Taft's second term and World War I.

Every TL that I've seen with the US in World War I talks about how Wilson (as OTL), Teddy Roosevelt or (in some of the more dystopian) Thomas Marshall (Wilson's VP). But I don't think that it is ASB to avoid the split between Taft and Teddy.

I think a good start would be pretty much anyone except Richard Ballinger being chosen by Taft as his Secretary of the Interior. While not keeping James Garfield as SoI was a surprise to Roosevelt (as Taft had indicated he was keeping Roosevelt's Cabinet), the choice of Ballinger struck at pretty much everything that TR had done in the creation of National Parks and other lands being off limits to Business. The Pinchot–Ballinger controversy was one of the initial divisions between Roosevelt and Taft.

Yes, the Republicans lost seats in the 1910 mid terms, but in OTL 1912, Wilson actually took a majority in *fewer* states than William Jennings Bryant did in 1908! (Outside of the 11 states of the CSA, the best Wilson did was in Maryland where he got 48%, with a few hundred votes less than Roosevelt and Taft combined). So the map would probably look more like Roosevelt's landslide victory in 1904!

So assuming that Butterflies don't affect the start of the War, what does Taft do?
 
Every TL that I've seen with the US in World War I talks about how Wilson (as OTL), Teddy Roosevelt or (in some of the more dystopian) Thomas Marshall (Wilson's VP). But I don't think that it is ASB to avoid the split between Taft and Teddy.

I think a good start would be pretty much anyone except Richard Ballinger being chosen by Taft as his Secretary of the Interior. While not keeping James Garfield as SoI was a surprise to Roosevelt (as Taft had indicated he was keeping Roosevelt's Cabinet), the choice of Ballinger struck at pretty much everything that TR had done in the creation of National Parks and other lands being off limits to Business. The Pinchot–Ballinger controversy was one of the initial divisions between Roosevelt and Taft.

Yes, the Republicans lost seats in the 1910 mid terms, but in OTL 1912, Wilson actually took a majority in *fewer* states than William Jennings Bryant did in 1908! (Outside of the 11 states of the CSA, the best Wilson did was in Maryland where he got 48%, with a few hundred votes less than Roosevelt and Taft combined). So the map would probably look more like Roosevelt's landslide victory in 1904!

So assuming that Butterflies don't affect the start of the War, what does Taft do?

That depends on whether or not the English read him right. If they get that read wrong, it will be a very TOUGH Entente war. One can almost guarantee that the Berlin government will screw up, too.
 
Last edited:
Every TL that I've seen with the US in World War I talks about how Wilson (as OTL), Teddy Roosevelt or (in some of the more dystopian) Thomas Marshall (Wilson's VP). But I don't think that it is ASB to avoid the split between Taft and Teddy.

I think a good start would be pretty much anyone except Richard Ballinger being chosen by Taft as his Secretary of the Interior. While not keeping James Garfield as SoI was a surprise to Roosevelt (as Taft had indicated he was keeping Roosevelt's Cabinet), the choice of Ballinger struck at pretty much everything that TR had done in the creation of National Parks and other lands being off limits to Business. The Pinchot–Ballinger controversy was one of the initial divisions between Roosevelt and Taft.

Yes, the Republicans lost seats in the 1910 mid terms, but in OTL 1912, Wilson actually took a majority in *fewer* states than William Jennings Bryant did in 1908! (Outside of the 11 states of the CSA, the best Wilson did was in Maryland where he got 48%, with a few hundred votes less than Roosevelt and Taft combined). So the map would probably look more like Roosevelt's landslide victory in 1904!

So assuming that Butterflies don't affect the start of the War, what does Taft do?

Taft was president of the League to Enforce Peace which suggests that his policy concerning the war might be only slightly different from Wilson. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/League_to_Enforce_Peace
 
Can you elaborate?

Lifted from Wiki;

1910: Nicaragua: From May 19 to September 4, Occupation of Nicaragua. U.S. forces protected American interests at Bluefields. (This is the Banana Wars reference.)

1911: Honduras: On January 26, American naval detachments were landed to protect American lives and interests during a civil war in Honduras.

1911: China: As the Tongmenghui-led Xinhai Revolution approached, in October an ensign and 10 men tried to enter Wuchang to rescue missionaries but retired on being warned away, and a small landing force guarded American private property and consulate at Hankow. Marines were deployed in November to guard the cable stations at Shanghai; landing forces were sent for protection in Nanking, Chinkiang, Taku and elsewhere.

1912: Honduras: A small force landed to prevent seizure by the government of an American-owned railroad at Puerto Cortes. The forces were withdrawn after the United States disapproved the action.

1912: Panama: Troops, on request of both political parties, supervised elections outside the Panama Canal Zone.

1912: Cuba: From June 5 to August 5, U.S. forces protected American interests in Oriente Province and in Havana.

1912: China: August 24–26, on Kentucky Island, and August 26–30 at Camp Nicholson. U.S. forces protected Americans and American interests during the Xinhai Revolution.

1912: Turkey: From November 18 to December 3, U.S. forces guarded the American legation at Constantinople during the First Balkan War.
 
Top