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WI: Admiral King assassinated

SinghSong

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Apparently, many years after the war, Eisenhower was asked the question: "If you had a time machine,and could go back to the Day after Pearl Harbor, what is the one action you would take, which you are certain, knowing what you know now, would shorten the War?" His reply was purportedly immediate and unhesitant: "Shoot Admiral King".

So, then- let's postulate how different this timeline might have been, had exactly this taken place (i.e, the day after Pearl Harbor, Admiral Ernest King gets shot dead by the sniper rifle of a mystery assassin, who subsequently vanishes without trace). What kind of impact do you think this POD would have had- short-term and long-term, domestically and internationally? Would it have actually shortened the war, as Eisenhower fervently believed?
 
It absolutely wouldn't have shortened the war. King gets painted as the lone "Japan First" voice in senior allied leadership but he wasn't he only wanted to ensure the navy had enough of what it needed to actually win against Japan, folks like Eisenhower would build on that and King's obnoxious nature to create the internal antagonist of the war. Its bunk. The most one gets is that D-Day could be in May of 1944, but of course, delaying the landings in New Guinea or especially the Marianas doesn't actually speed up the war overall, because it delays the war in the Pacific.
 
Honestly I know its simplistic to say Eisenhower got promoted more or less because he was the only potentially senior officer with anything approaching people skills or chill in the Western World and so unlikely to cause too many alliance fracturing blazing rows. But I do think there is a reason that his ability to herd cats is constantly given as much focus as his military credentials. Because damnit there was a lot of ego to spare amongst the senior ranks.
 
Honestly I know its simplistic to say Eisenhower got promoted more or less because he was the only potentially senior officer with anything approaching people skills or chill in the Western World and so unlikely to cause too many alliance fracturing blazing rows. But I do think there is a reason that his ability to herd cats is constantly given as much focus as his military credentials. Because damnit there was a lot of ego to spare amongst the senior ranks.
Honestly convinced Ike and Bradley made it because they were the only people in George Marshall's fabled notebook of talent who actually, you know, had talent.
 
Apparently, many years after the war, Eisenhower was asked the question: "If you had a time machine,and could go back to the Day after Pearl Harbor, what is the one action you would take, which you are certain, knowing what you know now, would shorten the War?" His reply was purportedly immediate and unhesitant: "Shoot Admiral King".

So, then- let's postulate how different this timeline might have been, had exactly this taken place (i.e, the day after Pearl Harbor, Admiral Ernest King gets shot dead by the sniper rifle of a mystery assassin, who subsequently vanishes without trace). What kind of impact do you think this POD would have had- short-term and long-term, domestically and internationally? Would it have actually shortened the war, as Eisenhower fervently believed?
So Eisenhower shoots King, who is going to replace both as Eisenhower will be court martial and sentence to jail.
 
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