How Silent Fall the Cherry Blossoms

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Geon

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SE Asia

Someone had asked about Vietnam. Here is an update I suspect many would like!
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Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia (former French Indochina)

In 1941 the Viet Minh began their rise to power in Vietnam under Marxist-Leninist revolutionary Ho Chi-Minh. In 1946 the Viet Minh began a guerilla campaign against the French and established a provisional pro-communist government in Hanoi. The French-Indochina War would last from 1946 until 1950. Historians today however feel the war should be more correctly named the French/Indochina/Greater Chinese Republic War given the part albeit covertly that the GCR had in ending that conflict.

General Chiang Kai-shek was uncomfortable enough with a communist neighbor to the north. He definitely did not like the idea of a communist neighbor to the south. The Manchurian People’s Republic had been sanctioned by treaty and had a powerful ally. The government in Hanoi had no treaties sanctioning its existence and as of yet no recognition by Moscow. However, the Generalissimo’s forces were in no condition to engage in any sort of conflict at this point. Nevertheless General Chiang Kai-shek felt that something needed to be done to prevent the GCR from being surrounded by communist nations.

The Generalissimo therefore entered into secret negotiations with the French. The final agreement meant that GCR would train and equip loyalist Vietnamese counter-insurgents in the GCR and send them across the border into Vietnam. The French in return would provide both weapons shipments to upgrade the GCR army and instructors to help with training the counterinsurgents. They would also ensure that the GCR’s role in the war was kept secret. The French were more then happy to agree to such a deal.

Thus, over the next four years the Viet Minh found themselves more and more fighting on the defensive against an increasingly well trained and well-armed counter revolutionary movement as well as against colonial French troops. In 1950 the last major pocket of the Viet Minh fell when Hanoi surrendered after a 74 day siege. The Viet Minh were allowed to evacuate over a 72 hour period known as the Haiphong Evacuation. Tragically of the 18,000 that left Hanoi on board anything that would sail 3,500 would die on the long journey from Haiphong to the Manchurian port of Dalian. Among those leaving Hanoi was Ho Chi-Minh. For the next 43 years until his death he would attempt several times to reignite without success communist guerilla activity in Vietnam and elsewhere in Southeast Asia.

In the meantime the Vietnamese Republic would win its independence from France officially in 1952. Unfortunately the VR would be known until the famous “People’s Revolution” in 1994 as one of the most corrupt regimes in Southeast Asia. In 1994 a coalition of Catholics, progressives, and students brought down the corrupt ruling “dynasty” which had ruled Vietnam since its independence and declared the beginnings of a new “democratic dawn,” in Vietnam. The new government would spend several years “cleaning house,” but by 2006 the first truly fair and free elections were held in Vietnam.

In addition to Vietnam there have been attempts by guerilla insurgents to overthrow the governments of Laos and Cambodia. The attempt by the Khmer-Rouge in 1975 came perilously close to succeeding. However, the leader of the KR, Pol-Pot died under mysterious circumstances at the height of the insurgency. While the official cause of death for Pol-Pot was listed as a heart attack there is widespread belief that the ruthless leader was assassinated. Regardless of how it happened, Pol Pot’s death marked a turning point. By 1977 the last of the Khmer Rouge forces had surrendered to the Cambodian Army.

The last few decades have seen the three Southeast Asian nations emerge with up and coming economies, particularly in tourism. A major shot in the arm for Cambodia’s tourist industry occurred in 1979 when the United Nations sent experts to help Cambodia carefully restore the ruins of its ancient city, Angkor Wat. The restoration today still under way, has turned that ancient metropolis into a major showplace which has attracted millions of visitors a year and consequently billions of dollars in tourism for Cambodia which has found itself becoming a major resort capital in Southeast Asia.
 
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Leaving Hanoi on anything that can sail...? Hanoi's on a river, but last I heard it's not really a port--it seems like they would be leaving from Haiphong, surely?
 

Garrison

Donor
Hmmm. With Asia not being as big a problem, I should think that the US would spend a lot of time hunting down and taking out Nazis.

More importantly they avoid the open wound that was the Vietnam War. Of course it could be events elsewhere in the world took its place.
 
We have not got to Germany yet, will probably be the last update on this timeline. I do think it is going to be a much worse mess I'm afraid to say than OTL. With the cities contaminated by chemical weapons and the population forced out of the cities in the winter, a far greater death rate of the civilians is pretty much a given.
Well I would say a much better result in the far east with Japan and China than otl, Germany looks like it is going to be a lot worse. I do hope Geon can find some mercy for the Germans, a partial genocide of the German people is not something I want to happen
 
Japanese lunar expedition!?

Hell. How that came to be I wonder.​

thanks to a German Submarine U-2520 full of Technological marvel like V2/V1 Engine and there blueprints, jet engine by Junkers and BMW and in Germany trained japanese engineer on this technology.
they left on December 5, 1944 direction Japan, it arrived there after end of WW2 !

this "gift" was the base for Japans Aerospace industry, after the USA allowed it.
 

Geon

Donor
Update-Russia

Here is a rather long update. Please pardon any grammatical or spelling errors as I didn't have time to proofread this!

And any of you familiar with TV tropes get set for a Thirty Gambit Pileup!

Geon

EUROPE:

Russia:

The post war history of the Soviet Union is a long and turbulent story. With the end of World War II the two most dominant individuals in Russia were Josef Stalin and Marshall Georgy Zhukov.

Stalin had high hopes of expanding Russia’s political influence after the war. Even though he had made agreements with the U.S and the other western allies regarding limiting his expansion in Europe in exchange for his cooperation in the Far East he felt in no ways bound to honor those agreements. From Stalin’s perspective it would only be a matter of time until the inevitable confrontation between communism and capitalism occurred. At the moment however he was prepared to wait, bide his time, and begin to rebuild his nation ravaged by war. In his opinion it was also time for some house-cleaning. Marshall Zhukov had served the Motherland well of that there could be no doubt. But Marshall Zhukov’s insolence in shooting a political officer simply could not be tolerated. The story that the officer had been shot by a German sniper was not bought at all by Stalin. Zhukov was too powerful, too popular, and too insolent. In Stalin’s Russia that was virtually a death sentence. From Stalin’s perspective it was past time for Zhukov to “retire.”

Zhukov on the other hand had no political ambitions going into this war. He had simply desired to defend the Motherland from the German invaders. But he had found himself more and more frustrated by the bureaucracy during the months leading up to the Berlin offensive, most notably in getting chemical warfare equipment to the troops. He had also been incensed by his political officer having the temerity to call Zhukov a coward for ordering a withdrawal to reequip and reorganize after the German chemical bombardment on the Vistula. Zhukov had also begun to question other decisions of the State. The purges of the late 30’s had left the Russian Army stripped of vital and competent leadership in favor of “politically” acceptable officers who didn’t know how to lead. Zhukov had heard stories of Russian officers who during the first few weeks of the German invasion of Russia had simply grabbed the closest truck or vehicle and sped away leaving their troops without leadership. The Motherland was left practically defenseless against the oncoming enemy and it would be years before she fully recovered from what they had done to Mother Russia. Zhukov laid the blame for this incompetence squarely on the shoulders of the General Secretary in Moscow. From Zhukov’s perspective it was time for Stalin to “retire.”

A Year of Turmoil:

October 24, 1945 marked the 28th anniversary of the start of the October Revolution which had ultimately brought Communism to power in Russia. It had been decided this day would also be set aside as the official day to honor the troops who had won the final victory over the hated fascists. The military parade that day would be a long one and would begin with Marshall Zhukov riding a white horse into Red Square to be honored by the Soviet people then standing in review for the next three hours as his troops passed by. Of course Stalin and other Politburo dignitaries would be there as well on their reviewing stand above Lenin’s Mausoleum.

Stalin in particular was looking forward to the festivities as it would be Georgy Zhukov’s last public appearance, even if Zhukov didn’t know it yet. Stalin had already instructed Beria to ensure that this Hero of the Soviet Union have an unfortunate “accident,” within the next few days. Zhukov would be buried with full military honors as a hero, and Stalin would be rid of a potential enemy. What Stalin didn’t know was that Zhukov had plans of his own!

The parade began with Zhukov riding on his white horse through Red Square saluting Stalin on the reviewing stand and to the ear splitting roar of the crowd who had turned out to see the man who had saved Mother Russia. Then Zhukov still seated on his horse had ridden to one side of Lenin’s Mausoleum and waited with the crowd as the first of the army units came into view. After 15 minutes one of Zhukov’s crack infantry units in full formation marched past the reviewing stand. Stalin was already immensely enjoying the festivities and so did not notice that this unit when it turned to look toward the Mausoleum was not looking up at Stalin and his cronies but to the side to Zhukov. Zhukov had to that point saluted each unit with his Marshall’s sword raised. Now Zhukov’s sword flashed to the ground as a signal.

As one the infantry unit halted and turned toward the reviewing stand. Before Stalin or any of his cronies could react the infantry unit fired a volley of live ammunition from their combat rifles at the officials in the reviewing stands. Within moments several members of the Politburo were dead. Zhukov dismounted and ran up the stairs with his service revolver. When he reached the reviewing stand he saw a scene of carnage as many of the Politburo were already dead with wounds of the head and chest. However Stalin was still alive and struggling to draw the gun he always carried with him to shoot the traitor before him. Unfortunately for Stalin, Zhukov already had his gun out and ready. Josef Stalin’s rule of the Soviet Union would end with a bullet through the head on October 24, 1945.

Meantime Zhukov’s troops were clearing Red Square of the now frightened populace even as they came under fire from NKVD troops who had recovered from the shock of this betrayal. The Battle of Red Square would end after an hour with 25 regular army troops dead and 78 wounded and 105 NKVD troops dead with 80 injured. The NKVD was ordered to stand down after an hour by no less then Beria himself. Laventiy Beria had conveniently been “ill” and unable to attend the parade, now word came from Beria still laid up in his “sick bed,” for the NKVD to throw down its arms. By the end of the day with the exception of Laventiy Beria and Vyacheslav Molotov most of the Politburo was either dead or imprisoned. Unfortunately many would come to rue the day both of these two had survived.

Following his coup in Red Square Zhukov formed a military provisional government intending to form a civilian government once Stalinist elements had been purged from the Party. For the next three months he proceeded to do just that with the help of Beria who assured Zhukov of his loyalty. The purges of Stalinists in the government were well under way when on December 12, 1945 Zhukov died in a plane crash on his way to Leningrad. The day after Zhukov’s death, Beria seized control of the government and began his own purge of disloyal elements, both Stalinist and military. Beria started a reign of terror that would last for another four months. Thousands of “disloyal” elements were either shot or sent away to the gulags.

Then on April 15, 1946, Laventiy Beria was found in his dacha dead at his desk, the apparent victim of a heart attack. Within two days Vyacheslav Molotov would become General Secretary and Premier of the Soviet Union. Molotov would also quickly move to purge the government of any of Beria’s men as well as the remnants of Zhukov’s and Stalin’s influences.

Russian History 1946 to the Present:

Molotov was quick to try to pacify his enemies by any means necessary. He then proceeded to begin to put Russia back on a more stable course politically. Molotov was more of a pure Leninist by nature and had secretly abhorred many of the excesses of the Stalin era. Molotov began a plan of careful rearmament and rebuilding over the next ten years. Molotov like Stalin believed a confrontation between East and West was inevitable but he also was pragmatic enough to believe it would not come in his lifetime and that the country had to be made ready for it.

During the next ten years Molotov would pursue a foreign policy that on the one hand maintained a peaceful face toward the West in Europe and on the other hand sought expansion elsewhere. Communist coups in Iran (1952), Afghanistan (1954), and Pakistan (1955), and an attempted coup in Turkey (1950) would heighten tensions in the Middle East through the remainder of the century. In Europe meantime Molotov would maintain a much reduced force in East Germany and would allow communist insurrections in the former Yugoslavia and Greece to “die on the vine,” as it were.

In 1952, against Molotov’s better judgment, he agreed to Chairman Mao Zedong’s plan for a “quick conquest,” of Korea and provided aid in the form of equipment and trainers for that equipment. Molotov was soon found to be justified in his misgivings as the Korean War turned into a fiasco with the first use of atomic weapons in warfare by the U.S. and the total defeat of the MPR’s army. Chairman Mao would end up paying for this failure with his life in another “airplane accident.”

In 1953 the Soviet Union would set off its first nuclear device. The slow pace of Soviet nuclear technology was owed partially to a drying up of information from the U.S. over the past eight years. Between the Patriot Act of 1946 and a more rabidly alert J. Edgar Hoover the U.S. had become an increasingly unhealthy place for spying out secrets. However, the Soviets learned quickly. Russia would test its first thermonuclear device in 1955.

Molotov retired in 1956 and was replaced by Andrei Gromyko as head of the Soviet Union. Gromyko would prove to be more of a capable leader for the country. Noted as an unimaginative leader he seldom believed in doing anything “daring or reckless.” During his fifteen years as head of the Soviet Union he solidified Soviet hegemony in the Near East and formed the Warsaw Pact from the Eastern European communist nations and the Tehran Pact from the recently new Communist nations of Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan to protect against “western adventurism.” When efforts were made by the U.S. to overthrow the communist government in Iran in 1961 Gromyko would be the one who ordered a build up of troops in East Germany as a show of force. The U.S. countercoup in Iran ultimately failed. However, the military buildup in East Germany would start the process of the reunification of Germany in the 21st century.

In 1960 Russia became the 2nd nation to put an unmanned satellite into orbit. Gromyko was not particularly interested in the Soviet space program and only started to show any interest in it after the U.S. had succeeded in putting up Explorer 2 and Vanguard 1. Sputnik 1 would orbit the Earth for 60 days after being launched in July of 1960. Gromyko then ordered that Russia be the first to put a man into space. While Russia would not be the first into space-that honor would go to the American Alan Shepard, in 1961 – it would be the first to orbit the Earth with cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin on October 8, 1961. The space race had truly begun.

In 1971 Gromyko retired and was replaced by Yuri Andropov as leader of the Soviet Union. Andropov would serve as Premier and General Secretary until his death in 1984. During this time he sought to expand Soviet control into the Western Hemisphere. The Soviet Union would fund several communist guerilla groups in Central and South America. This would lead to the “Era of Dirty Wars,” as many historians now call the period from 1971 through 1982. Communist guerilla wars in Nicaragua (1977-1980), El Salvador (1979-1983), Guatemala (1977-1981), Chile (1975-1976), and Paraguay (1978-1984) would be countered by the U.S. aiding the pro-government forces with funds, arms, and training personnel. The wars were brutal and civilian populations often suffered as a result. However, apologists for the U.S. point out that in none of the above cases was a successful communist government ever established in those respective nations.

In April, 1978 Andropov, seeking to divert U.S. attention began building a naval base on the Soviet-occupied Sakhalin Islands north of Japan. Andropov felt that by building a military base so close to the Japanese home islands it would give the Soviets more leverage in that area. Instead the attempt generated a major crisis and near nuclear confrontation. U.S. and Japanese naval forces created a blockade of the Sakhalin Islands which they declared would not be raised until the Soviets stopped the naval base there. The standoff lasted for two months and twice during that time threatened to explode into full scale conflict. However, on June 20, 1978 Andropov backed down and the Soviets began dismantling what they had built on Sakhalin ending the crisis.

Andropov died on May 10, 1984 and was succeeded by Boris Yeltsin. Yeltsin attempted several experiments in limited capitalism during his brief tenure as premier/General Secretary from 1984 through 1991. In addition he also began a period of rapprochement with the West. He attempted to negotiate a nuclear arms reduction deal with the United States but was removed from office by hardliners in the Politburo in 1991 before he could complete the treaty.

Vladimir Kruchkov, head of the KGB assumed power in 1991 after Yeltsin was removed from power. Kruchkov became leader of a nation that was in deep financial trouble. Years of massive military buildups as well as funding foreign communist guerilla movements had resulted in a slowly crumbling economy. In addition more disaffected elements in Iran and Pakistan in the form of young radical Islamic extremists were starting to make themselves known. Kruchkov felt it was not time to make peace with the West but rather to test them.

That test would come in the form of the Gulf War which lasted from May 5, 1992 to October 10, 1992. At the instigation of Moscow its puppet government in Iran launched a punitive raid across Iraq’s border which grew quickly into a full fledged invasion. Within two weeks Iranian forces with Russian advisors had occupied most of the country and set up a provisional communist government. Tehran and Moscow justified this on the basis that they had “discovered,” plans by Baghdad’s volatile leader, Saddam Hussein to invade Iran. The invasion of Iraq resulted in a massive build up by what would become known as the Coalition Forces from around the world in the nations of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The Soviet Union surprised at the response of the West decided to back down and withdrew its support for the invasion of Iraq. However the Coalition backed by the U.S. did not back down and would launch a counterattack into Iraq that would free that nation and push Iranian forces back into Iran. Iran formally asked for a cease-fire which was granted on October 10th. Two weeks later the communist government in Tehran fell and was replaced by an Islamic government that while not entirely friendly to the West was definitely not at all friendly to Moscow. The Soviets had not only lost a major puppet in the Middle East they had also lost a major oil supplier.

Kruchkov would retire in disgrace in December, 1992 to be replaced by Vladimir Putin. Putin realized that the Soviet economy was being held together by nothing more then “horse glue and duct tape,” as he would say later. He began a massive restructuring program to turn the Soviet Union into a capitalist state. The result would be the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1995 followed by its disintegration into smaller states. Putin remains President of Russia and has negotiated either mutual defense pacts or peace treaties with the new adjoining republics. He also has negotiated closer ties with the U.S. including treaties for a joint mission to Mars in 2020 and a nuclear arms reduction treaty in 1999.
 
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Garrison

Donor
Here is a rather long update. Please pardon any grammatical or spelling errors as I didn't have time to proofread this!

And any of you familiar with TV tropes get set for a Thirty Gambing Pileup!

Geon

EUROPE:

Russia:


Very interesting. I have always thought thought that if the US beat the USSR with the first man in space they might not press on with the moon missions since they had already won the 'space race'. May be the Soviets did something spectacular to heat things up?
 
Wow!

Geon, one thing that I think you didn't touch upon (at least not much, if I remember correctly), is the Holocaust. With the more functional psychopathic Hitler in this TL, seems to me it would have been even worse. Also, what are the postwar ramifications of this TL for the Mideast in general and the birth of modern Israel, in particular?
 
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