the verge of civil war. However the Fascists are impatient in working with the government. A coup is planned on October 1st. This would be known as the "Fascist March On Washington". 250,000 World War 1 veterans and Fascist supporters march to the White House demanding the resignation of John Garner and the installment of a Fascist government. Garner remains defiant and gives the stunning order "Suppress this hateful movement!" but the Army defies the orders and instead large amounts of men and Generals defect and back the marchers. Among them are General Douglas MacArthur and Major George Patton who lament on the bloody suppression of the Bonus Army a year earlier. With the backing of the Army Washington descends into chaos. In what would be known as the "Black Revolution" the current government is overthrown and John Garner is tried and executed on charges of incompetence. The Fascists soon dissolve the constitution in a highly controversial move. But they justify it as saying that "it lead us to this state". A new constitution and bill of rights is passed with a puppet congress and limited rights for citizens to obtain popular support. "Elections" are also restored, but are rigged and allow for only government-approved candidates to hold office. Blacks are reduced to serfdom on the accusation of that they were "depriving Americans of jobs and acting as parasites for the economy". Economic policies based off of Nazi Germany (already experiencing great economic recovery) are implemented through massive public works and military and naval rearmament. The Washington Naval Conference is dissolved in November, further worrying the British Empire.
Part 2: Ascendancy
After a series of power struggles and riots, a military dictatorship under Douglas MacArthur is formed along with the Silver Legion of America as the ruling party. Democratic countries throughout the globe are shocked and denounce the events. A politician notes that "Another beacon of light and freedom is extinguished". On the contrary Hitler and Mussolini praise the move. Hitler reportedly quotes that "America has freed itself from the Jewish Conspiracy. They shall make great allies for the Reich".
The Fascists in America soon split on foreign policy. Many want to remain staunchly isolationist. Others want to approach the regimes of Hitler and Mussolini and become allies. Most however are in between. Germany and America share a very similar ideology, but there are very staunch differences. By far the biggest impediment to a full scale alliance is Hitler's admiration of the British Empire and pursuits of an Anglo-German alliance. On the contrary America denounces the Empire as a vestige of an old order that is meant to be destroyed. America wants to expand not for Lebensraum but for "protecting the peoples of the Americas from imperialists" citing the long standing Monroe Doctrine. It also wants to expand for economic opportunities on a perversion of Manifest Destiny, that it was a god-given right for the United States to take over all of the Americas. American Fascism more resembles Italian or Japanese Fascism than Nazism. Many American Fascists view the far right Regimes such as Nazi Germany as impure and not true Fascists.
Fascist America is not without internal opposition. Many Americans denounce the violent takeover and the execution and exile of its opposition. However many Americans are either too consumed by the Great Depression to care or are afraid to oppose the Regime. Active opponents are thrown into "reeducation camps" along with newly enslaved Blacks and minorities. The public knows little about these labor camps. In addition, the following years see rapid economic and military expansion and a massive success in reviving the economy (much faster IOTL). One American notes that "Once the Fascists were in power it was wonderful. People were put back to work and there were no more poor people). Unemployment drops from 35% in 1933 to 5% by 1936, and Wall Street is once again a bustling financial center. Any remaining opposition to the Regime is silenced by the great economic prosperity associated with it.
America in the international stage is "neutral" and turns a blind eye to Japanese and German expansion. America conducts free trade with all powers and never embargoes the Axis, this has far-reaching effects on Japanese Conquest of china. In 1936 Hitler, giving up on a Anglo-German alliance, invites MacArthur and American diplomats over to see the Reich and talk of an American-German Axis. No alliance is created, but the "Treaty of Non-Aggression and Mutual Assistance" is announced and signed. This also included unrestricted trade with all Axis powers and Joint German-American research in many fields of science. In secret Hitler and MacArthur agree to partition the British and French Empires.
Unrelated to this TL The Hindenburg disaster never happens, why? Because the Hindenburg is filled with fire-retardant helium (the US never enacts a helium embargo on Germany) and the Hindenburg lands safely in New York despite fuel leaks and damage. Observers noted that "had the Hindenburg been filled with Hydrogen it would have burst into a enormous fireball".
America is Fascist and greatly Axis-Leaning, but they are still reluctant to get pulled into any sort of war. However the resources of the US are flowing uninterrupted into the hands of the Axis Powers. Events in Europe happen much like IOTL, with Hitler emboldened even more thanks to his belief that America will join in the inevitable war. Will the Axis prevail? Will America stick to its isolationist guns, or will it side with the Axis in a crusade against Communism and the Allies? All feedback appreciated and note that this timeline is speculative, but that IMHO FDR dead would have resulted in a Fascist America.
Part 1: Coup d'état
The VP, John Garner is eventually inaugurated as the president. He takes the same stance as Hoover on the economy, which does not help and only spirals the nation further into economic despair. His first 100 days are marked by one crisis after another, including the final collapse of the American banking system (prevented in part by a bank holiday by FDR). This greatly increases the popularity of extremist organizations on both the right and left. The Communist Party of America has particular appeal with the distraught farmers and The Silver Legion of America has the appeal of many city-dwellers. It is also backed by industrialists such as Henry Ford. The Fascist SLA promises to restore the economy back to its former state and bring America into a golden age of prosperity. It blames primarily the European Powers for "dragging us into World War 1 and crippling our economy by forcing to baby them". It also blames Blacks and immigrants "for stealing our jobs and crippling our economy". The Communist Party never gains real support as it is seen by many as "anarchists destroying world order". Popularity of Fascist movements skyrocket as even the most democratic Americans lose faith in the in an increasingly ineffective government. Hitler follows these developments in America with great interest.
In September of 1934 unemployment reaches a high of 35% and the country is on the verge of civil war. However the Fascists are impatient in working with the government. A coup is planned on October 1st. This would be known as the "Fascist March On Washington". 250,000 World War 1 veterans and Fascist supporters march to the White House demanding the resignation of John Garner and the installment of a Fascist government. Garner remains defiant and gives the stunning order "Suppress this hateful movement!" but the Army defies the orders and instead large amounts of men and Generals defect and back the marchers. Among them are General Douglas MacArthur and Major George Patton who lament on the bloody suppression of the Bonus Army a year earlier. With the backing of the Army Washington descends into chaos. In what would be known as the "Black Revolution" the current government is overthrown and John Garner is tried and executed on charges of incompetence. The Fascists soon dissolve the constitution in a highly controversial move. But they justify it as saying that "it lead us to this state". A new constitution and bill of rights is passed with a puppet congress and limited rights for citizens to obtain popular support. "Elections" are also restored, but are rigged and allow for only government-approved candidates to hold office. Blacks are reduced to serfdom on the accusation of that they were "depriving Americans of jobs and acting as parasites for the economy". Economic policies based off of Nazi Germany (already experiencing great economic recovery) are implemented through massive public works and military and naval rearmament. The Washington Naval Conference is dissolved in November, further worrying the British Empire.
Part 2: Ascendancy
After a series of power struggles and riots, a military dictatorship under Douglas MacArthur is formed along with the Silver Legion of America as the ruling party. Democratic countries throughout the globe are shocked and denounce the events. A politician notes that "Another beacon of light and freedom is extinguished". On the contrary Hitler and Mussolini praise the move. Hitler reportedly quotes that "America has freed itself from the Jewish Conspiracy. They shall make great allies for the Reich".
The Fascists in America soon split on foreign policy. Many want to remain staunchly isolationist. Others want to approach the regimes of Hitler and Mussolini and become allies. Most however are in between. Germany and America share a very similar ideology, but there are very staunch differences. By far the biggest impediment to a full scale alliance is Hitler's admiration of the British Empire and pursuits of an Anglo-German alliance. On the contrary America denounces the Empire as a vestige of an old order that is meant to be destroyed. America wants to expand not for Lebensraum but for "protecting the peoples of the Americas from imperialists" citing the long standing Monroe Doctrine. It also wants to expand for economic opportunities on a perversion of Manifest Destiny, that it was a god-given right for the United States to take over all of the Americas. American Fascism more resembles Italian or Japanese Fascism than Nazism. Many American Fascists view the far right Regimes such as Nazi Germany as impure and not true Fascists.
Fascist America is not without internal opposition. Many Americans denounce the violent takeover and the execution and exile of its opposition. However many Americans are either too consumed by the Great Depression to care or are afraid to oppose the Regime. Active opponents are thrown into "reeducation camps" along with newly enslaved Blacks and minorities. The public knows little about these labor camps. In addition, the following years see rapid economic and military expansion and a massive success in reviving the economy (much faster IOTL). One American notes that "Once the Fascists were in power it was wonderful. People were put back to work and there were no more poor people). Unemployment drops from 35% in 1933 to 5% by 1936, and Wall Street is once again a bustling financial center. Any remaining opposition to the Regime is silenced by the great economic prosperity associated with it.
America in the international stage is "neutral" and turns a blind eye to Japanese and German expansion. America conducts free trade with all powers and never embargoes the Axis, this has far-reaching effects on Japanese Conquest of china. In 1936 Hitler, giving up on a Anglo-German alliance, invites MacArthur and American diplomats over to see the Reich and talk of an American-German Axis. No alliance is created, but the "Treaty of Non-Aggression and Mutual Assistance" is announced and signed. This also included unrestricted trade with all Axis powers and Joint German-American research in many fields of science. In secret Hitler and MacArthur agree to partition the British and French Empires.
Unrelated to this TL The Hindenburg disaster never happens, why? Because the Hindenburg is filled with fire-retardant helium (the US never enacts a helium embargo on Germany) and the Hindenburg lands safely in New York despite fuel leaks and damage. Observers noted that "had the Hindenburg been filled with Hydrogen it would have burst into a enormous fireball".
America is Fascist and greatly Axis-Leaning, but they are still reluctant to get pulled into any sort of war. However the resources of the US are flowing uninterrupted into the hands of the Axis Powers. Events in Europe happen much like IOTL, with Hitler emboldened even more thanks to his belief that America will join in the inevitable war. Will the Axis prevail? Will America stick to its isolationist guns, or will it side with the Axis in a crusade against Communism and the Allies? All feedback appreciated and note that this timeline is speculative, but that IMHO FDR dead would have resulted in a Fascist America.
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