In The Name Of Peace

Updated Sunday 15 May, 2011 12:18 PM

In The Name Of Peace

This Alternate History was posted four years ago to the Infinitely Wanderers site here. Recently, I became interested in reprinting it for the newer AH fans and met the problem of Grey Wolf having lost touch with the original writer, Jon Boulet. With his concurrence, I've reposted it here and will remove it if the original author asks. In some ways, its the complete opposite of Scott's Cold War Rosy.

"So Mister President what are you doing about the Vice President's slot? Are you going to keep Henry Wallace?" the party chairman asked the President curiously.

"I hadn't thought about it too much," Roosevelt said absentmindedly as he swung his cigarette holder about. "There's been so much work with the war effort and keeping Stalin and the Soviets happy. The last thing I want is to win the war and lose the peace." He spoke grimly, he felt it was a job only he could do, that's why he decided to run for a fourth term. It wore on him the way the grand alliance was already starting to fracture. He smiled in his famous flippant way. "I thought I'd let the convention pick the person, after all it's a do nothing job. Who remembers Garner?" he replied with a hard smile as he referred to the former Vice President during his first two terms, who opposed his run for a third term.

The chairman paused, as he looked at the gray pallored President. He wondered if President Roosevelt knew how bad he looked. 'Are his doctors taking good care of him?' He asked himself silently. He wanted to tell the President the choice mattered, but worried for his job. Roosevelt was well known for crushing those who annoyed him. Look what happened to Garner, obscurity, from powerful Texan politico to nobody. He weighed dropping the issue, maybe the convention could do a better job. He personally liked Senator Truman of Missouri, a good practical Democrat, over the current VP, the dreamy Henry Wallace. Wallace too often saw things as he wanted them to be. Still it should be Roosevelt's choice, he was the world's greatest leader.

"But you have the best insight Mister President,"

Roosevelt nodded at the compliment, believing it to be correct. "True," he nodded. "Then maybe we should keep Wallace, he understands the need to comfort Soviet fears. Truman after all is merely a midwestern senator, heck they consider New York a foreign city."

Potsdam July 1945

"We should be allowed to occupy all of Germany and exact reparations for the damage they did to our country the peace loving people of the Soviet Union!" Stalin proclaimed once more in harsh sounding Russian that sounded equally harsh in English.

"And your concerns are justified," Wallace remarked soothingly, the two of them had ironed out all the problems between themselves last night. Now they were just restating the situation for Churchill, whose unnatural fear of communism was proving a roadblock to these final negotiations. "The Nazis wrecked terrible destruction on your people. You have the right to exact payment for the damage."

Winston Churchill's eyes widened at the new American President's concession to Stalin's greed. "It was reparations in the First World War that helped lay the foundations for this conflict," he warned. He hoped to see Germany returned to the fold of civilized nations and maybe serve as a bulwark against Communist aggression.

"The Germans must pay for the pain they caused, and as long as we allies stand together there would be no threats to world peace," Wallace assured him.

"Yes, those who would dare oppose the will of peace loving peoples will be utterly crushed. Of course, it is only Fascists who should fear," Stalin injected forcefully in Russian, the interpreters racing to translate. "That is why in the name of peace Soviet troops should be allowed to occupy all of Germany to make sure they pay reparations,"

Wallace sighed another compromise met. Well at least Stalin was a progressive and they did lose a lot of people in the war. "Yes Chairman Stalin, Germany will be jointly occupied and administered. We have already agreed to your security conditions, Germany east of the Elbe river will be run by the Progressive peoples of the Soviet Union and west of the river by a joint commission of the Soviet Union and the US/UK,"

"What are you doing?" Churchill remarked, he heard the two had met behind his back, but he never thought the American would stab freedom in the back. A follower of real politic, Churchill understood trade offs, but Wallace was giving Stalin the store and getting nothing concrete for it, just the vaguerities of promises, as fleeing as the wind.

"Securing the peace and stability of Europe," Wallace assured Churchill. "Peace can only be achieved by meeting the legitimate concerns of the Soviet Union."

"But what about free elections and self determination?" Churchill asked stunned.

"Non Fascists political parties will be allowed to form in Eastern Europe. The Soviet Union is after all committed to progressive ideals and wars and oppression are only caused by reactionary regimes," Wallace reminded Churchill.

"Your idealism blinds you to the threat communism represents," Churchill warned him, not concerned that Stalin overheard.

"It is a needless fear that causes wars not understanding and cooperation," Wallace shot back. It was after all European mismanagement of the peace that caused the Second World War.

"Now President Wallace tell me again about this Atom bomb," Stalin's translator spoke up, while Stalin smiled like the cat that ate the canary.

For a rare moment Winston Churchill was unable to speak. In the darkest days of the blitz he could find words, when Chamberlain sold out the Czechs he found words, this was beyond him though. His mouth fell open in shock and the trade mark cigar fell from his lips.

Fulton Missouri 1946

"Today once more we have the horror of totalitarianism on the march and cravenness of the appeasers. Your President Wallace says we must understand Stalin and the communist movement, that they are merely another progressive force for good. Well he is blind to the threat represented by communists' totalitarianism. He is blinded by his own desires to have a progressive world free from war and the threat of war. He says if the democracies show their peaceful intent by disarming, the Communists will follow suit. America and Britain have disarmed, the Soviets have not. While we speak peace and coexistence they proclaim world revolution and the destruction of the non-communist nations.

President Wallace and the appeasers claimed Stalin kept his promise of free elections in Eastern Europe," Churchill paused and he looked at his crowd. "You are free to vote communist or free to go to jail for daring to oppose the will of the people. If it were merely the reimposition of totalitarian dictatorship in Eastern Europe it would be warning enough of the evil intent of communism. Unfortunately it is not. The Soviets have forced the collapse of the non-communist government in Germany to be replaced by a strictly communist one. President Wallace called this a victory for the forces of progressivism. In Italy the new communist government has started arresting opposition political leaders. President Wallace calls this securing a better future for Italy. The free Greek government, that fought beside us against the horror of Nazism, is driven out by communist armies sent on Stalin's orders. President Wallace proclaims another state liberated by the Progressive people's forces. Soviet Armies have forced the Nationalist Chinese to flee to Taiwan and he cheers saying another blow has been struck for world peace. He gives to the Communists the greatest weapon ever developed the atomic bomb. All these things he calls peace. Well I have another word for it, it's called appeasement."

Washington 1946

How dare he endanger world peace and freedom like this, President Wallace thought as he crumpled the newspaper and tossed it into the trashcan. The Soviets were finally seeing the light and realizing we weren't their enemies and that British fool goes and gets them paranoid again.

"You say that the capitalist democracies desire peace and understanding with the progressive states of the world. That we communists are like you in our desire for social and economic justice only achieving it faster than you are. Which is why you should adopt communism now to accelerate your development to the final best stage of humanity," Molotov the Soviet Foreign Minister commented.

"We do desire those things. Have not my actions proven the intent of my words?"

Wallace asked offended, he had gone the extra mile and more for peace.

"It is not you we fear President Wallace, never have the progressive peace loving peoples of the socialist nations had a more understanding and stronger friend in a reactionary capitalist country. Your actions give us hope to see the revolution expand some day to America. But in your country there are capitalist elements looking to take control and turn back the progress we've made. It worries us that your nation will turn against us in a new capitalist war of aggression."

"We will never do that," Wallace assured him not wanting another lesson about the American intervention during the Russian Civil War in 1919. While he opposed the intervention, it was a minor action consisting of less than 20,000 men who left after a few months of merely watching some ports. It could hardly be called an invasion.

"You would never do that, but your general McArthur the military governor of Japan would. He has made several hostile statements about communism and the ominous need to deal with us. He should be replaced by someone more sympathetic to the interest of the peace loving socialists people of the world. Someone to whom peace is not merely a time to ready for the next war. We were thinking of our general Koniev, he would do the job well," Molotov proposed blandly.

"McArthur is a reactionary," Wallace agreed, the man was almost as paranoid as Churchill regarding the alleged threat of communism. "But there are substantial reports of street thuggery by communist party forces in Japan against non-communist parties," he pointed out, actually the reports included assaults and assassinations, but he modified the words so not to offend.

"The communists are merely defending themselves against assaults by fascists parties backed by your general McArthur. If there was a peace loving leader, then they would be secure in the right to exercise their political liberties and the strife would decline. Why merely look at our supervision of Poland or Romania, no crime or social strife once under enlightened Communist rule," Molotov assured him.

"True," Wallace agreed things were more peaceful in Eastern Europe and he doubted Churchill's, the right's and the refugees stories of mass arrests and murder and deportations in the Communist states. Churchill was delusional, the right saw communist conspiracies under every tree, and the refugees were merely mad because they lost their factories and businesses to the collectivization of the communists. The Progressive Press in those countries would have exposed such actions. Plus McArthur probably was being excessive. "But the American People view Japan the way you Soviets view Germany as an enemy needed to be kept under close observation." There would no end to the trouble he'd get from Congress if he let the Soviets run Japanese reconstruction. Many Americans already were upset that the Soviets gained so much in Asia for less than a month of conflict against Japan, while America fought for nearly four years.

"Japan is eight thousand miles away from the United States but only a few hundred from the Soviet Union. We fear you intend to use it as a platform to launch an attack upon the Soviet Union. But those fears would be gone under a progressive socialist peace loving force," Molotov spoke much like a chess player moving pieces.

"Maybe it would," President Wallace agreed nodding. Molotov's words rang true, Japan bordered the Soviet Union while the United States had the whole Pacific Ocean. What are domestic concerns compared to world peace, he told himself. "Plus it will expand the foundations of a peaceful world."

"And that foundation is expanding every day," Molotov spoke as he gave a slight smile.

Warsaw December 1947

"Two years and the city is still in ruins," Wallace was amazed. All the British, French and low countries were cleaned up at least. Pravda stated that the damage from the war was all repaired and production levels were already 10% above pre-war levels. Well, he thought, maybe it is a bad section of the city.

"Well, the Communists have done much to advance the cause of freedom and liberty in the World. After all they are supervising reconstruction in most of Europe, China, Japan, Iran and Turkey, that has to be stretching their resources, even if their own GNP is growing at 10% a year. Truly communism is the system of the future," the young Clark Clifford remarked optimistically.

"That sounds ominous," a new aid remarked. His research on the communist countries while part of the old OSS showed that quantity was overstated and quality was far below American standards. President Wallace disbanded the OSS earlier this year at Soviet insistence, in the name of peace of course. The Soviet KGB was allowed free reign though, in the name of protecting the world from fascism of course.

"Communists are merely liberals in a hurry," Clifford replied unruffled.

"Well I hope this isn't where liberals are heading," The aid responded uncomfortably. Warsaw looked far worse than even the most pessimistic report on the Soviets.

"Mister Martin, no reactionary thoughts we do not want to offend our hosts," President Wallace commented dryly. Martin came highly recommended as a thorough researcher, but if he could not control his reactionary comments, he'd be sacked in the name of peace.

"That is my point exactly President Wallace. Even your own staff harbors Fascist sentiments and you wonder why we demand security!" Molotov exclaimed raising his arms in the air as he walked into the meeting room.

"But the occupation of Denmark, Norway and Sweden by Soviet forces does not settle the minds of our people. Your current invasion of Syria and Iraq also does little to cultivate good will between our nations," President Wallace commented, vowing to sack Martin when they got back to Washington.

"They were merely reactionary monarchies. We were invited in to restore order and protect the rights of the workers and peasants. Need I remind you how close they are to the Soviet Union," Molotov replied uncompromisingly his jaw locking in the cast iron pose.

"Sweden had a Socialist government and both Norway and Denmark had coalition governments that included Socialist parties. There were no restrictions on political activity of any progressive group," President Wallace pointed out. The republican majorities in the House and Senate were giving him no end of trouble over what they called his appeasement of the Communists. Could they not realize that their complaints were increasing the Soviet fears and directly lead to this pacification of the Soviet border regions.

"Socialists are merely the lap dogs of the capitalist's elite begging for table scraps. Governments should represent the interest of the workers and when they do not, the workers have the right to call for support from their fellow workers to aid them in their struggles against exploitive capitalism. The Soviet Union will not abandon it's policy of supporting workers' rights and battle fascism wherever it appears,"

"But what about a free nation expressing the will of its people?" President Wallace asked, realizing that Molotov would not give on this point.

"There is nothing more free than a Communist government for workers and peasants. We will not sell out the hard won rights of freedom loving peoples and will use all means at our disposal to protect them," Molotov leaned forward. "And comrade Stalin means all means." The threat hung in the air like a cloud.

Wallace sighed again, once more he stood looking at peace or war. Reactionaries in the United States were always inciting the Soviets to paranoia. World peace required the Soviet Union feeling secure and working with the United States. What were the complaints of a few exiled reactionaries and small oppressive countries getting better governments compared to the horror of a new world war. Sweden after all dealt with Hitler, Denmark surrendered and Norway only put up a marginal fight. The Soviets paid in blood for the victory over fascism.

Philadelphia June 1948

"We know the platform of President Wallace. Communism abroad and communism at home. If you oppose communist expansion you are endangering peace he claims. When have we heard such cladtrap before? I tell you when, when Hitler was consuming Europe. You can not buy peace by appeasement. President Wallace thinks you can, and he must be having a fire sale when you consider how many nations he has sold out, Poland, Romania, Greece, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, China, Korea, Germany, France, Italy, just to name a few. Japan, for instance, is the nation that savagely attacked us at Pearl Harbor, who we spent several years driving back to their homeland, losing over a hundred dead defeating. And what does Wallace do with Japan? He turns it over to his Soviet Masters. What burden did they bear in the war against Japan? None, they refused to fight the Japanese until the war was over and then demanded all of Asia for ten days of combat. President Wallace has sold out millions to his Soviet Masters in the name of world peace. Well one day I warn you his masters will say freedom in America is a danger to world peace and they will demand he turn our nation over-"

"Damn fascist pig," Clark Clifford remarked as he turned off the radio broadcast speech of the Republican nominee Robert Taft. "It should be illegal for him to say such things. He never would have got the nomination in a progressive country," "It is a free country," President Wallace responded dryly. He had hoped Dewey would win the nomination, he at least was partially progressive. The new Red scare, especially among the immigrants who fled from Europe during the establishment of the People's nations spread exaggerated stories of alleged atrocities by Soviet forces. Of course Winston Churchill's constant speaking out against communism was also stirring the waters. These events catapulted the rabid anti-Communist Robert Taft to the Republican nomination and he was coming out swinging.

"Mister President," Clifford remarked shocked at the President's apathy regarding his opponent. "The Soviets would not allow such Fascists to run about," He restated himself wondering if the President missed his point the first time.

"This is not the Soviet Consortium," President Wallace remarked biting the rest of his reply, we allow free elections. Uncertainty floated in, he was starting to doubt his policies. The Soviets were insatiable in their demands for security and constantly reminding him that how granting the next concession would ensure world peace. He was starting to wonder if he was wrong. No, communists were really not all that different from liberals in America. Most importantly, peace was what he was securing, peace for all time.

Election Day

"We will win, we will win," the young Clark Clifford repeated for the nth time, to the assorted group of insiders in the White House. The young man, a dedicated progressive, saw the justice of the President's actions, and the cause of world peace.

"Hopefully," the President spoke with more conviction than he felt. He rubbed his chin, his normally cheery face grim at the outlook. The three way contest was not breaking in their favor. The others bore the same or worse expressions.

"The defection of the southern democrats has made the election a tough run," another spoke up reflecting electoral reality.

"Just because we support and have proposed complete racial integration and civil rights for Negroes," President Wallace shook his head. He never understood the south's dislike of Negroes. Many southerners were fine progressives economically, but they were tied up in that racial issue. He wondered why they didn't let it go, the Civil War ended over eighty years ago after all. Although even he knew it was his foreign policy that triggered the full southern bolt from the Democratic party.

"That damn racist Thurmond and the American Party has the south tied up. Heck Taft is going to do better there than we are," another person remarked.

Wallace felt a shiver at the name of his opponent. Taft was a reactionary conservative who made great hay out of the conversion of many nations to Soviet communism and Wallace's proposed nationalization of several key industries. The Taft-Dewey ticket was according to all polls leading. Even in the ethnic enclaves of cities Taft had support like no other Republican in recent history. In New York's little Italy, Wallace was booed and called a sell out for letting Italy go communist. The same incident was repeated in dozens of ethnic neighborhoods in dozens of cities across the country.

"True, but Thurmond is non-existent in the polls in all but a half dozen non-southern states. He's no threat to us. Taft and Dewey are making it a good run on their platform of fear and hate," Clifford replied snidingly. "People just didn't understand the need for peace, they don't understand that the communists have the same goals as good progressive liberals, they are just in a hurry,"

"My sources at the New York Times say you are going to want to see the results Mister President," Political secretary Haines remarked as he entered the room his face glowing with hope. "While they didn't say so, I think it means you may pull it off,"

"Really?" Wallace asked surprised, the New York Times was one of the minority of papers to endorse him for reelection, most went the other way, even the Cleveland Plain Dealer, a strong progressive paper endorsed Taft because of the foreign policy situation.

"Yes, they are already running a special edition on the election," he smiled hearteningly. "I think they are proclaiming your surprise victory, maybe they think we may even retake congress," Haines assured him nodding.

"I told you the campaign showing Taft to be a Fascist would be successful," Clifford proclaimed pointing a thumb at himself reminding everyone it had been his idea.

Wallace was a little unsure of the results himself. Clifford's attacks were mere name calling claiming that Taft was Hitler reincarnated. Taft didn't stand still for the attacks either he hit back equally hard and calling Wallace a puppet of Stalin and citing the numerous concessions Wallace had granted the Soviets. That gave Taft the edge as he had better supporting evidence as Wallace was President after all.

No one spoke. The radio and TV were turned off on the President's insistence. He thought they could wait for the morning papers to make the announcement. He looked at their now hopeful faces, like kids before Christmas.

"Turn the TV on, we might as well find out," President Wallace relented smiling slightly at their excitement.

The TV turned murky gray as it warmed up. He found this new technology strange but fascinating. Shortly a news announcer appeared on the screen, behind him was a map of the country. Snow occasionally crossed the screen static obscuring the sound occasionally. A man slowly came into focus. "And we have the stunning election news of the night,"

"Yes!" A cheer went up among the advisors. President Wallace merely sat down, he saw the small crowds that greeted him during this last leg of the campaign, and was no fool, the protesters carrying signs calling him Stalin's puppet outnumbered his supporters, this was not going to be a celebration.

"Quiet!" Someone yelled.

"As expected Senator Robert Taft has followed his father into the White House carrying every state outside of the old South and the southern states of Virginia, Florida, Tennessee and Texas for a total of 458 electoral votes. He also looks to be garnering about 51 percent of the popular vote. Neither that nor the increase in the Republican majorities in the House and Senate is the story tonight. No for tonight we may have seen the death of the Democratic party. The American party lead by Strom Thurmond has won a number of southern states totaling 73 electoral votes and an impressive 25 percent of the popular vote. President Wallace not only failed to win a single state, but he seems to have finished third in the popular vote with only 24 percent of total votes cast. The spilt in the Democratic party caused by President Wallace's policies may have doomed that party to eventual extinction. Especially as over half of the remaining Democrats have openly defected to the American Party.

Denouncement

President Wallace sagged in his chair as he waited for his next appointment. His electoral performance was even worse than Taft's father who finished third in the 1912 election. All he had labored for was going to be lost now, and they were coming to tell him so.

"Mister President your 2:30 appointment is here," the electronic box squawked.

"Send him in," the President sighed.

Molotov walked in, his standard black blocky overcoat hiding an equally blocky form. As usual his face was impassive revealing little of the man inside. He took off his thick gloves and tucked them under his arm.

"If you are here to demand something else in the name of Peace wait till Taft is in and bother him," Wallace replied tired of all of his unappreciated work done in the name of peace.

"Henry, You wound me," Molotov's sympathy fell flat and they both knew it. "But to tell the truth I am here in the name of world peace,"

Wallace shrugged expecting little else. "How so?" He took out a pen and flicked it's stand, tired of the now old routine.

"As you know your Fascist Taft is about to come to power. His assumption of power is a threat to peace loving people everywhere. The free Soviet peoples would like for you to stay on as American President and continue this era of peace and stability," Molotov stated matter of factly.

Wallace laughed and smiled at the absurdity of Molotov's statement. "There was an election, I lost, Taft won, the issue is decided,"

"Yes, but is that result good for the world?" Molotov asked rhetorically. "I think not, the world would be better served if you continued as President,"

"I think so too, but-,"

"No, think beyond your bourgeois notions of elections. We are talking about completing the World Revolution as formulated by Marx and confirmed by Lenin, we can fulfill the greater good and ensure world peace. What do elections matter when compared to that. They don't, trifling annoying things that don't represent the true will of the people. Lenin did not let the reactionary elections of 1918 stop the Great Soviet Revolution, don't let these elections stop you from achieving the goal of world peace,"

"Huh?" Wallace was stunned.

Molotov smiled and nodded thinking he had heard "how" instead. "The peace loving Soviet Union can send over half million soldiers to the United States over the next month. With those troops and the purging of your own military of any reactionary elements opposed to world peace you will be established as the American President and the threat of Fascist dictatorship will be ended,"

"The ends justify the means," Wallace asked looking down at his desk.

"Of course," Molotov nodded. "The revolution is not bound by any constraint save that of achieving world revolution,"

Wallace closed his eyes and dropped his face in his hands to the consternation of Molotov. "I was wrong, forgive me I was wrong," he lifted his head up and looked squarely at Molotov. "No, here the ends do not justify the means. Please leave now," Molotov stiffened at being dismissed by the American President had never done that before. "You are endangering World Peace," Molotov warned him ominously. Wallace shook his head and looked at the Globe. "No, in my desire for peace I have endangered freedom. You have gotten all you will ever get from me, now leave," Wallace remarked wearily.

Molotov stayed still immovable. "As Progressives we share the same goals let us secure peace once and for all time,"

"We share nothing for I believe in liberty and you in power. So leave, leave this room, this city, this nation," Wallace spoke firmly his voice tired.

"If you insist," Molotov shrugged impassively.

"Molotov, a word of warning without freedom there can be no peace," President Wallace warned the Soviet Foreign Minister prophetically.

Molotov said nothing shook his head in disgust at the fool before him. He believed Communism could live with capitalism, it was like asking a lion and a lamb to be friends. He snorted, only religious fools believed such fairy tales. Stalin would not like this. He was hoping to have ensured the final success of world revolution. Still they had done more to advance the cause of world peace than any before. He slipped his gloves back on and turned for the door. He passed quickly through the outer office and outside of the building. His chauffeur opened the car door for him. The man nodded eyes searching and alert. Like most embassy staff he belonged to the KGB. Molotov stepped in the car, the driver closing the door behind him.

"Back to the embassy," Molotov said as the driver took his position. He sat quietly contemplating Wallace's words without freedom there can be no peace. It was going to be a long struggle now.

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