Thursday, April 12th, 1945 : Richard Russell Jr. is inaugurated as the 33rd president of the United States in a ceremony in the Cabinet Room, the oath being administered by Chief Justice of the United States Harlan F. Stone and completed exactly two hours and thirty four minutes after the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt.
A devastating tornado outbreak occurs across the United States, which kills 128 people and injures over 1,000 others. This outbreak is heavily overshadowed by the death of President Roosevelt.
The U.S. Ninth Army under General William H. Simpson crosses the Elbe River astride Magdeburg, and reaches Tangermünde — only 50 miles from Berlin.
Friday, April 13th, 1945 : Several labor unions in official and unofficial capacities pledge support for President Russell, citing actions he undertook in Congress.
Saturday, April 14th, 1945 : President Russell attends FDR's funeral. The White House announces President Russell's first press conference of his tenure will be held in three days.
The First Canadian Army assumes military control of the Netherlands, where German forces are trapped in the Atlantic Wall fortifications along the coastline.
The 4th Canadian (Armoured) Division deliberately destroys the German town of Friesoythe, on the orders of Major General Christopher Vokes.
Sunday, April 15th, 1945 : President Russell attends Roosevelt's burial services.
The Bergen-Belsen concentration camp is liberated by British and Canadian forces.
The Canadian First Army reaches the coast in the northern Netherlands, and captures Arnhem.
Monday, April 16th, 1945 : President Russell addresses a joint session of Congress, during which he outlines his intentions of his tenure, including plans to win the war, carrying on the policies of the late President Roosevelt, and punishing war criminals.
The Battle of Berlin begins, opening with the Battle of the Oder–Neisse and the Battle of the Seelow Heights.
Canadian forces take Harlingen and occupy Leeuwarden and Groningen in the Netherlands.
MV Goya is sunk by Soviet submarine L-3 in the Baltic Sea while evacuating German troops and civilians as part of Operation Hannibal; 7,000–8,000 drown.
Death marches from Flossenbürg concentration camp begin.
Tuesday, April 17th, 1945 : President Russell delivers a broadcast address to service members in the United States Army and Navy, telling them that they shall carry a tradition of not faltering as done by his immediate predecessor and recalls his own service during World War I as having made him privy to both killing on the battlefield and the fighting man's trials and tribulations.
Brazilian forces liberate the town of Montese, Italy, from German forces.
Inundation of the Wieringermeer in the Netherlands by occupying German forces.
Wednesday, April 18th, 1945 : President Russell orders the Department of Commerce to receive the transmission of the surplus property of the treasury procurement division.
President Russell designates May 13 as Mother's Day in order to show what he calls the US's "gratitude, love, and devotion" for its mothers.
The American war correspondent Ernie Pyle is wounded by Japanese machine gun fire on the island of Ie Shima off Okinawa. He later recovered in the late Summer of that year.
Thursday, April 19th, 1945 : Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel, a musical play based on Ferenc Molnár's Liliom, opens on Broadway and becomes their second long-running stage classic.
Friday, April 20th, 1945 : President Russell holds the second news conference of his tenure in his White House office.
On his 56th birthday, Adolf Hitler leaves his Führerbunker, to decorate a group of Hitler Youth soldiers in Berlin. It will be his last trip to the surface from his underground bunker.
Director Hoover
Saturday, April 21st, 1945.
The White House.
2:15 PM, Washington D.C.
[1]
“I’m sure you know why you’re here, John.” The President spoke, his voice firm and subtle. There was no belaboring the point, no pussyfooting around, no trying to be all weasley, none of it. Straight to the point, direct. The FBI Director smiled and nodded, shaking the President’s hand as it was outstretched to him.
“Indeed I do, Dick. I like how direct you’re being, not like Roosevelt at all.” Roosevelt, he internally gave a grimace of disgust. That bleeding heart liberal had done a lot of irreparable damage to the country, and perhaps the world. Now, he wasn’t saying that siding against the Nazis was a bad thing, he hated Hitler and his goons as much as the next red blooded American, but in regards to China, the President had completely dropped the ball and let the problem there grow out of hand. “You want dirt? Information? Secrets? I got it all. A politician takes so much as a piss in the woods and I’ve got it all written down, you know that.”
“What I want, John…”
“Ed.”
“What I want, Ed,” The President reiterated, using the name the FBI Director preferred, “Is for you to gather up as much evidence against every single one of Hoover’s appointments in his cabinet by Independence Day.” He said, hands grasping one another and placing his head on his fists. “It’s for the good of this country.”
“The good of this country? Well, if that’s the stakes, then I suppose I can give it all to you by the middle of May.” The President let out a soft breath of a chuckle.
“That quick?”
“What can I say?” Hoover shrugged before he leaned back in his chair, a grin on his face. “We at the FBI work fast.” The President nodded at that before looking at the window, which had the curtains drawn, allowing open access. The FBI Director turned to see what the President was looking at and saw a young couple, a white teenage boy and white teenage girl, walking down the street together. The two were clearly engrossed in thier conversation, whatever it was about, before the boy hugged the girl and gave her a smooch on the cheek, much to her delight. Upon turning back to the President, Hoover saw he was smiling.
“That right there…that’s American society. A white man’s country, where the whites maintain their power over the blacks.” The President then turned back to the Director. “Director, what do you think of the Negro race? Better yet, what do you think of Civil Rights?” A slight rise of the brow and tilt of the head. Hoover carefully considered his words before speaking, nodding as he did so.
“It's a damn communist farce in my opinion, sir. Negro men and women, the same as white men and women? That’s an erroneous idea that could lead to great trouble for our country.” He looked to the wall, seeing a portrait of President Andrew Jackson. A good choice if he may say so. “Lenin pushed equality among the races to divide the United States, a better way to divide us, easier to conquer if half the population believed in communist propaganda. It would be better if we destroyed the whole damn idea, scattered it to the wind, and made sure it never came up again as an issue.” A nod from the President told the Director he had given the correct response.
“While I wouldn’t go that far, I do agree that Civil Rights seems a little…Pink, is that the proper term?” President Russell got out of the chair and started walking around the room as he continued to speak. “I’m afraid a lot of Northern liberals of both parties will want me to do something to aid it.”
“In my honest opinion, sir, screw them. They would willingly give up the country to Joe and Mao if it meant they maintained power.”
The President looked at him, smiling. “Exactly my thought process. Can I trust you to damage the Civil Rights movement as much as possible?”
A smirk. “Let us loose and me and my boys will go rabid on these commie goons.” A nod at that.
“I’m leaving in May, having a week long break from all this to soak in the fact I’m President now. It’ll start on the 13th, end on the 19th. Visiting Family, you know the rub.” Yes, Hoover knew the rub indeed. The President was unmarried and had no children himself, but he had a younger brother who was a state district judge and his mother was a fixture in Georgia. “I want it all in my office the day I come back, in boxes, all of it. Do that and I’ll give you more free reign in the future. I’m cleaning house before I go forward with anything house.”
A nod and with that, Director Hoover left the Oval Office and the White House, a smile forming on his lips. President Russell would be a powerful ally, there was no doubt about that and if he went back on their deal…well, he did have dirt on every politician, including the President.
Sunday, April 22nd, 1945 : Heinrich Himmler, through Folke Bernadotte, Count of Wisborg, puts forth an offer of German surrender to the Western Allies, but not the Soviet Union.
Adolf Hitler finally concedes defeat in the Führerbunker after learning that SS-Obergruppenführer Felix Steiner cannot mobilize enough men to launch a counterattack on the Soviet forces which have completely surrounded Berlin.
Monday, April 23rd, 1945 : President Russell, Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Marshal Joseph Stalin issue a joint statement during the evening, saying in part, "Any person guilty of maltreating or allowing any Allied prisoners of war, internees or deported citizens to be maltreated, whether in battle zone, on lines of communication, in a camp, hospital, prison or elsewhere, will be ruthlessly pursued and brought to punishment."
Hermann Göring sends the Göring Telegram to Hitler, seeking confirmation that he should take over leadership of Germany, in accordance with the decree of June 29, 1941. Hitler regards this as treason.
The main Flossenbürg concentration camp is liberated by the United States Army.
Tuesday. April 24th, 1945 : Retreating German troops destroy all the bridges over the Adige in Verona, including the historic Ponte di Castelvecchio and Ponte Pietra.
Wednesday, April 25th, 1945 : Founding negotiations for the United Nations begin in San Francisco.
United States and Soviet troops link up at the Elbe River, cutting Germany in two, creating Elbe Day.
Thursday, April 26th, 1945 : Press Secretary Jonathan Daniels requests White House reporters give President Truman equal protection to that received by the late President Roosevelt under the voluntary censorship code.
The last major strategic bombing raid by RAF Bomber Command, the destruction of the oil refinery at Tønsberg in southern Norway, is carried out by 107 Avro Lancasters. It begins on the 25th and ends on the 26th.
The last "successful" German panzer-offensive in Bautzen ends with the city recaptured.
The British 3rd Infantry Division, under General Whistler, captures Bremen.
Nazi surrenders mean the British and Canadians now control the German border with Switzerland, from Basle to Lake Constance.
Speaker Rayburn
Friday, April 27th, 1945.
The White House.
5:30 PM, Washington D.C.
[2]
When the President had called up the Speaker of the House AND the Senate Majority Leader to meet with him earlier in the day, Sam knew something was up. Just sixteen days before, Dick had been made President of the United States before retreating into the Oval Office to have a brief conversation with his brother Bob. Then, just a week ago, reports had indicated that FBI Director Hoover held a private meeting with the President as well. About what, he was unsure, but knowing the overall sliminess of Hoover, he wouldn’t be surprised if whatever the meeting was about would lead to many things potentially coming to light.
“Sam, Barkley. It's good to see you both again.” The President welcomed, standing next to his desk.”Please,” He motioned to the chairs in front of it, “take a seat, gentlemen.” He finished before he took his place in the President’s chair. The congressional leaders shared a look before they also took a seat, Rayburn to the left, Barkley to the Right. The President shook the hands of both men before he continued. “I really don’t want to circle around why we’re here. There’s a reason I called you both here, we’re all important people, have more things on our plate to worry about than having a conversation about meaningless niceties. Nothing against you folk, just want to be efficient. I’m sure you both understand.” The Speaker of the House and Senate Majority Leader nodded in agreement. The war was a drag on everyone, especially the new President, and both Sam and Barkley had to deal with the day to day bullsh**t of Congress, from Southerners having a fuss about Northerners pushing for Civil Rights or Conservatives trying to roll back the New Deal leading to Liberal fury. It was a mess for all three men. However, all three men were highly capable at their jobs. “I’m going to need your support for these next coming months. Have a lot of big ideas.”
“What kind of ideas, Dick?” Sam asked warily. The Georgian was a smart man, he knew how to utilize politics well even when he was this young. The Speaker of the House and the Senate Majority Leader had to be careful when interacting with him, lest they be wormed into a trap they had no shot getting out of. “We can’t do anything against the consitution. We just can’t.”
“I’m not asking you to betray the constituton.” President Russell rolled his eyes. “I want you to wrangle up votes, a lot of them. I’m going to make a lot of cabinet changes in the Summer and I want as much support in Congress as possible.”
“And the New Deal?” Barkley asked the unspoken question. The New Deal was a tricky issue for many southerners. They politicall supported some of it but politically oppossed some of it as well. It was a catch-22 and all three men knew it. “What of that?”
“I ain’t touching outside of some modest, needed reforms Frank never made.” Russell waved his hand. “Too popular, and our records show that we have supported it for too long to turn on it now. Plus, I spoke with Taft the other day. He doesn’t want to completely dismantle the thing, only reform it, make it more efficient.” Both men took a few minutes to consider the President’s words before they nodded.
“Alright, Dick. We’ll wrangle up votes for Cabinet members. Just send us the list and we’ll get as many votes as we can and as for the courts?”
“I’ll give you potential nominees when a seat opens.” With that, both Congressional leaders turned to leave until the President stopped them. “Oh, and can you immediately kill any Civil Rights bill that enters Congress. Not let it enter Committee, just outright kill it? Would do this nation a lot of good.”
Sam immediately turned back to face the President as Barkley warily walked out the door, not wanting to be in this conversation at all. “With all due respect, Mr. President, I cannot allow that.” He said in his thick Texan drawl. “That would cause a revolt among the Northern and Moderate members of the party.”
“Bah!” The President scoffed. “Who cares about what those red-loving Libs think anyway? Joe says jump and they ask how hard and how high. Traitors to the country, the lot of them, in my opinion.” He turned back to the Speaker of the House. “Sam, let me make this clear. I have connections, a lot of connections, in the House and Senate. You turn against me, even once, and I’ll use those connections to end your leadership. I know you’re a moderate on race and while I don’t like that, I can at least allow you and Barkley to maintain leadership. If you go against me however…” He sucked in a breath through closed teeth. “...I might just have to get you both replaced.”
“You wouldn’t dare.” The Speaker of the House marched right up to the desk and slammed his palms on them. “I am far too important to the House Leadership, I know the ins and outs of the House unlike everything else. You need me.” The President let out a grim chuckle that caused Rayburn to shudder in disgust.
“Carl.”
“Excuse me?”
“How does Speaker Vinson sound?” Rayburn’s eyes narrowed.
“He’d never get the votes.”
“Give it a week. He will.” The President stared up in contemplation. “Leader George though…I’m unsure. Might need some additional help with that.” He looked back at Rayburn. “Imagine that, three Georgians at the top of American political power. This nation will be on the right track in no time.”
“Mr. President, you try any of this and I’m sure that the Liberals and Moderates will run an impeachment trial against you for trying to subvert the government and make it your puppet.”
“If they do that, I air out their dirty laundry. The FBI, Sam. I got to John first.” A small whiff of a laugh as Sam looked down, both in frustration and surrender. The President had won, he knew it. “You understand then. Good. Go. I have a lot of stuff to focus on. Germany may be on death’s door, but the Japs aren’t giving up anytime soon and we both know it.” And with that, Rayburn left the Oval Office and the White House, returning to his office to contemplate what to do and how to handle the new President who was in power. America had a difficult four years ahead.
Friday, April 27th, 1945 : President Russell issues a statement saying the armies of Anglo-Americans have met Soviet Union forces in the "heart of Nazi Germany" and that the "enemy has been cut in two."
President Russell holds his third news conference during the afternoon, announcing "Edwin W. Pauley as his Personal Representative on the Reparations Commission, with the rank of Ambassador, and of Dr. Isador Lubin as an Associate, with the rank of Minister."
The last German formations withdraw from Finland to Norway. The Lapland War and thus, World War II in Finland, comes to an end and the Raising the Flag on the Three-Country Cairn photograph is taken.
The provisional government of Austria headed by Karl Renner asserts its independence from Germany.
U.S. Ordnance troops find the coffins of Frederick William I of Prussia, Frederick the Great, Paul von Hindenburg, and his wife, in a salt mine in Germany.
Saturday, April 28th, 1945 : President Russell holds his fourth news conference at the White House, during which he says there is "no foundation" for rumors relating to Germany surrendering, during the night hours.
The bodies of Benito Mussolini, his mistress, Clara Petacci, and other followers are hung by their heels at a gas station in the public square of Milan, Piazzale Loreto, following their execution by Italian partisans after an attempt to flee the country.
The Canadian First Army captures Emden and Wilhelmshaven.
Sunday, April 29th, 1945 : At the royal palace in Caserta, Lieutenant-Colonel Viktor von Schweinitz (representing General Heinrich von Vietinghoff) and SS-Obersturmbannführer Eugen Wenner (representing Waffen-SS General Karl Wolff) sign an unconditional instrument of surrender for all Axis powers forces in Italy, taking effect on May 2. Italian General Rodolfo Graziani orders the Esercito Nazionale Repubblicano forces under his command to lay down their arms.
Dachau concentration camp is surrendered to U.S. forces, who kill SS guards at the camp and the nearby hamlet of Webling.
Brazilian forces liberate the commune of Fornovo di Taro, Italy, from German forces.
British Avro Lancaster bombers drop food into the Netherlands to prevent the starvation of the civilian population.
Soviet soldiers hoist the Red flag over the Reich Chancellery in Berlin.
Adolf Hitler marries his longtime mistress Eva Braun, in a closed civil ceremony in the Berlin Führerbunker, and signs his last will and testament.
Monday, April 30th, 1945 : Adolf Hitler and his wife of one day, Eva Braun, commit suicide as the Red Army approaches the Führerbunker in Berlin. Großadmiral Karl Dönitz succeeds Hitler as President of Germany (Reichspräsident) and Joseph Goebbels succeeds as Chancellor of Germany (Reichskanzler), in accordance with Hitler's political testament of the previous day.
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