I feel like George Lincoln Rockwell would be a high-ranking figure in occupied America. Obvious choice I know, but there is a good reason for that.
William Luther Pierce (OTL author of The Turner Diaries) would also be a likely part of the Nazi American government. He had a background in physics so perhaps he would be in charge of the Department of Energy or something.
I could see
Arthur J. Jones as a collaborator figure sometime in the 1990's or early 2000's. Maybe he'd be VP to Duke-good regional balance to have a Midwestern Nazi get a chance leading the puppet regime considering southern politicos likely will get a disproportionate number of terms in the Nazi-aligned government just based off where Nazi sympathies are the strongest.
A dark horse option for a Nazi collaborator regime could be Ted Bundy. There's no real indication of him having Nazi leanings OTL, but given he seemed to harbor political ambitions, the beginning of the German occupation around the time of his real-life murders and the fact he was a remorseless sociopath who wanted to murder people, Bundy very plausibly could've become an eager early supporter of the German-backed government's genocide. Him getting involved early could lead the Nazis to prop up his political ambitions to ultimately lead the American puppet state and even if he kills Aryan women if he's connected enough the Nazis totally would let him get away with it and cover it up.
Maybe the list could be:
Strom Thurmond/Lester Maddox 1971-1981
George Lincoln Rockwell/John Rarick 1981-1989
Lester Maddox/Ted Bundy 1989-1997
Ted Bundy/Arthur Jones 1997-2005
David Duke/Don Black 2005-2013
After Duke it might be the case the US gets to elect a non-Nazi candidate as Buckliger’s reforms take root but it’s also possible they insist on keeping the elections restricted for America. Also by 2012 it’s very possible for people who in OTL weren’t Nazis to embrace fascism as the first post-occupation generation reaches political maturity. Any politically-minded child of the 1960’s who would be Aryan by Nazi rules likely would be fascist by 2012 and could be Duke’s successor.
These are some great suggestions! I need to do some checking on all the people suggested first before I commit anything to "cannon." The main thing to consider here is the butterflies. YES, the USA remains independent until 1971,
but I'm really thinking that anyone born after 1940, or 1945 at the latest, has a good chance of being butterflied away. Remember, in the book, America stayed completely neutral in WWII, so anyone of the Baby Boomer generation has likely been removed from history or significantly altered.
As for when America elects a non-fascist, I was wanting to set that into my potential sequel story, which would be set in 2020. Here are my thoughts on why the delay:
By the 2000s, as you've pointed out, many white Americans likely would have "assimilated" under fascist rule, though not all. And by this time period, you'd have the first generation that was born and raised after America's defeat coming of age and into the seats of power, so there will be some reluctance to chunk the fascist system that was imposed. On top of that, America has a home-grown racist element, and while they likely go along with the Nazi's pogroms, they would also likely be chafing under the Reich's military boot and wanting to "reclaim" what was rightfully theirs.
That said, when Buckliger's reforms get going in 2011-2012, the ruling party in the US (thinking of renaming it the Freedom & Justice Party as opposed to my earlier idea of "Continental Party,") will still try and keep a tight reign on things. On the one hand, they'll open up *some* things, mainly to pump up American greatness and allow more open criticism of the occupation that is seen as an affront to the American Way of Life, but the FJP will
not be on board with actual democratic reforms at first. Building pressure as news of continued reforms in the Reich trickle out (or in some cases come pouring out) will result in the true legalization of genuine opposition parties that will manage to wrangle control of the House in 2016, but the FJP holds on to the Senate and the Presidency (likely through shady means). However, by 2020, there is an organized effort to really change things, with many people expecting a non-fascist to win the Presidency for the first time since 1968.
I guess Bo Gritz could be a Secretary of Defense, or possibly the head of some security apparatus?
As I said above, I have to make a list of people to check out.
Another thing to consider is that the book states that thankfully there are some Jewish and black survivors in North America. Given the plot of the book, we see how that's possible for Jews but what about the black survivors? One would think that especially in the South it would have to be something way more elaborate than this
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_Paper_Bag_Test
I always wondered about that too! As you said, Jews hiding is somewhat easy. For one thing, I am sure that by 1971 substantiated rumors of what happened to European Jews likely would have ended up circulating in the USA, so that when the unthinkable happens, there is already a sort of "underground railroad" in place to at least get some people into hiding of some sort, or else perhaps to Mexico or South America.
But as for African Americans....that would be way harder. I think you would have people who could "pass" trying to do so, and with the country being as big and as mobile as it is, it is conceivable that someone with lighter skin could have uprooted themselves and try to pass as white in some other part of the USA where nobody knows them.
As cringe-worthy as it is, I could also see some blacks being kept as slaves *shudders.*
