What if FDR didn't die in 1945?

[Louis XXIV]

What did Stalin do in 39? If your referring to signing a non-aggression pack, isn't that about securing his nation. Oh on second thought, Are you referring to the partitioning of Poland.

There were the actions of the NKVD in Poland.

That being said, a lot of the information from Poland was not well known in the west. Also, much of Stalin's aggression can be seen more clearly post-war and are still consistent with Roosevelt's quote to a degree. Stalin's primary goal was a buffer zone because he cared about security, not expansion. However, it was a buffer zone fueled by paranoia that prevented him from working for democracy (which, of course, he never had any interest in doing). There was also quite a bit of political considerations necessary that would force FDR to choose his words very carefully when talking about Stalin.

 

[LightSpectra]

I wouldn't be quite that harsh. After all, without FDR we may have ended up with President Huey Long or someone similar. Bu the certainly needed to die; preferably around December 6 1941 or so. Though that would leave Hull as President. Damn. Huey Long doesn't seem so bad now.

I wish Truman would've become president a little bit sooner than he did in real life, because then he might've agreed to bomb the European railroad tracks that transported people to concentration camps. He might also have rescinded Executive Order 9066, but I don't know enough about him to say anything about that.

 

[Terxpahseyton]

I wish Truman would've become president a little bit sooner than he did in real life, because then he might've agreed to bomb the European railroad tracks that transported people to concentration camps.

Why didn't FDR?

 

[LightSpectra]

Why didn't FDR?

Possibly because he was an antisemite. FDR also personally ordered, against the advice of Hull and Morgenthau, that Jews escaping Axis or Axis-occupied country would not be able to enter the United States. Look up the MS St. Louis.

 

[Neonanocyborgasm]

FDR died of a stroke, which is entirely unrelated to polio. It's unfathomable to believe that the elements that predisposed him to stroke could simply be whisked away. That would make him an entirely different person.

Even if he had lived long enough to survive his last term of office (1948), it's unlikely he would continue in politics beyond then, as he had already long stretched the bounds of office by a 4th term. There was also the matter of an amendment enacted that would've prevented it anyway. Most likely he would retire. I doubt it would change much. Truman seems to have carried out most of his policies to his specifications.

 

[LiquidCommander]

If he hadn't had died, Hitler wouldn't have gotten all excited for nothing.

"What? Their president is dead? We won the war!!!"

...Well, Nazify it, Hitlerize it, and change "we won the war" to "we might win the war", and that's what Hitler said.

 

[GoodGame]

The Cold War would have been avoided. FDR had a better relationship with Stalin and was made of sterner stuff than Truman. I don't think he would have allowed the war hawks in the US and Britain to bully him into starting the Cold War.

If the Cold War started with Berlin air-supply, then FDR would have laughed and let 'em starve? I don't think so. Would FDR have just gave Berlin to the Russians?


And what if FDR started eating tons of oily fish?

 

[BuckyRea]

Though that would leave Hull as President. Damn. Huey Long doesn't seem so bad now.

I think you mean Wallace. Agreed: that would be a Bad Thing^TM. But probably not as bad as a President Huey Long. With Huey, one really can't be sure which side of the war the US would end up on.

 

[ParkCungHee]

There was absolutely zero chance that Huey Long would have even flirted with the Axis Powers except in extremely bad alternate history.

 

[Dachs]

Most WWII alternate history is bad anyway.

 

[LightSpectra]

If he hadn't had died, Hitler wouldn't have gotten all excited for nothing.

"What? Their president is dead? We won the war!!!"

...Well, Nazify it, Hitlerize it, and change "we won the war" to "we might win the war", and that's what Hitler said.

Breaking Hitler's heart in such a fashion is probably the only thing I can praise FDR for.

 

[Lord Baal]

I wish Truman would've become president a little bit sooner than he did in real life, because then he might've agreed to bomb the European railroad tracks that transported people to concentration camps. He might also have rescinded Executive Order 9066, but I don't know enough about him to say anything about that.

Bombing the railroad tracks wouldn't have accomplished much, LS. It would simply have diverted bombers from more important targets, in effect prolonging the war slightly and actually resulting in a longer Holocaust. Most of the important railroads were in the eastern half of the Reich and difficult for the Western Powers to hit anyway. I don't know about EO 9066.

Possibly because he was an antisemite. FDR also personally ordered, against the advice of Hull and Morgenthau, that Jews escaping Axis or Axis-occupied country would not be able to enter the United States. Look up the MS St. Louis.

I've never heard of any evidence of anti-Semitism from Roosevelt. Don't forget that Churchill had a similar - though not nearly as harsh - policy towards refugees from Axis-occupied nations, including Jews, and he was certainly no anti-Semite.

I think you mean Wallace. Agreed: that would be a Bad Thing^TM. But probably not as bad as a President Huey Long. With Huey, one really can't be sure which side of the war the US would end up on.

You'd be right, it was Wallace. But there was no chance Long would side with the Axis; he despised racism in general and Hitler specifically. He was an isolationist though, so it is extremely doubtful he'd have followed as aggressive a policy towards Germany as FDR did - though he may have acted aggressively towards Japan, since he considered them a threat to American interests in the Pacific - which is obviously a very bad thing for Britain and the USSR.

 

[ParkCungHee]

Bombing the railroad tracks wouldn't have accomplished much, LS. It would simply have diverted bombers from more important targets, in effect prolonging the war slightly and actually resulting in a longer Holocaust. Most of the important railroads were in the eastern half of the Reich and difficult for the Western Powers to hit anyway. I don't know about EO 9066.

I'd also point out, as my professor of Jewish History did, that a Railroad is not particularly difficult to repair. Given a large supply of available labor, hint, hint, the rails could be up and moving in a few hours. To give an idea of how effectively the cutting of rails could impeded the holocaust, just look at how much it slowed things in Greece and Yugoslavia.

You'd be right, it was Wallace. But there was no chance Long would side with the Axis; he despised racism in general and Hitler specifically. He was an isolationist though, so it is extremely doubtful he'd have followed as aggressive a policy towards Germany as FDR did - though he may have acted aggressively towards Japan, since he considered them a threat to American interests in the Pacific - which is obviously a very bad thing for Britain and the USSR.

Why? An attack by Japan likely means a German Declaration of War, and Long couldn't simply ignore that. It would have an immense impact on the war once it was started as Long likely would consider the United States as a "Co-Belligerant" rather then an ally.

 

[Lord Baal]

I'd also point out, as my professor of Jewish History did, that a Railroad is not particularly difficult to repair. Given a large supply of available labor, hint, hint, the rails could be up and moving in a few hours. To give an idea of how effectively the cutting of rails could impeded the holocaust, just look at how much it slowed things in Greece and Yugoslavia.


Why? An attack by Japan likely means a German Declaration of War, and Long couldn't simply ignore that. It would have an immense impact on the war once it was started as Long likely would consider the United States as a "Co-Belligerant" rather then an ally.

Except that I doubt Germany would declare war on the US if it weren't actively assisting the UK and USSR, even given Hitler's anti-Semitism and his desire to have Japan invade Russia for him. For that matter, I'm not entirely sure if Long would have acted aggressively towards Japan, I'm merely summising that from the fact that he didn't want to give up The Philippines.

 

[ParkCungHee]

Actually, Long was all for giving up the Phillipines if that's what you meant. IIRC he backed a bill for giving the Phillipines independence earlier.

 

[Lord Baal]

Actually, Long was all for giving up the Phillipines if that's what you meant. IIRC he backed a bill for giving the Phillipines independence earlier.

Ah, I should clarify; Long didn't want to give up The Philippines only to have the Japanese take it over. He wanted full independence for them; one of the few times he said anything interventionist regarding foreign policy was when he said he wouldn't permit the Philippines to become a colony of the British. I presume he'd be even more inclined to keep it from the Japanese.

 

[ParkCungHee]

Probably yes, and it seems unlikely to me that he'd be entirely opposed to taking restrictive economic measures against Japan, though he might bundle that with the same against Britain and China.

 

[Lord Baal]

Probably yes, and it seems unlikely to me that he'd be entirely opposed to taking restrictive economic measures against Japan, though he might bundle that with the same against Britain and China.

Almost certainly with the same against Britain, given his hatred of the UK - which I never really understood, since he was never really given a reason to hate them as much as he did. I don't see him passing sanctions against China though. Not enough trade to really justify it. He'd likely sanction the USSR just for the hell of it though, given his feelings towards communism. In fact, that there might be the only chance of him acting against Germany; the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact might convince him to side with the Western Allies.

I've always found the Kingfish fascinating. Certainly way more interesting than FDR.

 

[Karalysia]

Forget his foreign policy, I want to see how the Share Our Wealth program goes. I'm a big fan of that personally.

 

[ParkCungHee]

Assuming it actually is implemented? Like a Led Zeppelin presumably. As much as I tend to be sympathetic to Long, Share Our Wealth offered very little in the way of offering actual economic stimulation.
Far more interesting to me is his plans to change around Roosevelts awful bank reforming...