Justinianus
Banned
Also it's important to remember that Reagan also had to deal with economic trouble in his first term OTL.
Legacy: A No Watergate Scandal Timeline
- Thread starter victhemag
- Start date
Interesting to see Reagan mostly as successful as his OTL term. So long as Iran is kept under control, then the economy will generally begin to recover, and if it comes back at the same pace as 83-84, then Reagan has a decent shot at reelection. I don't know if it will be as big as '84, but somewhere comfortably in the 300's isn't out of the question. If that happens, then the real question will become '84, and whether that will trigger a Democratic resurgence, or the Republicans maintain their hold on the White House. At least for now, the Blue Dog Democrats are still in power and the Democrats may be pushed somewhat to the right.
Good to see the South stay strong and Pol Pot be pushed out. Looks like the Vietnam War will be remembered as a victory, though a hard fought and painful one. So far the Cold War is swinging towards America, and the ball is in Brezhnev's court.
Good to see the South stay strong and Pol Pot be pushed out. Looks like the Vietnam War will be remembered as a victory, though a hard fought and painful one. So far the Cold War is swinging towards America, and the ball is in Brezhnev's court.
Winning in '84 would mean five consecutive terms of Republican control over the White House, so unless the author is purposely writing a Republican wank, I doubt it.
Part 4: 1979-1980
Part 4
January 1979
In Iran, protests greatly diminish. Though some peaceful protests take place, the sporadic violent protests which do take place are quickly put down by the American and Iranian forces. In America, unemployment remains at a peak (11%).
February 1st, 1979
Ayatollah Khomeini arrives in Tehran, Iran, with his arrival being greeted by millions of Iranians.
February 10th, 1979
Khomeini denounces America as "the Great Satan" and declares Jihad against American forces as well as Shah loyalists in the Iranian military. Khomeini loyalists, along with left-wing revolutionaries and some defectors in the Iranian army, attempt to loot weapons from police stations and other government facilities and kill all American and pro-Shah forces. The US army and Iranian loyalists quickly put down the huge amounts of violent protests, with some casualties being taken due to the Iranian army defectors.
February 11th, 1979
The world watches in horror as violence rules the street in Iran. Violent protests get very frequent as mobs attempt to kill all American and pro-Shah forces, with these violent protests being put down. Some casualties are taken by the United States due to the widespread anarchy.
Mid-Late February 1979
Violent protests keep occurring, slightly diminishing, as many of the violent revolutionaries are killed. Khomeini ups his rhetoric, claiming that every person who opposes the shah has a moral duty to join the revolutionaries. With America realizing Khomeini is the driving force behind the violence, Reagan attempts to organize a mission to capture Khomeini, working with Iranian loyalist forces. In America, unemployment finally starts to drop, signaling an end to the major recession. In South Vietnam, inflation finally starts to drop due to Thieu's economic reforms.
Early-Mid March 1979
Though the amount of violence drops slightly in Iran, the organization of the violence and attacks increases dramatically. It becomes obvious to Iranian loyalists and the Americans that Khomeini is spearheading the organization of the violence. The search efforts for Khomeini are doubled as the mission is changed from a capture to a shoot on sight mission.
March 18th, 1979. Isfahan, Iran. 11:00 AM, Local time.
All of SAVAK’s intelligence had led the US Special Forces to the outskirts of Isfahan, Iran. There, Ayatollah Khomeini, the dangerous rebel leader in Iran, was suspected to have been hiding. The organizer and mastermind behind the organized violent protests, Khomeini’s influence and power over the revolution was unquestionably strong. As the US Special Forces spied on the complex reported to be the location of Khomeini, the American forces took note of the unusually large number of bodyguards surrounding the house as well as the secrecy of the compound. All of the intelligence had led to the compound as being the place where the leader was hiding. The American forces reported the layout of the compound to the Iranian loyalist forces. The rest of the day, they planned the raid to take out the dangerous, influential opposition leader. The raid would take place in two days, at 2:30 AM.
March 20th, 1979. Isfahan, Iran. 2:30 AM, Local time.
As American Special Forces entered the compound where Khomeini was hiding, bodyguards quickly spotted the soldiers and fired at them, alerting Khomeini. The American forces neutralized the threat from Khomeini's armed guards as Khomeini entered into a getaway vehicle as an armed getaway driver quickly left the compound and drove away. American forces quickly rushed to the car and managed to shoot one of the tires on the car and contact Iranian Air Force about the attempted getaway of Khomeini. As Khomeini's broken vehicle attempted to enter downtown Isfahan in order to escape from the Americans, the Americans were able to get within shooting range of the car. Khomeini's armed getaway driver got out of the car with an automatic rifle, firing at the American Soldiers as Khomeini ran towards the city. The sharpshooter in the American team was able to get a long-range lethal shot on the shooter, leaving only Khomeini, defenseless. As Khomeini was about to leave the sparsely-populated hills and enter downtown Isfahan, three Iranian helicopters shot at Khomeini, flying directly towards him, forcing him to run back towards the American forces. Khomeini was boxed in with nowhere to go, and quickly after turning and running towards the American forces, a member of the team shot at Khomeini three times, with the three bullets hitting Khomeini in the chest. Khomeini dropped to the ground. Once the soldiers reached Khomeini, they confirmed that he was indeed dead.
March 21st, 1979.
The Shah announces to the country that the dangerous extremist, Ayatollah Khomeini, has been killed by American and Iranian forces. The Shah declares that all violence will be handled with all force necessary, denouncing the radical and violent elements of the protests. The organization of the violence in Iran dramatically decreases due to the death of the leader.
April 1979
Protests in Iran subside dramatically as violent protests are immediately shot down, with the violence being very sporadic and unorganized as few American casualties are taken. A large portion of the Iranian population who were initially protesting now do not support the protests, as they have gotten increasingly radical in both ideology and violence, and the violent suppression of all such protests further sways public opinion against protesting. In Nicaragua, the Somoza regime finds itself increasingly unable to defeat the FSLN. The Organization of American States attempts to negotiate between the FSLN and the Somoza regime. The negotiations collapse as people realize Somoza has no intention of making the country a democracy. The Somoza regime finds itself in a poor situation, though the increased American aid will help to at least temporarily stop the FSLN. In South Vietnam, the seeds of a major economic recovery are shown as major businesses worldwide are starting to use South Vietnam as a large manufacturing and outsourcing base due to Thieu's free trade and market reforms. As some in South Vietnam receive jobs due to the manufacturing companies' expansion, quality of life improves, though very slowly, as inflation still remains a large issue. Thieu embarks on a campaign to clean up corruption in the South Vietnamese government in order to speed up the economic development of the country as roads continue to be developed. In America, unemployment begins to drop rapidly as more and more Americans get employed. In Afghanistan, many are discontented with the oppressive Communist regime, and large parts of the country rebel against the government.
May 1979
The American economy takes off as unemployment quickly drops. News media outlets constantly tell the American public how fast the economy has recovered and how much it improves. Many give credit to Reagan for the economy as Reagan's approval rating begins to rapidly increase. Reagan pushes in Congress for further deregulation, further public spending cuts, and further military budget increases. In Iran, violence continues to subside, with violent protests being an occurrence every now and then. Reagan has a meeting with his cabinet members in order to discuss how long American soldiers should stay in Iran. Reagan's staff advises that the soldiers stay at bare minimum another six months, in order to ensure that the protests have indeed subsided sufficiently. In Nicaragua, more are killed in the uprising by the FSLN against the Somoza regime.
June-July 1979
Unrest and protests in Iran subside, with very few violent protests or general protests against the Shah by the end of July. The general populace of the country does not see value in further protesting, as the US military has kept the Shah in power. Anti-american sentiment has grown a good amount in the country, with some reminiscing over what the US did in Operation Ajax as being similar to the US intervention in the 1979 uprising. The Iranian economy continues to recover from it's drastic slump of multiple years as inflation drops in the country, further decreasing revolutionary sentiment. The Somoza regime attempts to crackdown more severely on all allies of the FSLN as more die in Nicaragua. The American economy continues to improve dramatically as Reagan's popularity soars. Reagan pushes major military budget increases through Congress. The US military has dramatically improved from 1976 due to Reagan's build-up. China cuts off even more aid to North Vietnam under the rule of Deng Xiaoping, who focuses on opening China to market reforms. China had already drastically cut aid to North Vietnam in the past 3 years, but the cutting off of aid in this period lead to a severe logistics shortage in the entire PAVN as China becomes increasingly hostile towards North Vietnam.
August 10th, 1979.
A very large march of conservative Christians march on Washington D.C. in support of Ronald Reagan. In the march, Reagan speaks to the crowd, emphasizing the importance of family values, and how America must rediscover her values and become a Christian society. Reagan emphasizes how much Evangelicalism has grown throughout the past decade and how this new conservative movement which has grown rapidly in the past five years must grow further and become an influential force in American society.
Mid-Late August 1979
In Cambodia, Lon Nol's army, backed by large American aid, as well as ARVN ground support, rapidly retakes much of the last remaining Khmer Rouge strongholds in the Eastern side of Cambodia. The Khmer Rouge is all but destroyed, with the final remaining stronghold being the Northeast of Cambodia, on the border of Laos and South Vietnam. The towns and provinces liberated by Nol's army and the ARVN welcome the troops with joy, relieved at no longer being under Rouge control. The leader of the Khmer Rouge movement, Pol Pot, flees to the final remaining territories under Rouge control.
September 1979
The ARVN continues to receive valuable funding from the United States as it develops into an extremely advanced fighting force. Nguyen van Thieu takes notice of the drastic cut-off of Chinese aid to North Vietnam and decides to schedule a meet-up of the Cambodian, South Vietnamese, and Laotian leaders in order to discuss the plans for a final offensive which would end all communist presence in Indochina outside of North Vietnam. Thieu schedules the meeting for next month, and invites American president Ronald Reagan to the meeting. In Afghanistan, leader Nur Mohammad Taraki is murdered by a rival, Hafizullah Amin, greatly souring relations between Afghanistan and Russia, and further destabilizing the region as unrest continues against the Communist government throughout the country.
October 15th, 1979.
In the Latin American country of El Salvador, the Revolutionary Government Junta (JRG) deposes the President in a coup.
October 26th, 1979.
South Korean leader Park Chung-hee is assassinated in Seoul, South Korea. Ronald Reagan and Nguyen Van Thieu both hear the news, devastated, as they have lost a critical and powerful leader.
October 30th, 1979. Saigon, South Vietnam.
Nguyen Van Thieu looked out and admired the metropolis of Saigon from Independence Palace. Today, Thieu, Nol, Reagan, and Phouma (Laotian leader) would all meet in order to discuss a final offensive to end all Communist presence in Indochina outside of North Vietnam. "Greetings, Mr. Thieu," said Reagan. Thieu turned around and happily greeted President Reagan. If it were not for Reagan's aid increases and large American Air Support, South Vietnam would be going through a very difficult time. Reagan had made Thieu's life much easier, and for that reason Thieu was very fond of Reagan. Reagan and Thieu sat down at the conference table when Lon Nol joined the group. Both greeted Nol as all three sat down at the table. "What is the situation in Indochina, Mr. Thieu?" probed Reagan. Thieu smiled. "Things are going well, but there is something I have planned, which we should all discuss. We are just waiting on our last member." As the three waited for about ten minutes, Nol asked, "Who are we waiting for, and why is this person so important? Can we just discuss whatever it is you have planned right now?" "No, Nol. We haven't been in contact with this leader for a long time now, and frankly, he has a situation in his country far worse than both of ours. His input and cooperation will be absolutely necessary for the plan I have." As Nol began to lose his patience, the door to the room opened as Laotian leader Souvanna Phouma walked into the room slowly, glaring at the others. Reagan greeted the man with a smile. Phouma glared back, not replying. "Take a seat, Mr. Phouma," said Thieu. Phouma took a seat at the conference table, and finally said, "All of you have been neglecting my country and the war it has been going through. Congratulations on your Saint Patrick's Day Offensive, Thieu, and congratulations on wiping out the Khmer Rouge, Nol. Yet here I am, still having to deal with the Pathet Lao controlling over half of my country. I take it that you invited me here for a good reason, as you know I almost retired my position in 1974. I only stayed because Nixon's commitment to helping you two made me hold out, thinking things would get better." Thieu inhaled sharply, looking at both Nol and Reagan. "Phouma," replied Thieu, "I'm sorry that you've had to deal with a situation that's more difficult than either of us, and we'd really like to thank you for staying in power. If you had left, the Lao forces would be so disorganized and without a leader, I don't know how they would deal with anything the Pathet Lao would throw at them. I invited you hear today because we are going to make your situation better, Phouma. The Pathet Lao shall be crushed, and your country shall be united under your rule." Phouma leaned in, interested in what Thieu had to say. "Go on, Thieu, explain to Phouma and to all of us what your brilliant plan is," said Nol. Thieu smiled. "As you all know, my friend here, President Reagan, has greatly helped us. He has increased the funding towards us and has given us American Air Support so that we can defeat the PAVN and other communist forces, as we saw in the Saint Patrick's Day Offensive. In addition, China has just recently grew even more hostile to the North and cut off more funding. The North are facing a terrible logistics problem," Thieu explained, "if President Reagan keeps funding us for a couple of years, we could undertake one-one final offensive to give South Vietnam all territory below the 17th parallel, one final offensive to destroy the final Khmer Rouge stronghold, one final offensive to destroy the Pathet Lao and finally destroy the Ho Chi Minh trail." Reagan looked shocked. Reagan replied timidly, "Mr. Thieu, that seems like a very ambitious plan. Are you absolutely certain that this can be done? I understand that the Saint Patrick's Day offensive was a success, but this seems to be a whole different beast. We are going to try to expel all Communist forces from Indochina outside of North Vietnam. Are you absolutely certain that an objective of this scale and magnitude can be achieved?" Thieu replied, "So long as you keep funding us and will provide air support for the mission, Mr. President, this mission could be undertaken successfully two years from now." Phouma spoke up. "I am thrilled that you now want to help my country in the difficult state it is in, Thieu, but I share the same feelings as Mr. Reagan. I need your absolute assurance that this mission will succeed. If it fails, it may make China feel threatened by us, and do a complete turnaround of their policy on North Vietnam. Remember, it's no secret they absolutely hate each other, they are only grudgingly giving them some funding because they view us as a bigger threat. Should this mission fail, my country shall be in an even worse position." Thieu addressed the concern. "Phouma, the ARVN is only getting stronger each day as the funding from the United States keeps rolling in. The PAVN is only getting weaker each day as China gets less and less tolerant of North Vietnam's shenanigans. I also don't think it's much of a secret that North Vietnam has stopped the total war effort and has focused on rebuilding their country ever since President Reagan took office. The lack of military funding and focus on military in the North will severely weaken them. Should President Reagan increase the funding towards our countries, improve the American Air Force, and provide us air support during the offensive, there is no question about the outcome." Thieu looked over to Reagan. "I will ensure that that will be the case should I be re-elected," Reagan replied, "I don't think my re-election will be much of an issue, my popularity is very high. I will likely get more of my party's seats in Congress so that I will be able to push for increased funding towards your countries. And mark my word, the military build-up will continue, and you will get air support for the mission." Thieu smiled, looking at all the leaders. "Then it's settled. In two years, we shall launch our final offensive-an offensive to end this war. Should Mr. Reagan do everything he has told me, the outcome is certain, given good planning. I will have two years to plan this offensive to perfection, and I can coordinate with you two if you would like," Thieu said, looking at Phouma and Nol. "Thank you very much, Mr. President," said Thieu. "You are very, very welcome, Mr. Thieu. As I said before, I would rather see Washington D.C. fall to the Soviets than see Saigon fall to North Vietnam. You shall have every dollar of extra funding that I can squeeze out of Congress, and you shall have every single American Air Force jet provide you with total support in this offensive. All I ask in return is that you plan the offensive well, notify me of the plan at least 3 months before the offensive, and coordinate with the other two leaders here," replied Reagan. "As you wish, Mr. President," said Thieu, smiling. Phouma, Nol, and Thieu agreed to meet up in January of next year in the same room in order to discuss the plan Thieu had came up with with the help of his military advisors. "The era of communist tyranny is over. In a couple of years, the people of Indochina shall be free," Thieu said, looking out again to the bustling metropolis of Saigon.
November 1979
Unrest in Iran virtually stops entirely as many become content with the status quo. The Iranian economy continues to rebound from the difficult economic times of the mid-1970s as American soldiers maintain a large presence in the country. The Somoza regime in Nicaragua is virtually surrounded by the FSLN, which controls all territory in the country except the capital. In America, the economy continues to improve rapidly as Reagan's popularity continues to grow.
December 1979
The world watches in shock as the Soviet Union invades Afghanistan to help the failing Communist government survive and defeat the Afghan rebels. In neighboring Iran, many feel threatened by the Soviet invasion of a bordering country. The fear from a neighboring invasion all but completely ends the remaining unrest in the country as many Iranians now see the war in neighboring Afghanistan as a direct threat to their existence. Anti-soviet sentiment begins to increase in the country. In Nicaragua, Somoza finally resigns as leader after the bloody revolution, allowing the Communist FSLN to take full control of the country. America sees both of these events as horrible, and much of the American public believes something must be done to stop the newly Communist Nicaragua and the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan. Reagan addresses the country on television, explaining that freedom in the world was dealt a huge blow in the month, and that the United States would use any means necessary to protect the freedom of the world.
January 1980
Thousands march in the streets of Tehran in an anti-Soviet protest. Anti-soviet sentiment continues to increase in the country as Iran continues to feel threatened by Soviet expansion. In response to the Communist expansion worldwide, Reagan pushes to begin funding the Afghan resistance, the Nicaraguan Contra rebels, and the Salvadoran government. His proposals receive little resistance in Congress. Reagan meets up with the now dying Shah in Tehran and asks him to consider intervening in Afghanistan, emphasizing how the strong Iranian forces could make the war much more difficult for the Soviets and help him keep political popularity by rallying the populace towards a common enemy. The Shah states that he will consider doing so. The American economy continues to improve as Reagan remains as popular as ever. The Democratic party has multiple candidates for the 1980 presidential election: Henry Jackson, Gary Hart, Jesse Jackson, and Jerry Brown are the frontrunners. The Republican party has no serious challengers to Ronald Reagan. The Soviet Union begins to take many cities and military bases in Afghanistan.
February 1980
Reagan pushes a tax cut bill and a deregulation bill through Congress as the economy continues to improve. As the Democratic primaries start, it appears that Henry Jackson and Gary Hart have a slight advantage. A massive anti-Soviet rally in Isfahan, Iran occurs, with tens of thousands of fundamentalist Shiite Muslims denouncing the Soviet Union as "an anti-God regime that must die." The American soldiers do not attempt in the slightest to break up the rally. The Soviet Union continues through Afghanistan and occupies more cities and military bases. In El Salvador, the government attempts a land reform program in order to try and quell rebellious sentiment.
March-May 1980
100,000 individuals march in Tehran, Iran, denouncing and decrying the Soviet Union. The rally is attended by various groups, including Islamic fundamentalists, Shah loyalists, and the previous liberal opposition towards the Shah over two years earlier. Anti-soviet sentiment has reached an all-time high in the country. The Shah's illness continues to plague him as his advisers explain that getting involved in Afghanistan would be a wise idea. The Nicaraguan Contras begin to undertake operations against the Sandinista government. In the Democratic primaries, Jerry Brown leaps ahead of both Gary Hart and Jesse Jackson. Henry Jackson emerges, however, as the forerunner, as the Democratic party had nominated liberals from the party in the past two elections, with no success. America was also becoming much more pro-interventionist than several years before, leading to a significant advantage for Jackson as the Party's nominee. Reagan continues to deregulate and increase military spending. Reagan manages to convince Congress to fund Imperial Iran in order to improve their army quality for a potential war against the Soviets. In May 1980, large numbers of American troops begin to leave the country as unrest against the Shah is virtually gone. In Afghanistan, the opposition Mujahideen wage a guerilla war against the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union deals with difficulty in the war, with over 80% of the country not being in their control.
June 1980
American troops finish their withdrawal from Iran as the dying Shah decides to militarily support the Mujahideen and send the Iranian military in. The Iranian populace rallies against the Soviet Union as many enlist in the military.
July 1980
In America, the 1980 Republican National Convention occurs, and Reagan is easily selected as the nominee, with Connally as Vice President. The Mujahideen, with assistance from the Iranian military, wreaks havoc upon the Soviet troops. More and more Iranians continue to join the military and rally against the Soviets. The Shah dies from cancer on July 27th, 1980. His son, Reza Pahlavi, comes to power. Reza Pahlavi quickly decides to liberalize many elements of the government, including allowing other political parties than the Rastakhiz party to be active in government. However, his advisors tell him to liberalize slowly in order to ensure that he keeps power. Reza Pahlavi decides to end many of the repressive government policies, allowing some free speech and limiting the power of SAVAK.
August 1980
The new Iranian monarch, Reza Pahlavi, becomes very popular due to his easing of repressive policies and restrictions on free speech. Reza Pahlavi goes on television, announcing all of the reforms he has undertaken, and emphasizes how dangerous of a threat the Soviet Union is, calling for the support of all Iranians against the "evil, godless regime." In America, the Democratic National Convention occurs, and Henry Jackson emerges as the party's nominee, with him taking in about 62% of the vote, and Brown taking about 30% of the vote. Jackson chooses Brown as his running mate in order to appeal to the Democratic Party's liberals.
September 1980
The Iranian military continues to assist the Mujahideen against the Soviet Union, wreaking havoc upon the Soviet forces, who are not equipped to deal with the combined forces of the Imperial Iranian military and the Mujahideen guerrillas. Reagan changes policy from funding the Mujahideen large-scale to funding Iran large-scale, reasoning that Iran is both better equipped and a more reliable ally. The first presidential debate occurs in Baltimore, Maryland. In it, Jackson and Reagan debate over economy and welfare policies. Reagan argues for a continuation of the supply-side policies, which, he claims, led to the current strong economy. Jackson argues for more government intervention and a continuation of welfare policies. Both candidates agree on foreign policy, stating that valuable anti-communist allies must be funded worldwide, though Jackson argues that the large military buildup under Reagan is somewhat unnecessary.
October 1980
South Vietnam's inflation rate, dropping for the past year, finally goes below 50% and exits hyperinflation. The curbing of inflation further incentivizes international businesses to invest into South Vietnam. Thieu claims that his campaign to clean up corruption has succeeded. More in South Vietnam begin to receive manufacturing jobs as real economic potential is shown. Reza Pahlavi implements more reforms, allowing for much more freedom of speech and expression without fear of repression from SAVAK. The Soviet Union attempts to increase the amount of funding and troops in Afghanistan as the war shows signs of difficulty. The second presidential debate occurs in Cleveland, Ohio. Jackson and Reagan again argue over the best economic and welfare policies. Jackson continues his earlier strategy of campaigning in the South, believing that his conservative views on war could sway much of the South in his direction.
November 4, 1980
Ronald Reagan comfortably watches the presidential election at home, not anxious over the results. Jackson's strategy may have worked four years ago, but Reagan's popularity as an incumbent was simply too much for Jackson to be competitive in the South.
Popular Vote:
Ronald Reagan: 56.5%
Henry Jackson: 42.4%
It was a resounding success for the Republicans in Congress as well. The Republicans picked up over 20 seats in the House, while the Senate maintained its Status Quo. The House remained with a slight Democratic majority while the Senate remained Republican.
December 1980
The Soviet War in Afghanistan gets more difficult as the Iranian military and Mujahideen continue to greatly disrupt the Soviets. Inflation continues to slowly drop in South Vietnam as the economy continues to slowly but surely grow.
January 1979
In Iran, protests greatly diminish. Though some peaceful protests take place, the sporadic violent protests which do take place are quickly put down by the American and Iranian forces. In America, unemployment remains at a peak (11%).
February 1st, 1979
Ayatollah Khomeini arrives in Tehran, Iran, with his arrival being greeted by millions of Iranians.
February 10th, 1979
Khomeini denounces America as "the Great Satan" and declares Jihad against American forces as well as Shah loyalists in the Iranian military. Khomeini loyalists, along with left-wing revolutionaries and some defectors in the Iranian army, attempt to loot weapons from police stations and other government facilities and kill all American and pro-Shah forces. The US army and Iranian loyalists quickly put down the huge amounts of violent protests, with some casualties being taken due to the Iranian army defectors.
February 11th, 1979
The world watches in horror as violence rules the street in Iran. Violent protests get very frequent as mobs attempt to kill all American and pro-Shah forces, with these violent protests being put down. Some casualties are taken by the United States due to the widespread anarchy.
Mid-Late February 1979
Violent protests keep occurring, slightly diminishing, as many of the violent revolutionaries are killed. Khomeini ups his rhetoric, claiming that every person who opposes the shah has a moral duty to join the revolutionaries. With America realizing Khomeini is the driving force behind the violence, Reagan attempts to organize a mission to capture Khomeini, working with Iranian loyalist forces. In America, unemployment finally starts to drop, signaling an end to the major recession. In South Vietnam, inflation finally starts to drop due to Thieu's economic reforms.
Early-Mid March 1979
Though the amount of violence drops slightly in Iran, the organization of the violence and attacks increases dramatically. It becomes obvious to Iranian loyalists and the Americans that Khomeini is spearheading the organization of the violence. The search efforts for Khomeini are doubled as the mission is changed from a capture to a shoot on sight mission.
March 18th, 1979. Isfahan, Iran. 11:00 AM, Local time.
All of SAVAK’s intelligence had led the US Special Forces to the outskirts of Isfahan, Iran. There, Ayatollah Khomeini, the dangerous rebel leader in Iran, was suspected to have been hiding. The organizer and mastermind behind the organized violent protests, Khomeini’s influence and power over the revolution was unquestionably strong. As the US Special Forces spied on the complex reported to be the location of Khomeini, the American forces took note of the unusually large number of bodyguards surrounding the house as well as the secrecy of the compound. All of the intelligence had led to the compound as being the place where the leader was hiding. The American forces reported the layout of the compound to the Iranian loyalist forces. The rest of the day, they planned the raid to take out the dangerous, influential opposition leader. The raid would take place in two days, at 2:30 AM.
March 20th, 1979. Isfahan, Iran. 2:30 AM, Local time.
As American Special Forces entered the compound where Khomeini was hiding, bodyguards quickly spotted the soldiers and fired at them, alerting Khomeini. The American forces neutralized the threat from Khomeini's armed guards as Khomeini entered into a getaway vehicle as an armed getaway driver quickly left the compound and drove away. American forces quickly rushed to the car and managed to shoot one of the tires on the car and contact Iranian Air Force about the attempted getaway of Khomeini. As Khomeini's broken vehicle attempted to enter downtown Isfahan in order to escape from the Americans, the Americans were able to get within shooting range of the car. Khomeini's armed getaway driver got out of the car with an automatic rifle, firing at the American Soldiers as Khomeini ran towards the city. The sharpshooter in the American team was able to get a long-range lethal shot on the shooter, leaving only Khomeini, defenseless. As Khomeini was about to leave the sparsely-populated hills and enter downtown Isfahan, three Iranian helicopters shot at Khomeini, flying directly towards him, forcing him to run back towards the American forces. Khomeini was boxed in with nowhere to go, and quickly after turning and running towards the American forces, a member of the team shot at Khomeini three times, with the three bullets hitting Khomeini in the chest. Khomeini dropped to the ground. Once the soldiers reached Khomeini, they confirmed that he was indeed dead.
March 21st, 1979.
The Shah announces to the country that the dangerous extremist, Ayatollah Khomeini, has been killed by American and Iranian forces. The Shah declares that all violence will be handled with all force necessary, denouncing the radical and violent elements of the protests. The organization of the violence in Iran dramatically decreases due to the death of the leader.
April 1979
Protests in Iran subside dramatically as violent protests are immediately shot down, with the violence being very sporadic and unorganized as few American casualties are taken. A large portion of the Iranian population who were initially protesting now do not support the protests, as they have gotten increasingly radical in both ideology and violence, and the violent suppression of all such protests further sways public opinion against protesting. In Nicaragua, the Somoza regime finds itself increasingly unable to defeat the FSLN. The Organization of American States attempts to negotiate between the FSLN and the Somoza regime. The negotiations collapse as people realize Somoza has no intention of making the country a democracy. The Somoza regime finds itself in a poor situation, though the increased American aid will help to at least temporarily stop the FSLN. In South Vietnam, the seeds of a major economic recovery are shown as major businesses worldwide are starting to use South Vietnam as a large manufacturing and outsourcing base due to Thieu's free trade and market reforms. As some in South Vietnam receive jobs due to the manufacturing companies' expansion, quality of life improves, though very slowly, as inflation still remains a large issue. Thieu embarks on a campaign to clean up corruption in the South Vietnamese government in order to speed up the economic development of the country as roads continue to be developed. In America, unemployment begins to drop rapidly as more and more Americans get employed. In Afghanistan, many are discontented with the oppressive Communist regime, and large parts of the country rebel against the government.
May 1979
The American economy takes off as unemployment quickly drops. News media outlets constantly tell the American public how fast the economy has recovered and how much it improves. Many give credit to Reagan for the economy as Reagan's approval rating begins to rapidly increase. Reagan pushes in Congress for further deregulation, further public spending cuts, and further military budget increases. In Iran, violence continues to subside, with violent protests being an occurrence every now and then. Reagan has a meeting with his cabinet members in order to discuss how long American soldiers should stay in Iran. Reagan's staff advises that the soldiers stay at bare minimum another six months, in order to ensure that the protests have indeed subsided sufficiently. In Nicaragua, more are killed in the uprising by the FSLN against the Somoza regime.
June-July 1979
Unrest and protests in Iran subside, with very few violent protests or general protests against the Shah by the end of July. The general populace of the country does not see value in further protesting, as the US military has kept the Shah in power. Anti-american sentiment has grown a good amount in the country, with some reminiscing over what the US did in Operation Ajax as being similar to the US intervention in the 1979 uprising. The Iranian economy continues to recover from it's drastic slump of multiple years as inflation drops in the country, further decreasing revolutionary sentiment. The Somoza regime attempts to crackdown more severely on all allies of the FSLN as more die in Nicaragua. The American economy continues to improve dramatically as Reagan's popularity soars. Reagan pushes major military budget increases through Congress. The US military has dramatically improved from 1976 due to Reagan's build-up. China cuts off even more aid to North Vietnam under the rule of Deng Xiaoping, who focuses on opening China to market reforms. China had already drastically cut aid to North Vietnam in the past 3 years, but the cutting off of aid in this period lead to a severe logistics shortage in the entire PAVN as China becomes increasingly hostile towards North Vietnam.
August 10th, 1979.
A very large march of conservative Christians march on Washington D.C. in support of Ronald Reagan. In the march, Reagan speaks to the crowd, emphasizing the importance of family values, and how America must rediscover her values and become a Christian society. Reagan emphasizes how much Evangelicalism has grown throughout the past decade and how this new conservative movement which has grown rapidly in the past five years must grow further and become an influential force in American society.
Mid-Late August 1979
In Cambodia, Lon Nol's army, backed by large American aid, as well as ARVN ground support, rapidly retakes much of the last remaining Khmer Rouge strongholds in the Eastern side of Cambodia. The Khmer Rouge is all but destroyed, with the final remaining stronghold being the Northeast of Cambodia, on the border of Laos and South Vietnam. The towns and provinces liberated by Nol's army and the ARVN welcome the troops with joy, relieved at no longer being under Rouge control. The leader of the Khmer Rouge movement, Pol Pot, flees to the final remaining territories under Rouge control.
September 1979
The ARVN continues to receive valuable funding from the United States as it develops into an extremely advanced fighting force. Nguyen van Thieu takes notice of the drastic cut-off of Chinese aid to North Vietnam and decides to schedule a meet-up of the Cambodian, South Vietnamese, and Laotian leaders in order to discuss the plans for a final offensive which would end all communist presence in Indochina outside of North Vietnam. Thieu schedules the meeting for next month, and invites American president Ronald Reagan to the meeting. In Afghanistan, leader Nur Mohammad Taraki is murdered by a rival, Hafizullah Amin, greatly souring relations between Afghanistan and Russia, and further destabilizing the region as unrest continues against the Communist government throughout the country.
October 15th, 1979.
In the Latin American country of El Salvador, the Revolutionary Government Junta (JRG) deposes the President in a coup.
October 26th, 1979.
South Korean leader Park Chung-hee is assassinated in Seoul, South Korea. Ronald Reagan and Nguyen Van Thieu both hear the news, devastated, as they have lost a critical and powerful leader.
October 30th, 1979. Saigon, South Vietnam.
Nguyen Van Thieu looked out and admired the metropolis of Saigon from Independence Palace. Today, Thieu, Nol, Reagan, and Phouma (Laotian leader) would all meet in order to discuss a final offensive to end all Communist presence in Indochina outside of North Vietnam. "Greetings, Mr. Thieu," said Reagan. Thieu turned around and happily greeted President Reagan. If it were not for Reagan's aid increases and large American Air Support, South Vietnam would be going through a very difficult time. Reagan had made Thieu's life much easier, and for that reason Thieu was very fond of Reagan. Reagan and Thieu sat down at the conference table when Lon Nol joined the group. Both greeted Nol as all three sat down at the table. "What is the situation in Indochina, Mr. Thieu?" probed Reagan. Thieu smiled. "Things are going well, but there is something I have planned, which we should all discuss. We are just waiting on our last member." As the three waited for about ten minutes, Nol asked, "Who are we waiting for, and why is this person so important? Can we just discuss whatever it is you have planned right now?" "No, Nol. We haven't been in contact with this leader for a long time now, and frankly, he has a situation in his country far worse than both of ours. His input and cooperation will be absolutely necessary for the plan I have." As Nol began to lose his patience, the door to the room opened as Laotian leader Souvanna Phouma walked into the room slowly, glaring at the others. Reagan greeted the man with a smile. Phouma glared back, not replying. "Take a seat, Mr. Phouma," said Thieu. Phouma took a seat at the conference table, and finally said, "All of you have been neglecting my country and the war it has been going through. Congratulations on your Saint Patrick's Day Offensive, Thieu, and congratulations on wiping out the Khmer Rouge, Nol. Yet here I am, still having to deal with the Pathet Lao controlling over half of my country. I take it that you invited me here for a good reason, as you know I almost retired my position in 1974. I only stayed because Nixon's commitment to helping you two made me hold out, thinking things would get better." Thieu inhaled sharply, looking at both Nol and Reagan. "Phouma," replied Thieu, "I'm sorry that you've had to deal with a situation that's more difficult than either of us, and we'd really like to thank you for staying in power. If you had left, the Lao forces would be so disorganized and without a leader, I don't know how they would deal with anything the Pathet Lao would throw at them. I invited you hear today because we are going to make your situation better, Phouma. The Pathet Lao shall be crushed, and your country shall be united under your rule." Phouma leaned in, interested in what Thieu had to say. "Go on, Thieu, explain to Phouma and to all of us what your brilliant plan is," said Nol. Thieu smiled. "As you all know, my friend here, President Reagan, has greatly helped us. He has increased the funding towards us and has given us American Air Support so that we can defeat the PAVN and other communist forces, as we saw in the Saint Patrick's Day Offensive. In addition, China has just recently grew even more hostile to the North and cut off more funding. The North are facing a terrible logistics problem," Thieu explained, "if President Reagan keeps funding us for a couple of years, we could undertake one-one final offensive to give South Vietnam all territory below the 17th parallel, one final offensive to destroy the final Khmer Rouge stronghold, one final offensive to destroy the Pathet Lao and finally destroy the Ho Chi Minh trail." Reagan looked shocked. Reagan replied timidly, "Mr. Thieu, that seems like a very ambitious plan. Are you absolutely certain that this can be done? I understand that the Saint Patrick's Day offensive was a success, but this seems to be a whole different beast. We are going to try to expel all Communist forces from Indochina outside of North Vietnam. Are you absolutely certain that an objective of this scale and magnitude can be achieved?" Thieu replied, "So long as you keep funding us and will provide air support for the mission, Mr. President, this mission could be undertaken successfully two years from now." Phouma spoke up. "I am thrilled that you now want to help my country in the difficult state it is in, Thieu, but I share the same feelings as Mr. Reagan. I need your absolute assurance that this mission will succeed. If it fails, it may make China feel threatened by us, and do a complete turnaround of their policy on North Vietnam. Remember, it's no secret they absolutely hate each other, they are only grudgingly giving them some funding because they view us as a bigger threat. Should this mission fail, my country shall be in an even worse position." Thieu addressed the concern. "Phouma, the ARVN is only getting stronger each day as the funding from the United States keeps rolling in. The PAVN is only getting weaker each day as China gets less and less tolerant of North Vietnam's shenanigans. I also don't think it's much of a secret that North Vietnam has stopped the total war effort and has focused on rebuilding their country ever since President Reagan took office. The lack of military funding and focus on military in the North will severely weaken them. Should President Reagan increase the funding towards our countries, improve the American Air Force, and provide us air support during the offensive, there is no question about the outcome." Thieu looked over to Reagan. "I will ensure that that will be the case should I be re-elected," Reagan replied, "I don't think my re-election will be much of an issue, my popularity is very high. I will likely get more of my party's seats in Congress so that I will be able to push for increased funding towards your countries. And mark my word, the military build-up will continue, and you will get air support for the mission." Thieu smiled, looking at all the leaders. "Then it's settled. In two years, we shall launch our final offensive-an offensive to end this war. Should Mr. Reagan do everything he has told me, the outcome is certain, given good planning. I will have two years to plan this offensive to perfection, and I can coordinate with you two if you would like," Thieu said, looking at Phouma and Nol. "Thank you very much, Mr. President," said Thieu. "You are very, very welcome, Mr. Thieu. As I said before, I would rather see Washington D.C. fall to the Soviets than see Saigon fall to North Vietnam. You shall have every dollar of extra funding that I can squeeze out of Congress, and you shall have every single American Air Force jet provide you with total support in this offensive. All I ask in return is that you plan the offensive well, notify me of the plan at least 3 months before the offensive, and coordinate with the other two leaders here," replied Reagan. "As you wish, Mr. President," said Thieu, smiling. Phouma, Nol, and Thieu agreed to meet up in January of next year in the same room in order to discuss the plan Thieu had came up with with the help of his military advisors. "The era of communist tyranny is over. In a couple of years, the people of Indochina shall be free," Thieu said, looking out again to the bustling metropolis of Saigon.
November 1979
Unrest in Iran virtually stops entirely as many become content with the status quo. The Iranian economy continues to rebound from the difficult economic times of the mid-1970s as American soldiers maintain a large presence in the country. The Somoza regime in Nicaragua is virtually surrounded by the FSLN, which controls all territory in the country except the capital. In America, the economy continues to improve rapidly as Reagan's popularity continues to grow.
December 1979
The world watches in shock as the Soviet Union invades Afghanistan to help the failing Communist government survive and defeat the Afghan rebels. In neighboring Iran, many feel threatened by the Soviet invasion of a bordering country. The fear from a neighboring invasion all but completely ends the remaining unrest in the country as many Iranians now see the war in neighboring Afghanistan as a direct threat to their existence. Anti-soviet sentiment begins to increase in the country. In Nicaragua, Somoza finally resigns as leader after the bloody revolution, allowing the Communist FSLN to take full control of the country. America sees both of these events as horrible, and much of the American public believes something must be done to stop the newly Communist Nicaragua and the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan. Reagan addresses the country on television, explaining that freedom in the world was dealt a huge blow in the month, and that the United States would use any means necessary to protect the freedom of the world.
January 1980
Thousands march in the streets of Tehran in an anti-Soviet protest. Anti-soviet sentiment continues to increase in the country as Iran continues to feel threatened by Soviet expansion. In response to the Communist expansion worldwide, Reagan pushes to begin funding the Afghan resistance, the Nicaraguan Contra rebels, and the Salvadoran government. His proposals receive little resistance in Congress. Reagan meets up with the now dying Shah in Tehran and asks him to consider intervening in Afghanistan, emphasizing how the strong Iranian forces could make the war much more difficult for the Soviets and help him keep political popularity by rallying the populace towards a common enemy. The Shah states that he will consider doing so. The American economy continues to improve as Reagan remains as popular as ever. The Democratic party has multiple candidates for the 1980 presidential election: Henry Jackson, Gary Hart, Jesse Jackson, and Jerry Brown are the frontrunners. The Republican party has no serious challengers to Ronald Reagan. The Soviet Union begins to take many cities and military bases in Afghanistan.
February 1980
Reagan pushes a tax cut bill and a deregulation bill through Congress as the economy continues to improve. As the Democratic primaries start, it appears that Henry Jackson and Gary Hart have a slight advantage. A massive anti-Soviet rally in Isfahan, Iran occurs, with tens of thousands of fundamentalist Shiite Muslims denouncing the Soviet Union as "an anti-God regime that must die." The American soldiers do not attempt in the slightest to break up the rally. The Soviet Union continues through Afghanistan and occupies more cities and military bases. In El Salvador, the government attempts a land reform program in order to try and quell rebellious sentiment.
March-May 1980
100,000 individuals march in Tehran, Iran, denouncing and decrying the Soviet Union. The rally is attended by various groups, including Islamic fundamentalists, Shah loyalists, and the previous liberal opposition towards the Shah over two years earlier. Anti-soviet sentiment has reached an all-time high in the country. The Shah's illness continues to plague him as his advisers explain that getting involved in Afghanistan would be a wise idea. The Nicaraguan Contras begin to undertake operations against the Sandinista government. In the Democratic primaries, Jerry Brown leaps ahead of both Gary Hart and Jesse Jackson. Henry Jackson emerges, however, as the forerunner, as the Democratic party had nominated liberals from the party in the past two elections, with no success. America was also becoming much more pro-interventionist than several years before, leading to a significant advantage for Jackson as the Party's nominee. Reagan continues to deregulate and increase military spending. Reagan manages to convince Congress to fund Imperial Iran in order to improve their army quality for a potential war against the Soviets. In May 1980, large numbers of American troops begin to leave the country as unrest against the Shah is virtually gone. In Afghanistan, the opposition Mujahideen wage a guerilla war against the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union deals with difficulty in the war, with over 80% of the country not being in their control.
June 1980
American troops finish their withdrawal from Iran as the dying Shah decides to militarily support the Mujahideen and send the Iranian military in. The Iranian populace rallies against the Soviet Union as many enlist in the military.
July 1980
In America, the 1980 Republican National Convention occurs, and Reagan is easily selected as the nominee, with Connally as Vice President. The Mujahideen, with assistance from the Iranian military, wreaks havoc upon the Soviet troops. More and more Iranians continue to join the military and rally against the Soviets. The Shah dies from cancer on July 27th, 1980. His son, Reza Pahlavi, comes to power. Reza Pahlavi quickly decides to liberalize many elements of the government, including allowing other political parties than the Rastakhiz party to be active in government. However, his advisors tell him to liberalize slowly in order to ensure that he keeps power. Reza Pahlavi decides to end many of the repressive government policies, allowing some free speech and limiting the power of SAVAK.
August 1980
The new Iranian monarch, Reza Pahlavi, becomes very popular due to his easing of repressive policies and restrictions on free speech. Reza Pahlavi goes on television, announcing all of the reforms he has undertaken, and emphasizes how dangerous of a threat the Soviet Union is, calling for the support of all Iranians against the "evil, godless regime." In America, the Democratic National Convention occurs, and Henry Jackson emerges as the party's nominee, with him taking in about 62% of the vote, and Brown taking about 30% of the vote. Jackson chooses Brown as his running mate in order to appeal to the Democratic Party's liberals.
September 1980
The Iranian military continues to assist the Mujahideen against the Soviet Union, wreaking havoc upon the Soviet forces, who are not equipped to deal with the combined forces of the Imperial Iranian military and the Mujahideen guerrillas. Reagan changes policy from funding the Mujahideen large-scale to funding Iran large-scale, reasoning that Iran is both better equipped and a more reliable ally. The first presidential debate occurs in Baltimore, Maryland. In it, Jackson and Reagan debate over economy and welfare policies. Reagan argues for a continuation of the supply-side policies, which, he claims, led to the current strong economy. Jackson argues for more government intervention and a continuation of welfare policies. Both candidates agree on foreign policy, stating that valuable anti-communist allies must be funded worldwide, though Jackson argues that the large military buildup under Reagan is somewhat unnecessary.
October 1980
South Vietnam's inflation rate, dropping for the past year, finally goes below 50% and exits hyperinflation. The curbing of inflation further incentivizes international businesses to invest into South Vietnam. Thieu claims that his campaign to clean up corruption has succeeded. More in South Vietnam begin to receive manufacturing jobs as real economic potential is shown. Reza Pahlavi implements more reforms, allowing for much more freedom of speech and expression without fear of repression from SAVAK. The Soviet Union attempts to increase the amount of funding and troops in Afghanistan as the war shows signs of difficulty. The second presidential debate occurs in Cleveland, Ohio. Jackson and Reagan again argue over the best economic and welfare policies. Jackson continues his earlier strategy of campaigning in the South, believing that his conservative views on war could sway much of the South in his direction.
November 4, 1980
Ronald Reagan comfortably watches the presidential election at home, not anxious over the results. Jackson's strategy may have worked four years ago, but Reagan's popularity as an incumbent was simply too much for Jackson to be competitive in the South.
Popular Vote:
Ronald Reagan: 56.5%
Henry Jackson: 42.4%
It was a resounding success for the Republicans in Congress as well. The Republicans picked up over 20 seats in the House, while the Senate maintained its Status Quo. The House remained with a slight Democratic majority while the Senate remained Republican.
December 1980
The Soviet War in Afghanistan gets more difficult as the Iranian military and Mujahideen continue to greatly disrupt the Soviets. Inflation continues to slowly drop in South Vietnam as the economy continues to slowly but surely grow.
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GeographyDude
Gone Fishin'
I hope it's not going to be like Operation Condor in South America.
Back in the mid '90s I talked with a Vietnamese co-worker of mine at a photocopy center. He said, we had a very corrupt government and then we got a communist government. Which I took to mean, that part of the appeal is that at least we get an honest government.
Years later, I thought, maybe they think of Communists somewhat like we think of devout Christians. Too particular by half, but at least you know what you're getting, and you feel you can at least somewhat depend on them.
=============
PS I read through June '80. It's very good, but also very long.
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Part 5: 1981-1982
Part 5
January 1981
Reagan pushes in Congress for a drastic increase in the funding of South Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. Reagan also pushes to continue the military buildup and increase spending on the Nicaraguan Contras, Salvadoran government, and Iranian government. Reagan also pushes to slightly increase the amount of funding being given to anti-Communist guerrillas in the former Portuguese colony of Angola, as well as to start funding the anti-Communist guerrillas in Mozambique. The Soviet government decides to drastically increase the war effort in Afghanistan in order to save the Communist government. More Soviet troops arrive in Afghanistan as the Politburo spends tremendous amounts of money in funding the war.
February 1981
Reagan successfully gets massive increases in funding for South Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, with the Republican gains from the 1980 elections being helpful. Reagan also successfully gets significant increases in the funding of the Salvadoran and Iranian governments and the Nicaraguan Contras. Reagan also manages to get an increase in funding for the anti-Communist forces in Angola and get slight funding for the anti-Communist forces in Mozambique, though this required much more effort to successfully achieve. In South Vietnam, inflation continues to drop as quality of life continues to slowly improve. The Soviet Union decides to launch major offensives in the Soviet-Afghan War and switch to a total war mentality in the region, with burning and razing villages and use of intimidation and secret police being tactics to use. Reza Pahlavi increases liberty in Iran even more, as Iran increases their war effort in Afghanistan.
March 15th, 1981
The Salvadoran army begins a scorched earth offensive in northern El Salvador as the Civil War escalates in violence.
March 18th, 1981
Refugees attempt to flee El Salvador and enter Honduras. The Salvadoran army guns down the refugees.
March 30th, 1981
The United States watches in complete shock as President Ronald Reagan is almost killed by John Hinckley Junior. Many are concerned at what would occur if the President does not survive, with many, especially conservatives, being very worried. While President Reagan undergoes surgery at a nearby hospital, Vice President John Connally takes over much of the duties of President Reagan in the meantime.
April 1981
South Vietnam's economy continues to slowly but surely improve as inflation continues to drop and international companies continue using the country as a labor and outsourcing base. The Soviet Union's offensives in the Soviet-Afghan War, though initially successful, become extremely costly, as Iranian and Mujahideen forces constantly attack the Soviet-held towns and bases. As the war's performance gets even worse for the Soviet Union, Brezhnev decides to spend even more money on the war. On April 30th, 1981, Reagan returns to the Oval Office. Reagan's popularity increases even further after the assassination attempt, with his total approval rating by the American populace being about 80%.
May 1981
Reagan pushes Congress for a massive increase in funding the Nicaraguan Contras, explaining how dangerous and evil the Sandinista regime is. Though the massive increase in spending does receive significant resistance, the amount of Republicans in Congress helps the large spending increase get through. Reagan begins to ask his advisers about what can be done to help the Nicaraguan Contras. His advisers say to continue the funding, and state that air support and bombing runs on the Sandinista government will greatly help. Reagan strongly considers bombing Nicaragua.
June 1981
Reza Pahlavi significantly increases the amount of religious freedom in Iran, leading to a further increase in popularity. Religious leaders in the country communicate to the populace that they must join the Iranian military in order to fight against the "godless Soviets." The Iranian military receives more conscripts as the well-equipped military continues to greatly disrupt the Soviets in Afghanistan. Because of the extreme amount of disruption by Iran in the Soviet-Afghan War, Leonid Brezhnev meets up with Iraqi warlord and dictator Saddam Hussein, and lets him know that he will have full Soviet support if he decides to invade Iran and take back Iranian-held Khuzestan. Saddam thanks Brezhnev and considers the offer.
July 1981
Saddam decides to not invade Iran, seeing such a move as far too risky. Saddam thought that the well-equipped Imperial Iranian military with complete American support will simply be too strong for him to overcome. Brezhnev gets discontented at this as the Soviet-Afghan war gets extremely costly in both money and loss of life. Reza Pahlavi asks his advisors when he could realistically allow other political parties to be active in the country. Pahlavi's advisors advocate for waiting several years and allowing one other political party to be active, and waiting around a decade to allow every single political party to be active. Pahlavi's advisors tell him to hold onto power firmly throughout the period of liberalization, and to not completely liberalize free speech and freedom of protest laws quickly, explaining that the reforms must come slowly if he expects to keep the country stable.
August 1981
The Nicaraguan Contras begin to severely damage and undermine the Sandinista-led government as the Contras begin to start an offensive near Costa Rica. President Reagan ensures that the Contras will have his total support. President Reagan meets up with Nguyen Van Thieu in Saigon, ensuring that every single aspect of the planned offensive in two months is planned to near-perfection. In the meeting, Thieu and Reagan both call the planned offensive "Operation Final Liberation".
September 10th, 1981
Ronald Reagan meets up with his military advisors, double checking every aspect of the planned offensive, ensuring the highest possible chance of success. Nguyen Van Thieu meets with Lon Nol and Souvanna Phouma, ensuring the coordination between their forces will be at its best.
September 25th, 1981
With the retirement of Potter Stewart on the Supreme Court, Ronald Reagan appoints a replacement, Cornelia Groefsema Kennedy. She is a conservative justice who is the first woman to serve on the court.
October 1981
In a shocking surprise to the world, South Vietnamese ARVN forces, backed up by massive American Air Support, rapidly retake all Communist-controlled territory in Vietnam south of the 17th parallel. By the end of the month, all of the last remaining Communist territory in South Vietnam is completely gone, with South Vietnam gaining its prewar borders. At the same time, Lon Nol's army fights against the last Khmer Rouge stronghold as the Royal Lao government begins to fight the Pathet Lao. The ARVN assists both of these forces with large amounts of ground troops. By the end of the month, Nol's forces retake the final Khmer Rouge stronghold in the country as the leader of the movement, Pol Pot, is captured by Nol's forces and thrown into prison. In response to the non-communist aggression in Vietnam, the Soviet Union spends even more money on the Soviet-Afghan war, as well as increasing the amount of "total war" strategies as the Soviet army decides to raze more villages and significantly increase the brutality of occupied regions in the war. The sheer brutality of the Soviets convinces some Afghans to join the Mujahideen.
November 1981
As all of Cambodia and South Vietnam is under non-Communist control, the final goal of Operation Final Liberation begins, as the large, very well-equipped ARVN forces begin to steamroll into Eastern Laos and attempt to finally shut down the Ho Chi Minh trail. The United States provides a tremendous amount of air support in Eastern Laos, bombing the PAVN into annihilation. As the poorly-equipped PAVN and Pathet Lao continue to be bombed into submission by American Air Support and continue to be completely destroyed by the well-equipped ARVN and other non-communist land forces, the PAVN begins to completely collapse and begin to withdraw from the Ho Chi Minh trail, controlled by the Communists since the start of the Vietnam War, by the end of the month.
December 1981
On December 11th, 1981, the Salvadoran army conducts the El Mozote Massacre, killing hundreds of unarmed civilians. In Indochina, the ARVN rapidly takes more and more of Eastern Laos in quick American-style offensives as the PAVN and Pathet Lao are completely destroyed as the PAVN begins their withdrawal into North Vietnam. By the end of the month, only a very thin line at the Laotian border remains under Communist control. Le Duan is absolutely enraged at the abysmal performance of the PAVN as the North Vietnamese Five-year plan begins to come to an end as a failure, and Duan attempts to halt the retreat at all costs and order every single PAVN force into Laos in order to keep control of the Ho Chi Minh trail. The Soviet Union devotes a tremendous amount of funding towards the Soviet-Afghan War in response to the successes for South Vietnam in Indochina. The Soviets begin to make lots of gains, as the sheer brutality of their offensives, as well as the tremendous amount of funding being given to their forces, results in several significant gains for the Soviet Union.
January 1982
The ARVN and anti-Communist forces, backed by American air support, annihilate the PAVN as the poorly-equipped and poorly-trained PAVN desperately attempt to keep control of the Ho Chi Minh trail, using all of their remaining forces. The whole month saw intense casualties being taken by the PAVN and all but complete destruction of the PAVN as a valid military fighting force. In the end of the month, all of Laos is restored to non-Communist control as the Ho Chi Minh trail, controlled by the Communists since the beginning of the war, was lost. With the resounding success of Operation Final Liberation and the complete cease of Communist presence in Indochina outside of North Vietnam, Ronald Reagan's approval ratings soar even higher, to a resounding 88%. In Afghanistan, the Soviet army sustains heavy casualties as the brutality of the war increases tremendously, with Iranian and Mujahideen forces continuing to disrupt Soviet operations in the country.
February 5th, 1982. Da Nang, South Vietnam.
Nguyen Van Thieu was overjoyed. Just over a decade ago, North Vietnam threatened his country's very existence with the Easter Offensive. Now, the tables had turned. His country had now brought the Communist North to its knees. Thieu enjoyed looking out of the window, seeing all of the foreign trade ships come in to the city, as well as seeing the beautiful beaches with some of his people on them. Thieu was to meet President Reagan and Lon Nol in the room he was staying at in order to celebrate, as well as discuss what could lie ahead in the future. "This is a beautiful city you have here, Thieu," started Reagan. "Thank you very much, Mr. President. It still exists thanks to you," replied Thieu. "What did I miss?" interjected Nol, who just entered the room. "Nol, welcome. Do you like the city?" asked Thieu. "It's fantastic, I hope Cambodia will become this amazing sometime in the future." All three leaders sat at a table in the room. "Where's Phouma?" probed Nol. "He's very busy. Apparently it takes a lot of work to re-integrate over half of your country when it has been under Communist control for over the past two and a half decades," replied Thieu. “Well gentlemen," started Reagan, "I think it is safe to say that we have won. Communism has been prevented from expanding into either of your countries. The American people have invested much of their blood and money into ensuring this, and I would hope that you are thankful to us for doing so." Thieu and Nol both nodded. "I would like to tell you right now, Mr. President, we are extremely thankful for the amount of effort you have put into ensuring our countries' survival and freedom," responded Thieu, "Without you, our countries would be under Communist tyranny. Your investment in our countries has prevented this fate. We thank you for this." Reagan smiled. "I would like to discuss now, Mr. Thieu, what the future of operations may be in your country and its surrounding areas. In other words, I would like to know if I could begin to decrease the amount of military aid I am giving to you now that North Vietnam is removed as a threat." Thieu nodded. "By all means, you can defund partly, but I ask that it be done slowly, not cutting a drastic amount of aid all at once. I also ask that you still continue to provide some aid to our countries and still see us as valuable allies, although the aid may understandably decrease." "I understand," replied Reagan, "I will defund slowly and try to ensure that my successor will do the same. I ensure you that I will continue to provide lots of valuable funding to your country, but I am merely asking that it be scaled back." "That won't be problematic. Just ensure that we get enough to keep our military strong and preferably speed up our economic development." Reagan looked out the window at the thriving seaport of Da Nang. "Freedom was protected in this country. This country will grow to be an amazing powerhouse in the future, I know it. The same must be done to other countries around the world," said Reagan. "I understand," replied Thieu, "and I hope that you will succeed with other countries as well." All three leaders spent the next few minutes staring out and admiring the seaport and city of Da Nang, contemplating how freedom had been saved in the country.
Mid-Late February 1982
With the ceasing of Indochina being a major battleground in the Cold War, Reagan decides to shift his attention to other countries throughout the world, namely those in Latin America and the former Portuguese colonies in Africa (Angola and Mozambique). Reagan decides he will no longer increase funding for the countries in Indochina, and sends over 200 US military advisers to Nicaragua in order to assist the Contras. At the same time, Reagan pushes for an increase in funding of UNITA (Angolan anti-Communist forces) in the Angolan Civil War. The US Congress has some significant resistance to this, with many not seeing Angola as an important battleground in the Cold War. Nevertheless, Reagan still manages to get increased funding for UNITA. In Cambodia, though the Civil War has officially ended, the Khmer Rouge, a shadow of its former self, continues to be a problem in the Cambodian countryside as a guerrilla group, similar to FARC in Colombia.
March 1982
Reagan increases the amount of US military advisers being sent to the Contras. As the Contras begin to severely disrupt the Sandinista-led government, the FSLN spends a tremendous amount of the nation's budget on military, over 50%. Reagan's advisers communicate that a bombing of the country by the US Air Force would greatly assist the Contras in potentially overthrowing the Nicaraguan government. Reagan again seriously considers bombing Nicaragua. In Guatemala, a general named Ríos Montt comes to power in a coup. The Politburo in Soviet Russia continues to pump money down the drain into the Soviet-Afghan War, as the brutal war continues with the Soviets continuing to experience tremendous resistance from Iranian and Mujahideen forces. In Iran, the economy has largely recovered from the poor economy of the 1970's and continues to improve as Reza Pahlavi remains popular. In South Vietnam, signs of a major economic miracle are shown as inflation begins to quickly drop while many begin to get jobs at a faster rate as global companies expand into South Vietnam very quickly, seeing the value in the cheap labor and outsourcing base it is. Thieu also expands the large amounts of public works projects (made possible by very large amounts of US aid) into the newly conquered territories as roads continue to be built throughout all of South Vietnam, helping facilitate commerce. Thieu passes further economic reforms, making the country extremely economically free (on the level of Hong Kong and Singapore), believing that this will incentivize more companies to expand into South Vietnam. Thieu also continues his campaign to clean up corruption in the South Vietnamese government. The trial of Cambodian war criminal Pol Pot begins in Phnom Penh, as the government reviews the war crimes committed by the man. In El Salvador, the FMLN escalates the attacks, attacking more government-controlled military and economic targets.
April 1982
Knowing that the midterms are upcoming and there will likely be Democratic gains, Reagan decides to push major economic legislation through Congress, advocating for one of his most comprehensive tax reform bills yet (the Tax Reform Act) and one of his most sweeping deregulation bills. The Tax Reform Act of 1982 makes it through Congress. The deregulation bill also manages to get passed, though facing staunch Democratic resistance. In El Salvador, the government holds elections for an interim government.
Mid 1982
The Salvadoran government puts Álvaro Magaña into power as president. The Salvadoran government attempts to reform and become a Democratic government, but the Civil War in the country prevents such a situation. The Guatemalan government becomes extremely brutal and genocidal in the Guatemalan Civil War, undertaking mass killings of unarmed civilians. Brezhnev pours more and more money and manpower into Afghanistan, with the offensives having a pattern of being initially successful and extremely costly to maintain with an onslaught of Iranian and Mujahideen attacks on the Soviet-held territory. President Reagan pushes for monetary support of South African forces in the Angolan Civil War, and successfully gets some funding for South Africa, though this receives some resistance in Congress due to South Africa's apartheid. Reza Phalavi continues to slowly liberalize Iran as the government becomes less autocratic. South Vietnam's economy starts to grow quickly due to the large amount of economic freedom in the country. As South Vietnam's economy begins to quickly grow during this period, many label the country as a new, fifth "asian tiger" economy. In Nicaragua, the Contras continue to greatly disrupt the Sandinista government, taking advantage of the large US aid. In the end of August 1982, Reagan finally decides to begin using US air support for the Contras in Nicaragua, and begins bombing many targets held by the Sandinista government. Reagan begins campaigning across the country for the upcoming midterm elections.
September 1982
Nicaragua becomes extremely unstable as the Contras begin to take cities and provinces in the country, with the US air support wreaking havoc on the FSLN. As the country delves into Civil War, American support for involvement is quite high, as there are no ground troops being sent into the country. Reagan continues to campaign across the country for the upcoming midterm elections.
November 2nd, 1982
The midterm election results come in, with a +4 Democratic gain in the House and a +8 gain in the Senate, giving a Democratic Senate.
November 10th, 1982
Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev dies.
November 12th, 1982
To replace Brezhnev, Mikhail Gorbachev ascends to power in the country. Gorbachev was a reformer within the Communist party, and was chosen in order to effectively deal with President Reagan.
December 1982
Nicaragua descends into complete civil war as the Contras attempt to take control of many towns and provinces in the country. American Air Support greatly assists the Contras in successfully taking many towns and some provinces. Under threat of total collapse, the FSLN decides to spend an overwhelming amount of its budget on military. The Soviet-Afghan war continues to be very costly for the Soviets.
January 1981
Reagan pushes in Congress for a drastic increase in the funding of South Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. Reagan also pushes to continue the military buildup and increase spending on the Nicaraguan Contras, Salvadoran government, and Iranian government. Reagan also pushes to slightly increase the amount of funding being given to anti-Communist guerrillas in the former Portuguese colony of Angola, as well as to start funding the anti-Communist guerrillas in Mozambique. The Soviet government decides to drastically increase the war effort in Afghanistan in order to save the Communist government. More Soviet troops arrive in Afghanistan as the Politburo spends tremendous amounts of money in funding the war.
February 1981
Reagan successfully gets massive increases in funding for South Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, with the Republican gains from the 1980 elections being helpful. Reagan also successfully gets significant increases in the funding of the Salvadoran and Iranian governments and the Nicaraguan Contras. Reagan also manages to get an increase in funding for the anti-Communist forces in Angola and get slight funding for the anti-Communist forces in Mozambique, though this required much more effort to successfully achieve. In South Vietnam, inflation continues to drop as quality of life continues to slowly improve. The Soviet Union decides to launch major offensives in the Soviet-Afghan War and switch to a total war mentality in the region, with burning and razing villages and use of intimidation and secret police being tactics to use. Reza Pahlavi increases liberty in Iran even more, as Iran increases their war effort in Afghanistan.
March 15th, 1981
The Salvadoran army begins a scorched earth offensive in northern El Salvador as the Civil War escalates in violence.
March 18th, 1981
Refugees attempt to flee El Salvador and enter Honduras. The Salvadoran army guns down the refugees.
March 30th, 1981
The United States watches in complete shock as President Ronald Reagan is almost killed by John Hinckley Junior. Many are concerned at what would occur if the President does not survive, with many, especially conservatives, being very worried. While President Reagan undergoes surgery at a nearby hospital, Vice President John Connally takes over much of the duties of President Reagan in the meantime.
April 1981
South Vietnam's economy continues to slowly but surely improve as inflation continues to drop and international companies continue using the country as a labor and outsourcing base. The Soviet Union's offensives in the Soviet-Afghan War, though initially successful, become extremely costly, as Iranian and Mujahideen forces constantly attack the Soviet-held towns and bases. As the war's performance gets even worse for the Soviet Union, Brezhnev decides to spend even more money on the war. On April 30th, 1981, Reagan returns to the Oval Office. Reagan's popularity increases even further after the assassination attempt, with his total approval rating by the American populace being about 80%.
May 1981
Reagan pushes Congress for a massive increase in funding the Nicaraguan Contras, explaining how dangerous and evil the Sandinista regime is. Though the massive increase in spending does receive significant resistance, the amount of Republicans in Congress helps the large spending increase get through. Reagan begins to ask his advisers about what can be done to help the Nicaraguan Contras. His advisers say to continue the funding, and state that air support and bombing runs on the Sandinista government will greatly help. Reagan strongly considers bombing Nicaragua.
June 1981
Reza Pahlavi significantly increases the amount of religious freedom in Iran, leading to a further increase in popularity. Religious leaders in the country communicate to the populace that they must join the Iranian military in order to fight against the "godless Soviets." The Iranian military receives more conscripts as the well-equipped military continues to greatly disrupt the Soviets in Afghanistan. Because of the extreme amount of disruption by Iran in the Soviet-Afghan War, Leonid Brezhnev meets up with Iraqi warlord and dictator Saddam Hussein, and lets him know that he will have full Soviet support if he decides to invade Iran and take back Iranian-held Khuzestan. Saddam thanks Brezhnev and considers the offer.
July 1981
Saddam decides to not invade Iran, seeing such a move as far too risky. Saddam thought that the well-equipped Imperial Iranian military with complete American support will simply be too strong for him to overcome. Brezhnev gets discontented at this as the Soviet-Afghan war gets extremely costly in both money and loss of life. Reza Pahlavi asks his advisors when he could realistically allow other political parties to be active in the country. Pahlavi's advisors advocate for waiting several years and allowing one other political party to be active, and waiting around a decade to allow every single political party to be active. Pahlavi's advisors tell him to hold onto power firmly throughout the period of liberalization, and to not completely liberalize free speech and freedom of protest laws quickly, explaining that the reforms must come slowly if he expects to keep the country stable.
August 1981
The Nicaraguan Contras begin to severely damage and undermine the Sandinista-led government as the Contras begin to start an offensive near Costa Rica. President Reagan ensures that the Contras will have his total support. President Reagan meets up with Nguyen Van Thieu in Saigon, ensuring that every single aspect of the planned offensive in two months is planned to near-perfection. In the meeting, Thieu and Reagan both call the planned offensive "Operation Final Liberation".
September 10th, 1981
Ronald Reagan meets up with his military advisors, double checking every aspect of the planned offensive, ensuring the highest possible chance of success. Nguyen Van Thieu meets with Lon Nol and Souvanna Phouma, ensuring the coordination between their forces will be at its best.
September 25th, 1981
With the retirement of Potter Stewart on the Supreme Court, Ronald Reagan appoints a replacement, Cornelia Groefsema Kennedy. She is a conservative justice who is the first woman to serve on the court.
October 1981
In a shocking surprise to the world, South Vietnamese ARVN forces, backed up by massive American Air Support, rapidly retake all Communist-controlled territory in Vietnam south of the 17th parallel. By the end of the month, all of the last remaining Communist territory in South Vietnam is completely gone, with South Vietnam gaining its prewar borders. At the same time, Lon Nol's army fights against the last Khmer Rouge stronghold as the Royal Lao government begins to fight the Pathet Lao. The ARVN assists both of these forces with large amounts of ground troops. By the end of the month, Nol's forces retake the final Khmer Rouge stronghold in the country as the leader of the movement, Pol Pot, is captured by Nol's forces and thrown into prison. In response to the non-communist aggression in Vietnam, the Soviet Union spends even more money on the Soviet-Afghan war, as well as increasing the amount of "total war" strategies as the Soviet army decides to raze more villages and significantly increase the brutality of occupied regions in the war. The sheer brutality of the Soviets convinces some Afghans to join the Mujahideen.
November 1981
As all of Cambodia and South Vietnam is under non-Communist control, the final goal of Operation Final Liberation begins, as the large, very well-equipped ARVN forces begin to steamroll into Eastern Laos and attempt to finally shut down the Ho Chi Minh trail. The United States provides a tremendous amount of air support in Eastern Laos, bombing the PAVN into annihilation. As the poorly-equipped PAVN and Pathet Lao continue to be bombed into submission by American Air Support and continue to be completely destroyed by the well-equipped ARVN and other non-communist land forces, the PAVN begins to completely collapse and begin to withdraw from the Ho Chi Minh trail, controlled by the Communists since the start of the Vietnam War, by the end of the month.
December 1981
On December 11th, 1981, the Salvadoran army conducts the El Mozote Massacre, killing hundreds of unarmed civilians. In Indochina, the ARVN rapidly takes more and more of Eastern Laos in quick American-style offensives as the PAVN and Pathet Lao are completely destroyed as the PAVN begins their withdrawal into North Vietnam. By the end of the month, only a very thin line at the Laotian border remains under Communist control. Le Duan is absolutely enraged at the abysmal performance of the PAVN as the North Vietnamese Five-year plan begins to come to an end as a failure, and Duan attempts to halt the retreat at all costs and order every single PAVN force into Laos in order to keep control of the Ho Chi Minh trail. The Soviet Union devotes a tremendous amount of funding towards the Soviet-Afghan War in response to the successes for South Vietnam in Indochina. The Soviets begin to make lots of gains, as the sheer brutality of their offensives, as well as the tremendous amount of funding being given to their forces, results in several significant gains for the Soviet Union.
January 1982
The ARVN and anti-Communist forces, backed by American air support, annihilate the PAVN as the poorly-equipped and poorly-trained PAVN desperately attempt to keep control of the Ho Chi Minh trail, using all of their remaining forces. The whole month saw intense casualties being taken by the PAVN and all but complete destruction of the PAVN as a valid military fighting force. In the end of the month, all of Laos is restored to non-Communist control as the Ho Chi Minh trail, controlled by the Communists since the beginning of the war, was lost. With the resounding success of Operation Final Liberation and the complete cease of Communist presence in Indochina outside of North Vietnam, Ronald Reagan's approval ratings soar even higher, to a resounding 88%. In Afghanistan, the Soviet army sustains heavy casualties as the brutality of the war increases tremendously, with Iranian and Mujahideen forces continuing to disrupt Soviet operations in the country.
February 5th, 1982. Da Nang, South Vietnam.
Nguyen Van Thieu was overjoyed. Just over a decade ago, North Vietnam threatened his country's very existence with the Easter Offensive. Now, the tables had turned. His country had now brought the Communist North to its knees. Thieu enjoyed looking out of the window, seeing all of the foreign trade ships come in to the city, as well as seeing the beautiful beaches with some of his people on them. Thieu was to meet President Reagan and Lon Nol in the room he was staying at in order to celebrate, as well as discuss what could lie ahead in the future. "This is a beautiful city you have here, Thieu," started Reagan. "Thank you very much, Mr. President. It still exists thanks to you," replied Thieu. "What did I miss?" interjected Nol, who just entered the room. "Nol, welcome. Do you like the city?" asked Thieu. "It's fantastic, I hope Cambodia will become this amazing sometime in the future." All three leaders sat at a table in the room. "Where's Phouma?" probed Nol. "He's very busy. Apparently it takes a lot of work to re-integrate over half of your country when it has been under Communist control for over the past two and a half decades," replied Thieu. “Well gentlemen," started Reagan, "I think it is safe to say that we have won. Communism has been prevented from expanding into either of your countries. The American people have invested much of their blood and money into ensuring this, and I would hope that you are thankful to us for doing so." Thieu and Nol both nodded. "I would like to tell you right now, Mr. President, we are extremely thankful for the amount of effort you have put into ensuring our countries' survival and freedom," responded Thieu, "Without you, our countries would be under Communist tyranny. Your investment in our countries has prevented this fate. We thank you for this." Reagan smiled. "I would like to discuss now, Mr. Thieu, what the future of operations may be in your country and its surrounding areas. In other words, I would like to know if I could begin to decrease the amount of military aid I am giving to you now that North Vietnam is removed as a threat." Thieu nodded. "By all means, you can defund partly, but I ask that it be done slowly, not cutting a drastic amount of aid all at once. I also ask that you still continue to provide some aid to our countries and still see us as valuable allies, although the aid may understandably decrease." "I understand," replied Reagan, "I will defund slowly and try to ensure that my successor will do the same. I ensure you that I will continue to provide lots of valuable funding to your country, but I am merely asking that it be scaled back." "That won't be problematic. Just ensure that we get enough to keep our military strong and preferably speed up our economic development." Reagan looked out the window at the thriving seaport of Da Nang. "Freedom was protected in this country. This country will grow to be an amazing powerhouse in the future, I know it. The same must be done to other countries around the world," said Reagan. "I understand," replied Thieu, "and I hope that you will succeed with other countries as well." All three leaders spent the next few minutes staring out and admiring the seaport and city of Da Nang, contemplating how freedom had been saved in the country.
Mid-Late February 1982
With the ceasing of Indochina being a major battleground in the Cold War, Reagan decides to shift his attention to other countries throughout the world, namely those in Latin America and the former Portuguese colonies in Africa (Angola and Mozambique). Reagan decides he will no longer increase funding for the countries in Indochina, and sends over 200 US military advisers to Nicaragua in order to assist the Contras. At the same time, Reagan pushes for an increase in funding of UNITA (Angolan anti-Communist forces) in the Angolan Civil War. The US Congress has some significant resistance to this, with many not seeing Angola as an important battleground in the Cold War. Nevertheless, Reagan still manages to get increased funding for UNITA. In Cambodia, though the Civil War has officially ended, the Khmer Rouge, a shadow of its former self, continues to be a problem in the Cambodian countryside as a guerrilla group, similar to FARC in Colombia.
March 1982
Reagan increases the amount of US military advisers being sent to the Contras. As the Contras begin to severely disrupt the Sandinista-led government, the FSLN spends a tremendous amount of the nation's budget on military, over 50%. Reagan's advisers communicate that a bombing of the country by the US Air Force would greatly assist the Contras in potentially overthrowing the Nicaraguan government. Reagan again seriously considers bombing Nicaragua. In Guatemala, a general named Ríos Montt comes to power in a coup. The Politburo in Soviet Russia continues to pump money down the drain into the Soviet-Afghan War, as the brutal war continues with the Soviets continuing to experience tremendous resistance from Iranian and Mujahideen forces. In Iran, the economy has largely recovered from the poor economy of the 1970's and continues to improve as Reza Pahlavi remains popular. In South Vietnam, signs of a major economic miracle are shown as inflation begins to quickly drop while many begin to get jobs at a faster rate as global companies expand into South Vietnam very quickly, seeing the value in the cheap labor and outsourcing base it is. Thieu also expands the large amounts of public works projects (made possible by very large amounts of US aid) into the newly conquered territories as roads continue to be built throughout all of South Vietnam, helping facilitate commerce. Thieu passes further economic reforms, making the country extremely economically free (on the level of Hong Kong and Singapore), believing that this will incentivize more companies to expand into South Vietnam. Thieu also continues his campaign to clean up corruption in the South Vietnamese government. The trial of Cambodian war criminal Pol Pot begins in Phnom Penh, as the government reviews the war crimes committed by the man. In El Salvador, the FMLN escalates the attacks, attacking more government-controlled military and economic targets.
April 1982
Knowing that the midterms are upcoming and there will likely be Democratic gains, Reagan decides to push major economic legislation through Congress, advocating for one of his most comprehensive tax reform bills yet (the Tax Reform Act) and one of his most sweeping deregulation bills. The Tax Reform Act of 1982 makes it through Congress. The deregulation bill also manages to get passed, though facing staunch Democratic resistance. In El Salvador, the government holds elections for an interim government.
Mid 1982
The Salvadoran government puts Álvaro Magaña into power as president. The Salvadoran government attempts to reform and become a Democratic government, but the Civil War in the country prevents such a situation. The Guatemalan government becomes extremely brutal and genocidal in the Guatemalan Civil War, undertaking mass killings of unarmed civilians. Brezhnev pours more and more money and manpower into Afghanistan, with the offensives having a pattern of being initially successful and extremely costly to maintain with an onslaught of Iranian and Mujahideen attacks on the Soviet-held territory. President Reagan pushes for monetary support of South African forces in the Angolan Civil War, and successfully gets some funding for South Africa, though this receives some resistance in Congress due to South Africa's apartheid. Reza Phalavi continues to slowly liberalize Iran as the government becomes less autocratic. South Vietnam's economy starts to grow quickly due to the large amount of economic freedom in the country. As South Vietnam's economy begins to quickly grow during this period, many label the country as a new, fifth "asian tiger" economy. In Nicaragua, the Contras continue to greatly disrupt the Sandinista government, taking advantage of the large US aid. In the end of August 1982, Reagan finally decides to begin using US air support for the Contras in Nicaragua, and begins bombing many targets held by the Sandinista government. Reagan begins campaigning across the country for the upcoming midterm elections.
September 1982
Nicaragua becomes extremely unstable as the Contras begin to take cities and provinces in the country, with the US air support wreaking havoc on the FSLN. As the country delves into Civil War, American support for involvement is quite high, as there are no ground troops being sent into the country. Reagan continues to campaign across the country for the upcoming midterm elections.
November 2nd, 1982
The midterm election results come in, with a +4 Democratic gain in the House and a +8 gain in the Senate, giving a Democratic Senate.
November 10th, 1982
Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev dies.
November 12th, 1982
To replace Brezhnev, Mikhail Gorbachev ascends to power in the country. Gorbachev was a reformer within the Communist party, and was chosen in order to effectively deal with President Reagan.
December 1982
Nicaragua descends into complete civil war as the Contras attempt to take control of many towns and provinces in the country. American Air Support greatly assists the Contras in successfully taking many towns and some provinces. Under threat of total collapse, the FSLN decides to spend an overwhelming amount of its budget on military. The Soviet-Afghan war continues to be very costly for the Soviets.
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It seems like there was largely a trade-off here with Indochina stabilizing under a free democracy, while Central America has delved further into chaos and has become a more deadly place to live overall. I'm torn on this as while I'm glad that the Vietnam War is a victory, funding the Contras has only made a worse mess of things. With a successful economic resurgence and immense strength abroad, Reagan will definitely be one of the all-time greats with Nixon. As of right now the GOP shall be decidedly conservative. While I can see a Republican winning in '84, '88 will definitely be a Democratic year. No matter what the Dems will likely have to nominate a moderate or blue dog to get a chance of winning back the white house.
I'm greatly confused on Iran's involvement in Afghanistan. How is it that the Shah has become extensively involved, yet the Soviets are not invading Iran in response?
I'm greatly confused on Iran's involvement in Afghanistan. How is it that the Shah has become extensively involved, yet the Soviets are not invading Iran in response?
wouldn't the Soviets invading Iran greatly increase global tensions, similar to the US invading North Vietnam during the height of the Vietnam war?
Nice update!
I was somewhat expecting a diffefent Supreme Court pick from Reagan given that ITTL, John Paul Stevens wasn’t appointed.
I was somewhat expecting a diffefent Supreme Court pick from Reagan given that ITTL, John Paul Stevens wasn’t appointed.
I mean, Day O’Connor was going to happen no matter what. At that time, the Americans just thought it was time for a woman to finally be on the court.
I just thought that Reagan would’ve gone for someone more conservative for his only Supreme Court appointment.
Yeah, to be fair, some people were surprised that he did it IOTL
On second thought, that actually has gotten me thinking a lot. I may change it... thanks for telling me
Reagan pledged as a candidate IOTL that he would appoint a woman to the Supreme Court; he personally assured conservatives that O’Connor would be a good pick.
The other woman on Reagan’s list that I found to be more conservative was Cornelia Kennedy. She was appointed by Nixon to the U.S District Court of Eastern Michigan in 1970 and by Carter OTL to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in 1979. When she was nominated by Carter, there was controversy over her conservative rulings on the bench in Eastern Michigan. Her nomination passed narrowly on the Judiciary Committee 9-4, people like Ted Kennedy voting against her. She was considered OTL for a Supreme Court nomination thrice, for the seat vacated by William Douglas, the one that eventually went to O’Connor, and the one that eventually went to Anthony Kennedy.
In my opinion, I believe she would be a more conservative pick, and perhaps a more qualified pick, seeing as how she has served on two federal courts, while O’Connor only served on the Arizona Court of Appeals. You could possibly have Reagan appoint her to the Sixth Circuit earlier so she gets more experience. But that’s just my opinion. You do what you feel is best.
O’Connor turned out to be more of a moderate, and a swing vote when you consider more conservative judges like Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, or William Rehnquist.
How are the Iranians directly fighting the Soviets without the Soviets invading Iran?