Hoping for a Hero
With the loss of all the German and allied territory west of the Rhine, the German government found itself in severely hot water. “How could anyone mess this up?” was the biggest question in the Reichstag. In the halls of German democracy, there were shouts and arguments over who was to blame. In one explosive speech, SPD Leader Arthur Crispien laid out his criticism of the government:
“Mr. Speaker, it seems that I have not been clear enough! Then let me leave no doubt about my feelings regarding Von Papen’s future as Chancellor. Owing to his years of incompetence, we find him personally responsible for leading this nation ruinously unprepared to face the present Communist peril! We are at war, Mr. Speaker, at war. And leaving aside whether he is fit to be a leader in peacetime, he has proved himself incapable of leading us in wartime!
Therefore, in the national interests, we in the Opposition, are willing to enter into a national alliance with the ruling coalition government, so-called. But not, and I stress NEVER, under the leadership of Von Papen who has lost the confidence of this chamber.
In the country’s interest, man, resign! Step down and let us find a new leader!”
From that moment on, Von Papen knew that his time was up and someone else should take his place. In a dinner attended by important government ministers, the choice was made to elect Hitler as the new Chancellor. It was a natural thing since foreign ministers were usually one step below the Chancellery. Once he got the top job, Hitler refused any chances of negotiations ad
When Hitler met Wilhelm at his palace, the Kaiser advised him to form a campaign of resistance. Hitler soon meant serious business when he told both his ministers and the Reichstag in his first speech:
“I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat. We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering. You ask, what is our policy? I can say: It is to wage war, by sea, land, and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us; to wage war against a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalog of human crime. That is our policy. You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: It is victory, victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival.”
Hitler delivering a speech through the radio, Late 1940
***
On November 5, the American people went to the polls to elect a new president. On one side was the Democrat John Nance Garner, with Henry Wallace as his VP partner. A Southern conservative partnered with an Iowa progressive seemed like a good choice in beating the GOP if they were to have the chance to win.
On the Republican side was the young and rising star Quentin Roosevelt, a senator from New York who became Vice President under Hoover & son of the Bull Moose himself. His VP pick was Charles McNary to help appeal to both the North and the Midwest, hoping to maximize their gains.
The greatest issue at the beginning of 1940 was the rising specter of war in Europe while another one was unfolding in China. The biggest question of would the United States be involved in a war on opposite sides of the world was raging in people’s minds. Isolationists wanted America to stay out of war just like last time when Europe blasted itself to ruins, but the Interventionists wanted to do everything they can to safeguard America’s security against any foreign threats.
In the election race, Garner was a convinced isolationist who saw no reason for America to be involved in Europe while Roosevelt was the opposite in which he advocated sending assistance to nations in danger of becoming and fighting communist aggression. When war broke out in May, the debates and rhetoric heated up with both candidates sharply doubling down on their positions.
Thanks to a mixture of name recognition, much-needed charisma, and popular support for the GOP, Quentin Roosevelt managed to win the election. This was due to most of the population slowly being convinced that communist aggression was a likely threat.
Quentin Roosevelt, US President (1941-)
***
A Union of Equals
On the 1st of December, the two republics of Spain and Portugal unified together to form the Iberian Federation. It had been a long process since 1938 after the invasion & exile of the Portuguese monarchy when Republicans and leftists from both countries came together to unify the Iberian Peninsula. Nevertheless, it took 2 years of negotiations to iron out the differences with the creation of the federation’s constitution.
Some of its provisions included the equal balance of Portuguese and Spanish in government, regional autonomy for those that seek it, reserved seats in the cabinet for both Spaniards and Portuguese, etc. Although there were some vocal oppositions to the unification, they were promptly purged by the government who labeled them ‘crypto fascists’ for hampering the revolution.
The regions of Iberia
The flag of the Iberian Federation