British Minorca

Minorca was British from 1707 to 1802 when it was given back to Spain. But what if they kept it?

It would probably be a sleepy backwater of the Empire.

Until 1940, that is...


Thoughts?

Actually, Minorca was considered a more strategic base than Gibraltar. During the chaos of the American War of Independence, when Spain and France were both supporting the Americans, the British government was willing to return Gibraltar to Spain in return for their neutrality (and a gaurentee that Florida would remain British). Possible PoD, no Treaty of Amiens (negotiations collapse), and Minorca is succesfully defended throughout the alt Napoleonic wars. Or maybe it's just not in the treaty to start off with.

Minorca provides Britain with a major port in the Western Med, and is the next stop after Gibraltar of the sea routes to India (Gib, Min, Malta, Alexandria, Suez, Aden, Bombay). Though we're unlikely to see our WWII with these butterflies, if we keep them to a minimum, then the alt WWII would see (in all likelyhood) Minorca siezed by Vichy France/Italy, and relieved via Spain. Interestingly, we may see the suggestion that the free French fleet in Algiers sail to Minorca.

Later, Minorca would probably go the same way as Malta.

Alex Richards said:

Though we're unlikely to see our WWII with these butterflies, if we keep them to a minimum, then the alt WWII would see (in all likelyhood) Minorca siezed by Vichy France/Italy, and relieved via Spain. Interestingly, we may see the suggestion that the free French fleet in Algiers sail to Minorca.

Later, Minorca would probably go the same way as Malta.

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Would it be captured by Vichy France? Let's not forget the first thing the British did when they heard of the fall of France was to destroy the Vichy fleet in port. Malta came under severe siege during WWII, but it was kept supplied by sea because the Royal Navy prevented anything but planes and U-boats threatening the trade lanes, not capital ship fleets. Arguably Minorca is in a better position given that it's a long way from Italy and only close to the other Balearics, owned by a notably neutral Spain.

As for how Minorca would later go, remember that Malta almost voted itself into permanent union with the UK, and was going to be given Westminster Parliament representation and all, until a dispute over jobs forced the Maltese hand. Perhaps that circumstance wouldn't be forthcoming for Minorca, leading to an actual realised annexation into the United Kingdom itself? United Kingdom of Great Britain, Northern Ireland and Minorca, anyone?

Falastur said:

Would it be captured by Vichy France? Let's not forget the first thing the British did when they heard of the fall of France was to destroy the Vichy fleet in port. Malta came under severe siege during WWII, but it was kept supplied by sea because the Royal Navy prevented anything but planes and U-boats threatening the trade lanes, not capital ship fleets. Arguably Minorca is in a better position given that it's a long way from Italy and only close to the other Balearics, owned by a notably neutral Spain.

As for how Minorca would later go, remember that Malta almost voted itself into permanent union with the UK, and was going to be given Westminster Parliament representation and all, until a dispute over jobs forced the Maltese hand. Perhaps that circumstance wouldn't be forthcoming for Minorca, leading to an actual realised annexation into the United Kingdom itself? United Kingdom of Great Britain, Northern Ireland and Minorca, anyone?

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Those are my thoughts. Assuming that the events of the 20th Century do not get butterflied away. Minorca would become an important base for air strikes on France and Italy. Conversely it would be an Axis target and could drag Spain into the war due to the Spanish islands being so close to a battlefield.

After the war it could be as contentious and as stubborn as Gibraltar with which it would have a lot in common.

Thank you to everyone who is commenting on my first thread.

I quite like the idea of some of the smaller islands of the Empire voting themselves into full union with the Westminster Parliament later. Malta, Minorca, Gibraltar (could be tricky), Bermuda, a bit of the Carribean, St. Helena etc. Everyone would end up better off.

Interesting idea, could there be any way in which Minorca could end up like either Malta (possible full Union) or maybe like Gibraltar in which it wants to stay as a British Overseas Territory/Colony even under pressure from Spain.

TheNordicBrit said:

Interesting idea, could there be any way in which Minorca could end up like either Malta (possible full Union) or maybe like Gibraltar in which it wants to stay as a British Overseas Territory/Colony even under pressure from Spain.

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I would say events occurring as RL would be enough to make this happen. Malta (and Minorca equally) were useful for their strategic positioning, and not for economic or political reasons. The populations of both largely ignored nationalism to side with the British rulers largely because the incoming of the British gave them security (mainly Malta over Minorca) and a lot of jobs - it reformed their economies. However, there wasn't enough money for Malta to seriously consider independence until the diplomatic faux pas the British played forced the Maltese somewhat against their better judgment to insist on independence in a "you can't expect us to take that insult lying down, now we have to respond" way. If it hadn't been for that one incident, Malta would have been united permanently with the UK in the 60s. For Minorca we should expect the same - with a very small population (smaller than that of Malta I believe) and an economy dependent on whoever is ruling it at the time, union with the UK would make more sense than trying to go their own way, and 250 years of separation from Spain would probably mean that any attempt to unify with Spain would be painful in terms of sacrificed freedoms, rights and Minorcan individualism, making it somewhat undesirable and meaning any attempt by Spain to insist on reunion for "territorial integrity" as they have been about Gibraltar would likely just result in Minorca doing the political equivalent of clutching to Mother Britain's skirts for safety - Spain does have a tendency to approach these issues brashly and angrily rather than in a welcoming and warm way, after all.

Vichy France with a 18th century PoD?