Ugghhh....
This TL's got my attention now and I've been working on it pretty much all day. You see I was wanting to do something different for WWI but I was stumped as to what I wanted to do! Then I remembered a thread on the old board called
Louis Armstron 1st Man on the Moon. I was 14 back then, and was fascinated by the idea. I was slightly dissapointed when nothing substantial came from it.
So with a bit of effort I melded the two ideas (Louis Armstrong won't be born in TTL but you get the point) and personally I think I did it quite well. WWI get's super big so don't expect anything super detailed yet. I'd like to set out the groundwork and then fill it in later (with maybe some help from others).
Anyhow I can't resist so...
Part IV
The election of 1904
Though the Populist National Convention had been a clear cut affair, the Republican Convention was anything but. Numerous candidates clamored to replace William McKinley resulting in a dead head between the leaders. That being the case, the need arose for a dark horse candidate to emerge and emerge he did. Theodore Roosevelt, war hero from the Spanish American war and ex-governor of New York, was nominated by the GOP hoping to gain numerous progressive voters.
And gain progressive voters he did, the election of 1904 was a very close fought election and saw both Bryan and Roosevelt pull out all the stops in an attempt to take the highest office in the land. However with the country still recovering from Bryan’s disastrous “5 years of silver”, Roosevelt’s charisma and charm combined with a sound economic policy and an excellent campaign netted him the win over the incumbent Bryan.
Bryan, following his failure to gain a third term in the White House opted for retirement leaving the now well established Populist Party in opposition and assuming the life of a traveling preacher. Meanwhile Roosevelt took the oath of office and was inaugurated in early 1905. Yet across the Pacific Ocean events were shaping up that would shake the entire world to it’s very core.
Buildup to the Great War
Following it’s stunning victory over Russia in what would become known as the Russo-Japanese War, Japan was quietly regarded as one of the world’s emerging powers. Yet despite her victories she felt denied by the unfavorable peace terms laid out by President Bryan at the Treaty of Portland. Indeed many would later state that Japan won the war but lost the peace.
Nevertheless, imperialistic ambition in the Japanese Empire was running high and many were looking for possible avenues of expansion. A diplomatic expedition to the emerging Republic of the Philippines would bring an end to the search. Despite the efforts of President Bryan to see the Philippines transition into a full blown republic, the process was proving to be a long and painful one.
By 1906 the Philippines was in an interesting situation, though it had been nearly 8 years since the Americans had received the archipelago it still remained under American military control though with significant civilian Philippine input. Yet despite this generous arrangement and newly minted President Roosevelt’s promise of a completely independent Republic by 1910 there were numerous Philippine guerilla’s who wished to completely remove American influence.
It would be illicit contact between these guerilla’s and Japanese agents that would see the Japanese Empire look towards the Philippines as a potential avenue of expansion. Soon Japanese arms were beginning to trickle into the Philippines as the Americans increased the numbers of troops on the islands to combat the insurgency. Encouraged by this method of potential expansion, the Japanese begin to look elsewhere in the Pacific.
This search eventually leads to the Japanese aiding Indonesian rebels in what becomes known as the Aceh war against the Dutch. The relative success of the insurgents in both the Philippines and Sumatra in addition to suspicions of Japanese involvement lead to President Roosevelt signing what becomes known as the “Asian Security Pact” or simply “The Pact” with the nation of Holland.
A mutual defense pact in the case of further Japanese aggression, the Pact seeks to safeguard the status quo and protect the fragile nature of the Philippine Republic. Yet the lack of British or French participation and an attempt to enhance the Pact’s image leads Roosevelt to bring the Kingdom of Siam into the alliance. This would later prove to be disastrous as the entry of Siam into the Asian Security Pact would lead to a clash of the Spheres of Influence. Anglo-French attempts to economically dominate Siam creates widespread antagonism in America against said nations. Antagonism ramped up by the out of control American press.
Meanwhile Japan realizing that any expansion in the South Pacific would now mean invariably taking on the Americans decides to prepare for the worst. Due to a vast disparity between Japanese and American naval strengths plans are lain for a surprise attack against American assets in the Philippines much like the attack that gave the Japanese a crucial advantage in the Russo-Japanese War a few years prior.
Little did the Japanese military know that it wouldn’t be long before those plans would be put into action as part of a larger conflict that would simply become known as “The Great War”...
The Presidency of Teddy Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency would be regarded by many as one of the greatest of all times. Indeed due to his superb leadership in office he has grown to be ranked alongside such presidents as George Washington and Abraham Lincoln in terms of greatness. Most of this perceived greatness comes from his leadership in “The Great War” yet in his first term in office was nothing to shake a finger at.
From 1904-1908, Theodore Roosevelt governed the country justly and effectively. Still reeling from Bryan’s disastrous economic policies, Roosevelt was seen as the figurehead of economic recovery. Indeed his policies proved to continue the policies set in place in Bryan’s second term. Yet despite these facts Roosevelt is generally credited with bringing about an American economic recovery.
These economic policies coupled with a perceived stronger foreign policy than President Bryan would net him a landslide victory in 1908 against Populist opponent Oscar Underwood a pro-civil rights lawyer from Alabama. In one term, Roosevelt had brought the country out of a severe economic funk only to find it thrown into the crucible in what Roosevelt would term “the longest second term ever...”