FDR, upon elected, goes genuinely insane.
Seriously, I'd love a timeline where FDR starts getting strange, yet realistic, delusions.
I mean, have a look at contemporary figures: William Hale Thompson, the last Republican mayor of Chicago, genuinely believed that the United States' greatest enemy was the British king George V. Stalin wanted actor John Wayne shot, and William Lyon Mackenzie King regularly conversed with spiritual mediums to get political advice from such dead figures as Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Leonardo da Vinci, and his own late mother. Become inspired by that, and have Roosevelt slowly get all these strange tendencies during his presidency.
"Ah, Mr. Secretary of State, I am pleased you could come! I have a matter I need to discuss with you most urgently: Last night, I had a conversation with George Washington and Andrew Jackson, and they raised a point I haven't really thought about: Can we really trust the British royal family? President Jackson fears they could be plotting an attempt on my life... And I wonder, with the Wallis Simpson connection, do you think that Hollywood could be involved as well?"
Problem is even with that if the USA is still even half as well off as OTL than whatever side the US joins on will be the winnerFDR has wage and price controls. He also converts the USA to a pure Fiat currency, and prints money wildly. The USA descends to hyper-inflation. Congress brings back the UK concept of debtor prisons, millions are imprisoned.
On Foreign Affairs, he adopts a policy that angers most of the world powers. He does an oil embargo on Japan based on protocol error by Japanese diplomat. He publicly states a desire to conquer Canada, etc. Basically have him pursue a diplomatic policy that isolates the USA from all potential allies.
Then, with the USA economically ruined and with no foreign allies, have WW2 start. Have FDR enter early, on the losing side.
Problem is even with that if the USA is still even half as well off as OTL than whatever side the US joins on will be the winner
Even killing half the US warmaking capability will still leave it with a quarter of the worlds war-fighting potential and more than anyone else.Even if that side is Stalin make a crazed charge at Germany with Winter war level organisation?
FDR, upon elected, goes genuinely insane.
Seriously, I'd love a timeline where FDR starts getting strange, yet realistic, delusions.
I mean, have a look at contemporary figures: William Hale Thompson, the last Republican mayor of Chicago, genuinely believed that the United States' greatest enemy was the British king George V. Stalin wanted actor John Wayne shot, and William Lyon Mackenzie King regularly conversed with spiritual mediums to get political advice from such dead figures as Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Leonardo da Vinci, and his own late mother. Become inspired by that, and have Roosevelt slowly get all these strange tendencies during his presidency.
"Ah, Mr. Secretary of State, I am pleased you could come! I have a matter I need to discuss with you most urgently: Last night, I had a conversation with George Washington and Andrew Jackson, and they raised a point I haven't really thought about: Can we really trust the British royal family? President Jackson fears they could be plotting an attempt on my life... And I wonder, with the Wallis Simpson connection, do you think that Hollywood could be involved as well?"
So he'd be Ronald Reagan?
Even killing half the US warmaking capability will still leave it with a quarter of the worlds war-fighting potential and more than anyone else.
Even with the situation described organization will get better over time and the USSR has a lot of manpower. combined just the USA and USSR in this situation could at least stalemate the world if not win, that is assuming the USA takes a 50% hit, more is unlikely and less will leave the USA even better
You could get Garner, which is Hoover 2.0. That could lead to Long.What about no FDR?
Even then the USA will not lose or have to give up anything, it just will not winNot if the war is highly unpopular and ends in a coup attempt or something.