Paul V McNutt
Banned
In a campaign speech Wendell Willkie said that if Roosevelt was reelected, the US would be at war by April 1941. What if he was right?
The POD comes on April 7, 1941 when a German submarine sinks a US battleship in the middle of the Atlantic the entire crew of 1000 is feared dead or missing On April 9, Congress declares war on Germany. On April 10, Germany and Italy declare war on the US. That same day Congress declared war on Italy.
On Dec 7, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Do to the wartime security, the base had a 40 minute warning of the attack. They got the planes in the air. The Japanese pilots found themselves in a massive dog fight A warning was issued to all the American and British bases in the Pacific. The Japanese found in all their other attacks that day empty harbors and planes in the air. As the Japanese attacked the Philippines they met stiff resistance from the Army of the Commonwealth of the Philippines, As part of the mobilization process, the US Congress fully funded the Filipino Army. In January 1942, reinforcements from the US arrived in the Philippines and drove away the Japanese invaders.
On March 8, US and Commonwealth forces landed in the French colonies of Morocco and Tunesia. On March 10, an agreement was reached with Vichy French commander Francois Darlan. Resistance by Vichy French forces stopped but Darlan remained in power. The so called Darlan Deal stirred controversy.
In May, US forces were able to stop a Japanese advance at the Battle of Midway. In June, at the Battle of Philippine Sea, US Naval forces stationed in the Philippines were able to destroy a Japanese convoy on its way to invade New Guinea. That summer Allied Naval forces were able to harass Japanese ships and cripple the invasion of New Guinea
That same month Allied forces were able to drive out the last German and Italian forces in Tunesia. In July the invasion of Libya began. In August Rommel surrendered as his forces were surrounded. He defied an order from Hitler to fight on.
On November 8 , Allied forces invaded the Gilbert Islands in the Pacific and Sicily in Europe. Mussolini was deposed on November 22. On December 3rd, the new Italian government declared waron Germany but by then the Germans had taken control over most of Italy by the start of 1943, it was clear that Italy was a quagmire.
The news improved in 1943. In July, the Allies took control of the Mariana Islands. On October 6, Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy By early November, the Allied forces broke out of the Normandy beachhead. By November 25, they had liberated Paris. The bombing of Japan from bases on the Mariana Islands began on November 28. On December 15, , Allied forces invaded Southern France
In 1944 the Allies would drive on to victory. In February, Allied forces took the Pacific island of Iwo Jima and from April to June conquered they neighboring island of Okinawa. In Europe, July saw the WAllies surrounded Berlin and liberate Warsaw and Prague. The Germans surrendered on August 8 or VE Day.
On November 8, the USSR declared war on Japan. Herohito was not only worried about the expansion of the war with the new Soviet involvement, he worried more about a potential revolt as refugees from the devastated cities competed for food with rural residents. So he announced a surrender on November 15 or VJ Day. The WAllied European veterans breath a sigh of relief. They were scheduled to go to the Pacific front in January following the end of the holiday season. So did President Roosevelt, the end of the war comes after he has been safely reelected for a fourth term. He was campaigning on a don't swap horses in the middle of the stream theme. He told the American people that although the war in Europe is over, there will be a long drawn out invasion of Japan.
After the war, the map of Europe looks different. There is the separate nations of East and West Poland,until they vote to reunite in 1990. After the not so velvet divorce in 1945, Czechoslavika comes to an end as Soviet occupied Slovakia breaks away. The occupation zones of Germany result in an East and West Germany from 1949 -1990, just like OTL but ITTL East Germany is surrounded by free nations. The Soviets have to supply East Germany by ship. which makes an additional drain on Soviet finances. While there will be US military bases in West Germany, most of the bases are in the front line states of West Poland and the Czech Republic. So if you are a child of a member of the American Armed Services and a German, you may have a different heritage.
The Manhattan Project continues. The atomic bomb is a military secret until the Soviets explode one in 1949.
There is one more less important change. FDR lives longer. The final victory lofts his spirits and reduces his job stress. I don''t think this changes much. There would be no important policy differences between Roosevelt and Truman.
This change would not last long. Roosevelt is still a very sick man. While his job is less stressful it is still stressful. He also still smokes. The early end of the war will only buy him a few months. Of course, Truman wins less admiration. He did not inherit a nation at war. He also loses one controversy. The atomic bombs are never dropped.
The POD comes on April 7, 1941 when a German submarine sinks a US battleship in the middle of the Atlantic the entire crew of 1000 is feared dead or missing On April 9, Congress declares war on Germany. On April 10, Germany and Italy declare war on the US. That same day Congress declared war on Italy.
On Dec 7, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Do to the wartime security, the base had a 40 minute warning of the attack. They got the planes in the air. The Japanese pilots found themselves in a massive dog fight A warning was issued to all the American and British bases in the Pacific. The Japanese found in all their other attacks that day empty harbors and planes in the air. As the Japanese attacked the Philippines they met stiff resistance from the Army of the Commonwealth of the Philippines, As part of the mobilization process, the US Congress fully funded the Filipino Army. In January 1942, reinforcements from the US arrived in the Philippines and drove away the Japanese invaders.
On March 8, US and Commonwealth forces landed in the French colonies of Morocco and Tunesia. On March 10, an agreement was reached with Vichy French commander Francois Darlan. Resistance by Vichy French forces stopped but Darlan remained in power. The so called Darlan Deal stirred controversy.
In May, US forces were able to stop a Japanese advance at the Battle of Midway. In June, at the Battle of Philippine Sea, US Naval forces stationed in the Philippines were able to destroy a Japanese convoy on its way to invade New Guinea. That summer Allied Naval forces were able to harass Japanese ships and cripple the invasion of New Guinea
That same month Allied forces were able to drive out the last German and Italian forces in Tunesia. In July the invasion of Libya began. In August Rommel surrendered as his forces were surrounded. He defied an order from Hitler to fight on.
On November 8 , Allied forces invaded the Gilbert Islands in the Pacific and Sicily in Europe. Mussolini was deposed on November 22. On December 3rd, the new Italian government declared waron Germany but by then the Germans had taken control over most of Italy by the start of 1943, it was clear that Italy was a quagmire.
The news improved in 1943. In July, the Allies took control of the Mariana Islands. On October 6, Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy By early November, the Allied forces broke out of the Normandy beachhead. By November 25, they had liberated Paris. The bombing of Japan from bases on the Mariana Islands began on November 28. On December 15, , Allied forces invaded Southern France
In 1944 the Allies would drive on to victory. In February, Allied forces took the Pacific island of Iwo Jima and from April to June conquered they neighboring island of Okinawa. In Europe, July saw the WAllies surrounded Berlin and liberate Warsaw and Prague. The Germans surrendered on August 8 or VE Day.
On November 8, the USSR declared war on Japan. Herohito was not only worried about the expansion of the war with the new Soviet involvement, he worried more about a potential revolt as refugees from the devastated cities competed for food with rural residents. So he announced a surrender on November 15 or VJ Day. The WAllied European veterans breath a sigh of relief. They were scheduled to go to the Pacific front in January following the end of the holiday season. So did President Roosevelt, the end of the war comes after he has been safely reelected for a fourth term. He was campaigning on a don't swap horses in the middle of the stream theme. He told the American people that although the war in Europe is over, there will be a long drawn out invasion of Japan.
After the war, the map of Europe looks different. There is the separate nations of East and West Poland,until they vote to reunite in 1990. After the not so velvet divorce in 1945, Czechoslavika comes to an end as Soviet occupied Slovakia breaks away. The occupation zones of Germany result in an East and West Germany from 1949 -1990, just like OTL but ITTL East Germany is surrounded by free nations. The Soviets have to supply East Germany by ship. which makes an additional drain on Soviet finances. While there will be US military bases in West Germany, most of the bases are in the front line states of West Poland and the Czech Republic. So if you are a child of a member of the American Armed Services and a German, you may have a different heritage.
The Manhattan Project continues. The atomic bomb is a military secret until the Soviets explode one in 1949.
There is one more less important change. FDR lives longer. The final victory lofts his spirits and reduces his job stress. I don''t think this changes much. There would be no important policy differences between Roosevelt and Truman.
This change would not last long. Roosevelt is still a very sick man. While his job is less stressful it is still stressful. He also still smokes. The early end of the war will only buy him a few months. Of course, Truman wins less admiration. He did not inherit a nation at war. He also loses one controversy. The atomic bombs are never dropped.