Hey guys. Long time reader, first time poster. I've always loved alternate history, particularly when it pertains to ancient Roman history (especially scenarios that involve Hannibal winning the Second Punic War) and American history.
Anyway, enough about my background. Here's a scenario that I'd like to expand upon. Thing is, this is my first alternate history project and I'm not too sure how to proceed. Any help as to what would happen or where I can find information that will lead me to form my own ideas or just generally any comments (constructive, not spam) would help immensely.
My AP Government teacher told me to go home this weekend and watch some presidential election commercials on
www.livingroomcandidate.org.
I was particularly struck by the commercials from the election years 1952 and 1956. As I'm sure some of you history buffs know, those were the years where Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower, the great American hero of World War II, ran against Democrat Adlai Stevenson. In both election years, Eisenhower beat Stevenson in a landslide victory.
Eisenhower's vice president throughout his presidency was Richard Nixon, who would later become president in 1968 and would resign from office, disgraced, in 1974.
Now, what most history buffs don't know is that Eisenhower had a devastating heart attack in 1955, just a year before he was up for reelection. In our timeline (OTL), he survived and spent a few weeks in recovery. During those few weeks, Nixon took over and ran the country. However, as we all know, Eisenhower soon resumed his duties and president and became one of the greatest presidents in American history.
However, what if Eisenhower did not survive his heart attack? In this alternate timeline (ATL), Eisenhower dies on September 25, 1955. Nixon, as per the U.S. Constitution, is sworn in as president not long after.
As such, Nixon would be up for election to his first full term in office in 1956. I'm of the opinion that, just like in OTL, the Democratic party of the ATL will nominate Adlai Stevenson as their candidate.
I am also of the opinion that Nixon would become president in 1956 in a landslide. The public would still be mourning over Eisenhower's death and would vote overwhelmingly to put his vice president in the White House (a similar phenomenon occurred in OTL after John F. Kennedy was assassinated, putting Lyndon B. Johnson in the White House).
Now, what would happen from this point on? What would happen if Nixon became president of the United States in 1956 rather than 1968? How would the Cold War have progressed? How would Nixon have dealt with the Suez Crisis and the Hungarian Revolution of 1956? Would the United States have opened up relations with China sooner?
More importantly, what would have happened with the Vietnam conflict? Would we have even entered into a war in Vietnam if Nixon was president when it had started or would we have entered it sooner or at the same time as in OTL? Would the war, assuming it happens at all, have gone on as long as it did in OTL or would it have ended a lot sooner? And tied to this issue, would the hippie movement have happened?
I guess what I'm really trying to ask here is "If Nixon was president in 1956 (and possibly 1960, assuming he got reelected), what would his legacy be?" In OTL, Nixon's legacy, while he was great with foreign policy, was a mistrust in our government. What would his legacy be in the ATL and what would happen after he leaves office?
What would the world look like today if America voted Nixon in '56?
P.S. I can guarantee you one thing. Nixon is not going to use Ike's slogan with his nickname inserted. "I Like Dick" just has way too many connotation.
