There Is No Other Way: The Anti-Party Group succeeds

[Claudius66]

Yeah, but two candidates from neighboring northeastern states?

yeah, its not the wildest ticket ever but it does have an effect on his campaign like i stated earlier, the people of this timeline are also confused about the Liberal Northeastern Republicans being on the same ticket.

 

[Claudius66]

Icarus​

The day had come, in a few hours, Richard Milhous Nixon would become a private citizen once more and George Curley Wallace would be elevated to the highest office in all the land. Nixon would spend the morning of January 20th walking the White House grounds, reflecting about the last 16 years he has spent there, whether it be for the Vice Presidency or the Presidency itself. A few hours before the ceremony, Nixon would meet with Wallace and discuss the Presidency, the baggage that comes with it and the situations at hand. They then both entered into a Motorcade and proceeded to the National Mall, discussing the issues at hand the whole way. As Wallace left the Motorcade, Nixon asked the would-be President to "keep her steady, George". As he boarded Marine One, He gave the crowd a V for Victory symbol to the cameramen then boarded the Helicopter with his family in tow. While on Marine One, he pondered on the last 8 years, his career, and most of all, the future. After a few hours of mulling it over, he firmly decided that he has done what he could and was elated to finally be able to retire.

"you don't have Nixon to kick around any more, because, gentlemen, this is my last press conference!" (Crowd Laughs)​

In a day that would be remembered for decades to come, George Wallace would recite the Oath of Office while flanked by Vice President Connally and First Lady Lurleen, while friends and foes watched from a distance as he was officially enshrined into the Presidential Office. The first President from the Deep South in approximately 120 years, he would as Time Magazine would put it, be the 'Vindication of the Southern Democrats'. Wallace would take the podium afterward, where he would be televised in color standing triumphantly and full of pride before speaking. Wallace would make his inaugural address about the war in Vietnam, the Working-Class and the 'Specter of Marxism plaguing the world'. Decrying himself to be the heir to Roosevelt, he would announce his plans to 'help the people of this Great nation built on the hard work of the People'. The address would be a far cry from what pundits would actually expect of Wallace, which was him screaming for 4 hours about segregation. Wallace then ended his speech with the line "We stand at a major crossroad in American History, like our forefathers before us, let us rise to the occasion!". President Wallace, along with Guests such as former Presidents Herbert Hoover, Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower and former First Lady Edith Wilson, paraded down Pennsylvania Avenue. The Parade, which would also be televised in color, would display modern American arms, new aircraft such as the supersonic B-70 Valkyrie (A favorite of both Nixon and Wallace) and a crowd of approximately 9 thousand. As for why Nixon did not attend the Inauguration, he would state in a 1986 interview, "I didn't want to cause a stir and to be honest, I wanted out of there." In that same interview, Nixon would state that the greatest achievement of the 8 years he spent in the White House was stopping Castro's Cuba.

While Wallace got settled into his new position, the British would vote for their next Prime Minister. Home's plans to step down led to a leadership election, which would become dominated by two giants of the Tory Party, Enoch Powell and Edward 'Ted' Heath. Though others threw their hat in for a chance to lead the Conservatives to another election victory, it would end up being these two who would become the main contestants. In an attempt to stop Powell from succeeding Home, Reginald Maudling would throw his support behind Ted, giving him the razor thin majority to lead the Tories. Though disheartened by the showing, Powell would announce that he had 'left his visiting card', hinting at another attempt to run again another time. For now however, Home would serve as caretaker PM until the next man to succeed him would be chosen. The Labour Party, despite losing to Home, would remain behind George Brown, who had brokered a deal with Harold Wilson to have him be his deputy PM if he had his support. He would also announce his plans to appoint several members of each wing of the Labour Party to his cabinet, finally giving him the entire support of his party.

Though Heath would show a lead in early polling, Brown would launch one of the most invigorated political campaigns of the era, appealing greatly to the working-class and industrial voters. Seemingly trying to make up for the failures of the previous elections, Brown threw himself into the electoral arena with jubilance, claiming several wins such as the famous line: "Do we want to elect the party of the British Wallace?!" (In reference to Enoch Powell's beliefs), which had gone to show the effect that the American election had on global politics as a whole. Another time being when the Tories tried to use the alcoholic card again, but instead of blundering, Brown would make sure he was photographed enjoying a night at the local pub, which would become the front and center headline the next morning. As the campaign trailed on, it was becoming more apparent that the failures of before were a distant memory for Labour, who had risen from the ashes like a phoenix.

As reports of the result came in, everyone, including Brown's biggest supporters, were shocked. Brown had smashed it, pulverizing the Tory grip on both Parliament and the position of Prime Minister, bringing Labour back to power for the first time since the days of Clement Atlee, which had been almost 19 years. While Brown would be televised in arms with his former detractors, singing of keeping the Red Flag flying, Heath would be reported to have knocked back a glass of Brandy. For the first time in almost 2 decades, Britain would have a Labour PM once more.

Interest in Space had exploded since Sputnik and Yuri Gagarin's fleeting 108 minutes in Orbit, with pop culture reflecting this craze. Films like 2001: A Space Odyssey, Robinson Crusoe on Mars and Thunderbirds are Go captivated public imagination, with the former winning several academy awards, many going to the main lead James Dean. Several A-list Celebrities would find their footing during this era. One of those being Marylin Monroe, who would have new life breathed into her career, which had been suffering since the early 60s, even with her rising political clout. This craze was not just limited to the silver screen however, several books, songs and TV shows would also capitalize on the appeal of Outer Space and Science Fiction itself. Books like Dune and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? flew off the shelves while families huddled around their Admiral brand Televisions to catch the latest episodes of Star Trek or The Jetsons. It would also be on Television where much of the first world would see events in far-away lands right in front of them, gone were the days of newspapers and still photographs. Sometimes if you were lucky, you could catch these major events while live and on April 12th, 1969, the World would watch one of the greatest triumphs of the Millennia as it occurred.

After Nixon's declaration to get a man on the Lunar Surface, NASA would bestow the unenviable task upon the men of Project Icarus. Named after the son of the masterful Athenian Craftsman Daedalus, who soared to the skies with wings made of wax and feathers, only to fall from grace after flying too close to the sun. Icarus would work with both Projects Apollo and Gemini, which would focus on getting a man into orbit and orbital feats such as spacewalking and docking respectively. After Von Braun's Crowning achievement, the Saturn V rocket, would be put into service, he would have the space center which would be the launch site of the rocket christened in his honor. Saturn V would also be the rocket to carry several of the Icarus missions, which would run with virtually no error before and after the introduction of the mighty rocket, save for one time where mechanical issues grounded and prevented a takeoff for months. Several more tests would be made with the Saturn V and after 2 Lunar Flybys, the Green-light was given for Icarus 7 to make history. President Wallace, Vice President Connally, Former President Nixon and Former Vice President Lodge would watch as Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins ascended to the heavens from Wernher Space Center on one of the most uphill battles given to modern man, landing on another celestial body.

Both the launch and the journey would proceed mostly as planned, with only a few screws coming loose, which Armstrong would famously screw back in with a ballpoint pen he accidentally brought aboard. With almost every Human, including that of several world leaders, watching them, the Icarus 7 team made their descent towards the Lunar surface. It is at this moment Aldrin would relay the quote:

"Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed."

"Roger, Twan—Tranquility, we copy you on the ground. You got a bunch of guys about to turn blue. We're breathing again. Thanks a lot."​

The men would then take communion, then rest to regain the energy lost during their journey to the lunar surface. Receiving a call from an ecstatic Wallace, who was absolutely floored with the Icarus team and would praise them for their efforts to adventure into the great unknown for America. Wallace and the rest of the continental United States as well as much of the world would watch Neil Armstrong make history as he stepped off the Lunar lander, gracefully landing on the ground. The words "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." would echo through every American household and his suit of glistening white would be seen on every television. The signal of Icarus would be received at Goldstone in America, but the Australians would end up receiving better quality transmissions, which would lead to Prime Minister Hasluck receiving the chance to communicate with the Icarus team, a moment he would end up stating to be "my finest hour".

Upon returning home, the men would be quarantined for 14 days, just in case they had any diseases brought with them, to which they would later be declared disease-free and thrown a massive festival by the Government. President Wallace, Former President's Eisenhower, Nixon, Truman, Hoover and Former First Lady's Nixon and Wilson would meet with the men, showering them with praise and awards. As a wide-grinned President Wallace would put it, "We will never forget them, as they slipped the surly bonds of Earth, to touch the face of God." Yuri Gagarin would also meet with Neil Armstrong later the following year, and in one of the most famous photos of the 20th century. He would give Armstrong a brotherly embrace, as despite them being from two different nations with different ideologies, they were still brothers.

The Soviet response to Icarus would be one of smiling through gritted teeth, as Shepilov would praise the crew publicly, but become enraged in private. There wasn't much he could do about it though, the Soviets lacked any sort of energy or even will to continue their programs to explore the new frontier, leading to a begrudging acceptance of loss by the party leadership. Not that it really mattered to the upper bosses of the Party, they would rather focus on Earth and Orbit than other celestial bodies. Including plans for the creation of a Inter-Orbital Soviet Space Station that would sit above the Earth, though the plans were still in their early stages at that point. Because of the Soviet's apathy, the Icarus team was basically given free range to continue their space prospects, firing several other crews onto the Moon, the most famous being Celestia 3, who would land on July 4th, 1976, the day of America's bicentennial.

 

[Claudius66]

Jerusalem​

Serving since the days of the Eisenhower administration, Chief Justice Earl Warren had made it known that he intended to retire sometime before the turn of the decade. But even if he had hoped retire by 1968, the sheer lunacy of the election that year would convince him to stay on as Chief Justice either way. Despite Wallace wanting to appoint a conservative judge, he would (on the advice of Connolly), announce Abe Fortas as the man to fill Warren's shoes, which led to a sigh of relief from the retiree.

Wallace's first real kickback would come in the form of the Stonewall Riots, which would begin after the failed raid by the New York Police at the Stonewall Inn. After trying and unsuccessfully trying to get identification papers, as well as quell the now infuriated crowd, violence would break out and the police would quickly become overwhelmed. Calling for backup, several precincts would quickly arrive to the scene, unable to control the quickly swelling crowd of around 600. The protestors would flood the streets, moving past the policemen and smashing through their flimsy defensive line. By the next day, the crowd had reached around a thousand protestors which is when Governor Rockefeller would receive a call from President Wallace, who would 'politely' ask for a response to "them fuckin' faggoted hippies". In response, the New York National Guard would be sent in to back up the NYPD, who would stave off the protestors by the 4th day and stragglers by the 6th. The Riots would be seen as the catalyst to the call for the rights of homosexuals, even earning the support of Eugene McCarthy, who denounced the response as "an incredibly brutal and uncalled for attack."

As the year went on, the Wallace administration with Lansdale's official replacement William Westmoreland, would announce a massive expansion of 125 thousand soldiers to Vietnam, as well as several B-52, B-70 and other aircraft to receive a budget and construction expansion. While Nixon had several thousand troops in Vietnam at the time, an expansion of this magnitude was absolutely unheard of. Under the watchful eye of Secretary of Defense Lemay, Foreign Policy towards Vietnam would experience a seismic shift and American troops would begin to ship out in following months. One of the major changes that Lemay would bring forth would be the North American B-70 Valkyrie. Originally started as a Supersonic Nuclear Armed Bomber, only a few would be in service under Nixon's administration. This miniscule amount would receive a massive expansion, as well as several of these new models being converted to carry conventual bombs instead of Nuclear Warheads, while keeping the Supersonic element. The B-70 would end up becoming one of the forefronts of the Air Force, being updated and upgraded, continuing service for decades to come.

(B-70 Valkyrie on sortie flight over the Ho Chi Minh Trail)
​

Hippie Culture, which had been waning for years, received a boon since the election of Wallace and expansion of the War in Vietnam. Especially in the more liberal areas of America, it was not hard to find young people wearing tie-dye clothing, driving around in flashy colored Volkswagen Kombi vans listening to The Beatles or The Beach Boys. Though much of the hippie subculture was usually harmless, there would be a small group of hippies turned cultists who would forever stain the history of the culture and identity. Originally beginning as a group of Hippies who had met a failed musician turned guru Charles Manson, they soon spiraled into a cult-like "family", who followed a warped theory about an upcoming race war. This 'Helter Skelter' as it would come to be called (based on the The Beatles White Album, which was apparently followed and studied religiously by the Family, even drawing parallels between the album and the book of revelations ), was very much imminent and black people would rise up, killing all non-blacks in an unprecedented genocide. The "Family" would survive in a secret city under Death Valley that would open up to them, then they would return and control the entire black population. Manson had seen it as a goal to bring about the 'Helter Skelter', which he would plan from a ranch that the family had occupied after being kicked out by Beach Boys Member Brian Wilson's Landlord, who would later denounce the murders and work with authorities.

The plan would be as follows: Go to the house and "totally destroy" everyone in it, and to do it "as gruesome as you can", absolutely foolproof. On the night of August 8th, 1969, Charles 'Tex' Watson took Susan Atkins, Linda Kasabian, and Patricia Krenwinkel to 10050 Cielo Drive in Benedict Canyon, Los Angeles and laid out the plan told to him by Manson. Watson then made his way up to the House, where Actress Sharon Tate (who was 8 and a half months pregnant) and actor Roman Polanski lived, other people who were there at the time include James Dean, Jay Sebring, Abigail Folger, Wojciech Frykowski, and Steven Parent. Tex would murder Steven Parent by shooting him 4 times in the chest, then proceeded to push the car up the driveway towards the house, telling Kasabian to watch the gate. Entering through a window, Tex then awoke Frykowksi, telling him that he's "The Devil, here to do the Devil's business". What Tex didn't account for was James Dean, who was still awake at the time and heard the gunshots coming from the driveway, Dean approached from behind Tex and threw him to the floor, pummeling in the head until he passed out. Dean then instructed to Fyrkowksi to "make sure the girls are okay", before making his way to Polanski's room. Dean then found Roman Polanski dead, stabbed over 20 times and the words "PIG" written in blood on the walls. Dean would then meet with Fyrkowksi, who had found Sharon Tate and Abigail Folger hiding in a closet. Tate and Folger would be helped over the fence to the neighbor's property, guaranteeing their safety and alerting the authorities. Dean and Fyrkowski would then find a dead Jay Serbing in the pool, stabbed in the back of the head. The Police would arrive in the early morning of August 9th, apprehending all of the murderers' and launching an investigation into the attack.

The murders would be tied back to Charles Manson, but Manson would refute every claim, stating that he had nothing to do with them and barely knew any of those who committed those crimes, as a result of his statements and with Brian Wilson helping him, he would be acquitted. Police would end up putting the blame on Tex, who would be seen as the head of the 'Family' while Manson was seen in a similar light to Wilson, an associate but not close enough to know what they were doing. As a result, Tex would be hit with the book and then the chair. Manson would later go on to join the Beach Boys, becoming its most controversial but one of the most beloved members, with "Look At Your Game Girl" becoming a hit on the Charts. Manson would even collaborate with The Beatles on their 1971 Album 'It is Well', providing backing vocals to Paul McCartney in "Man on the Run". The murders would set a bad precedent for Hippie Culture though, with Wallace putting the blame on the "degenerative subculture rampant in Liberal cities'". As Roman's body was transported to France to be laid to rest, America would say goodbye an up and coming director, later posthumously giving him a Congressional Gold Medal for "contributions to film and acting."

The discovery of massive oil reserves in Libya had led to a boon of wealth flowing into the nation, but instead of it flowing into the economy or people, it had begun to flow into King Idris' pockets. Though drips of money would make their way to the people and government, resentment began to boil. Coalesced by the rise of Nasser's Egypt and their victory against Israel, a group by the name of the Free Officers led by Muammar Gaddafi successfully capitalized on this fever pitch of anger, couping the Libyan Government with 70 troops while King Idris was away for medical reasons in Turkey in Operation Jerusalem. Gaddafi would effectively secure power within a few hours, announcing the abolishment of the Monarchy and the creation of a 'Revolutionary Command Council'. Gaddafi would enjoy massive popularity in the Arab and African worlds and began forging alliances with the Algerian Socialist Republic (which had begun to drift away from the USSR), Nasser's Egypt and Sese Seko's Congo.

Literally the next day, Ho Chi Minh, hero of the Vietnamese Revolution and savior of the people, would pass away at the age of 79. Ho, who had been becoming more increasingly sick over the last few years, had been relinquishing more and more power to Lê Duẩn, effectively making him the Kingmaker of Vietnamese strategy, politics and governance. Ho's death would be met with sadness from Socialist states, while Australian Prime Minister Hasluck and President Wallace would be reported as 'elated' to the press.

Later that month, tragedy would strike New York's 12th district as Shirley Chisholm, who had received national attention for her civil rights message and the fact she was the first African American female elected to congress, would be murdered in broad daylight. While walking home, Chisholm would be approached by James Earl Ray, who had previously made plans to murder Martin Luther King, only pulling out at the last minute after King had gone overseas. An argument would break out between the two, which ended in Ray screaming racial profanities before pushing Chisholm to the ground, stomping her head repeatedly and then proceeding to shoot her in the head. Ray would quickly be apprehended by police and sentenced to life in prison. Wallace would denounce the killing, even meeting with King at the White House, the famous picture of them shaking hands would later become one of the Time Magazine top 100 photos of the decade. The Democrats would then introduce the Chisholm Act, which would pass in Congress with a majority. The Act, named in her memory, would outline several Civil Rights legislations including that of the illegalization of racial discrimination in the United States. Wallace's sharp turn in policy towards Civil Rights did not go unnoticed either and although some had seen it as a political ploy to save his own skin, it was gradually supported and his popularity benefited slightly.

"America weeps today, for we have lost someone who stood for what they believed in." - George Wallace
"We have truly lost an African-American hero, who gave her life for racial harmony." - Martin Luther King Jr.
​

In response to the death of Chisholm, the ongoing protests against the expansion of the Vietnam war exploded in a fury of rage and anger at the Government. With the 'Days of Rage' sparking riots across Chicago and later New York City. These protests, which would range from peaceful marches to massive riots, would end up lasting an entire month, from September to November. It is only when Wallace would meet with King and the latter would issue several calls for peace, would the protests begin to simmer down, save for the 'Weathermen', who were forcefully dispersed by the National Guard. As a result, the Black Panther Party began to drift into the influence of Malcom X and the Nation of Islam, taking a sharp right-wing turn during and after the protests. Chisholm's successor, famed Civil Rights supporter James Farmer, would be elected on a message of Civil Rights and peace, despite running against her just a year prior.

To say Kurt Georg Kiesinger's position was rocky would be an understatement, not only had the CDU/CSU's coalition with the SPD began to split at the seams, but the inflation rate was rising for the Deutsche Mark, the post-war currency of West Germany. The SPD on the other hand, were riding massive waves of popularity, with vice-chancellor Willy Brandt enjoying popularity from the moderates and leftist groups. The FDP had also begun to rise in popularity, when it was announced that Brandt would be open to a coalition to secure a majority in the Bundestag. Kiesinger would fall back on his powerful oratory skills to win over voters, painting the Student Leftist Movements Brandt was amiable to as diehard supporters and future terrorists. The gamble, as dangerous as it seemed, was paying off, with CDU/CSU popularity being buoyed by Bavarian conservatives and rural voters. Fears of Socialism were rampant in West Germany, especially after the Berlin Missile Crisis and the Socialist Frankenstein formed by the Soviets watching them from across their wall.

Still however, it was not enough to win enough seats, in fact, none of them had enough. With a constitutional crisis on the horizon, both Kiesinger and Brandt would begin to make deals with anyone and everyone they could. But in the end, it would be Kiesinger who would triumph, using the independents and disillusioned FDP members of the Bundestag to keep his rule as a majority government. The Coalition plan with the FDP would also fall through, with disagreements over monetary policy being seen as the reason. Despite Brandt's calls for peace after the election, much of the Student Movements who supported him would be outraged at the SPD loss, with many young disillusioned people flocking to groups like the RAF (Rote Armee Fraktion) and RZ (Revolutionäre Zellen).

Since '64, Eisaku Satō had served as Japanese Prime Minister, succeeding Hayato Ikeda after his ill health made him unable to lead. Though his electoral victory was basically guaranteed thanks to the Liberal Democratic Machine, as well as a large amount of popularity from the people and the Socialist Party taking a beating after the resignation of famous leader Inejiro Asanuma the previous year, Satō still took flak because of the US still occupying Okinawa. As many citizens saw it, The US was still occupying rightful Japanese territory 24 years after the end of the Second World War and Japan deserved it's return. Satō would meet with President Wallace in October to discuss the Okinawa debacle, which would lead to the famous photo of Wallace bowing at the Emperor, which papers back in America would call the 'Curley Kowtow'. In the end Wallace and Satō agreed that the U.S would lease Okinawa for 4 more years under the precedent that the Japanese contribute some troops and gear to their operations in Vietnam, a deal Satō could not refuse. Another ace up Satō's sleeve would be that of Tokyo Governor Yukio Mishima, which he would deploy during the election cycle to guarantee LDP votes across the board. Using his powerful speaking skills and fine way with words, he would win over many people to the LDP.

Satō's victory was to be expected, but the sheer magnitude of the Socialist loss since Asanuma's resignation was astounding, with 52 seats being lost, a record breaker to be sure. It was so shameful in fact, that Narita would try to resign from the position of party leader, but was unable to due to having the backing of the party factions. One of the biggest people to benefit from this was Takeiri, who had lead the Kōmeitō to a 47 seat win, solidifying their position in Government. Overall, Satō's victory signaled a crushing blow to the Socialists and a further continuance of LDP rule.

 

[Meshakhad]

So King survives. Any chance we might see him make a run for office down the line?

 

[Claudius66]

So King survives. Any chance we might see him make a run for office down the line?

King irl didn't really want to run for public office in any compacity, but he could definitely change his rhetoric under certain circumstances.

 

[Meshakhad]

King irl didn't really want to run for public office in any compacity, but he could definitely change his rhetoric under certain circumstances.

I'm thinking it would be several years down the line, especially if he continues to push on economic inequality.

 

[ByzantineMan]

Will be interesting to see a United States with some sort of Civil Rights legislation like OTL but without the Great Society Programs. Is the idea still there within the Democratic party or is the whole rest of the century on a more libertarian bend, if not explicitly?

 

[Claudius66]

Will be interesting to see a United States with some sort of Civil Rights legislation like OTL but without the Great Society Programs. Is the idea still there within the Democratic party or is the whole rest of the century on a more libertarian bend, if not explicitly?

The Great Society itself flatlined after Kennedy's failure to win in 1960, especially as LBJ has begun to fade into obscurity by the mid-60s. There are some people in the party who want a great society esque bill but they've been getting shoehorned out by the Populist Wing, it hasn't been helped by Liberal defections to either the Republicans or the P-Ls. Still however, the Dems are not fully behind Wallace's ideology.

 

[crazyhorse18]

No Sino-Soviet split definately. As a result China becoming an industrialized nation much earlier without market reforms and investments from the West. China covering USSR grain imports probably. As a result no need for USSR to buy grain from the West with borrowed money. As a result no collapse of Eastern Bloc.

 

[Claudius66]

Springtime in Czechoslovakia​

Ever since World War II, Czechoslovakia had remained as a communist state directly linked with the USSR. Formed as a 'buffer state' between the Soviets and the West, it had always been in a tricky position as it sat almost in the center of the Iron Curtain. Soviet control on the region had always been tight, even during the Khrushchev and Bulganin years, and no one stood as the face of this control more than First Secretary Antonín Novotný. Novotný's rule, which had been going on for 16 years at this point, had grown to be despised by much of the population, who began to call for reforms. Though he would end up relenting in some cases and passing some reforms, they were usually half-hearted attempts at saving face and would end up barely accomplishing anything. Under the growing pressure from the party and protests against his rule, Novotný would resign from the position of First Secretary, handing the reigns to up and coming reformer Alexander Dubček. Dubček would begin sweeping reforms and liberalization of the Government almost immediately, giving him support among the population and sympathy from western nations. Because of the liberalization and incoming reforms, large crowds would gather across the nation, all in support of Dubček and would continually call for an end to Soviet dominance in the nation.

Though Dubček would continually try to keep open and stable relations with the rest of the Pact, it was becoming more clear that First Secretary Shepilov was going to react very harshly if he could not reign in the so-called "Prague Spring". It would come down to Dubček to make a decision, one that would change the course of his homeland forever.

Dubček: "So, What are our options?"
Černík: "We either throw up our hands in defeat, or we try to defend our ideals."
Svoboda: "Either way, whatever we do will prone a response from the Soviets."
Dubček: "I worry for the people, I would hate to see them suffer as a result."
Svoboda: "We could always try to open a channel with the Western nations, see if they would back us."
Dubček: "Very well, open a channel with the British and Americans."
​

10 Downing Street and the White House would be sent into a frenzy after receiving a telegram from Dubček and the Czechoslovak Government. President Wallace and Prime Minister Brown would communicate on the phone while National Security Advisors, Generals and Government Officials would spend day and night going over plans to save Dubček's government. Wallace would make a joint statement with Brown, declaring that "the full might of the Free World is behind Dubček and the Czechoslovak people". The announcement would prone a single worded response from Shepilov, "Негодяйка". Shepilov would make sure that Soviet response would be swift, meeting with Brezhnev, multiple Soviet Generals, including Marshal Zhukov and several Warsaw Pact heads of state, though Romania and Albania's heads of state would be absent, refusing to support the Soviets. Sensing a Soviet kickback, Lyman Lemnitzer, both commander of SACEUR (Supreme Allied Commander Europe) and United States European Command (EUSCOM), would put all NATO European forces on high alert, encouraging several member nations to do the same. France, Italy, Germany and Britain would follow NATO's example, priming their forces in case of a Soviet attack. Lyman would also place NATO forces and military installations in Czechoslovakia, even priming Nuclear-armed B-70s to fly in their airspace. This ballsy move would not go unnoticed, with a massive Soviet contingency force quickly moving south and securing the Carpathian Mountains, putting the region under their occupation.

As the world braced for a return to the times of the Berlin Missile Crisis, the Dick-Measuring contest between the East and West would finally pass, with Dubček hosting a meeting with President Wallace and First Secretary Shepilov in Vienna. The meeting would be the first time that Wallace had come face to face with Shepilov, choosing to play hardball with the head of the Union, he would position himself as the domineering one during the talks. Dubček and Wallace would not agree on everything however, as Wallace would continually insist on a Czechoslovak entry into NATO, to which Dubček would refute, explaining his wishes for a neutral Czechoslovak state.

(President Wallace at the Vienna Conference, listening to a translator repeat Shepilov's statements.)
​

After several sleepless nights and several empty bottles of alcohol on every side, Wallace and Dubček would agree that NATO bases could be placed in Czechoslovakia, but the nation itself would remain neutral in other affairs. On paper, Shepilov would officially relent Czechoslovakia from the Warsaw Pact and let the nation exist peacefully without any foreign influence. Dubček would also agree to full democratization and liberalization, giving way to the formation of the Czechoslovak Federation, which would be made up of Bohemia, Moravia-Silesia and Slovakia, with a President at the helm that would be elected by the people. Handshakes and fake smiles would commence, before every leader returned to their respective nations. Dubček would return home to a crowd of 40,000, with celebrations lasting the entire week, celebrating the newly formed independent federation. Wallace would celebrate with shots of whiskey all around for his cabinet members and generals, thanking them for their support in what would be, for a lack of a better word, an extremely dangerous gambit. Shepilov's return home would be less celebratory, with much of the Government in outrage that they lost an important member of their alliance. Shepilov's popularity in the Government would suffer massively as a result of the Vienna Conference, and in an attempt to save face, he would hatch a plan to have the last laugh. Though he would not outright invade Czechoslovakia, Shepilov instead charged a different course. 2 Weeks after the deal went into effect, Gustáv Husák would declare the Carpathian Socialist Republic in the Soviet occupied territories, sparking outrage from everyone who wasn't a member of the Pact. The CSR would be here to stay however, as no one wanted to try their luck after pushing it this far. Wallace's response to the event would be recorded as one of pure unbridled rage and would remain mostly censored by the White House tapers, with it being reported as extremely obscene by those who have heard it. The Carpathian Socialist Republic would end up going through a period of 'Carpathianisation', in which Slovak identity would be systematically wiped out in the region and a "New Carpathian Socialist Culture" would rise out of it. Dubček's popularity would still remain at an all time high despite the outcome, with people shouting in the streets "Sasha has come through!"

It seems that Sasha did really come through.​

 

[Claudius66]

I am putting this timeline on the backburner for a while as I have begun writing another, more story driven story on another Forum. Though I still have major plans for this timeline, up until 2000 in fact, I have found it to be taxing to juggle both at the same time. I still have plans to return to this timeline later down the line, but for now I am going to put my effort into the other story. Sorry for any inconveniences.

 

[Kzzak]

I am putting this timeline on the backburner for a while as I have begun writing another, more story driven story on another Forum. Though I still have major plans for this timeline, up until 2000 in fact, I have found it to be taxing to juggle both at the same time. I still have plans to return to this timeline later down the line, but for now I am going to put my effort into the other story. Sorry for any inconveniences.

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Take all the time you need

What's your other TL?

 

[Dr. Phil]

where did you hide the bodies navarro