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POD:
The UK demures from entering The Great War in 1914, against the wishes of David Llyod George and Winston Churchill.
However, a compromise is made where David Llyod George and Winston Churchill are tasked with building an Imperial Defence Force, as a deterrent against any possible attack from the European Continent.
The IDF recruits millions from across the Empire, but only citizens of the White Dominions are given positions of high rank.
Furthermore, The Royal Navy(soon to be The Imperial Navy), blockades all trade to and from the continent, making The UK the only power who can send war relief to Europe.
The UK supplies France and Russia with as much Aid as possible, leaving the Germans to rely on resources from their European conquests.
As the War ravages the European powers, Germany desperate for munitions, attacks the Imperial Navy.
Asquith steps down and is replaced by the boisterous David Llyod George, who leads the Imperial Armed Forces into The Great War in 1916
The War has severely weakened all the Great Powers of the European Continent, who is not ready for an ocean of Imperial soldiers who land on Normandy, nor the full-scale attack on Gallipoli.
Imperial forces take complete control of the Dardanelles and soon capture Constantinople. The Ottoman Empire surrenders and begins its journey into complete collapse.
With its southern ally suddenly defeated, the Germans and the Austro-Hungarians find themselves vulnerable from the south.
Russian and Imperial forces, allied with Balkan militaries make a be-line for the Central Powers.
So do French and Imperial forces from the Western Front.
With the two nations finding themselves massively outnumbered, in men and munitions, from a deadly pincer attack, the only option is to take the fight to the seas and threaten the British mainland.
The Kriegsmarine and the Imperial Navy battle it out in the North Sea, but by 1917, every usable ship and sub the Germans can deploy, are the bottom of the high seas
The Central Powers seeing their final gambit fail horrendously, and with Russian forces coming from the East, Imperial Forces from the South, Franco-Imperial Forces from the West, and the threat of an Imperial land invasion from the North, The Central Powers agree to an unconditional surrender in 1917.
Imperial Britain's decisive victory in bringing the Continent to heal, allows David Llyod George to set the Peace Terms. The European allies find themselves completely in debt to the UK and ask for generous aid to rebuild their decimated societies.
David Llyod George must figure out how to prevent a future Great War scenario, and also deal with the calamity ensuing in the Middle East with the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire. However, he is forced to deal with an even greater crisis at home.
To deal with the possibility of an Irish Civil War, David Llyod George hands over the post-War terms in Europe to France, who exacts severe punishments on Germany, calling for disarmament, war reparations, and the loss of its imperial possessions. Furthermore, Germany and Austro-Hungary are broken up, and its territories handed over to France and Russia, with the rest given independence.
This humiliation will not be forgotten by the Germans, nor Imperial Britain signing off on these terms.
David Lloyd George did, however, succeed in gaining complete control over Palestine, and decides to incorporate the Suez Region into Palestine. Egypt is not pleased but is no position to argue.
A spectacular victory in The Great War, coupled with comradery fostered by the creation of an Imperial Armed Forces, causes an explosion pro-imperial sentiment throughout the Empire, however, the question of Irish Home Rule may put the entire concept of Empire in jeopardy.
It became clear that Britain cannot have its cake an eat it too. Many parts of the Empire were increasingly demanding more self- rule, whereas the Dominions, whose contribution in the Great War was universally recognised as decisive to Imperial victory, demanded representation in deciding the future of the Empire.
Furthermore, the cost of administering multiple colonial governments and paying for imperial defence was seen by Britain, as too great as time goes by.
David Lloyd George, looking for solutions is heavily influenced by Lionel Curtis, and comes to the conclusion that Britain has 2 possible futures:
Allow increasing self-rule without representation in imperial decision making and see its Empire soon crumble OR
Create a Federal Imperial System that allows for both autonomy and representation in imperial affairs.
David Lloyd George chooses the latter and campaigns on a Federalisation programme for the Empire in the 1918 General Election.
This divides parliament sharply, as the idea of radically altering Britains political system is hard for many to digest.
Furthermore, the idea that Britains power would be diluted and incoming Dominions into the Federal System would gain power seemed unacceptable to many MPs.
It was also pointed out that none of the Dominions has agreed to a Federal Union, but due to post-Great War pro-Empire sentiment being sky high, the possibility the Dominions would accept was reasonably likely.
Dominion parliaments kept quite as they would not declare intentions before the British General Election.
Parliament is divided by those who support David Lloyd George's vision of a Federal Empire or Great Britannia as the David Lloyd George campaign has named the future union- these are the Lloydist MPs
On the other hand, all others who stand against this radical vision have teamed up behind the greatest ant-federalist of them all- Winston Churchill. Churchill, who is considered the only statesman who is as famous as David Lloyd George, as both men rose to prominence as "the Duo who Won the Great War", sees the 1918 General election as a shot to become Prime Minister. He is aided by the Churchillian MPs.
Lloydist and Churchillian campaigns battle it out, but once the dust settles, David Lloyd George and his coalition of MPs from both Liberal, Conservative, and IPP parties win a clear majority.
The creation of Great Britannia is underway.
The United Kingdom of Great Britannia:
GDP: $12.65T
Net National Worth: $85T
Population: 190M
Area: 19,034,944.9km2
National Capital: Waterloo Palace, London.
Realms(First Order Subdivision): Pop/GDP
Britain- 80M/$5.4T
Canada- 45M/$3T
Australia- 30M/$2T
Mediterranean-10M/$0.65T
South Africa-10M/$0.65T
New Zealand-5M/$0.35T
Singapore- 5M/$0.35T
Caribbean- 5M/$0.25T
Dominions(Second Order Subdivision):
London
Northumbria
Cumbria
Chetham
Yorkshire
The Humber
Midlands
Mercia
East Anglia
Essex
Greater Sussex
Wessex
Cornwall
Scotland
Wales
Ulster
Ireland
Guernsey
Jersey
Isle of Man
Israel
Gibraltar
Malta
Cyprus
Ontario
Aurora
Quebec
New Brunswick
British Columbia
Alberta
Nunavik
Nunavut
Nunatsiavut
Manitoba
Saskatchewan
Nova Scotia
Newfoundland
Cape Breton Island
Labrador
Prince Edward Island
Northwest Territories
Yukon
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
New South Wales
Victoria
Queensland
West Australia
South Australia
North Australia
Tasmania
Seychelles
Mauritius
Christmas Cocos Islands
Maldives
Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Laccadive Islands
North Zealand
South Zealand
Fiji
Kiribati
Nauru
Samoa
Solomon Islands
Vanuatu
Tonga
Tuvalu
Cook Islands
Norfolk Island
Niue
Tokelau
Guyana
Barbados
The Bahamas
Grenada
Dominica
Saint Vincents Islands
Bermuda
Antigua and Barbuda
Saint Kitts
Nevis
Anguilla
Saint Lucia
Virgin Islands
Cayman Islands
Turks and Caicos Islands
Jamaica
Trinidad
Tobago
Belize
Montserrat
Saint Helena
Ascension
Tristan da Cunha
Falkland Island
Singapore
The Cape
The Dominions in bold contain the capital city of each Realm.
Britannian Overseas Territories(Negligible permanent population):