Camelot Rises II: America's Hero

[DKrol]

Look forward to this coming out within the next week.

For those of you who have been around long enough to remember Camelot Rises (or those who went back and have read it since) it will have the same premise but with several major plot points changed.

[The Other Castro]

wooooo I love your TLs

[DKrol]

wooooo I love your TLs

Thanks, I'm glad you like them!

[badgate]

Will this pick up after Camelot Rises, with JPK3 taking office?

[DKrol]

Will this pick up after Camelot Rises, with JPK3 taking office?

No. It will begin in 1951, if that gives you any hints as to one of the points of divergence.

[DKrol]

Chapter I: No on 22


A button supporting the proposed 22nd Amendment

Taking up an issue New York Governor Thomas Dewey (R) ran on in 1944, the Republican-led Congress of 1947 began drafting an amendment to the Constitution creating term limits for the President. The amendment passed Congress in March of 1947 and was sent to the states for ratification. This proved to be a problem though, as many local leaders remembered the aid they had received from four-term President Franklin Roosevelt (D) - the person that inspired the amendment. After four years only 24 states had ratified the amendment - falling far short of the 36 needed before the amendment’s expiration clause deadline. The American people sent a resounding “No” to the Republican Party’s attempt to limit the power of the Executive Branch.

General Dwight Eisenhower and Douglas MacArthur, both front runners in the 1952 Presidential Election

This set up an interesting dynamic for the 1952 Presidential Election. The defeat of the amendment confirmed to President Harry Truman (D) the support of the American people in the Oval Office - at least in the institution of the Presidency - and fueled talk that Truman would run for his second full term. Also considering running for President were General Douglas MacArthur (Discussed for both Parties), General Dwight Eisenhower (Discussed for both Parties), Senator Robert Taft (R), Governor Thomas Dewey (R), Businessman Charles Wilson (R), Senator Estes Kefauver (D), Senator J. William Fulbright (D), and Supreme Court Chief Justice Fred Vinson (D). Regardless of who decided to run this amendment clearly got the political machines shaking off the cobwebs.

[rpryor03]

This makes me very happy. I always love your timelines, Krol.

[DKrol]

Chapter II: The War - At Home and Abroad


The 38th Parallel Divided the Korean Peninsula for several years

America entered the United Nations conflict in Korea in 1950. By the time talk of the 1952 Elections came around one thing unified most Americans - the hope of ending the War. They had just finished fighting Nazis in Europe for four years and they feared that Korea would be an even longer affair. Public sentiment was against the war and President Truman’s continued support for the war. Some intellectuals speculated, in private, that Truman had a fear of the military and needed to keep them at war to keep them preoccupied. Regardless, when citizens in primary states went to vote the war in Korea was on their mind. This proved to be a major boost to the Generals’ campaigns.

General Eisenhower at a ball following the New Hampshire Primary

On New Hampshire’s March 11th Primary the War was clearly on the voter’s minds. General Dwight Eisenhower won the Republican Primary by more than 200 votes, while General Douglas MacArthur came in a strong second. Both men won votes in the Democratic primary as well, although Chief Justice Fred Vinson won the Democratic Primary. President Truman, thoroughly embarrassed, ended his campaign within the week. It should be noted that Justice Vinson never campaigned for the primary therefore never creating any conflict of interest. Truman, defeated and dejected, became reclusive after the New Hampshire loss and resigned himself to being a lame duck - abandoning most legislative pursuits and choosing to only manage the Korean stalemate rather than pursue a victory or retreat.

[DKrol]

This makes me very happy. I always love your timelines, Krol.

I'm glad you like it!

[DKrol]

Chapter III: Sound Off!


General MacArthur saw success in several primary states

Coming off of the heels of a resounding defeat of an incumbent President, the nation kept a close eye on the Republican Party. Polls showed all of the talked-about Republican candidates beating all of the talked-about Democrats - meaning 1952 would likely be decided by the Republican Primary. General Eisenhower may have won New Hampshire, but General MacArthur’s powerful speech to Congress upon his removal from command was still fresh in the mind of Americans. MacArthur won the Minnesota Primary on March 18th, Eisenhower the Nebraska on April 1st, while MacArthur took Wisconsin (April 1st) and Illinois (April 8th). Senator Robert Taft from Ohio stopped campaigning for the nomination and privately backed Eisenhower. In public, however, Taft remained neutral in the race. He did speak to the New York Times, tell them that “The Isolationist policies of old have certainly fallen by the wayside.”.

Senator Estes Kefauver (D-TN) won 3rd Place in New Hampshire

The Democratic Primary lacked the frontrunner(s) that the Republicans had. The Democrats were forced to duel and spar in every state, pointing out the disjointedness of the Party to the American people. Chief Justice Vinson, the day after New Hampshire voted for him, officially announced that he would not accept the nomination. Senator Hubert Humphrey carried Minnesota (his home state), Senator Estes Kefauver took Nebraska and Wisconsin, and Governor Adlai Stevenson, who came in fourth in New Hampshire, won Illinois (his home state). Discussion on the future of the party, through newspapers and radio interviews, were very different. Kefauver stood out as a warrior for Civil Rights (a minority of Democratic voters believed in Civil Rights at this point), Humphrey was known for his support for Labor Unions, Stevenson presented the most unified for the Party - a moderate blend of Kefauver and Humphrey - but came across the bland to many voters. By the middle of April any and all possible candidates were working their way out of the woodwork and making their case to the people.

[DKrol]

Chapter IV: Pre-Convention Disorder


Former Vice Chairman of the War Production Board and CEO of General Electric Charles Wilson made a surge in the later primaries

New Jersey was the next state to hold a primary contest and a minor candidate - one who placed 10th in New Hampshire - put all his resources into it. Businessman Charles E. Wilson of General Election and the War Production Board had won a handful in the other states but believed that the industrial rise of New Jersey could put much needed wind in his sails. Wilson spent many thousands of dollars (most from his own personal bank account) in the Garden State and was able to claim a small victory of 2.26%. The same strategy paid off in Pennsylvania - a massive upset to General Eisenhower, who had already checked the state off due to the large number of G.I.s who had moved there. Massachusetts too went for the industrialist, whose campaign was spurred on by the wealthy businessmen of the Boston area. Generals Eisenhower and MacArthur began to sweat of Wilson. They held a behind-closed-doors conference to talk about the primary. On May 4th, two days before the Ohio primary, MacArthur declined the nomination and announced his support for Eisenhower. May 6th saw Eisenhower win Ohio by nearly 10%.

Senator Hubert Humphrey saw success in the same states as Wilson

Where Wilson ran for the businessmen, Humphrey ran for the workers. His relative youth (41) spread his appeal as well. Humphrey won New Jersey and Pennsylvania, while losing Massachusetts to Favorite Son and Mayor of Boston John Hynes. Ohio was not as hotly contested for the Democrats since they did not have a definitive front runner whose position was in jeopardy. Adlai Stevenson won Ohio by fewer than 3,000 votes simply because of name recognition and his appeal to Midwestern Americans.

Following the Ohio primary, both parties were scrambling for a standard-bearer. The Republicans were doing serious soul-searching in an attempt to return to the White House for the first time in almost 20 years. The Democrats were also soul-searching, but for the strong man who could hold together the coalition that Franklin Roosevelt had painstakingly built.

Former Governor Strom Thurmond was prepared to throw a wrench in both parties’ plans

1948 had seen South Carolina Governor Strom Thurmond run for President on the Dixiecrat Ticket. With the possibility of the Democratic Party leaving Southern hands with Humphrey or Stevenson, Thurmond began kicking up dust about running again and continuing his campaign for the “traditional values our nation was built on.”.

[DKrol]

Chapter V: Post-Convention Disorder


Herbert Hoover, the last Republican President, was determined to play an important role in the 1952 Election

The final primary states provided mixed results for the Republicans. West Virginia and South Dakota cast their votes for General Eisenhower, while Oregon went for Charles Wilson and California went to Favorite Son Earl Warren. This left the nomination wide open going into the Chicago convention. The first ballot, following two days of speeches from supporters of Eisenhower, Wilson, Senator Taft, and Warren, resulted in the following: Dwight Eisenhower, 522; Charles Wilson, 311; Earl Warren, 197; Robert Taft, 114; Douglas MacArthur, 62; Herbert Hoover, 57. Hoover, the most recent Republican to hold the White House, made an unexpected appearance at the convention and drew in several dozen voters. Everyone knew he couldn’t win the nomination and had an even weaker shot at winning the general election - everyone but himself. The second ballot saw General MacArthur and Senator Taft decline the nomination with the results being: Eisenhower, 600; Hoover, 217; Wilson, 195; Warren, 194. After the second ballot, General Eisenhower began to worry. If he couldn’t clinch the race in three ballots it would weaken the party’s odds for November. He turned to California Senator William F. Knowland and promised him the Vice Presidency if he could sway California’s powerful delegates away from their Governor. The third ballot proved to be the final: Eisenhower, 679; Wilson, 218; Hoover, 191; Warren, 118. Eisenhower and Knowland were nominated as the 1952 Republican Nominees in Chicago.

Harry S Truman, incumbent Democratic President, sat out the 1952 Democratic Convention

The Democratic Convention, also in Chicago, was just as - if not more - chaotic as the Republican. The first vote, taken before any speeches were given, resulted in a small lead of Governor Adlai Stevenson: Stevenson, 412; Senator Hubert Humphrey, 388; Senator Estes Kefauver, 112; Senator Richard Russell, 100; Governor Paul Dever, 77; Chief Justice Fred Vinson, 54; Vice President Alben Barkley, 32; Congressman John Kennedy 27. Senators Kefauver and Russell gave speeches before the second ballot, and Chief Justice Vinson and Congressman Kennedy withdrew their names from voting. The second ballot produced the following: Humphrey, 430; Kefauver, 318; Stevenson, 211; Russell, 187; Dever, 50; Barkley, 6. A representative of the Kefauver campaign sent out a memo to delegates about the need to embrace the Civil Rights movement - which energized Northern delegates and dissuaded Southern delegates. Senator Russell, moments before the third ballot, led a sizeable portion of Southern delegates out of the Convention center and pledged to join former South Carolina Governor Strom Thurmond. The third ballot saw Senator Humphrey win by a narrow majority, thanks to the Northern-heavy delegate slate: Humphrey, 451; Kefauver, 229; Stevenson, 115; Barkley, 44; Dever, 43. Humphrey tapped Governor Stevenson for his running mate, cementing his party’s status as the party of the working midwest.

Former South Carolina Governor Strom Thurmond was the 1948 States’ Rights Democratic Party Nominee

The eccentric, and old fashioned, former Governor founded the America First Party in the summer of 1952 with the goal of “preserving the separation of races”, lowering taxes, and pulling out of Korea. The AFP held their inaugural convention in Birmingham, Alabama and received large amounts of media coverage. Thurmond was nominated by a unanimous vote but the Vice Presidential spot as up for grabs. Thurmond took a hands off approach to the nomination. Candidates included former Mississippi Governor Fielding L. Wright (who ran with Thurmond four years ago), Georgia Senator Richard Russell, Louisiana Senator Russell B. Long, and Mississippi Senator John C. Stennis. After a few hours of back room deals, Senator Russell was selected and confirmed by the delegates.

National Preference Poll
Eisenhower/Knowland - 38%
Thurmond/Russell -34%
Humphrey/Stevenson - 28%

[DKrol]

Chapter VI: The Crazy Summer


Several reports of Unidentified Flying Objects were filed with the Air Force during the summer of 1952

The summer of ‘52 proved no solace for the Presidential candidates. In the middle of July, several unidentified flying objects were seen over Washington, D.C. Some pointed to these objects and shouted aliens, while other - more sensible people - implied some type of Soviet involvement. General Eisenhower told reporters “Over the course of my Army experience, it was known that the Soviets have spy planes in America and in Washington.”, while Senator Humphrey ignored the reports all together and former Governor Thurmond took the opportunity to attack President Truman and the Democratic Party for “going soft on national security”. After a few nights of seeing these U.F.O.s, no lights were seen and many forgot about the incidence ever happening.

A No Tossup Electoral Map from September of 1952

The polling of the summer of ‘52 showed an interesting dynamic emerging. General Eisenhower appeared set to clinch the election - thanks to his broad, non-partisan appeal. But what was really interesting to observers was the role that Governor Thurmond was taking up. He had moved into the “Solid South” and broken it to pieces, appearing set to clinch most of the former Confederate States. Senator Humphrey, a midwesterner, lacked the appeal to the former base of the party and also failed to make a headway into the up-and-coming base of New England because of the strength of Eisenhower. John Cameron Swayze of NBC’s Camel News Caravan said “It seems clear that the Democratic Party is having some buyer’s remorse as these polls come on.”. He apologized on air the next night for breaching “the level of objectivity required” for a news reporter.

[Slander and/or Libel]

Just wanted to let you know you've got another reader following along. In fact, your mention spurred me to go read all of the original Camelot Rises TL, which I enjoyed a lot.

[DKrol]

Just wanted to let you know you've got another reader following along. In fact, your mention spurred me to go read all of the original Camelot Rises TL, which I enjoyed a lot.

Thank you, glad you like it! I loved writing Camelot Rises and have thought about picking it back up again. But I decided this sequel would give me more freedom.

[DKrol]

Chapter VII: Election ‘52

The Final Election Map of 1952
General Dwight Eisenhower/Senator William Knowland (R) - 391
Fmr. Governor Strom Thurmond/Senator Richard Russell (AFP) - 103
Senator Hubert Humphrey/Governor Adlai Stevenson (D) - 37
 

1952 proved to be a great year for the Republican Party. They gained two seats in the Senate, while the AFP gained a dozen seats - mostly from Democrats - either from the election or from defections. In the House, Republicans too gained seats. They picked up 11 seats, while the AFP won 27 seats - both from defections and the election. But all eyes were on the Presidency.

Senate
Republican: 50
Democratic: 34
America First: 12

Majority Leader: Leverett Saltonstall (R-MA)
Democratic Leader: Lyndon Johnson (D-TX)
America First Leader: Richard Russell (AFP-GA)

House
Republican: 210
Democratic: 198
America First: 27

Speaker: Joseph W. Martin (R-MA-15)
Majority Leader: Leslie Arends (R-IL-17)
Democratic Leader: John McCormack (D-MA-12)
America First Leader: Jamie Whitten (AFP-MS-2)

Closest States:

Illinois: Illinois pulled through for Senator Hubert Humphrey, thanks to his running mate - Governor Adlai Stevenson. Stevenson and Humphrey campaigned hard in Illinois in the final few days of campaigning, as did Senator William Knowland for General Eisenhower. The large Democratic machine in Cook County pulled through and kept the state in the Democratic column for the sixth election in a row.

Missouri: Missouri was the most northern of the states carried by former Governor Thurmond and was fought for tooth and nail. Thurmond battled Senator Humphrey for the state, who was supported by outgoing President Harry Truman’s political machine. Thurmond’s supporters rallied around Senator James P. Kem, the state’s Senator, who joined the America First Party days after Thurmond’s convention and proudly advocated for its nationalistic policies.

Minnesota: General Eisenhower spent many hours in Minnesota, appealing to the state’s veteran base. He was buoyed by strong support from Senator Edward Thye and Governor C. Elmer Anderson - both of whom were veterans. Humphrey expected to win his home state handily and did not make any campaign appearances, which many attribute to Eisenhower’s victory.

[DKrol]

Chapter VIII: The Eisenhower I Administration (1/2)


President Dwight Eisenhower waves to supporters on Inauguration Day, 1953

Cabinet
Vice President: William F. Knowland (1953), Vacant (1953-1957)
Secretary of State:John Foster Dulles (1953-1955), Richard M. Nixon (1955-1957)
Secretary of Treasury: Henry Ford II (1953-1956), Robert B. Anderson (1956-1957)
Secretary of Defense: John L. Sullivan (1953-1955), Robert T. Stevens (1955-1957)
Attorney General: Herbert Brownell, Jr. (1953-1955), Archibald Cox (1955-1957)
Postmaster General: Arthur E. Summerfield (1953-1957)
Secretary of the Interior: Douglas McKay (1953-1955), Arthur V. Watkins (1955-1957)
Secretary of Agriculture: Ezra Taft Benson (1953-1957)
Secretary of Commerce: Sinclair Weeks (1953-1957)
Secretary of Labor: Martin P. Durkin (1953-1955), Albert Cobo (1955-1957)
Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare: Oveta C. Hobby (1953-1955), Lee Talley (1955-1957)

Significant Events:
1953
January 23, 1953: Days after his inauguration, President Eisenhower announces that the U.S. has developed and tested the first hydrogen bomb.
February 11, 1953: President Eisenhower denies an appeal for clemency from Ethel and Julius Rosenburg. They are executed in June for treason.
February 25, 1953: In the Korean War, UN forces score a major victory and advance within miles of Pyongyang.
March 5, 1953: Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin dies. He is succeeded by Defense Minister Nikolai Bulganin after a brief power struggle.
March 26, 1953: Dr. Salk announced his polio vaccine and presents it to the FDA for approval.
May, 1953: Thousands of Mau Mau rebels in Kenya slaughter British nationals in Nairobi. Prime Minister Churchill calls on President Eisenhower to send support.
June 2, 1953: Queen Elizabeth II is coronated in the United Kingdom. President Eisenhower is in attendance.
June 21, 1953: In a show of force, Soviet Premier Bulganin authorizes the testing of nuclear artillery near the Alaskan coast. President Eisenhower responds by demanding the Army increase its recruitment numbers.
July 1, 1953: Several hundred construction workers in East Berlin go on strike and attempt to lead an uprising. A Soviet battalion quashes the workers.
July 27, 1953: UN Forces are pushed back to the 42nd Parallel by North Korean soldiers in the Korean War. President Eisenhower asks General MacArthur to return to command.
August 22, 1953: Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi is returned to the throne in a CIA-backed coup.
September 5, 1953: Despite heavy lobbying by US Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr., the United Nations sides with the Soviet Union and accepts Communist China as a member state.
October 5, 1953: Earl Warren is appointed as the next Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
December 7, 1953: Vice President William Knowland’s visit with UN troops in Korea ends in disaster after a truck, loaded with explosives, crashes into the base and explodes. Knowland and several officials are killed. President Eisenhower responds by ordering the use of napalm bombs in heavy bombing campaigns over Pyongyang.
December 25, 1953: President Eisenhower refuses to return the Anami Islands to Japan, insteading choosing to increase military deployments to the islands to serve as a jumping point for Korean operations.

1954
January 12, 1954: Massive strikes break out across the Soviet Bloc, including Poland, the Ukraine, East Berlin, and Romania.
January 20, 1954: The Mau Mau rebellion is suppressed by British forces, following President Eisenhower declining to send assets to the British. This is a major turn in US-UK forces and creates a cold period between President Eisenhower and Prime Minister Churchill.
February 18, 1954: The Senate rejects Earl Warren’s nomination - with Democrats claiming he is too political and America Firsts citing his “weak” history on segregation. President Eisenhower taps Associate Justice Harold Burton to be Chief Justice, and raised Warren Burger to Burton’s position. Both men are confirmed by March 28.
March, 1954: Heavy French fighting in Vietnam begins. President Eisenhower declares that the US is focused on winning Korea.
March 1, 1954: General Curtis LeMay publicly advocates for the use of nuclear weapons in the Korean War.
March 3, 1954: A coalition of America First and Republican Senators block the Civil Rights Act of 1954 - calling for the integration of inter-state buses - from passing. The House rejects its own version of the bill a few days later.
April 7, 1954: President Eisenhower delivers his “Force of Good” speech - an attempt to rally the public around the need for continued operations in Korea. Polls show only 33% of the country support the war in Korea.
May 14, 1954: The Boeing 707 is introduced. President Eisenhower calls is “a model of the future”.
May 17, 1954: The Supreme Court hands down its ruling in Brown v. Board of Education (5-4), upholding the idea of separate but equal.
May 29, 1954: UN forces suffer another major loss in Korea, being forced to retreat to the outskirts of Seoul.
July 9, 1954: Senator Joseph McCarthy (AFP-WI) begins a series of hearings on the U.S. Military and Communism.
July 23, 1954: President Eisenhower, citing the need for more troops in Korea, reinstates the draft. His approval rating falls to 40% within a week.
August 11, 1954: French forces fall to Communists in Indochina. French President Rene Coty blames the loss on the lack of assistance from the Americans.
September 6, 1954: The SEATO Treaty is signed by the U.S., but the America First Party blocks its ratification in the Senate.
September 30, 1954: The first nuclear powered submarine is commissioned in the U.S. Navy and is deployed to Korea.
October, 1954: In response to the first draft lottery being held, riots break out in most major cities. Many young men refuse to comply with their draft notices and are arrested. President Eisenhower promises no sympathy “for those who willingly decline their patriotic duty”.
October 26, 1954: Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser survives an assassination attempt.
November 2,1954: Americans go to the polls for the 1954 Midterm elections. It proves to be a good night for the America First Party.
November 10, 1954: President Eisenhower dedicated the Iwo Jima Memorial in D.C. The ceremony is interrupted by anti-Korean War demonstrators. A balloon filled with paint is thrown at the President but falls short of its target - landing at the feet of the First Lady and spattering over her dress.
December 2, 1954: A motion to censure Senator Joe McCarthy fails by three votes.
December 5, 1954: The first Burger King restaurant opens in Florida.

[DKrol]

Thoughts, questions, or comments?

[MATTROSE94]

Excellent timeline so far! I especially like the more dystopic approach that you are taking regarding the Korean War and the civil rights movement. The ou thing that I might alter is the number of members of each party after the 1952 Senate elections. I think that every Southern Democrat except Estes Kefauver, Al Gore Sr. and Lyndon Johnson would join the America First Party while several of the more conservative Republicans such as William Jenner, Styles Bridges, Herman Welker and George Malone would likely join it as well. At that point, the party standings in the Senate would be 47 Republican, 28 America First and 21 Democratic.

[DKrol]

Excellent timeline so far! I especially like the more dystopic approach that you are taking regarding the Korean War and the civil rights movement. The ou thing that I might alter is the number of members of each party after the 1952 Senate elections. I think that every Southern Democrat except Estes Kefauver, Al Gore Sr. and Lyndon Johnson would join the America First Party while several of the more conservative Republicans such as William Jenner, Styles Bridges, Herman Welker and George Malone would likely join it as well. At that point, the party standings in the Senate would be 47 Republican, 28 America First and 21 Democratic.

The '54 midterms are the real rise of the AFP. Stay tuned for that one.

[DKrol]

Chapter XIV: The Eisenhower I Administration (2/2)


President Dwight Eisenhower stumbles while he addresses the nation on the War in Korea

Results of the 1954 Midterms
This election was the swan song of the Democratic Party and the New Deal Coalition of Franklin Roosevelt. The Solid South completely crumbled to the America First Party and, due to a slew of new defections, there remained only a handful of Democratic Senators below the Mason-Dixon line. The Republican Party also lost a few seats to the AFP, due to the large-scale unpopularity of President Eisenhower. Another new party, the Labor Party, won a handful of congressional races (as well as the defection of Eugene McCarthy) and portrayed itself as the new home for New Deal, pro-civil rights liberals.

Senate
Republican: 46 (-4)
America First: 28 (+16)
Democratic: 22 (-12)

Majority Leader: Leverett Saltonstall (R-MA)
America First Leader: Richard Russell (AFP-GA)
Democratic Leader: Lyndon Johnson (D-TX)

House
Republican: 191 (-19)
Democratic: 129 (-69)
America First: 109 (+82)
Labor: 6 (+6)

Speaker: Joseph W. Martin (R-MA-15)
Majority Leader: Charles A. Halleck (R-IN-2)
Democratic Leader: John McCormack (D-MA-12)
America First Leader: Jamie Whitten (AFP-MS-2)
Labor Leader: Eugene McCarthy (LAB-MN-4)

Significant Events:
1955
January 3, 1955: Speaker Martin holds onto the gavel by only a handful of votes.
January 18, 1955: The island of Taiwan falls to Communists. President Eisenhower refuses to send military assets to the nationalists.
February 12, 1955: General MacArthur, recently returned to command, is killed by a North Korean bombing campaign. President Eisenhower taps General Mark Clark to lead UN operations.
February 22, 1955: Protesters attack UN Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. as he arrives in New York City from a meeting in Bern. He suffers a broken nose and several bruises, leading him to resign his post.
March 1, 1955: The Secretaries of State, Defense, Labor, and the Attorney General resign - citing poor leadership by President Eisenhower and failure of the war in Korea. This becomes known as “The Cabinet Coup” and severely hurts the President’s ability to govern.
March 2, 1955: Labor Leader Eugene McCarthy announces he is running for President in 1956.
April 5, 1955: British Prime Minister Winston Churchill resigns, citing poor health.
April 11, 1955: The Salk Polio Vaccine receives approval for testing on humans by the FDA.
May, 1955: UN Forces in Korea suffer their worst month to date. Nearly 2,000 men are killed while making only minor forward territorial advances.
May 3, 1955: West Germany joins NATO.
May 21, 1955: Pope Pius XII calls for President Eisenhower, South Korean President Syngman Rhee, and North Korean Prime Minister Kim Il-Sung to meet in Rome for talks to end the War in Korea. President Eisenhower plans to send Secretary of State Richard Nixon to represent the U.S., but neither of the Korean governments chooses to attend.
July 4, 1955: A college student breaks past Secret Service agents and rushes President Eisenhower in an attempt to assassinate him at a Fourth of July parade. The gun misfires and the student is tackled to the ground. It is later discovered that the student - Christian Lewis - had just received his draft notice.
August 25, 1955: The final Soviet troops pull out of Austria.
August 27, 1955: A second assassination attempt on President Eisenhower fails. A veteran who served under then-General Eisenhower threw a grenade over the White House fence. However, he failed to pull the pin completely and the grenade did not detonate. President Eisenhower was not at the White House at the time, but the First Lady was.
September 11, 1955: Democratic Senator Estes Kefauver announces he will be running for President.
September 21, 1955: Argentine President Juan Peron is removed by a U.S.-backed coup.
September 24, 1955: President Eisenhower suffers a coronary thrombosis while in Denver, Colorado. Speaker Martin takes control as Acting President.
September 30, 1955: James Dean is killed in a car crash.
October 1, 1955: Labor Congressman John Kennedy announces he will be running for President.
October 4, 1955: The Brooklyn Dodgers win the World Series.
October 13, 1955: Pictures of President Eisenhower are leaked to the press, showing him in what appears to be a coma. Acting President Martin travels to Denver to survey the President’s condition for himself.
October 16, 1955: President Eisenhower waves from the window of his hospital room. His approval ratings have returned to the low 40s, following his illness.
October 20, 1955: President Eisenhower signs orders from his hospital bed to begin the drawback of American troops from Korea, aiming for a complete withdrawal by 1960.
November 1, 1955: The competing Communist and Nationalist governments of Vietnam begin heavy fighting over the fate of their newly-independent nation.
November 5, 1955: America First Senator Richard Russell announces he will be running for President.
November 25, 1955: Several dozen blacks are arrested in Montgomery, Alabama for refusing to comply with segregated bus laws.
November 26, 1955: President Eisenhower returns to Washington, D.C. for the first time in several months. He addresses the nation the following day and thanks them for their “kind thoughts, letters, and prayers”.
December 22, 1955: President Eisenhower announces he will not seek a second term as President - citing his health.
January 1, 1955: The 1956 Presidential Election begins.

[badgate]

Oh my gosh! Glad he survived the assassination attempt

[OnlyAlb]

Wasn't Knowland killed? Because that means he couldn't be acting president.

[DKrol]

Wasn't Knowland killed? Because that means he couldn't be acting president.

I apologize for my lapse in memory. It has been corrected.

[DKrol]

Chapter XV: The Primaries of 1956

Republicans


Secretary of State Richard Nixon of California


Governor Joe Foss of South Dakota


Senator George Aiken of Vermont


Former President Herbert Hoover of California

America First


Senator Richard Russell of Georgia


Senator Barry Goldwater of Arizona


Senator Styles Bridges of New Hampshire

Labor


Congressman John Kennedy of Massachusetts


Congressman Eugene McCarthy of Minnesota

Democratic


Senator Estes Kefauver of Tennessee


Senator Lyndon Johnson of Texas


Governor Jim Folsom of Alabama


Senator Wayne Morse of Oregon