Wendell Willkie Historical Figure Nationality: United States Religion: Episcopalian Date of Birth: 1892 Date of Death: 1944 Cause of Death: Heart Disease Occupation: Lawyer, Politician Spouse: Edith Willkie Affiliations: Republican Party Turtledove Appearances: The War That Came Early POD: July 20, 1936; Relevant POD: September 29, 1938 Appearance(s): The Big Switch Type of Appearance: Contemporary Reference "Joe Steele" POD: 1878 Relevant POD: July, 1932 Type of Appearance: Contemporary Reference Southern Victory POD: September 10, 1862 Appearance(s): The Victorious Opposition Type of Appearance: Contemporary Reference Date of Death: Unknown

Wendell Lewis Willkie (1892–1944) was an American corporate lawyer who was the Republican Party nominee for the 1940 presidential election, despite having never held a prior elected political office. A member of the GOP's liberal wing, Willkie campaigned against aspects of the New Deal he thought were wasteful or inefficient. He was also a firm internationalist, but in his pursuit of the isolationist vote, he waffled badly on the issue of World War II.

Although Willkie in 1940 received more votes than any previous GOP candidate (22.3 million votes), he lost to incumbent Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt in an Electoral College landslide: 449 to 82, carrying ten states. Ironically, Roosevelt employed Willkie as an ambassador-at-large after the election. Willkie attempted to gain the nomination again in 1944, but ultimately he dropped out. He died of a heart attack shortly after.

Contents 1 Wendell Willkie in The War That Came Early 2 Wendell Willkie in "Joe Steele" 3 Wendell Willkie in Southern Victory 4 References

Wendell Willkie in The War That Came EarlyEdit

Wendell Willkie was the Republican Party's main candidate in the 1940 Presidential Election, seeking to defeat the Democratic incumbent, Franklin D. Roosevelt.^[1]

Willkie did little to distinguish himself from Roosevelt. He had no intention of dismantling the New Deal, for example.^[2] On matters of foreign policy, Willkie attacked Roosevelt for sending too few armaments to Britain and France in their war against Germany.^[3] Adding to Willkie's problems, the isolationist wing of the Republican Party concluded that Willkie was too interventionist, and nominated Alf Landon.^[4] While Landon didn't campaign much, he did syphon votes from Willkie. In the end, Roosevelt won a third term with at least a plurality, if not a majority, in nearly every state.^[5]

Wendell Willkie in "Joe Steele"Edit

Wendell Willkie was a token presidential candidate run by the Republican Party in 1940. He was thoroughly defeated by President Joe Steele. Many were surprised that anyone would risk running against Steele. The Republicans didn't bother running anyone against Steele in the next three elections.

Wendell Willkie in Southern VictoryEdit

Wendell Willkie was the Republican Party's candidate in the 1940 presidential election. Like every Republican presidential candidate since 1884, he was soundly defeated, taking only his home state of Indiana and finishing a distant third to Socialist Al Smith and Democrat Robert Taft.^[6]

ReferencesEdit

Party political offices (OTL)
Preceded by Alf Landon	Republican Party Presidential Candidate 1940 (lost)	Succeeded by Thomas Dewey
Party political offices (Southern Victory)
Preceded by Unknown; Last known was James G. Blaine	Republican Party Presidential Candidate 1940 (lost)	Succeeded by Harold Stassen
Party political offices (The War That Came Early)
Preceded by Alf Landon	Republican Party Presidential Candidate¹ 1940 (lost)	Succeeded by Most Recent
Party political offices (ATL)
Preceded by Alf Landon	Republican Party Presidential Candidate ("Joe Steele") 1940 (lost)	Succeeded by None
Notes and references
1. The Republican Party saw fracturing in 1940, with the mainstream Republicans nominating Willkie, but the isolationist wing nominating Alf Landon.

v · d · e Southern Victory Books How Few Remain The Great War (American Front • Walk in Hell • Breakthroughs) American Empire (Blood and Iron • The Center Cannot Hold • The Victorious Opposition) Settling Accounts (Return Engagement • Drive to the East • The Grapple • In at the Death) 1 of 11 Add photo POV Characters Reggie Bartlett • Flora Blackford • Sam Carsten • Samuel Clemens • Anne Colleton • Tom Colleton • George Custer • Frederick Douglass • Jerry Dover • Abner Dowling • Cincinnatus Driver • George Enos • George Enos, Jr. • Sylvia Enos • Jake Featherston • Lucien Galtier • Armstrong Grimes • Thomas Jackson • Roger Kimball • Abraham Lincoln • Cassius Madison • Paul Mantarakis • Chester Martin • Arthur McGregor • Gordon McSweeney • Irving Morrell • Jonathan Moss • Leonard O'Doull • Jefferson Pinkard • Mary McGregor Pomeroy • Michael Pound • Clarence Potter • Stephen Ramsay • Hipolito Rodriguez • Jorge Rodriguez • Theodore Roosevelt • Scipio • Alfred von Schlieffen • Nellie Semphroch • Jeb Stuart Countries United States • Confederate States • Canada • Mexico • Republic of Quebec • Britain • France • Russia • Germany • Austria-Hungary • Ottoman Empire • Japan Events War of Secession • Second Mexican War • Great War • Pacific War • Second Great War Politicial Parties Democratic Party • Socialist Party • Republican Party • Whig Party • Radical Liberal Party • Freedom Party

v · d · e The War That Came Early Books Hitler's War • West and East • The Big Switch • Coup d'Etat • Two Fronts • Untitled sixth volume 1 of 5 Add photo POV Characters Juan Antonio Ansaldo* • Joaquin Delgadillo† • Aristide Demange • Willi Dernen • Peggy Druce • Hideki Fujita • Sarah Goldman • Luc Harcourt† • Adolf Hitler* • Theo Hossbach • Vaclav Jezek • Ivan Kuchkov • Fritz-Julius Lemp • Pete McGill • Anastas Mouradian • Ludwig Rothe† • Hans-Ulrich Rudel • Alistair Walsh • Chaim Weinberg • Sergei Yaroslavsky† Countries Belgium • Britain • China • Czechoslovakia • France • Germany • Italy • Japan • Philippines • Poland • Soviet Union • Spain • United States Events Spanish Civil War • World War II (The War That Came Early) *denotes a character who was a POV for a single scene. † denotes a deceased character.