Another way you could get troops In is via Spain,Franco must be pissing his pants at the idea of a Communist France.
An Eternal New Deal: A 1948 Election TL
- Thread starter King_Arthur
- Start date
I think you're overestimating the scale of the war! The Soviets aren't actually getting involved, just supplying the Socialists. Also, Duclos will need Mollet, who is more moderate, to support him if they win. France were capable of stopping the rebellion on their own, but McCarthy et al will obviously be pressing for war.
Im not saying a Tactical Nuke should be used, Im just saying that it must be a VERY pressing thought within US circles. Consider, Mcarthur publicly attacked truman for not giving him Nukes over Korea, a country which most Americans didn't even know exsisted before the war their. Now imagine France going into Civil war, If a highly esteemed general was willing to use Nukes to deal with communists in a country like Korea, What would the Military want to do to Communists in France if they think that they have even a slight possiblity of them winning?
Chapter 15 will come tommorrow. I would've put it up today if it hadn't been for the crash
Chapter Fifteen - The Roads of Prosperity (March-July 1954)
Chapter Fifteen – The Roads of Prosperity (March-July 1954)
Dewey to send troops into France
'President Dewey yesterday made a speech that will go down in history. Some people are already calling it one of the greatest American speeches. In Lincoln, Nebraska Dewey said these words "Recently the United States have been in many wars, and many are wondering why we fight. Well as our brave soldiers prepare to go to France I will tell you why we fight. We fight because it is God's will to defend the freedoms of those who are oppressed, we fight because it is our duty to hold back the tide of Communist tyranny, but most importantly we fight because we must protect the freedom of those who cannot protect it themselves". General Matthew Ridgway will be leading the expedition to France.'
The Chicago Daily Tribune, March 1954
Meet the face behind the booming economy
'Over the last 2 years, our economy has gone from strength to strength. Many have credited Nelson A. Rockefeller, Secretary of the Treasury since 1952, with the boom due to his progressive taxation policies. His philosophy of higher taxes, which enables the administration and congress to spend money on social programs, has been labelled 'practically Marxism' by conservative Senator John W Bricker, but allegedly has caused the massive boom in the economy recently.'
The Washington Post, March 1954
Secretary Rockefeller
'An issue that came to prominence in Spring 1954 was that of Vietnam. The French, colonial occupiers of the country, lost a key battle at Dien Bien Phu after the country's civil war meant that the fortress couldn’t be resupplied, and the Americans and British were also tied down too much in France. However, someone who did notice the situation was a minor undersecretary in the State Department and ex-army Colonel called Dean Rusk. He registered his concerns with Secretary of State John Dulles, who was slow to act, but it was a priority issue by late April. Despite Dewey's concerns about getting involved in yet another war, he was persuaded by Dulles and Marshall to send 250 Marines to train the forces of pro-western State of Vietnam under Bao Dai, which was opposed to the Communist Viet Minh.'
The Cold War: 1945 to 1957 (1990)
'Between April and June 1954, a conference was held in Geneva, Switzerland which looked to solve some border disputes in East Asia. The first question was the border between North and South Korea. The tiny state, which was practically part of China wished to return to pre-Korean War borders, but the motion was dismissed, as was the border question. The second question was the division of French Indochina. After much deliberation it was divided into the Kingdom of Cambodia, the Kingdom of Laos, and a Communist state in Northern Vietnam (the Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and a capitalist state in the South (the State of Vietnam).'
Communism in East Asia (2001)
Wallace on trial
'Ex-Vice President Henry A. Wallace has been put on trial at Washington, DC this week. He was arrested by the FBI in November at Washington National Airport after returning from the Soviet Union and he has been charged with Treason and Conspiracy to Commit Espionage. FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover has told reporters "we are treating the Wallace case just like any other case for Treason and Espionage, it does not matter that he was formerly in a position of power, we are committed to giving the accused party a fair trial, as per the 5th Amendment to the United States Constitution and will provide an evidence-based case for the prosecution". Mr Wallace is being represented by Thurgood Marshall, a notable legal counsel for the pro-Civil Rights NAACP. Some observers have worriedly pointed out Marshall's apparent friendly relations with Hoover and the FBI.'
The Washington Post, May 1954
Hungary win the World Cup
'The Hungarian National Team has won the Football World Cup in Switzerland. They managed to beat West Germany 2-0 in Berne, with star player and team captain Ferenc Puskás scoring both goals. The Hungarian team were the favourites, and their victory surprised no one. They made a reputation as a formidable team after defeating England 6-3 at Wembley last year, the first time that England had lost to a foreign team at home.'
The Daily Telegraph, July 1954
Chapter Sixteen - A Long Road to Peace (March-July 1954)
Chapter Sixteen – A Long Road to Peace (March-July 1954)
'The French Civil War was not going well for Charles De Gaulle. The Socialists controlled several major cities, such as Lille, Marseille, Le Havre and Bordeaux, the British bombing campaign in Pas de Calais wasn’t doing anything and the Americans were taking ages to arrive. His neighbours were all doing nothing – Franco in Spain had not commented on the War as of yet, Belgium and Luxembourg declared their neutrality and all Adenauer had done so far is offer to negotiate a peace settlement. However, Badout (now a Brigadier) had seen a chance to swiftly end the war. There was a gap between the two Socialist-held cities of Rouen and Beauvais. If a large enough force could sneak through the gap, then they could quickly take Rouen, Le Havre and the mouth of the Seine. Known as the Badout offensive, 35,000 French soldiers and 6500 American soldiers set off from Paris on March 8. Unfortunately, they were sighted by villagers 31 miles from Rouen. This meant the city was prepared for the attack, and the following Second Battle of Rouen was a massacre. The French troops were led very poorly and suffered 16,500 casualties, while the Americans were led by skilful Brigadier-General Phillip Hunter. Although 3000 of the 6500 strong US Brigade were killed, the Americans managed to hold the line 12km south of Rouen, making sure the Battle wasn't a complete failure. On March 23, General Ridgway arrived in Paris and a week later 15,000 British troops arrived as well. Ridgway's strategy was to focus on taking the south of France before the north. On April 1 Ridgway commenced Operation Enforcement, which culminated in the Capture of Bordeaux (April 9-13). This success was greatly beneficial for morale and it convinced Adenauer to send 10,000 West German soldiers to assist. Next, Ridgway began Operation Freedom Assault on April 28, which aimed to capture Toulouse, however a strategic defeat at the Battle of Boe (May 4) resulted in the lines stabilising. Ridgway was a veteran of World War I and didn't want the horrific stalemate on the Western Front to happen here, so he went south to the Pyrenees instead. Ridgway's soldiers marching through the pilgrimage site of Lourdes on May 15 remains the most iconic image from the French Civil War to this date. Pau was captured on May 18 and Bayonne was taken on May 26. After a hasty meeting with Franco, the fascist dictator of Spain, on May 30, Spain agreed to join the war and Ridgway then turned towards Toulouse once more on June 3.'
The Cold War 1945 to 1957 (1990)
'The President of the SRF, Guy Mollet, was in denial. In the space of 2 months, his forces had gone from winning a civil war to only controlling two areas of France. However, his commanders had found a way to turn the war in their favour once more. Brigadier Badout was still in charge of the allied forces for the Northeast France area, but after the almost complete failure of the Second Battle of Rouen his men had very little faith in him. A large frontal assault on his main garrison at Cergy would likely scatter his troops and leave the Socialists with a clear path to Paris. A mighty force of 83,000 men was mustered and under the cover of darkness they attacked Cergy on June 4. the Battle of Cergy (June 4-5) would be studied for decades to become, but 8000 of the 22,000 strong garrison were killed, while 10,000 were captured and sent to work in factories. De Gaulle was stunned and by the time he could organise a defence of Paris, Saint-Denis was plagued by riots, and the Socialists were kilometres away from the same town. The Battle of Saint-Denis (June 9-25) was brutal and lengthy. Looting was commonplace and the allied troops had trouble moving around due to the riots and volumeof people on the streets. Eventually after a large bombing campaign and deadly urban warfare, the Socialists were forced to halt in Saint-Denis.'
Great Military Campaigns (1996)
'On June 8 General Ridgeway arrived at Toulouse with his large army. After some brief skirmishes, he had managed to encircle the city by June 10. The city surrendered 5 days later, and there was much celebration for General Ridgway in cities across America, Britain and De Gaulle's France. De Gaulle and the British wished for Ridgway to be transferred to the North-eastern front, so he could repel the Socialists, however, the Pentagon and Ridgway himself wished for the General to stay in the south. After it was agreed he would stay in the south, he began drawing up plans for the ambitious Operation Spearhead, which aimed to reach the Italian border by January 1. His troops set out from Toulouse on June 27, heading towards the coast.'
The Cold War 1945 to 1957 (1990)
General Matthew Ridgway
Chapter Seventeen - The Failing Bureau of Investigation (August-December 1954)
Chapter Seventeen - The Failing Bureau of Investigation (August-December 1954)
Wallace sentenced to 18 years in jail
'Former Vice-President Henry A. Wallace was sentenced to 18 years in jail today for Conspiracy to Commit Espionage. The prosecution team did seek to have him charged for Treason, but that charge was dismissed by Judge Warren Burger. Many Americans were shocked by the trial, even Senator McCarthy, known for his anti-communist 'witch hunts' a couple of years ago, told The Post "this time Hoover has gone too far. Although he may have Communist sympathies, I trust Vice-President Wallace is a good and honest man, who would not have committed treason to his country any more than you and I would have".'
The Washington Post, September 1954
Hoover fired as FBI Director
'J. Edgar Hoover has been relieved of his duties as Director of the FBI by the Attorney General, effective October 1st. It has been announced by the Department of Justice that the Deputy Director of the FBI, Clyde Tolson, will replace him. There has been speculation that Hoover's dismissal may be related to the Wallace Trial, dubbed the Trial of the Century by some, but when asked the Attorney General gave no comment.'
The Chicago Daily Tribune, September 1954
Clyde Tolson
Hoover fires entire FBI
'On his last day as Director of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover has reportedly fired every single FBI employee he has the power to. This extremely unprecedented move was very harshly criticised by many, including Harry Byrd, Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, who said "Director Hoover should have not let his ego get in control". Hoover has not released an official statement as of yet.'
The Washington Post, October 1954
'The 1954 midterms were a surprising success for the Republicans. The war in France had a rally around the flag effect, so they gained a decent 23 seats, while the Democrats and the SRP both gained one seat each, putting the composition of the House at 210 for the Republicans, 209 for the Democrats, and the SRP kept 16 seats. This threw the House into crisis, as neither party had a majority. Sam Rayburn managed to cut a deal with the SRP, and he was narrowly re-elected Speaker by a vote of 225-210.
In the Senate, the GOP also made gains. They won seats in Colorado, Iowa, Ohio and Montana, while only losing 1 seat (Oregon). The SRP did awfully, with their candidates often coming in 3rd place.
The Gubernatorial elections were relatively straight forward, but hard-working Representative Franklin D. Roosevelt Jr defeated incumbent Republican Governor Joe R. Hanley in New York.'
The Fifth Party System: US Politics 1932 to 1956 (1990)
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The 84th Congress
The House of Representatives
Republicans: 210
Democrats: 209
States' Rights Party: 16
Speaker of the House: Sam Rayburn (D TX-4)
The Senate
Democrats: 51
Republicans: 43
States' Rights Party: 2
President of the Senate: Harold Stassen (R-MN)
President Pro Tempore: Walter F. George (D-GA)
Main Governors
California: Ronald Reagan (D) 1951-
New York: Franklin D. Roosevelt Jr (D) 1955-
Illinois: Adlai Stevenson (D) 1949-
Texas: Allan Shivers (D) 1949-
Republicans: 210
Democrats: 209
States' Rights Party: 16
Speaker of the House: Sam Rayburn (D TX-4)
The Senate
Democrats: 51
Republicans: 43
States' Rights Party: 2
President of the Senate: Harold Stassen (R-MN)
President Pro Tempore: Walter F. George (D-GA)
Main Governors
California: Ronald Reagan (D) 1951-
New York: Franklin D. Roosevelt Jr (D) 1955-
Illinois: Adlai Stevenson (D) 1949-
Texas: Allan Shivers (D) 1949-
What happened at the end of the Korean War? Surely Pyongyang being captured and Kim being captured would've resulted in unification under the South. I can't accept that the US would just go to the 38th like OTL.
They don't do that. NK is basically a protectorate of China and Kim is released. A line is drawn just north of Pyongyang for the border. USSR threatened war if they re-unified
Chapter Eighteen - A War of Many Fronts Part 1 (July-September 1954)
Chapter Eighteen – A War of Many Fronts Part 1 (July-September 1954)
'General Ridgway reached the Mediterranean on July 10 with 75,000 American, French, Spanish and British men. The first major target of Operation Spearhead was the city of Montpellier, defended by 35,000 Socialists. Although Ridgway's forces out numbered the Socialists by more than 2-to-1, he was prepared to face tough resistance from the determined volunteers. He launched his first assault on the city in the early hours of July 20th, attacking the city from the Southwest with a British Division 11,000 strong. They had heavy casualties and were forced to retreat on the 22nd after 6,500 troops were killed. He decided that he needed a new strategy, so the RAF and USAF pounded Montpellier form the 24th-26th. On the last day, he launched a large attack, with 30,000 troops moving into the city from the West. It was successful and the defenders were forced into the harbour by August 1st, and they surrendered two days later. The battle was successful, but at a great cost. Ridgway suffered 17,000 casualties leaving him with 58,000 soldiers to attack Marseille with, when he knew that he needed a number of soldiers much closer to 100,000. Marseille was an ancient city, and the destruction of much of its beauty saddened the 59-year-old, as well as the death of 37,000 of its 97,000 citizens. Franco had promised him that 30,000 Spanish troops would arrive by September, so General Ridgway ordered his men to fortify their positions and wait until September before it would be time to get back on the road again.'
Operation Spearhead (2004)
'Although Ridgway's numerous successes in southern France made headlines all over the world, France and its allies were still in dire straits in the north. Badout had been discredited following his disastrous offensive and was sent to serve under Ridgway in the south, which meant there was no clear commander of the northern forces. At a summit in July 31, De Gaulle, Attlee, Dulles and Bradley decided to designated an official Northern Commander. Many British and American, as well as a few French officers, were considered, but General Gerald Templer of the British Army, who had just returned from successfully stabilising the Malayan Emergency, was chosen.
He began planning for a large offensive. Having seen the failings of the Badout Offensive and the high casualties in the Battle of Montpellier, as well as the success of the Battle of Cergy, he drew up the Templer Plan in early August. He led 43,000 soldiers to attack Caen on August 20, instead of attacking Saint-Denis as was expected. Some, notably Prime Minister De Gaulle questioned his wisdom, but the small city was overwhelmed in less than a day, and Templer reached the English Channel on August 22. His next target was Le Havre and the mouth of the Seine, and he set off immediately.
General Curtis LeMay, hero of the Berlin Airlift, was put in charge of all air operations in Europe by Secretary Marshall in early August. He met with General Templer soon after arriving and together they planned the Siege of Le Havre. Borrowing heavily from the Blitzkrieg tactics of General Heinz Guderian and others, they devised a plan. Shortly after the Battle of Caen, the Royal Navy began an extensive blockade of the harbour. Templer moved his forces into position on the south bank of the Seine by the 25, and then LeMay gave the order for USAF and the RAF to bombard the city. In the middle of an Air Raid, Templer crossed the Seine and seized the city, capturing almost all of its garrison of 11,000.
The Cold War 1945 to 1957 (1990)
General Curtis LeMay
This update was too long, so I had to split it in two. Any predictions for the outcome of the French Civil War?
Eventual government victory over the PCF, but Algeria bolts earlier as the govt will be too tired to try and hold it.
Deep divisions will scar France until the 1980s
The next updates are
19. France Sep-Dec 1954
Forces in France as of 1 Jan 1955
20. Pop Culture 1949-1954
21. Events Jan-Jul 1955
22. France Jan-Apr 1955
19. France Sep-Dec 1954
Forces in France as of 1 Jan 1955
20. Pop Culture 1949-1954
21. Events Jan-Jul 1955
22. France Jan-Apr 1955