Eighty years ago the FDR era comes to an end

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The Democrats suffered huge losses against the Republicans in the US mid-terms elections. The Democrats lost majorities in both houses which they had held since 1932. The Republicans gained 58 seats to 246 in the House of Representatives almost exactly reversing the position before the vote. The era of FDR and the New Deal was firmly at an end. The poll was generally seen as a vote on President Truman and few now expected him to survive into a second term. Left-wing Democrats had revolted against Truman's swing against the Soviet Union, his handling of the nationwide strike wave alienated labour and meat prices had rocketed when price controls ended. 

The British government leapt on a public condemnation of terrorism by the inner Zionist Council to back away from harsh measures to maintain British rule. It was desperate to draw a line under the whole affair. Extreme zionist Moshe Shertok and supporters were released and Palestine Arabs were freed from detention in the Seychelles. Curfews were relaxed. Terrorism continued but morale in the British army was at rock bottom and there was minimal appetite amongst the soldiers at any level for continuing the fight.

The new Japanese constitution became law recognising the country as a constitutional monarchy, possible once the Emperor had surrendered his claim to divinity. It remains in force with little major change. The mechanism of popular government was intentionally cumbersome to block any resurgence of the quasi-dictatorship of the 1930s and war era. It had two major negative provisions which underpinned this mission: Japan was not to be a military state; there was no state religion. Japan was the first of the Axis powers to be restored to full statehood.


 

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