Morgenthau Plan Initiated, What happens next?

[Huey Long is a Republican]

Following the end of the war, there were various plans on how to handle the defeated state of Germany, one of which was the idea from Secretary of the Treasury Harry Morgenthau Jr., a Democrat from New York and (important for how he'd be perceived as a President or Political figure if his plan was ever implemented) a Jew. The plan called for Occupation Zones, Disarmament, Reparations, what happened otl, but it also called for the Internationalization of either the Ruhr or the Rhineland (I can't remember which) and the complete Deindustiralization of Germany with them being an artisan agrarian state until at least the 1960s. If the plan was ever implemented, it was estimated that upwards of perhaps 24 million Germans would die from starvation in the winter of 46-47 alone, not including disease and the mass resistance to such a plan by the German people and the Soviets funding said resistance.

Fortunately, Morgenthau never became President but there was a period in time in which there was a potential moment where he could've become President and thus enacted his plan despite a reluctant Britain, France, and Congress. On June 27th, 1945 Edward Stettinius Jr. resigned as Truman's Secretary of State and due to there being no Vice President at the time, Morgenthau was next in line from June 27th to July 3rd when Byrnes became SoS. Had anything happened to Truman in that period, Morgenthau would be President. So, what happens if he becomes President for the United States, World, and Europe if he implements his plan? How would Morgenthau be percieved?

My take - Morgenthau becomes President, Jpan ends OTL and because he doesn't care too much for the Pacific, he allows MacArthur to handle it as he did OTL. He implements the Marshall Plan as President despite many WAllies and members of Congress being against it either flat out or reluctantly being for it. As predicted, millions of Germans die and Morgenthau is impeached and removed, the first President to ever have that happen, for what occurred. He's succeeded by his Treasury Secretary Harry Dexter White on January 5th (Byrnes resigned as Morgenthau's SoS in December due to Morgenthau refusing to not give up on his plan and he didn't have enough time to replace him before he was removed). White's own scandals are revealed (as it turns out, the guy might've been compromised to some extent and had contacts with Soviet officials, more than many Americans believed necessary). I can see him being impeached and Removed almost immediately after this scandal is revealed and this his Secretary of State Henry Agard Wallace becomes the President because there is still no Vice President. I think he gets impeached by the House but removal by the Senate might be a more difficult sell, though I might see it, simply because many within the established Democratic Party did not like Wallace and the South might align with the GOP for a block to boot him out of office, leading to maybe an SoS Marshall or SoS Eisenhower to become President. They pledge to serve only as a caretaker President and make a vow to not run for a term in 1948.

The GOP wins 1948 with Douglas MacArthur/Robert Taft over Dewey, Stassen, and Warren due to 1) Everyone disliking the Democrats, 2) The more interventionist into Europe wing of the Party is despised because of the resistance against the US in Germany, and 3) The rapid collapse of the KMT is making many queasy about possible Asian Domino Theory. From there, it's anyone's guess, bUt I have a feeling that 1945-1949 would be recognized as the term of Seven Presidents (FDR, Truman, Morgenthau, White, Wallace, Marhsall/Eisenhower, and MacArthur ending it). but what are your thoughts again?

[MATTROSE94]

Germany likely ends up going communist in this scenario, which would impact the Cold War dynamic. Also, Douglas MacArthur as President means that the US likely doesn’t desegregate until closer to 1980, as Douglas MacArthur was a big opponent to the integration of the US Army and a states rights kind of guy.

[Huey Long is a Republican]

Germany likely ends up going communist in this scenario, which would impact the Cold War dynamic. Also, Douglas MacArthur as President means that the US likely doesn’t desegregate until closer to 1980, as Douglas MacArthur was a big opponent to the integration of the US Army and a states rights kind of guy.

Interesting, what would be the view of the Democratic Party iyo due to the fact that the Democrats for an entire four years had essentially six Presidents, one elected and the rest un-elected, two dying only a few months into the jobs, one causing a Genocide arguable worse than the Holocaust (by at least 3:1 in terms of how many die) leading to him being the first President to be impeached and then removed after being the second to be impeached, then is succeeded by a suspected Soviet Asset, leading to his immediate impeachment and removal, and then the final one being unpopular with the party elite and being booted after being seen as getting too chummy with the USSR with a military general becoming President to act as an overseer of the Presidency? How would the GOP be seen ittl? What would be the reactions to US Politics ittl?

[Mr. Ukucasha]

Nazism might see a resurgence

[Yelnoc]

Interesting!

On what grounds would Wallace be impeached? Of course he would be very unpopular due to his Communist sympathies, but I cannot imagine 67 senators finding him guilty of trumped-up impeachment charges in what would already be the era of 5 presidents at that point. I would have to imagine that everyone in power would rather wait out the year or so until the 1948 election for the sake of political stability.

With that in mind, I wonder how Wallace would fair at the 1948 Democratic National convention, this time running for the nomination as the incumbent president?

[Huey Long is a Republican]

Interesting!

On what grounds would Wallace be impeached? Of course he would be very unpopular due to his Communist sympathies, but I cannot imagine 67 senators finding him guilty of trumped-up impeachment charges in what would already be the era of 5 presidents at that point. I would have to imagine that everyone in power would rather wait out the year or so until the 1948 election for the sake of political stability.

With that in mind, I wonder how Wallace would fair at the 1948 Democratic National convention, this time running for the nomination as the incumbent president?

Well, he was seen as a bit too friendly with the USSR during his time in politics in WW2 and at the start of the Cold War, when one President has been removed for basically killing tens of millions of Germans through starvation (and mind you, Morgenthau was Jewish, so Anti-Semitism might skyrocket and Nazism would be seen as a legitimate thing compared to OTL) and another was removed for "possibly" being a soviet asset. Basically, any signal that you're close to the USSR in past or present would be a death sentence to your Presidency, especially if the South gets involved (a GOP whipped into shape by Taft and Martin can get their votes in line and the South provides 26 Senators on their own who would be against Wallace and want him out asap). As for the DNC of 1948, I think that spongebob gif works pretty well here since Civil Rights which FDR, Truman, Morgenthau, White, and Wallace would champion to some extent, would be considered taboo due to how the last three Presidents were tainted administrations. I can see 1924 v2 happen here with the Party breaking into pieces between the Moderates, Liberals, Progressives, and Conservatives while the GOP Convention goes on without little chaos.

Nazism might see a resurgence

This most definitely would happen and it would be seen as a legitimate and justified ideology since the Nazis said the Jews and West would try to destroy Germany and here that pretty much happened. I can only imagine the reactions of the world, specifically Europe to America here and I can even see some Americans call for less European interventionism, as Germany is gone and I can see the Soviets using that to springboard into Austria, Greece, and Italy and have more of a threat on Denmark, Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Turkey, and France due to now having puppets on the borders of these nations.

[MATTROSE94]

Germany likely ends up going communist in this scenario, which would impact the Cold War dynamic. Also, Douglas MacArthur as President means that the US likely doesn’t desegregate until closer to 1980, as Douglas MacArthur was a big opponent to the integration of the US Army and a states rights kind of guy.

Interesting, what would be the view of the Democratic Party iyo due to the fact that the Democrats for an entire four years had essentially six Presidents, one elected and the rest un-elected, two dying only a few months into the jobs, one causing a Genocide arguable worse than the Holocaust (by at least 3:1 in terms of how many die) leading to him being the first President to be impeached and then removed after being the second to be impeached, then is succeeded by a suspected Soviet Asset, leading to his immediate impeachment and removal, and then the final one being unpopular with the party elite and being booted after being seen as getting too chummy with the USSR with a military general becoming President to act as an overseer of the Presidency? How would the GOP be seen ittl? What would be the reactions to US Politics ittl?

It is possible that the Democratic Party would collapse and that we would see a most liberal Republicans and liberal Democrats form a new political party (maybe the Labor Party would be the name) while conservative Republicans and conservative Democrats under the leadership of President MacArthur and Vice President Taft would form the American Constitution Party or the Conservative Party.

[E-Dawg]

Here is an interesting video on this matter.

[wnwnwn]

Dewey wins the 1948 election. He wins every state of on the Midwest outside Missouri.
Democrats of german origin would leave or start a new party.