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America the ambitious wrote:I cannot wait to see how you plan on using Eva Braun! If you would permit me to share an amusing anecdote that relates to Eva Braun and Chamberlain, she reportedly once laughed at a picture of Neville Chamberlain sitting on a couch in Hitler's Munich apartment and remarked, "If only he knew what goings-on that sofa has seen!" She's actually quite an intriguing figure; she reminds me of Hélène de Portes or Venetia Stanley in many ways, a master at sexual intrigue and driving powerful men mad, but really quite insipid when it comes to anything else.

Heh. I'm not entirely sure yet, but needless to say Heydrich will make Himmler and Goering regret cashiering his old secretary.

On a completely different note, my town's getting some protests tomorrow, ugh. Fricking extremists smh

The chinese national government

Cascadiuh wrote:Heh. I'm not entirely sure yet, but needless to say Heydrich will make Himmler and Goering regret cashiering his old secretary.

On a completely different note, my town's getting some protests tomorrow, ugh. Fricking extremists smh

"Heydrich"

Oh god oh fvck, watch out Hitler, Heydrich's going to empower the RSHA and as such give far too much power to the Gestapo and SD, becoming a genuine threat!

The fascist british empire

Cascadiuh wrote:Veneer of Unity
Adapted from Konrad Adenauer's memoir (Heydrich's Germany: The Inside Story, 1965)
Many in Germany and the Reichstag were caught unawares by the Führer's sudden and dramatic Austrian policy shift, none more so then Reinhard Heydrich and his allies. They were blindsided as to why Himmler and Goering (seemingly) randomly decided to push Austrian annexation to Hitler, when just recently they had agreed that an Austrian move should come in January 1938 at the earliest. Privately, Heydrich fumed, as removing two high-ranking Nazi officials was an impossibility due to the delicate nature of Anglo-German relations. He knew that in order for Mosely and his British Fascists to eventually succeed in winning elections and power, the British public needed to see Germany as a powerful, humane, and stable nation: not a barely-functioning rump state with assassins and intrigue running amok. Thus, he told his allies that their plans would be filed away for now, and they joined the rest of the German government in hurriedly preparing for the upcoming peace conference.

Hitler, despite his faults, also knew the stakes of the upcoming meeting, and was determined to impress not only the British delegates, but their constituents as well. Thus, he imposed a strict ceasefire among his underlings, mandating that no internal conflict was to occur in his government until the British were on their way back to London. Then, the Führer set about putting together a diplomatic team, with himself chairing. His first selection was obvious: Joachim von Ribbentrop, Germany's skilled Foreign Minister. His second choice, however, caused some controversy. Hitler had previously decided to appoint another powerful political figure to this position; one of Heydrich, Goering, Himmler, or Goebbles. However, none of the four candidates were initially aware of this. Fortunately for Heydrich, though, Hitler had decided to ask his esteemed (and presumed neutral) protege Erwin Rommel for advice on who to appoint to the second position. Rommel enthusiastically suggested Heydrich for the position, emphasizing his cool demeanor, excellent wit, and solid negotiating skills, thus winning over the Führer. Himmler and Goering grumbled at this, as did their supporters in the Reichstag, but due to Hitler's mandated peace their complaints were private, and limited.

Meanwhile, under Interior Minister Wilhelm Frick (a tentative Heydrich ally), preparations to welcome the British to Berlin were underway. Hitler and Frick were determined to make a good impression on Chamberlain and Lloyd George, so no expense was spared. Airport timetables were cleared, bands were hired, and a Wehrmacht division was diverted from Munich to provide a gun salute (though after the Hindenburg disaster in New Jersey, blimps were conspicuously absent). In addition, preparations for an open-car parade through the streets of Berlin were made. To avoid assassination attempts, the Gestapo were ordered to scout out the parade route, and two SS units would patrol Berlin until the British delegation departed.

As the opening day of the conference approached, the cold war between Heydrich and the duo of Himmler and Goering turned into an uneasy ceasefire, ironically brokered by the man both parties hoped to (eventually) supersede as Supreme Leader of Germany. However, Hitler's words didn't stop Himmler and Goering from enacting the next step of their plan: covertly framing Heydrich's lower-ranking workers of communist espionage. The pair believed that the idea was a surefire win: it wasn't significant enough to anger the Führer, yet it would be highly effective in reducing Heydrich's credibility. Little did they know, though, that this plan would blow up in their faces.

-----------------------------------------------

Reinhard Heydrich sat at his desk, which was covered in useless paperwork. Damn, he sighed. Why did those effing buffoons have to frame my secretary of subversive activities? Ethel had been a nice woman and a hard worker. Shame she was now rotting in a concentration camp somewhere. As Heydrich signed papers authorizing some random expenditures (something to do with Ethiopian coffee), he heard a knock on his door. "Come in", he said.

Erwin Rommel strode in, with a smile on his face. "Hello, Reinhard. I did you the favor of interviewing the secretary candidates, and I believe I found the perfect woman to fill the job." He pulled out a sheet of paper. "Her information is right here."

Heydrich raised an eyebrow. "I believe I told you to find me the top five candidates, then allow me to complete the vetting process?"

Rommel's smile widened. "Believe me, this candidate trumps all the others. There's no need for you to consider anyone else. But excuse me, I have an appointment with Adolf, so I must be going" He tossed the paper on Heydrich's desk, then strode out of the room.

Heydrich was about to get up and chase his annoyingly cocky protege down, when he glimpsed the name on top of the paper. He froze in shock for a moment, then sunk back in his chair, hysterically laughing.

"Eva Ana Paula Braun"

The fascist british empire
The nation of france
Cyrusa
Thrihanti
Shogunate of new japan
Italian big boy
America the ambitious
Braziliv
The lands of the crown of saint stephen

I will make sure to draft up a reply once my plane lands!

Cascadiuh

America the ambitious

Cyrusa wrote:May, 1937

The pier in Sydney Harbour was always busy, but this day it was near dead quiet. At least Pier A was. Piers B, C, D, E and F were busy handling arrivals and processing fresh arrivals in Australia while Pier A was closed to the public. Built with a specific set of stairs that took any visitor beneath the rest of the building and delivered them especially at a VIP's arrival bay underground, it was where the incoming boat would dock and its visitor disembark. Standing patiently nearby were three men. Two of whom were in deep conversation, seemingly detached from their more senior counterpart who stood in front of them and in deep thought. Dr. Herbert V. Evatt stood ahead and ignored the duo behind him. Bertram Stevens, Premier of NSW and Sir Michael Bruxner seemed in deep conversation about using the first ever visit of the U.S. Secretary of State to convey hopes of economic stimulus from the American private sector. Evatt scoffed behind their backs and gently smiled to their faces.

The cruiseliner bore the American Flag at its mast as expected, on the deck two American marines it appeared held the American and the Australian flags beside each other. Evatt could hear the commotion of those seeking to get a better view from where he stood in Circular Quay. He could see the crew aboard the cruiseliner excitedly eyeing the Harbour Bridge, an icon of the city and taking in its pristine view. Evatt turned and eyed the normally hidden stairway that he knew the Americans had prepared for. He waited, a few minutes passed and the gangway connected and emerged the head of Cordell Hull. Immediately Evatt saw a midget, at least relatively. He smiled as Hull approached him. From the side the protocol officer announced, "Minister, the Honourable Mister Cordell Hull, United States Secretary of the State."
He heard a same faint voice from behind Hull mutter something along the lines of, "Mister Secretary, the Right Honourable, Doctor Herbert Evatt, Foreign Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia."

Evatt shook Hull's hand firmly, "welcome to Australia, Mister Secretary!"

Tag List
The fascist british empire
The nation of france
Cascadiuh
Thrihanti
Shogunate of new japan
Italian big boy
America the ambitious
Braziliv
The lands of the crown of saint stephen
Nationalist vinland
The chinese national government

A Warm Welcome
May 4, 1937, Sydney Harbor
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Cordell Hull hated sunshine. He much rather preferred the misty hills of his native Tennessee, or the slick streets of Foggy Bottom; the gloom fit better with his temperament. The light made him blink too much, and he despised the feeling of warmth on his skin.

The Australian bureaucrat was shaking his hand a little too hard, he reflected wearily as his arm flapped up and down. “Welcome to Australia, Mister Secretary!”

“Yes, yes,” Cordell muttered. “Thank you very much, Mr. Minister. Yes, my trip was lovely; I find the climate most agreeable, yes; I am fine, thank you, the children are doing wonderful, my oldest is about to graduate high school. Shall we do more talking on the train? I fear there may be German agents afoot nearby, let’s be safe rather than sorry, yes?”

As it turns out, Hull did not really end up doing more talking on the train, but largely spent the time sleeping. For most of the hours-long trip to Canberra, he was out cold, slumped snoring against the window while Evatt tapped his foot frustratingly. Hull was finding, much to his displeasure, that the older he got the more easily exhausted he was, and seeing as he had never been a particularly energetic man even in his youth, he was becoming more and more lethargic as time went on.

When the train pulled up in Canberra Station, seemingly seconds later, he flicked open his eyes and yawned. “Oh, my, we’re here already. No, thank you, I’m not particularly hungry; yes, I’m sure; would you mind escorting me to my rooms? I’m really quite exhausted.”

Evatt let out a snort of annoyance as Hull went tottering off with a pair of guards. Australia’s lifebuoy, it seemed, was more likely to sink into the water if left unattended than to prove much help. He earnestly hoped Roosevelt wasn’t like this; if so, then the democracies would never survive the decade.

Addenum

I see Hull as a rather doddering old man, so please excuse the lack of interesting events going on. The next Secretary of State, I assure you, will be much more energetic.

Cyrusa and The fascist british empire

America the ambitious

Cascadiuh wrote:Heh. I'm not entirely sure yet, but needless to say Heydrich will make Himmler and Goering regret cashiering his old secretary.

On a completely different note, my town's getting some protests tomorrow, ugh. Fricking extremists smh

Portland? Yikes.

Cascadiuh

Shogunate of new japan

America the ambitious wrote:Interesting that you choose to assassinate Kotohito; I wonder what butterflies this point of divergence will cause? The meticulous detail you lavish on describing the various characters is admirable, particularly your description of Tojo; it really establishes a sense of who the man is. Surely this paves the way for Tojo to continue his inexorable climb to the top. Roosevelt will be waiting to congratulate him on his rise.

Tōjō is a very well documented man. So much so I scarcely had to look past his Wikipedia entry to construct his character. That said, Japanese commanders and the basics of their biographies are surprisingly well documented, so it isn’t terrible difficult for anyone.

Something tells me Roosevelt and Tōjō would find much common ground.

America the ambitious

Shogunate of new japan

America the ambitious wrote:A Warm Welcome
May 4, 1937, Sydney Harbor
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Cordell Hull hated sunshine. He much rather preferred the misty hills of his native Tennessee, or the slick streets of Foggy Bottom; the gloom fit better with his temperament. The light made him blink too much, and he despised the feeling of warmth on his skin.

The Australian bureaucrat was shaking his hand a little too hard, he reflected wearily as his arm flapped up and down. “Welcome to Australia, Mister Secretary!”

“Yes, yes,” Cordell muttered. “Thank you very much, Mr. Minister. Yes, my trip was lovely; I find the climate most agreeable, yes; I am fine, thank you, the children are doing wonderful, my oldest is about to graduate high school. Shall we do more talking on the train? I fear there may be German agents afoot nearby, let’s be safe rather than sorry, yes?”

As it turns out, Hull did not really end up doing more talking on the train, but largely spent the time sleeping. For most of the hours-long trip to Canberra, he was out cold, slumped snoring against the window while Evatt tapped his foot frustratingly. Hull was finding, much to his displeasure, that the older he got the more easily exhausted he was, and seeing as he had never been a particularly energetic man even in his youth, he was becoming more and more lethargic as time went on.

When the train pulled up in Canberra Station, seemingly seconds later, he flicked open his eyes and yawned. “Oh, my, we’re here already. No, thank you, I’m not particularly hungry; yes, I’m sure; would you mind escorting me to my rooms? I’m really quite exhausted.”

Evatt let out a snort of annoyance as Hull went tottering off with a pair of guards. Australia’s lifebuoy, it seemed, was more likely to sink into the water if left unattended than to prove much help. He earnestly hoped Roosevelt wasn’t like this; if so, then the democracies would never survive the decade.

Addenum

I see Hull as a rather doddering old man, so please excuse the lack of interesting events going on. The next Secretary of State, I assure you, will be much more energetic.

Okay this was genuinely humorous. I’ve always found grumpy old man characters quite enjoyable. Interested to see what becomes of Hull.

The nation of france

How's the Spanish Civil War going down? Same as our timeline?

Also, Mussolini's in charge of Italy right?

America the ambitious
Shogunate of new japan
The fascist british empire
Frankish nation

Shogunate of new japan

The nation of france wrote:How's the Spanish Civil War going down? Same as our timeline?

Also, Mussolini's in charge of Italy right?

America the ambitious
Shogunate of new japan
The fascist british empire
Frankish nation

Yes to both. Unless someone claims Spain and decided to fùck with it, we leave it alone. The Spanish Civil War strategically defined World War 2, so I really don’t want to deal with the butterfly effects of it being different.

The nation of france

Shogunate of new japan wrote:Yes to both. Unless someone claims Spain and decided to fùck with it, we leave it alone. The Spanish Civil War strategically defined World War 2, so I really don’t want to deal with the butterfly effects of it being different.

*sigh*

America the ambitious

Shogunate of new japan wrote:Yes to both. Unless someone claims Spain and decided to fùck with it, we leave it alone. The Spanish Civil War strategically defined World War 2, so I really don’t want to deal with the butterfly effects of it being different.

Well, I think if France wants to intervene in it to a stronger degree, he's certainly entitled to; the same goes for Italy, Germany, the Soviet Union, and Britain.

The nation of france

America the ambitious

Shogunate of new japan wrote:Tōjō is a very well documented man. So much so I scarcely had to look past his Wikipedia entry to construct his character. That said, Japanese commanders and the basics of their biographies are surprisingly well documented, so it isn’t terrible difficult for anyone.

Something tells me Roosevelt and Tōjō would find much common ground.

That's good; it's much the same with American and British politicians, so it's really been rather easy for me to do research. Even the Catholic Church was pretty well documented, so I've never met with any problems with documentation. That's why I think it's better that we moved back into the modern era for Season 3, so it's easier for everyone to do research.

America the ambitious

Shogunate of new japan wrote:Okay this was genuinely humorous. I’ve always found grumpy old man characters quite enjoyable. Interested to see what becomes of Hull.

Sadly, to be honest I don't plan on doing much with Hull; he'll probably get kicked out of the Cabinet by the end of Roosevelt's second term and get replaced by Harry Hopkins.

America the ambitious

The nation of france wrote:I'll try to make a post either today or tomorrow.

The nation of france

The nation of france

America the ambitious wrote:

ik I'm working on it. Currently, I'm deciding whether it'd be better to keep Blum (by supporting the Spanish Republic) or get rid of him.

America the ambitious

The nation of france wrote:ik I'm working on it. Currently, I'm deciding whether it'd be better to keep Blum (by supporting the Spanish Republic) or get rid of him.

I think it’d be better to keep him but shift him to the center a tiny bit, to better align with Roosevelt and Curtin.

The nation of france

America the ambitious wrote:I think it’d be better to keep him but shift him to the center a tiny bit, to better align with Roosevelt and Curtin.

I've decided to have him support Spain (in a bid to win over the Communists) whilst also appeasing the Socialists and centrists in other areas to maintain the Popular Front.

Frankish nation

Cascadiuh wrote:Hmm this is jogging my memory. Say, were you ever in a region called RGBN?

oh, yes, I was Sotzial if you remember me.

Polish second republic

Frankish nation wrote:oh, yes, I was Sotzial if you remember me.

Anyways, I've chosen to be Poland! I'm aware that I'll probably get destroyed but I'm okay with that

Frankish nation wrote:oh, yes, I was Sotzial if you remember me.

Yep, I remember! I was North Cascades there.

Polish second republic wrote:Anyways, I've chosen to be Poland! I'm aware that I'll probably get destroyed but I'm okay with that

Lol at the role reversal. Time for my revenge, heh heh.

Shogunate of new japan

America the ambitious wrote:Well, I think if France wants to intervene in it to a stronger degree, he's certainly entitled to; the same goes for Italy, Germany, the Soviet Union, and Britain.

Dear god please don’t fùck with the formation of Blitzkreig.

America the ambitious

Floored
May 12, 1937, U.S. Senate Chamber
Washington, D.C., United States of America

James Byrnes sat quietly at his desk, leaning languidly back in his chair with hand propping up his chin as Walter F. George gesticulated away on the Senate floor. He barely heard the words that George was saying, though he was sure they were basically the same as what every other southern senator before him had said. Defend the sacred foundations of the country, prevent the rise of fascism at home, ensure the due procedure was carried out every step of the way...Byrnes had heard it all. The thumping of his own heart deafened all other sounds.

Would it work?

The irksome thing about the filibuster, amusing as it could be to watch old men read from the phone book for hours on end, was that as soon as the word was on everyone’s lips, all bills automatically needed sixty-five votes to pass. By all rights, a simple majority of forty-nine should be able to pass a bill, but the two-thirds majority needed to silence a filibustering senator meant that a determined opposition of thirty-six senators could effectively hold the entire U.S. federal government in impasse. This was a very determined opposition…but did they number thirty-six?

By all estimates they had thirty-four votes under their belt: the eighteen Caesar’s Senators, and the sixteen Republicans. The Execution Committee had kept the other sixty-four Democratic senators in line…but they had no room for error. If just two senators switched, it would mean defeat for the cloture bill, and then the opposition would be free to filibuster to their heart’s content. Byrnes was fully aware that they had been throwing everything they could at senators they thought might be even a little hesitant, because he had been one of the senators they targeted.

Well, if they thought James Francis Byrnes would be a pushover, they had made a mistake. Byrnes still remembered with satisfaction the look of shock on Senator Ellison Smith’s fat face when he coolly informed his fellow South Carolinian that he had best step aside unless he wanted a slight redistribution of body mass around the groin area. Since then they had been leaving him alone, but he had no doubt that they had not been nearly as lenient with some of his weaker-willed colleagues.

He tilted his head to the other side, conscious of the hostile stares directed at him from nearly every other southerner in the room and determined to ignore them. Traitor seemed to echo from each of their lips, as if he was the traitor for sticking with his party and his president and his country, and they were the heroes for sacrificing the well-being of the country for the vanity of nine old men. He couldn’t give a damn what they thought. He was a South Carolinian, and South Carolinians did not bow to anyone.

“...need we pause and stop to consider and mull over the results and ramifications that would result, undoubtedly and for a certain, if this bill were to pass? Must we ever think about the consequences that would surely follow? Is it truly necessary for us to dissect the outcomes of such legislation?” George paused for dramatic effect, but this was an actor without an audience; the other senators were all frantically passing notes back and forth, barely paying attention to the man on the floor of the Senate.

Byrnes had to give it to him. The man had a natural gift for rephrasing the same thing three or four different times. The threat for filibuster was clearly there. Now it was time for the response.

The minute hand reached the six.

It was now one-thirty; the Senate had been in session for an hour; and now the petition for cloture could be read. Like clockwork, Joe Robinson leapt to his feet. “MISTER PRESIDENT, I WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT THE PETITION FOR CLOSURE.”

Kentucky Senator Alben Barkley, who was presiding, nodded at Robinson. “The chair recognizes the senior senator for Arkansas.”

George began to protest, but Robinson silenced him with a single glare. The Majority Leader was simply boiling over with excitement; Byrnes could see it in the tightness of his shoulders, the flush of his face, the way his left hand clenched and unclenched as his right gripped the precious petition. “I HEREBY INVOKE THE PETITION FOR CLOTURE. LET THE DEBATE ON THE JUDICIAL PROCEDURES REFORM BILL END AT LAST, YOU DAMN PARROTS.”

A ripple of laughter spread across the Senate at the Majority leader’s words. Even Barkley chuckled, though he immediately reprimanded Robinson. “The senior senator for Arkansas is reminded of Senate Rule 19; no senator may impugned his colleague’s character.”

“THAT IS, OF COURSE, ASSUMING THERE IS STILL CHARACTER LEFT TO IMPUGNED,” Robinson snapped back in the quietest mutter he could muster, which of course was still loud enough for the entire chamber to hear.

Byrnes suddenly felt his throat constrict. This had to go perfectly from the very beginning. Two senators defecting, and the bill would fail. He laid his hands perfectly still on his desk and tried to keep them from trembling as Barkley signalled for the clerk to begin the roll call. “Mr. Adams!”

“Yea!”

“Mr. Andrews!”

“Yea!”

“Mr. Ashurst!”

All eyes swung to the Arizona senator, the Dean of Inconsistency, the Silver-Tongued Sunbeam of the Painted Desert, Five-Syllable Henry. Yet for once the talkative senator seemed struck dumb. He paused, bringing his hand up to cover his mouth briefly, clearing his throat. Come on, Brynes willed. You already voted yes to advance the bill to the Senate floor, just vote yes now. Vote yes.

“Nay,” Ashurst said. The single syllable carried with it more than any other sesquipedalian word he had ever said.

A great groan seemed to go up from the Democratic benches. Byrnes was struck dumb. “No,” he murmured. Ashurst made thirty-five senators opposed to the motion. Suddenly it was looking a lot more flimsy.

Others were more vocal in voicing their disapproval. “NOOOOO!” roared Robinson, slapping the desk with his hand. “CURSE YOU, ASHURST, YOU IRREVERENT SON OF A—”

Pandemonium reigned in the Senate Chamber as Barkley futilely tried to bring it back under control. Byrnes whipped around and glared at Harry Byrd, who was leering at him from a few desks behind. “How did you get him on your side?” he snapped at Byrd. “What did you promise him?”

The Virginian Fox shrugged. “Don’t ask me. Ask him.” He jerked a thumb at the back of the chamber, casually and flippantly.

Byrnes followed Byrd’s motion to look at the man standing at the rear of the Senate Chamber. The pale-faced man with the colorless eyes and colorless hair smiled, snakelike, as Robinson roared curse words that would have made a priest blush and Barkley banged the gavel to no avail. Vice President John Nance Garner’s eyes flicked to meet Byrnes’s own, and his sneer widened. Slowly, he put his arm forward, his hand curling into a fist, then with a swift motion turned it over in a thumbs-down position. The ancient Roman symbol for execution.

Byrnes knew, then, with crystal clarity, that the thing Garner had just killed was the Judicial Procedures Reform Bill. Savor your victory now, he thought furiously. You’re the one delivering death sentences today, but soon the Execution Committee will write yours. And Byrnes vowed, right then and there as the Senate raged like a wounded beast, that he would be the author.

Tagged
The fascist british empire
The nation of france
Cascadiuh
Thrihanti
Shogunate of new japan
Italian big boy
Braziliv
Cyrusa
The lands of the crown of saint stephen
Nationalist vinland
The chinese national government
The irish socialist state

Thrihanti, Cyrusa, and The fascist british empire

America the ambitious

You Haven’t Got the Votes
Taken from “Franklin Delano Roosevelt: The Man Behind the Majesty”
Written by Charles Huffman, Stars and Stripes Press, 2000

“...Unfortunately, neither side was about to shut up; if anything, they were going to get louder. The bill opened for debate on May 2, and Robinson led the charge, keeping control of the floor for two days as he argued in favor of the bill. The Senate Majority Leader, the “pugilist” senator who had achieved widespread notoriety in 1924 for punching a fellow golfer at the local Country Club (from which he was shortly expelled), summoned up all his eloquence for one last fight in the Senate before he could retire to the comparative peace of the Supreme Court seat to which he had been promised. The opposition, equally unwilling to give ground, hung the threat of filibuster over the proceedings with a series of long tirades against the bill. Even Ashurst, ever the Dean of Inconsistency, joined in; his eloquent three-hour speech in support of the bill exhausted the time available to vote on it, and significantly delayed its passage.

By May 10, Robinson had grown impatient. Frustrated at the prospect of filibuster, Robinson submitted a motion for cloture, which would cut short debate and immediately proceed to the direct vote. Cloture required two-thirds of the senators present to vote in favor of it in order to pass, which meant sixty-five out of the ninety-six senators of the chamber, and Caesar’s Senators and the Republicans only controlled between them thirty-four senators, not enough to block the cloture motion. Backed up by the numbers, Robinson was confident that he could carry the day. After waiting the customary two days between submission of a cloture proposal and the actual vote, Robinson moved to end debate on the Judicial Procedures Reform Bill on May 12.

Things fell apart almost immediately. Ashurst, the third senator to be called, evidently had another one of his idiosyncratic last-minute changes in opinion, and cast his vote against the cloture motion even though he had previously promised Robinson and Roosevelt he wouldn’t. After that, it all fell apart quickly. With Ashurst having been the first to defect, other senators felt safe doing so as well. Royal S. Copeland of New York was the next to buckle, and then he was quickly followed by Guy Gillette of Iowa, Rush Holt of West Virginia, Edwin Johnson of Colorado, Pat McCarran of Nevada, George Norris of North Dakota, Joseph O’Mahoney of Wyoming, Henrik Shipstead of Minnesota, Frederick Van Nuys of Indiana, David Walsh of Massachusetts, and perhaps most damningly, Burton Wheeler, the powerful and strong-willed senior senator from Montana, who blisteringly decried the bill as a “Fascist plot” that would end the balance of power as America knew it.

The cloture motion failed, 50-46. Robinson had entered with two votes to spare; by the end he had lost twelve, a humiliating defeat for the embattled Majority Leader. The meddling of Vice President Garner had undone Roosevelt’s carefully constructed coalition; by the time of the defeat on the Senate floor, Garner had made clear for all to see his open disdain for the bill, holding his nose and giving thumbs-down gestures from the back of the Senate chamber. Jaunty from his victory, the little Texan informed President Roosevelt after the results of the cloture bill reached his ears that “You’re licked, Cap’n; you haven’t got the votes.” Without another word, he then took the train home to Texas.

Garner was wrong, though; Roosevelt was far from licked. If anything, the cloture bill seemed only to reinvigorate the President. Declining a tear-faced Robinson’s offer to resign in disgrace with a warm embrace, Roosevelt ordered him to submit to him the names of the traitorous senators who defected. From that day forth, those Democratic senators who had dared oppose the administration’s bills were dead men walking, for Roosevelt bestirred was a terrible thing to behold indeed. Caesar’s Senators were triumphant for the time being, but only for a brief while before the President counterpunched…”

Tagged
The fascist british empire
The nation of france
Cascadiuh
Thrihanti
Shogunate of new japan
Italian big boy
Braziliv
Cyrusa
The lands of the crown of saint stephen
Nationalist vinland
The chinese national government
The irish socialist state

Cascadiuh, Thrihanti, Cyrusa, and The fascist british empire

America the ambitious wrote:A Warm Welcome
May 4, 1937, Sydney Harbor
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Cordell Hull hated sunshine. He much rather preferred the misty hills of his native Tennessee, or the slick streets of Foggy Bottom; the gloom fit better with his temperament. The light made him blink too much, and he despised the feeling of warmth on his skin.

The Australian bureaucrat was shaking his hand a little too hard, he reflected wearily as his arm flapped up and down. “Welcome to Australia, Mister Secretary!”

“Yes, yes,” Cordell muttered. “Thank you very much, Mr. Minister. Yes, my trip was lovely; I find the climate most agreeable, yes; I am fine, thank you, the children are doing wonderful, my oldest is about to graduate high school. Shall we do more talking on the train? I fear there may be German agents afoot nearby, let’s be safe rather than sorry, yes?”

As it turns out, Hull did not really end up doing more talking on the train, but largely spent the time sleeping. For most of the hours-long trip to Canberra, he was out cold, slumped snoring against the window while Evatt tapped his foot frustratingly. Hull was finding, much to his displeasure, that the older he got the more easily exhausted he was, and seeing as he had never been a particularly energetic man even in his youth, he was becoming more and more lethargic as time went on.

When the train pulled up in Canberra Station, seemingly seconds later, he flicked open his eyes and yawned. “Oh, my, we’re here already. No, thank you, I’m not particularly hungry; yes, I’m sure; would you mind escorting me to my rooms? I’m really quite exhausted.”

Evatt let out a snort of annoyance as Hull went tottering off with a pair of guards. Australia’s lifebuoy, it seemed, was more likely to sink into the water if left unattended than to prove much help. He earnestly hoped Roosevelt wasn’t like this; if so, then the democracies would never survive the decade.

Addenum

I see Hull as a rather doddering old man, so please excuse the lack of interesting events going on. The next Secretary of State, I assure you, will be much more energetic.

Dull as Hull

As Hull's visit simmered over Canberra's head, Evatt reported on the weeklong visit's conduct to cabinet with the shining statement, "The Secretary is arguably most unenticed by any dialogue, I fear more would come of a dialogue held in Washington itself, with President Roosevelt, who I fear may also be as, dull as Hull."

---

In the days before this cabinet meeting, Hull had toured Canberra and Sydney alike, with Evatt at his side at some events, the key time for discussion was the bilateral talks held the day prior the cabinet meeting, May the 7th. In that meeting, Hull and his advisers arrived and sat along one side of the long table and Evatt and his advisers arrived and sat along the other side. Among them, the high-ranking Deputy Prime Minister, Frank Forde and Treasurer Ben Chifley.

"Mister Secretary, welcome to Canberra, might I introduce my colleagues, Deputy Prime Minister, The Right Honourable Frank Forde and the Right Honourable, Ben Chifley who serves us as Treasurer."
The two men gave curt nods as Evatt spoke, "the purpose of this visit, and the cause of our invitation is drawn from what we perceive to be natural bonds between our nations. Our founders drew on your Constitution for the design of our Senate, and the Great White Fleet built long lasting ties between our seafaring nations. We find this seafaring nature challenged, our mutual friend is preoccupied with potential for yet another European War and our fellow Pacific neighbor amasses a navy and army in preparation for war with China. Australia seeks a treaty-bound negotiation between our nations, two democracies, two anglo-saxon powers, two peoples that may benefit together from greater economic," he gestured at Chifley, "strategic," he gestured at Forde, "and cultural relations," he smiled at the little American flag that sat next to the Australian flag on the table, "what says the United States to such a proposal?"

Thrihanti and America the ambitious

America the ambitious
I'm so hurt that you made Hull, the man who was the architect of the UN as dull as his creation, I hear he was a far more lively fella, nonetheless I digress.

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