Today In Alternate History

May 31

In 1819, Walt Whitman, future Communist candidate for the presidency, was born on Long Island, NY.

President Walt WhitmanHe worked as a journalist, a teacher, a government clerk before launching a political career. In 1856 he was elected to the presidency at the head of the Communist Party ticket. Whitman brought the Marxist-Thoreauvian political theory of the 1840's to life, and led America to a brave new world of social justice.

While there are some bumps along the way, Comrade Whitman is still remembered as one of the finest presidents to serve the country.

In 1902, on this day the Treaty of Vereeniging Assures Boer Independence. After generations of colonial strife between Dutch Boer and British settlers, the matter of dominance in southern Africa came to an end with recognition of independence for the Boer Republics.

Treaty of Vereeniging Assures Boer IndependenceDutch settlement began in 1652 with the establishment of a refreshment station along the Cape Sea Route. Introducing slave labor, the Dutch expanded and defeated the native Xhosa in wars that gradually added more and more territory to Boer ("farmer") control. As naval supremacy shifted from Dutch to British hands, new waves of British settlers arrived, pushing the Dutch toward an inland migration. The two peoples lived somewhat peacefully until the discovery of diamonds in 1866. European powers descended on Africa, carving it up into their own empires, and the British annexed mineral-rich Transvaal to ensure dominance.

The Boers balked under British government and declared independence in 1880. While they did not have the advanced weaponry of the British soldiers, the Boers did have intimate knowledge of the land and conducted devastating guerrilla attacks. Prime Minister Gladstone offered a treaty in 1881, which allowed Boers in Transvaal and the Orange Free State self-government with a parliament under Queen Victoria's rule. The peace lasted for a time until the discovery of gold in 1886 at Witwatersrand ("White Water Ridge") prompted a predominantly British gold rush. Tensions grew again, and, in 1895, Cape Colony Prime Minister Cecil Rhodes launched the Jameson Raid to seize Johannesburg from Transvaal. The Boers repulsed and arrested the attackers, sending them back to the British for trial, and began an alliance between Transvaal and the Orange Free State for defense. Ultimatums were sent out on both sides, not met, and the war began with a devastating Boer offensive in 1899 with tactics comparable to the First Boer War. The British retaliated with more than 180,000 men, dealing with guerrillas by systematically searching out and arresting whole Boer families and placing them in concentration camps.

While the bloody war dragged on in southern Africa, it laid a pretense for the rest of Europe to attack on the high seas. Britain had held unquestioned naval superiority since the Battle of Trafalgar and the simultaneous defeats of the French and Spanish fleets, but new nations had grown over the tumultuous nineteenth century. Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany took note of the bloodshed in Africa first with the Jameson Raid, after which he sent a telegram to President Kruger of Transvaal saying, "I express to you my sincere congratulations that you and your people, without appealing to the help of friendly powers, have succeeded, by your own energetic action against the armed bands which invaded your country as disturbers of the peace, in restoring peace and in maintaining the independence of the country against attack from without". The telegram spurred outcry in Britain and much anti-German sentiment. Four years later in February of 1900, according to his memoirs, the Kaiser "received news by telegraph .. that Russia and France had proposed to Germany to make a joint attack on England, now that she was involved elsewhere, and to cripple her sea traffic".

Wilhelm was unnerved by the idea of attacking Britain, which had lost its beloved Queen Victoria, his grandmother, only weeks before, but he determined to feel out the possibility for success. Britain had recently begun renovating its fleet under the Naval Defense Act of 1898, a response to Germany's own First Fleet Act, showing that it meant to always outpace Germany's seaward expansion. In 1900, as German Admiral Tirpitz worked to completed a new bill for dozens of ships, three German mail ships were humiliatingly boarded by a British cruiser searching for weapon supplies for Boers. The efforts of British soldiers to restrict Boer freedom of movement to limit guerrilla flexibility came to press that fall, and Wilhelm saw his opportunity to act in their defense. He called a conference of Russia (who had battled with Britain in the Great Game for central Asia for decades), France (who had been humiliated at the Fashoda Incident in 1898), and Portugal (whose Pink Map strategy of linking Africa east and west had been destroyed by the 1890 British Ultimatum, demanding central Africa for Britain for its Cape to Cairo railway) in addition to old allies Austria-Hungary and Italy and drew up an ultimatum for Britain to remove her forces from the Boer Republics or face blockade.

Although many in Britain did not want to see war, it seemed to be a turning point for the end of her colonial power. Debate continued almost endlessly in Parliament between the peace-minded Liberals under David Lloyd George and Conservatives who controlled the government, and finally the deadline of January 1, 1901, passed without action hoping that the Kaiser had bluffed and could not maintain control of such a varied coalition. However, each nation seemed to have its own issues with Britain and were happy to form a united attack, leading to the First World War. Although Europe itself was practically devoid of military action, there were unprecedented sea battles along with a German, French, and Portuguese campaigns into central Africa from the Orange State to Sudan, seizure of the Suez Canal, and a Russian march on Tibet, threatening India. Britain's imperial resources became stretched thin, and its search for allies only turned up Japan, who effectively took Russia out of the war.

The end of the war in 1905 was brought about through a conference held by American President Theodore Roosevelt, who received a Nobel Peace Prize for his actions. Britain's empire became hamstrung, but the resulting treaties outlined a method of international oversight to ensure the actions taken against Boers (which continued to serve as the grounds of war) could never happen again became an international court to slow imperialism for other actions in later land-rushes in China and the collapsing Ottoman Empire.

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Jeff Provine

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Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Jeff Provine Blog Source: Jeff Provine’s Blog Labels: Boer, South Africa, Dutch, Africa, Kaiser.

Todayinah Editor Editor says, in reality the Kaiser "objected and ordered that the proposal should be declined", ending the notion of a multinational naval war with Britain. He instead notified "Queen Victoria and to the Prince of Wales (Edward) the facts of the Russo-French proposal, and its refusal by me. The Queen answered expressing her hearty thanks, the Prince of Wales with an expression of astonishment". The British strategies of containment eventually wore down the guerrillas, ending the war in 1902 with the Peace of Vereeniging, which promised to return self-rule to the Boer Republics: a promise made good in 1907.

Readers Comment Jackie Rose commented on 2012-06-01 11:59:44 ~ Would there still have been a successful black revolt, which helped inspire the American civil rights movement?

Readers Comment H. Torrance Griffin commented on 2012-06-01 16:33:10 ~ In all bluntness, how many would insist said oversight be applied to the treatment of non-whites?

Readers Comment Eric Oppen commented on 2012-06-01 16:46:56 ~ If this headed the OTL World Wars off at the pass, it might well have been worth it.

In 1863, on this day Lt Col. Joshua Chamberlain transferred out of 20th Maine Infantry in order to seek a colonelcy in a drafted regiment of conscripts.

Killer AngelHe had been offered the rank a year before, but declined in order to "start a little lower and learn the business first". In a letter to his wife Fanny, he indicated that he was now ready:

"What would you think, Fanny, of my obtaining the colonelcy of one of the new Regiments to be raised in Maine under the recent Law - the conscript or drafted Regts. Would you leave the old 20th? I declare it makes my heart heavy to think of it. But the Col. says if he does not get his appointment, I ought to go in for another Regt. The colonels are to be apptd. by the President Col. Ames thinks we've been Lieut. Col. long enough. We have been through two memorable campaigns and very likely shall be into another one before any change can be made. I can imagine there would be the least difficulty in obtaining the place if desired".

His wife was fully supportative¹, and he left V Corps less than a month before the Battle of Gettysburg where his old regiment was decimated on the left flank of the Union Army. Tragically, General Gouverneur K. Warren was thrown from his horse and killed before he could properly organize the defense of "Little Round Top" hill ².

Entry posted by Todayinah Editor

Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Generals Source: Wikipedia Labels: Fanny Adams, Joshua Chamberlain, Gettysburg, Union, Civil War.

Todayinah Editor Editor says, in this article we repurpose significant amounts of content from Wikipedia and refer to May 2012 Edition of Civil War Times which includes a review of the forthcoming book "Joshua Chamberlain: A Life in Letters" by Thomas Desjardin. 1) In our timeline he changed his mind 2) Warren played a key (if not fully recognized) role in the Union victory.

Readers Comment Jared Myers commented on 2012-05-31 22:57:03 ~ Chamberlain's absence could potentially have led to the destruction of the Army of the Potomac at Gettysburg, and the advent of a protracted conflict in Pennsylvania and perhaps New York. I don't think Lee would have taken D.C. and occasioned an end to the War, but he would have returned to Virginia have successfully campaigned in the North and leaving behind a much-weakened enemy.

Readers Comment Chris Oakley commented on 2012-06-01 01:28:17 ~ All I can say is, thank goodness the OTL Chamberlain decided to stick around.

Readers Comment Eric Oppen commented on 2012-06-01 22:40:26 ~ With a different CO, the Maine men on Little Round Top could have done just as well, or could have broken and routed. Impossible to know.

Readers Comment Jeff Provine commented on 2012-06-03 22:24:06 ~ At the same time, we've got the fall of Vicksburg, which could negate any Southern forward movement.

In 1810, on this day the seventeenth President of the United States, Horatio Seymour (pictured) was born in Pompey Hill, New York.

Horatio Seymour
17th US PresidentAfter his graduation from the American Literary, Scientific & Military Academy he read for the law and was admitted to the bar in 1832. But he did not enjoy work as an attorney and was primarily preoccupied with politics and managing his family's business interests. His first role in politics came in 1833, when he was named military secretary to the state's newly elected Democratic governor, William L. Marcy. The six years in that position gave Seymour an invaluable education in the politics of the state, and established a firm friendship between the two men.

In 1839 he returned to Utica to take over the management of his family's estate in the aftermath of his father's suicide two years earlier, investing in both real estate and in financial stocks. In 1841 he won election to the New York State Assembly, and he served simultaneously as mayor of Utica from 1842 to 1843. He won reelection in 1842, and again from 1844 to 1846, and thanks in part to massive turnover in the ranks of the Democratic caucus was elected speaker in 1845.

Further success led to two terms of office at Governor of New York, a prominent position that elevated him to a national political figure at a key moment in the history of the Republic. In the secession crisis following Abraham Lincoln's election in 1860, Seymour strongly endorsed the proposed Crittenden Compromise an unsucccesful attempt to address the grievances of the slave states. After the start of hostilities, Seymour took a cautious middle position within his party, supporting the war effort but criticizing Lincoln's conduct of the war. He was especially critical of Lincoln's wartime centralization of power and restrictions on civil liberties, as well as his support for emancipation.

As a result of his robust opposition to the Lincoln Administration, Seymour was the Democratic candidate chosen to run in 1868. Surprisingly, his opponent was Abraham Lincoln himself, who was - with great reluctance - seeking his third term of office in order to to close out Reconstruction which was at a particularly delicate phase of near completion. Perhaps Lincoln might have made good on his commitment to restore business as usual, but the evidence suggested otherwise because the President had chosen his nominal successor Ulysses S. Grant as running mate.

Of course the Lincoln-Grant dream ticket was widely expected to win re-election, but Seymour ran a surprisingly deft contest. He demonstrated sound executive judgement beginning with the infinitely wise decision to reject Francis Blair as a running mate, realising that he would campaign in a manner seen as too pro-southern so soon after the end of the Civil War. And fears that a further four years in the job would kill Lincoln proved prescient because he died three months before polling day. Grant, who did not really want to be President, had hardly campaigned at all, and in the event Seymour won by the narrowest of margins in November.

Entry posted by Todayinah Editor

Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Politicians Source: Wikipedia Labels: Horatio Seymour, Texas, Presidency, America, George H. Pendleton.

Todayinah Editor Editor says, in authoring this article we refer to US Election Atlas, Civil War Talk and we also repurposed content from Wikipedia.

Readers Comment Chris Oakley commented on 2012-05-08 17:57:03 ~ A few more tweaks and Grant could have ended up playing Truman to Lincoln's FDR...

Readers Comment Eric Lipps commented on 2012-05-12 21:27:26 ~ I doubt Lincoln would have sought a third term; he found the presidency dreadfully wearing, and had he lived until 1868 he would likely have been eager to step down.

Yahoo! Discussion Group Comments Please click hyperlink for Yahoo! Groups Discussion comments.

Readers Comment Jeff Provine commented on 2012-06-03 22:34:21 ~ Lincoln would have wanted Reconstruction done in time for 1868 with his very lenient terms on Southerners.

Readers Comment Stan Brin commented on 2012-06-04 02:00:37 ~ Nope. Lincoln spoke of wishing to retire and visit Europe after his second term. With a solid majority in Congress, he could have had the program he wanted. I personally doubt if he would have ignored Washington's precedent. By the way, candidates did NOT campaign for President in those days. They didn't even attend nominating con ventions. They stayed home. (Roosevelt's decision to run again in 1940 was brought about by the greatest international crisis that the Republic had yet faced, not a desire to follow through with the New Deal.) Perhaps, he could have persuaded Sherman to change his mind.

Readers Comment Mark Taylor commented on 2012-06-04 10:00:53 ~ Seymour would have made a much better President than Grant,in my view.

In 323 BC, on this day in the ancient city of Babylon, Alexander the Great made the discovery that his war-weary generals were plotting to kill him.

Alexander the Great SurvivesSuspicion had been raised from the moment that Alexander had summoned Antipater, the senior general he had left in charge of the Macedonian homeland. But instead his son Cassander¹ had arrived with a draught of toxix water collected from the legendary river Styyx and clumsily concealed inside a hollowed-out muled hoof. And Alexander's wine pourer was none other than Iollas, the brother of Cassander, who was caught slipping the toxin into the King's drink.

Ever since the near mutiny in India, Alexander had known that even his highest ranking officers wanted to end the campaign. Nevertheless he was shocked to discover the hand of Ptolemy² guiding the conspiracy. But the plotters failed, and he continued to rule until his son Alexander IV of Macedon eventually succeeded him in 296 BC.

Entry posted by Todayinah Editor

Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Generals Source: Wikipedia Labels: Alexander the Great, Ptolemy, Cassender, Iollas, Babylon.

Todayinah Editor Editor says, in preparing this post, we repurposed concepts from the article "Who killed Alexander the Great?" which was published in the April 2012 Edition of Today in History Magazine.
1) in our timeline, Cassander usurped the throne of Macedonia and executed Alexander's mother, wife and son.
2) The role of Ptolemy is explored in Oliver Stones 200 movie Alexander.

Readers Comment Chris Oakley commented on 2012-04-22 22:22:40 ~ Do we even know for sure that it was murder?

Readers Comment Todayinah Ed. commented on 2012-05-05 04:34:48 ~ Conjecture based upon a correlation of facts that lead to this tentative (conspiracy) theory.

Readers Comment Jeff Provine commented on 2012-05-05 22:41:13 ~ Interesting take on Alexander; death by ambition, like Caesar. The question is, would he have brought up a new batch of generals and headed for Carthage as most people suppose.

Readers Comment Sailorbarsoom commented on 2012-08-02 05:24:11 ~ Interesting. One has to wonder if the empire could have been solidified and not broken up when Alexander did eventually die. My favorite Alexander What If goes like this: after conquering Egypt, Alexander hears of fabulous beasts and plentiful gold to the south, and so instead of heading towards India, he heads up the Nile, pushing deep into Africa.

Readers Comment Eric Lipps commented on 2012-08-02 22:51:14 ~ Re Cassandra: More probably in some language descended from Greek in the same way English is descended (primarily) from Latin.

In 1862, in Henrico County at night fall on this fateful day a bullet harmlessly clipped the shoulder of General Joseph E. Johnston as he set the Army of Northern Virginia to the hopeless task of defending the Confederate Capital of Richmond.

Confederate Night FallIt was a fortunate but temporary reprieve that would change absolutely nothing because the Federal drive up the Virginia Peninsula was unstoppable. Even before the outset of the final battle at Fair Oaks, Union soldiers wrote that they could hear church bells ringing in the city.

Within days the Army of the Potomac would enter the Confederate Capital in triumph. At the head of the victorious column was a man of destiny gifted with the abundance of boldness and aggression that Johnston lacked: General-in-Chief of the Union Army, the Virginian Robert E. Lee.

Entry posted by Todayinah Editor

Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Politicians Source: Wikipedia Labels: Joseph Johnston, Robert E. Lee, Confederate States of America, Civil War, America.

Todayinah Editor Editor says, in our timeline [Wikipedia reports] "the battle was frequently remembered by the Union soldiers as the Battle of Fair Oaks Station because that is where they did their best fighting, whereas the Confederates, for the same reason, called it Seven Pines. Historian Stephen W. Sears remarked that its current common name, Seven Pines, is the most appropriate because it was at the crossroads of Seven Pines that the heaviest fighting and highest casualties occurred".

Readers Comment Eric Oppen commented on 2011-02-27 01:49:18 ~ So did Lee not consider himself a Virginian first in this TL? Virginia had to have seceded for Richmond to be the capital (not even the Confederates would be silly enough to designate an enemy city as their capital). Or did he decide that his oath to the US Constitution superceded his loyalties to the Old Dominion?

Readers Comment Robbie Taylor commented on 2011-02-27 04:05:52 ~ Perhaps it was as simple as deciding that his love of Virginia shouldn't include inducement to treason. An abusive love is no love at all...

Comment from Robert Caudle on Facebook: It would have made a difference, depending on who replaced him. Johnston was a political general based on his influence. Maybe Gen. Forrest could have replaced him and could have changed the course of the war in the West. If Gen. A.S. Johnson would have survived at Shiloh, he would have made a major difference. There were many officers in the the South campable of changes in the war had they been promoted to the proper rank..

Readers Comment Eric Lipps commented on 2011-02-27 16:32:19 ~ Re Eric Oppen's remark, as I understand it, Virginia's secession was inevitable, because pro-secession forces at the state's secession convention refused to allow the proceedings to end or the delegates to leave--physically preventing the latter--until a vote for secession had been secured. Ill feeling over their rough handling on that occasion may have been a factor in western Virginians' decision, later, to secred from the CSA and rejoin the Union as the present state of West Virginia.

Readers Comment Jeff Provine commented on 2011-02-27 20:24:40 ~ What if Virginia refused to secede?

Readers Comment David Atwell commented on 2011-02-27 20:55:29 ~ Somehow, even with Lee in charge of the Union army, which I find hard to believe, the overall problem is one of military personnel in charge of the various corps. A couple were good, but the others were average at best. So Lee would be stuck with these people. Furthermore Lee probably would not have conducted a landing at Fort Monroe & thus conduct the Peninsular Campaign in the first place. This was very much McClellan's & I extremely doubt anyone else would have come up with it. Instead Lee would have conducted a conventional campaign, albeit along the Manassas to Gordonsville corridor to ensure the ability to conduct a campaign of manoeuvre. In other words the Battle of Fair Oaks never takes place. Having saif that, either way, Johnston is in his element of conducting a fighting withdrawal. He will trade ground until an opportunity arises to conduct a major attack. Now altohugh Fair Oaks wasn't Johnston's best example of conducting a battle, afterall he was seriously wounded, it nevertheless demonstrated that his stratergy was sound. Consequentially I wouldn't be surprised if even Lee, if facing Jonhston, would suffer major setbacks & that, even with a different march on Richmond, history pretty much repeats itself albeit the details have changed.

Readers Comment Scott Eiler commented on 2011-02-27 22:08:49 ~ In all fairness, that isn't the divergence point. But it still makes almost no difference to the Lost Cause. If the successful Union general (no, I won't spoil it, except it isn't McClellan) storms into Richmond, then there's still an awful lot of Confederacy to conquer, and a highly intact army to contest it. Joe Johnston was absolutely untested OTL at actually defending a major city under reasonable odds, but he was a master at keeping his army intact.

Readers Comment Stan Brin commented on 2011-02-28 01:07:16 ~ I am not of the "Great Confederates" school -- they only lasted our years because they had tremendous luck during the first two, and the Union had a lot of bad luck (and inferior generals). With Lee's tactical abilities added to McClellan's organizing skills, the war could have ended much sooner -- but it is possible without the liberation of the slaves.

In 2010, the necessary orders to authorise the invasion of South Korea were signed on this day by "Eternal President" Kim Il-sung in a mausoleum larger than Buckingham Palace under the Kumsusan Memorial Palace in Pyongyang.

The Land of Morning CalmSixteen years before the deceased leader had been shot full of embalming fluid and then placed under glass. And to entertain the pretense that he was still alive, officials brought the occassional document for the Eternal President to sign.

In fact a second major war on the peninsula had become increasingly inevitable since March 26th when a South Korean navy ship the Cheonan was sunk by a torpedo, killing forty-six sailors. Investigators from five countries had concluded that it was a North Korean torpedo that sank the 1,200-ton corvette, but neither Russia nor China had accepted the conclusion.

Tragically, the attention of the White House had been split between this dispute, and the world ecological crisis in US History. In the immediate aftermath of the sinking of the warship, both Koreas had terminated diplomatic and economic relations, whilst the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had been unable to exert any significant influence. Having avoid conflict for over fifty years, the irony was that the conflict was caused by a decided lack of American belligerence.

Entry posted by Todayinah Editor

© "Nuclear Showdown: North Korea takes on the World" by Gordon G. Chang (2006)
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Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Alternate Nations Source: Wikipedia Labels: Kim Il-sung, Korea, Cold War, Communism, America.

Comment from Ahmad Desai on Facebook: It will never happen (although history is a funny thing). North Korea will never invade the South. The sinking of the Cheonan is simply another incident from a long list of naval and border tit-for-tats between the two and it will probably go down in history as such. North Korea acts as a buffer between China and the massive American bases of ... See MoreSouth Korea so the Chinese will never allow them to fall against the US or any other force. China will also never allow NK to fall because it is one of the last communist countries left and the last thing they want is a successful coup to give the dissidents at home any ideas and motivation. Oh yeah and North Korea unlike Iraq, Iran, Syria and Afghanistan really does have nukes; the ultimate deterrent for any foreign invasion.

Readers Comment Scott Palter commented on 2010-05-30 23:41:43 ~ There is essentially nothing the US can do or not do that will influence Nork behavior. Their internal politics are opaque, baroque and totally self-referential.

Readers Comment Eric Lipps commented on 2010-05-31 00:07:31 ~ "Diseased," or "deceased"? If Kim was alive before being shot full of embalming fluid, he certainly wouldn't be afterward. Fixed - thanks. Ed

Readers Comment Eric Oppen commented on 2010-05-31 03:01:31 ~ Wouldn't it be a hoot if Kim Il-sung was _un-_dead? Maybe the Norks have perfected the method of making eternally-loyal, expendable zombie soldiers, and that's what they use their dissidents for? I'm imagining waves of zombies in Nork uniforms, shambling south...What's Korean for "Braaaiiinns?"

Readers Comment Stan Brin commented on 2010-05-31 09:33:59 ~ It would be cool if the Norks used zombie soldiers. Make them slow and dumb.

Comment from Margo Barotta on Facebook: the situation between north korea and south is true criticle but i dont think that north korea will not declare war on south korea /what she make it now is only to announce that she is her and she can threat :only speech not act .but if north korea invade the south i think it will be the end of her regime .

In 1988, the newly crowned "Miss America" Sarah Louise Palin née Heath concluded a rambling acceptance speech by promising to spend the year of her reign working with patriot organisations to prevent the communist giveaway of the southwest to the Mexicans.

Losing the CountryBorn in Idaho before moving to Alaska as an infant, Palin had won the Miss Wasilla pageant in 1984 and one year later, the Miss Alaska pageant. Encouraged by these successes, she dropped out of higher education, having enrolled at Hawaii Pacific University in the fall of 1982 and later North Idaho College.

Due to the inarticulation of her ultra-conservative opinions, she soon became a brain-numbed Patriot pin-up girl and was in fact romantically linked with US President Pat Buchanan. Unsurprisingly, the left wing "gotcha" media leaked the scandal just twenty four before the US Congress voted on the proposed San Diego-Brownsville separation barrier. It was an erection that never happened.

Entry posted by Todayinah Editor

Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Politicians Source: Wikipedia Labels: Sarah Palin, Partriots, America, South West, Mexico.

Todayinah Editor Editor says, as Chris Rock famously said, if white people are losing the country, whose winning it?

Readers Comment Michael N. Ryan commented on 2010-05-29 03:22:12 ~ Lots of liberals have major heart attacks and strokes with survivors seeking mental counseling for their problems. Liberals are by nature very disfunctional with reallity and prone to major fits of imagination with reckless impules to try fulfilling their fantasies. Anything that gets in their way of any seeking of their utipias and hallucinations can cause major mental health problems for them. Clearly it is no coincidence that One In Six Americans is being treated for some sort of mental problem in this country just as One in Five Voters identify themselves as Liberal.

Readers Comment Eric Oppen commented on 2010-05-29 06:50:46 ~ This is silly. Just for starters, Sarah Palin's her married name---I don't remember what her maiden name was. You can do a lot better than this.

Readers Comment Kirk Edwards commented on 2010-05-29 07:00:55 ~ And ends in bad pun.Let's see one with Clinton not staining a dress.

Readers Comment Chris Oakley commented on 2010-05-29 14:22:32 ~ "An erection that never happened..." If that's not the worst pun I've ever heard, it sure ranks in the top five, LOL.

Comment from Goshgar Mikailov on Facebook: HOT )))))

In 1940, the Prime Minister and Attlee strolled around the nine Hurricanes of their air escort. Attlee already knew that the news from Washington was that nothing was going to arrive from the Americans. The Labour leader was not happy that Churchill lived in a fantasy so he expected large US reinforcements of warplanes.

"Suicide by Signature" by Raymond SpeerLater that Friday, arriving back in London as German radio celebrated the surrender of Lord Gort and his British Army, Churchill conferred with his military leaders. Two thousand men had squeezed through the German barricades, many of them trying to swim to ships. A third of a million soldiers and airmen, a third of them French, went into German captivity.

Churchill's last orders as Prime Minister were made on June 1, when the Director of the National Gallery memoed him for permission to send its most valuable paintings to Canada. "No," responded Churchill. "Bury them in caves and cellars. None must go. We are going to beat them".

Soon after breakfast, an unannounced gathering of the whole Cabinet requested the Prime Minister to attend them in the Cabinet Room. "Christ," commented Churchill. "I assumed we would hold out longer than the frogs".

Halifax spoke for the Cabinet, announcing that they had decided to ask Mussolini to sound out Hitler for peace terms. "You don't make peace with That Man," complained Churchill. "You are all committing suicide by signature".

Within five days, the National Gallery was sending selected paintings over to Canada for the duration.

In 1940, a week after Hans Guderian's Panzers were ordered to advance across the Aa Canal, Winston Churchill had resigned, and Franklin D. Roosevelt's bid for re-election was destroyed; in short, the outcome of the Siege of Calais meant that the defeat of those men became final. With the Allied Forces slipping into captivity, reconsideration of continued defiance was assured.

Clearing the Decks Part 2 by Raymond SpeerBitter recriminations had followed with Viscount Halifax, the head of the new Peace Government. In retrospect, the Halifax-Roosevelt gambit was the end of the American president's attempt for a third term. Roosevelt's polls crashed and his insults to Halifax after the latter's proclamation of a peace government were an intemperate and futile exercise of anger.

Goebbels was pleased by the cinema footage of Hitler's parade down main streets of London with Halifax and King George seated on either side of Hitler in the limousine. Inside of a month, Winston Churchill was in exile at the University of Missouri where he would teach history to his death in 1965.

"I've been at the top and at the bottom," said Roosevelt, "and I can tell the difference". The president had conferences with Charles Lindbergh in very short order and by July 17, 1940, the Democratic Convention announced in a speech by Roosevelt, that Charles Lindbergh would be the 1940 Democratic presidential nominee.

The Democratic thesis of that year was that the USA ought to arm itself in every category so that it would assuredly repulse any Nazi attack, anytime and everything. Lindbergh was the loudest advocate of such a doctrine and FDR realized that and backed Lindbergh.

Herbert Hoover, renominated for a second term as president by the Republicans, with Arthur Vandenberg as Vice President, ably contested the election with a platform practically identical with the Democrats. Lindbergh and Cordell Hull, his VP candidate, defeated them 453 electorial votes to 68 electorial votes.

Entry posted by Todayinah Editor

Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Alternate Nations Source: Wikipedia Labels: Cordell Hull, Lindbergh, Roosevelt, Halifax, Churchill.

Readers Comment Eric Oppen commented on 2010-04-03 19:23:56 ~ At least you haven't succumbed to the idiotic thesis that because Lindbergh knew we were nowhere near ready to fight, that meant that he was pro-Hitler. I don't see Hoover being renominated, though...the Democrats were still running against him as late as the 60s. The Depression wasn't his fault, but he ended up taking the vast majority of the blame for it.

Readers Comment Scott Palter commented on 2010-04-03 20:06:45 ~ Near absurd. 1. There would have been no German occupation of London. The outline of peace terms had already been floated. Malta, Gibraltar, the old German colonies [or reasonable substitutes], limits on the numbers of heavy bombers the Empire kept in Britain, a nonagression pact and a loan on the City of London for German trade [oil, rubber, trucks mainly]. Some restrictions on RN strength in home waters. Gibraltar was probably negotiable. 2. None of this would hurt FDR's reelection chances. Quite the reverse. The two big drags on FDR were the third term phobia and the fear [correct as it happens] that like Wilson he would drag us into a European war.

Readers Comment Eric Lipps commented on 2010-04-03 22:26:03 ~ Whether there would have been an occupation of London depends on the details, both military and political, of the British defeat. It's likely, however, that had peace been negotiated shortly after Dunkirk, there would have been no occupation. Terms would have been harsher had Britain tried to fight on and Operation Sea Lion had gone forward. I agree that Lindbergh wasn't necessarily pro-Nazi, though as I recall his wife did refer to fascism as the "wave of the future" with no demurral from him. A President Lindbergh would probably have tried to build a Fortress America immune from attack rather than getting involved in the war. How successful he'd have been is of course another matter, especially if America's noninvolvement bought the Nazis time and maneuvering room to beat the Russians and develop the A-bomb. As for Hoover, no way. That would have been like the Democrats renominating George McGovern in 1980. (In the wildly unlikely event that Hoover did get the nod, though, and somehow won, he'd be only the second person--Grover Cleveland was the first--to serve nonconsecutive terms.)

Readers Comment Michael N. Ryan commented on 2010-04-04 01:53:19 ~ First, I doubt Herbert Hoover would get renomination from his party. His economic policies of governemnt interference with the economy trying to force wages up helped bring about the Great Depression. Certainly with threat of war diminished Economic issues would certainly kick in. If Republicans were to be foolish as to try and keep the New Deal and they would undoubtedly fall in part by alienating their own base. I also doubt Britain would immediatly give up with the loss of its expeditionary force, they had too much faith in the Pond between them and the continent. They also had their empire. They had India. THey had South Africa, They had Canada, Australia and New Zealand to call upon. They also distrusted Hitler after the Munich business. Germany would have to demonstrate its ability to invade and there would have to be a major political crisis at home. Perhaps Soviet encouraged labor strikes and Peace rallies and other left wing activities. Germany might send its panzers to North Africa to take out the Suez canal As for Germany occupying London, well they would have to invade Britain for that to happen and Hitler had other plans for his troops by then.

In 1962, at around 7pm on this day Israeli President Yitzhak Ben-Zvi received a a petition for mercy from the "architect of the holocaust" Adolf Eichmann. Jailed at Ramle prison in the Center District of Israel, "The Master" (as he was known by his boss Heinrich Himmler) was making a final, desperate attempt to avoid the hangman's noose which was scheduled for him that very midnight.

The Banality of EvilSS-Obersturmbannfuhrer Eichmann was charged by Obergruppenfuhrer Reinhard Heydrich with the task of facilitating and managing the logistics of mass deportation of Jews to ghettos and extermination camps in Nazi-occupied Eastern Europe. "He was in the second room with his priest, who spoke with him, and I didn't hear what they said there. I know that they gave him a cup of wine, and it's possible that they also asked him for his final request".After the war, he travelled to Argentina using a fraudulently obtained laissez-passer issued by the International Red Cross and lived there under a false identity working for Mercedes-Benz until 1960. He was captured by Israeli Mossad operatives in Argentina and tried in an Israeli court on 15 criminal charges, including crimes against humanity and war crimes. He was convicted and ahd his appeal was denied by 1962.

After 14 weeks of testimony with more than 1,500 documents, 100 prosecution witnesses (90 of whom were Nazi concentration camp survivors) and dozens of defense depositions delivered by diplomatic couriers from 16 different countries, the Eichmann trial ended on August 14 1961.

So now Ben-Zvi had but a few hours to make a final decision that had been deliberated by the majority of Israeli Society for over a year. And perhaps, reflected Ben-Zvi, there was a bigger picture called the moral high ground. Because most of the Israelis who wrote to the President favored sparing Eichmann's life. The following morning, a one-line announcement was broadcast on Kol Yisrael - Eichmann's sentence had been commuted to life imprisonment.

In a final act of drama, a mysterious final request would be revealed by the prison guards at Ramle. Shortly after his sentence had been commuted, Eichmann had asked the priest to offer him a sacrament, the body of the risen Jesus.

Entry posted by Todayinah Editor

Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Beasts Source: Wikipedia Labels: Adolf Eichmann, Holocaust, Yitzhak Ben-Zvi, Nazi, Germany.

Todayinah Editor Editor says, Eichmann was the first and only criminal to be hanged by the State of Israel. Hannah Arendt, a Jew who fled Germany before Hitler's rise to power, reported on Adolf Eichmann's trial for The New Yorker. In Eichmann in Jerusalem, a book formed by this reporting, Arendt concluded that, aside from a desire for improving his career, Eichmann showed no trace of an antisemitic personality or of any psychological damage to his character. She called him the embodiment of the "Banality of Evil", as he appeared at his trial to have an ordinary and common personality, displaying neither guilt nor hatred.
We wonder if there was a pro-life option available at the time, and how that moral compromise might perhaps have repositioned the State of Israel in the late twentieth century.

Readers Comment Eric Oppen commented on 2009-08-06 05:49:26 ~ This would be interesting, but I'm not sure what the effects would be.

Readers Comment Michael N. Ryan commented on 2010-04-06 18:06:54 ~ As the purpose of Capitol Punishment is to rid society of Evil, Adolf Eichman can be seen as evil personified in that he committed his crimes merely to advance his career. Israel was well justified with executing him. Indeed the only tragedy is that Eichmann is the only one Israil executed and so many of his ilk caught by the allies were not executed but given 'life' or leser sentences rather than strung up propper . If the president of Israel were so vile as to comute hsi death sentence then the People of Israel would undoubtedly rise up and vote him from office then drive him from their land. No doubt Israi li politics wuuld be pretty hot and heated for the forseable future after that. No doubt Eichman would soon die of 'natural casues' or of some 'accident' if somebody didn't sneak in and do the job. Mossad might also go after more Nazis and bring them back for justice to atone for the President's mistake to get teh governemtn back into the good graces of the public and Jewish community at large.

Readers Comment Jeff Provine commented on 2010-10-07 15:24:08 ~ I concur with Mr. Ryan. Though, internationally, this would make a big hit with a growing liberal community.

In 2002, at an emergency meeting of the National Security Council, President Gore and his advisers confront the Pakistani coup.
There is consensus that it is a disaster for U.S. interests. The authoritarian General Musharraf was far from an ideal American ally, but the emergence of an Islamist regime threatens to turn a nuclear-armed state into a staging ground for Islamic terrorism.Bin Laden Lives by Eric LippsThe President's advisers are united in urging immediate action to unseat Ahmed and either restore Musharraf to power or install another secular-oriented figure. There is disagreement over how to do it, though, with Tenet calling for a covert operation and the rest opting for open military action. Gore notes that Tenet supposedly already has a covert op underway in Pakistan, Operation Mountain Strike, the aim of which is to capture or kill Al Qaeda's Ayman al-Zawahiri. "Is it really feasible," he asks, "either to expand this operation to encompass regime change in Islamabad as well, or mount another covert effort for that purpose? How covert would it stay if we did? And if it isn't likely to stay covert anyway, why not simply intervene openly, as in Afghanistan?"

Tenet reluctantly acknowledges that secrecy may be impossible to maintain. Obviously unhappy, he admits that Mountain Strike itself is becoming an open secret in northern Pakistan.

Gore decides he has no choice but to order direct military intervention.

Logo of	In 2015, on this day the airline formerly known as British Airways merged with United Airlines of the US.

British Airways

In 4561, the Battle for Hanoi began, as troops loyal to Emperor Min-Yuan laid seige to the city. The 38-day battle was among the bloodiest in Imperial history, with over half a million casualties.

In 1224, Pope John succeeded his brother Richard as ruler of the Holy British Empire. A noble and enlightened ruler, John was beloved by the people, but despised by his cardinals and bishops. His 17-year reign was torn by many rebellions, all put down with the help of popular support. Under John's reign, slavery was abolished from Holy British shores; unfortunately, on his death, it swiftly returned.

In 1991, another of President Kemp's once-rejected ideas is enacted into law via the Urban Empowerment Act, which allows cities and states to create special zones within which taxes and most business and environmental regulations are suspended in order to encourage economic growth. Some liberal economists are skeptical of the ability of such measures to achieve their stated purpose.	US President

	Jack Kemp


However, supporters of the President argue that his idea should be given a chance. 'After all,' notes pundit George F. Will on that evening's ABC News, 'liberal social spending has had thirty years, sixty if you include the New Deal. A conservative approach deserves at least that many months before being rejected out of hand.'

In 1999, King Arthur II returns home to London amid great fanfare for his successful mission to New Zealand. Prime Minister Kay Ector, overshadowed by His Majesty's involvement in the negotiations, feels somewhat left out of the celebrations, and Queen Gwen takes note of this. She approaches him privately at the official party at Buckingham Palace, and says, 'My dear Prime Minister, you seem to have not caught the festive mood of our time. Is there anything I can do to help you?' Ector, uncomfortable at the thought of being noticed by the queen, mumbles, 'I'm sorry, Your Majesty. I am, of course, delighted that New Zealand will contribute to the war effort. Perhaps I am simply tired from the long trip.' The queen seems to accept this excuse, but files away Ector's mood as something that could be useful later.

In 1891, General Theodore Monteith's 25,000 men march to the outskirts of Topeka, Kansas, where the Union general sends word to the rebels that they may surrender and avoid bloodshed at this time. His messenger is returned with a note from the leader of the rebellion, 'Sockless' Jerry Simpson: 'I fear we must politely decline the general's noble request; however, should he wish to surrender to us, we guarantee good treatment for his men and a fair trial for himself and his fellow war criminal, Major Mark Wainwright.'General Monteith laughs out loud when he reads the reply, telling the messenger, 'Well, I guess they didn't hear of Wainwright's promotion. All right, then. I guess we have to go through with this.' He prepared his men for the assault on Topeka the next day. Meanwhile, three Kansan commanders - Dell Lee Lewis in the south, Emmanuel Carter in the east, and Frederick S. Ogilvy in the west ? converged on Topeka with almost 50,000 reinforcements for the rebels.

	On this day in 1995, the San Francisco Chronicle named Junipero Serra High School pitcher Tom Brady of San Mateo as one of its top 100 California state scholastic athletes of the year.

Tom Brady

In 2000, the forces of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named struck out from the smoldering ashes of earth to conquer the universe.

In 2003, President Gore of the US celebrated his 3rd Memorial Day in office with the dedication of a World War II memorial.

In 1977, the Confederated States of America were allowed membership in the UN, and sanctions were officially lifted.

In 1937, Copland's Fanfare for the Common Man was made the official anthem of the Communist Party of America.

In 1871, the American Town Ball League, comprised of the Philadelphia Athletics, New York Metropolitans, Delaware Shipmen and Baltimore Colts, played its first exhibition game. Philly's A's beat the Metros by 5 runs to 2.

In 1884, Edgar A. Poe of Baltimore began a cult of personality around his experiences. He claimed to have been born in a world where he was a struggling author of strange and weird fiction. The cult, the Church of the Universal Masque, was involved in several murders and ritual sacrifices before finally disbanding in 1891 with Poe's death.

In the 23rd year of Cheokhan's reign, Europe was recognized by the Pharoah as a free and independent continent. The Pharoah was dead within the year.

In 739, Sheik Qudamah Ra'if, beloved of Allah, subdued the rebellious people of Espagne and brought them under the benevolent rule of Islam.

May 30

In 1806, on this day thirty-nine year old Carolinian Andrew Jackson was shot dead in a duel with a fellow planter and expert marksman called Charles Dickinson (because dueling was outlawed in Tennessee, the two men travelled to Adairville in the Kentucky border area). Dickinson had accused Jackson of welshing on a horse-racing bet and then called his wife a bigamist because she had married Jackson unaware that her first husband had not finalized the divorce.

The Duel in AdairvilleSince Dickinson was considered an expert shot, Jackson and his second, Thomas Overton, determined it would be best to let Dickinson fire first, hoping that his aim might be spoiled in his quickness. Jackson would wait and, if he was still standing, take careful aim at Dickinson. The obvious weakness of this strategy was, of course, that Jackson might not be alive to take aim. Being a notorious hot-head, he dismissed this danger with the cavalier statement "I should hit him if he had shot me through the brain".

And Jackson stood stoically throughout the duel but Overton noticed blood running down on Jackson's boot as they left the duelling ground. The expert Dickinson had aimed at Jackson's heart though the bullet had been slightly deflected by Jackson's choice of loose clothing on his lean frame, and careful sideways stance. The bullet broke some of Jackson's ribs, and had lodged inches from his heart. The bullet could not be removed under the then-current state of medical technology and he died the following day from blood loss.

Entry posted by Todayinah Editor

Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Politicians Source: Wikipedia Labels: Charles Dickinson, Andrew Jackson, Carolina, Adairville, Kentucky.

Todayinah Editor Editor says, in authoring this post we have repurposed content from Wikipedia, and also Top 10 Universities Online.

Readers Comment Chris Oakley commented on 2012-06-30 15:00:01 ~ Ooh eck.... :(

Readers Comment Eric Oppen commented on 2012-09-14 06:20:31 ~ THis would have changed a lot of things. The Cherokee might not have set out on the Trail of Tears, and the "common folk" would have had a different leader.

Readers Comment Eric Lipps commented on 2012-09-14 12:16:27 ~ Or none, at least for a while. Jackson's early death might have lengthened the reign of the Richmond-Boston codominium, under which, since 1789, every president who wasn't a Virginian was an Adams from Boston.

Readers Comment Kirk Edwards commented on 2012-09-14 14:26:26 ~ No trial of tears? No threat of S.C secession in '37?

Readers Comment Jeff Provine commented on 2012-09-14 16:35:46 ~ A few decades later, politics might not get the "Everyman" bump from Jacksonians. Whigs might very well still be around.

Readers Comment Allen W. McDonnell commented on 2012-09-15 10:26:47 ~ Florida remains Spanish for another 25 years or so instead of being invaded by Jackson's troops? Florida was a haven for run away slaves and native Americans fleeing encroachment from 'American settlers' in much the same way Canada was for the northern USA. Spain did not pay much attention or treasure to the defense of Florida and Jackson was the leading force behind the encroachment and raiding that took place between 1814 and 1821 when Spain gave up Florida and sold it to the USA.

In 1922, on this day seventy-nine year Bob Lincoln attended the dedication of the Washington Liberty Memorial built by Confederate engineers in honour of his father.

Deo Vindice
Under God, our VindicatorBorn in Hardin County, his father had been adopted by fellow Kentuckian family the Davises who then moved first to Louisiana and then finally to a plantation in northern Mississippi. Meanwhile his blood family moved across the Ohio River where they were lost to history. Only eight months apart in age, Jefferson Davis and Abraham Lincoln would be as close as brothers for their adult lives.

By a cruel twist of fate, Senator Jefferson Davis was arrested in Washington City for gun running on the eve of the Civil War and in his absence, Lincoln was chosen to serve as first Confederate President. The irony was that the better connected and more aristocratic Davis was much more effective as Secretary of War than he could ever have been as President, and their balanced partnership was a key part of their national survival.

The Civil War ended shortly after the occupation of Maryland leaving the rump Union to go its own way with the capital restored to Philadelphia. Lincoln himself gained no benefit from the occupation, he was shot dead during a performance of "Our Confederate Cousin" at the Ford Theatre by Ulysses S. Grant, a discredited former Union General whose reputation had been destroyed by the disasterous Federal defeat at Vicksburg.

Vanquished on the battlefield, but not in spirit, the Union built their own memorial, a colossal, neoclassical sculpture of Thomas Jefferson standing astride New York Harbour.

Entry posted by Todayinah Editor

Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Politicians Source: Wikipedia Labels: Abraham Lincoln, Civil War, America, Washington, Liberty.

Todayinah Editor Editor says, 1) Jeff Provine suggested that Ulysses S. Grant might fit the role of assassin.
2) "Under God, our Vindicator"was the Confederate Motto.

Readers Comment Eric Oppen commented on 2011-07-13 05:11:55 ~ I think you mean standing _in_ New York Harbor...standing astraddle, it wouldn't stay up and would block the harbor for shipping. And Lincoln would have made a better POTCS than Davis ever would have; he could have jollied and dealt with the touchy, proud men that Davis offended.

Readers Comment Robbie Taylor commented on 2011-07-13 10:06:44 ~ Not to mention bullying the loose confederation into actually acting like a nation instead of a bunch of go-it-alone rebels

Readers Comment Eric Lipps commented on 2011-07-13 13:05:40 ~ "Our" Jefferson Davis must be turning over in his grave. . . . But if this Jefferson Davis had been arested for gun-running, how was he available to serve as CSA War Secretary? With civil war in the offing, he'd have faced charges of treason, and even if he beat that rp, the gun charges alone, in a wartime context, would surely have gotten him locked up at least for the duration of the conflict. And would the Union really have built a huge monument to a Virginian? Even Jefferson?

Readers Comment Sailorbarsoom commented on 2011-07-13 17:58:26 ~ I don't know. My favorite American Civil War WI has become, "What If when the southern states announced secession, the Union response had been 'don't let the border hit you in the ass on the way out,' though of course more diplomatically worded." But yeah, Lincoln (if he had the same personality; he might not) would have been a better prez than Davis.

Readers Comment Jeff Provine commented on 2011-07-18 17:19:58 ~ Wonder if the Union would further dissipate: New Englanders turning on the West, for example.

In 1451, Jeanne d'Arc Takes Vows. Against the backdrop of the bitter Hundred Years War, Saint Joan of Arc completed her novitiate and took her first vows to become a nun.

Jeanne d'Arc Takes Vows Daughter of moderately wealthy farmer and local magistrate Jacques d'Arc, Joan had been a pious and upstanding girl. Around the age of 12 in 1424, she began claiming visions from God. In a field, she saw Saint Catherine (patron of girls), Saint Margaret (patron of peasantry and suffering), and Saint Michael (patron of war) stand before her and tell her to end the English domination of France, particularly by orchestrating the crowning of the Dauphin and reviving French nationalism. Four years later, she asked to go to the remnants of the French court, but her every request was denied, particularly by Count Robert de Baudricourt, leader of the local garrison who literally laughed at her. Discouraged, Joan returned home and decided to forget warfare.

A new story by Jeff ProvineThe rest of France was similarly discouraged. For nine decades, the French had suffered defeat after defeat with the English gaining ground. The Hundred Years War had begun in 1337 when a birthright to the throne of France was claimed by Edward III (1312-1377), who was the only surviving male heir to Philip IV and closest relative to Charles IV of France. The French nobility refused to have a foreign king and instead chose Philip of Valois, to be crowned as Philip VI, grandson of Philip III. When the Second War of Scottish Independence broke out and Edward moved to put down the rebellion, the French held up their side of the Auld Alliance, attacking English shipping and seizing Gascony. England attempted to counterattack, but the lack of support from the Lowlands and cost of German mercenaries dragged the war into a stalemate until the Battle of Crecy, where the English longbow devastated the French knight and ended the Age of Chivalry in many respects.

Through temporary peaces, ongoing warfare, and even the Black Death, the Hundred Years War continued to roll onward. England made its greatest success at the Battle of Poitiers in 1356, where Edward's army, outnumbered nearly three-to-one, defeated the French and even captured King John II. Mercenaries on either side ravaged the countryside already bled out by heavy taxation, leading to peasant uprisings such as the Jacquerie, which had to be suppressed violently. Afterward, the French began to reassemble, gradually taking back lands taken by the English. Irish rebellion, the Peasants' Revolt against poll tax, and courtly intrigue with the death of Richard II slowed the English war effort, and the French faced their own problems as a civil war broke out between the House of Burgundy and the House of Armagnac, led by the French king, Charles VI who supported the antipope of the Western Schism.

The entire region of France was thusly split and split again by varying loyalties. There seemed no rational way of sorting out the political difficulties except through killing the opposition. The English took up an alliance with Burgundy, whose head John the Fearless had been assassinated while under King Charles' protection, deepening the rift between the French. Burgundy insisted that Charles was illegitimate, and England hoped to use the division to firmly conquer France.

Joan wished to aid the French war effort, but her exclusion seemed final, and instead she turned toward aiding the national spirit through the Church. The French, meanwhile, pieced together an expedition in 1429 to lift the siege of Orleans and capitalize on the death of English King Henry V in 1422. Though it is questionable what impact an untrained girl could have had to change it, the expedition was a catastrophe. While the French initially made great impact on the English forces, the English stand at the fort of St. Loup turned back the tide. French troops, disheartened by the seemingly unbreakable English hold on France, retreated and suffered great causalities. The new English king, Henry VI, did not seem to have the heart to continue the bitter wars as his forefathers had, giving over rule increasingly to regents and his Burgundian allies.

Finally, in 1453, the war came to an end with a divided France. England faced bankruptcy and an empire that it could not afford to control. Instead, it sold much of its southerly holdings to Burgundy, who established their own kingdom in the north, creating a buffer between England and France proper, which stretched from Chinon southward. The two French kingdoms would routinely fight wars, finding themselves on either side of international conflicts in the coming centuries: the English Wars of the Roses, colonial wars among the Spanish, Dutch, and English, and the Republican War of 1789-95.

Through all of them, nuns of the famous Order of Joan would aid both sides with food and care, encouraging French cooperation and brotherhood. Visions of reunification, however, would not become realized, even after the toppling of communist south France in 1990.

Entry posted by Guest Historian

Jeff Provine

Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Jeff Provine Blog Source: Jeff Provine’s Blog Labels: Joan of Arc, France, Maid of Orleans, Britain, Middle Ages.

Todayinah Editor Editor says, in reality Joan persevered her way though to the Dauphin and even passed a theological inquiry, gaining the support of French looking for a prophet of deliverance. She was instrumental in victory at Orleans, which gave Charles VII a militaristic upper hand and encouraged his coronation in 1429. Joan became captured at Margny in 1430 by Burgundians while leading the rear guard and covering retreat. She was sold to England, who put her on trial for witchcraft and burned her May 31, 1431. In 1456, she would be given a posthumous retrial and found innocent, then beatified in 1909 and finally canonized in 1920 as a patron of France.

Readers Comment Eric Oppen commented on 2011-06-03 17:53:59 ~ The English sank themselves in a lot of ways by executing her...I'd have just hauled her off to England, and then to Ireland, and tossed her into a convent full of Irish-monoglot nuns. Let's see her get out of that one!

Readers Comment Todayinah Ed. commented on 2012-05-30 23:56:17 ~ Interesting alternative religious perspective on Joan of Arc - thanks for sharing.

In 1934, the first human being to set foot on the Moon Soviet cosmonaut Alexey Arkhipovich Leonov was born on this day in the small settlement of Listvyanka in the Kemerovo Oblast.

MoonshotThe former Air Force Major General was selected for this signature honour in part because of the outstanding courage he had demonstrated in conducting the first very space walk on 18 March 1965. His spacesuit had inflated in the vacuum of space to the point where he could not re-enter the airlock. He opened a valve to allow some of the suit's pressure to bleed off, and was barely able to get back inside the capsule.

The other reason for his selection was the tragic accidental death of Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin on 27 March 1968, seven years after he became the first human being to journey into outer space, when his Vostok spacecraft completed an orbit of the Earth.

But in a larger sense, the triumphant conclusion of the Soyuz Programme was due to the genius of the leading rocket engineer and designer of the Soviet Union, Sergey Korolyov. Unbeknown to the rest of the world, Korolyov had his own brush with death on 5 January 1966 when after being admitted to hospital with a bleeding polyp in his large intestine a surgeon's incompetence induced a second, and near fatal cardiac arrest.

If the Soviet Union had scored a triple set of firsts in the Space Race, then surely the United States had to score next time, and big. Nothing less than a mission to Mars would enable America to take the lead in the space race.

This strategic objective fired the imagination of California Governor Ronald Wilson Reagan as he stared at the stars on the fateful night that Leonov landed on the Moon. He was a man who believed in cutting through the obfusication to arrive at an action item. His achievement in winning the Space Race, and in so doing bankcrupting the Soviet Union into losing the Cold War, would ensure that "the Gipper" became not only the greatest President in US History but also the fifth face on Mount Rushmore.

A cowboy, said the Ayatollah dismissively, a crazy, crazy old space cowboy yahooing it around outer space. Perhaps some space indians might turn up and save humanity from the Great Satan..

Entry posted by Todayinah Editor

Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Music Source: Wikipedia Labels: Karen Carpenter, Richard Carpenter, Diet, Eating Disorder, Premature Death.

Readers Comment Mike commented on 2011-05-08 02:20:22 ~ Hmmm what if?

Readers Comment Stan Brin commented on 2011-05-08 02:20:22 ~ But the Soviets appeared to have lacked the scientific and financial infrustructure needed to have landed a man on the moon. They tried to design a system, and mockups of a moon lander, but realized that they just didn't have a viable system. Perhaps if they tried, they would have bankrupted themselves sooner... A thought.

Readers Comment Robbie Taylor commented on 2011-05-08 04:21:07 ~ So Johnson finally did have to go to bed by the light of a communist moon, after all...

Readers Comment Eric Oppen commented on 2011-05-08 05:22:02 ~ Would Soviet technology have been up to it? I've read that US astronauts who saw what the Sovs were using came back raving about the insane courage needed to ride those buckets of bolts into space...

Readers Comment Eric Lipps commented on 2011-05-08 12:56:14 ~ 1934???? 1934 is the birth date of the cosmonaut The Soviets almost certainly could have put a man on the moon by perhaps 1973, though theirs would have been a riskier flight than ours were (and even two of our Apollos had problems, Apollo I a fatal launchpad fire and Apollo 13 the lightning strike which caused damage which almost prevented the crew from coming home alive). But once we'd beaten them there, political support for continuing the effort dried up. The death of the Soviet Union's master rocketeer Sergei Koreolev didn't help them either. The question is, what next? The U.S. could have continued its own wffort with the avowed goal not merely of reaching the moon but of establishing permanent settlements there.

Readers Comment Chris Oakley commented on 2011-05-08 17:45:40 ~ They should have sent Gagarin to Mars instead...it IS the Red Planet, after all. :D

Readers Comment Jeff Provine commented on 2011-05-08 18:44:09 ~ It'd take a gang as crazy as the Americans to hit Mars in an attempt to one-up finally. A time-traveler could use this to advantage to further space colonization.

Readers Comment Eric Lipps commented on 2011-05-09 01:10:05 ~ Re the response to my earlier comment: my bad about "1934." Sorry.

Readers Comment Todayinah Ed. commented on 2011-05-09 04:38:43 ~ Comment from Insane Ranter on Google Groups: Race for the first colonies on the Moon and landing on mars plus colonies

In 1806, on this day the proud and volatile former militia leader, senator and representative of Tennessee Andrew Jackson was fatally wounded in a duel at Harrison's Mills on Red River in Logan, Kentucky.

Death of Old Hickory"Old Hickory" had called for the duel after his wife Rachel was slandered as a bigamist by the lawyer Charles Dickinson, who was referring to a legal error in the divorce from her first husband in 1791. The allegation was made with reasonable justification: Jackson and his wife Rachel Donelson first married in 1792, however they had to remarry two years later when Rachel discovered that she was still legally married to her first husband.

Harrison's Mills was one of several duels Jackson was said to have participated in during his lifetime, the majority of which were allegedly called in defense of his wife's honor. However, this time he met his match because Dickinson was a master of firearms, regarded as one of the best pistol shots in the area.

Ed. & Eric LippsIn accordance with dueling custom, the two stood twenty-four feet apart, with pistols pointed downward. After the signal, Dickinson fired first, grazing Jackson's breastbone and breaking some of his ribs. Jackson maintained his stance and fired back, fatally wounding his opponent. Only later would it become clear that Jackson had also suffered critical injuries.

Rachel died a widow in 1829 in a United States that Jackson had he lived would barely recognise. As a fearless militia leader, doubtless his skills - and anger - might have been better directed at defending his nation, rather than his wife's honour, by fighting the invading army of British North America just six years after his tragic death.

Entry posted by Todayinah Editor

Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: War Source: History.com Labels: Andrew Jackson, Old Hickory, Charles Dickinson, Tenneesee, Kentucky.

Todayinah Editor Editor says, in reality Jackson survived from his injuries.

Comment from George Royal on Facebook: "One less sociopath...."

Readers Comment Scott Palter commented on 2010-12-14 04:28:05 ~ Absent Jackson Clay probably becomes President in 1824.

Readers Comment Eric Oppen commented on 2010-12-14 06:20:41 ~ The Cherokees wouldn't miss him one bit.

Readers Comment Jeff Provine commented on 2010-12-14 16:12:24 ~ This, and the resulting Clay presidency, would change the shape of the South forever. How much, exactly, would be debatable, but states' rights would have a much bigger case.

Readers Comment Brian Wall commented on 2010-12-14 17:12:37 ~ Clay only becomes President in 1824 if there still is a United States in 1824. No Old Hickory, means a dramatically different Battle of New Orleans and War of 1812.

Readers Comment Eric Lipps commented on 2010-12-14 17:34:35 ~ I don't think Jackson was that crucial in the War of 1812. However, his later election as president broke the lock on that office held by Virginia and, to a much lesser degree, Massachusetts since 1789. if it had taken longer for someone to do that, we might have ended up with two classes of states: a privileged set whose citizens could become president, and a second-class set of states whose citizens would laways be ruled but never rulers. Needless to say, this would have set the stage for civil war, on a different basis than that of the one of our 1860s. In oour history, Southerners might have complained about being "without representation," but in fact they had been dictating terms to the rest of the country for three generations and finally took up arms only when they were not allowed to dictate the outcome of the 1860 presidential election.

In 2001, human freedom fighters enter underground bases in the hollow earth to battle with their reptilian overlords who have secretly controlled the planet since their arrival from the Alpha Draconis star system some five thousand years ago.

Death to the LizardsFollowing a fierce series of battles, the aliens are finally defeated and their shape-shifting humanoid leader George W. Bush slain.

With the worldwide conspiracy seemingly over, a new threat to humanity soon emerges. Inadvertently the conflict unleashed the infamous lava men. They emerge from beneath the world to fight humanity for the mastery of the planet.

Entry posted by Todayinah Editor

Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Conspiracy Theories Source: Wikipedia Labels: Alien, Reptilian, Bush, David Icke, Conspiracy.

Todayinah Editor Editor says, Wikipedia ~ According to British writer David Icke, 5 to 12-foot (1.5 - 3.7 m) tall, blood-drinking, shape-shifting reptilian humanoids from the Alpha Draconis star system, now hiding in underground bases in Hollow Earth, are the force behind a worldwide conspiracy directed at humanity. He claims that the reptilians maintain their control through the generation of fear and negative emotion, which is food to these entities, by manufacturing conflicts, primarily wars. He contends that most of the world's leaders are in fact related to these reptilians. Icke's theories now have supporters in 47 countries and he frequently gives lectures to crowds of 2,500 or more. American writer Vicki Santillano ranked the notion that "Reptilian humanoids control all of us" as the 10th most popular conspiracy theory

Readers Comment Eric Lipps commented on 2010-05-29 00:41:38 ~ And you were smoking what, when you wrote this? (Just kidding.) This is a real conspiracy theory? Jeez, some people will believe anything. Everyone We've known since the 1970s that the Draconian Empire is ruled by human-looking aliens and has a gorgeous if spoiled princess. And it's the Nazis who have the underground bases.

Comment from Stan Bundy on Facebook: Meanwhile, the true leader of the Reptilian conspiracy gloated over diverting the human attack onto the forces of his greatest rival, turned over his human role as Edward Kennedy to a half-senile lieutenant that was nearing death, and assumed a new role as a rising star of the human political world, one that promised to finally quash human resistance under the guise of "Hope" and "Change"...

Comment from Ted Kistler on Facebook: Good stuff! Thanks!

Readers Comment Eric Oppen commented on 2010-05-29 06:39:31 ~ At first I thought you were talking about Turtledove's Lizards. And could you please please PRETTY PLEASE lay off George W. Bush? I'm sick and tired of hearing about him.

Comment from Jane Gutter on Facebook: i'd like to like this twice.

Readers Comment Kirk Edwards commented on 2010-05-29 07:03:44 ~ Not alt history.But,funny.

Readers Comment Chris Oakley commented on 2010-05-29 14:25:46 ~ Just what we need, another conspiracy theory thread. :P

Comment from Ben Camo on Facebook: David Icke WAS right all along.

Comment from Ted Kistler on Facebook: Good stuff! Thanks!

Comment from Stan Bundy on Facebook: After all - if the Reptilians control all, no matter who is taken out, it's as The Who says, "Meet the new boss... same as the old boss..."

Comment from Richard A. Rinehart on Facebook: Hey I'm a lizzard ! Don't be haten !

In 1940, Gort informed Churchill that the Expeditionary Force was out of supplies and was sorely pressed by German forces that were concentrating on their perimeter.

Fighting On by Raymond SpeerOn May 30's afternoon, Churchill authorized Gort to capitulate formally and to avoid needless slaughter. But by dinnertime that early evening, Churchill was speaking of contaminating the beaches with poison gas "if that should be to our advantage".

Churchill chose to fly to Paris the late evening of May 30 in order to encourage resistance by the ally. Prime Minister Churchill left behind a Cabinet worried about the soundness of his judgment, knowing that Churchill would risk poisoning his own soldiers in hopes of killing some number of Germans.

In Paris, Churchill and his companion, Clement Attlee, looked to Premier Reynaud and General Petain like civilians dumbfounded by their loss of their Land Army. A call up of civilians for national defense would raise three divisions. Also Canada could be expected to raise an infantry force that could be shipped to France to carry on opposition to Germany from western France.

"All we have to do is fight on," said Churchill, "and we will conquer". The translator for Churchill broke down and openly cried. "If either of us collapse, we shall be vassals and slaves forever".

Entry posted by Guest Historian

Raymond Speer

Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Fall of Britain Source: Wikipedia Labels: Lord Gort, Siege of Calais, Dunkirk, Battle of France, World War 2.

Readers Comment Eric Oppen commented on 2010-04-05 05:04:33 ~ Churchill was about one-third genius and two-thirds nutcase.

Readers Comment Scott Palter commented on 2010-04-05 07:07:04 ~ Had Petain been brought into the government by 30 May? Also would the Tory caucus in Commons have kept Churchill on after such a disaster?

Readers Comment Michael N. Ryan commented on 2010-04-05 15:04:34 ~ Considering that Churchill made similar statements to Singapore in their hour of peril and they still surrendered, I suspect Churchill's speaches would have drivewn everyone to go for thier white handkerchiefs and rush to German lines as quickly as possible.

Readers Comment Chris Oakley commented on 2010-04-05 16:52:22 ~ I think this must be the third Guderian TL we've had this week, LOL...

In 1970, in the wake of the national scandal arising from the Apollo Moon Landing Hoax, Richard M. Nixon announced his resignation from the Presidency effective from 3pm.

The Resignation of Richard NixonThe American mindset in 1969 was very much that the superpower that won the Space Race would also win the Cold War. The President was advised that the probability of the Apollo 11 astronauts returning safely was less than 0.1%. And what was worse - in his mind at least - was that the chances of photographics footage being received from the Moon was even more remote. Nixon realised that he would almost certainly be denied the fanfare he required to shift the focus away from the Vietnam War, and that outcome was completely unacceptable.

"Plan B" was required. And now a fiendish idea took shape, because by incredible good fortune (or so it seemed), Stanley Kubrick was filming Space Odyssey 2001 and had already created a moon landing set in England. NASA secretly approached Kubrick to direct the first three Moon landings - the launch and splashdown would be real but the spacecraft would have remained in Earth orbit while the fake footage was broadcast as "live" from the lunar journey. Click to watch Moon Landing A Fake or Fact part1

Problem was Nixon's level of cunning was matched only by his paranoia. Gripped with anxiety over the possibility of a leak, he ordered the assassination of Kubrick and the three NASA actors. The order was ignored by his General Staff, but due a miscommunication, performed by a branch of the CIA.

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin was so incensed by the hoax that he resigned from both NASA and the US Air Force, descending into alchoholism. The Russians werent fooled. Inside of two hours, the KGB determined that the film footage was a fake due to the wind-flapping America flag, absence of stars and odd reflections in the camera. However Nixon's fate was sealed by a picture that clearly showed a photograph of Stanley Kurbick on the lunar surface.

Entry posted by Todayinah Editor

Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Beasts Source: Wikipedia Labels: Moon Landing, Richard Nixon, Apollo Mission, Hoax, Stanley Kubrick.

Readers Comment David Atwell commented on 2009-05-26 01:48:51 ~ I thought the Moon hoax was filmed out in the New Mexico desert! Damn Nixon! He is a liar even when caught red handed!

Readers Comment Eric Oppen commented on 2009-05-26 05:59:03 ~ The problem with this big of a hoax is that _someone_ will spill the beans.

Readers Comment Chris Oakley commented on 2009-05-26 16:15:58 ~ Personally, I've never put much stock in the "moon hoax" allegations...

Readers Comment H. Torrance Griffin commented on 2009-05-27 16:17:15 ~ Agreed, far too hard to keep all of the principals quiet. Of course even trying it would probably be enough to force resignations all the way up and down the line.

Readers Comment Eric Lipps commented on 2009-05-27 18:49:24 ~ In any event, wasn't it Apollo 11 which reached rthe moon first? Apollo 13 was the one which almost DIDN'T make it back. I don't take the "Moon hoax" seriously, if only for the following reason: What if the U.S. failed to reach the Moon--and then the Russians succeeded and not only exposed our hoax by claimed the Moon for "the workers and peasants of the world"? That would be even worse than m,erely having the hoax exposed, and that, all by itself, would have been ruinous. Of course, we now know the Russian moon program was floundering by the late 1960s--but we didn't know that then. I can't see any U.S. president taking that big a gamble.

Readers Comment Todayinah Ed. commented on 2009-05-27 23:55:02 ~ Thanks for all your comments (he said trying to be non defensive - sob!), I have corrected the obvious errors. Please have a listen to this YouTube! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mr_yNefhINw&feature=related before you prejudge the story, in a sense the purpos of my story is to get people to listen to the documentary..! Thanks

In 1981, President Ronald Reagan was shot and fatally wounded by former mental patient John Hinckley, who had decided to assassinate him as a way to impress the actress Jodie Foster, on whom Hinckley had developed a fixation after seeing her in the movie Taxi Driver.

Zero Curse by Eric LippsReagan became the eighth victim of the so-called "zero curse," in which U.S.presidents elected in years ending with zero died in office. The others, in order, were:

William Henry Harrison, elected 1840, died 1841 of pneumonia after only a month in office
Abraham Lincoln, elected 1860, assassinated 1865
Grover Cleveland, elected 1880, assassinated 1881
William McKinley, (re)elected 1900, assassinated 1901
Warren Harding, elected 1920, died 1923
Franklin Delano Rooseelt, elected 1940 (3rd term), died 1945 (fourth term; cerebral hemorrhage)
John F. Kennedy, elected 1960, assassinated 1963.

Vice-President George Herbert Walker Bush was sworn in as the forty-first U.S. President March 31. His would be a troubled presidency, assailed from left and right alike. Only the Democrats' unwise choice of the colorless Walter Mondale as their nominee in 1984 would enable him to secure a second term.

In the 1990s, speculation would run rampant as to what would happen to the winner of the approaching 2000 election.

Entry posted by Guest Historian

Eric Lipps

Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Alternate Nations Source: Wikipedia Labels: Ronald Reagan, Assassination, 1981, America, Presidency.

Readers Comment Chris Oakley commented on 2010-03-31 01:32:42 ~ OK, you need to lay off the Art Bell... ;)

Readers Comment David Atwell commented on 2010-03-31 01:45:03 ~ 2001 - President George Dubya Bush, elected in 2000, is assassinated by a deadly prezel believed to have been smuggled into the White House by Al-Qaeda operatives...

Readers Comment Eric Oppen commented on 2010-03-31 02:33:07 ~ Would Dubya have even run? I don't know what the two main sides' benches would even look like in the event of a Reagan assassination that was successful.

Readers Comment Allen W. McDonnell commented on 2010-03-31 03:03:52 ~ I think a great deal will depend on who Bush 41 picks as his VP, with over three years in his first term left that person could have a considerable impact on his Administration. My pick if John Lehman, hand picked by George Bush himself to serve as Secretary of the Navy. Both men were naval aviators and carrier pilots and they had a good rapport. More obvious choices would be Robert Dole or Gerald Ford if he were looking for a placeholder to just serve until the 1984 election cycle. Like his son Bush 41 was NOT a fiscal conservative, he had firm convictions that the Reagen trickle down economics would not work and would likely have reversed those tax cutting plans if he had ascended to the office at such an early date. As an aviator he also was not thrilled with the reactivation of the four Iowa class battleships that took place in the early 1980's and would have quashed those plans if he had the chance. On the other hand the plan to reactivate a pair of the older Oriskany class aircraft carriers that had been mothballed int he 1970's probably would have gone forward in their place. His successor in 1989 will face a much different world than he himself faced OTL. The USSR will probably still exist in a less confrontational world of the 1980's but its health is debatable. The choice of Gorbachev to head the Politburo was not a foregone conclusion, he was selected in part because his fellow members felt a younger more vigorous leader was needed to counter Reagan. If Reagan is deceased then Gorbachev probably will not get the chairmanship so soon, an older apparatchik will get it first and many things can happen in between then and Gorbachev future career ascension.

Comment from Joel Bader on Facebook: Perhaps President Gary Hart (after succeeding George H. W. Bush) would have had to deal with Donna Rice-Gate . . . leading to an impeachment and trial and perhaps his removal. (If I'm not mistaken ethics and morals were a little different in 1987 than in the late 1990s.)

Comment from Jon Calico Jack Marshall on Facebook: Completely antithetical to Lee's personality.different in 1987 than in the late 1990s.)

Readers Comment Eric Lipps commented on 2010-03-31 11:52:24 ~ I suspect the USSR would probably not still exist. Contrary to Reagan's hagiographers, the Soviet union was not done in by his policies. It had been dying for decades, a crucial factor being its inability to raise fresh leadership still firmly committed to the ideology of the Revolution. It says something that in the early 1980s most of the major Soviet leaders were still men who had participated in the 1917 Bolshevik takeover; it's as if America in the 1980s were still being run largely by World War I veterans. The musical premiership of the early eighties, with the elderly Brezhnev replaced by the elderly Chernenko before the younger but unhealthy Andropov took over, destabilized the Soviet stae--imagine what might have happened here if Reagan's assassination had been followed shortly thereafter by the death of Bush I and then by that of his successor. And the U.S. was, and is, a more stable society.

Comment from Marko Prpic on Facebook: Jodie certainly was pleasantly surprised and impressed by the act :SSSS

Comment from Richard Sabol on Facebook: Very good topic. I once read that these events are also referred to as "Tecumseh's Curse". Tecumseh was a Shawnee Indian and "prophet" who placed a curse on American presidents for repeated treaty violations: http://americanhistory.about.com/od/uspresidents/a/tecumseh.htm

Comment from John Allen Hough on Facebook: almost was..wasn't he??

Comment from Randy Roughton on Facebook: I shudder to think of how the nuclear arms race with the Soviets would have turned out. We needed him to stand up to the Soviet Union like he did. I miss him.

Comment from Joy Owens on Facebook: It was a prosperous time. If he had died, the US might not have been so lucky in both national and international fronts.

Comment from Joy Owens on Facebook: Maybe he broke the curse!

Comment from Richard Sabol on Facebook: Of course...my intention for the mention of Tecumseh's Curse was simply to add substance to the zero-curse theory.

Comment from Marko Prpic on Facebook: interesting article ......but all this is just a random series of events....nothing more

In 1940, on this day bitter recriminations were exchanged between President Roosevelt and Viscount Halifax just twenty-four hours after his Peace Government accepted overlordship and protection from Nazi Germany.

Clearing the DecksThroughout the summer, Winston Churchill (pictured) had warned that "the British Fleet would be the solid contribution with which [a] Peace Government would buy terms".

And despite the expectation that a defeated Britain and France would continue the fight from their respective Empires, Churchill had already informed the Canadian Ambassador that "There is no question to make a bargain with the United States .. our despatch of the Fleet across the Atlantic should the Mother Country be defeated..I shall myself never entry into any peace negotiation with Hitler, but obviously I cannot bind a future Government, which if we were deserted by the United States and beaten down here, might very easily be ready to accept German overlordship and protection".

Matters came to a head when the British Army capitulated at Dunkirk. Between May 24 and 28th, British Ministers were locked in a closed session during whilst Churchill and Halifax struggled for control of events. Backed by King Edward VIII, Halifax would emerge as the victor by using the familiar language of appeasement to convince the Cabinet that the British Government should at least ascertain what Hitler might be willing to offer Britain if they sued for terms. Recognising the inevitable trajectory of such a next step, and having set his face against negotiation, Churchill had no choice but to resign. British capitulation was complete after a humiliatingly short period of armed struggle against Hitler.

By theatrically raging against the British Peace Government, Roosevelt had to shore up his own crumbling position in advance of the 1940 Presidential Election. And the threat from individuals such as Herbert Hoover, Charles Lindbergh and Joseph Kennedy who favoured the establishment of a similiar administration in Washington.

Yet in the midst of this struggle, emerged a third group who had shared Churchill's view that America would stand alone against a Nazified "United States of Europe". Their immediate concern was the threat posed by a combination British and French Fleet in Nazi Hands, albeit deployed around the world. And the nightmarish possibility of the need for a pre-emptive cowardly strike by the US Navy on the moored fleets of her former allies..

Entry posted by Todayinah Editor

© Lukacs, John. "Churchills Offers Toil and Tears to FDR" published in American Heritage magazine, Spring/Summer 2008 Edition
Story Tags Click on the hyperlinked metadata to surf the site!

Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Alternate Nations Source: Wikipedia Labels: George Washington, Sally Cary Fairfax, Martha Dandridge Custis, America, Civil War.

Readers Comment Chris Oakley commented on 2010-03-30 18:53:38 ~ You misspelled "Lindbergh", dude... :D Fixed - thanks. Ed

Readers Comment Eric Oppen commented on 2010-03-30 19:30:28 ~ Churchill in OTL would have been willing to cut a deal...his writings mention Gibraltar and some of the colonies as bargaining chips.

Readers Comment Michael N. Ryan commented on 2010-03-30 20:04:31 ~ I must confess displesure with implication that Hoover, Linderbergh and Joe Kennedy favored an authoritarian state for the United States. Kennedy was certainly a closet anti-semite but I have yet to hear of him having anti-democratic beliefs. America First was a politcally Moderate movement unlike Left wing groups of the time who were just as isolationist until Germany moved on Russia. As for Roosevelt losing office, that was most likely. With growing pulic resentment over growth of government and movement into the economy and no threat of war from Germany imminent, his proverbial goose would be well cooked. Indeed, some believe Senator Robert Taft would be the Republican candidate for president rather than Wendel Wilkie. So the New Deal would be history. Of course, that does not end chance of war between the US and J apan. Japan's warlords were not known for htier common sense. And there is a chance for anschlose between the US and Canada in which perhaps by only informan means the two primarily english speaking peoples would come together. Canada was already part of the American Economic sphere.

Readers Comment Eric Lipps commented on 2010-03-31 00:08:22 ~ I agree with Michael Ryan's objections re Hoover, Lindbergh and Kennedy. However, America First was not as "moderate" as he seems to believe: its isolationist program was heavily influenced by pro-German sentiment fomented by actual Nazi agents (the Nazis had planted operatives in the U.S. even before they assumed power in Germany). As for the left, one must draw a distinction between liberals, many of whom were isolationist out of disgust with what they perceived to have been the way the U.S. had been suckered into World War I by Britain or out of fealty to the American tradition of avoiding "entangling alliances," and the Communist Party, whose inner circle followed the Moscow line. And it's with noting that Stalin'a 1939 pact with Hitler and the CP's embrace of it was for all intents and purposes the Party's death knell in America: from a membership approaching 100,000 in 1939, it shriveled until by the time Joe McCarthy came along it had perhaps 5,000 members, a sizable proportion of whom were really FBI infilktrators. The overwhelming majority of the party's membership left in disgust after the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact--not that that saved them from being Red-baited later.

Readers Comment Scott Palter commented on 2010-04-02 05:59:02 ~ Kennedy gets smeared for saying the UK would fall to Hitler. Marshal predicted the same but was not smeared. Draw your own conclusions. As for Kennedy being an anti-Semite - sure, it was common at the time. The difference is that Kennedy didn't hide his behind the usual hypocrisies. Hoover was not either authoritarian or pro-Nazi. He was against the New Deal but very specific pieces of it - indeed he had proposed many of the programs only to have a Democratic Congress refuse to go along. Similarly Lindbergh was an isolationist and may have overestimated the size of Hitler's AF but was neither pro-Nazi nor anything except a patriot. As for halifax having a fight with Churchill for power...ROFL. Halifax turned down the job before Winston got it. They did disagree on policy but then most of the Tory caucus disagreed with Churchill on policy.

In 2015, on this day Liberal Democratic leader Nick Clegg was wounded in an assassination attempt during a party rally in Manchester.	Lib Dem Leader

	Nick Clegg


The would-be assassin, who subsequently fled to the US and spent three months in hiding before he was arrested in New York City on an unrelated charge, was a British National Party fanatic who blamed Clegg and other prominent left-wingers for the collapse of the United Kingdom.

	On this day in 1983, Rick Steamboat took on Roddy Piper in a rematch of Steamboat's NWA world title defense the week before on WCW. Piper thought he'd won the return bout only to have the decision reversed and the victory awarded to Steamboat on a disqualification when it was learned that Piper's cornerman for the match, Rick Rude, had interfered to keep Steamboat from escaping a pin attempt by the Rowdy Scot.

Rick Steamboat


That same night on Raw, defending WWF world heavyweight champion Terry "Hulk" Hogan said he would put his belt on the line in two weeks against former champion Tommy Rich in a no-holds barred match. That bout would in turn set the stage for a final showdown between Hogan and Rich at Summerslam II.

Israeli Paratroopers	On this day in 1967, Israeli paratroopers captured East Jerusalem from Arab forces.

Wailing Wall

In 1922, Astrid Pflaume took a young Lance Corporal of the Austro-Hungarian empire hostage, for reasons known only to her and the people she eventually negotiated his release with. The hostage, Lance Corporal Adolf Hitler, achieved quite a bit of fame on returning back to Austria, and went into politics.

In 1903, one of Britain's most beloved comics was born in London, England. Leslie Hope began in vaudeville, and later moved to radio and then movies and television. His radio shows and shows for the troops during World War II were credited by King George as being 'as much aid as two divisions.'

In 1887, the Eddie got its first competitor, in the form of the French Pascal Difference Engine. The PDE was a full ton lighter than the Eddie, a valuable selling point, as many buildings had to be reinforced before an Eddie could be placed in them. This hidden cost of owning an Eddie had made sales slower than they might have been, and spurred Edison to drive his engineers to work on miniaturizing the Eddie.

In 1999, King Arthur II joins his prime minister, Kay Ector, on a mission to New Zealand to convince the island nation to contribute aid to the war effort. The presence of the king in the British delegation sways New Zealand's parliament, and they throw all of the resources they can spare into helping oust the last remnants of the Central European Empire's stranglehold on the world. The Kiwi troops join Sir Lance du Lac's Round Table Corps, and become the spearhead for clearing out the CEE's Asian possessions.

In 1891, Union scouts return to General Theodore Monteith with reports of massive troop movements along the Kansas borders. 'They know where we're headed, Mark,' he says to his aide, Lt. Colonel Mark Wainwright. 'And, damned if they aren't going to fight us for it. You know what this means, don't you?' Colonel Wainwright nods and says, 'Plan B.'

On this day in 1973, as part of research for his book Jerusalem's Lot, author Stephen King interviewed the retired Maine state trooper who supervised the exhumation of the bodies of Charles Boone and Calvin McCann in 1950. That same day he got a letter from a Seattle woman who indicated that she had evidence an offshoot of the demonic cult to which Philip Boone had once belonged might have been involved in the unexplained disappearance of society woman Ellen Rimbauer in 1948.

Ill-equipped Rough Riders	In 1898, Teddy Roosevelt was the first American to head off to Spain to see the wondrous gadgets from the future that had settled the Spanish-American War. An Assiti Shards event caused the Spain of 1960 (with Portugal) to be swapped holus-bolus for Spain on the day of the USS Maine's explosion. The Spaniards rickety old ships were upgraded to the Spanish fleet of 1960 which was more than able to deal with the 1898-era US Navy. TR's interest was more than curiosity, he was determined to equip the Rough Riders with Me-109s and T-26s.

Massacre at San Juan Hill

In the 43rd year of Mikhaol's reign, European forces laid siege to the capital city on the Central Continent. This would eventually drive Pharoah Mikhaol into exile on Harmakhis, and from this planet, he would plan his return to power.

In 2000, the unspeakable followers of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named took up their residence on the burnt-out cinders of the earth.

In 1969, the construction began on the Hollywood set they used to fake the moon landing.

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A Daily Updating Blog of Important Events In History That Never Occurred Today.
Imagine what would be, if history had occurred a bit differently. Who says it didn't, somewhere? These fictional news items explore that possibility.

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A Daily Updating Blog of Important Events In History That Never Occurred Today. Imagine what would be, if history had occurred a bit differently. Who says it didn't, somewhere? These fictional news items explore that possibility.

Quick Links

Selected threads

Archive Navigator

Editor's Postbag | Feed

A Daily Updating Blog of Important Events In History That Never Occurred Today.
Imagine what would be, if history had occurred a bit differently. Who says it didn't, somewhere? These fictional news items explore that possibility.