The March Against Authoritarianism was a mass protest held in Washington D.C. on September 20, 1964. It was designed to protest "authoritarianism in all of its forms", including both Communism and Fascism. The rally was largely planned by various anti-Communist left-wing groups, with key figures involved being Senator Walter Reuther and activist Bayard Rustin.
It was at this march that Rustin would deliver his famous "Traitors To The Workers" speech, where he would excoriate authoritarian socialism and link the failure of left-wing policies to their existence. The rally also raised substantial amounts of money for the Amazonas Revolt.
It Wasn't For Lack of Trying- 1964 Danish Folketing Election
PRIME MINISTERS OF DENMARK:
Erik Eriksen (V) - 1950-1953 Venstre-ConservativePeople's-SocialLiberal-JusticeCoalition - 1950-1953 Hans Hedtoft (SD) - 1953-1955 Social Democratic-Social LiberalCoalition - 1953-1955 H.C. Hansen (SD) - 1955-1956 Social Democratic-Social LiberalCoalition - 1955-1956 Jens Otto Krag (SD) - 1956-1960 Social Democratic-Social LiberalCoalition - 1956-1960 Social Democratic Minority - 1960-1960 Poul Hartling (V) - 1960-? Venstre-Social Liberal-JusticeCoalition - 1960-1964 Venstre-SocialLiberal-Justice-SocialLibertarianCoalition - 1964-?
Elections for the Danish Folketing were held on September 22, 1964. The incumbent government of Poul Hartling had governed from the center, and was largely popular. However, their centrist tendencies had energized the right, and on election day the Conservative People's Party would make big gains. However, the Social Liberals and the Justice party would also gain similar margins, and the incumbent government was re-confirmed with the edition of the Social Libertarians.
It Wasn't For Lack of Trying- 1964 Israeli Knesset Elections
October 1, 1964 - Israeli General Election: PRIME MINISTERS OF ISRAEL:
David Ben-Gurion (M) - 1948-1953 MapaiLeading Grand Coalition - 1948-1949 Mapai-Religious Front-Progressives-Sephardim-DemocraticCoalition - 1949-1951 Mapai-Mizrachi-Aguda-Poalei Agudat-Democratic-Progress & Work-Agriculture & DevelopmentCoalition - 1951-1953 Moshe Sharett (M) - 1953-1955 Mapai-General ZionistsCoalition - 1953-1955 David Ben-Gurion (M) - 1955-1959 Mapai-Mapam-ProgressiveCoalition - 1955-1959 Dov Yosef (M) - 1959-1959 Mapai-Mapam-ProgressiveCoalition - 1959-1959 David Ben-Gurion (M) - 1959-1961 Mapai-Mapam-MakiCoalition (Democratic Arab AllianceSupply-and-Confidence) - 1959-1961 Golda Meir (M) - 1961-1961 MapaiLeading Caretaker Coalition - 1961-1961 Pinchas Rosen (L) - 1961-? Liberal-Herut-Democratic Arab AllianceCoalition - 1961-1964 Liberal-Mapai-Herut-Democratic Arab Alliance-Mapam-AhdutHaAvodaWar Coalition - 1964-1964 Liberal-Herut-Democratic Arab AllianceCoalition - 1964-1964 Liberal-Democratic Arab Alliance-RatzCoalition - 1964-?
Elections for the Israeli Knesset were held on October 1, 1964. The incumbent government of Pinchas Rosen had called the elections over a year early, ostensibly to get a "renewed mandate" following the 72 Hour War. Behind the scenes, however, the government had suffered from increasing tensions between the the more left-wing, social justice-oriented Liberals and Democratic Arab Alliance and the far more conservative Herut. Initially these tensions were kept in check by the need to focus on modernizing the economy, but after the war led to a massive popularity surge the PM would decide to sort it out once and for all.
This move would be incredibly successful, and the Liberal Party would come within 12 seats of outright control of the Knesset. The Democratic Arab Alliance, who had to the shock of many proven to be successful coalition partners, joined with the Liberals to fill that gap, while the new Ratz Party (a left wing party that was not in the left camp because it focused on social instead of economic justice) gave the new coalition a majority. The new government was sworn in on November 7, 1964, and was the most coherent coalition in Israeli politics since Ben Gurion's unstable 2-year ministry from 1959 until 1961.
It Wasn't For Lack of Trying- 1964 United Kingdom Parliamentary Election
October 24, 1964 - United Kingdom General Election: PRIME MINISTERS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM:
Winston Churchill (CON) - 1951-1954 ConservativeMajority - 1951-1954 Anthony Eden (CON) - 1954-1955 ConservativeMajority - 1954-1955 Aneurin Bevan (LAB) - 1955-1960 LabourMajority - 1955-1960 Hugh Gaitskell (LAB) - 1960-1961 LabourMajority - 1960-1960 LabourMinority (LiberalSupply-and-Confidence) - 1960-1961 Edward Heath (CON) - 1961-1961 ConservativeMinority (LiberalSupply-and-Confidence) - 1961-1961 Enoch Powell (CON) - 1961-1964 ConservativeMinority (LiberalSupply-and-Confidence) - 1961-1962 ConservativeMinority - 1962-1964 Hugh Gaitskell (LAB) - 1964-? LabourMajority - 1964-?
Elections for the House of Commons of the United Kingdom were held on October 24, 1964. The incumbent government of Prime Minister Enoch Powell was deeply unpopular, and lost the election in a landslide. Powell's Conservatives had governed through a minority after the passage of a national security law in the aftermath of Edward Heath's assassination, which had enabled them to disqualify numerous Labour MPs.
Because of this, Powell was able to run the country from a deep minority for nearly two years before his government finally collapsed, and elections were called. During the campaign period, however, several of Powell's coverups and crimes were exposed, and Labour would surge in the polls. On election day, former Prime Minister Gaitskell would be returned to Number 10 in a landslide majority of over 300 seats. The landslide would be so massive that Gaitskell would reach the requisite majority early enough in the day that he actually took office on the 24th.
It Wasn't For Lack of Trying- 1964 United States Presidential Election
November 3, 1964 - United States General Election PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Robert Taft (R) - 1953-1954 Richard Nixon (R) - 1954-1957 Lyndon Johnson (D) - 1957-1965 Hubert Humphrey (D) - 1965-?
The 45th Quadrennial United States Presidential Election was held on November 5, 1964. Incumbent President Lyndon Johnson was term-limited, and could not seek a third consecutive term in office. In his stead, the Democrats nominated Vice President Hubert Humphrey, along with California Governor Pat Brown. The Republicans, for their part, nominated former President Richard Nixon, along with Congressman William Miller. The Democrats, riding a wave of economic growth, managed to storm to a third consecutive landslide, and their eighth win in the last nine presidential elections.
It Wasn't For Lack of Trying- 1964 United States Elections
MEMBERS OF THE UNITED STATES SENATE, 86TH CONGRESS: AL: 3. James D. Martin (R) 2. John Sparkman (D) AK: 2. Ernest Gruening (D) 3. Mike Stepovich (R) AZ: 3. Evan Mecham (R)
1. Barry Goldwater (R) AR: 2. John McClellan (D)
3. J. William Fulbright (D) CA: 1. Pierre Salinger (D)
3. Helen Gahagan Douglas (D) CO: 2. John Carroll (D) 3. Peter Dominick (R) CT: 1. Gloria Schaffer (D) 3. Abraham Ribicoff (D) DE: 1. John J. Williams (R) 2. J. Allen Frear (D) FL: 1. Claude Kirk (R) 3. George Smathers (D) GA: 2. James Carter (D)
3. Herman Talmadge (D) HI: 1. Hiram Fong (R) 3. Daniel Inouye (D) ID: 2. Glen Taylor (D)
3. Frank Church (D) IL: 2. Paul Douglas (D)
3. Sidney Yates (D) IN: 1. Harold Handley (R) 3. Birch Bayh (D) IA: 2. Guy Gillette (D) 3. Bourke Hickenlooper (R) KS: 2. James B. Pearson (R)
3. Frank Carlson (R) KY: 2. John Sherman Cooper (R) 3. Thurston B. Morton (R) LA: 2. John McKeithen (D) 3. Russell Long (D) ME: 1. Edmund Muskie (D) 2. Margaret Chase Smith (R) MD: 1. Joseph Tydings (D) 3. Edward Tylor Miller (R) MA: 1. Ted Kennedy (D) 2. George Fingold (D) MI: 1. George W. Romney (R) 2. Patrick McNamara (D) MN: 1. Arthur Naftalin (D) 2. Alexander Keith (D) MS:
1. Victoria Gray Adams (D) 2. James Eastland (D) MO: 1. Stuart Symington (D) 3. Crosby Kemper (R) MT: 1. Mike Mansfield (D)
2. James Murray (D) NE: 1. Roman Hruska (R)
2. Carl Curtis (R) NV:
1. Paul Laxalt (R) 3. Alan Bible (D) NH: 2. Thomas McIntyre (D) 3. Norris Cotton (R) NJ: 1. Clifford Case (R) 2. Charles Howell (D) NM:
1. Joseph Montoya (D) 2. Clinton Anderson (D) NY:
1. Allard Lowenstein (D) 3. Jacob Javits (R) NC: 2. B. Everett Jordan (D) 3. Robert Gavin (R) ND:
1. Quentin Burdick (D) 3. Milton Young (R) OH: 1. John Bricker (R) 3. Frank Lausche (D) OK: 2. Robert Kerr (D) 3. B. Hayden Crawford (R) OR: 2. Maurine Neuberger (D)
3. Wayne Morse (D) PA:
1. Genevieve Blatt (D) 3. James Van Zandt (R) RI: 1. John Pastore (D)
2. Frank Licht (D) SC: 2. Strom Thurmond (D) 3. W.D. Workman (R) SD: 2. Eleanor McGovern (D) 3. George McGovern (D) TN: 1. Albert Gore (D)
2. Estes Kefauver (D) TX: 1. Ralph Yarborough (D)
2. Robert Strauss (D) UT: 1. J. Bracken Lee (R) 3. Reva Beck Bosone (D) VT: 1. Ralph Flanders (R)
3. George Aiken (R) VA: 1. Louise Wensel (D)
2. Absalom Robertson (D) WA: 1. Henry Jackson (D) 3. Richard Christensen (R) WV: 1. William Marland (D)
2. Robert Byrd (D) WI: 1. Robert La Follette Jr. (R)
3. Frank Maier (R) WY: 1. Frank Barrett (R) 2. Joseph O'Mahoney (D)
Elections for the Sejm of Poland were held on January 1, 1965. Despite candidate lists being pre-approved by the Central Election Bureau, over 93% of Polish voters who actually bothered to go to the polls voted against the Front of National Unity. Even among the front, only 23% of voters chose the flagship Polish United Worker's Party. This result would further inflame the Polish Civic Revolt, which began operating openly in Warsaw in the aftermath of the election.
It Wasn't For Lack of Trying- 1965 Greek Presidential Election
January 13, 1965 - Greek Presidential Election: PRESIDENTS OF GREECE:
Sofoklis Venizelos (DU) - 1958-1965 Ioannis Zidgis (LIB) - 1965-1972
Elections for the office of President of Greece were held on January 13, 1965. Incumbent President and former PM Sofoklis Venizelos was term-limited, and could not seek re-election to a second consecutive seven-year term. In his stead, the Democratic Union nominated former Prime Minister Georgios Papandreou, who was heavily favored in the beginning of the race, especially against retread Evangelos Averoff. However, a strong bid by Foreign Minister Ioannis Zidgis threw the race into chaos. Zidgis would eventually win, and would be sworn in as the 2nd President of Greece on May 14, 1965.
It Wasn't For Lack of Trying- 1965 Belgian Presidential Election
January 28, 1965 - Belgian General Election: PRESIDENTS OF BELGIUM: Paul Henri Spaak (BSP) - 1960-1965 Camille Huysmans (BSP) - 1965-1970
Elections for the office of President of Belgium were held on January 28, 1965. Incumbent President Paul Henri Spaak, despite his popularity, was constitutionally barred from running for a second consecutive five-year term. In his place, the Belgian Socialist Party nominated 94-year old Camille Huysmans, who had previously served as Prime Minister, after several deadlocked convention ballots. Huysmans would end up narrowly prevailing, as concerns about his age were not enough to overcome Spaak's popularity. These concerns would end up being unfounded anyway, as President Huysmans would serve a full five year term and live an additional four years after that before dying at the age of 103 in 1974.
It Wasn't For Lack of Trying- 1965 Irish Dáil Election
March 23, 1965 - Irish General Election: TAOISEACHS OF IRELAND:
Eamon de Valera (FF) - 1951-1954 Fianna FailMinority (IndependentSupply-and-Confidence) - 1951-1954 Liam Cosgrave (FG) - 1954-? Fine Gael-LabourCoalition - 1954-1961 Fine GaelMinority (LabourSupply-and-Confidence) - 1961-1962 Fine Gael-LabourCoalition - 1962-?
Elections for the 18th Dail of the Republic of Ireland were held on March 23, 1965. Incumbent Taoiseach Liam Cosgrave's government was re-elected in a landslide, and the Labour-Fine Gael coalition was easily retained in office. Issues in the election included the country's shift away from neutrality, which Fianna Fail railed against. Ultimately, the atrocities of the Soviet Union would lead to pro-western politicians being vindicated, and FF was sent down to a mere 38 seats, or just over a quarter of the Dail.
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It Wasn't For Lack of Trying- 1965 Canadian Parliamentary Election
April 11, 1965 - Canadian General Election: PRIME MINISTERS OF CANADA:
Louis St. Laurent (LIB) - 1948-1953 LiberalMajority - 1948-1953 Tommy Douglas (IND) - 1953-1955 IndependentLeading Liberal-CooperativeCoalition - 1953-1955 Louis St. Laurent (LIB) - 1955-1958 LiberalMajority - 1955-1957 Liberal-CooperativeCoalition - 1957-1958 Lester B. Pearson (LIB/SLP) - 1958-1962 Liberal-CooperativeCoalition - 1958-1959 Social LaborMajority - 1959-1962 Robert Stanfield (PC) - 1962-???? Progressive ConservativeMajority - 1962-1965 ProgressiveConservativeMinority - 1965-1965 ProgressiveConservativeMajority - 1965-?
Elections for the House of Commons of Canada were held on April 11, 1965. The incumbent government of Robert Stanfield and his Progressive Conservative party ran for re-election. Stanfield had proved to be extremely popular, and polls showed his party up by as much as 25 points in late 1964. To avoid the penalty often associated with snap elections, however, Stanfield engineered the "defection" of several outgoing PC MPs, rendering the government without a majority and requiring a new election. During the campaign, Social Labor leader Pierre Elliott Trudeau would also make several missteps, sinking his party further. On election day, the ruling Progressive Conservative Party would gain nearly a hundred seats, while the SLP was cut to a mere 30.
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It Wasn't For Lack of Trying- 1965 Turkish Presidential Election
May 14, 1965 - Turkish General Election: LIST OF EXECUTIVE PRESIDENTS OF TURKEY:
Cemal Gursel (D) - 1960-?
Elections for the Parliament and consequently the President of Turkey were held on May 14, 1965. President Cemal Gursel was eligible for and ran for re-election to a second term, which he would win. Over the past five years, Gursel's Democratic Party had, rather strangely for a center-right party, presided over a large expansion of the welfare state, including the introduction of pensions and healthcare for the majority of Turkish citizens. However, they had also been slow to repeal the relatively strict censorship laws, which gave the Liberty Party a boost. Ultimately, despite a reduction in vote share, President Gursel would be re-elected to a second five year term.
However, Gursel would die just over two years into his second term, and would be replaced by Vice President Celal Bayar.
It Wasn't For Lack of Trying- 1965 Belgian Chamber of Representatives Election
PRIME MINISTERS OF BELGIUM:
Jean Van Houtte (CSP) - 1952-1954 Christian SocialMajority 1952-1954 Paul Henri Spaak (BSP) - 1954-1957 SocialistMinority (LiberalSupply-and-Confidence) - 1954-1957 Achille Van Acker (BSP) - 1957-1958 SocialistMinority (LiberalSupply-and-Confidence) - 1957-1958 Joseph Pholien (CSP) - 1958-1961 Christian Social-People's UnionCoalition - 1958-1961 Achille Van Acker (BSP) - 1961-? SocialistMinority (LiberalSupply-and-Confidence) - 1961-1963 Socialist-LiberalCoalition - 1963-1965 SocialistMinority (ChristianSocialSupply-and-Confidence) - 1965-?
Elections for the Parliament of Belgium were held on May 23, 1965. The incumbent government of Socialist leader Achille Van Acker had presided over a decent expansion of the welfare state, and was generally popular. Van Acker would run for, and win, re-election. However, he would shock the political world by dumping his liberal coalition partners, instead opting to form a grand coalition with the Christian Social People's Party.
It Wasn't For Lack of Trying- 1965 Brazilian Presidential Election (I)
July 4, 1965 - Brazilian Presidential Election: PRESIDENTS OF BRAZIL:
Getulio Vargas (SD) - 1951-1955 Cafe Filho (SD) - 1955-1956 Luis Carlos Prestes (AL) - 1956-1959 Henrique Teixeira Lott (SD) - 1959-1960 Luis Carlos Prestes (AL) - 1960-1966
Elections for the office of President of the Brazilian Socialist Republic were held on July 4, 1965. Incumbent President Luis Carlos Prestes ran for re-election to a second consecutive term. Prestes expected little challenge, as the right was prohibited from challenging him, despite his massive unpopularity. However, the losing war effort in the Amazon against the left-wing indigenous coalition had made even Prestes' allies angry. This culminated in the campaign of Lionel Brizola, who would eventually emerge victorious. However, the results were entirely rejected by President Prestes, who blamed American interference for his defeat and called for a new election under "fair rules" to be held in December. Brizola himself was arrested and sentenced to death just nine days after the election, the first casualty of the July Purge.
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It Wasn't For Lack of Trying- 1965 German Bundestag Election
September 5, 1965 - West German Federal Election: CHANCELLORS OF GERMANY:
Konrad Adenauer (CDU) - 1949-1959 Christian DemocraticUnion-Christian Social UnionMajority - 1949-1959 Gustav Heinemann (CDU) - 1959-1961 Christian Democratic Union-Christian Social UnionMajority - 1959-1961 Herbert Weichmann (SPD) - 1961-? Social Democratic Party-Free Democratic PartyCoalition - 1961-1965 SocialDemocraticPartyMajority - 1965-?
Elections for the West German Bundestag were held on September 5, 1965. Incumbent Chancellor of the Republic Herbert Weichmann and his SPD-FDP coalition government ran for re-election. Over the past few years, Weichmann had presided over the introduction of fully universal healthcare, free higher education for all, and mass investments in public transit. To satisfy the liberals, however, Weichmann also oversaw the deregulation of several sectors of the economy and the legalization of abortion, homosexuality, and several other left-wing social causes. This approach led to a vast economic boom, which increased the Chancellor's popularity further. On election day, the SPD would win an absolute majority, granting them complete control over the government. Weichmann would be confirmed for a second term on October 13, 1965.
It Wasn't For Lack of Trying- 1965 Norwegian Storting Election
November 4, 1965 - Portuguese General Election: PRIME MINISTERS OF PORTUGAL:
Antonio de Oliveira Salazar (UN) - 1932-1953 NationalUnion Majority - 1932-1953 Humberto Delgado (UF/SD) - 1953-? UnitedFront Majority - 1953-1956 Social DemocraticMajority - 1956-?
Elections to the Portuguese Parliament were held on November 4, 1965. The incumbent government of Humberto Delgado was re-elected in a landslide, securing another four years in government for the Social Democratic Party. However, even before the election it was clear that Delgado would not serve the entire term, as the Constitution of 1954 stipulated that the Prime Minister could only remain in office for fourteen consecutive years before they were term-limited. The "race to succeed Delgado" was a media spectacle in Portugal, and would eventually be won by Antonio Ramalho Eanes.
It Wasn't For Lack of Trying- 1965 Philippine Presidential Election
December 12, 1965 - Brazilian General Election: PRESIDENTS OF BRAZIL:
Getulio Vargas (SD) - 1951-1955 Cafe Filho (SD) - 1955-1956 Luis Carlos Prestes (AL) - 1956-1959 Henrique Teixeira Lott (SD) - 1959-1960 Luis Carlos Prestes (AL) - 1960-?
Elections for the office of President of the Brazilian Socialist Republic were held on December 12, 1965, a mere five months after the previous ones. Incumbent President Luis Carlos Prestes had lost that election handily, and had voided the results. Consequently, a second election was held. Prestes' primary opposition- Lionel Brizola- had been murdered well before the election, and was therefore allowed to remain on the ballot. However, Prestes was so unpopular that he actually lost to the deceased Brizola by a margin of roughly 16%, requiring intervention by the People's Electoral Commission. Prestes was sworn in as President of Brazil once again during a private ceremony at Palacio da Alvorado on January 17, 1965, which was followed by a more public ceremony at Palacio do Planalto on January 22.
