President MacArthur

As the Korean War drags on, Truman's popularity at home plummets. The Republicans nominate the former general and war hero Douglas MacArthur, who had been relieved of command by Truman for insubordination. MacArthur wins in a landslide victory.

Let's review:

MacArthur has no problem using nukes; in fact, he advocated using nukes against China, though not necessarily on civilian targets.

MacArthur wanted to drive across the Yalu into China.

The American public is terrified of Communists, as China has "fallen" to Communists, the Warsaw Pact has been formed, the Soviets have the Bomb years early, and McCarthy is in power.

What happens?
 

Wolfpaw

Banned
If you will pardon my suggestion, a better POD might be Robert Taft getting the 1952 nomination and picking MacArthur as his running mate like he promised to do. Then, when Taft kicks the bucket in '53, Douggie steps in.

Whatever the POD, though, MacArthur's going to do all he can to get the USA into a war with China, a war that will potentially turn nuclear. And while the Soviets won't go to war for China, they aren't going to China getting nuked lying down.

We could actually see a World War III in this scenario, perhaps a (most likely ill-fated) Soviet thrust into Western Europe. In the end, the USA will be fine, but East Asia and Europe are going to be...well, rather different.
 

Blair152

Banned
As the Korean War drags on, Truman's popularity at home plummets. The Republicans nominate the former general and war hero Douglas MacArthur, who had been relieved of command by Truman for insubordination. MacArthur wins in a landslide victory.

Let's review:

MacArthur has no problem using nukes; in fact, he advocated using nukes against China, though not necessarily on civilian targets.

MacArthur wanted to drive across the Yalu into China.

The American public is terrified of Communists, as China has "fallen" to Communists, the Warsaw Pact has been formed, the Soviets have the Bomb years early, and McCarthy is in power.

What happens?
It depends. On what? On MacArthur's keynote address to the 1952 Republican National Convention and whether he has a snowball's chance in hell of beating Eisenhower and Taft, for the nomination, besides, MacArthur has BIG ego.
 

Wolfpaw

Banned
It depends. On what? On MacArthur's keynote address to the 1952 Republican National Convention and whether he has a snowball's chance in hell of beating Eisenhower and Taft, for the nomination, besides, MacArthur has BIG ego.
I already addressed this in my post. The best POD would be Taft winning the nomination (which wouldn't be all that hard, frankly) and then following up on his promise to choose MacArthur as his running-mate.
 

Blair152

Banned
Okay. Still, it would depend on how well MacArthur does as the keynote speaker, if he's the keynote speaker on your TL, and if he is, he'd have to hit
it out of the park because OTL, MacArthur's keynote address was dull as dishwater.
 
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