AHC: Make Britain industrially stronger before ww2 and less dependent on Lend Lease during ww2

Thomas1195

Banned
imports of foreign steel to the UK ceased with the introduction of tariffs in the 1930's so it was indeed sufficient to meet domestic demand. The production of Armoured Steel was insufficient to meet the demand of rearmament in the late 1930's but that was the same for every other country in the world.
http://www.google.com.vn/url?sa=t&s...ulR1mF3zmT8QpaWlw&sig2=cztlAaoibusmqFTxNV8KHg
At the end of the paper, there is a table measure British steel trade. Even if we subtract iron ore, by 1938 Britain was a net importer of steel.
 
Even if we subtract iron ore, by 1938 Britain was a net importer of steel.
Why would any reasonable government (OK I'm not sure I normally give that to Chamberlain) not be importing steel? By 38 the demand should be massively over any real peacetime demand and going into overdrive on a 3 shift, I don't care how much it costs, I want it yesterday.....
 

Thomas1195

Banned
Why would any reasonable government (OK I'm not sure I normally give that to Chamberlain) not be importing steel? By 38 the demand should be massively over any real peacetime demand and going into overdrive on a 3 shift, I don't care how much it costs, I want it yesterday.....
Well, it means that British steel industry could not grow sufficiently to meet even prewar demand, where production of armament was no where near 1941-1943

In fact, the insufficient growth of steel and machine tool industries constantly acted as a bottleneck for British rearmament progress.

And I actually failed to express clearly my original goal, which was to make British industry stronger than OTL during the interwar and the years run up to war. For example, a stronger shipbuilding and a stronger navy would make the Battle of Atlantic a joke.
 
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Naturally, without LL there would be no pressure on Britain to join the US oil embargo against Japan which means no war in the Far East, thus converting an enemy into an asset, since the UK could trade oil, rubber, etc for Japanese-built merchant ships, escorts and maritime-patrol aircraft.

I suspect the Japanese would have accepted payment in £s as well, rather than the $s the US insisted on.

The idea of Britain refusing LL and sticking to normal commercial relations is an interesting one. I do wonder if it would damage France and Poland however and whether the US would be less likely to join the war as well.

fasquardon
 
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