AHC/WI: Make liberal parties remain a strong political force in Europe after ww1

Thomas1195

Banned
The main trend in European politics after ww1 was the decline of liberal political parties as they were squeezed from both the left (Social Democrats/Socialists) and the right (Conservatives). In some countries like Germany, it even happened long before 1914. France was the only country where this trend was slower (Radical party still won elections).

The challenge is to make liberal parties in Europe remain a strong force in governments. A harder task is to make the liberals become a natural party in at least one European country.
For me, the best starting point would definitely be Britain. But I think we can do so in Italy by having the ww1 less disastrous for them and a more favourable Treaty of Versailles.

Final question: What would be the potential economic and political consequences of a strong liberal presence in European politics?
 
The main breaking point for liberal parties was not so much WW1, but electoral reforms. The problem with most liberal parties was that they were essentially notability parties, with no real attachment to the masses - unlike social democratic parties and conservatives. In the UK, it was the Conservatives under Disraeli who gained from an extended electorate. And in Germany, the Zentrum basically spoke to Catholics from any social background. The liberals' decline in Germany started immideately after the unification, with the National Liberals basically being eclipsed by Bismarck and the conservative parties. They constantly lost voters and only kept going due to the electoral system. And the Representation of the People Act in 1919 also did in the British Liberal party.

So if the Liberal parties had made inroads earlier in lower middle-class or working-class constituencies, they could have stayed major parties. Maybe you'd have to go back earlier, with most 1848 revolutions being successful - therefore resulting in a kind of liberalism that was rooted in actual civil movements. In Britain you could have the Chartists being more successful (therefore putting pressure on the Whigs to shed themselves from their aristocratic outlook), and the Anti-Corn Law 'alliance' between workers and free-traders be more permanent.
 

Thomas1195

Banned
So if the Liberal parties had made inroads earlier in lower middle-class or working-class constituencies, they could have stayed major parties. Maybe you'd have to go back earlier, with most 1848 revolutions being successful - therefore resulting in a kind of liberalism that was rooted in actual civil movements. In Britain you could have the Chartists being more successful (therefore putting pressure on the Whigs to shed themselves from their aristocratic outlook), and the Anti-Corn Law 'alliance' between workers and free-traders be more permanent.
This could be the reason why liberal parties were relatively stronger in France compared to other countries.

For Britain, I chose them as the starting point because by the time HCB became leader, they already moved in the right direction of going "social liberal" to counter Labour. Their only task is actually only to survive until Keynes becomes significant.
 

Thomas1195

Banned
You need to keep the socialist parties from gaining power, crowding out the liberals from the left.
Of course. But those in France did relatively well until 1936. Also, I think Italian liberals could survive with a better handling ww1.

Also, what would be the potential economic and political consequences of a strong liberal presence in European politics?
 

Thomas1195

Banned
But, do you have any POD to make the British Conservatives kill themselves like those in Denmark?

For Germany, we can have either no Kulturkampf (which led to Zentrum) or a full-scale one (full-scale means something equivalent to Mao's Cultural Revolution).
 
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