US "Hands off" cold war strategy

[The Mists Of Time]

The Soviet Union and Soviet system would probably collapse sooner in TTL than in OTL. With their philosophy, it almost forced the USSR to support more regimes and take on more satalites and client states. That would have stretched their already thinly stretched resources even thinner, and more quickly.

After the collapse of the Soviet system and Communism, many of those satalight regimes would have collapsed too, so there would probably have been more Bosnia like messes around the world in the wake of the collapse of the USSR.

In TTL the USA would probably be viewed more favorably in certain parts of the world than in OTL. It would have saved the USA a lot of resources had they taken a hands off approach to the cold war, resources that would probably have been put to use helping improve the human condition.

One question I have in TTL is Communist China. Yes in OTL they went very inward and became quite issolationist. Would that still be the case here? How would a Communist China have reacted to a USSR that more vigorously or more widely expanded its sphere of influence throughout the world?

 

[Wendell]

DBE,

If FDR kept Truman out of the loop IOTL from a very volatile phase of the war, why exactly would Truman be in the loop as VP even before the war began?

My Proposal for a POD?

Henry Wallace succeeds FDR as President. Korea is lost to the Communists. While the U.S. keeps close military ties to Australia, Philippines, and Japan, these ties will not be widened on the Asian mainland, or in nearby non-colonial areas.

The Republicans nominate Eisenhower in 1948 with Earl Warren as his VP. Eisenhower-Warren trounce Wallace-Thurmond. Eisenhower, during his presidency, strengthens U.S. intelligence capabilities, reviving some offices and personnel from the war, nd converting them into new agencies, if not expanding existing ones. Further, a defensive and economic arrangement would be set up just within the Western Hemisphere and the aforementioned Pacific areas. As a result, the USSR comes to dominate Eurasia for a time, but not without suffering and internal struggle.

The big question here is Britain, which could possible do its own thing, or even start a sort of rump NATO...

 

[David bar Elias]

DBE,

If FDR kept Truman out of the loop IOTL from a very volatile phase of the war, why exactly would Truman be in the loop as VP even before the war began?

My Proposal for a POD?

Henry Wallace succeeds FDR as President. Korea is lost to the Communists. While the U.S. keeps close military ties to Australia, Philippines, and Japan, these ties will not be widened on the Asian mainland, or in nearby non-colonial areas.

The Republicans nominate Eisenhower in 1948 with Earl Warren as his VP. Eisenhower-Warren trounce Wallace-Thurmond. Eisenhower, during his presidency, strengthens U.S. intelligence capabilities, reviving some offices and personnel from the war, nd converting them into new agencies, if not expanding existing ones. Further, a defensive and economic arrangement would be set up just within the Western Hemisphere and the aforementioned Pacific areas. As a result, the USSR comes to dominate Eurasia for a time, but not without suffering and internal struggle.

The big question here is Britain, which could possible do its own thing, or even start a sort of rump NATO...

Wallace probably wouldn't pick someone like Thurmond as his Veep. If he wants a Southerner, I think he'd look for more of a mod.

 

[stevep]

DBE,

The big question here is Britain, which could possible do its own thing, or even start a sort of rump NATO...

I think under those circumstances Britain would have to, or at least try. Might even see a closer Anglo-French bloc due to the desperate need for security in a Soviet dominated EuroAsian region. Not sure we would have the strength, especially given the state of the country after the war. However think it would be the only real option.

Steve

 

[Wendell]

I think under those circumstances Britain would have to, or at least try. Might even see a closer Anglo-French bloc due to the desperate need for security in a Soviet dominated EuroAsian region. Not sure we would have the strength, especially given the state of the country after the war. However think it would be the only real option.

Steve

I was wondering if the French and British would form rival blocs...

 

[Wendell]

Wallace probably wouldn't pick someone like Thurmond as his Veep. If he wants a Southerner, I think he'd look for more of a mod.

Then pick a differet southerner. Would Harry Byrd be good?

 

[David bar Elias]

Then pick a differet southerner. Would Harry Byrd be good?

Yes, probably....although knowing Wallace, it might end up at least as antagonistic a relationship as JFK-LBJ.