Blood, Sweat, and Fire

Blood, Sweat, and Fire (1948-2017: Sixty-Nine Years that Changed the World)

Blood, Sweat, and Fire

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(1948-2017: Sixty-Nine Years that Changed the World)

Credits:

Author: Magus1108


Co-Author: kevvy2010




Prologue

DN Tower 21, The Suite of the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers, Douglas MacArthur. Tokyo, Japan. April 7th, 1948. 1:27 P.M.


It was the best of times, and it was the worst of times. Or perhaps neither, depending on your point of view.

And in the opinion of Douglas MacArthur, “Gaijin Shogun” of Japan....well, honestly, he just didn't give a damn. Right now, at least. Indeed, what he was currently waiting on....well, as a whole it amounted to far more than anything he had ever done. It held much more importance to him than continuing along with the rebuilding of the Japanese nation.

Oh, make no mistake, it wasn't like he had better things to do than rule and recreate the Japanese; to think he didn't take this job seriously at all would be outrageously false and untrue. However, General MacArthur was on the verge of something that even overshadowed his current accomplishments as Conqueror of the Yellow Menace...if one could believe that! This moment had been in the making for some time now, and soon enough he'd finally have the results.

The results of his first stepping stone unto a New World...the result of the near culmination of his destiny...the result of his first true entry into the political arena...the results of the Wisconsin Republican Primary. The results of the Primary that his supporters had vowed to win for him would be coming forth soon enough. And MacArthur was anxiously awaiting for that glorious and dreadful moment, when he'd receive a telegram from his supporters about the outcome.

The course of the rest of his life was being decided today, in that Primary. Or was decided, considering the damned time zone differences. Either way, his career following his Subjugation of Japan was being chosen for him, now. While others might not think of it exactly that way, it truly would define his life for years to come.

If he didn't win Wisconsin, then his political career was over before it truly began. Because, on the one hand, Dewey would then likely emerge as the Republican Nominee and beat Truman, which would disqualify the General from running in '52; and by '56, it'd probably be too late, if Eisenhower ran for the Republicans. And on the other hand if—by some large miracle or act of God—Truman won his campaign for reelection, then General MacArthur wouldn't stand a chance in the next Presidential cycle. Just like he might run in '56 if Dewey won in '48 and '52, he had no doubt in his mind that Eisenhower would try to run in 1952. Or Patton, bless that ol' scoundrel's heart. While MacArthur had no idea if George had any political ambitions of his own, it was equally probable he might try to run in the (unlikely) scenario that Dewey was defeated by Truman. And if either Patton or Eisenhower ran in '52, it was all over for him. Only an Act of God would stop either of those men from becoming President.

Hm. Speaking of which, he probably ought to have tithed more as a young man. Perhaps then, he would have gotten on the Good Lord's side, and he wouldn't be worried so much about this whole matter.

….Speaking of which, where was that damned telegram from Washington?! His supporters there had promised to send him a telegram about the results of the Wisconsin Primary, but he still hadn't gotten it. Hadn't the damned Primary been held already? What was the hold up? Perhaps the ghost of Hitler was being given an all exclusive interview...that, in MacArthur's opinion, could be the only sane explanation as to why that damned telegram hadn't arrived yet.

The General's revere was broken by a knock at his door. He barked out a gruff “Come in”, and a young woman in her early thirties (his most recent secretary, hired a few months ago) walked into the suite.

“Telegram from Washington, Sir.” the woman said, presenting a slip of paper to him. MacArthur eagerly snatched the slip from her hands, and was quick to devour its contents. Once he was finished, a wide grin slowly overtook his features. Basking in the joy of the telegram, he decided to read it aloud, just to further sentiment in his mind that what he read was real.

WI Primary won. Dewey, 29%. Stassen, 33%. MacArthur, 38%.”

It was close; closer than he would have liked. But it was still a victory.

A victory that would take Douglas MacArthur, General of the Pacific, all the way to the White House.

“Miss Henderson,” MacArthur began, noticing his secretary was still in the room. “I think it's time to start making some arrangements. Send a message to Truman, please.”

“Alright,” Henderson said, taking out a pad and a pen to transcribe notes. “What do you want to say, Sir?”

“Tell Truman that I want the White House in tip-top shape when I move in.”
 
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So, since Phil LaFollette was one of MacArthur's main political aids in OTL (La Follette had served with MacArthur during WW2, and a victory in Wisconsin would have been his doing), will he get a position in the MacArthur administration? This is no easy question, as La Follette was an avowed liberal; he had lead the Progressives of Wisconsin out of the Republican Party to form their own independent organization in 1934, and served two terms as governor from 1935-39 (he had previously served as a Republican from 1931-33), and Mac's politics were not ... leftist (although, in some ways, he was ahead of the curve; he was certainly no racist, for instance.)
I'm really looking forward to see how this timeline developes (my own TL, right now, deals with a similar timeframe and some of the same personages)
 
will most certainly follow this

Thank you. I most appreciate it.

So, since Phil LaFollette was one of MacArthur's main political aids in OTL (La Follette had served with MacArthur during WW2, and a victory in Wisconsin would have been his doing), will he get a position in the MacArthur administration? This is no easy question, as La Follette was an avowed liberal; he had lead the Progressives of Wisconsin out of the Republican Party to form their own independent organization in 1934, and served two terms as governor from 1935-39 (he had previously served as a Republican from 1931-33), and Mac's politics were not ... leftist (although, in some ways, he was ahead of the curve; he was certainly no racist, for instance.)
I'm really looking forward to see how this timeline developes (my own TL, right now, deals with a similar timeframe and some of the same personages)

We'll see. All I'll say in the LaFollette matter is that Mac might find something for his old friend to do, as thanks for giving him Wisconsin.

I'm glad you look forward to more. I already have this timeline planned out with Kevvy up to 1965, so I have a good idea where I'm going from here. With some luck, the next update should come up within the next few days. If not sooner. :)
 
Blood, Sweat, and Fire

(1948-2017: Sixty-Nine Years that Changed the World)

Part One, Chapter One:

The Curse of MacArthur

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...The outcome of the Wisconsin Primary shocked the nation, to say the least. After the successful campaigning of former Governor of Minnesota, Harold Stassen, many thought that he would sweep up the state, and effectively end the candidacy of General Douglas MacArthur before it even began. However, the supporters of General MacArthur—in particular, former Governor Philip La Follette—managed to engineer a last-minute upset. Due to the heavy campaigning of La Follette—and a grave and accidental gaffe from Stassen just days before the Primary—MacArthur won the night with a slim majority and made national news. What once seemed like a longshot candidacy was now a legitimate run for the nomination. While General MacArthur had a difficult time winning the next series of primaries, his candidacy could no longer be doubted. And as he would go on to prove in the National Republican Convention of 1948, he wasn't about to let that advantage go unused...”

Charles Lamperouge, author of, The Primary that Forever Altered the Course of History (circa 1989)


...Huh. Well, I'll be damned. That bastard's done it again. Wish I'd thought of it first.”

A quote often attributed to General George S. Patton, upon hearing of Douglas' win in Wisconsin.


The Republican Primaries of 1948 proved themselves to be much more interesting once Dugout Doug won first place in the Wisconsin primaries. Suddenly, Taft, Stassen, and Dewey (the three candidates in the race with any real shot at the nomination) found themselves with some fierce competition in the form of General Douglas MacArthur, Gaijin Shogun of Japan. Fortunately for them, however, MacArthur would not come to campaign for himself in the States, claiming that,

Mine is a role that cannot go unfulfilled for long in Japan. It still needs much nurturing and rebuilding from the ravages of war. I have my duty, and I intend to see it through until the end, whether or not I am offered the Republican Nomination from the GOP.”

One might think that this would hurt MacArthur's Presidential campaign more than help; indeed, that was what Dewey, Taft, and Stassen hoped. However, it was not to be so. The American People were enthralled with the General that would rather do his duty and risk losing the nomination he now had a shot at, instead of resigning from his position or otherwise leaving Japan to campaign for himself. Many thought this choice of MacArthur's to be chivalrous and self-sacrificial, which made them support the General all the more.

MacArthur's political supporters were themselves pleased with the General's decision—as it would give many of them the opportunity to win for the General, and possibly get these winners a place in a future MacArthur Administration—so at once his agents started to campaign on his behalf across the country. In initial national polling, the General was now just below Governor Dewey of New York, the nominee for the Republican Party in 1944, and the assumed front-runner for the 1948 Republican Primaries. While the hype for MacArthur would drop in the coming weeks, a great impression had been left upon the American People.

In the next two Primaries of Illinois and Nebraska, MacArthur ultimately placed second in both. The Illinois Primary was easily won by businessman Riley A. Bender, an Illinois native who had only appeared on the ballot of his home state. He won with 64% of the vote, but MacArthur managed to take a good second place with 36%. The rest of the candidates got virtually nothing in polling. However, it was Nebraska where MacArthur truly shined that same night.

Stassen won Nebraska with 41% of the vote, while MacArthur wasn't too far behind with 35% of the vote. Dewey (just like in Wisconsin) polled in a distant third with 21% of the vote. While he hadn't won either states, securing second place in both continued to prove just how much General MacArthur had changed the race, and how he'd continue to be an influential candidate, and more, in the weeks and months to come.
 
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Great work. If elected, its gonna be pretty interesting to see if MacArthur escalates the Korean War or not. Subscribed:)
 
Blood, Sweat, and Fire


(1948-2017: Sixty-Nine Years that Changed the World)



Part One, Chapter Two:

Unto the Breach

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...The Republican Primaries of 1948 were truly nail-biting ones. With the resurgence of General MacArthur as a viable candidate, all bets were thrown off. What once was thought to be a simple three-way race between Dewey, Stassen, and Taft suddenly became a frenzy as MacArthur surged in the polls throughout the country, while Taft, Stassen, and Dewey fought just to keep up. Truly, the Republican Primaries of 1948 were unlike any in recent memory. It was a lose-lose situation for nearly every candidate; after all, how could they ever hope to challenge the record of the man who Conquered the Japanese? Even Stassen, a veteran of war himself, didn't have the credentials of Douglas MacArthur...”

Matsuda Kururugi, author of, An Electoral History of the United States (circa 2003)

I'll be damned if I let that pompous, arrogant S.O.B. steal my job away from me! America wants a leader for President, not a glorified megalomaniac!”

Well Sir, at least it's not Patton...”

A conversation attributed to President Truman and an unnamed confidant, after learning that MacArthur had become an official candidate in the 1948 Republican Primaries.


The rest of the Primaries for 1948 passed by in a blur, and all through them MacArthur either placed a strong second or third, giving the Primary Winners (Dewey and Stassen, for the most part) a good run for their money. While he didn't win any more primaries after Wisconsin, MacArthur continued to poll strong on a national scale, and many within the Party Elite felt that, either way, he would make a strong impact once the Conventions arrived.​

Outside of the Primaries, the only thing of note that occurred was the now famous Dewey-Stassen Debate, the first recorded modern Presidential Debate to ever take place in the United States. The debate itself was centered over the criminalization of the Communist Party of the United States, which Stassen was in favor of, and Dewey was not. Overall, the debate on the radio was a rounding success for Dewey, who famously proclaimed (in response to Stassen's pro-ban stance on the issue),​

You can't shoot an idea with a gun.”

Dewey's success in the debate was what ultimately led to him claiming victory in Oregon, and gave him a strong position heading into the RNC.​

Going into the conventions themselves, each of the candidates did not know for certain what was going to happen. Governor Thomas Dewey, in total, had only won two states in the primaries; however, he had much support in the Moderate Wing of the GOP, and had been the nominee four years earlier, which helped him all the more. Not to mention his victory in the Dewey-Stassen Debate helped him gain even more support amongst the delegates.​

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Former Governor Harold Stassen emerged as the true “victor” of the Primaries, so to speak, and held four states under his belt. However, just because he had won more states than Dewey in the Primaries did not mean that he'd automatically win the nomination, as he had to defeat his more powerful opponent in the Delegate Ballot.​

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Senator Robert Taft of Ohio had only grabbed his home state in the Primaries, and had a slim chance at becoming the nominee. Still, he had a lot of support from the Conservative Wing of the Republican Party, so most assuredly he wouldn't go down without a fight. And it was also possible he could play King-Maker, so to speak, and gain a great position of power with the future nominee...​

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And then...there was General Douglas MacArthur, the Comeback Kid after he snatched Wisconsin away from the Dark Horse of the race. While he had only a single state himself, MacArthur had done very well in the primary contests, and was already painting himself as the only “viable” alternative to Dewey. Throw in his popularity from playing a key part in defeating the Japanese, and the General was a true force to reckon with in the Convention.​

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The night before the Convention was officially held, Stassen, Taft, representatives of MacArthur, and Senator Arthur H. Vandenberg of Michigan (another candiate who hadn't won any states in the Primaries) met in Taft's hotel suite to plan a “Stop-Dewey” movement. There was some friction in the group, of course, especially between Stassen and MacArthur's spokesmen. But the meeting went along smoothly, and eventually a compromise was struck between the Anti-Dewey candidates.​

In exchange for high profile placements within his Administration—and if neither of the others could gain a majority in the delegate ballot—Taft, Stassen, and Vandenberg would drop out and throw their support to General MacArthur, effectively handing him the nomination on a silver platter.​


And so, the next morning, the candidates and the delegates gathered around for the first televised Presidential Convention, and went into the first ballot...​
 
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Great work. If elected, its gonna be pretty interesting to see if MacArthur escalates the Korean War or not. Subscribed:)

Thank you very much. I'm glad you've enjoyed it thus far! Hope you like the new update. :)

And as for the Korean War....let's just say that Kevvy and I have some....interesting plans for it. :cool: ;)
 
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