Twists and Turns: An Alternate 1952 and Beyond
- Thread starter Gentleman Biaggi
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Update 26: The One-Day Revolution
Gentleman Biaggi
Banned
Haitian President Louis Déjoie was one of the most unpopular leaders in the world. Dejoie won the 1957 election by a narrow plurality with 27% of the vote. At that point, he entered the presidency unpopular, as his plurality win was controversial. He only became more unpopular when the late 50’s economic recession hit Haiti hard and Dejoie’s presidency responded poorly to a hurricane in 1959. Then, his popularity completely collapsed when Dejoie gained massive support from the US and UK and then called off the 1961 elections in 1960 out of fear of “Communist Influence”. After that, the remaining people who were waiting for a chance to vote him out began to turn to a more radical solution…
In late 1958, Che Guevara, Camilo Cienfuegos, Fidel Castro, and 13 other Cuban revolutionaries escaped to Haiti. Dejoie tried to create a military operation to capture them, but failed. In fact, when many soldiers tried to capture Guevara, they faced hostile reactions from locals. Guevara began traveling around the nation in secret, trying to recruit people to fight Dejoie. When the upcoming 1961 election was called off due to “Communist influence”, Guevara and his group decided to show Dejoie what Communist influence really was.
On December 12, 1960, the Second Haitian Revolution began when Guevara’s troops began an attack on Port-au-Prince. His army of almost 100,000 entered the capital heavily armed to fight for Communism. The army was not only lead by the Cuban Revolutionaries, but also thousands on Haitians, notably Gérard Pierre-Charles. The citizen’s army overran the capital and overthrew the government within a day. Dejoie would end up being killed, and other members of his presidency were either executed or lived in Cuba, the US, or the Dominican Republic. What was later known as the “One-Day Revolution” changed Haiti, and the Caribbean for years to come.
So this is the new Haitian flag;
As the Guevara movement is based off of nationalism, it makes sense that it would have a flag based off of the older Haitian Empire Flag, not only that, but the flag needs some Communist imagery, so I added dat Golden Star. Also, the black line around the star symbolizes the nation's large massive population, that was a large part of the revolution.
In late 1958, Che Guevara, Camilo Cienfuegos, Fidel Castro, and 13 other Cuban revolutionaries escaped to Haiti. Dejoie tried to create a military operation to capture them, but failed. In fact, when many soldiers tried to capture Guevara, they faced hostile reactions from locals. Guevara began traveling around the nation in secret, trying to recruit people to fight Dejoie. When the upcoming 1961 election was called off due to “Communist influence”, Guevara and his group decided to show Dejoie what Communist influence really was.
On December 12, 1960, the Second Haitian Revolution began when Guevara’s troops began an attack on Port-au-Prince. His army of almost 100,000 entered the capital heavily armed to fight for Communism. The army was not only lead by the Cuban Revolutionaries, but also thousands on Haitians, notably Gérard Pierre-Charles. The citizen’s army overran the capital and overthrew the government within a day. Dejoie would end up being killed, and other members of his presidency were either executed or lived in Cuba, the US, or the Dominican Republic. What was later known as the “One-Day Revolution” changed Haiti, and the Caribbean for years to come.
So this is the new Haitian flag;
As the Guevara movement is based off of nationalism, it makes sense that it would have a flag based off of the older Haitian Empire Flag, not only that, but the flag needs some Communist imagery, so I added dat Golden Star. Also, the black line around the star symbolizes the nation's large massive population, that was a large part of the revolution.
Update 27: Assasination of Chiang Kai-shek
Gentleman Biaggi
Banned
The early 1960s started out poorly for the Republic of China. On January 12, 1961, Taiwanese president Chiang Kai-shek was giving a speech to the Taiwanese people in Taipei. At the time, the Taiwanese economy was pretty bad, as it was in most nations due to recessions hitting major international powers. However, things were going to get worse for Taiwan…
Chiang’s speech was intended to be a speech promoting a new Republic of China, one that could work together to fix its economic problems. However, that hope that Kai-shek was trying to promote was quickly snuffed out. During the end of his speech, a 42-year-old man named Sheng Chiu used an Italian sniper rifle to shoot Chiang Kai-shek. With the speech being broadcasted over the radio and on TV, it would shock the world. Fortunately, only Kai-shek was killed, as he was shot four times and three other bullets missed shek and other government officials.
Little is known about Chiang’s killer. The story we know now, is that his killer was a former laborer who lost his job due to Taiwan's bad economy, before turning to alcohol and then blaming Chiang for his joblessness. With this, he stole a television, sold it, and used the money to buy an Italian sniper rifle illegally. However, this information was only shown to the people in the 1980s. After the death of Chiang, his successor, Chen Cheng, was afraid that political enemies would declare Chang's death a coup or something like that, and Cheng was not keen to that idea. Instead, Cheng declared that it was a Communist plot from the USSR (as if the government blamed it on the PRC, there would be calls for war in the POC, and Cheng knew they couldn’t handle that, so by blaming it on the USSR, it would lead to a more domestic reaction), and that was how Chiu got his Italian rifle.
In the end, the assassination of Chiang actually helped the causes he outlined in his speech. Chiang called for unity, and his assassination did that. It united Taiwan’s people in opposition to the Communists, and because of this, the Cheng government jailed many leftists or people perceived as leftists. This hyper-patriotism ended in the 1980s when Reformist president <RETRACTED> revealed the lies about the Chiang assassination and created democracy. While the jailing's of thousands of citizens perceived to be “leftists” and his lies about the Chiang assassination are indefensible, they are often forgotten when compared to the horrors Mao’s China would begin in 3 years...
Chiang’s speech was intended to be a speech promoting a new Republic of China, one that could work together to fix its economic problems. However, that hope that Kai-shek was trying to promote was quickly snuffed out. During the end of his speech, a 42-year-old man named Sheng Chiu used an Italian sniper rifle to shoot Chiang Kai-shek. With the speech being broadcasted over the radio and on TV, it would shock the world. Fortunately, only Kai-shek was killed, as he was shot four times and three other bullets missed shek and other government officials.
Little is known about Chiang’s killer. The story we know now, is that his killer was a former laborer who lost his job due to Taiwan's bad economy, before turning to alcohol and then blaming Chiang for his joblessness. With this, he stole a television, sold it, and used the money to buy an Italian sniper rifle illegally. However, this information was only shown to the people in the 1980s. After the death of Chiang, his successor, Chen Cheng, was afraid that political enemies would declare Chang's death a coup or something like that, and Cheng was not keen to that idea. Instead, Cheng declared that it was a Communist plot from the USSR (as if the government blamed it on the PRC, there would be calls for war in the POC, and Cheng knew they couldn’t handle that, so by blaming it on the USSR, it would lead to a more domestic reaction), and that was how Chiu got his Italian rifle.
In the end, the assassination of Chiang actually helped the causes he outlined in his speech. Chiang called for unity, and his assassination did that. It united Taiwan’s people in opposition to the Communists, and because of this, the Cheng government jailed many leftists or people perceived as leftists. This hyper-patriotism ended in the 1980s when Reformist president <RETRACTED> revealed the lies about the Chiang assassination and created democracy. While the jailing's of thousands of citizens perceived to be “leftists” and his lies about the Chiang assassination are indefensible, they are often forgotten when compared to the horrors Mao’s China would begin in 3 years...
Update 28: 1961 Arizona special senate election
Gentleman Biaggi
Banned
In 1958, Arizona Attorney General Evo DeConcini was elected to the senate. During his time there, he made it his goal to focus more on affairs effecting Arizona, and with the Democrat's grip on Arizona weakening, DeConcini used his power to build up the Arizona Democratic Party again. By 1960, he was a well-known name within the Democratic Party for his enthusiasm campaigning for Arizona Democrats and for his infamous partisanship. With this recognition, DeConcini was seen as a great choice for Attorney General under Kefauver. With this, he resigned his seat, and Governor Barry Goldwater appointed good friend and political advisor Stephen Shadegg to the position.
Evan Mecham was becoming a famous face in the Arizona Constitution Party. In 1958, he lost a Republican nomination for a state house seat, but ran as an Independent and won in a massive upset with 38% of the vote. In 1960, when the Constitution Party was founded, he joined quickly. However, during his time in the state house, he was known for his often controversial statements. With this, he had his eyes set on the senate. At the time, Stephen Shadegg didn't really enjoy his positon as senator, and felt he was a placeholder. While he didn't like Mecham, he felt a stronger connection to his old party, the Republican Party, and wasn't an active campaigner. With this, Mecham won a narrow primary victory.
Meanwhile, the Democrats quickly nominated businessman Samuel Goddard, while the Republicans nominated an almost unknown state legislator, leading to them being crushed in almost every single poll. While Mecham made the occasional gaffe, the Constitution Party was becoming a force to be reckoned with in Arizona, and while Goddard was rising in the polls, Mecham still held a lead, and when it was all said and done, Mecham entered the senate.
Evan Mecham was becoming a famous face in the Arizona Constitution Party. In 1958, he lost a Republican nomination for a state house seat, but ran as an Independent and won in a massive upset with 38% of the vote. In 1960, when the Constitution Party was founded, he joined quickly. However, during his time in the state house, he was known for his often controversial statements. With this, he had his eyes set on the senate. At the time, Stephen Shadegg didn't really enjoy his positon as senator, and felt he was a placeholder. While he didn't like Mecham, he felt a stronger connection to his old party, the Republican Party, and wasn't an active campaigner. With this, Mecham won a narrow primary victory.
Meanwhile, the Democrats quickly nominated businessman Samuel Goddard, while the Republicans nominated an almost unknown state legislator, leading to them being crushed in almost every single poll. While Mecham made the occasional gaffe, the Constitution Party was becoming a force to be reckoned with in Arizona, and while Goddard was rising in the polls, Mecham still held a lead, and when it was all said and done, Mecham entered the senate.
Update 29: Kefauver's First Year and the 1961 Los Angeles Mayoral Election
Gentleman Biaggi
Banned
President Kefauver at a Press Conference in 1961
Estes Kefauver's cabinet:
Vice President: John F. Kennedy
Secretary of State: Mike Mansfield
Secretary of the Treasury: C. R. Smith
Secretary of Defense: Christian Herter
Attorney General: Evo Anton DeConcini
Postmaster General: Lawrence E. Gerosa
Secretary of the Interior: James F. Breeding
Secretary of Agriculture: Herschel C. Loveless
Secretary of Commerce: Joe L. Evans
Secretary of Labour: George Barasch
Secretary of HEW: Abe Ribicoff
When Estes Kefauver took office on January 20, 1961, he had to deal with a divided and hurt nation. The United States had been through a lot with the recession, the Iran War, Haiti falling to Communism, and the Nation of Islam's large protests and occasional riots. For many, it was time for peace. What they got was the biggest reforms and legislation since Franklin Roosevelt's administration.
A key player in the Kefauver administration's reforms was Lyndon B. Johnson. Johnson was the very powerful Senate Majority leader who often used "shady" tactics to get legislation passed. One of the most controversial things Johnson would do (not a high bar at the time, as Johnson was famous for taking the middle ground and shying away from controversial decisions) was pick Hubert Humphrey to replace Mike Mansfield (who was now serving as Kefauver's secretary of state) as Senate Majority Whip. Hubert Humphrey was a controversial figure due to his strong support for Civil Rights, but Johnson thought very highly of him, and his picking seemed to point to a more Civil Rights-oriented Democratic Party.
Obviously, the major issue when Kefauver entered office was the economy. Kefauver saw a major player in the recession of the late 50's to be energy. With the Iranian-American War affecting many parts of the Middle East, there were often Oil and Gas shortages, hurting the economy. With this, Kefauver wanted to move away from the influence of foreign oil, and into other energy sources. Kefauver's administration began to support the coal and nuclear power industries. Not only did an increase in jobs from those industries help the economy, it was a genius political move. The so-called "Coal Belt" of Arkansas, West Virginia, and Kentucky were moving away from the Democratic Party (in Arkansas's case, people were joking that they were going to start a religion around governor Orval Fabus and the Constitution Party). This decision pushed them to the Democrats. Also, Kefauver began an increase in government projects, in order to create temporary jobs that could stimulate the economy.
Another large part in the economic improvement was an increase in funding for the G.I Bill. Everett Dirksen had previously made tax cuts and cut the G.I Bill to fund them while thousands of people were fighting in a war Dirksen escalated. This made him very unpopular with veterans, and even lead Republican Senator Joe Foss to filibuster the Tax Cuts. Kefauver was increasing Taxes on the rich, and decided to fund the G.I Bill as there were now thousands coming back from the Iranian-American War due to Kefauver's de-escalation, with more assisting in other areas (such as the Haitian-Dominican Republic Border). With the increase in funding and veterans, many veterans were able to attend good colleges, and get good jobs with their new degrees in the following years.
Surprisingly, the one place Kefauver isn't as celebrated in is Foreign Policy. Obviously, his de-escalation and later end to the Iranian-American War is well known, Kefauver also had a massive impact on Turkey. Turkish Prime Minister of the Democrat Party Adnan Menderes was growing increasingly authoritarian. He had previously stayed neutral in the Iranian-American War, and with the de-escalation, he began reaching out to Mosaddegh, because of this, Kefauver began to fear that Turkey could become an ally of Iran in the future, and so, he assisted a coup lead by Cemal Gürsel to overthrow Menderes in 1961. Gürsel continued Turkey's neutrality, and after the war, he continued Turkey's democratic ways and made them an ally to the United States.
While Kefauver's first year was impressive, his second one would change America with it's gun control, support of Civil Rights, changes in the nomination process in all three parties, and economic improvement.
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The 1961 Los Angeles Mayoral Election was possibly the first election in Los Angeles history affected by baseball. In previous years, Los Angeles was hoping to gain a baseball team to increase their national status. However, they failed to attract the New York Giants, who moved to Minnesota, and the Brooklyn Dodgers, who stayed. With this, Los Angeles got an expansion team, the Los Angeles Stars. However, the construction of the stadium became a burden on taxpayers, and the team also wasn’t that good. With the raise in taxes during an economically poor time, incumbent mayor C. Norris Poulson became unpopular.
During the election, the Democrats nominated conservative Democrat and local celebrity George Putnam. Putnam was a talk show host in Los Angeles, and had become critical of the Stars taxpayer burden. The Constitution Party nominated an anti-tax activist with no actual plan other than promising the people of Los Angeles lower taxes. Meanwhile, the Republicans split, with Los Angeles City Councilman Patrick McGee running against Poulson. In the first round of the two-round election, Putnam came out on top easily, with his local celebrity and heavy support from national Democrats who wanted a Democratic Los Angeles. Meanwhile, Poulson didn't even come in third place. He lost to McGee and the Constitution Party while barley receiving over 20% of the vote. The second round would pit McGee against Putnam.
In the second round, Putnam had a massive lead. His local celebrity helped him tremendously, and his socially conservative positions gave him the support of the Constitution Party and even some Republicans. Not only that, but he ran off of some of president Kefauver's economic recoveries. McGee was just happy to be in the second round. In the end, the Democrats had gone from no candidate for mayor in 1957 to a win with nearly 60% of the vote in 1960.
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Gentleman Biaggi
Banned
*writes up update about Al Davis endorsing a Denver Mayoral Candidate, causing them to lose a massive lead*
I know that we're miles away from it as of the Kefauver Administration is concerned, (best of luck to the best president by the way), but I'd love to see maybe Jesse Jackson get elected Pres at some point or another here. In the meantime, Something tells me Estes is gonna have his work cut out for him in the South. If What I've read is what I think will happen, he might have quite a few riots on his hands in Dixie.
Edit: Incidentally, as a Brit, I feel the need to ask. Does the divergence in the presidency effect have any sort of effect on Downing Street in any way?
Edit: Incidentally, as a Brit, I feel the need to ask. Does the divergence in the presidency effect have any sort of effect on Downing Street in any way?
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Gentleman Biaggi
Banned
Yes it does. I’ve been meaning to write an update on the UK for a while, but the next election is gonna be heavily centered around something in Vietnam, so I’ve decided not to post the alt-1955 and 1960 elections yet
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