Paralyzed in Darkness: A Very Different Cold War (TL)
- Thread starter TheReformer
- Start date
One wonders how much more strongly France will hold onto its colonies as a backup in case the Germans invade again and the nation completely falls. I'm looking right at Algeria in particular.
Well Georges Bidault is Petain's Prime Minister, so its probably unlikely that Algeria's crisis get solved as 'easily' as it was OTL, especially with someone like Bidault (who was a member of the right-wing anti-Algerian independence OAS) as Prime Minister (and probably successor to Petain once his mental and physical health begin to tumble post-1947.
Hey France isn't a dictatorship . It could be left-wing people who got elected after Petain .
OTL what the first poster with Pétain implies is an anti-British screed: "Frenchmen - you have not been sold out, not betrayed, not abandoned". "come to me (support me) with confidence". The first sentence refers to the trope that the British sold out, betrayed, and abandoned France in telling France they would support them in the war with Germany, then "betrayed and abandoned" them by their retreat to Dunkirk and evacuation.
FWIW OTL Vichy replaced Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité with Famillie, Patrie, Travail (family, fatherland/country, work).
FWIW OTL Vichy replaced Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité with Famillie, Patrie, Travail (family, fatherland/country, work).
Small Update!
So for the last, well, several weeks i think i've had the next update in the series 90% written on my laptop waiting to be finished. I was going to finish and post it this evening, but to be honest having re-read it again just now after a break for submitting essays among other things i have somewhat come to the conclusion that i dont really think the format is best suited to the whole thing. Parts feel rushed, poorly explained, out of sync and generally just a bit messed up really to be honest and thats why ive taken the executive decision to scrap the whole update and re-write.
Instead of my Chapter one style format for writing where i'd kind of just ramble on about a series of changes across the world, i'm instead going to do updates with more of a focus on a single nation or continent foreign policy or domestic policy wise. This will mean you should get somewhat shorter updates more often and will also allow me to get into the stupid amount of detail that this kind of new world would experience both at home and abroad (from wherever you may call that). Anyway it'll make more sense when i start posting again so hopefully it comes across better.
This will however mean that you wont get an update tonight as planned, but as there has been a bit of a break recently anyway i'm sure you wont miss it much! Look forward to getting back to it all.
Regards - E
would you mind sending it over me so I could look over it via PM, I have really been hungry for more of this, Don't feel rushed by that, I just would really like to read what you have so far.
regards
Pres. EW
Haha, as much as i'd love to i think i'll hold off, there are parts i suspect i'll amend and to be honest i expect i'll divide it up significantly between various updates due to the fact that as i said it tends to go back and forth between places and years a lot so you'll get it all when it comes and when it's 'finalized' i guess is the best way to put it. Im writing an update atm however so you may get one this evening or tomorrow if i'm productive.
thats good for me, I am really looking forward to the devlopment of US politcal parties to be honest. That will be very interesting
Very excited for when this does return. Can't wait to see what happens next! By the way, is there a chance we could get threadmarks for this thread?
Chapter II: The New Reality
The New Reality
The changes in Geopolitics that the 'second world war' caused were incredibly significant for how the world viewed itself ideologically, the balance of power it felt shared between nations and how the nations of the world 'aligned' themselves as such. If you imagine being the leader of a country like Siam or Sweden for example, suddenly the nations which you recognized as the world's most powerful states, those who you traded with and formed your foreign policy goals around accordingly, had been replaced by two effective secondary powers with vastly different ideological views and world outlooks to not only the last world order - but so to each other. In Europe; politicians and the general population alike trembled at the magnitude of the German behemoth, one that since the end of its wars of aggression had sat in almost perpetual silence focusing on internal security both economically, militarily and socially. In Asia; Empires of old had now all but gone with China a 'Republic', Japan an effective vassal of the west and the rest of Asia too weak to really decide what they wanted to do with themselves. In Africa; minor and growing independence movements flourished against the dismembered and weakened French state - with many of them looking across the globe to potential supporters - while they too grew in British territories, albeit at a slower pace. The Americas became suddenly all the more aware of the presence of their more powerful northern neighbor in the United States which now seemed far more keen and capable of directing countries on decisions they should take for 'mutual interest'. Overall the world order had been collapsed, and suddenly there were two relatively unknown players on the board instead.
The only man standing really was the British Empire, united in their affirmation that they must remain strong and independent and being led by a Labour Government using their minor economic boom to revitalize Britain's industry and vastly expand public services, including a free at the point of use National Health Service. Britain's position however, while not so tenuous to the people when asked, was the geopolitical equivalent of a house cat sitting patiently next to a sleeping tiger in the eyes of many of the country's leaders - though few would admit that publicly. Attlee recognized the German threat, but was safe in the knowledge however that Germany was yet to develop atomic weapons as the United States had, and now the British were doing. Britain did however have the luxury of security from their American allies with Britain and the United States remaining in an agreement to defend one another from aggression, especially German aggression, and with the States' atomic weaponry Germany would be opening pandora's box if they sought conflict. France too had an element of security by remaining under the support of the United States and UK, but equally was in a far worse military position to the UK with no sea border to protect it from aggression and a sizable but equally militarily weakened armed forces from a geographical standpoint. Germany for example being quite capable of bombing Paris with artillery shells if they wished to due to the proximity of the Burgundian border to the French capital.
Ideologically the world too was at the precipice of a political re-alignment with the forces of Communism very very much on the back foot and the ideas of Nationalism, Totalitarianism and Revanarchism on the march. On a global scale people admired the success of Hitler, he had taken control of nightmare Germany and turned it into one of the world's three dominant powers in the space of a decade, and defeated every major power bar the United States while doing so. His Influence was not limited to minor nations either, even in the United States there was a broad sentiment in favour of Germany's successful policies, especially among German Americans in the northern and rust belt states who proudly displayed themselves as ethnic Germans after many abandoned their heritage following the last great war where Germany lost. The absence of an actual war between the United States and the German Reich removing at least part of any barrier of fear, hatred or suspicion of the German Reich and it's successes. This was not however mirrored in Europe where western Europe had turned staunchly against Nazism in response to Hitler's conquests, especially in countries where his soldiers had marched their high streets. This was especially notable in the Netherlands, France and Yugoslavia - the latter still embroiled in an effective civil war between the Government and Ante Pavelic's Croat independence movement that Germany was very openly involved in. Only in Portugal, Scandinavia and parts of the Balkans was the Fuhrer admired rather than despised with Fascist movements admiring his work getting gradual but notable expansions of support over time. The Balkans however as expected was somewhat of a mixed bag on Germany's new power. Politically every state in the region was pro-German, but the people were very much not represented by their leaders. This being especially notable in Romania mainly that saw itself having gained little from Germany's new found glory other than effective subjugation and the removal of the threat of communism - a threat that seemed rather idle following the rise of Germany. Bulgaria's people however were thankful for their returned lands as they had fought for only decades before and lost, Hungary too gaining significant territories much to the applause of their people and to the gain of their own dictator Miklos Horthy. Italian Greece however remained a cesspool of revolt for Italy, facing insurgent action often and general public disobedience against the new Italian rule, the Italians being very poor at actually enforcing their governance upon their occupied territories and peoples due to general lack of military organisation or the kind of ruthlessness Germany employed in occupied territories - a matter that frustrated Hitler who was becoming increasingly impatient with his Italian 'friends'.
New realities however were not just limited to public perception and geopolitical changes, so too were they obvious to the German leadership. The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by US forces in 1945 launching Hitler himself into a blind rage and panic, accusing his generals and officers of having threatened the existence of the Reich and ordering the immediate expansion of the Uranprojekt through the issue of Fuhrer Directive 65 - an order directing the Reich Research Council and the Heerswaffenamt to direct all resources of the Reich towards the pursuit of atomic weaponry. Within hours the project, having previously been shelved due to the belief that atomic technology would not be important to win the war, brought together hundreds of the brightest chemists, physicists and engineers the Reich could offer to a compound in East Prussia that would become known as "Sindris Schmiede" or 'Sindri's forge' after the character of Norse mythology who forged Thor's Hammer Mjölnir. The new reality for German leadership being that they now faced a nation in the United States who, while not a direct enemy, was ideologically and politically aligned with all of the Reich's remaining foes and who had just defeated an ally to the German Reich and annihilated their empire. The Germans should not have worried to the extent that they did however as the Americans, focused on rebuilding Asia and France through the so called 'Marshall Plan', had little interest in provoking Germany despite their President's increasing distrust of the Reich. This of course had been a subject of great debate among US, French and British leaders; do we strike Germany now, hit them with our atomic weapons and ensure dominion over Europe? or does that risk too much and force us to wait? But despite the debate, the nation's leaders had chosen to avoid conflict, mainly on the basis that Germany still retained vast stockpiles of poison gas from the first world war that US and British intelligence feared would be unleashed on French towns and cities, as well as Allied troops, should a conflict erupt - not to mention Germany's still several million strong Armed Forces and advanced Jet aircraft technology. Germany did however maintain concerns, and set about trying to avoid a conflict while they sought nuclear weapons through diplomatic means. Foreign Minister Von Ribbentrop was soon dispatched to Washington to attempt to woo Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, President Dewey not meeting the Nazi Minister after lobbying from the British and French Governments, to limited success. Both sides agreed to the concept of modern peace after such a bloody set of wars and expressed their concerns to one another in a reasonable and respectful manner. This being said though, little more than discussion was achieved.
The United States' main concerns that they did freely express to Von Ribbentrop were based on reports of tens of millions of Russian and Ethnically European civilians pouring into the Central Russian Steppe and Siberia, over a million of them descending southwards and flooding into Persia. The Persian Government itself having been forced to mobilize it's armed forces in response to the humanitarian crisis and set up vast refugee camps on their northern border to take in the survivors of what International observers labelled 'the March of Bones'. Germany expressed no concern over the matter, arguing that the individuals expelled from German territory were enemies of the Reich, and criminals for that matter, convicted of a host of charges from petty theft through to terrorism. This of course did not stand up well to Secretary of State Dulles who was photographed looking visibly uncomfortable and irritated during the discussions, however following Ribbentrop's response Dulles decided not to go further on the issue. Holding back information that the State Department had received from intelligence obtained by the Polish Government in Exile that millions of people were being rounded up, expelled from their homes and divided among ethnic and racial lines for expulsion, slavery and execution. Especially notable were the claims that millions of Jews had effectively disappeared from many northern European countries with reports citing them having been 'deported' from Germany via ship to the island of Madagascar which Germany had bizarrely requested during the treaty of Stockholm. Ribbentrop would leave the US in a wake of divisive headlines, newspapers claiming him to be 'the voice of tyranny' with the New York Times going further to suggest him to be the 'Messenger of Death', many of them claiming that a regime accused of committing such abhorrent acts against human beings should be an enemy of the United States and especially should run geopolitically in contrast to the ideological leanings of the GOP and President Dewey.
President Dewey, being a relentless observer of polls and the media's opinion, listened to the criticism which he found only further felt in Foster Dulles, his main policy advocate, who argued that the role of the United States in the 20th Century must be to lead the cause of freedom and protect from oppression. Foster Dulles despite his meeting with Von Ribbentrop was becoming well known among US elite circles as a vehement anti-Fascist after establishing proposals to reform the United Nations into a more military based alliance, citing the failure of the League of Nations to enforce it's will as one of the main justifications for failure of the organisation. Dulles proposals suggested the formation of a United Nations Security force, led by the UN Security Council who's permanent members included the United States, United Kingdom, French Republic and Republic of China. These proposals had come with mixed responses, mainly due to concern from the British that such a force would challenge their own ability to self-determine the use of their armed forces, a matter that was paramount to Attlee's Government due to the strength and threat of Germany. Ernest Bevan, the British Foreign Secretary, instead suggested a counter-proposal to establish a separate organisation to the United Nations itself which would remain a diplomatic organisation, as a military alliance between the western powers of the United States, France and United Kingdom with the aim of expanding the group. This would become the basis for the organisation that would be known as the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, or NATO. France was especially keen to get into the grouping, unlike the Republic of China who would lead to the organisation being solely focused around the Atlantic due to their refusal to commit to the alliance.
France was of course the weakest of the nations in the western allies, facing significant social and economic challenges that were being slowly addressed by the new radically right wing Government led by Petain as President. The Government had held their first national elections since the war in June of 1946 leading to the election of a majority Government under Georges Bidualt's "Union Nationale" - Petain's Governing coalition party. The party itself however, having essentially not existed prior to the war, was becoming increasingly nationalistic and somewhat totalitarian in it's outlook. American Ambassador to France Jefferson Cafferty exclaiming in a letter to the President in early 1946 that "France appears to be treading the same footsteps as Pre-War Germany in it's political re-alignment" with the Union Nationale all but banning Communism in France, banning the use of the German language except for diplomatic purposes and advocating increasingly clerical french Irredentism over the lost territories of Burgundy and Alsace. Furthermore, the economic model being established to rebuild France's broken economic system was increasingly a model of corporatism, with the state establishing a series of state industries supplied with Labour through Public Works programs and national service policies to build millions of houses, factories - of which many were to produce military goods, and other Infrastructure. This concerned the increasingly more liberal obsessed American Government and to an extent the British Government who currently governed Calais indirectly after the Treaty of Stockholm to ensure British ability to oppose any potential German invasion of Britain. Britain itself was too beginning to see the emergence of some Fascist sympathies, though on a different scale and to a different degree. Fascism itself being an ideology born out of Nationalistic obsession with the state - allowing it to become individual to every single nation it was founded in. As such British Fascism began to emerge not as 'Fascism' but as 'Beckettism' after the formation and financing of the 'British People's Party' under John Beckett after the British Union of Fascists was banned by the British Government in 1938. The BPP had campaigned on a platform in 1944 of seeking to maintain the peace with Germany and focusing on protecting the Empire from internal threats, as well as more totalitarian and nationalistic Governance of the UK aiming to expand public works programs and support King Edward VIII who had come under significant criticism during 1944 for allegations that he was continuing a long standing affair with American Divorcee Wallace Simpson. The result being that the BPP successfully broke into Parliament, along with various other minor parties taking a more nationalistic tone such as the Anti-Partition League, winning five seats. The Conservatives meanwhile regained a significant number of lost seats after the Patriot's Party essentially failed to hold the momentum against the war and the Tories they had in the last election.
The legacy of Fascism in Europe was beginning to rise rapidly from the failures of the west to defeat it, but while Fascism rose, Communism began to fall. Within months of the collapse of the Soviet Union communist movements across the globe began to lose popularity rapidly due to lacking the finances the USSR provided before the war, though this really was just an excuse, the reality being they collapsed for just the same reason the Soviets had - their ideology had been morally defeated. The loss of the only real bastion of Communism of any real importance in the world was a smashing blow to the morale of Communist advocates and supporters worldwide - how could they justify their ideology as being the most ideal for any nation to follow when the one nation demonstrating it could work was eradicated from the face of the earth in a very bloody and now costly war that would mean the suffering of millions of Russians for decades to come. Trotsky was one of the few remaining popular advocates of change, being one of the last survivors of Lenin's disciples he argued the fall of the USSR was the fault of Stalin and his cronies alone - putting forward the idea that his totalitarian and isolationist views ensured the failure of the USSR. He declared the creation of a Fourth International, this became the short term ideological buffer of the communists as they decided how to react worldwide to the loss of their only supporting state, but ultimately many just abandoned the dream altogether. Mao and the People's Republic of China continued the fight in the Chinese Republic, but starved of resources and finances even they too found themselves struggling to fight the increasingly better armed and organised Chinese Republican forces.
Overall this left the political, economic and diplomatic nature of the world changed entirely - and the new realities of this world in which Germany and the US seemed to lead, and yet oppose one another, began to become clearer to the public. It would be the actions of the leaders of each nation that would from then decide the fate of Europe, of Asia, and of the world.
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And one extra little pic for you all with credit to @Gonzo
Great update,scary to see my perdiction about France turning facist come true.
But that makes no sense, Atlee never proposed an Ulster dominion IOTL and I don't see why on earth he'd do so ITTL.
I thought of Ireland's partition, and then thought of Indian partition but neither of them really make sense for even a small political party.
The Anti-Partitionists were an OTL party at this time. The party was a better organised and funded than the Nationalist Party. They were OTL annoyed with Attlee's govt's Ireland Act in 1949.
I put forward a idea to put forward about one particular pole. Karol Wotoljya will never be pope now but that doesn't mean he cannot be a major player in the Polish Reffugee community. Maybe he can still become a Cardinal for Iran,which is going to have a considerable Catholic Polish community very quickly due to the horrible reffugee crisis and steming from the March of Bones. Alternatively he could just be a political figure perhaps first Polish Prime minister of Iran.Either one would be incredibly interesting to see.