A New Union: A British Poltical TLIAW

This is very interesting good sir, and I am subscribed so that I can follow from now on.

Thank you for your kind words good sir! I have to admit I've been pleasantly surprised by how well received this timeline is.

I'll try and have an update by the end of the week, but I'm pretty busy with MA reading at the moment so it might be a while.
 
Out from the Wilderness: The Tories Initial Years in Power 1936-1937

Following the formation of the first Conservative led coalition since 1928, Irwin's government was faced with several challenges. Irwin's government continued the policies of Mosley's administration, with the Tories broadly acknowledging that the social reforms were here to stay. Irwin, also continued the thaw in relations between the two nations, and King George V visited the Irish Free State for the first time since partition. [1]

Irwin, like previous Prime Ministers viewed the good Anglo-German relations cultivated since the 1920s as the cornerstone of Britain's policy towards Europe, particularly given France's lurch to militarism, and Russia's increased sabre-rattling in the east. Irwin, also concerned by the threat of war in Central Europe [2], also made overtures to the military regime of Pietro Bagdolio in Italy, which caused tensions within the coalition government, though Liberal leader Winston Churchill supported him. Irwin, continued the rearmament programme of Mosley's government, and unsettled by the Anti-Semitic pogroms taking place in Russia, agreed to accept several thousand Jewish refugees from the East (Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden also did the same.) [3]

[1] The king, who was ailing in health at this point, was reasonably well-received, and the two countries seemed to be heading for full normalisation of relations by the end of the 1930s.
[2] Austria's collapse into anarchy and Italy's growing tensions with Yugoslavia made the region look dangerously unstable.
[3] The militarist regime of Diterikhs continued the long infamous Tsarist policy of instigating violence against the Jews and other minorities. While nowhere on the same scale as OTL Nazi attitude, the violence was high, with around 200,000 displaced.
 
"A Most Unfortunate Year": 1938

If its first two years in office had seen the Tories regain some of the credibility they had lost during their long period in opposition, 1938, Europe's Annus Horribilis, the government would find itself tested to its limits. In January 1938, George V died and was succeeded by his son Edward VIII [1], who under the influence of his wife [2] had curbed many of the playboy elements of his personality, though he still had the rather irritating habit of loudly proclaiming on politics. [3]

The European situation also finally descended into full blown anarchy as Italian troops massed on the borders of Yugoslavia and Austria, officially to "protect Italian citizens and prevent the spread of anarchy" [4], with France supporting the Italians, and Germany backing the Austrians (and to a lesser extent Yugoslavia) with Britain caught somewhere in the middle. Italy's annexation of Albania earlier in the year had caused much alarm in Belgrade, with Yugoslav leaders wary of Italian irredentist demands.

The Conference of Rome, held in September that year, aimed to resolve these issues: Irwin, while aware that rearmament had made Britain better prepared for war, was wary of Japan taking advantage of British forces being bogged down in conflict in Europe.

The conference promised much but what it would resolve no one knew...

[1] It is indeed OTL's Duke of Windsor, who in this timeline has calmed down a bit, and become slightly more responsible (bit like old Edward VII.) He's still a bit of an idiot however.
[2] His wife was Lady Ursula Grosvenor (who took the regnal name Mary upon coronation), the eldest child of the extremely wealthy Duke of Westminster.
[3] He would eventually learn to curb this instinct, though many politicians would comment in their memoirs about his irksome habit of "discussing affairs which are not his prerogative."
[4] While Italian citizens in both countries had suffered violent attacks during the 1930s, the Italian government was more concerned with territorial expansion.
 
List of British and Dominion Prime Ministers 1918-1938

Commonwealth of Australia (Voting System: IRV)

1) William Hughes-Nationalist: 1915-1919

2) Frank Tudor-Labor (minority): 1919-1920

3) William Hughes-Nationalist: 1920-1922

4) Matthew Charlton-Labor: 1922-1925

5) William McWilliams-Country-Nationalist Coalition: 1925-1927

6) Earle Page-Country-Nationalist Coalition: 1927-1929

7) Edward Theodore: Labor-1929-1931

8) James Fenton-United Australia Party/Country Coalition: 1931-

Dominion of Canada (FPTP)

1) Robert Borden-Conservative/Unionist: 1911-1920

2) Arthur Meighen-Conservative: 1920-1921

3) W. L. Mackenzie King-Liberal-Progressive Coalition: 1921-1925

4) Arthur Meighen-Conservative (minority): 1925-1927

5) Hugh Guthrie: Conservative: 1927-1935

6) W. L. Mackenzie King-Liberal: 1935-

Federation of India (STV)

1) Mohandas Gandhi: Indian National Congress-Muslim League coalition: 1930-1934

2) Muhammad Ali Jinnah: Muslim League-Indian National Congress Coalition: 1934-1936

3) Jawaharlal Nehru-Indian National Congress (minority): 1936-1937

4) Mohandas Gandhi: Indian National Congress-Muslim League Coaliton: 1937-

Irish Free State (STV)

1) W. T. Cosgrave-Cumann na nGadheal (Society of the Gaels): 1922-1933

2) Kevin O'Higgins-National Party of Ireland (
Páirtí Náisiúnta na hÉireann): 1933-

Dominion of Newfoundland (FPTP)

1) John Crosbie-Newfoundland Peoples Party: 1917-1918

2) William Lloyd-Liberal Reform: 1918-1919

3) Michael Cashin-Newfoundland Peoples Party: 1919

4) William Coaker: Fishermen's Protective Union-Liberal Reform Coalition: 1919-1924

5) Walter S. Monroe: Conservative Reform Party: 1924-1928

6) Peter Cashin-Liberal: 1928-1934

7) Frederick C. Alderdice-United Party: 1934-

Dominion of New Zealand (Runoff)

1) William Massey-Reform: 1912-1922

2) Thomas Wilford: Liberal-Labour coalition: 1922-1925

3) William Nosworthy-Reform: 1925-1928

4) James McCombs: Labour-1928-1930

5) Harry Holland: Labour-1930-1933 (died in office)

6) William Veitch-Liberal: 1933-1935

7) Michael Savage-Labour: 1935-

Union of South Africa (IRV)

1) Louis Botha-South African Unionist Party: 1910-1919 (died in office)

2) Jan Smuts-South African Unionist Party: 1920-1933

3) J. B. M. Hertzog-National Party: 1933-1936

4) Walter Madely-Labour: 1936-

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (STV)

1) David Lloyd George-Liberal-Conservative coalition: 1916-1922

2) J. R. Clynes-Labour-Liberal coaliton: 1922-1924

3) Austen Chamberlain-Conservative-Liberal coalition: 1924-1925

4) H. H. Asquith-Liberal-Labour Coalition: 1925-1928

5) J. R. Clynes-Labour (interim) 1928

6) Stanley Baldwin-Conservative-Liberal Coalition: 1928

7) Ramsay Macdonald-Labour-Liberal coalition 1928-1932, Labour majority 1932-1933

8) Arthur Henderson-Labour: 1933-1934

9) Phillip Snowden-Labour (interim) 1934

10) Oswald Mosley-Labour: 1934-1936

11) Lord Irwin (E. F. L. Wood)-Conservative-Liberal coalition: 1936-




 
Hey guys,

Apologies for how long the delay between posts has been but I'm currently doing an MA and my posting is likely to be fairly irregular until Christmas.

That said I will try and have an update for this (and my other timelines) fairly soon.

Glad you all like it!
 
The Conference of Rome: 1938

The European situation had been simmering since the 1920s: the frequent collapse of nations into authoritarian states, and the resentments the end of the First World War. The Conference of Rome, was aimed at stabilising the situation between the Italians and the Yugoslavs and Austrians. The situation was further complicated by the aggressive posturing of the French who wholly supported Italy's position.

British Prime Minister Lord Irwin, German Chancellor Otto Wels, French Prime Minister Pierre Laval and Italian Marshal Pietro Badoglio met in Rome at the invitation of Victor Emmanuel III, though the invitation was not extended to delegates from either Yugoslavia or Austria, despite protestations from the Germans (with lukewarm support from the British.)

The Italian demands for Dalmatia were rejected by the British and Germans. Eventually a compromise was found: Italy would be ceded the city of Rijeka (Fiume) and the Austrian region of South Tyrol [1]. Badoglio agreed, and promised in exchange to withdraw Italian troops from the borders of both countries. Italy's occupation of Albania (which was now fully regarded as an Italian client state) was also acknowledged by both powers.

Pragmatism had triumphed at last it seemed.

[1] South Tyrol had been occupied by Italian troops in 1918, but at the Treaty of Versailles was returned to Austria in exchange for Trieste, deeply angering the Italians.
 
The Latin Pact: A New War Looms?

While Rome was viewed as a success, Badoglio's acceptance of Anglo-German mediation was met with hostility by hardliners in his regime (many of whom had been members of Mussolini's short lived organisation), and he found himself gradually sidelined by more radical members of the military such as Emilio De Bono, who deposed Badoglio in a coup and placed him under house arrest. De Bono, in his first move as Prime Minister granted many leading fascists (including Mussolini) amnesty. His regime also negotiated the Latin Pact with Spain, France and Greece [1], which established a military alliance between the four countries. [2]

In Britain meanwhile, Irwin returned home to acclaim, for his strong stance on Italian expansion. The situation in the Pacific, where the Japanese had settled into a low key war with the Chinese, and whose navy had greatly expanded, prompted secret high level talks between Irwin and President Baker [2] in Washington. For many within Britain, it seemed the next great war would start in the East and not the West...

[1] The Latin Pact emerged as a quadruple alliance between the four countries, who all shared authoritarian-conservative militaristic regimes in power (Laval, Sanjurjo, De Bono and Papagos.)
[2] Newton D. Baker won re-election in 1936, and was increasingly alarmed by Japanese naval buildup, though neither he or the British were aware that Japan was preparing to sign an ceasefire with China to secure its territorial ambitions elsewhere...
 
[6] The military in France in conjunction with right wing politician Pierre Laval overthrew the democratically elected government of Leon Blum in a coup, with Blum killed in the process.

Hello !
It was a good TL before that. At this time, Laval was a pacifist(Center right politician) who worked for Briand(In the tentative of appeasement with Germany) not the Laval of 1940. Also, why the military overthrew the governement when Blum take power? They don't overthrew it OTL. Also the military don't come in politic in the French Republic (The army was called "La Grande Muette". Petain was the first military, well ex-military to became the chief of the executif because the President called him).
Maybe you thinks about the 6/02/34 but it was a minor manifestation. Nobody important was present.
There is no reason for France to turn fascist at this time.
It's better if you explain more the situation in France.
 
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