TLIAD: A Very American Regime
- Thread starter Whanztastic
- Start date
Cincinnatus Invictus
George Marshall – 1937 – 1938
Military
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After depression, war, famine, purges and general brutality, the proclamation of the Organized States of America was a solemn, but somber, occasion. The fires of rebellion and discourse had been extinguished. The hammer of tyranny had been stayed. Most importantly, the tide of communism had been blocked. General Douglas MacArthur’s Emergency Council had been battling ‘seditionists’ for four years, but as his brutality increased, disillusionment overcame his staff and the nation. Even the most stalwart Americanists had reached their breaking point. General George Marshall decided it had to end.
When MacArthur left the fortified capital for Austin, to settle a dispute with “President” Garner, the Restoration Army assumed command of the District of Columbia. Air Corps General Andrews ensured MacArthur’s plane never arrived in Texas. Organized by General Marshall, once considered MacArthur’s closest advisor, the Restoration Army would broadcast the end of the Emergency Council over radio and wire, promising to restore civilian control. America was a tarnished image of its previous self, however. There was no returning to the nation it was once, prior to the assassination of President McAdoo and the chaos that followed. Marshall promised negations with the remaining factions and a constitutional convention.
On July 4th, 1938, the man who could have ruled as emperor stepped down as promised - the Normalcy Committee dissolved and the Cabinet of Directors appointed their first Administrator. Marshall retired from the military and refused any domestic office, serving only as an unofficial advisor for future Administrators. Marshall instead led a good will tour through Europe, assuring the great powers of the world that America had stabilized and would recover to once again be a world player.
Military
---
After depression, war, famine, purges and general brutality, the proclamation of the Organized States of America was a solemn, but somber, occasion. The fires of rebellion and discourse had been extinguished. The hammer of tyranny had been stayed. Most importantly, the tide of communism had been blocked. General Douglas MacArthur’s Emergency Council had been battling ‘seditionists’ for four years, but as his brutality increased, disillusionment overcame his staff and the nation. Even the most stalwart Americanists had reached their breaking point. General George Marshall decided it had to end.
When MacArthur left the fortified capital for Austin, to settle a dispute with “President” Garner, the Restoration Army assumed command of the District of Columbia. Air Corps General Andrews ensured MacArthur’s plane never arrived in Texas. Organized by General Marshall, once considered MacArthur’s closest advisor, the Restoration Army would broadcast the end of the Emergency Council over radio and wire, promising to restore civilian control. America was a tarnished image of its previous self, however. There was no returning to the nation it was once, prior to the assassination of President McAdoo and the chaos that followed. Marshall promised negations with the remaining factions and a constitutional convention.
On July 4th, 1938, the man who could have ruled as emperor stepped down as promised - the Normalcy Committee dissolved and the Cabinet of Directors appointed their first Administrator. Marshall retired from the military and refused any domestic office, serving only as an unofficial advisor for future Administrators. Marshall instead led a good will tour through Europe, assuring the great powers of the world that America had stabilized and would recover to once again be a world player.
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I'm predicting that J. Edgar Hoover is a future leader of the US. In a dictatorial America such things simply MUST happen.
I'm interested in the back story. It seems like FDR died, leaving Garner as President. Did anything else significant happen?
I'm going to go with "Roosevelt dies of polio, William Gibbs McAdoo is elected President in 1928 with Cactus Jack Garner as his VP. McAdoo is assassinated, Garner becomes President as everything goes to hell in a handcart. By 1932, the nation is split, MacArthur MacArthurs his way into a military dictatorship, with a faction of the country (Texas included) remaining loyal to Garner, and probably a small handful of other, less legitimate governments in play." The "President Garner" in 1937 is probably just him handwaving away the election that should have happened on the basis of there wasn't really a country.
That gets us to MacArthur having run part of the country between 1933-1937, Garner having evacuated to Austin, and Marshall needing to take his place.
Sounds like the dictatorship is over, if you read the first post.
I like it, you have a good writing style. Referring to things as plausible in-universe asides without degenerating into 'as we all know [fifteen sentence paragraph]'.
The Man Who Washed Away The Ashes
Paul V. McNutt – 1938 – 1943
Normalcy Party
---
Paul McNutt was the National Commander of the American Legion in 1931, the year of three Presidents, and was elected Governor of Indiana in the undecided election of 1932 – with John Nance Garner, William Randolph Hearst, and Frank Orren Lowden all failed to secure a majority of electors. As the candidates all claimed victory and sides began drawing, McNutt focused on consolidating power in Indiana. With no President and Congress divided, the federal government failed and Chief of Staff MacArthur declared a national emergency, ending normalcy. With the formation of the Great Lakes Soviet Republic, Indiana founds itself on the front line of the war against communism and became known for rebuffing the Chicago Column and the acceptance of refugees that came streaming in from Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin. The Emergency Council reorganized the American Legion into a militia and appointed McNutt its National Commander, which was not much more than an empty title given MacArthur’s command but propelled him to a national fame.
McNutt sided with Marshall’s Restoration Army and assumed the role of Federal Security Director. McNutt was well-received by his fellow Directors and was an obvious choice to be the first Administrator, despite the populist campaign by Education Director Huey Long. McNutt’s program was simply – reorganization at home and reassertion abroad. At home, a social security and works programs were implemented, with a masterful reorganization by Agricultural Director Herbert Hoover preventing famine during the winter for the first time in years. McNutt’s first true test came with the New England Hurricane, but the Central Government weathered the storm. National service was compulsory for able bodied men, either in the military or Reconstruction Corps.
Democratic activists, like Franklin Roosevelt (cousin of a former President) who had fled the country, mostly for Canada or the United Kingdom, criticized the lack of freedoms. State Directors were appointed by Washington, with the only elections held every two years to appoint the Hall of Advisors, which was largely powerless. McNutt established and organized the Normalcy Party around him, to show the return of party politics.
African-Americans of the time, however, arguably saw an expansion of freedoms, as regionalism was chastised as a dirty word. The Gulf, Texas and Carolina Districts were under stricter scrutiny than was previously seen and vigilantism (mostly whites terrorizing blacks) was stamped out during McNutt’s Administration.
Abroad McNutt built upon Marshall’s negotiations, bringing Hawaii, Alaska, and Puerto Rico back into direct control by Washington. Relations were reestablished with the Philippines, the Dominican Republic and Cuba. The state of the American military was trashed, however, and with the industrial centers of the Midwest and northeast still in disrepair after the Red Clashes, it would take years for a full economic recovery. But world events would help spur growth.
The Pacific War was supposed to be a fast victory for the Japanese, to claim the Philippines and beyond that the oil rich Dutch East Indies, largely unprotected as Amsterdam was consumed in rebellion. Assuming it weak after years of civil war, the Japanese Empire had underestimated the Organized States. McNutt had been wary of Japan since taking power, very likely for racial reasons, and had focused on refitting the Asiatic and Pacific Fleets first. Despite the reform efforts, after a series of setbacks and the disastrous Battle of the Coral Sea, McNutt was asked to resign as Administrator of the Cabinet. He remained in the Cabinet as an Emeritus Director and served in several ambassador positions, remaining a lifetime friend of General Marshall’s.
Paul V. McNutt – 1938 – 1943
Normalcy Party
---
Paul McNutt was the National Commander of the American Legion in 1931, the year of three Presidents, and was elected Governor of Indiana in the undecided election of 1932 – with John Nance Garner, William Randolph Hearst, and Frank Orren Lowden all failed to secure a majority of electors. As the candidates all claimed victory and sides began drawing, McNutt focused on consolidating power in Indiana. With no President and Congress divided, the federal government failed and Chief of Staff MacArthur declared a national emergency, ending normalcy. With the formation of the Great Lakes Soviet Republic, Indiana founds itself on the front line of the war against communism and became known for rebuffing the Chicago Column and the acceptance of refugees that came streaming in from Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin. The Emergency Council reorganized the American Legion into a militia and appointed McNutt its National Commander, which was not much more than an empty title given MacArthur’s command but propelled him to a national fame.
McNutt sided with Marshall’s Restoration Army and assumed the role of Federal Security Director. McNutt was well-received by his fellow Directors and was an obvious choice to be the first Administrator, despite the populist campaign by Education Director Huey Long. McNutt’s program was simply – reorganization at home and reassertion abroad. At home, a social security and works programs were implemented, with a masterful reorganization by Agricultural Director Herbert Hoover preventing famine during the winter for the first time in years. McNutt’s first true test came with the New England Hurricane, but the Central Government weathered the storm. National service was compulsory for able bodied men, either in the military or Reconstruction Corps.
Democratic activists, like Franklin Roosevelt (cousin of a former President) who had fled the country, mostly for Canada or the United Kingdom, criticized the lack of freedoms. State Directors were appointed by Washington, with the only elections held every two years to appoint the Hall of Advisors, which was largely powerless. McNutt established and organized the Normalcy Party around him, to show the return of party politics.
African-Americans of the time, however, arguably saw an expansion of freedoms, as regionalism was chastised as a dirty word. The Gulf, Texas and Carolina Districts were under stricter scrutiny than was previously seen and vigilantism (mostly whites terrorizing blacks) was stamped out during McNutt’s Administration.
Abroad McNutt built upon Marshall’s negotiations, bringing Hawaii, Alaska, and Puerto Rico back into direct control by Washington. Relations were reestablished with the Philippines, the Dominican Republic and Cuba. The state of the American military was trashed, however, and with the industrial centers of the Midwest and northeast still in disrepair after the Red Clashes, it would take years for a full economic recovery. But world events would help spur growth.
The Pacific War was supposed to be a fast victory for the Japanese, to claim the Philippines and beyond that the oil rich Dutch East Indies, largely unprotected as Amsterdam was consumed in rebellion. Assuming it weak after years of civil war, the Japanese Empire had underestimated the Organized States. McNutt had been wary of Japan since taking power, very likely for racial reasons, and had focused on refitting the Asiatic and Pacific Fleets first. Despite the reform efforts, after a series of setbacks and the disastrous Battle of the Coral Sea, McNutt was asked to resign as Administrator of the Cabinet. He remained in the Cabinet as an Emeritus Director and served in several ambassador positions, remaining a lifetime friend of General Marshall’s.
WHATWHATWHAT SUBSCRIBED
He's around...
The POD and brief history is hinted more in the second post.
Certainly no FDR.
Pretty close.
Going to be a fair amount of implication and a little assumption of history. I was thinking of hyperlinking references but I am lazy...
Thanks!
Wallace shows up, in one way or another
Cool.
Apt!
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The POD is that Theodore Roosevelt respects Taft's wishes to be a Supreme Court Justice, not President, and Charles Evan Hughes is the Republican nominee and victor in the 1908 election. He is re-elected in 1912 against Wilson. The United States enters the Great War earlier than IOTL, but instead of being the winning tide, doughboys are caught in the grinder.
Come 1916, victory is won just before the election, securing the election of Charles Fairbanks. President Fairbanks would die in 1918 and his Vice President Irvine Lenroot would handle the post-war economic slump poorly, leading to Democratic Progressive A. Mitchell Palmer's victory in 1920 and reelection in 1924. With the economy strong, Treasury Secretary McAdoo would win easily in 1928.
Of course, it falls apart from there. McAdoo assassinated in early 1931, succeed by Vice President Lawrence Tyson who falls ill and dies without warning soon after. In accordance with the Presidential Succession Act 1886, Secretary of State Edward House became President. At the 1932 Democratic Convention, however, powerful John Nance Garner secured the nomination for himself and the rest is mentioned/hinted at in the actual TL.
The Fighter Who Gave It His All
Henry L. Stimson – 1943 – 1946
Normalcy Party
----
A nation at war needed a wartime leader. Nobody was more prepared for war than Henry Stimson. Stimson has served as Secretary of War during the previous “Republican Regime” and knew that America’s oceans would not be enough to protect itself in a global age. He was a vocal advocate for national preparedness and following the Restoration he was tapped as Defense Director, overseeing the implementation of the National Service and was secondary only to the Administrator in civilian command of the military. Stimson quickly reorganized the Pacific Fleet, reorganizing leadership based off of skills of command rather than loyalties. And with storm clouds gathering in Europe, Stimson knew they needed to be prepared for any possibilities. Always the internationalist, Stimson normalized relations with Eden’s Britain and Balbo’s Italy as revolutionaries once again seemed poised to strike out from Paris.
Japan was eventually pushed back, with American forces island hoping west across the Pacific. The Philippines were liberated and America secured direct supply lines with their Chinese allies. Japanese forces were pushed off of the mainland in the summer 1946 and only the home islands remained.
Stimson and the federal government remained popular in victory and morale was high on the home front. Mobilization for war had brought American industry and the economy back from the brink. However, Stimson’s foresight would prove painfully accurate. With surprising speed, in the spring of 1946 Syndicalist troops poured out from the Latin Union, swarming over the Low Countries and German Rhine, uniting with Bavarian Reds. Britain and Italy, bolstered by American arms, stood strong. The Organized States were committed to forcing Japan to agree to total capitulation, but was being drawn into a second war. American forces would first come in the form of air and naval support. Once Japan was blockaded on the home islands American ground troops would bolster the Allies as well.
However, the Administrator would not see the end of either conflict. Stimson would be found dead at his desk from an apparent heart attack in October 1946. The nation would mourn his death but the Cabinet quickly appointed a new Administrator. Despite Stimson’s short service as Administrator, his paternal leadership had ensured that American History would remember him fondly.
Henry L. Stimson – 1943 – 1946
Normalcy Party
----
A nation at war needed a wartime leader. Nobody was more prepared for war than Henry Stimson. Stimson has served as Secretary of War during the previous “Republican Regime” and knew that America’s oceans would not be enough to protect itself in a global age. He was a vocal advocate for national preparedness and following the Restoration he was tapped as Defense Director, overseeing the implementation of the National Service and was secondary only to the Administrator in civilian command of the military. Stimson quickly reorganized the Pacific Fleet, reorganizing leadership based off of skills of command rather than loyalties. And with storm clouds gathering in Europe, Stimson knew they needed to be prepared for any possibilities. Always the internationalist, Stimson normalized relations with Eden’s Britain and Balbo’s Italy as revolutionaries once again seemed poised to strike out from Paris.
Japan was eventually pushed back, with American forces island hoping west across the Pacific. The Philippines were liberated and America secured direct supply lines with their Chinese allies. Japanese forces were pushed off of the mainland in the summer 1946 and only the home islands remained.
Stimson and the federal government remained popular in victory and morale was high on the home front. Mobilization for war had brought American industry and the economy back from the brink. However, Stimson’s foresight would prove painfully accurate. With surprising speed, in the spring of 1946 Syndicalist troops poured out from the Latin Union, swarming over the Low Countries and German Rhine, uniting with Bavarian Reds. Britain and Italy, bolstered by American arms, stood strong. The Organized States were committed to forcing Japan to agree to total capitulation, but was being drawn into a second war. American forces would first come in the form of air and naval support. Once Japan was blockaded on the home islands American ground troops would bolster the Allies as well.
However, the Administrator would not see the end of either conflict. Stimson would be found dead at his desk from an apparent heart attack in October 1946. The nation would mourn his death but the Cabinet quickly appointed a new Administrator. Despite Stimson’s short service as Administrator, his paternal leadership had ensured that American History would remember him fondly.
Research
What is the status of Research and Development of new weapons like better aircraft or armor? Is there any Mahattan Projects like in our timeline?
What is the status of Research and Development of new weapons like better aircraft or armor? Is there any Mahattan Projects like in our timeline?
Guys, prediction time. Joe Biden will be dictator of the US by 1980, I guarantee it.
Joe the Diamond Emperor
Lacking behind OTL due to the fall but still around. The development will be mentioned as the TL continues.