ACH: keep britain the second world power (instead of the SU)

Best chances of remaining second?

  • No fall of france?

    Votes: 12 32.4%
  • No japanese entry into the war?

    Votes: 2 5.4%
  • Starting the war earlier?

    Votes: 1 2.7%
  • Starting the war later?

    Votes: 1 2.7%
  • Making peace?

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Axis screw?

    Votes: 1 2.7%
  • Soviet screw?

    Votes: 6 16.2%
  • Only chance is postwar war soviet collapse.

    Votes: 4 10.8%
  • Other?

    Votes: 10 27.0%

  • Total voters
    37
It can be, though. The combined economies of the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and a few other smaller former colonies, possibly even Malaysia and South Africa, is huge. It's certainly a strong contender for second place power, if the USSR is either more isolationist, or gets roughed up so badly by the Germans that it gets de facto quarantined by the Western Allies.

The question is whether that means anything, though. The EU combined has a larger GDP than the US, but nobody really treats the whole Union as a single bloc to be handled in a uniform way. In order for the economies of the colonies to really supplement British strength, you'd need to ask them to pony up significant defense funds, and for them to follow London's lead on foreign policy. Really, any hopes of that happening unconditionally were dashed in 1923 with the Chanak Crisis, which made clear that the Dominions would only help Britain by choice, not by obligation. And an empire that runs on persuasion is no empire at all, really.
 
Since there is no time limit for the PoD besides this being the "After 1900" forum. I don't see it as that difficult to begin with. For a rough draft, go with this:
1. Starting from January the 1st 1900 a small butterfly causes Britain to work closer together with the CANZAC Dominions. Might be nothing more than some talks on a regular basis started for no bigger reason, than because some chaps who went to Oxford together are looking for a way to meet up on a regular basis and charge the tab to the foreign office.
2. When The Great War breaks out Germany goes "Russia first". UK stays neutral for the time being, while anti-Germans start working to manufacture a Casus Belli. However before they succeed the Home Rule Issue boils over, while at the same time many Britons are making money over fist selling stuff to both sides and they have friends in Parliament, too. Result is that Britain stays out altogether while being focused on Ireland.
3. Great War ends in 1917 with a CP victory, whom despite their huge casulties and general exhaustion and war fatigue APPEAR much more powerful than they really are. Meanwhile a compromise with Ireland was worked out giving them more autonomy but not independence. Some voices in Scotland start asking about a similar arrangement for them. Meanwhile the Central Powers Empire scares the UK into intensifying it's relationship with the Dominions.
4. Fast forward 15 years or so and an Imperial Federation composed of Britain, Ireland and the CANZAC is formed. Germany has recovered from The Great War, but is focused on a revanchist USSR and has no interest on getting on Britians bad side. Meanwhile the USofA never had any reason to come out of Isolationism.

A 2nd Great War may or may not happen at this point. But as long as Britain stays out it's in a comfortable position to stand as tall as the winner, especially if Decolonization is handled better than OTL. Some pieces might be invited to join the Imperial Federation, especially with much more British emigration to the colonies sans the WWs others might stay in an Alliance/Customs Union modelled after Mitteleuropa.

Why aim for number two? As above, either be rid of the Great War or have the UK stand aside, let the Empire evolve into a more cohesive political bloc, a tighter trading zone and an actual defense alliance. Even if we only sustain the so-called "white" Dominions that should be enough to keep the "UK" the predominant global power as I believe the USA, Imperial Germany and the Russian Empire surviving will compete for defining what is nearly equal to the Empire but never quite. Imperial Japan might edge into this and potentially China depending upon the outcomes and future wars in Europe or Asia. London here is a global seat of power and the British cultural, economic and political web still encircles the globe.
 
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