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This Day in Alternate History Blog
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Italy 1936 - An alternate Italian history of World War II Part 34 By Vincent Longobardi
January 20th 1960 Count Ciano arrives in Washington D.C. he requests a meeting President Eisenhower and is given an appointment for the 22nd. He is greeted and followed by a small crowd of American Fascists who make up the tiny Young Fascist Movement. They follow him throughout his trip offering counter protests to the anti-fascist protests which spring up to meet him. January 21st 1960 Mussolini is released from the hospital, he is greeted by jubilant crowds as he is escorted to a waiting car. Throughout England and France there are many groups grumbling about the still very much alive dictator and the complete lack of popular revolts throughout the Empire while he was incapacitated. January 22nd 1960 It wasn’t uncommon for Eisenhower to make tough decisions, he had ordered the largest invasion force seen in the history of the world to cross the English Channel, the issue before him wasn’t so great but it was still important. Sitting across from him was the Count Galeazzo Ciano, a man that many of America’s allies would pay a king’s ransom to see dead. And here he was requesting that the New Roman Empire be allowed to forge closer ties with a nation only 90 miles off the American coast. On his desk were dozens of strategic reports from a dozen agencies and a dozen countries, most were written by fear mongers overblowing the situation. Eisenhower knew how much faith to put in these "worst case" scenario reports. Knowing this did not change the fact it would be a tough and unpopular decision no matter what he decided. If he supported the NRE’s bid he would be viewed as a Fascist sympathizer, if he denied it and the Soviets take their first hold in the Americas he would be seen as weak on Communism. But, one was already in the Western Hemisphere the other wasn’t. Raising his gaze from his assembled papers he looks Ciano in the eye and gives him his answer. The New Roman Empire will be allowed to bring Cuba into the Lira Block but that does not give the Empire carte blanche to gobble up every other Latin American nation or station troops on the Island. January 24th 1960 Ciano meets with President Fidel Castro informing him that the NRE would be glad to include Cuba as an ally and member of the Lira Block. Cuba would be accepted as a junior member and entitle all the rights and privileges associated with the title. The Empire’s only condition is that Cuba hand over the communist rebel Ernesto "Che" Guevara to be tried for "crimes against Fascism." Che was an outspoken communist and perhaps the most fanatical member of Castro’s government. He was one of the first communists to be accepted into Castro’s army during the revolution and was accused of all forms of barbarism. Castro is wary about turning over Guevara, but Ciano assures him that all he needs to do is provide Che to him and that the Empire will do the rest, he gives the President 48 hours to make his decision while he enjoys the luxuries Havana has to offer. January 25th 1960 Viceroy Medici submits his report on the current state of Greece to the Grand Council. The initial reports look promising. Violence is down, the economy is improving with the nearly destroyed shipbuilding industry back in service and producing merchant ships and small warships. More importantly, the Hellenic Council is currently viewed by the Greek population as a bumbling and backwards organization becoming the greater of two evils. January 26th 1960 Fidel Castro accepts the offer put down by Ciano and orders the arrest of Guevara. Still unsure of his position he remarks to an advisor: "If I have chosen wrongly, I will have a hundred Guevaras against me." January 28th 1960 Cuba officially announces that it will be joining the Lira Block and will work to more closely bring its government policies in line with those of the New Roman Empire. Che Guevara is deported to Italy. January 29th 1960 Ciano returns to Rome anxious to see the Duce and to see what has transpired in his absence. February 5th 1960 The Democrat party launches an attack campaign against the Republicans in the U.S.. Democratic presidential candidates accuse the Republicans of working with Fascists by allowing Cuba to join the Lira Block. Senator Kennedy promises the American people if elected he will restore democracy to the people of Cuba and force Fascism out of the hemisphere. Numerous anti-fascist chants begin to come about from the campaign. "Fascists(Italians or Romans) only smile to hide their fangs." and the jointly anti-fascist and anti-communist "Black or Red? I’d rather be dead," or occasionally "I’m(You’re) better off dead!" "Black or Red" will quickly be coopted by segregationists in the South and used as anti communist and anti black slogan. February 15th 1960 Ernesto "Che" Guevara is placed on trial in Rome for crimes against Fascism. He is charged with being a member of a communist party, leading a communist revolt, promoting the spread of communism and numerous counts of murder against civilians and soldiers. Che refuses to acknowledge the courts right to place him on trial calling it a sham and refuses to defend himself. March 1st 1960 Guevara is found guilty on all counts against him and is sentenced to death by hanging with his body to be thrown into the Tiber river. March 10th 1960 Che Guevara is hung until he is dead in front of the Palazzo Venezia. Mussolini watches silently from the balcony as a large crowd hisses and jeers at the condemned communist. The rope is purposely too short so as not to snap the neck but bring about a slow death by suffocation. The body is then dragged through the streets of Rome before being tossed into the Tiber river. April 21st1960 The book "The world Mussolini will make," is published in Italy. A collaboration by political scientists, historians and fascist thinkers it lays out the growth of the New Roman Empire over the next 40 years and its continued expansion and progress presented in essay and novella format. The book predicts that San Marino will be the next acquisition of the Empire by popular revolt, this will quickly be followed by a popular revolt in Monaco. The book goes on to state that communist revolutions in France will lead to the country descending into anarchy in 1970's forcing Italian intervention and the occupation of most of France by Fascist forces, with it being renamed Gaul. Upon the death of Franco in Spain(no date is given for this,) the nation will enter into personal union with Rome and become a self ruling part of the Empire. It is predicted that the Soviet Union will collapse in the early 1980's when the citizens of the USSR reject the collective for ignoring the individual’s strength and contribution to the nation, allowing the Empire to occupy Romania and Hungary.
By 2000, the New Roman Empire will encompass nearly all of the ancient Roman Empire’s territory and will be most technologically advanced nation in the world. April 27th 1960 "The world Mussolini will make" is an instant best-seller throughout the Italian peninsula. On the heels of the books success the authors announce they will begin work on an alternate history book "Without the March on Rome," a horrific alternate history which leads to a dystopian future. May 1st 1960 The Soviet Union shoots down an American U2 spy plane flying over Russia. May 11th 1960 In South Tyrol, 4 Mossad agents and freelance Nazi Hunter Simon Wiesenthal are killed by OVRA officers while trying to abduct Adolf Eichmann. Following the Mengele kidnaping the OVRA stepped up surveillance of the Nazis within the Empire to avoid another embarrassing situation in which enemy agents managed to infiltrate the country so deeply and lead police and military forces on a massive chase across half the Empire. May 13th 1960 Speaking before the Lira Block, Count Ciano protests Israel’s illegal actions within the territories of the New Roman Empire and calls for an immediate end to all Israeli intervention within the Empire or face the consequences from the combined might of all the Lira Block. May 15th 1960 Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion speaks to the nation reporting on the failed operation to capture Eichmann. Ben-Gurion places the blame on the rogue hunter Wiesenthal who he claims jeopardized the operation by illegally briefing members of the press and Israeli embassy staff in Switzerland as well as inserting himself in the operation team without government approval. The Prime Minister vows that Israel will continue it’s quest to capture fugitive Nazis where ever they may be hiding. Secretly, Israel discontinues operations within the New Roman Empire citing them as too costly. They will only attempt assassinations or abductions on Nazi’s not in Italian territory. *Note: Historically, Wiesenthal was said to have jeopardized the actual capture of Eichmann preventing the Mossad from also capturing Mengele at the same time but the success of getting Eichmann outweighed any harm he caused. In this case the failure to capture Eichmann and the death of the Mossad agents have forced Israel to use Wiesenthal as a scapegoat.* May 27th 1960 A bloodless coup in Turkey places General Cemal Gursel in charge of the nation. General Gursel promises to continue the path towards further westernization and bringing more western democracy to the nation and seeks to bring about a peaceful unification between Turks living in territories formerly belonging to the nation. June 3rd 1960 The Hellenic council attempts to make contact with the British government requesting that Cyprus be handed over to Greece and in exchange the Hellenic Council will expel the Italian Viceroy, leave the Lira Block and restore democratic elections. Medici’s spies within the Foreign Ministry intercept the letter before it can be sent out. June 4th 1960 Viceroy Medici shuts down the Greek Foreign office and orders the arrest of its top officials for treason against the Empire and betraying the Lira Block. The Hellenic Council opposes the shutdown, to which Medici replies "I am the voice of Greece, I speak for the Emperor who is sovereign over these territories. The Hellenic Council has no voice in international affairs as per the agreements with Rome. The Foreign Office was an obsolete institution from a bygone time. If you object to my actions, resign." Medici orders his intelligence apparatus to remain vigilante for any signs of revolt. June 5th 1960 Four out of twelve of the Hellenic Council members resign their positions in protest. The Viceroy orders their arrest for crimes against Fascism and appoints four lap dogs to the Council in their place. June 6th 1960 Ciano, believing that Medici has gone too far this time speaks to Mussolini on removing Medici from the position of Viceroy in Greece. Wording the request very carefully he states that Medici has served loyally, managing to pacify a rebellious province and should be rewarded by bringing him back to Rome. Though it would be a theoretical promotion it would take Medici out of the limelight. End of Part 34. Please visit my forum for discussion and access to new parts as they become available. http://z11.invisionfree.com/LongVinsWritingDen/index.php?
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