More or less this (I don't know too much about TRT, but from what I've seen, the world is worse off ITTL...
...And that ladies and gentlemen, is what I call an understatement.
The Footprint of Mussolini - TL
More or less this (I don't know too much about TRT, but from what I've seen, the world is worse off ITTL...
...And that ladies and gentlemen, is what I call an understatement.
Bookmark1995
Banned
This is a world where fascists are seen as allies in the Cold War.
So...this world is not exactly fun if you are a victim of a fascist secret police.
So...this world is not exactly fun if you are a victim of a fascist secret police.
God Have Mercy On Us
God Have Mercy On Us
'Patton: The Man’ by George Wallaby
'Patton: The Man’ by George Wallaby
Outside of foreign policy, life assumed surprising normalcy in Washington. With Republican super-majorities in both houses of Congress, the Republican Party platform was implemented with little but token resistance from the Freedom Party and nihilistic few Democrat senators who knew their time was up in 1950 at the end of their six year cycle. At the same time, nothing was particularly radical. The top rate of tax was reduced from 90% under Wallace to about 60% by the end of Patton’s term – still high by today’s standards but considered a giveaway by business leaders at the time. Military spending spiked, but the country still went on as normal. After the chaos of the Wallace years and the gigantic crackdown on strikers not just from law and management but desperate Unions themselves trying to keep the eyes of Uncle Sam off them, people got back to work. Unemployment tumbled and economic growth soared. The fifties began brightly in America, leading to many Baby Boomers to associate their early lives with progress and growth. America once again seemed to be the land of opportunity.
Of course, the President paid little attention to such things. Patton had little interest in domestic affairs and left them to Dewey and the Republican Establishment. One thing Patton did strongly support was the creation of the Interstate highway network, which he had heard about during his time in Germany. After hearing the potential military use he was quite excited and demanded it be done. The highway network in America owes its existence to Patton, though he cared little for the civilian purposes that it would primarily be used for. Moves from more radical Republicans to end the New Deal got crushed by the Party Establishment (with the support of multiple Democrat refugees, notably Joseph Kennedy Jr. and Lyndon Baines Johnson). Dewey would privately denounce, “Those arsonists,” as he called the right of the Republican Party - not for the effect it may have had on the country, but for threatening the Republican’s dominance in Washington. Social Security would go relatively unmolested through the Patton years for electoral reasons. The primary agenda of the leadership was to thoroughly trample the Democrats into the ground so they could not come back – the assumption being that the Freedom Party would never pull enough support to control the country. It seemed a safe bet, especially when the 1950 Midterms came along. The Wallace Wave of 1944 had now been completely reversed in the senate, with the Democrats down to a sole five senators nationwide between Republican and Freedom Party onslaught. On election night, Patton joked owing to the seemingly even division between a Republican-dominated North and Freedom Party-dominated South that it seemed the country’s politics ‘hadn’t changed a luck in a hundred years!’ These words would become eerily prophetic given the events of the next few years.
At the same time, the Republicans prepared for the long run by using their enormous majorities to enshrine multiple amendments to the US Constitution. The 22nd Amendment, a direct slap to Roosevelt, was to limit the President to a mere two terms in office – though this was tradition, FDR’s break from the practice led to the catastrophe of the Wallace era. For that reason, few objected. The 23rd Amendment was more controversial, as it was the ‘Balanced Budget Amendment’. A staple of Republican wishlists (in a not-so-subtle attempt to appease Anti-New Deal forces), it forbade budgets being passed by the government where a deficit was created unless a two-thirds majority could be reached. Some had theorized the heavy deficits that characterized the Wallace era (as much due to a flat-lining economy as any political spending increase) were part of Wallace’s plot to undermine America by indebting it, and thus the new amendment would restore American frugality. In reality, enough creative accounting and political cooperation were employed on almost all occasions to get the material through to the President’s desk. The 24th Amendment illegalized flag-burning following the arrest of some Pro-Wallace groups for committing the act, who had later been cleared in court (indeed, the Freedom Party had introduced the bill originally). Proposed culls on Presidential power were always met with anger from Patton, and so Republicans hoped he wouldn’t go too rogue.
Early in Patton’s term, Civil Rights was not on his mind. He was much too focussed on the state of international Communism than anything entirely domestic. This was ironically to the relief of major Civil Rights organisations. Their hope at the ascension of President Wallace had turned to utter desolation at the word of his allegiance to the Soviets. William DuBois of the NAACP said, “If I lived a hundred lifetimes more, I shall never see the liberation of my race.” They were relieved Patton had taken over, fearing an even fiercer reactionary backlash. Indeed, the Klan had been revived from its membership crash in the twenties and was as strong among WASPS as it had ever been. Patton, despite being a WASP Southerner, had allowed impromptu desegregation on the frontlines during the race to Berlin. The experience would lead him to conclude that segregation in the military was a terrible idea, hence his rejection of calls from Freedom Party Senators to reintroduce it to the military. Senator James Eastland called it ‘part of Wallace’s Commie plot to weaken our armed forces, which our so-called ‘Patriot’ President refuses to undo’. Patton would angrily write a letter to Eastland demanding he ‘do half as much work as the Negroes in China who’re busting their asses so you can be free to say that crap.’ Of course, a significant amount of effort in Washington was in repairing the hurt feelings the President regularly caused. It had grown so bruising that by 1950 it was finally agreed to reintroduce Jefferson’s tradition of the State of the Union Address being a carefully written letter to stop Patton’s off-script, off-colour remarks, most infamously joking about how remarkable the ROC snipers were in China “even though their eyes are so slit I’m amazed sometimes they can see three feet in front of themselves!” The comments were used by Mao to back up his nationalist position. These positions don’t so much show that Patton had any strong feelings on race, more so his indifference and insensitivity to it. Of course, this would make the events he was caught up in all the more extraordinary …
“Our Misguided Friends”: Fascism in Democratic Nations by Amy Long
Though it was mutually agreed that British soldiers would not serve in India, much to the relief of both the National Congress and British leadership, it was agreed that the British would fling resources (typically just American as Patton wrote a blank check) and train the Indian army as best they could. While they called themselves ‘Indian’, it de facto typically just meant ‘Hindu’ – with many non-Hindus who fought for the national government calling themselves ‘Unionists’. With pacifism against the Islamists discredited with the murder of Gandhi, the ‘Hindutva’ idea became popular among Hindu leaders, who felt that Islam was a threat to Indian identity. The head of this new ideology was a man by the name of Veer Savarkar, who opposed partition, praised Fascism and was an avowed Zionist. His Hindu Mahasabha Party suddenly grew remarkably powerful and influential (with unearthed documents now proving he received significant support from Rome). The ideology was also remarkably tolerant to certain faiths like Jainism, Sikhism and Buddhism, which it considered kin of the Hindu religion (which Islam did not fall under). Though Western newspapers tried to downplay the phenomenon, it was unmistakably a sectarian war fought primarily between Islamic and Hindu groups pursuing government policies favoring their respective religions. The West supported the Hindus against the Muslims and tried to stop the radicals in the Hindu leadership from getting out of control and implementing policies that would tank support for the war among domestic audiences. It should be seen in that context, therefore, that one of the more controversial aspects of the Indian Civil War should be viewed.
The sudden start of the war meant that roughly seven million Hindus and seven million Muslims were trapped in territories led by the opposing religious authorities. As arranging a population transfer was impossible given the circumstance, many Hindu and Sikh rabble-rousers demanded the Muslim population be treated as enemy combatants. Fearing total disaster, Gaitskell convinced the Indian authorities to ‘relocate’ most of the Muslim population into internment camps that the British would help administer. They would be based on the camp system used on Japanese Americans during World War 2. Though it was seen as a necessary evil to avoid even more bloodshed within India, Gaitskell would say that, “I was almost sick after giving my approval”. It didn’t help that Eden’s Conservatives and Mosley’s BUF hammered the Labour government over ‘their failed decolonization policies which have led to the loss of British prestige and the loss of countless Indian lives that this was supposed to improve,” as stated by Winston Churchill, whose own sins in India had long since found their apologists. With Anglo-American money, the Hindu government created a string of concentration camps throughout the sub-continent. While they were relatively decent in terms of accommodation and generally free of violence (so much so that there were protests from Hindu groups that the camps weren’t harsh enough), the soul-crushing effects of the imprisonment were etched on the face of any Western observer who came to glance at what was going on. One journalist would famously describe it as, “Stone-age brutality in a Nuclear-age world”. Almost one third of Dehli’s population were herded into camps – an unheard of proposition. The treatment of its Muslim population, as well as the involvement of Western powers, has ensured that the events of the Indian Civil War are controversial topics in modern India. The act only served to further Anti-West resentment in the Islamic world (outside of Turkey and Iran who considered themselves apart from the Pakistanis for ethnic and doctrinal reasons respectively).
For Hindus trapped behind Muslim or ‘Separatist’ lines, their fate resembled the worst days of pogroms in Russia, only on an hourly basis. Hindu communities were ransacked at will, pushed into the wildness and suffered countless trials and tribulations. Thankfully, Gaitskell and Lord Mountbatten had focussed most British resources on ensuring that these communities were preserved. Thus, with ample material help from the Americans and ample planning help from the Israelis, who were well used to these operations given their recent airlifts of the Iraqi and Yemeni Jewish populations, Operation Atman (the rescue of the trapped non-Muslim populace in the Separatist regions) went full steam ahead, with Field Marshall Orde Wingate commanding. Thailand and South Iran would prove important players as well in providing Britain bases to intervene. As the separatists had no air-force to speak of, Wingate used helicopters to secure the perimeters and flew in gigantic gliders that took off thousands at a time. The good international press the operation got did much to quell lingering resentment in Hindu India against the British. Indeed, multiple ITO, Roman Alliance and even neutral states agreed to help with what could easily have been an economically ruinous undertaking. It’s estimated that almost five million men, women and children were rescued between 1950-1952 by the help of the British Air Force and others. Indeed, Wingate is the sole British man to have a prominent statue of himself in India, right in the heart of New Dehli for his actions (thus making him a hero in two post-colonial states). Unfortunately, it’s estimated that perhaps one million Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jainists and Christians were killed in the sectarian slaughter that enveloped the Islamist regions (excluding those who died in the war by itself). By contrast, some 400,000 Muslims were murdered in the Hindu regions, which would undoubtedly have been higher if not for Western intervention.
‘The War of Dragons: China 1948-1953’ by Wu Long
Many Americans had grown impatient with the Chinese War. It was 1950, a year after Patton’s inauguration, but there had hardly been any movement outside the narrow holdout in the south that Chiang desperately hung to. Mao still controlled the vast majority of China and was relatively popular. The reason was that China had, simply put, a lot of people in it, and Eisenhower did not want to begin offensive operations until he had a lot of people of his own. Throughout the Winter of 1949/50, Mao sent countless charges against the UN lines, though with increasing failure being the only return. Countless times, he was pushed back, so Mao too had grown impatient with his returns. Though his 'Water Strategy' had successfully held down the West in South China by keeping them distracted, he felt like the stagnation in progress was making people jittery.
The UN had suffered setbacks in 1949 and 1950 even before the battles began. Both Britain and France grew distracted in the neighbouring regions of India (even before the fighting began) and Vietnam, with America forced to send resources there as well. Patton didn’t mind, seeing almost any colonial battle through the lens of good democrats against bad would-be tyrants, even when he was fighting for those who would deny democratic power to those very people in some cases. While this caused little friction in the UN, it caused shortages at the front, which was increasing dominated by the Americans and Italians. Balbo, who had been flown in help arrange matters with Eisenhower, was much more aggressive than the American general, who urged caution. Rommel seconded Balbo’s opinion, with Patton giving not to subtle hints to Eisenhower that Americans were growing restless. Ultimately, the chance would come sooner than anyone thought.
Mao had left Hong Kong alone, feeling that its return was inevitable under treaties and that taking them would anger Western opinion too much for anyone’s good. Finally, Mao decided that it was time to take the city and excite the withering faith of the Chinese masses. On January 23rd 1950, the shelling of Hong Kong began. The commanders of Hong Kong feared something like this would happen, and were thus well prepared. The US, Royal and every other kind of Navy provided all the back-up that could be fired and all the aid that could be sent. The attack had united the House of Commons, with Churchill proclaiming, “Mao’s serpent shall find itself torn to shreds not just by the Chinese Dragon or the American Eagle, but the British Lion.” With that, Eisenhower had no choice. The relief party, led by Rommel, cut off the Chinese while they were halfway through the city. Hong Kong had turned into a warzone once again, with British soldiers and local policemen fighting side by side for every street corner. Mao was shocked that the local population seemed to resist him, which led to further attempts to commit troops. All it meant was that he had created a bigger catch for the UN forces. Rommel closed off the peninsula on February 13th, trapping almost 100,000 Communists. They would finally surrender on February 28th. The success would start Eisenhower’s ‘Sea Strategy’, to work up the shoreline with the aid of Western navies to take the populated cities and arable land while leaving the wild interior to whither. In theory, it sounded promising. Of course, in practice, it would be anything but.
In May 1950, the advancing UN began the Battle of Xiamen, which would last for a month. Nearly ten thousand Americans would die in this sole battle alone, with more than a hundred thousand dead Red Chinese soldiers (though some think civilians were counted for purposes of propaganda). The casualty rates mortified high command, but there was nothing else they could do. Patton and the American public were totally committed to the war, Chiang was still trying to get his own army off the ground and Mao was still saying he would never stop until all of China was Red. Eisenhower would privately relay in his diary: “I never thought anything could make a dent in China’s population. God have mercy on us that we seem to be giving it a try.” But to Mao, that was fine. Mao was convinvced that the sheer scale of China's population would ensure his victory, laughingly writing to Stalin one time to say, "By the time they get halfway through China's population, there won't be a GI left in the world!" Unfortunately, Patton was more than willing to meet the challenge.
You know, with all the chaos in China, the sheer destruction and Vietnam-analogues might actually break the spell over America. The absolute catastrophe over handling such a large territory like China combined with all the atrocities by both sides and the mounting body count on the American side might have Americans question their whole attitude at this point since the Wallace Presidency and we'll begin to see the tables turn on Patton who will begin to be seen as a warmonger who's sending young American boys to their deaths for a war that has been dragging on too damn long and now proving itself not beneficial to the American populace nor its interests, especially if Chiang proves to be incompetent at managing his own country.
Fascinating update!
The USA seems it’s in for a very rough road ahead. I hope Patton say something positive for civil rights apart from military desegregation.
That Indian Airlift is impressive- amazing feat of logistics there. Very much proving the helicopters versatility too.
China will end badly for everyone - but hopefully without mushrooms.
The USA seems it’s in for a very rough road ahead. I hope Patton say something positive for civil rights apart from military desegregation.
That Indian Airlift is impressive- amazing feat of logistics there. Very much proving the helicopters versatility too.
China will end badly for everyone - but hopefully without mushrooms.
Hm. From the looks of things, the British are the sole group who are at least seriously trying to remain the 'good guys' in this universe. The airlift is a major triumph, albeit expensive enough that Britain will probably be in near-penury for longer still even with Patton paying for most of the purely financial costs. At least Eisenhower realizes and regrets the horrific bloodshed he has been put in charge of.
Rather than a backlash against all of Patton's policies, I am thinking that in the future there will again be a very big isolationist movement in the USA. Massive amounts of US troops died in the rush to Berlin, only for the city to be handed over to the soviets. Now, massive amounts of US troops are dieing in China, fighting for a ruler who would most accurately be described as a corrupt autocrat. All these losses for so little gain will make increasing numbers of people in the USA wonder why they take part in these wars on distant continents.
Should that happen, the fates of the rest of the democratic nations will be interesting.
Rather than a backlash against all of Patton's policies, I am thinking that in the future there will again be a very big isolationist movement in the USA. Massive amounts of US troops died in the rush to Berlin, only for the city to be handed over to the soviets. Now, massive amounts of US troops are dieing in China, fighting for a ruler who would most accurately be described as a corrupt autocrat. All these losses for so little gain will make increasing numbers of people in the USA wonder why they take part in these wars on distant continents.
Should that happen, the fates of the rest of the democratic nations will be interesting.
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I dunno, good guys and bad guys I feel are all a matter of perspective, and this is a TL where grey and gray morality is as clear as day for all to see. With some (frequent) instances of grey on black.
Ouch at those amendments.
A balanced budget is a stupid idea which relies on blindly applying micro economics to a macro scale. Flag burning is free speech even if I personally find it distasteful.
And both India and China become bloody messes as anticipated.
A balanced budget is a stupid idea which relies on blindly applying micro economics to a macro scale. Flag burning is free speech even if I personally find it distasteful.
And both India and China become bloody messes as anticipated.
Agree. Balanced Budged amendment is not going to work very long. It is just impossible to be viable. And that Flag Burning amendment is just crazy with many ways.
Whoa! That was a great update! I sure hope Patton doesn’t use nukes (or if he does it’s on the People’s Liberation Army alone).
Considering the soviets already have nukes and that Stalin has completely lost his mind by now, i fear that China will become a nuclear wasteland soon
Dammit. It be odd if Italy doesn’t use nukes in the future during its own colonial wars. Then again, Rome probably wouldn’t want a bunch of irradiated colonies.
I wonder if Ferdinand Marcos rises to power in the Philippines ITTL would he join the Roman Alliance? More importantly, would the USA allow him to do so?
I also doubt that the rest of the world would be happy with this, with some probably comparing it to Stalin's nuking of Poland.