Watching From San Diego - A Two for One July 20th 1944 TL

[Bigby]

Democratic National Convention - Chicago, July 20th 1944
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President Roosevelt's nomination to the Presidency was never in doubt. The two term tradition had been shattered. WWII was being won slowly but surely, at least in Europe. The New Deal was cemented as an economic reality. The only reason Roosevelt was unable to bask in glory at the Convention was because of his visit to San Diego, related to the Pacific Front. Unfortunate, but an incumbent war time President has his duties. Roosevelt won the ballot practically unopposed, with only a few dozen delegates supporting the not-running Senator Harry F. Byrd.

The Presidential candidate was easy, but however, the Vice Presidential candidate was not. Henry Wallace was popular with voters, but not so much with party bosses. Roosevelt's already frail health began to deteriorate further. While the public did not mind Wallace, the conservative elements of the Democratic Party found him too left wing. If Roosevelt died, that makes Wallace President. The conservatives loathed the idea. Popular sentiment be damned, they had to find a way to free themselves of that concern. Wallace had to go.

Democratic Chairman Robert Hannegan was preparing to enter negotiations with the other leaders of the party. He revealed that Roosevelt would be fine with either Senator Harry Truman or Associate Justice William O. Douglas. The lack of a single replacement for Wallace as Vice President allowed his supporters to filibuster during the Convention. They flooded the delegation floor and let their voices be heard. They even began playing the Iowa song, fitting given Wallace's home state was Iowa. Deep down, it proved that the common man did not share their concerns. "We Want Wallace!" the people shouted. Maybe if the song stopped, the momentum would stop too. The bosses prepared to stop, until a friendly man approached them.

It was Hubert Humphrey, the man responsible for the merger of the Democratic and Farmer-Labor parties in his home state of Minnesota. He was also an ardent supporter of Roosevelt's reelection campaign. These credentials, the leaders thought, could turn the convention around and secure some replacement for Wallace. However, Humphrey refused to budge. He politely explained why keeping Wallace was the right choice. According to Humphrey, not only was it right to retain Wallace as his popular support was so overwhelming, keeping the Vice President set a tone of consistency to America. If Roosevelt replaced Wallace with Truman or Douglas, it would incite concern of indecisiveness about the wartime President. Of course, the leaders asked why Roosevelt did not keep John Nance Garner in 1940, in that case. Humphrey highlighted America had not entered the war, and also that Garner opposed Roosevelt's third term; Wallace did not. "Wallace has been loyal to the President these past four years. Do you really want to betray loyalty?" Humphrey asks.

That question pierced the minds of the Democratic party bosses. Maybe Humphrey had a point. None of them wanted Roosevelt to lose the support of the people. Maybe, just maybe, the answer was cave and pray for the best. At the conclusion of the conversation, Hannegan sighed, nodded, and shook Humphrey's hand. "Fine, you convinced me, son. Come hell or high water, we must keep the Democratic Party consisted and united." When the bosses revealed the compromise to the Convention public, the protesting turned into applause. Though a large segment of the Convention bosses and delegates became enraged, the common man won at the end of the day. It seemed like Wallace would be a shoe in the next day, come the official nomination for Vice President.​

 

[Bigby]

Wolf's Lair, Germany - July 20th, 1944

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The plan was set in motion: to kill Adolf Hitler. Klaus von Stauffenberg and his fellow conspirators decided that Hitler's guidance had destroyed Germany and its chances for victory in the war. The Soviets were marching into Poland and Romania from liberated Belarus and Ukraine, the western Allies succeeded in a Normandy landing, and the Italians failed to march back southwards. Objectively speaking, Germany was in danger of losing. This could not happen. Maybe with new leadership, preferably leadership dominated by military men, the Wehrmacht could turn the war around. The Reds would not surrender, but maybe the Allies would negotiate a peace. That had to wait. Right now, killing Hitler was the first step.

Stauffenberg placed the bomb inside of a briefcase, and placed the bomb strategically near Hitler. No one knew Stauffenberg's dirty secret. Hitler, Stauffenberg, and the twenty officers present talked for a while. Eventually, Stauffenberg left the room to answer a phone call. During Stauffenberg's absence, Colonel Heinz Brandt noticed the briefcase and blinked. He thought to himself "why did Klaus leave his belongings? I don't want to interrupt the Fuhrer, so I will just kick it away and remind myself to return it to Klaus after the meeting." He lunged down to grab the briefcase, but Hitler stopped him.

"Colonel, is something the matter?" Hitler asked sternly to Brandt. The Colonel stuttered as he talked, standing back up. "No, my Fuhrer. I just noticed Colonel von Stauffenberg left his briefcase and I went to-" "How kind of you, but leave it. If von Stauffenberg wants his briefcase that badly, he will return to pick it back up. I require your undivided attention on this matter. We need to turn this war around so Germany can reclaim her rightful place as Europe's hegemon." "But sir, Kl-" Hitler sighed and stared. "Do I need to repeat myself?" "No, my Fuhrer. I apologize." Hitler grinned at the submission and resumed his speech. "Well, gentlemen, the Americans and British have mounted into Normandy after tricking us with a false Calais assault. We must repel these troops back across the Channel to prevent the Judeo-Bolsheviks from using this as-"

Hitler was interrupted by an explosion, coincidentally coming from the discussed briefcase. The Fuhrer was incinerated near instantly, thanks to his positioning in the blast. The same went for Brandt, Hitler's would-be savior and one who never truly realized it. The only person who was relatively uninjured was SS representative Heinrich Fegelein, who immediately began trying to clear the rubble. "My Fuhrer? Alfred? Heinz? Anyone?" The man shouted. Fegelein saw someone driving away from the scene, and it looked like Stauffenberg. "Klaus? Klaus?!" He shouted out. Stauffenberg refused to answer, and Fegelein began to suspect the worst: that Stauffenberg set the Fuhrer up.

"Take me to the airport so we can fly back to Berlin. I have an important announcement to make to Germany." Stauffenberg said with a grin to his driver. The Colonel gazed back at the destroyed Lair, seeing little, if any, sign of life. Did he pull it off? Was the Fuhrer actually dead?" Klaus prayed that it was so, because if Hitler lived, the whole plot will fall apart. Stauffenberg wrestled with this internally the entire time, repeatedly assuring himself. The Colonel eventually returned to the Benderblock, where his fellow conspirators holed up for their operations. The self-doubt Stauffenberg was dealing with faded entirely as he walked in.

"Colonel, it seems you pulled it off. Fegelein and the other survivors have reported that Hitler is dead. The Fuhrer is dead, long live Germany!" General Erich Fellgiebel yelled with glee. Stauffenberg sighed in utter relief, hugging the General. "Fantastic, then that means we are on the right track! Quickly, gentlemen, we have plenty to still accomplish." The General nodded, and executed the next steps of the plan. German officials were notified nationwide. Arrest warrants were to be carried about against all SS officers, disobedient Wehrmacht officers who remained loyal to the deceased Hitler, all major government officials in Hitler's Cabinet, and the compliance of military governors to keep the war fronts stable. Operation Valkyrie was a success.​

 

[Bigby]

San Diego, July 20th, 1944

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President Roosevelt was concluding some late night business with military staff regarding the Pacific Front. The President forced himself to be detached from the Democratic Convention, hoping that all is well. He also had no idea about the current ordeal with von Stauffenberg's plot in Germany. While he was eating dinner with family, friends, and military men, the President felt uneasy. Today felt like a big day in history, but he was absent from it. What could ease this tension Roosevelt felt inside? Well, it soon went away thanks to a conversation with an aide.

"Mr. President, I hate to interrupt, but we need to talk. I have good news and ... uncertain news." Roosevelt continued to eat, but he paid full attention to the aide. "Go ahead, son. Tell me the good news first." "Vice President Wallace will be chosen tomorrow as the Vice Presidential nominee for this year's ticket, by popular demand. Apparently one of the convention attendees convinced the party bosses to keep him based on his loyalty and a desire to not the boat during the war. Plus your health concerns were pushed to the side." Roosevelt could not help but grin. "Of course. I know I'm not the pinnacle of youth or health, but trust me, I don't plan on going anywhere this time soon. I am glad to hear it, and so will Henry. What else do you have for me?"

"You can probably predict this as uncertain news when I tell you why. Mr. President, Hitler's dead. He died in an explosion along with several Wehrmacht officers at a bunker, but no one knows who instigated this." Roosevelt grinned wider. "What's the uncertain part?" "Sir, no one knows who is in charge in Germany. Goerring and Himmler are both declaring themselves Fuhrer, while Field Marshall Ludwig Beck is declaring himself President and the legitimate new government of Germany. Allied Staff and the OSS are confused as to whom to believe. Right now, Germany is without concrete leadership." "Let me finish dinner and I am doing a Fireside Chat. I know how to deal with this." Roosevelt dropped his grin, obviously in deep thought. "Thank you, son. You did right by telling me right away."

----

Roosevelt now knew why he had the weird feeling in his gut. The retention of Wallace on the Democratic ticket was unexpected, but definitely welcome. Henry Wallace was a trusted friend, and letting him go felt wrong to Roosevelt. This issue with Germany, though? Hitler's death may be a curse in disguise rather than a blessing. This was especially so as Dulles in the OSS informed the President that Beck and his Cabinet are willing to enter a conditional surrender to the Western Allies. What was the right call? Roosevelt would let his words answer that question for the American people.

"My fellow Americans, I join you in San Diego tonight with fantastic news. I have received news that Vice President Henry Wallace, a close friend of mine, a wonderful Vice President that I would not trade for anything in the world, and a man who has fought tirelessly for the working man, has been nominated for a second term as Vice President by the Democratic Party." Roosevelt sighs happily, re-posturing himself in his chair. "I have also been informed that I have been chosen overwhelmingly by the Democratic Party for a fourth term. I accept the nomination, and intend on returning to office in 1945 with a finished war and the forces of evil vanquished. Once this war ends, we will begin a new chapter in American history. The Great Depression will be behind us, America will never see another Depression once we pass the Second Bill of Rights, and the madmen who plunged the world into a second world war will face justice. On that note...."

Roosevelt coughed to clear his throat, sounding rather uneasy. "Adolf Hitler, the leader of Germany and the man responsible for destroying world peace as knew it, has died. The German Reich has fallen into apparent disarray, with the survivors of the government fighting each other for scraps. Some voices in Germany demand peace with the United States and Britain, to focus on the Russians. I will state my position frankly, America. Whomever leads Germany now, listen up. Under no circumstances will the United States accept a conditional surrender from Germany or any other Axis power. We will only accept peace when the Allies have defeated you totally, and you agree to abdicate entirely. Until then, this war will continue. Americans do not want a job done half-cocked like over twenty-five years ago. The Arsenal of Democracy finishes what it starts. Thank you, and go get 'em, boys!"

The response of the American people was overwhelmingly positive. While some were concerned that no one truly knew who was ruling Germany at this time, President Roosevelt made it clear that this does not matter. What mattered was that the job would be finished in its entirety. America would not stop until Germany agreed to surrender completely, without any strings attached. November 11th, 1918 would not be repeated. Upon hearing this address, General Secretary Joseph Stalin of the Soviet Union was especially pleased. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill echoed President Roosevelt's words, and the Russians could breathe easily that their western friends would not betray them to the Germans... for now, at least. The Allies would remain unified, and also remain unified in their goal to crush the Axis entirely.​

 

[Bigby]

European Front, July 21st - 31st, 1944

The Status of the European Theatre Before the Valkyrie Plot, July 20th
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The German war machine was already suffering before the Valkyrie conspirators succeeded in killing Hitler. The Soviets began Operation Bagration, a project to push into the Baltics and Poland. It was a resounding success, and the Reds were within ear shot of Kaunus, Brest, and Lwow. Operation Overlord in the West saw Allied troops storming Normandy successfully. Although Rommel kept the Allies bunkered down, his chances were wearing thin. In Italy, the Allies were progressing further into the peninsula proper. Unfortunately for Germany, it turns out that killing the leadership has disastrous consequences for a nation at war.

The German homeland split itself open into a three way civil war. Ludwig Beck declared himself President of Germany, but the Nazi leadership refused to acknowledge him. Instead, Deputy Fuhrer Martin Bormann proclaimed Hermann Goering as the next Fuhrer. Unsatisfied, Himmler led an SS countercoup to ensure the Final Solution was realized and the Fuhrer's death would not undo the triumph of the Aryan race. The already bombed-to-hell, war torn inner Germany became even more war torn as the three major factions fought.

No one knew who to believe was in charge. Himmler was the least likely, given his strange views and the erosion of the SS. When the Military Governor of France, Carl-Heinrich Rudolf Wilhelm von Stülpnagel, successfully disarmed the SS in the French region. Stulpnagel aligned with the Valkyrie conspirators and demanded a safer withdrawal to the more defensible Seine River. In the East, the SS held on better, but their conscripts surrended en masse. By the time Himmler was able to execute as many Untermensch as he could for a Lost Hurrah, Goerring and Beck disposed of him quickly, and the atrocities of the Holocaust ended, but the spies of the Allies now had free reign to broadcast them to the world. Himmler was found dead from a cyanide capsule by July 23rd. Beck fared somewhat better, but his reputation was also suspect. The Western Generals were largely aligned with him, and the rapid withdrawal from France irritated several neutral and opposing officers. While Beck had little influence in the Eastern Front, his influence proved successful in the Baltics. General Staff was enraged to find the Baltics north of Memel and Kaunus abandoned. These defensive positions proved to be more beneficial, but they damaged the Valkyrie plotters' legitimacy by painting them as collaborators with the Allies.

Fighting between Beck and Goerring commenced for several days until Marshall Heinz Guderian got sick of the infighting and intervened. During a phone call with Goering, Guderian was promised more devotion to the Eastern Front and position of Deputy Fuhrer once the war ended. He agreed to Goering's terms and used an attachment of Panzers and mechanized infantry to deal with Beck. On July 29th, 1944, Marshall Ludwig Beck was located in Potsdam and quickly executed along with several other Valkyrie plotters. Goering was enshrined as Fuhrer of Germany and infighting largely ceased apart from the occasional pocket of resistance by renegade SS officers and Valkyrie conspirators. The frontlines stabilized, and Goering began plans to push back.

The effects of a week and half's civil war proved apocalyptic to Germany, however. Several Allied plans to amphibiously invade were expedited. Marseilles and Toulon were captured on the 21st, and these troops quickly linked with the rapidly expanding troops in Normandy. Additional, though smaller, landings were made in Aquitaine, and the three forces quickly encircled several retreating German divisions trying to reach the Seine and Paris. Prussia and Finland held, as well as much of Poland, but the minor Axis Powers on the Eastern Front got cold feet and abandoned ship. Miklos Horthy in Hungary succeeded in his second attempt to leave the Axis, couping the German loyalist regime installed in March and offering unconditional surrender to the Soviets. Romania followed suit as King Michael couped the Iron Guard government with the aid of democratic socialists and communists. Romania devolved into infighting, but this quickly stopped. Bulgaria was rumored to begin opening discussions with the Western Allies as to not fall to the Red wave. Thanks to the Hungarian and Romanian defections, Lwow and Brest were captured by the Soviets at the month's end.

In the West, the front stabilized as well. For now, the Wehrmacht ensured the safety of Paris from the oncoming Allied onslaught. However, all pockets of resistance in France were gone. The Allies completely controlled everything south of Paris and to the mountainous Italian-French border. The Italian advance slowed, with only minimal Allied incursions reaching further north. Given the collapse of the Hungarian and Romanian war efforts, the Germans suspected an Allied landing somewhere in the Balkans and diverted resources and manpower to stop such invasions. This allowed them to retain much of Slovakia and take back Hungary to the Danube River.
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The change in the frontlines by August 1st, changes in bright red lines.​

 

[Bigby]

American Politics, July 21st - 31st 1944

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The unexpected but welcome collapse of the German juggernaut meant nothing but good news for the Roosevelt administration. It became apparent that the German withdrawal from most of France expedited the war. According to several top experts, the withdraw to Paris and the Seine saved three to four months of additional fighting. (How true this was would be decided on the battlefield.) President Roosevelt decided to strike an even tone between three topics: finishing the war against Germany, continuing the fight in the Pacific to Japanese surrender, and his postwar policies. All three proved quite popular with the public, and the two-term question had already been settled in the first place. Roosevelt was the clear favorite.

Meanwhile, New York Governor Thomas Dewey planned on an aggressive campaign. While internationalist, the Governor ran an anti-New Deal and small government platform. The Dewey campaign argued that the wartime measures and the Depression measures would no longer be needed, but this made him struggle in the polls. He was visibly doing better than any of the three previous challengers to Roosevelt. According to Gallup, most new votes for Dewey came from dissatisfied conservatives that sprung to action when Wallace was announced as remaining on the Democratic ticket. Wallace already proved to be a polarizing figure, one that kept the Democratic base ecstatic but the Republican base terrified and willing to do whatever it takes to stop him.

At the start of the post-Valkyrie Plot fallout, Dewey blasted Roosevelt for not clearly defining who the new German leader was. "How can we win a war when we don't even know who to win against?" He would shout. However, Goering's quick ascension to the Fuhrership stopped that argument completely. Roosevelt supporters would soon retort with "We'll Win Against the Fat Bastard." The victorious Allied onslaught became too much for Dewey once again, so domestic policies and Wallace returned to the focal point of his rhetoric. Internationalist Republicans also proved to be an issue. Many supported Dewey, but the ones who were more Internationalist than Republican seemed to be just as content with a 4th FDR term as they would be with a Dewey Presidency. Speaking of internationalists, Roosevelt had a trick up his sleeve with an old friend....

----
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July 31st, New York City

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Roosevelt approached the business room with caution, wheeling himself slowly. His old opponent in the 1940 Presidential election, Wendell Willkie, was sitting in a comfortable couch chair with a scotch in his hand. He could not decide to smile or sneer at Roosevelt, and the President could not help but wonder why. "I'm getting mixed signals, Wendell. Is everything alright?" "Mixed signals? Me? No, you're the one giving them, Franklin. I listened to the radio about Wallace. How was it even allowed to even consider ditching him? I supported your Lend Lease Acts and your entry into the war, and I still admire you for that, but are you the Franklin Roosevelt I once knew?" Franklin's eyes widened, and remorse rose from his face. "I was in San Diego on Presidential business. When I heard the news, I congratulated Wallace and told the American public, nay, the world, how eager I was to run with him." Willkie nodded sternly and made a "hm" sound. "Well, that you did. Okay, that sways me a little, but not enough."

"Well, what would sway you? I will be courteous and let you set the terms since it is my request for an endorsement from you." Roosevelt humbly admitted to Willkie. In response, Willkie's eyes glistened with opportunity. "Ah, so you want me to endorse you and not Dewey? I was going to stay out if it, but if I have to pick one of you...." He ponders to himself. "If you want my public endorsement, I demand representation in your foreign policy. I've heard of your attempts to make an international peace organization. That sounds like music to my ears." Roosevelt smiled warmly at the proposal. "I can absolutely do that for you, Wendell. Will you be able to handle it?" "I'll do it or die trying, as long as you mean it." "Oh, I do. You were the only man to ever come close to ousting me from the Presidency. You deserve nothing but my utmost respect." Roosevelt got up as much as he could from his wheelchair to shake Willkie's hand.

"Excellent. I'm going to prepare my speech and take it easy once I endorse you on the radio. I hope that's fine, but my doctors tell me I'm pushing the limits of my health too far. Originally, I thought nothing of it, but now that I have a juicy goal in mind... maybe taking it easy is what I need to do. If this saves my life, I owe you a beer." Roosevelt chuckled and shook his head. "Right now, I am the one who owes you. We cross that bridge later." "Fine by me. So, would you like to stay or do you have business?" Roosevelt frowned some and began to turn around. "Sadly, we must chit chat later. I am preparing a conference with other leaders in a few days." "Oh, well, that might be important." Willkie chuckled. "You go do that. I should draft my speech."​

 

[Bigby]

Quick Update on the Pacific Front - July 1944
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All eyes have been on the European Theatre thanks to the Valkyrie Plot, but the Allies have been making slow but steady gains in the Pacific as well. The Americans continued their successes with island hopping, liberating Guam on July 21st and Tinian Island on July 23rd. This completed their liberation of the Marianas against the Imperial Japanese. Soon, the Americans and British could work on the liberation of the Philippines and Indonesia. General Douglas MacArthur, the main head of the Pacific Front, began to salivate. His promise to return to the Philippines and liberate it from the Japanese was becoming a reality. The shame of the Ba'taan Death March would soon be undone.

Admiral Nimitz demanded an invasion of Taiwan against the Japanese to put pressure off of China and Burma and inch closer towards the Japanese. However, President Roosevelt demanded a slow and steady approach towards the Pacific Theatre as wrapping up in Europe was the priority. However, a Formosan landing could prove beneficial once the Philippines were liberated. Roosevelt promised Nimitz to launch what became "Operation Formosa" once MacArthur won his prize. If the European Front ended before 1945, that would give the Allies all the more time to focus on the Japanese.

Meanwhile, the Japanese were enraged. The Valkyrie conspirators not only committed treason against the legitimate, in their eyes, rulers of Germany, they also ruined the chance of any European Axis victory. The Japanese military knew it had to prepare for an all out assault by the Allies against them once Germany crumbled. There was also the issue of the Soviets. Sure, Stalin honored the non-aggression pact so far, but once the Reds secured their European border, will that remain so? The Japanese government was in a rock and a hard place on deciding to reinforce the Manchurian border or keep their conquests supplied with manpower.​

 

[Bigby]

European Front, August 1st - 15th, 1944
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Although Goering's quick rise to power allowed the stabilization of the German fronts, it did little to stop the Allied onslaught. It slowed it, but it did not stop it. The Allied advanced continued more slowly but surely thanks to the allies of Germany abandoning it and the week long struggle for power. Whilst Germany resumed its wartime productions, the week and a half of civil war significantly disrupted the already disrupted war machine. Albert Speer was retained to continue planning Germany's industrial capacity, and was also told to postpone Germania until further notice. It did little, as the combination of Allied bombing and internal strife pushed Germany to its limits. Speer reported to Goering that the economy might not last to Christmas. There was also the issue of replacing disloyal SS and Wehrmacht officers with ones loyal to Berlin. Renegade Generals and Marshals abandoning entire areas did not look good for Germany.

In France, the Allies spent the last few days fighting in Paris. The previous military governor was replaced by Erwin Rommel, who proved himself loyal to the German cause despite allegations of being in bed with the Valkyrie plotters. Dubbing the operation "Operation City of Lights", the Allies set to capture Paris to return the capital of France to Allied hands and open up Germany proper and the Benelux to Allied advances. On August 4th, Allied forces ousted Rommel out of the City of Lights. Combined with a very important American domestic event on this day, Allied morale rose substantially. Celebrations were held by the coalition of Allied troops in the city, and the Free French government moved to prepare an arrival back to the mainland ASAP. Resistance grew back in the following week in the forests of northern France, however. This was to be expected, however, given how close the Allies were to the German homeland. Western Command now debated between liberating the Benelux that had been occupied since 1940 or pushing into the Rhine and taking Germany itself.

The Italian front had entirely stood still to a halt. Mussolini originally screamed in joy at the lack of Allied advance. However, that joy became shock when he realized the focus Western Command took. Not only had the Allies kept every inch they gained when the Italians pushed for a counter-offensive, they did so while opening up other fronts in the Adriatic. British troops marched into Albania with minimal opposition, liberating Tirana the same day. The day after, the British landed in Athens to quickly liberate Greece. Partisan uprisings began as soon as the locals got wind of Allied landings, expediting the process. After meeting natural resistance from the Macedonian mountains, the British halted their advance into the Balkans and cleaned up Axis resistance pockets. The Bulgarians tried to reach out to the Western powers, but heard no response. Like what happened in Romania, leftist partisans quickly couped the government and surrendered to the Soviets before the Russians could issue a declaration of war. This allowed the Soviets to focus on cementing Romania under their control, and soon Bulgarian troops found themselves invading Axis occupied Yugoslavia to aid Tito as well as pacifying any remaining pro-Axis agitators in Romania.

The Soviets were taken by surprise at a German push back towards Lwow at the start of August 1st. This prevented them from fully utilizing their three new friends. The Germans advanced quickly with Guderian, retaking the city with panzers and smashing the Soviet offensive. However, a blessing came on the same day when Polish partisans staged an uprising against their German masters. Dubbed the Warsaw Uprising, Polish civilians and resistance fighters staged open rebellion against their German occupiers. Stalin saw an opportunity to quickly halt the German advance in Galicia. Originally, the General Secretary wanted the uprising to fail so he could ensure a communist government in Poland, but the German focus on the Eastern front required realpolitik. Russian troops beelined to support the Polish revolters. While the revolt continued well into the middle of August, Russian aid forced the Germans on the offensive and allowed the Russians to advance to the Vistula. It also allowed the Russians to counterattack in Hungary and begin directly supporting Tito's partisans in Yugoslavia.

The messy situation in Europe called for an easing of diplomatic tensions. Even before the development of August's occurrings, the Western Allies and Russians saw a few postwar quagmires. Chief among them was the slower action on the Eastern Front than in France. Many Soviet officials began to wonder if the Valkyrie Plot was a Western ploy to ensure most of Europe did not fall under the Russian sphere, despite the lack of evidence. It was decided by the Big Three to quickly meet in safe territory in North Africa and begin negotiating the postwar peace of Europe. On August 15th, the Tunis conference quickly reached publishable resolutions to satisfy the Russians and ensure loyalty between the Allies for the remainder of the war.
​

Advances by the 15th by Western Command (blue) and Soviets (red).​

 

[Bigby]

Tunis, French Tunisia - August 15th, 1944

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The Big Three met again after it became apparent the Germans collapsed themselves thanks to Hitler's assassination and the weeklong infighting. While Europe constantly shifted on the frontlines, the Allies had to maintain some semblance of postwar order. The political demands of the Allied nations, as important as they were, turned out to be far from the only concern. Intelligence reports from the British and Americans painted a lawless, rubble-laden picture of Germany that would require policing and supervision. On the geopolitical front, however, Stalin had to be pacified. The Western powers had to appease Stalin and the Soviets enough to assure them that no collusion with the Valkyrie plotters existed in some plot to expand Western influence.

The negotiations for Eastern Europe began immediately. In order to satiate Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill agreed that Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria were off-limits from the Western allies. Regardless of who personally ruled the nations after the European theatre, these three Balkan nations were guaranteed to fall under Soviet influence. The reasoning was that these three governments surrendered primarily to the Soviets, so Soviet administration of these three nations only made sense. In return, Stalin recognized Western occupation and administration of Albania and Greece. The Allies also promised to help supply Tito's partisans until Yugoslavia was completely liberated, and to recognize Tito as the leader of Yugoslavia.

In turn, the Allies demanded Western control of all Western Allies and their territories. Under this treaty, these included France, the Benelux countries, Norway, and Denmark. Debate began on Poland and whether or not it constituted a Western Allied power. Stalin demanded a Soviet friendly occupation deal similarly to Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria. According to Stalin, Poland was too historically valuable as a barrier against Germany. If Germany acted up a third time, Soviet influence and military presence in Poland would act as a deterrence against Germany. Churchill and Roosevelt agreed on only one condition: to allow the pre-war government a seat in the post-war government and to allow elections between them and the Soviet-led communist provisional government to decide who would rule Poland. Stalin was reported smirking rather assuredly after agreeing to that condition. The Western powers also agreed to move the border of the Soviet Union to largely match the 1919 Curzon line, with the counteract of carving up parts of Eastern Germany to give Poland,

Two final topics were discussed during the Conference. The first among these was the administration of German occupation once Germany surrendered. The French spoke up and demanded a share of influence over Germany, given how much their resistance bled against Germany. The Big Three decided to grant them the Rhineland-Ruhr area as the French zone of occupation. The British would take Hanover under their zone of occupation, while the Americans would occupy Baden-Wurttemberg and Bavaria. This granted the Soviets eastern Germany up to around Rostock, Erfurt, and Leipzig. Roosevelt and Churchill also decided that the Soviets could march into Berlin, and the Western Command would only march to Berlin if the Soviets requested assistance; to honor this meant the city would be jointly occupied. Finally, the Soviet Union agreed to declare war on Japan no less than ninety days after the surrender of Germany. In return, the Americans granted the Soviets ownership of South Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. If weather did not permit an invasion this early, Stalin was allowed to wait, but had to begin no later than an additional ninety days at the start of warm weather.​

 

[Bigby]

European Theatre, August 16th - 31st, 1944
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Progress began to slow again for the Allies come the second half of August. The Germans began to fight to the bitter end, realizing the end was near. Massive conscription efforts began by the Goering government just to have warm bodies fill the frontlines. Teenagers, elderly men, the mentally disabled, sometimes even the very Jews that the Nazis despised, all became cannon fodder as the end approached. With the SS decimated from Himmler's failed coup attempt, the defense of Germany proper became even more desperate. It almost seemed as if Goering was ready to kill every last man, woman, and child in Germany before he would surrender.

In France, Operation City of Lights finished its last stages around the 27th of August. By that point, France Comte, Rouen in Normandy, and the suburbs north of Paris were all in Western hands. The OSS got wind of Rommel's planned counter-offensive to retake Normandy and push southeastwards from there, starting in Calais and Dunkirk. Western Command responded with a preemptive attack on the 28th with the goal of encircling Calais and Dunkirk. Dubbed "Operation Deja vu", the Allies intended on encircling as many German divisions as possible to fully liberate France and ease the invasion of Germany proper. The Italian line went further north, but only by miniscule amounts. Mussolini began to sweat as Goering retracted troops to defend Germany's core by the day, however.

The Soviets, meanwhile, found themselves in a meat grinder in the East. The Polish Uprising that began at the beginning of August was still raging, and it only brought the attention of the Germans. More Soviet forces died than Polish partisans. Stalin began to wonder if supporting the uprising was worth it. However, the NKVD noticed how direct Soviet aid steadily increased pro-Soviet sentiment in Poland. This convinced Stalin to sacrifice as many men as it took, wanting to subjugate an eager versus an unwilling Poland. Down in the Balkans, the Soviets could pride themselves in enjoying the most ground gained. The Hungarian, Romania, and Bulgaria defections had been solidified, and the now stabilized governments could send forces into Yugoslavia. Belgrade was captured on the 20th. Pristina was captured on the 22nd. The Dalmatian coastline was secured by the 26th. Unfortunately, the Ustasa Croatian forces stopped partisan incursions into Bosnia or Slavonia, but the chaos in Yugoslavia began to become a Soviet-favored order.

Naval warfare was practically over in Europe by the time of September. When the Germans withdrew from the Baltics in July, much of their Eastern vessels were scrapped for parts for the Army. Western Command navies decimated any remaining German ships in Western Europe, U Boats included. British clean up missions to capture remaining territory in Greece also focused on destroying any German ships in the Mediterranean and Adriatic. The already weakened German supply lines suffered, as most of their territorial control became landlocked or firmly blockaded. If any chance of victory existed for the collapsing Germany, it took a Hail Mary from the Wehrmacht's efforts alone. Even the Luftwaffe was a shell of its former self thanks to constant Allied bombings and lack of industry.​

 

[Bigby]

American Politics August 1944

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The election overall was going well for Roosevelt. His enthusiasm to finish the war and a promise of the expansion of the New Deal with the Second Bill of Rights proved quite popular. Dewey hit back with promises on going ahead and reopening the civilian market for goods as soon as he was inaugurated. While Roosevelt retorted with the fact how dangerous it was to do so during war, he promised a speedy end to the war and a return to civilian style economy after the war ended. This mitigated the worst of the attacks, but voters seemed to slightly prefer Dewey's reasoning. There was also the fact that Dewey was younger and healthier than the President, meaning he could campaign more. He seemed more lively than Roosevelt, though often too aggressive at times. Roosevelt may be the more passive candidate, but overall, he was the more trusted one. Roosevelt was winning comfortably, but Dewey was polling rather strong. At this point, Dewey would fare the best of any Republican who fought FDR.

Vice President Henry Wallace and his eccentricities proved of minimal consequence during the first month of the campaign season. His avowed progressivism drove away some conservatives and wealthy voters in New England and the Northeast, but his support among laborers, farmers, and poorer citizens made up for it. A Republican operative had rediscovered Wallace's New Age religious letter to Nikolai Roederich, but the Roosevelt campaign discovered Bricker's former relationship with fascist Gerald L.K. Smith. The two candidates came to an agreement not to air these respective dirty laundries.

Successes in France and the Balkans definitely helped Roosevelt. Although the Pacific Front remained rather slow, no one expected Germany to collapse so quickly. Many had expected the liberation of France to make months, and the lull of winter to slow things down. Now it seemed like Germany would not survive the New Year. This helped mitigate Dewey's attack on the economy. If one theatre was coming to an end, maybe the war will end soon and things can return to normal anyway? Many voters thought so. There was little Dewey could do about this, especially at the risk of sounding unpatriotic.

On the 4th of August, Dewey experienced one of the worst nightmares a Presidential candidate could face. Roosevelt's 1940 opponent, Wendell Willkie, endorsed Franklin Delano Roosevelt on live radio broadcast mere hours after the liberation of Paris. This had no major effects on voting trends during the month, but it caused a massive uproar in the Republican Party. Despite Dewey's own internationalism, the de-politicized endorsement by Willkie based on the success in WWII and the promise to promote international peace proved too much. Many prominent Republicans, like Minnesota Senator Joseph Ball, came out in endorsement for Roosevelt. The liberal wing of the GOP became enthralled by their spokesperson for the past four years and followed him into the Roosevelt camp. Willkie's speech burned deep into Dewey's mind, as his ears kept repeating the worst part to himself...

... "My fellow Americans, it is with great honor that I make an official endorsement for President. I fought against him four years ago, but I am officially endorsing the incumbent Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Roosevelt prepared our nation for the worst to come, and showed our now allies that America helps friends in need. Thanks to his preparations, the unfortunate but now apparent entry into this war have went remarkably well. We have freed North Africa from the Axis powers. We have just freed France. The Japanese are beginning to retreat in the Pacific. And now, with Germany collapsing? Roosevelt has proven that his wartime leadership can be trusted. I have no doubt that if we re-elect FDR, we can and will win this war against the forces of evil!"
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Pollsters' Prediction of the Election by August 31st, 1944​

 

[Bigby]

Pacific Front - August 1944
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August proved to be relatively quiet by all accounts in the Pacific Theatre of WWII. However, Americans won a strategic victory at Guam on August 10th. This completed the liberation of the Mariana Islands, which could now be used by the Marines, Navy, and Air Corps to strike closer against the Japanese. The door became fully open to the Americans to assault the Philippines and liberate it from Japanese occupation. At this point, Pacific Command okayed Operation Return, MacArthur's dream project and his chance to personally shine. Throughout the month, the United States made several landings into the Filipino Islands. Japanese resistance was already tough, but it was getting tougher. The fear of the Japanese in response to Germany's early demise was palpable.

Operation Ichi-Go by the Japanese in China began to slow down considerably. While the Japanese made advanced into southern China, strategic use of such victories was being called into question. The Chinese forces refused to surrender, no naval advantage was gained by attacking more southern Chinese ports, and attrition began to ramp up against the Japanese. Japanese military leaders began to debate on whether to penetrate deeper into China, begin a pre-emptive defense of the border in Manchuria against the Soviets, or divert forces towards American advances and try to stop them. One thing was certain, Hideki Tojo had to go. Originally, the military wanted him gone in July, but the precarious situation in Germany showed weakness. The Japanese did not want to show the same weakness with a sudden government change. Since the Allies were weakening the Japanese anyway, Tojo found himself fired and placed under house arrest on August 20th.

Not fully related to the Pacific Front specifically was the beginning of the Dumbarton Oaks conference. However, Chiang Kai-Shek of China attended. It laid the foundations for the United Nations, a global organization that would promote and regulate world peace. No one knew how well it would work, but everyone prayed that it would work better than the League of Nations. President Roosevelt announced the commitment of American troops, which definitely distinguished it from the League. Wendell Willkie was also in attendance, looking oddly healthy for a man who seemed so frail a mere month ago. He was reported to have nearly fainted from happiness during the meeting.​

 

[Bigby]

European Front September 1944

Rough offensive lines of the European Theatre, September 1st, 1944
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The French portion of the Theatre offered historians a comical dose of irony. Well, almost. Rommel sent troops east and then south through Belgium to try and stop Operation Deja vu. However, Allied troops proved too strong for the demoralized, battered Germans. General Patton sent tank and mechanized divisions to western Belgium and pushed the brunt of the Wehrmacht to Calais and Dunkirk by September 4th. With nowhere to go expect into Allied controlled territory or waters, Erwin Rommel surrendered to Patton on the 5th, 160,000 German soldiers surrendering with him. Patton would remember this day for the rest of his life.

Now was the time to invade Germany proper. Western command walked into Belgium unopposed, and into the very southern part of the Netherlands. Flanking from there, the Allies conquered Aachen on September 9th. Saarbrucken fell rather unceremoniously on September 11th. Goerring was forced to divert forces from the Eastern Front and Italy to halt the incursion into Germany proper, weakening the Axis further. The Allies conquered Cologne on the 13th after intense fighting, though now the Germans enjoyed the natural defenses of the Rhine. To help the Soviets in the Balkans and to destroy a German ally, the Americans sent a small attachment to cross through the Alps into Italy. While this was risky, the Americans took advantage of an unprepared Italy and won the battle of Turin on the 16th. This allowed the British-led forces to capture Milan on the 18th. Italian partisans located Mussolini and executed him the following day, and by the end of the month, the British had marched relatively unopposed to south of Tyrol and west of Trieste.

On the Eastern Front, Soviet assistance to the Warsaw Uprising by the Poles finally paid off. On September 2nd, the Germans had no choice but to retreat. In three days the Soviets blitzed nearly every major Polish city outside of Danzig and Krakow, and every Slovakian city outside of Bratislava. The next step of Operation Bagration was to conquer East Prussia. The Germans adopted Japanese style no surrender tactics, even salting the Earth when need be. The Russian Bear still gained its pound of flesh. Konigsberg was conquered on September 11th, marking the first pre-war German city conquered by the Russians. Elbing fell on the 13th. Danzig on the 16th. Up in Finland, the Soviets pushed one final time until the Finns agreed to an armistice on September 19th, switching sides and affirming the Soviets the territory won during the Winter War. By the end of September, the Germans had retreated to the Oder. Krakow fell on the 22nd and Opole on the 25th.

The mass conscription Goering began in August became ramped up as much as humanly possible. Too many troops were lost by Rommel's surrender, and now Germany's last European allies surrendered. The Wehrmacht fought truly alone now. River defenses were utilized during the final week of September, buying the Germans enough time to survive the month. By now, Fuhrer Goering fell into a morphine-fueled stupor, practically giving up. Bormann and Speer were forced to pick up the slack, realizing the war was lost. Mass defections spread west, with German soldiers preferring to surrender to Westerners over the Soviets. The goal was no longer to win, or even to survive. The goal was to outlast the Reds and hope the Americans and British decided to reach Berlin first.
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The European Theatre by September 30th. Cartographers in Allied countries were rushing to abandon these rough maps of the Interwar period in anticipation of drafting finessed maps of the post-war order.​

 

[Bigby]

American Politics September 1944

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The election swung to President Roosevelt's favor in September, but surprised pundits by how minimal the change was. The European Theatre was naturally a huge boon for the President, but the Pacific Front became a liability. The advance into the Philippines proved impossible, and too painful to actualize. While the Americans made certain great progress in Pacific waters, Japanese weakness was misjudged. The Japanese Navy kept American ships bogged down in the western area, thanks to the supply from Formosa. MacArthur's comeback tour was postponed after some attempted incursions proved to be defeats. Dewey attacked FDR on this hard, and began to curry MacArthur's favor. MacArthur, being the man who demanded Filipino liberation, however, also lost considerable popularity thanks to the quagmire in the Philippines, reducing this popularity. Operation Formosa was instead approved out of necessity, and even that required more planning first.

The struggle to crush the Pacific Front caused an interesting cascade effect on the domestic front. Not wanting to look weak, President Roosevelt vetoed any motions to wind down for end Japanese American internment. Vice President Wallace and other progressives were infuriated, but not much could be done. This helped counter-act Dewey's claims of weakness against the Japanese, but it firmly secured any free Japanese man's vote for the Republicans. Dewey came out in support of winding the program down, able to afford this position. Some radical progressives began to switch to Dewey, but only some.

Roosevelt used the European Theatre to his advantage. Though slowed down on the Rhine, the Americans made a wise decision to ignore the Dutch marshes and penetrate deep into the German heartland. Newsreels of German soldiers surrendering on their own turf looked good for the incumbent administration in the U.S. Many experts declared that Germany would collapse before Election Day. Feeling ballsy, Roosevelt promised the end of the European war before November ended. While Dewey lambasted the President for declaring victory before it happened, most voters were receptive to Roosevelt's promise. An unintended but welcome side effect was further morale increases for the soldiers fighting in France and the Rhineland, which in turn made defeating Germany all the easier.

Little changed about the economy, apart from a small uptick from Germany collapsing. Dewey and Roosevelt instead focused their attention to detail on the WWII Theatres. Business production in the West Coast noticeably increased as wartime industry prepared its full attention towards the Japanese. Both parties maintained their platforms on the economy, so voters' minds changed little. Dewey continued to gain among the wealthy in the Northeast, however, and Wallace continued to boost Roosevelt in the farmor-labor demographic.
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Pollster's Prediction of the Election by September 30th, 1944​

 

[Bigby]

Pacific Front September 1944

Rendition of the Japanese Battleship Musashi
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The American advance into the Pacific came to a halt. Before MacArthur could invade the occupied Philippines, further naval battles had to finish. Pacific Command promised MacArthur arrival to the Islands if these battles were won. Unfortunately, they were not. Sailing from Formosa, several Japanese ships reinforced the Imperial Japanese Navy in the sea. While no catastrophic losses occurred, the bogged down United States Navy could not sustain the attacks. After two weeks of onslaught, the Americans pulled back from the Filipino Waters on September 16th. Operation Comeback was postponed, and MacArthur became lividly furious.

One of the most damning defeats was the Battle of Leyte Gulf. The Americans sustained around 8,000 casualties while the Japanese sustained 18,000. However, the Japanese were simply far more willing to throw more men away than the Americans. Enter the Japanese battleship Musashi. Musashi was pivotal in the Japanese defense of Leyte Gulf, only appearing when it was time to overwhelm the Americans. Before the Americans pulled back to the Mariana Islands, the Musashi was seen repelling the Americans from the Gulf on the 16th, giving the Japanese a morale victory.

This proved two things to Pacific Command. One, the Japanese were not caving to internal pressures like the Germans. Tojo's replacement was nowhere near as destabilizing to Japan as Hitler's death was to Germany. Two, the Philippines were too well protected. Roosevelt personally apologized to Nimitz and approved a modified version of Operation Formosa. The Volcano and southern Bonin Islands would be captured by Marines and infantrymen once the waters were cleared, and the Americans prepared for a false attack like in Normandy to keep the Japanese from looking. After that, the assault on Taiwan would begin. This only infuriated MacArthur more, but his failure in Operation Comeback meant he had little sway. Perhaps he could redeem himself somewhat in Formosa.​

 

[Bigby]

European Front, October 1944: Fall of the Teutons

A dead Wehrmacht trooper in a dead city, October 20th
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The Eastern Front became the focus of the European Theatre. On October 1st, the Red Army broke through the Oder and entered the gates of Berlin early morning October 2nd. Speer and Bormann ordered every warm body to defend the city. The battle raged for three weeks, as the Wehrmacht worked tirelessly to prevent the dreaded Red Horde from taking their city. Goering, at this point, became near catatonic from constant opium and heroin use. Germany had practically lost two Fuhrers at this point, even if Goering still had a pulse. To keep the Soviets at bay, Speer and Bormann had no choice but to pull troops from the Western Front.

The Western Allies took advantage of this withdrawal to protect Berlin. Beginning from the Rhine, Eisenhower and Patton began Operation Friedrich, named after the last Holy Roman Emperor. The Americans and British moved into Germany and Austria proper with minimal resistance. Honestly, the Wehrmacht knew Germany was gone. The question now was who was the better power to surrender to. Essen, Dortmund, Innsbruck, Salzburg, and Frankfurt all fell within the first week. Next, the Western Allies conquered Kassel, Graz, Munich, and Nuremberg. Eventually, the Allies met in Vienna, and the Americans reached Prague on the 18th.

The Wehrmacht proved unable to defend much outside of Berlin. On October 19th, with the Russians inches away from the Fuhrerbunker, Goering committed suicide. Speer and Bormann contacted the Allies on both sides, calling for an immediate, unconditional surrender. The Valkyrie plotters, in hiding, realized what they had done. They did not save Germany, but indeed realized that they doomed it. They too committed suicide en masse like the Nazis did. Upon seeing Germany fall in three months without Hitler, many Germans would see the Valkyrie Plot as the second stab in the back. Perhaps if Hitler lived, Germany would have at least survived into 1945. Instead, it fell before Halloween. All of its allies in the Axis abandoned Germany, save for Italy, who crumbled a month earlier. Without Hitler, it was concluded that victory for Germany was impossible. The Allies would have to contend with this sentiment postwar....

The Reds were relieved when they discovered that the Western Allies fully intended to offer the Soviets their pound of flesh. Despite Patton's protests, Eisenhower allowed the Soviets to march into Berlin. Stalin was also pleased that the Allies withdrew to the western half of Germany, honoring the occupation zones set in Tunis. However, Stalin was a little upset how the Allies captured half of Vienna and much of Bohemia, however. He contacted President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill, arranging for a meeting in Prague to fully flesh out the post-war order. Both men quickly accepted. Many troops would have to remain in Europe to police the occupied Germany, but finally, Japan became the main focus. The Western Allies began their preparations to topple the Japanese.
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An American and Soviet soldier being chummy in Moravia on VE Day, October 20th.

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[Bigby]

Immediate Post-VE Day Occupations​

A map portraying the results of the Tunis Conference and immediately negotiated changes. Roosevelt ordered American troops back to the occupation line set by the Tunis Conference. In return, all four major nations agreed to joint occupation of Berlin and Vienna.
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The above map was how Europe looked for the remainder of October. Both sides honored already existing occupation terms, warming relations for a comprehensive peace talk in November. As promised, the United States occupied Baden-Wurttemberg and Bavaria, France occupied the Rhineland-Ruhr, Britain occupied Hanover, and the Soviets occupied the eastern portion of Germany. In a show of good faith, Stalin agreed to withdraw from Bohemia and let the Americans occupy the country split down Czech and Slovak borders. Notably, neither side found anything concrete on Czechoslovakia in the Tunis Accords, and promised to announce something in Prague. Greece and Albania were promised to fall under Western influence, so the British began to restore their governments while remaining for postwar assistance. Wherever pre-war governments could easily be established, plans were made to do so, even in Poland. Stalin went ahead and ceded majority Polish areas from Germany to Poland, with none of the Allies complaining whatsoever.

The Prague Conference was set for November, but negotiation concerns were already being addressed. Would Germany become one unified nation, divided in two, or divided completely by the four zones? How would Austria be handled? Would the Czechoslovaks be split into Western and Soviet satellites or remain a united but neutral buffer state? What would the post-war borders of Poland look like? Most importantly, how would Germany be prevented from ever threatening Europe again? A few other minor concerns would also need addressing, such as when Stalin would be ready to invade the Japanese Empire and what minor territorial concessions were to be made.

One thing was certain, however. As paranoid as Stalin remained, his Western friends honored all of his demands thus far. He still remained the ruthless dictator he was, but Stalin went to Prague with more genuine good faith. This cause concern in Britain and the United States, where anti-communist sentiment still existed. The honeymoon period had not ended, but the Red Scare was slowly losing its dormancy. The ongoing Pacific Theatre was the main factor in keeping anticommunist sentiment down. Not everyone was happy, however. Patton remained livid at the cost of Soviet friendship: eastern Germany. While his view was the minority one, General Patton was the spokesman for anti-Soviet sentiment in the Western Allies, and this continued friendship would keep him fanatical about it.

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[Bigby]

American Politics October 1944

Americans celebrating the collapse of Nazi Germany, October 20th.
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For most of October, the election remained static. The Pacific Front remained the worst issue for President Roosevelt, but minor successes with Operation Formosa helped further mitigate the pain caused by the defeats in Leyte Gulf. MacArthur was still upset, and while he made no wartime endorsement of a President, his aides practically all but confirmed that he was voting for Dewey out of spite. The European Front would be the determining factor for how well Roosevelt performed. Speaking of, how did Americans respond to American victory in Europe?

Naturally, the Americans were ecstatic. Half of the war was already over, and now Americans could breathe easy knowing that the world was this closer to resolution on WWII. Roosevelt campaigned heavily with his victory, finding the appeal to Americans too irresistible. Last month, Dewey used the war to hit Roosevelt hard on the campaign trail. Now, the tables have turned. VE Day was a huge celebration nation-wide, and it began a sweet honeymoon period for the American domestic front. Transferring American soldiers were promised a few weeks rest, and limited water-testing measures were made on the East Coast to resume civilian economic production. It felt good to be an American again.

Dewey tried to mitigate this news by promising to fix post-war Europe than Roosevelt. "Win the Peace!" became the Republican slogan for the remainder of the election. Dewey argued that Roosevelt was handing too much of Europe to the Reds, and in his own words, "a Red Europe fares no better for freedom than a Nazi one." However, most American voters still saw the Soviet Union as a wartime ally instead of the great Red Menace. Not only did this sound tone deaf to the overwhelming majority of voters, the Democrats used these attacks to paint Dewey as critical of American victory. Dewey's already small electoral vote share shrank further, as only the most conservative states remained loyal. Downballot Republicans began to hurt by proxy too, with certain races flipping from GOP to Democrat for the first time.

Roosevelt gained an opportunity to cement the internationalist vote in both parties permanently when Cordell Hull resigned from the Department of State on October 30th. Glad to see the war in Europe won, Hull felt like it was time to step down for his health's sake. Meanwhile, Wendell Willkie's health began to recover to a respectable level. Roosevelt promised Willkie a seat at the table for the formation of the United Nations, but what about giving Willkie something even better? The President knew just the remedy for this question! He addressed the public via radio:

"My fellow Americans, it is with great sadness that I report Secretary of State Cordell Hull is resigning. He has served well, and remains a friend of my administration, but he has chosen to step down due to health reasons. I wish him well, and will continue to listen to his advice as a private citizen. However, America needs a new Secretary of State, and I know the perfect gentleman for this position. I nominate Wendell Willkie to replace Cordell Hull, effective immediately. Willkie is also a personal friend of mine, and showed national unity by endorsing me despite being a Republican and I a Democrat. He will continue Hull's advocacy of international strength and healing. To sum it up, Willkie is a choice to let Hull rest easy at night, knowing all will remain well in the Department of State."

Willkie was brought before the Senate for confirmation hearings on October 31st and November 1st and 2nd. He was overwhelmingly approved by the Senate's vote on Friday, November 3rd. Willkie's first actions as Secretary of State were to campaign with Roosevelt personally, cementing the victory lap until election day on November 7th. Roosevelt campaigned on reelection to keep the war going smoothly by not replacing administrations, and substantial progress in Europe to the point of victory there worked in his favor. Now that only the Japanese remain in opposition, the earlier failures in September would not be repeated again.
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Pollsters' Aggregate Prediction of the Election, Final.​

 

[Bigby]

U.S. Presidential Election: November 7th, 1944

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No one seriously expected Dewey to defeat Roosevelt. The question was, instead, how well would Dewey perform? If Dewey kept the margins close, he could get the GOP closer to rule Congress come 1946. Better yet, if he kept the margins close, it could propel him to be the heir apparent for the Republican nomination in 1948. Only the most die-hard Republicans, anti-communists, and infuriated Generals expected a Roosevelt defeat. Roosevelt was declared victor relatively early in the evening by the media, and what everyone saw shocked them. Roosevelt not only won, but won in a landslide!

The victory against Goering's Germany and the other European Axis Powers propelled Roosevelt to his second best victory in all four elections, only bested by his campaign against Alf Landon in 1936. Several states expected to go to Dewey up until election Day, states like North Dakota, Wyoming, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Connecticut, narrowly went to Roosevelt. Indiana and New Hampshire barely went to Dewey, as Roosevelt was within a percentage point victory wise in each state. Dewey enjoyed a small uptick in the Pacific Coast states, given the mixed performance in the Pacific Theatre and an increase in the Asian-American vote, but it yielded no fruit. News of Germany's defeat, limited amount of civilian business reopening in the East Coast, and successes near Formosa kept FDR's coveted landslide a possibility and made it realized. (West Coast residents would grow somewhat angry at the calmness and luxury enjoyed by the East Coast, but that would not occur until well after the war ended.) Roosevelt earned around 56.5% of the popular vote to Dewey's 42.6%.

The magnificent performance by Roosevelt spelled doom for down ballot Republicans. Senator Robert Taft of Ohio, expected to have narrowly won re-election, narrowly lost it against his Democratic challenger. Democratic Senators in Iowa and Missouri, trailing their Republican opponents, won out in close but comfortable victories. Two states that Dewey won, Indiana and New Hampshire, saw Democratic victories by margins similarly narrow to Ohio. The Republicans kept damage relatively minimal, however, with victories in states like Wisconsin, New Jersey, Colorado, and Oregon. This gave the Democrats a net four gains in the Senate, going from 58 seats to a more commanding 62.
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Bright blue (Democrats) and bright red (Republicans) indicates a hold for the party. Darker colors indicate a win against the other party, respectively.
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The House elections similarly went well for the Democrats. Though the Democrats lost some seats, they made a net gain of 24. The narrow Democratic majority was bolstered from a narrow 222 before to a stronger 246. Speaker of House Sam Rayburn was please to see Democratic control of the House would not only continue, but become healthier. He made a special appearance with President Roosevelt later in November, where the President and economist Donald Nelson promised enough civilian enterprise to ensure a decent Christmas for all Americans.

Other than a reconfirmation of State Secretary Willkie, Roosevelt had yet to restructure the rest of his Cabinet after Election Night. He was focused on giving his acceptance speech and preparing for the Prague Conference. Thanks to Roosevelt's current trip to Prague, Vice President Wallace enjoyed considerable influence in deciding the next Presidential Cabinet. Some conservatives were dismayed, but the ongoing war gave Wallace the time to let his voice be heard without serious opposition. It was obvious the Democrats were in charge again, and a soundly defeated Dewey conceded and went back to New York, bitter and unsure of ever running for President again.​

 

[Bigby]

The Prague Conference: Europe Settled

The Big Three, Deciding Europe's Future - November 21st, 1944
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The Prague Conference met quickly to finalize Europe's postwar borders and deal with the lingering problems caused by the war. Europe was in shambles, millions of men were dead, ethnic lines irreparably changed, and worse yet, the Germans are bitter at their unexpectedly quick defeat. Something had to be done to address all these issues, and done fast. The negotiations lasted for over three weeks, but eventually, all three leaders reached a very agreeable settlement. In a joint announcement, the leaders of the Allies stated the changes agreed on during the conference.

Border changes were very drastic. A slight revision of the Curzon Line was made, ceding eastern Poland completely to the Soviets. To compensate, the Soviets carved Pomerania and Silesia from Germany, further granting Poland more land and aiding them financially and militarily with settlement efforts. Poland was also placed under a joint government between the London Pre-War Poles and the Lublin Soviet Poles, with elections deciding the fate of its government in 1945. Czechoslovakia was split between Western and Soviet influence, so the Allies decided to restore it as a neutral, unaligned entity under Edward Benes. The Soviets were compensated with the Ukrainian-majority areas in Slovakian Ruthenia, however. Soviet gains in Eastern Europe were begrudgingly but fully recognized, with territorial changes in Finland, the Baltics, Poland, and Romania acknowledged. Finally, the new Western-aligned Italian government was forced to cede Trieste and surrounding areas to Yugoslavia. Tyrol was discussed, but the Allies decided to keep it Italian for now, as to not reward the Austrians.

Next, the German occupation was discussed. A second stab-in-the-back myth emerged, thanks to the Valkyrie Plot's success in killing Hitler causing Germany to utterly crumble. Germans were upset at Goering's Germany for losing the war, but many more were upset at the conspirators for letting Germany destabilize so quickly. The Allies had to move quickly to prevent Hitler from becoming a martyr. The Allies agreed to four guiding principles of the occupation: demilitarisation, denazification, decentralisation, and democratisation. The Germans would not be allowed independence until all four were fully met. To that end, the Allies placed Austria entirely under joint proto-UN occupation and Germany under proto-UN occupation with the four occupiers' shares fundamentally preserved. France would also receive Saarbrucken and special rights to Rhenish industry until 1953. Once Germany was cleansed of its sins, it was promised freedom as a unified, demilitarized, and neutral nation-state. The Nazis would have to answer for their crimes, however.

Finally, Stalin's involvement in Japan was discussed. It became too close to cold weather for the Russians to invade, and they needed time to prepare. However, Stalin reaffirmed his willingness to honor a new front against Japan thanks to Western ... accommodations. He promised the beginning of Soviet actions against Japan by March 21st, 1945. Until then, he would be allowed to station his troops and let the winter pass. Once March arrived, Stalin would destabilize the Japanese war effort by rolling into Manchuria and Korea. The Western nations guaranteed that, if successful, Manchuria and Korea would fall under Soviet influence. In return, the Western powers would retake the Pacific colonial regions conquered by Japan, and the seas would be under British, American, and French jurisdiction.

Once again, the honeymoon between the two sides continued. Now was not the time to fear and distrust each other, despite the many questions that remained lingering. Would Stalin allow Eastern Europe to decide its own fate? Would the Allies let Stalin enjoy his own puppet kingdoms in Asia? Would both sides agree to keep Germany subjugated rather than using it as an attack dog against the other? Time would tell. At the moment, the Americans and Soviets began covert operations to gain a scientific advantage against each other and against Japan. In Roosevelt's mind, he left the conference with preparations for two new operations to finish the Manhattan Project....
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The Post-Prague Europe. Note United Nations Control of Germany and Austria.​

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[Bigby]

Operations Paperclip and Epsilon

Werner Heisenberg, German Nuclear Physicist

Operation Paperclip
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Despite the atrocities committed by many German scientists, the most ... useful ones were coveted by the Allied Powers. Those like Werner von Braun were too valuable to throw in prison, or worse yet, let the Soviets snag instead. The Japanese proved to be tough eggs to crack, so a few scientific wonder kids could help turn the war around. Rocketry, aeronautics, mathematicians, physicists ... all of these America wanted. Thanks to the joint occupation of Germany, the Americans enjoyed wide berth to locate any surviving scientists and determine their fates. However, the same was true for the Soviets. As such, President Roosevelt ordered OSS Director Dulles to begin the hunt for these German scientists and take them into custody.

Over time, about 1,000 German scientists would be captured by American forces. Many of these were current or former Nazis and Valkyrie plotters, but most were granted amnesty in return for loyalty to America and submission of their secrets. This Brain Drain would help propel America to victory in wars, in the tech race, and who knows? Maybe one day it could lead America to the stars. However, this would remain a permanent black stain on America's image. Nazi officials who were not scientifically useful ended up imprisoned or executed, but these men? Almost all of them avoided punishment. Did this send the message that Americans would excuse atrocities against mankind if you could benefit them? Time would tell, and the Soviets would have similar sins to answer for too. Right now, pragmatism ruled the day over principle.
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Operation Epsilon
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The Manhattan Project needed an extra push to finish quickly. The Japanese rarely, if ever, surrendered on the battlefield. Instead, they fought to the last man with suicidal frenzy. If the Allies landed in Japan conventionally, would the Japanese keep this suicidal fervor? Honor or victory be damned, Roosevelt did not want the genocide of the Japanese on his hands. Originally, the bomb was going to be used against whichever Axis threat was the most urgent, but Japan was all that remained. There were rumors of Germany finishing an atomic bomb with their brilliant nuclear physicists. Roosevelt ordered a subordinate operation of Paperclip, Operation Epsilon, to be carried out to locate these men and impress them into Manhattan.

Chief among these men was Werner Heisenberg, Germany's top nuclear physics expert. OSS operatives located him in Bavaria. The Americans occupied Bavaria, making the matter to locate him ... surprisingly easy. The next step was to convince Heisenberg to defect to the Americans. Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr., an American trooper who narrowly avoided death in August, was the man responsible for interrogating Heisenberg. He found the physicist in his Bavaria home, unharmed and fully cooperative. The two sat down and smoked cigars together.

"So, I'm sorry to be blunt, but I gotta ask. Did you Krauts really come close to making this big ass bomb?" Joseph asked Werner with a chuckle. Werner decided to entertain the America's levity and shrugs. "Oh, we experts knew what we were doing, but Hitler never gave us the final touches we needed. He considered the field of nuclear physics a 'Jewish science' and obstructed research whenever possible. He wanted a bomb, but his fanaticism stopped him from getting what he wanted. Honestly, it was for the better. I did not trust that man with such a hypothetical."

Kennedy narrowed his eyes a little as he puffed out smoke. "Jewish physics, huh? Didn't know science was biased like that." He sarcastically remarked. "You don't believe that shit, do you?" Heisenberg shook his head. "No. I am not a Nazi and was only in the program because I am German." "You sure you're not a Nazi? Because if you're lying to me...." "I promise you, Mr. Kennedy. I just want to live my life in peace, and avoid a guilty conscience." "Oh, really?" Joseph chuckled. "Well, if you want that, you're coming with me to Britain and then the States. You're going to give us whatever we need and help us with our own atomic program. You'll bring your friends too."

Heisenberg shook a little and gulped down saliva nervously. "And if I refuse?" Kennedy responded by pulling out his pistol and aiming the barrel right between Heisenberg's eyes. "I report back that you were found dead, and that you were a Nazi bastard. Your family will fuckin' pay for it." The distressed Werner just nodded, shaking in abject terror. "There's no need for that! Fine, I'll cooperate. If this ends up how I think this ends up, I hope that you'll burn in Hell for how you're treating me." "I'm just doing what Uncle Sam wants of me." Kennedy falsely assured the man. This particular tidbit was omitted from Kennedy's report after taking Heisenberg to Cambridge. Over the winter, Heisenberg began to directly aid Project Manhattan and locate other chief German physicists.
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