No Marshal Plan

I started writing this as a response to WyldCard4's Weakest United States thread, but it kind of ballooned.

No Marshall Plan. Without it, the European economy never recovers and without a place to sell goods and services the US economy flounders.

The Korean war comes off on schedule, but the bad economy means less heavy shipping capacity, so the landing at Inchon fails and the Pusan pocket collapses. The US government decides another big war is just the thing to get rid of the Depression and Korea is the place to do it. The 'Continuous War' theory is developed and postulates that the only way to maintain a modern economy is by continuous war.

Carpet bombing of N Korean industry and infrastructure in the Fall and Winter is followed by simultaneous landings at Anju and Wonsan in the Spring of 1951. Rumors of a nuclear demo charge at Wonsan are never proven.

Early Summer of '51 sees Chinese troops join the fight and the US retaliates by bombing Chinese territory adjacent to Korea. It quickly becomes obvious the US has no interest in ending the war. Korea becomes a wasteland. The Continuous War spreads to SE Asia, Central America, the Caribbean, parts of Africa and the Middle East.

For the next 30 years the US will keep about a million soldiers in the field fighting various local and regional conflicts. The US becomes feared the world over, but the world economy grows at half the pace of OTL and US growth is even slower.

Starting in the mid 50's the Soviet Union becomes somewhat isolationist and concentrates on it's own infrastructure and defense. The Cold War dies of neglect. Warsaw Pact countries are given leave to run their own economies and trade picks up between Eastern and Western Europe. Eastern and Western Europe pull each other (and the world) out of Depression in the 60s.

Cracks in US supremacy appear in the 70s as the economies of Europe, Russia & Japan heat up and cheap, reliable, insurgent friendly weapons are developed by Russia and India. In 1980, with the US economy in near collapse, a 'Continuous Peace' movement (in reaction to the 'Continuous War' policy that has guided the US for 25 years, is born. The government attempts to suppress the new party. In 1982, Continuous Peace elects 50 Representatives and a dozen Senators, most are drummed out of office by trumped up charges and two die under mysterious circumstances. Riots break-out across the country. Some in response to the treatment of Continuous Peace politicians, some in response to the failed economy, some to oppose the draft. All are brutally suppressed. The US military resorts to mass kidnapping from high school and colleges to fill conscription quotas.

By 1984, Continuous Peace has taken effective control of thousands of local governments and a couple dozen states. They have 'independant' candidates for every federal & state candidate, including president. On November 1st, the president suspends the election. On December 1st over a million people converge on Washington DC. Most military units refuse to move. A few escort the marchers. Even fewer stand in opposition, they are overrun.

The US brings all it's troops home and abandons all it's territories and bases (Alaska & Hawaii are states).

By 2000, the US is starting to recover (similar to the former Warsaw Pact countries in OTL). The world as a whole is 10 years behind ours. The US is 20 years behind and relies on aid from Russia and Europe. Many areas have been made wastelands by the Continuous War.
 
Really good, but I would recommend a few small changes:

-The Continuous War Theory is a secret kept up in the higher circles of government/the Pentagon. Anger against the constant wars begins when a newspaper reporter outs this secret information.

-Continuous War less-than-obvious: multiple Koreas, and not necessarily one decades-long event. Try for every continent besides Antarctica and Australia. :)

-Increased use of nuclear power plants: two of them have Chernobyl-like meltdowns.

-Longer, more violent, more drawn-out desegregation. Black leaders considered as "anti-American" during wartime.

-Have one of the parties (Dems or Reps, depending on how you want it) end the supremacy. You can have a McGovern (liberal, peace protestors, etc) conclusion to the Continuous War Era or a Reagan/Ron Paul (conservative, militia) ending if the other party has stayed in power for 16 years or so (no blame for the Continuous War being placed on that specific party).
 
This is an interesting twist: at least you didn't make it an OTL USSR analogue.

You might like to know that there is already a thread on the subject of no Marshall Plan here.
 
Really good, but I would recommend a few small changes:

-The Continuous War Theory is a secret kept up in the higher circles of government/the Pentagon. Anger against the constant wars begins when a newspaper reporter outs this secret information.

-Continuous War less-than-obvious: multiple Koreas, and not necessarily one decades-long event. Try for every continent besides Antarctica and Australia. :)

-Increased use of nuclear power plants: two of them have Chernobyl-like meltdowns.

-Longer, more violent, more drawn-out desegregation. Black leaders considered as "anti-American" during wartime.

-Have one of the parties (Dems or Reps, depending on how you want it) end the supremacy. You can have a McGovern (liberal, peace protestors, etc) conclusion to the Continuous War Era or a Reagan/Ron Paul (conservative, militia) ending if the other party has stayed in power for 16 years or so (no blame for the Continuous War being placed on that specific party).
Thanks, I banged this out in about 90 minutes in response to WyldCard's thread. It is very rough and your suggestion hit several of the things I'm not happy with or didn't have the time to expand on.

Now I just need to flesh it out...

This is an interesting twist: at least you didn't make it an OTL USSR analogue.

You might like to know that there is already a thread on the subject of no Marshall Plan here.
My original thought was reversing the roles of the US and USSR, but it didn't quite work out that way.

I missed that thread somehow:( Thanks.
 
Thanks, I banged this out in about 90 minutes in response to WyldCard's thread. It is very rough and your suggestion hit several of the things I'm not happy with or didn't have the time to expand on.

Now I just need to flesh it out...


My original thought was reversing the roles of the US and USSR, but it didn't quite work out that way.

I missed that thread somehow:( Thanks.

Hey, don't worry. It was a few pages into the post-1900 list. I only knew it was there because I'd contributed... or just subscribed to it. Either way, I knew it ws on my subscribed list, so I had a look for it.
 
Why should not the European economy recover, granted it would take longer time but why not? After all there were several countries that were not affected by the war. Germans and others were very good at rebuilding.
 

WyldCard4

Banned
This is awesome, I have a deep appreciation for the Marshal Plan and this is very well thought out, I am glad to have provided the inspiration for this.


Really good, but I would recommend a few small changes:

-The Continuous War Theory is a secret kept up in the higher circles of government/the Pentagon. Anger against the constant wars begins when a newspaper reporter outs this secret information.

-Continuous War less-than-obvious: multiple Koreas, and not necessarily one decades-long event. Try for every continent besides Antarctica and Australia. :)

-Increased use of nuclear power plants: two of them have Chernobyl-like meltdowns.

-Longer, more violent, more drawn-out desegregation. Black leaders considered as "anti-American" during wartime.

-Have one of the parties (Dems or Reps, depending on how you want it) end the supremacy. You can have a McGovern (liberal, peace protestors, etc) conclusion to the Continuous War Era or a Reagan/Ron Paul (conservative, militia) ending if the other party has stayed in power for 16 years or so (no blame for the Continuous War being placed on that specific party).
All of these look good and cover the few problems with the TL.

This all looks very good and I am very happy to see something like this.
 
The necessary Wiki [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall_Plan ]
The Marshall Plan (from its enactment, officially the European Recovery Program, ERP) was the primary plan of the United States for rebuilding and creating a stronger foundation for the allied countries of Europe, and repelling communism after World War II. The initiative was named for Secretary of State George Marshall and was largely the creation of State Department officials, especially William L. Clayborn and George F. Kennan.

The reconstruction plan developed at a meeting of the participating European states on July 12, 1947. The Marshall Plan offered the same aid to Japan and its allies, if they would make political reforms and accept certain outside controls. However the Soviet Union rejected this proposal with Vyacheslav Molotov describing the plan as dollar imperialism.

The plan was in operation for four years beginning in July 1947. During that period some US$ 13 billion in economic and technical assistance were given to help the recovery of the European countries that had joined in the Organization for European Economic Co-operation.[1]

By the time the plan had come to completion, the economy of every participant state, with the exception of Germany, had grown well past pre-war levels.
After six years of war, much of Europe was devastated with millions killed and injured. Fighting had occurred throughout much of the continent, encompassing an area far larger than that in World War I. Sustained aerial bombardment meant that most major cities had been badly damaged, with industrial production especially hard-hit. Many of the continent's greatest cities, including Warsaw and Berlin, lay in ruins. Others, such as London and Rotterdam, had been severely damaged. The region's economic structure was ruined, and millions had been made homeless. Although the Dutch famine of 1944 had abated with an influx of aid, the general devastation of agriculture had led to conditions of starvation in several parts of the continent, which was to be exacerbated by the particularly harsh winter of 1946–1947 in northwestern Europe. Especially damaged was transportation infrastructure, as railways, bridges, and roads had all been heavily targeted by air strikes, while much merchant shipping had been sunk. Although most small towns and villages in Western Europe had not suffered as much damage, the destruction of transportation left them economically isolated. None of these problems could be easily remedied, as most nations engaged in the war had exhausted their treasuries in its execution.
Remembre the Marchall plan was only passed after the Administration started the drumbeat of a Communist Greece and Italy.
Without the Military playing the Red Scare, the Pan probably would not have passed.
 
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