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July 29



Todayinah Editor Editor says, what if Washington had bungled the Whiskey Rebellion? Please note that the opinions expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of the author(s). This story was published in the August 2011 edition of Changing the Times Magazine.

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In 1795, needing more time to suppress the four-year long Whiskey Rebellion and having waited a respectful amount of time since the Fourth of July to avoid drawing cynicism from libertarians George Washington confirmed his intention to serve a full third term of office as President of the United States.

FirebrandBut the politician causing the General most trouble was a dead man called Albert Gallatin whose firebrand leadership had sparked a violent insurrection that was threatening to develop into a Second American Revolution. Having personally commanded the army that defeated the Pennsylvanians, Washington compounded his error of over involvement by hanging Gallatin for treason.

Two national politicians who had succeeded in remaining above the fray were Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Their strategic focus now shifted to the 1800 election and the forthcoming battle with Washington's favoured successor, the man whose overbold revenuers had started the revolt, Alexander Hamilton.


Entry posted by Todayinah Editor Email the AuthorVisit the Authors Web Site © Alternate Historian, 2004-.
Story Tags Click on the hyperlinked metadata to surf the site! Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Generals Source: Wikipedia Labels: Whiskey Rebellion, George Washington, America, Liberty, United States.

Todayinah Editor Editor says, In this post we explore the ideas in L. Neil Smith's excellent novel Probability Broach and we also take the further liberty of assuming that Hamilton was not disgraced by his extra-marital affairs.


Readers Comment Stan Brin commented on 2011-07-29 20:51:40 ~ Whiskey Rebellion was really very limited in scope and intent -- In the days before canals and railroads, it was far cheaper to ship grain to market if it was first converted to whiskey. This means that the whiskey rebellion was essentially limited to areas outside the river and coastal trading network, a small minority of the population at the time. It is also doubtful that the Whiskey Rebels were capable of uniting across state lines. It was always a limited rebellion with limited goals.

Readers Comment Eric Oppen commented on 2011-07-30 00:01:11 ~ El Neil's a dear friend of mine, but he's no historian.

Readers Comment Jeff Provine commented on 2011-08-01 18:23:44 ~ Guerrilla warfare in backwoods America would be the weakening point all of Europe was waiting for. Somebody would make a bid for conquest soon.

Readers Comment Jackie Rose commented on 2012-07-29 19:32:33 ~ Goodness, Editor, if Thomas Jefferson was not kept out of office by his affair with a slave girl, Hamilton's affairs would not do it.

Readers Comment Matthew Dattilo commented on 2012-07-29 21:03:53 ~ Jackie, Jefferson's affair was a closely held secret. Hamilton was less discrete.

Readers Comment Eric Lipps commented on 2012-07-29 22:44:47 ~ Washington would have been most unlikely to have pushed for a third term. By my understanding, he was unhappy as president and perfectly willing to go home to Virginia after two terms. Moreover, had he chosen to stay, he'd have died in office (he died in 1799). I might counter with he would not have been on his farm to get that chill if he was stillserving as President Possible -- but again, Washington was not eager for a third term in any case. Even if the Whiskey Rebellion were still going on by 1796, he'd likely have been willing to hand over responsibility for dealing with it to a successor -- perhaps Vice-President John Adams, who as president revealed a ruthless streak of his own.

Readers Comment Jackie Rose commented on 2012-07-30 01:54:52 ~ Matthew, Jefferson's affair was what you call an open secret. His enemies made up a song, which was supposed to be sung by a black man: "Cujo the white wife will have...and Massa Jefferson will have the black."




Todayinah Editor Editor says, we're very pleased to present the fourth story from Jeff Provine's excellent blog This Day in Alternate History Please note that the opinions expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of the author(s).

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In 1848, on this day in the village of Ballingarry, police and military troops clashed with "Young Irelanders", the nationalist forces led by a member of parliament named William Smith O'Brien.

Irish Rebellion Gains Momentum into Revolution1848 was a year of revolt all around Europe. France's King Louis-Philippe had fallen to the Second Republic, Germans overthrew many of their local lords, and even the stalwart Austrians gained a constitution to balance the power of an absolute monarch. In Ireland, times were especially hard. The Potato Blight, beginning in 1845, had caused famine to last for years. The British government did very little to aid them, and now was the time for them to aid themselves.

Under the Union Act of 1800, Ireland had been joined with Britain into the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Since its passing by Parliament, there had been men working against it in Ireland known as the Repeal Association. The political movement remained marginal before stepping up to fame as the Young Ireland movement in 1839. Along with new powers granted to the Catholics in the 1832, the movement gained force all over the country. A splinter group, the Irish Confederation, began the push for all-out independence and a wholly Irish parliament.

After the success of the French revolution in February, the Irish began to make their moves. While leader William Smith O'Brien hoped for a bloodless revolution, the government was more fearful and suspended habeas corpus on July 22. O'Brien and his followers decided to act to oppose this force of politics. Battles erupted around County Tipperary, culminating on July 29 in the village of Ballingarry.

O'Brien and other Young Irelanders had fortified The Commons and awaited the approach of police and military troops. A group of 46 under Sub-Inspector Trant had been spotted, and the rebels pursued them into a two-story farmhouse where the police set up defense and took the family hostage. O'Brien approached the house and explained to the police that if they were to surrender their arms, they would be allowed to return home as fellow Irishmen. After a long moment of thought, Trant surrendered.

A new story by Jeff ProvineA few hours later, a band of one hundred more police under Sub-Inspector Cox appeared, being met by the surrendering police as well as a crowd of hundreds of pike-wielding, jubilant rebels. In shock, these police surrendered, too. All through the night, word spread of the victory, and O'Brien worked to harangue his people to never give up the fight for independence.

On July 30, the British army approached the fortified Young Irelanders. The commanders were slow to assault such a massive, poorly armed but publicly acclaimed band, but at last the battle ensued. Tactically, the battle became a draw, and the army retreated for the night. O'Brien, however, called the battle a great victory and spread word of the success of the revolution in more-than-literal terms. All over Ireland through August, revolts would begin, and the British landowners and Loyalists would be chased from the island. On August 23, O'Brien and his followers of men, women, and children would take Dublin and call for elections to an Irish Parliament. O'Brien was named Prime Minister, a position he would hold for fifteen years until his death in 1864.

In September, while the Royal Family retired to Balmoral in Scotland, Prince Albert would come to Ireland with a massive force of British troops. He suggested an armistice, to which O'Brien agreed, and the two would begin to mastermind a fair treaty that would grant Ireland its own parliament, but still keep the emerald isle as part of the British Empire. Seeing the forces willing to fight to maintain conquest, O'Brien agreed. The Act of Irish Parliament passed narrowly in 1849, with many Loyalists crying out against it. With renewed Irish loyalty, however, the empire would blossom.

Loyalists and English would gradually leave Ireland while the Catholic Irish stayed and worked to improve their country with O'Brien's reforms over the rest of the nineteenth century. Industry, especially manufacturing, grew with economic incentives from the Irish Parliament and a workforce of millions (many scholars predict these men may have emigrated to America). The Irish would be instrumental troops in World War I as well as the counter-invasion of the Continent against Hitler's soldiers in 1941, leading to the downfall of Germany in early 1944.

Moreover, the Irish Parliament would give Britain a model for treatment of its colonies and creating productive home-rule. Fending off the Communist incursions of the 1950s and '60s, the British Empire would continue to dominate the world along with its ally and former colony, the United States of America. With the fall of their competitor the Soviet Union in 1992, Britain would lead the world into its next millennium as an empire upon which the sun would never set.

Ireland, meanwhile, would be a land of marginal success. Its industrial heyday was long over, with crime and unemployment rampant, though the 1990s would cause a renewed surge of economics in technology as the Silicon Isle of Europe.


Entry posted by Guest Historian Jeff Provine Email the AuthorVisit the Authors Web Site © Jeff Provine, 2010-.
Story Tags Click on the hyperlinked metadata to surf the site! Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Jeff Provine Blog Source: Jeff Provine’s Blog Labels: Ireland, Nationalist, Irelanders, Irish, Britain.

Todayinah Editor Editor says, In reality, someone (thought to be a policeman, though it is not known who) shot at O'Brien at the Ballingarry farmhouse. A gun battle would begin lasting hours, which the vindictive rebels would win. When Cox and his men appeared, the bloodthirsty rebels would spring upon them and slaughter dozens despite their begs of mercy.
As the army arrived the next day, there seemed no more want of battle, and the Irish would give up their weapons. O'Brien and other leaders would be arrested and sentenced to hanging, drawing, and quartering as traitors. Petitions with upwards of 80,000 signatures would appear against them, and HM's government would commute the sentences to exile in Van Diemen''s Land (Tasmania).
Ireland would not gain independence until 1927, still under the crown, and its republic would not appear until 1949.


Readers Comment Eric Oppen commented on 2010-07-29 19:08:15 ~ Flashman commented "You can't raise a rebellion on rotten potatoes."

Readers Comment Rurri Heakin commented on 2010-07-29 21:37:34 ~ A larger rebellion is possible, if the French jump, they almost did. The results of the defeat, are probably more interesting.

Readers Comment Michael Balikoff commented on 2010-07-30 03:36:50 ~ Even the ensuing IRA could not appease the multitude when it then relighted itself into outright Religious anarchy. Over the decades parts of Ireland has been the proving ground of many uprisings yet in the main it has been a very mild and peaceful living country of beauty ...... jazzman




Todayinah Editor Editor says, what if the Federal Government overruled the State of Arizona's new immigration law? Please note that the opinions expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of the author(s).

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In 2010, on this day U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton in Phoenix issued an injunction blocking Arizona from implementing the heart of its new immigration law Wednesday, less than 24 hours before it was to have taken effect, and endorsed the administration's argument that the state would be interfering with the federal government's enforcement of immigration laws.

Anti-Nullification CrisisGov. Jan Brewer said she would ignore the ruling in the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. She said the law, SB1070, was needed "to address a crisis we did not create and the federal government has actively refused to fix. If the federal government will not support the state of Arizona by embracing laws that they created and we as a state are going to do it our selves with or without the support of the US".

New story by David CryanWhen asked by a reporter if that included seccession from the united states the governor said all options are on the table when it comes to protecting our border.

Gov. Rick Perry of Texas said that he supports everything that is being done by Jan Brewer and Texas will support them in anyway that is needed.


Entry posted by Guest Historian David Cryan Email the AuthorVisit the Authors Web Site © David Cryan, 2009-.
Story Tags Click on the hyperlinked metadata to surf the site! Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Swine Flu Source: Judgepedia Labels: Susan Bolton, Immigration, Arizona, Jan Brewer, Rick Perry.

Readers Comment Bruce Johnson commented on 2010-07-29 18:43:40 ~ Not even close. Fixed - thanks. Ed It is in a sense the polar opposite of the nullification crisis, since it amounts to the executive branch telling a state - "We refuse to actually enforce federal law. Therefore, you may not try to do so either!" More specifically: In the nullification crisis, South Carolina actually declared a federal LAW invalid or null (announcing that the state would refuse to support payment of federal tariffs it disagreed with). But ironically, in this instance, the Arizona law simply seeks to IMPLEMENT federal law, and is being told that, because the current administration's policy is NOT to enforce federal law, any state attempting to do so is interfering with federal prerogatives . That is, Arizona is acting against the executive branch's policy, but it is the executive NOT the state of Arizona that is acting to "nullify" federal law. The state, if interfering (or planing to), would be interfering with the administration NON-enforcement of the law. At the same time, consistent with its own policy but again contrary to federal law, the administration has taken no action against those (esp. "sanctuary cities") who have adopted explicit policies of PREVENTING the enforcement of federal immigration law.

Readers Comment Bruce Johnson commented on 2010-07-29 18:59:42 ~ Sorry, I didn't read the question at the very top. From that perspective, yes this IS an attempt at "federal nullification". But with some odd wists. The nullification here is ultimately by one branch - the executive - and it is not simply against a state law, but against the law passed by another branch of the federal government itself. In fact, the executive not actively enforcing a particular law is not so very unusual. It is, however, quite unusual (unprecedented? I'd like to see if we can find other examples), to move from the executive's ordinarily passive disregard for certain laws to taking action against states that actually DO try to follow the law.

Readers Comment Eric Oppen commented on 2010-07-29 19:04:52 ~ This would mean, at the very least, Arizona going against the Democrats for a long time. I've friends there, and one and all, they're very much in favor of the new law. Arizona's sick of illegal immigrants.

Readers Comment Jeff Provine commented on 2010-07-29 19:27:11 ~ Civil War 2: This Time It's Immigration. At least, a stand of states' rights would cause the pendulum to swing back from two centuries of increasing federalism.

Readers Comment Chris Oakley commented on 2010-07-30 02:26:30 ~ There may be a Civil War 2 anyway.... :(




Todayinah Editor Editor says, what if Donald Rumsfeld had been successful in his bid for the vice presidency in 1975-1976? Please note that considerable amounts of content have been repurposed from Andrew Cockburn's excellent book "Rumsfeld, His Rise, Fall & Catastrophic Legacy" (2007).

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In 1976, on this day the 41st Vice President of the United States Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller (pictured) suffered a fatal heart attack in his 13 West 54th Street Manhattan townhouse.1

Ruthless DecisionsRockefeller health had entered a sharp decline since the Halloween massacre, a political coup de grace executed by his chief adversary, Donald Henry Rumsfeld. Described by no less a fiend than President Nixon as "a ruthless little bastard", "Rummy" and Rockefeller "simply loathed each other". Relations were not helped by Rockefeller's habit of poking his head around Rumsfeld's office door and saying "Don, you know you will never be president".

"Rummy" was of course executing dastardly self-promotional plans from inside the White House" to ensure he did enter the Oval Office - as the boss. Realising that he needed the Vice Presidency as a platform, "Rummy" had played a long-game since accepting a cabinet posting by Richard Nixon in 1970. And by 31st October 1975, these plans ripened when President Gerald Ford, renowned for unswerving loyalty, unexpectedly dropped Rockefeller from the 1976 Vice Presidential Ticket. George W. Bush, who - alongside Barry Goldwater - was seriously considered for VP by Ford when he assumed the Presidency in 1974, was dispatched to the political no-mans land of Langley to run the CIA. To put the seal on this political emasculation, Bush was required to pledge that he would not politicize the CIA by running for office in 1976.

Of course the 1976 campaign presented a number of challenges for "Rummy" that would require some deft footwork. Political observers have speculated that Rockefeller2 would have threatened to withdraw New York's 154 delegate bloc of votes had he been alive at the time of the Convention. Since he was not, the real threat was the former Governor of California Ronald Reagan who was emerging as a creditable alternative candidate from the right wing. Accordingly, "Rummy" insisted upon his appointment as Secretary of Defence, replacing James Schlesinger who was also fired in the "Halloween massacre".

Once in office, "Rummy" pursued the hawkish agenda that was being urged by Reagan's supporters, effectively to reverse detente by undermining the Salt II negotiations and also accelerating military spending3. As a precursor, "Rummy" had played a key supporter of the decision to dispatch US Marines to relieve the SS Mayaguez. The ship was seized by the Khymer Rouge just a month after the fall of Saigon and in order to restore American prestige, military intervention was advocated by then Chief of Staff Rumsfeld.

The majority of political observers believe that Ford's re-election in 1976 was mainly due to his ruthless decision to double cross Richard Nixon, by going back on his promise to pardon the disgraced President4. Fortunately, the new Ford-Rumsfeld administration (pictured here with incoming Chief of Staff Dick Cheney) would inherit a $123 billion defense budget and a re-invigorated military. Thanks to Rumsfeld, in 1979, America would be ready to confront the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan with full force.


Entry posted by Todayinah Editor Email the AuthorVisit the Authors Web Site © Andrew Cockburn, 2007 - "Rumsfeld, His Rise, Fall and Catastrophic Legacy"
Story Tags Click on the hyperlinked metadata to surf the site! Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Beasts Source: Wikipedia Labels: Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, America.

Todayinah Editor Editor says, intrigued and horrified by the possibility of a Rumsfeld's Presidency, we discovered the necessary point of divergece by exploring a scenario in Andrew Cockburn's excellent book.
Please note that 1) we have brought forward Rockefellers heart attack by three years.
2) p. 51 Rockfeller insisted that Rumsfeld could not even attend the convention, and therefore we decided to bring forward his fatal heart attack by three years to remove this blocker to a Rumsfeld Presidency.
3) Cockburn suggests that Rumsfelds strategy was to undermine Ford, whereas we reverse this and suggest it was self-promotional.
4) This is our point of divergence to enable a Ford Victory in 1976.


Readers Comment Chris Oakley commented on 2009-04-07 15:59:10 ~ Funny you should mention the idea of a Ford win in '76, because there's a great short story titled "Demarche To Iran" based on a somewhat similar premise.

Readers Comment Eric Lipps commented on 2009-04-08 19:44:02 ~ No Comment

Readers Comment Eric Oppen commented on 2010-06-08 18:50:59 ~ I think myself that Nixon going on trial would have been explosive, particularly if Nixon had been able to prove that he had done _nothing_ that hadn't been done by the sainted JFK and his successor. The howling and screaming from the donkey party would have been worth going a long way to see.

Readers Comment Scott Palter commented on 2010-06-08 22:44:20 ~ Ford was in a no-win as regards Nixon. A Nixon trial keeps Watergate front and center in the public agenda. Pardoning Nixon tags Ford as a de facto accomplice. As is Ford almost won. If he doesn't make the maladroit comment about Poland and Hungary not being under Soviet control [not what he meant and not exactly what he said but in the era before Fox and Talk radio MSM could twist the narrative]. The fun ATL is Ford winning by moving 53K or so votes in OH and HA while carter wins the popular vote. Almost happened.

Readers Comment Eric Lipps commented on 2010-06-09 00:39:11 ~ Well, that's it, isn't it . . . if Nixon "had been able to prove that he had done nothing that hadn't been done by the sainted JFK and his successor," he wouldn't have resigned in the first place. Nixon, in fact, as part of the octopus of conspiracy which came to be known as Watergate, had actually had subordinates forging diplomatic cables to implicate JFK in the murder of Diem in Soouth Vietnam. Surely if Kennedy had really been up to stuff like that, Nixon would have been able to use real evidence rather than try for convincing forgeries. As for "his successor," LBJ's reputation was already so far down the drain by the time Nixon left office one would have had to hire a professional plumbing crew to retrieve it. Arguing that he had done nothing Johnson hadn't done wouldn't have helped Nixon--it would merely have confirmed the disgust (on the left as well as the right) felt for LBJ (though the left, while despising the man, approved of most of his domestic programs).




Todayinah Editor Editor says, what if John McCain had died in 1967? Please note that the opinions expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of the author(s).

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In 1967, the New York Times reported the tragic death of Lieutenant John Sidney McCain III following an explosion and fire on U.S. navy carrier Forrestall in Tonkin bay which left 134 US servicemen dead. USS Forrestal fire
A Zuni rocket was accidentally fired from an F4 Phantom parked on the starboard side of the flight deck aft of the island. The missile streaked across the deck into a 400 gallon belly fuel tank on a parked A4D Skyhawk. The pilot of the Skyhawk was McCain, who was killed instantly.
Both McCain's grandfather and father were admirals in the United States Navy. McCain graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1958 and became a naval aviator, flying ground-attack aircraft from aircraft carriers until he lost his life in the 1967 USS Forrestal fire. ~ New York Times, October 30th 1967.


Entry posted by Todayinah Editor Email the AuthorVisit the Authors Web Site © Today in Alternate History, 2004-.
Story Tags Click on the hyperlinked metadata to surf the site! Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Generals Source: Wikipedia Labels: John McCain, USS Forrestal Fire, Gulf of Tonkin, Air Pirate, Premature Death.



Downeaster

In 1962, one of the most compelling mysteries related to the Jamaica Bay hurricane was solved when scuba divers off the coast of Maine found the wreck of the Downeaster "Alexa" (pictured) five nautical miles from her last reported position prior to her sinking.

Downeaster - Alexa
Alexa

Nearly two years had passed since the fishing boat went down, and during that time there had been some question about the precise location of her sinking. With the discovery of her wreckage the speculation could finally be put to rest.

The sinking of the "Alexa", and the search for her wreckage, would later form the basis for author Sebastian Junger's 1999 book The Perfect Storm.


Entry posted by Guest Historian Chris Oakley Email the AuthorVisit the Authors Web Site © Chris Oakley,2008-.
Story Tags Click on the hyperlinked metadata to surf the site! Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Jamaica Bay Source: Wikipedia Labels: New York, Hurricane, America, 1948, Disaster.



On this day in 2002, a U.S. Navy carrier battle group headed by the USS Ronald Reagan was deployed to the Persian Gulf to defend U.S. interests in the region against the instability that had been engulfing Iraq since the the MN15 asteroid strike.

USS Ronald
USS Ronald - Reagan
Reagan

Entry posted by Guest Historian Chris Oakley Email the AuthorVisit the Authors Web Site © Chris Oakley,2008-.
Story Tags Click on the hyperlinked metadata to surf the site! Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: MN15 Iraq Source: Wikipedia Labels: Asteroid 2002 MN 15, Iraq, Saddam Hussein, Asteriod, Strike.



Queen of England

In 1588, on this day the Church of England held a special mass of thanksgiving to celebrate what Queen Elizabeth I called "our kingdom's fortunate deliverance" from attack by the Spanish Armada.

Queen of England - Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I

Variant entry posted by Guest Historian Chris Oakley Email the AuthorVisit the Authors Web Site original content has been repurposed to celebrate the author's genius © Chris Oakley,2008-.
Story Tags Click on the hyperlinked metadata to surf the site! Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Ill Wind Source: Wikipedia Labels: Duke of Parma, Spanish Fleet, Armada, Britain, Elizabeth.



In 1940, on this day Canadian troops attacked the beleaguered remnants of the German airborne landing force near Blackpool.                                                                                    

Seaside Resort
Seaside Resort - of Blackpool
of Blackpool

Variant entry posted by Guest Historian Chris Oakley Email the AuthorVisit the Authors Web Site original content has been repurposed to celebrate the author's genius © Chris Oakley,2008-.
Story Tags Click on the hyperlinked metadata to surf the site! Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Blackpool40 Source: Wikipedia Labels: Blackpool, Adolf Hitler, Normandy, Britain, France.

Todayinah Editor Editor says, The Sky News article of February 23rd reads ~ Blackpool was off-limits to the Luftwaffe during World War Two because Hitler wanted the seaside town as a "playground", uncovered documents reportedly reveal. The Fuhrer apparently wanted to hoist the Nazi flag up Blackpool Tower and base the headquarters for his paratroopers there.
Uncovered intelligence maps reportedly reveal Hitler's intention to spare the Lancashire resort during his planned invasion of Great Britain.
York-based publisher Michael Cole brought the documents back from Germany about a year ago, he said.
The papers go toward explaining why the resort escaped unscathed during the Blitz - especially considering there were major British aircraft manufacturing factories situated there.
"These maps will be the source of much interest particularly to those who lived here through the Second World War," said Elaine Smith, chairman of Blackpool's Civic Trust.
"It had been known that Hitler intended to use Blackpool as his personal playground after what he hoped to be a successful invasion and the war ended.
"He probably wanted to keep the resort as it was so he could enjoy it as Chancellor of Britain."
The maps also detail the Nazi leader's invasion plans - which included marching soldiers along the coastline.
The Italian Gardens in Stanley Park was to be used as a guide for paratroopers because the paths formed a perfect compass.




On this day in 1944, German occupation forces in Rouen surrendered to the Allies.

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Entry posted by Guest Historian Chris Oakley Email the AuthorVisit the Authors Web Site © Chris Oakley,2008-.
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In 1969, from Guadalajara - Hey Joe Where you goin' with that gun in your hand?
Hey Joe I said where you goin' with that gun in your hand?
Well, dig it! I'm goin' way down south, way down south,
(Hey) way down south to Mexico way!
Jimi Hendrix Alright! (Joe) I'm goin' way down south, (Hey, Joe) way down where I can be free!
you better run on down! (where you gonna...) Goodbye everybody. Ow! ~ Jimi Hendrix

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Hendrix apocalyptic warnings about President Richard Nixon (codename 'Joe') and his covert operation to suppress the counter-culture had been largely ignored as paranoia until J. Edgar Hoover had terminated the Woodstock Music Festival on July 6th 1969. Within the next two years, many of the icons of the counter-culture including Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison and Jim Hendrix had mysteriously died and those warnings were seriously re-evaluated.

Counter-insurgency techniques planned for the VietCong were turned on American youth as the white suburbs of America became strategic hamlets. Which made perfect sense, some times you have to destroy the village to save it. Greenwich Village included. The Lyrics are available at Lyrics Freak.


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Drac pulled up the image of the young woman and displayed her on the desk. 'And, what happens to dear Melissa when you take her place?' 'I'm afraid she dies.'
'Tyr Weapons Systems.' He tapped his head. 'That's a whole universe of pain and death. Is the price you're getting worth it?'
'I think so.'
'Can I be traced through you?'
'Anything is possible, Drac. I can't give you complete assurance on that.'
He nodded. Whether he could be traced was a matter of his skill versus those of his opponents, and not up to her. 'Who hired you?'
'You know I can't tell you that.'
'Worth a shot.' He thought for a minute, then nodded. 'All right. When do you need to start?'
'I need the body complete by the 14th. And, I'll need to give you updates on her physical condition up to the 13th. All right?'
Drac shook his head. 'I'm starting to think this isn't worth it for me.'
Sonja leaned across the desk. 'I really need this, Drac. You have no idea how important this is.'
He reached across and took her hand. 'All right, Sonja. For you. Leave me all the information you have, and I'll begin. Will you be able to transmit the updates, or will security require you to bring me those in person?'
'In person. Some things are too easy to pluck out of the air.' She transmitted briefly, and he nodded to acknowledge receipt. Then, she got up and took a step back towards the hole. 'Coming with me?'
His dark eyes were poring over the data in front of him, and he shook his head. 'No, dear, you go ahead. The hole will let you out. I'm going to begin working on this masterpiece.' He waved a hand and the hole opened back for her. When she walked underneath it, she was lifted up and passed through, back into the small booth. When she was back on her feet again, the hole closed over and was covered by the rectangular block - the coffin - that Drac kept to greet his customers.
She stepped through the beads and went back into the bazaar. This time, the wash of desires and noises was a welcome distraction from what she would have to do over the next week, and what would be done after that.
Once she was home, she set up a security field and dropped the personal defenses she had been keeping up since leaving. She was exhausted. She hadn't slept since getting the assignment, three days ago. There had been a lot to do, many people to see, and hundreds of preparations to make. She was pretty sure that she had it all in hand, now, and could let it all coast for a few hours while she rested. She took off the silver jacket and laid it carefully at the foot of the bed. Then, she slid out of her boots and socks, lining them up carefully where her feet would fall when she swung her legs out of the bed. Off came her pants, and they were folded neatly and set on the chair within easy reach. She left on her blouse because she didn't like to sleep topless. She folded back the sheets, slid in, and covered up. The room saw that she didn't want to stay up, so the lights dimmed and the temperature dropped to make her comfortable. Within seconds, she was asleep. Seconds later, a persistent tickle at her ear woke her up. 'What is it?' Her eyelids fluttered open, and a man stood at her bedside, admiring her sleeping form. She drew the sheets a little more tightly around her. 'What do you want, Gil?'
'You, of course, Sonja, but a little progress report would do for now.'
'I'll give it to you after I've had a chance to sleep for a few hours.' She waved a hand at him and pulled the cover over her head. 'Go away.'
His head lowered within inches of hers. 'Our employer wants to know where we stand. This kind of man doesn't wait, baby.'
'We're on track. Goodbye.' 'Details, Sonja.'
'Matilda,' she muttered to her computer, 'what level of privacy am I on?'
'Emergency calls only, mum,' the soft english voice replied.
'Sonja, the guy hasn't heard from you in 3 days. He is friggin' threatening to have the Militia come in and torture me. You know I can't take real pain.'
She pulled back the sheet and stared into Gil's eyes. They were bloodshot, as always - Gil never did take care of his appearance - and they were worried. He looked almost as bad as she felt. 'Look, Gil, I've got the preparations made, the switchover will take place as planned on the 13th. Now, I need eight hours of sleep, or I'm going to die.'
'Who are you using for the prep? He wants to know.'
She narrowed her eyes. 'He doesn't get to know, Gil. My sources remain anonymous to everybody - even big money types.'
'Sonja...'
'Gil, I'm cutting you off now. If you call me back before eight hours is up, you won't have to worry about being tortured by the Militia.'
'You'll give me everything then, though, right?'
She was really regretting ever coming to work with the little weasel. 'Yes, Gil. Now you go bye-bye. Matilda, total privacy.'
'Yes, mum.' Gil's image blinked out, and Sonja settled back again. 'Shall I play some music for you, mum? You seem somewhat tense.'
'Sure.' A few strains of folk music played out over her, and she breathed deeply. 'This had better work.' She flipped over on her side, trying to get more comfortable. 'Hey, Matilda, was that call monitored?'
'There wasn't any discernible trace, mum.' 'Can you analyze any unusual traffic that may have piggy-backed on Gil's signal and let me know?'
'Of course, mum.' Matilda was silent for a minute, leaving the soothing pipes to work their magic on Sonja. She was almost asleep when Matilda came back. 'There was a slight bulge in the amount of data being transmitted, mum, but I couldn't trace where it came from or where it went. The probability is that the call was being monitored.'
'Damn it.' Gil had been told to make the call and get information from her, and their employer was listening in. 'I hate it when people don't trust you. A contract is a contract.' She fussed and fumed mentally for a couple of seconds, then asked, 'Can you tap into Gil, and find any residuals left in his area?'
'I'll try, mum. But, for what purpose?'
'If you can pick up a residual from anyone associated with Tyr Weapons Systems, bring it back, isolate, and culture it. Then work up an antidote.'
Matilda paused, and hesistantly said, 'Tyr Weapons Systems is known very widely for their security, mum.'
'I have a lot of faith that you can break that reputation, Matilda.'
'Very well, mum.'
Sonja's exhaustion was weighing very heavily on her. 'I've still got to get some sleep. Matilda, keep me posted of any emergencies, but let me sleep uninterrupted for at least five hours if you can. All right?'
'Yes, mum.'
She covered herself again and closed her eyes. Everything was abuzz inside her, but she forced that all down. She called up the morpheus image she'd had planted to help her relax.
A muscular man's hands ran down her body, unclenching each muscle, relaxing all her nerves. Then, those wonderful hands smoothed away her hair and massaged her temples, and her breathing deepened. Her eyes closed, but the hands kept working their magic, flying to any part of her that needed to be soothed, and caressing away her cares and tensions. In minutes, she was asleep.
She really liked morpheus.
Five hours later, Matilda woke her with a gentle ringing bell. She sat up in the bed and stretched, feeling much better than she had in three days. She would have liked more, but she got enough to keep her going for a while.
'Find out anything, Matilda?'
'I have four different residuals that I am attempting to cultivate. They are all from different systems inside Tyr, and one of them is being very nasty about being held and cultured.'
'Work on that one. I think it'll probably be the most helpful to the task we have at hand.'
Matilda almost sighed. 'I will try, mum, but you have no idea how difficult it's being.'
Sonja smiled at the old girl. 'I'm sorry, Matilda, but please do your best. This could make our lives a lot easier.'
That almost-audible sigh again. 'Yes, mum.'

Stub Entry posted by Alternate Historian Robbie Taylor



In 1967, explosion and fire on U.S. navy carrier Forrestall in Tonkin bay left 134 US servicemen dead. A Zuni rocket was accidentally fired from an F4 Phantom parked on the starboard side of the flight deck aft of the island. The missile streaked across the deck into a 400 gallon belly fuel tank on a parked A4D Skyhawk. The pilot of the Skyhawk was [the later to be] President John McCain of Arizona, he was able to evacuate the plane and got away safely.

Stub Entry posted by Todayinah Editor



In 1855, from Mosi-oa-Tunya, known to the European as Victoria Falls, Makololo soul-deeps promoted the continent of Ifriquia to a mega-node in the Mesh, the global network of First Nation consciousness founded in Manna-hata, Turtle Island in 1492. British witness David Livingstone recorded 'the scene as so lovely must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight.' The smoke that thunders burst into the Zambezi River as indigenes around the globe celebrated the dawning of a new age of inter-connectivity.

Stub Entry posted by Todayinah Editor



On this day in 1953, General Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Commander for all UN forces in Korea, sent a letter to his troops commending them for their distinguished service in the fight to liberate northern Korea from Communist oppression. That same day he flew from his headquarters in Tokyo to the former North Korean capital Pyongyang to attend a memorial service for the anti- Communist Korean partisans who had died in the struggle to rid their homeland of the Marxist dictator and NKVD puppet Kim Il Sung.

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Entry posted by Guest Historian Chris Oakley Email the AuthorVisit the Authors Web Site © Chris Oakley,2008-.
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In 1972, actor Wil Wheaton was born in Burbank, California. Oscar nominee for his role in Valmont, Wheaton was also briefly associated with the Star Trek franchise, appearing in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. Wheaton left the series to pursue a movie career, and became one of the few Trek actors to make the transition from the series to more mainstream work. He and Patrick Stewart later reunited in the blockbuster film X-Men when Wheaton was given the part of Cyclops.

Stub Entry posted by Alternate Historian Robbie Taylor



In 1965, the Pete Best movie Mayday! opens in London, with Queen Elizabeth herself in attendance. It's another smash triumph for Best's career.

Entry posted by Alternate Historian Robbie Taylor Email the AuthorVisit the Authors Web Site © Robbie Taylor, 2004-
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In 1974, Cass Elliot of The Mamas & The Papas has a near-death experience after a heart attack in London. Discovered by a friend, she is rushed to a hospital and given immediate treatment. The experience changes Elliot's life; she gives up alcohol, slims down somewhat, and starts therapy. Her successful solo career begins after this period, in 1976, with the release of the album Gonna Fly Away.

Stub Entry posted by Alternate Historian Robbie Taylor



In 1972, actor Wil Wheaton was born in Burbank, California. Oscar nominee for his role in Valmont, Wheaton was also briefly associated with the Star Trek franchise, appearing in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. Wheaton left the series to pursue a movie career, and became one of the few Trek actors to make the transition from the series to more mainstream work. He and Patrick Stewart later reunited in the blockbuster film X-Men when Wheaton was given the part of Cyclops.

Stub Entry posted by Alternate Historian Robbie Taylor



In 1871, Gregory Efimovich, better known as Rasputin, was born. He rose to power as advisor to the reactionary Czar Nicholas II and his wife. When the communists revolted against the Czar, Rasputin advised allowing Prime Minister Kerensky to withdraw from the Great War, and this quelled the rioting, allowing the Czar to stay in power. Some say that Rasputin was protected by magic; but he died, as every man does, in 1954, in service to Czar Pyotr III.

Stub Entry posted by Alternate Historian Robbie Taylor



In 1981, Lady Diana Spencer married Charles Windsor, Prince of Wales. It was an unhappy marriage for the 'Queen of Hearts' which ended with a tragic car crash in 1997, killing the Prince and his lover, Camilla Parker-Bowles. The widow subsequently married Dodi Al-Fayed, finding true happiness at last.

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In 1966, the musician Bob Dylan died in upstate New York. Whilst riding his Triumph 500 motorcycle in Woodstock, New York, its brakes locked, throwing him to the ground. The fall broke his neck and he died instantly. He was sadly missed, even though other artists used the master's lyrics. In the words of the CBS tag, 'Nobody Sings Dylan Like Dylan'.

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In 1948, the first Summer Olympics since Berlin 1936 opened in London with the Games of the XIV Olympiad. Several new nations sent teams following territorial alignments either delayed or caused by the Great War. These included East and West Austria, North and South Japan, Palestine and Hindustan.

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In 1948, the first Summer Olympics since Berlin 1936 opened in New Britain with the Games of the XIV Olympiad. As planned. Well, almost. Toronto was the relocated site, since London had been destroyed by Hitler's V3 rockets.

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July 28



Todayinah Editor Editor says, what if Alien 6 closed all the plot loops? Please note that the opinions expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of the author(s). This story was published in the August 2012 edition of Changing the Times Magazine.

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In 2015, on this day Paradise the sixth installment of the Alien movie series premiered in cinemas across North America.

Movie Premier of ParadiseChristian archeologist Dr Elizabeth Shaw and the android David arrive on the seemingly abandoned home world of the Engineers (pictured, left). They find evidence of a larger, full-scale version of the two-thousand year old genocide that they had discovered outside the "head-room" in Prometheus (pictured, right). Because after transporting the alien Jesus to Earth, the proto-Christians had returned to destroy the magicians workshop on LV-223. But the Xenomorph worshippers of pain and death had fought back leaving only a handful of infected survivors that managed to escape as far as the planetoid LV-426 (the discovery in Alien 1). And of course a single space jockey programmed to return to Earth to destroy the alien Jesus, only he was locked in statis by proto-Christians, and once awoken by the android David was killed by a Xenomorph.

The conflicting actions explained the schizophrenic behavior of creation and destruction that had so confused viewers in the fifth movie installment. Because the humanoid beings devoid of humanity were evil Magicians playing with fire rather than the benign Engineers imagined by the idealistic Shaw, Weyland and Holloway.

The result was a new and even more destructive species war which had broken out between the Magicians's creations, mankind and the Xenomorphs. But this was only the un-intentional result of morphing on LV-223 that had created the deacon, a proto-queen who was able to generate life on her own terms. Yet at the climax of the movie, Shaw discovers remaining survivors. She symbolically abandons science in favour of religion, deciding to remain with the proto-Christians on their Paradise. And leaving the fight against the deacon to her indefatigable successor, Lieutenant Ellen L. Ripley.


Entry posted by Todayinah Editor Email the AuthorVisit the Authors Web Site © Alternate Historian, 2004-.
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Todayinah Editor Editor says, the basis of our argument is that if the Engineer's wanted to destroy Earth, then the lost of the moon LV-223 would not be enough to prevent that outcome. And since the planetoid LV-426 was also abandoned, we have taken the leap of logic that the Engineers are all-but extinct. Further that the schizophrenic behaviour is of two factions, rather than a change of intent.


Readers Comment Eric Oppen commented on 2012-07-28 23:51:50 ~ Never have seen more than the first two _Alien_ movies, so this is one I can't say anything about.

Readers Comment Robbie Taylor commented on 2012-07-29 00:05:12 ~ Well, that makes it all perfectly clear... :}

Readers Comment Jackie Rose commented on 2012-07-29 00:47:33 ~ I thought that Alien was about cancer, with the demon suddenly jumping out of the victim's chest, but this seems even more depressing.

Readers Comment Jeff Provine commented on 2012-07-29 19:28:27 ~ And then there's the Predators, too.




Todayinah Editor Editor says, we're very pleased to present the third story from Jeff Provine's excellent blog This Day in Alternate History Please note that the opinions expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of the author(s).

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In 1932, on this day the tensions arising from the unresolved conflict over long overdue payments to Great War Veterans escalated into horrifying violence when the so-called Bonus Army counterattacked the US Government.

Bonus Army Counterattacks The Great Depression had ground on for years. While President Herbert Hoover had enacted breadlines and other minor alleviations for the out-of-work populace, the country as a whole continued to suffer unemployment and lack of cash. The people themselves began to call for direct aid, and none more vigorously than the veterans of the World War. In 1924, Congress had voted a bonus for each soldier in recognition of their service, giving one dollar for every day of domestic time ($1.25 for each day abroad) to a maximum of $500 ($625 abroad). The bonuses were paid via certificates and a trust fund, giving percentages until full payment was achieved in 1945.

By the troubled year of 1932, one-third of the payments had been made, and now Congress hoped to aid out-of-work veterans by advancing the payment to full. Hoover and his Republican allies were opposed to the idea, saying that it would strain the budget of the Federal government and take away funds needed for other relief programs. Veterans, however, pressed their representatives for the payment, and the House passed the Patman Bonus Bill to accelerate the giving of the money.

A new story by Jeff ProvineIn June of 1932, the bill went before the Senate, and veterans marched on Washington to show their support for it. Seventeen thousand veterans came to the capital, bringing their families with them to total nearly 43,000 people. Most of them lived in Hooverville camps outside Washington proper, the biggest one being across the Anacostia River. Rather than disease-ridden slums, the camps were well organized with streets, clean water, sanitation facilities, and even parades. Despite the public support, the Senate blocked the bill, and now the "'Bonus Army,"' as they called themselves, began to protest in earnest for the funds that were rightfully theirs.

By July 28, the government had taken their fill. Protesters had marched on the White House, leading to a scuffle that resulted in police brutalizing several of them. Attorney General William D. Mitchell ordered the removal of all protesters from government property on grounds of trespassing. Police tried to clear a camp, but the veterans resisted. Shots were fired, and two veterans were left dead.

When he heard of the violence, Hoover decided to clear the district before things turned worse. He called General Douglas MacArthur from Fort Howard in Maryland with infantry and tanks from Fort Myer, Virginia, commanded by Major George S. Patton. The Bonus Army was in the midst of a march when the army arrived and took the appearance of the troops as a show of support. Instead, the cavalry and infantry charged, bayonets affixed.

Washingtonians who had come out to watch were horrified, crying "'Shame!"' at the army, but the soldiers took little notice. The veterans were chased back to the Anacostia Flats on the other side of the river, and Hoover ordered the troops to stop. MacArthur, however, ignored the President and took it upon himself to clean out the "'communists."' Gas attacks, fire, and violent soldiers chased the veterans and their families out of the camp.

Before midnight, however, the veterans began to regroup. Making sure their families were safe in Maryland where the Federal troops did not have jurisdiction, they collected weapons and covertly marched back into Washington. As the army and police were busy breaking down the camp, the veterans organized their mob into ranks on the Washington Mall. Just as locals began to become suspicious of the nighttime activity, they charged into the Capitol and seized the building. Securing all exits, they advised the clerks, officials, and congressmen working late that they were not hostages and were free to go at any time.

MacArthur returned to Washington and began an assault up the main steps with his infantry. With shotguns, hunting rifles, and sheer moxie, the veterans held the doors and finally forced back the infantry, injuring many. As MacArthur began to call for artillery to blast open the Capitol, Hoover stopped him and removed him from command for disobeying orders. The infamous general would never serve with the United States Armed Forces again.

Major Patton offered to force entry with his tanks, but Hoover declined. Instead, a day-long standoff began as Washington police and Federal soldiers circled the building, but could not get close. Government workers, however, were allowed in, and the Senate was finally called to order. The block on the Bonus Bill was lifted, and the veterans collected their money and left peacefully. As soon as they were outside, they allowed themselves to be arrested.

National outrage over the incident poured into Washington. Some called for execution of the rebellious soldiers as traitors, but most were angry with the president and army for being so callous toward the veterans. Hoover would save face by shifting blame, dismissing Attorney General Mitchell and turning his whole campaign into the "'cleansing"' of the federal government. While his budget suffered greatly from the two-billion-dollar shortfall, he refused to go over-budget more than absolutely necessary. Touting thriftiness and earning wherever possible, as well as gaining a great deal of support from veterans, Hoover would narrowly win the 1932 election over New York Governor Franklin Roosevelt.

Hoover's next term would be four more years of struggle for the country. Prohibition would be overturned by Congress in 1933, but the economic issues would not be solvable by mere tenacity. Relief efforts struggled to keep up with unemployment. In the elections of 1934, people had had enough, and Democrats were voted into power in Congress. The Great Depression did nothing but worsen.

In 1936, FDR came into office overwhelmingly, and he brought his New Deal into full swing. Ignoring budget constraints, FDR started enormous works projects to employ as many of the unemployed as possible. The changes were radical, which was just as well since radical groups became increasingly powerful over the country. By 1940, people said that the US was all but socialist in name with resources in food, oil, electricity, public water, and health insurance all regulated by the government.

While the populace was suspicious of such control in the Land of the Free, World War II would solidify FDR's political maneuvers. Through the second half of the twentieth century, so much of the basics of American life would be guaranteed that LBJ's New Society would create a welfare state of nearly one-half government employees (or, as many social critics would call them, "'government slaves"').

In 2002, President Albert Gore would even expand American human rights to guarantee Internet service.


Entry posted by Guest Historian Jeff Provine Email the AuthorVisit the Authors Web Site © Jeff Provine, 2010-.
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Todayinah Editor Editor says, In reality, the veterans did not regroup and counterattack. The Bonus Army maintained a presence in Washington, but they did not trifle with protests against Hoover again. The incidents would haunt Hoover and doom him in the 1932 election. FDR and his New Deal programs would alleviate much of the poverty of the Great Depression, though it would balance against capitalism and private innovation that Americans have always taken as a part of the national spirit.


Readers Comment Chris Oakley commented on 2010-07-28 18:19:00 ~ This is Turtledov-quality stuff...

Readers Comment Eric Oppen commented on 2010-07-28 19:17:51 ~ The bonuses were not supposed to be paid until 1945, and the Congress repeatedly refused to change that. The Bonus Marchers were asking for earlier payment. And I think that if they'd risen in arms and seized the Capitol, public sympathy for them would evaporate. (That said---what sort of fortress would the Capitol make, anyway? The walls are very thick stone, and if you can't use artillery against it, you're about where the Spanish Republicans in Toledo were vs. the Alcazar.)

Readers Comment Scott Palter commented on 2010-07-28 21:23:09 ~ 1. Hoover could not have been reelected had the Democrats nominated Satan. As long as Satan was a nominal Protestant and a nominal white man. 2. I doubt the Senate could have been cowed into voting for this. 3. Hoover had lost control of the budget by 1931 when the new Congress sat. House control collapsed before the new House was seated in March. Nominal Senate control stayed nominal because the Progressives would not vote with the Hoover conservatives on budget matters. So all Hoover could do to control budget or taxes was propose.

Readers Comment Eric Lipps commented on 2010-07-29 00:32:24 ~ In any case, government bureaucracy being what it was even then, even if "the block on the Bonus Bill was lifted," it isn't likely that the vets would have "collected their money and left" as soon as seems to be implied. They'd be lucky to see payment within a month. And in the meantime, there'd be all kinds of uproar about Congress being forced to pay up under duress. this would surely have fed into thirties-era fears about radicalism, perhaps tilting the political playing field in favor of some hard-line candidate who never had a chance oin our history. (Not Hoover: he was damaged goods even before the Bonus Army arrived in Washington.)




Todayinah Editor Editor says, what if the English Settlers really were religious brothers intent upon creating a great nation under God? Please note that the opinions expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of the author(s).

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In 1981, on this day the "Great Mystery" Wakan Tanka took Terry Fox home to glory in a burst of holy light as he entered the outskirts of Thanksgiving Township in the province of Wampanoag.
Marathon of HopeAfter losing a leg to osteosarcoma, Terry Fox had run across the entire Turtle Island in the "Marathon of Hope" to raise awareness of the disease. To recognise this stunning achievement, and also to mark his twenty-third birthday, multi-faith representatives of the Governing Council had assembled in the great square where the Pilgrims celebrated the first deliverance day with the Pokanoket in 1621.


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Readers Comment Chris Oakley commented on 2010-03-10 00:10:38 ~ If this doesn't raise a few eyebrows, I don't know what will...

Readers Comment Eric Oppen commented on 2010-03-10 00:16:38 ~ ??? I don't know what this is about. Explanation follows. Terry Fox is a national hero in Canada that tragically died in Thunder Bay without completing his coast-to-coast marathon of hope, in this better world, the journey ends on a religious note. The famous picture of the "saintly" car lights on him gave me the idea that he is delivered by God.

Readers Comment Eric Lipps commented on 2010-03-10 00:22:42 ~ I'm guessing that in this timeline Native Americans retained a lot more power and influence relative to whites, though it's not clear how this happened.

Facebook Comment Comment from Mia Amani on Facebook: What religious brotherhood might that be? Maybe the Religious Society of Friends aka the Quakers. The others seem to blood-thirsty to have compromised with "heathen."
Then there is that fundamental difference in the concept of property between Native Americans and the Europeans.
Was that condition he had like cancer? If it was, one wonders what the prevalence of cancer would have been given the emphasis Native Americans placed on nature. An interesting scenario nonetheless.





Todayinah Editor Editor says, what if the events portrayed in Land Of The Giants really happened? Please note that the opinions expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of the author(s). This story was published in the June 2011 edition of Changing the Times Magazine.

In 1983, the nuclear-powered submarine USS Seaview, then under the command of Admiral Harriman Nelson, was dispatched to the North Atlantic to oversee experiments related to Project Spindrift

Giant Surprise Part 8For the men and women of Seaview, at the time the world's largest nuclear sub, this marked the second time in a decade they'd been involved in a scientific project of global importance; the first came in 1973, when they spent six weeks in the Arctic Circle monitoring the Van Allen belt.


Entry posted by Guest Historian Chris Oakley Email the AuthorVisit the Authors Web Site © Chris Oakley,2008-.
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Todayinah Editor Editor says, this entry is meant as a nod to one of Irwin Allen's other hit TV series, "Voyage To The Bottom of the Sea".






Todayinah Editor Editor says, what if Spain had joined the Axis? Please note that the opinions expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of the author(s). This story was published in the August 2011 edition of Changing the Times Magazine.

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In 1940, the cancellation of wildy ambitious Italian plans to invade Greece in the Autumn convinced Gen. Franco of the discipline of the Axis Alliance and encouraged him to authorise Operation Felix the passage of twenty German Divisions through Spanish territory in order strike at the British base on Gibraltar.

FelixThe British garrison of thirty thousand soon capitulated and in return the Vichy Government ceded a portion of French Morocco to Spain. Mistakenly sensing that a British collapse was imminent, Franco ordered the crack Blue Division to join the Afrika Corps. Hitler was delighted, referring to the division as "equal to the best German ones".

But even with the western Mediterranean closed to the Royal Navy, British forces in the Middle East were supplied via the Suez Canal. When the weak Spanish navy was annihilated Spain could no long reinforce or resupply the garrisons on the Canary and Balaeric Islands. Anti Franco Guerilla movements in Catalonia, parts of Andalucia, Valencia and other pro Republican areas began to stir. And worse, a lack of integrated command led to a disappointing performances from German, Italian and Spanish Forces and a breakthrough in the Middle Eastern theatre was not forthcoming.

As German reversals began to mount on the Eastern Front, Franco decided to pull out of the Axis Alliance. Hitler contemplated an invasion of Spain to remove Franco and replace him with Agustin Munoz Grandes fearing that "The Spaniards are the only tough Latins. I will have a guerrilla war in my rear".


Entry posted by Todayinah Editor Email the AuthorVisit the Authors Web Site © Alternate Historian, 2004-.
Story Tags Click on the hyperlinked metadata to surf the site! Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Generals Source: Wikipedia Labels: Germany, Spain, Axis, Vichy, Great Britain.

Todayinah Editor Editor says, Axis History reports ~ Historically, after the fall of France Hitler set up three diplomatic meetings. He was first to meet with Petain, then Franco at Heyde(sp) and then with Mussolini. At the meeting with Franco a serious consideration was given by Franco to joining the Axis. Hitler wanted to ship 20 german Divisions across Spain to attack Gibralter. Franco knew he owed germany for his success in coming to power. He needed away out as he really didnt see how he could succeed as Spain was a economic nightmare and a hairbreath away from a starvation situation. Mussolini gave franco the excuse he needed to not join the Axis. Mussolini began the invasion of Greece without informing Hitler. Franco told hitler he could not join an Alliance were no control was within the alliance to keep a member from starting new areas of conquest. franco did not join the pact but did agree to supply men to fight in the upcoming Russian campaign hence the entrance of the Spanish Blue division into the conflict in the east. Spain remained neutral and survived the war.


Readers Comment Stan Brin commented on 2011-08-02 20:34:36 ~ Franco wasn't a nazi or a fascist. He was a reactionary monarchist. He had absolutely no interest in a German victory. It also wouldn't have required two divisions to take Gibraltar. Why twenty-three? All these points are buried in the hyperlinked references, but the key one is this article on HistoryNet

Readers Comment Eric Oppen commented on 2011-08-03 02:03:22 ~ Franco was not interested in more war. Spain was half-in-ruins from the war they'd just had. He sent the Division Azul to Russia mainly as a way to get rid of the hotheaded Falangists and seem to be doing something for Hitler, but every time Hitler wanted something substantial, Franco (briefed by Adm. Canaris) had a list of things he _really_ needed that he knew Hitler couldn't give him.

Readers Comment Scott Palter commented on 2011-08-03 08:22:25 ~ Franco was more an opportunist than a political of any stripe. He had little interest in going to war with the Anglosphere, the more so as the Germans lacked the aid he needed [food, fuel, arms, industrial equipment]. As for sending the Blue Division to Libya...they were hard fighters but they were infantry with horse drawn transport - useless in the desert. Also Vichy was not willing to part with colonies.

Readers Comment Christopher Lee commented on 2011-08-03 08:22:25 ~ An interesting one this, because there was clearly a huge debate in Spain at the time. Franco owed Hitler big time for the aid he lavished on the Nationalists. The traditional view has always seemed to me to be that Franco had sized up the situation cleverly and realised that a German victory was unlikely and so edged away from joining in directly. This seems to me to be a bit too complementary to Franco, although he certainly proved himself to be a shrewd opportunist in surviving through the different political climates. However, I would think it was more to do with the fact that Spain was a very limited country in two ways: one economically, so intervention was not going to be affordable and two: politically, having won a brutal civil war Franco presumably needed all his forces to retain control. Joining the war was a huge risk as if things went wrong he would be unlikely to hold onto power for long. So IMO Spanish intervention was unlikely and with Spain's hugely limited resources it probably would have made virtually no difference apart from a few thousand extra troops. However, Franco probably would have joined if the USSR had been defeated and there was no prospect of anything other than German overall victory.

Readers Comment Timothy McFadden commented on 2011-08-03 08:22:25 ~ Wouldn't Gibraltar have made a big difference in the med?- it would have made it much harder for the Brits to hold Malta and the Torch landings would all have to be on the atlantic coasts of Africa. More of the supplies and troops sent by the Axis to Africa would have actually arrived. The war was still a very close-run thing through 1942.

Readers Comment Jeff Provine commented on 2011-08-03 17:40:17 ~ With the loss of Gibraltar, there would be a huge block in the way of Churchill's hopes to "strike at the soft underbelly of Europe." Could see an invasion of Spain or at least instigation of a revolt against Franco, which would once again devastate Spain in civil war.


In 1940, on this day Prime Minister David Lloyd George delivered a key foreign policy speech in the House of Commons.DLG '40 - Part 2: Heads Held High
Having struck an aggresive and belligerent tone during the Battle of Britain, Lloyd George stated that now that it had been proven to Hitler that Britain could not be defeated with ease, the time had come to "discuss terms with him".
In fact, he was restating a belief that had been expressed as early as September in a letter to the Duke of Bedford (who wanted an immediate peace) that the time would come when Britain had faced down an invasion attempt "our prestige will be higher than ever, and we should enter a Conference with our heads held high".
Lloyd George outlined a compelling case for his policy. Britain was isolated on the Continent, in a way she had never been before. In order to defeat Germany, she would need to equip, raid and land a massive army on the Continent and wage war for years; by that time she would be bankrupt and most of her Empire would be in other hands, including those of the Americans. Lloyd George's expectations of the Americans were guarded. "She will, no doubt help us in all ways short of War" but he did not see her sending another 'huge army' to Europe; even if she did, it would take at least two years for it to become anything like an effective fighting force ..(the story continues).


Entry posted by Todayinah Editor Email the AuthorVisit the Authors Web Site © Quoted from Churchill and Hitler : in victory and defeat by John Strawson
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Todayinah Editor Editor says, David Lloyd George actually made these statements in a newspaper article dated 28th July 1941.






Todayinah Editor Editor says, what if Churchill's finest hour had been a disaster? Please note that the opinions expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of the author(s). This story was published in the August 2011 edition of Changing the Times Magazine.

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1940, from Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands, the Head of the British Government-in-Exile, Winston Spencer Churchill delivered his famous "never surrender" speech on the BBC World Service.
Watch the Speech

The liquidation of the British Empire"I have not become the King's First Minister in order to preside over the liquidation of the British Empire". said Churchill, pugnaciously affirming his loyalty to the worldwide institution that he had served for most of his life. However that is precisely what happened.

Britain fought and sacrificed on a global scale to defeat Hitler and his allies - and lost. After the fall of both Singapore and Pearl Harbour to the Japanese, Churchill confessed his ignorance of the weakness of British Imperial defences, saying: "I did not know. I was not told. I should have asked".

"I have not become the King's First Minister in order to preside over the liquidation of the British Empire"It was a lesson he tried hard to learn from as he sought to plan the defence of Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands, where he and the remnants of the British Royal Naval had fled to.

Churchill died in his Falklands stronghold, buried under a boulder inscribed, "Founding Father of the movement to uproot Nazidom from the world ". His mission is unfulfilled at the time of writing.


Entry posted by Todayinah Editor Watch the Video Email the AuthorVisit the Authors Web Site © The Last Thousand Days of the British Empire: Churchill, Roosevelt, and the Birth of the Pax Americana by Peter Clarke, Richard M. Langworth, If Chamberlain had not lost the Battle for Britain & Adrienne.Gormley, 'Children of Tears'.
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Todayinah Editor Editor says, In this cross-over post, we explore - and mix up - the ideas presented by Peter Clarke, Richard M. Langworth & Adrienne.Gormley, re-examining the worst case scenarios from Churchill's strategic blunders.


Readers Comment Chris Oakley commented on 2011-07-28 01:06:53 ~ If this ain't the most depressing TL I"ve read in months, it certainly ranks in the top 10.

Readers Comment Stan Brin commented on 2011-07-28 02:29:22 ~ Never give up! Never surrender! (An obscure science fiction film reference.)

Readers Comment Matthew Dattilo commented on 2011-07-28 02:41:13 ~ So how did this turn of events come about? How did the Japanese take Pearl Harbor?

Readers Comment Eric Oppen commented on 2011-07-28 02:44:15 ~ I don't think even the Nazis would have chased him as far as the Falklands. Wouldn't Canada, or Newfoundland (which was not part of Canada at that time) make more sense?

Readers Comment Brian Hartman commented on 2011-07-28 02:59:52 ~ I'm not saying that the British could never have been defeated, but I think Churchill feigning ignorance of British defenses is completely implausible, seeing as how he had been First Lord of the Admiralty, Minister of Munitions, Secretary of State for War, and Secretary of State for Air. The man was nothing if not prepared. If the fate of the British came down to how prepared Churchill was, they couldn't have lost. I could, however, see them losing if America didn't come into the war, or if Hitler had invaded Britain before he turned on Russia.

Readers Comment Sailorbarsoom commented on 2011-07-28 03:25:17 ~ The Japanese could have targeted American fuel supplies at Pearl Harbor. I suppose if a couple of carriers had been in harbor which were out at sea in OTL, the injury would have been greater.

Readers Comment Jeff Provine commented on 2011-07-28 17:50:27 ~ A thousand little bush wars destabilizing a quarter of the world, not to mention Japanese, Nazis, and Soviets picking up what pieces they could (also, everyone does need to see Galaxy Quest).




Todayinah Editor Editor says, what if we lived in the world envisaged by the greatest pacifists of the late twentieth century? Please note that the opinions expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of the author(s).

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In 1971, John Lennon delivered Imagine, his signature speech at Peace City One.
Watch the Video of Imagine

Imagine
The choice of Tralfamadorean advocate was inspired; Lennon's humble roots cut through class barriers. Moreover his union with a Japanese wife symbolised a decisive break with the destruction of World War Two, when of course human affairs had been misdirected by the war-like indigenes of Planet Earth.

Tralfamadorean philosophy was brilliantly articulated in the speech ~

"Imagine there's no heaven, It's easy if you try, No hell below us, Above us only sky, Imagine all the people living for today... Imagine there's no countries, it isnt hard to do, Nothing to kill or die for, no religion too, Imagine all the people living life in peace..".

A taxi driver took us to the slaughterhouse where we had been locked up at night as prisoner of war. He sent a postcard at Christmastime: "I wish you and your family also as to your friend Merry Christmas and a happy New Year and I hope that we'll meet again in a world of peace and freedom if the accident will".Four people amongst many had journeyed to the metropolis, rebuilt by Tralfamadoreans upon the site of fire-bombed Dresden. Taxi driver Gerhard Muller and his daughter lived but a few miles away.

War buddies Bernard V. O'Hare and Kurt Vonnegut travelled from America on Guggenheim money, God love it. Lennon invited the four on stage for the wrap-up, philosophically joking that "the accident had".

For Vonnegut, something had been missing in this harsh world. He had suffered from weeping for many years and in his despair had contemplated suicide. Now it was finally fulfilled.
And so it goes.
Watch the Video of Give Peace a Chance


Entry posted by Todayinah Editor Play the tune Email the AuthorVisit the Authors Web Site © Kurt Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse Five (1968) & John Lennon, Imagine (1971).
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Todayinah Editor Editor says, In this cross-over post, we explore the congruence of simple but powerful messages of peace from two of the greatest pacifists of the late twentieth century. Peace City One was a sentimental name for the rebuilt cities of Birmingham and Minsk following a nuclear strike, phrased by General Sir John Hackett in The Third World War, August 1985: a Future History


Readers Comment Robbie Taylor commented on 2008-09-21 21:07:59 ~ [Ed - If you like, it was worth the labour!] And so it was... :)


In 1940, on this day German paratroops were sent to seize the British resort town of Blackpool (pictured) in a covert operation aimed at forcing the Churchill government to sue for peace.

The raid was a disaster: half the men involved in the operation died when their transport planes were shot down over the English coast, and the troops who did make it quickly found themselves encircled by a division of Canadian infantry.

Seaside Resort
Seaside Resort - of Blackpool
of Blackpool

Variant entry posted by Guest Historian Chris Oakley Email the AuthorVisit the Authors Web Site original content has been repurposed to celebrate the author's genius © Chris Oakley,2008-.
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Todayinah Editor Editor says, The Sky News article of February 23rd reads ~ Blackpool was off-limits to the Luftwaffe during World War Two because Hitler wanted the seaside town as a "playground", uncovered documents reportedly reveal. The Fuhrer apparently wanted to hoist the Nazi flag up Blackpool Tower and base the headquarters for his paratroopers there.
Uncovered intelligence maps reportedly reveal Hitler's intention to spare the Lancashire resort during his planned invasion of Great Britain.
York-based publisher Michael Cole brought the documents back from Germany about a year ago, he said.
The papers go toward explaining why the resort escaped unscathed during the Blitz - especially considering there were major British aircraft manufacturing factories situated there.
"These maps will be the source of much interest particularly to those who lived here through the Second World War," said Elaine Smith, chairman of Blackpool's Civic Trust.
"It had been known that Hitler intended to use Blackpool as his personal playground after what he hoped to be a successful invasion and the war ended.
"He probably wanted to keep the resort as it was so he could enjoy it as Chancellor of Britain."
The maps also detail the Nazi leader's invasion plans - which included marching soldiers along the coastline.
The Italian Gardens in Stanley Park was to be used as a guide for paratroopers because the paths formed a perfect compass.




Author

On this day in 2016, novelist James Patterson gave an interview to CNN denying rumors that he'd been approached to take over on the screenplay of the third CSI movie for the writer who'd quit Paramount six days earlier.

Author - James Patterson
James Patterson

Entry posted by Guest Historian Chris Oakley Email the AuthorVisit the Authors Web Site © Today in Alternate History, 2004-.
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On this day in 1944, Nazi judge Roland Friesler convened the first session of his infamous People's Tribunal, a rigged special court intended to provide legal justification for the execution of German citizens alleged to have been involved with the July 5th assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler.

Nazi Judge
Nazi Judge - Roland Friesler
Roland Friesler

In truth, most of those convicted and sentenced by the court had little connection to the assassination plot and were being imprisoned or executed largely because of Hitler's insane need for vengeance.


Entry posted by Guest Historian Chris Oakley Email the AuthorVisit the Authors Web Site © Chris Oakley,2008-.
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The bazaar smelled terribly, just as it always did. Sonja's nose crinkled for a second, then her filters kicked in, and most of the smell went away. Not all, of course, because some of those smells were capable of bypassing her filters, but at least the worst ones were subdued.
Most of the booths had pheromone attractors, and some of those were bypassing her filters, too. She was glad she had disabled her sex drive before coming. There were bombardment streams at some of the more pushy booths that tried to break into her main interest centers, but she had neural assistants to take care of those.
'This is what you want.' The thought popped in, and she felt a great desire to stop at the booth that had supplied it. A second later, that thought was joined by, 'This is what you will buy.' A second after that, her assistants cleared all trace of that stream from her head. She raised an eyebrow at the expectant storekeep, smirked, then strode away. Several uglier thoughts followed after, which she didn't have to bother killing.
The booth she was heading towards had no need of the flashy ads the others employed. Its owner was an artist known by everyone who needed his talents. He did not wish to attract new customers by artificial means.
Sonja pushed through the beads surrounding his booth and sat on the cushion that faced a man-sized rectangular block. As she sat, the temperature and lighting in the area bounded by the beads instantly changed to what she enjoyed most. Light music began playing, a small piece from the last century that was one of her favorites. He hadn't read her mind to discern it - the booth worked on a thousand subtle clues she dropped as soon as she broke through the beads. Drac never read people's minds unless they asked him to. But the fact that he didn't need to made people respect him all the more.
It also showed that he respected the privacy of others. Whatever happened in Drac's booth was left in Drac's booth. Another great factor in his reputation.
The block began glowing, then slowly warped itself into the shape of a tall man, long and lean, with skin the color of mahogany. The attraction Sonja felt for him had nothing to do with pheromones. 'Hi, Sonja. What can I do for you?'
'I've got something pretty hot to trade, Drac.' She pulled a thin vial out of her shirt pocket. It was filled with a couple of milliliters of yellowish fluid. 'This is Oregon's finest. Militia security culture. Know of anyone with a need to bypass Militia security systems?'
Drac smiled, revealing his fangs. 'I can think of a person or two. Is it reproductive?'
She sighed and shook her head. 'Unfortunately, this is it. But, this is enough to treat about a thousand kilos of total mass.'
'Until they change cultures.'
She nodded, a little disappointed that he caught on that fast. 'Right, but they don't do that more than once a month. And they just made the change three days ago, so this culture's going to be good for at least three and a half more weeks.' 'Have you got the antidote culture to it?'
'No, you'll have to find some way to clear it out. But, someone of your skills should be able to do that with no problem,' she smiled, 'right, Drac?'
'Of course, dear. I just needed to know whether I had to knock that off of whatever you want to trade that for.' He leaned over to her. 'What do you want to trade it for, Sonja?'
'I need a new body.'
He looked her up and down. 'I've always liked the one you currently have. It would be a real shame to get rid of it.'
'I don't have much choice.'
He frowned. 'No, they never do. Why do you need a body from me? That's a very common function; practically anybody can supply you with culture that'll do that.'
'Because I need your skill in creating it.'
He snickered. 'Why all the flattery, Sonja? Are you in that much trouble?'
'Yes.'
He raised an eyebrow. He seemed to be wavering in his decision not to read minds. 'Am I going to need that Militia culture myself after this?'
She didn't meet his gaze. 'It's possible.'
'Well, you've been very bad, indeed, little Sonja.' He gestured below him, and a hole opened up. 'Let's continue our discussion someplace a little more secure.'
Her cushion rose into the air, and she held herself as steady as she could on it. It floated to the hole and dropped through, followed by Drac. As the shopkeep passed the hole, it closed, and they floated in darkness for a moment. Then, Sonja felt her cushion land, and a light came on around them.
They were in a cavernous office, filled with tasteful furniture that was at least two and probably three centuries old. Drac strode over to the desk that filled up half of one wall and seated himself in the throne-like chair behind it. He gestured, and the cushion placed itself and Sonja on an impossibly comfortable chair opposite him.
'You have such wonderful taste, Drac. How much does all of this cost?'
He looked around and ran a few numbers in his head. 'More than you will see in your life.'
'I don't know about that.'
He settled himself down to business. 'Why do you need a body from me, Sonja? And what sort of modifications is that body going to have?'
She pursed her lips. She had been working out the particulars for several hours, but had yet to hit on any that worked for her. 'Well, I'm going to need a reader screen and at least temporary camouflage cultures.' She held up her palm and an image of a woman popped up out of it. The face was angular, with blue eyes and high cheekbones. The hair was short and black. The body was a stylish hourglass, with high definition on the muscles of the legs and arms. 'This is what I'll need to look like. She's 1.847 meters tall and weighs 61.013 kilos.' An image of fingerprints popped up, followed by a retinal pattern. 'This is her ID, and I've got a DNA sample for you to culture that you'll have to match.'
'You know, I've always liked you as a blond. I don't know if you'd exhibit the same charm as a brunette.' He looked her in the eye. 'Who is she?'
'Do you really need to know?'
'I do if it's going to mean trouble for me. I don't like to move my shop; my clientelle know where I am, and the furniture gets scratched in transit.' She felt a small pressure at her temples, a warning that he was holding a mental probe ready to use on her. 'Tell me.'
At least he warned her. Most of the other craftsmen she had considered for this job would have probed her the second she walked into their booths. 'She's Ben Harrison's daughter, Melissa. Mr. Harrison is the president of Tyr Weapons Systems in Redmond.'

Stub Entry posted by Alternate Historian Robbie Taylor



On this day in 1941, the Luftwaffe bombed the Ukrainian provincial capital of Kiev into rubble.

That same day the last pockets of Red Army resistance in Minsk surrendered to German and Lithuanian troops.

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Entry posted by Guest Historian Chris Oakley Email the AuthorVisit the Authors Web Site © Chris Oakley,2008-.
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On this day in 1947, country singer Hank Williams held a concert in Nashville to raise funds for a memorial to the victims of the Roswell asteroid strike and former British prime minister Winston Churchill departed London for a visit to the United States to see the Roswell crater for himself.

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Entry posted by Guest Historian Chris Oakley Email the AuthorVisit the Authors Web Site © Chris Oakley,2008-.
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In 1965, President Johnson commits a further 250,000 US troops to the conflict in Vietnam. Following an interview at the White House with two mysterious visitors, Johnson had an almost uncanny nack of anticipating events, bringing the war to a successful outcome the following year. He had no intention of being the first American President to lose a war, he said somewhat bizarrely.

Stub Entry posted by Todayinah Editor



In 1976, more than 200,000 people were feared dead after an 8.3 magnitude earthquake hit China. The effects of the singularity which penetrated the Earth at Tunguska continued to wreck havoc with the planet.

Stub Entry posted by Todayinah Editor



In 2001, the team working on translating the signal from Lalande 25372 cracks the encryption and finds that the Lalandians were broadcasting in English, as well as 6 other languages. The signal contains a history of the Lalandian civilization as well as their knowledge of other cultures in galaxy; the scientists are particularly alarmed by the Elders mentioned throughout the broadcast.

Stub Entry posted by Alternate Historian Robbie Taylor



In 1991, Dennis Martinez of the Montreal Quebecois pitched the 13th perfect game in professional Town Ball history. 3 years later to the day, Kenny Rogers of the Texas Sheriffs pitched the 14th.

Stub Entry posted by Alternate Historian Robbie Taylor



In 1987, famed philosopher James Burnham, author of The Coming Defeat Of Capitalism died at the age of 82. He did not live to see the fulfillment of his philosophy, but died confident that it would happen.

Stub Entry posted by Alternate Historian Robbie Taylor



In 1586, Thomas Harriot introduces the American root, the potato, to Europe. It fails to grow in the European soil, and is never more than a curiosity in the Eastern Hemisphere.

Stub Entry posted by Alternate Historian Robbie Taylor



In 1809, Sir Arthur Wellesley's British army defeats a much larger French force under Joseph Bonaparte at the Battle of Yorktown. Wellington had arrived in North America to set the clock back to 1776, and he meant business.

Entry posted by Todayinah Editor Email the AuthorVisit the Authors Web Site © Today in Alternate History, 2004-.
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In 1969, Joseph Gargan (Kennedy's cousin) turned to run and that was when the pain filled his chest and made him stagger. He clutched at it and doubled over. The pain seemed to be coming up his arm in steady pulsing waves. The crucifix swung below his eyes. He walked out of the door holding his forearms crossed before his chest, the chain of the crucifix still caught in his right hand. The image of Senator Ted Kennedy hanging in the dark ari like some pallid high-diver hung before him. "Mr Gargan!" said party co-host Paul Markham "My doctor is James Cody, " he said through lips there was as cold as snow. "Its on the phone reminder. I'm having a heart attack, I think". He collapsed in the upper hall, face down. ~ The Emperor of Ice Cream

Entry posted by Todayinah Editor Email the AuthorVisit the Authors Web Site © Stephen King, 'Salem's Lot', 1976.
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In 1976, in China an earthquake measuring 8.2 magnitude flattened Tangshan, killing 242,769 and injuring 164,851. Many people in Tangshan reported seeing strange lights the night before. A thousand chickens reportedly refused to eat and acted wildly, along with several hundred geese who reportedly tried to eat each other in desperation and frustration, and sheer terror. Dogs would not stop barking and goldfish jumped out of their bowls. The source of this catastrophe was not understood at the time. Only later did Earth Scientists discover the extent of the underground damage caused by the Tunguska impact event of 1908, and the south-eastward trajectory of the Neutronium.

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In 1942, USSR leader Joseph Stalin issued Order No. 227 in response to alarming German advances into Russia. Under the order all Soviet forces retreated behind the armistice line. Comrade Stalin had intended to organise a series of hit and run strikes from Siberia, however his politburo colleagues executed him for betraying the revolution due to his cowardly decision to quit Moscow.

Stub Entry posted by Alternate Historian Robbie Taylor





July 27



Todayinah Editor Editor says, what if Attlee and Churchill had won the 1945 General election? Please note that the opinions expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of the author(s). This story was published in the August 2012 edition of Changing the Times Magazine.

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In 1945, in his first day in Downing Street, Clement Attlee confirmed that Winston Churchill would remain in his post of Minister of Defence, a position that he had concurrently held as War-time Prime Minister.

Attlee and Churchill win the Khaki Election of 1945
by Ed & Scott Palter
During that time he had also been Leader of the Tories, but ironically, having crossed the aisle to switch parties twice before, this time "Winnie" had been unceremoniously dumped by own party. Having muscled into Downing Street only because Lord Halifax's peerage barred him from occupying the Prime Minister's office, Churchill still did not become Leader for six months until ill health forced Neville Chamberlain's retirement in October 1940.

Fortunately for Churchill's career, if the Tories hated him for supplanting Chamberlain, then the British electorate hated the Tories even more. Twenty Members of Parliament left the Conservative Party as well; these Churchill loyalists ran as National Commonwealth Party Candidates in districts where the Labour Party agreed not to field a candidate, much like the post World War agreement between the Liberal David Lloyd George and the majority Conservative Party. Crucially, they agreed to embrace the Beveridge Report and the result was a landslide victory for a new-style Government of National Unity. The Leader of the Opposition Anthony Eden had his work cut out to recover Tory fortunes before Churchill could destroy the Coalition from the inside.


Entry posted by Todayinah Editor Email the AuthorVisit the Authors Web Site © Alternate Historian, 2004-.
Story Tags Click on the hyperlinked metadata to surf the site! Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Politicians Source: Wikipedia Labels: Churchill, Eden, Britain, Attlee, World War 2.

Todayinah Editor Editor says, in authoring this post with Scott Palter, we have repurposed content from articles on , Alternarte History 1 and Alternarte History 2.


Readers Comment Rurri Heakin commented on 2012-08-18 14:39:47 ~ Vote vote for clement Atlee, punch Old Churchill in the nose, if it wasn't for the king, we would do the bugger in

Readers Comment Eric Oppen commented on 2012-08-18 16:39:38 ~ Churchill as MOD? I'm not sure that would be a good idea. The guy was brilliant, but erratic at best and not good at telling great ideas from bad ones.

Readers Comment Scott Palter commented on 2012-08-18 17:15:25 ~ Eric, this is a peacetime government. MoD has enough prestige to get Churchill to take the deal and little enough power in a massive postwar demobilization where he can do little harm. The beauty of the scheme from Labor's PoV is that the Tories without Winnie in 1945 were even more massively unpopular than they were with him. WInnie is also the matador's cape to them. Labor's gives Winnie and 20-30 of his minions 'tickets' - no Labor candidate in what would otherwise be safe Tory seats. Tories and Commonwealth beat each other to death in those contests and Labor loses nothing as these would be safe Tory seats either way.

Readers Comment Matthew Dattilo commented on 2012-08-21 01:22:06 ~ I find this AH very believable. Well done!!!




Todayinah Editor Editor says, what if Robespierre had turned the tables on his enemies? muses Jeff Provine on the This Day in Alternate History web site. Please note that the opinions expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of the author(s). This story was published in the December 2011 edition of Changing the Times Magazine.

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In 1794, at the height of the Reign of Terror, the French Revolution held its climax as forces loyal to the ideals of Maximelien Robespierre overwhelmed the Convention army arranged by men such as Billaud, Barras, Barère. They had been rallied by the overnight and secret publication of Robespierre's speech defending himself from charges of tyranny. Instead, he attempted to warn France of a conspiracy to seize power in the Republic, which caused his enemies to leap to action and call for Robespierre's execution.

Robespierre's Defense PublishedIt was a harried time in the chaos that seemed to dominate Paris since the storming of the Bastille in 1789. Through the next five years, the National Assembly would attempt to create constitutions, women would march on Paris, property of the Church was publicly seized, the king fled, was captured, and eventually executed, and nearly every king in Europe declared war on the new Republic. Meanwhile, even the forces of revolution began to splinter, forming political clubs such as the Feuillants and the Girondins. Many of them encouraged the wars, hoping for war to be declared against Austria, but lawyer and political leader Robespierre said in 1792, " such a war could only favour the forces of counter-revolution, since it would play into the hands of those who opposed the sovereignty of the people. The risks of Caesarism were clear, for in wartime the powers of the generals would grow at the expense of ordinary soldiers, and the power of the king and court at the expense of the Assembly".

The war began anyway after the death of Leopold II of Austria, but France took major victories in Belgium and the Rhineland, seeming to cement the position of the Republic on the continent. Then the fledgeling government turned inward to its problems of food shortages, insurrections, and outright treason. The Tribunal was established in 1793, leading to a Committee of Public Safety, and Robespierre was one of the nine elected. Here began a "Reign of Terror" during which Robespierre wrote, "...the spring of that government during a revolution is virtue combined with terror: virtue, without which terror is destructive; terror, without which virtue is impotent. Terror is only justice prompt, severe and inflexible". The report of enemies of the state became a major part of clearing up the factionalism and counter-revolutionaries of the time, and it grew further with the Law of 22 Prairial on June 10, 1794. By it, the Tribunal could condemn an enemy of the state through direct order and without witnesses. Through the next eight weeks, nearly 1300 people would be guillotined.

A new story by Jeff ProvineRobespierre's system of purification nearly ricochetted back at him when he was called before the Convention, accused of treason. That July, Robespierre had recalled several envoys who had been accused of extravagance with their positions to Paris to account for their actions. One of them, Joseph Fouché, evaded arrest and sneaked from house to house of Convention members, explaining that Robespierre would come for them too. With the groundwork set for a coup d'état, the Convention called in Robespierre, who delivered a two-hour speech and giving already his knowledge of the conspiracy. The guilty members (though unnamed) hurried to act. The next day, during a speech by Robespierre's ally Saint-Just (whom Robespierre had been before sent to the front to garner support from the army), he was shouted down. Robespierre also attempted to speak, but the chaos and outright mockery closed him off. At the conclusion, the Convention ordered the arrest of Robespierre and many of his allies.

Commune soldiers under General Coffinhal marched in to defend Robespierre, aiming for the Convention itself, who ordered up soldiers of their own. The soldiers of the Commune began to falter, and it was then that copies of Robespierre's speech was delivered to them, printed in secret after the debate in the Convention had attempted to censor them. Instead, the soldiers realized that they must continue to fight for the good of the revolution against conspiracy and were joined by many free Parisians from the mob. The Battle of Paris raged for only a few hours initially, but when the conspirator's army broke in the early morning, the rioting spread to follow them. Barras, who led the Convention soldiers, was killed in the fighting, Jacques Nicolas Billaud-Varenne was captured and executed, and Bertrand Barère (who had already come under suspicion of treason) managed to escape, eventually ending up in England before disappearing into the Caribbean as an adventurer.

After the Battle of Paris, Robespierre succeeded in his plans of settling the counter-revolutionary movements. By winter, the Law of 22 Prairial came to an end and the Terror expired. Instead, Robespierre continued his place maintaining the Committee of Public Safety and keeping the political elements of pure to his ideal of republic. Meanwhile, the wars with Europe (and even the Quasi-War with the United States until the matter of privateering was settled) continued until the Treaty of Lunéville with Austria in 1801 and the Treaty of Amiens with Britain in 1802. The war was finished by General Moreau as the great Corsican general Napoleon Bonaparte was dispatched to the West Indies as a "punishment" for his lateness in returning from Egypt in 1799 due to poor communication, but also to get a potential tyrant away from the young republic as well as to organize the former slaves who had been freed under the Rights of Man. Robespierre himself would retire from political office in 1815, but he would continue to lead the Jacobin political party and encourage the spread of Republicanism to other countries. After the success of the Society of United Irishmen liberating the Republic of Ireland and later the Republic of Australia, Robespierre was instrumental creating a Republican Bloc of nations such as Batavia and Saint Domingue that spurred conservatism in the royal houses of Europe. In 1821, Robespierre left to observe and later join General Simón Bolívar in his carving out of republics from the old Spanish Empire in the Americas, which rejected Robespierre's Cult of the Supreme Being. Elsewhere, primarily in Europe and then in French republican dependencies, the deist Le culte de l'Être suprême remains the state religion with its festival on June 8 as the largest holiday of the year. Robespierre himself led the festivities in Paris until his death in 1836.


Entry posted by Guest Historian Jeff Provine Email the AuthorVisit the Authors Web Site © Jeff Provine, 2010-.
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Todayinah Editor Editor says, in reality Robespierre's speech was never published, though repeated and applauded at the Jacobin Club. According to Napoleon Bonaparte, "Robespierre was overthrown because he wanted to become a moderator and stop the Revolution. Cambaceres told me that the day before his death, he delivered a wonderful speech that was never printed. Billaud and other terrorists, seeing that he was weakening and he would invariably have their heads, conspired against him and stirred up the so-called decent people to overthrow the 'tyrant,' but in reality to take his place and extend the reign of terror".


Readers Comment Chris Oakley commented on 2011-11-14 14:28:53 ~ Something seems a bit ASB-ish about this post...

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Readers Comment Eric Oppen commented on 2011-11-26 17:48:58 ~ I think that the European powers would have been even less likely to deal with a Robespierrist France than with a Bonapartist France. They'd have kept coming until France was overpowered.




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