AH Challenge: A Commonwealth Federation

perfectgeneral

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The loose aspiration to unite the dominions of the British Empire into a federation with the home nations must find a trigger to bring about this as fact. England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Canada, Newfoundland, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand must form a united government in Westminster. England must form a new parliament in Birmingham or Manchester.

You decide what political imperative leads to this federation and how it is administrated. A brief speculation on how this impacts on later events would be nice, but the challenge is all about the POD and implementing the federation.

I draw your attention to the 1926 Imperial Conference as one possible time for the official formation, although it would take changes before then. As most of the Dominions weren't formed until 1910, I would make that the earliest point, but the Imperial Federation movement pre-dates the century so you could start earlier. Since this is the 1900s+ forum that limits you to a 20th century point of divergence.

I personally would allow Smuts more influence and add some allies at the 1926 IC, perhaps using an argument about better defence of empire and spreading industrialisation among the dominions.
 
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Anaxagoras

Banned
This is basically the gist of my Rule Britannia TL (link in my sig), but I imagined the creation of an Imperial Parliament rather than bringing the Dominions into Westminster.

I choose a 1915 POD, the idea being that World War I goes much better for Britain and ends much earlier, thus getting rid of the economic bankrupty of Britain and also preserving the cultural and social respect the people of the Dominions had for the home country. But I figured that such a POD was the last possible one for such an event.

A very good idea would be finding a way for Joseph Chamberlain's Imperial Preference concepts to be more successful.
 
This is basically the gist of my Rule Britannia TL (link in my sig), but I imagined the creation of an Imperial Parliament rather than bringing the Dominions into Westminster.

I choose a 1915 POD, the idea being that World War I goes much better for Britain and ends much earlier, thus getting rid of the economic bankrupty of Britain and also preserving the cultural and social respect the people of the Dominions had for the home country. But I figured that such a POD was the last possible one for such an event.

A very good idea would be finding a way for Joseph Chamberlain's Imperial Preference concepts to be more successful.

Speaking of that wonderful TL, are you completely finished with it?

Russell
 

perfectgeneral

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1933:
Churchill pushes for constitutional reforms to establish the political connections between the Dominions and Britain on a stronger basis. The main concept is creation of a governing “Imperial Council” in which Britain and all the Dominions would be represented and which would govern the overall foreign and defense policies of the Empire. Under the plan, Britain and each Dominion would govern their own internal affairs through their independent parliaments.

Not quite the same as the home nations are not represented independently in the Imperial Federation on a level footing with the dominions. Still very much Britain as first among equals. Plus it is more of a loose confederation than a single empire.

I can't imagine a federal council telling England what will happen in your TL.
 
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