Most Powerful Britain Post War

[AltoRegnant]

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is thus-Create a TL where britain survives as a major power, only losing a maximum of two major colonies, and the surviving colonies have a more equal governance.

I imagine that the soviets would have to be more aggressive in southern Europe and the middle east early on, increasing the idea of the red scare and domino theory being prevalent earlier. This could cause the US to be less for decolonization, wary of the spread of communism, so Britain (and france) get more aid to recover the empire. The equality stems from basically the same idea-fear of commies and nationalist uprising

For a while the two would almost become American puppets, but i doubt this would last long into the fifties before a sort of Anglo-American split occurs ala sinno-soviet

 

[Cryhavoc101]

Have France hold

And /or

Both Britain and France start rearming 18 months to 3 years earlier than they did

So France does not fall, Italy makes the only winning move and stays Neutral, Japan has to wind its neck in and cannot exploit British, Dutch, French Weakness in the Far East and ultimately has to bend the knee to US demands in regards to China.

Russia exploits German weakness in the East but the resurgent British and French militaries result in the 'Iron Curtain' further East than OTL.

Russia does not suffer the Mega death event of the OTL Eastern Front although it still suffers Stalin's leadership for another couple of decades.

With a much shorter war and no military involvement by the USA and a much reduced need for US factory muscle to fill the gaps due to the aforementioned earlier rearmament the USA while happily dragging itself out of the mire of the post Depression era does not become the super power

There would however have to be more concessions, earlier, to keep the various 'colonies/dominions' from demanding independence but in this environment have independence happen over a longer more benign and controlled period.

Most of those former colonies remain tied to the UK (same for the French colonies with France)

India will probably gain full independence as per OTL but again this process might take longer and who knows maybe it will end up as a single nation rather than split into multiple ones like the somewhat rushed process OTL.

Having twice successfully fought Germany together - the UK and France become very much aligned in trade, Politics, culture and attitude. More so than OTL.

 

[MatthewB]

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is thus-Create a TL where britain survives as a major power, only losing a maximum of two major colonies, and the surviving colonies have a more equal governance.

You have to keep India. Keep India and you keep the rest of Asia. Africa will be trickier.

The only way to keep India is skip partition and make it an equal partner to London in the Empire. Sort of like the West and East Roman Empires.

 

[Peg Leg Pom]

You can't keep India. Dominion status at least is inevitable, and full independence will follow in no longer than a generation.

 

[MatthewB]

You can't keep India. Dominion status at least is inevitable, and full independence will follow in no longer than a generation.

Dominion status is still considered within the Empire, as was Canada and Australia. Canada and Australia didn't exit legal control by Britain until 1982 and 1986.

 

[Baron Bizarre]

You have to keep India. Keep India and you keep the rest of Asia. Africa will be trickier.

The only way to keep India is skip partition and make it an equal partner to London in the Empire. Sort of like the West and East Roman Empires.

I always feel that if you did this, Britain would end up as an Indian outpost.

 

[MatthewB]

I always feel that if you did this, Britain would end up as an Indian outpost.

It would take a complete re-think of the British mindset about why they had an empire at all (mostly to enrich British upper class). That was the reason the Romans managed to keep their empire for 500 years (as opposed to Britain's 2nd imperial reign from 1860–1947 (i.e. nearly 90 years)., in that when they conquered a territory, its people (well, the wealthy and connected ones) became citizens of the empire. With the exception of the Falklands citizens, AIUI being a citizen of a British overseas territory never equaled full British citizenship. Even today, Bermudians don't get full British passports.