DBWI AHC: An Earlier (and different) Churchill Premiership

Hi guys,

I'm sure you don't need me to tell you, but Randolph Churchill remains one of Britain’s most fascinating Prime Ministers to this day, from his time at Downing Street from 1961 until his death in September 1970.

However, less is commonly known about his father, Winston Churchill SR, who in OTL was killed in a traffic accident in New York on December the 13th 1931. Winston was a pretty big name in politics himself in OTL, serving as Home Secretary, First Laud of the Admiralty and Chancellor at various points in his political career.

Your challenge, should you choose to except it, is to make Winston the first Churchill to become PM, rather than Randy in OTL. Bonus points if you can make him as fondly regarded (or moreso) than Randy is in reality, double bonus if you can prevent his accident (or at least make him survive) then engineer a scenario where he becomes PM later on in life. Winston was a big drinker and smoker in OTL by the way, so if you can do all of this without him giving that up, that'd be great.

So, is it possible?

Ooc: I know it's a common Pod, but I like to think this is more of an original take on its results than 'Turning Point'... In any case, no Turning Point like scenario has come about as a result of Churchill's death ITTL and the UK is still very much a democrasy.
 
Well, it would be difficult... I hope this isn't asb...

I suppose his greatest chance would be an even worse General Strike, with the upper classes who tried doing the jobs having to do them even longer and eventually giving up themselves. Let the government collapse and the disgraced Baldwin would probably try clinging on by his fingernails, Churchill tells him to send in armed troops, which he eventually does leading to his downfall as it becomes a bloodbath. Baldwin has no credibility to suggest Chamberlain, and Churchill as Chancellor becomes the natural successor. In the interim, Churchill remains leader whilst MacDonald forms a government out of a coalition.

Eventually, MacDonald attracts a number of Conservative defectors and is branded a traitor, Mosley still comes to the fore with his 1930 'Memorandum' and the rest is infamous history.

Churchill would probably glide into office with the divisions in Labour in about 1931, butterflying away his death. Expect massive re-armament projects and an increasingly downbeat populace - probably isn't reelected in 1936 but serves out a full term. The Mosley Coalition is fortunate to inherit the arms and defence which would be handy for the Second World War. Churchill therefore inherits a reputation as a prophet rather than his reactionary image that arrived due to the General Strike.

After the war ends in 1944, Churchill wins again, whether he'll serve out a full term is anyone's guess, the amount he smoked and drank, and he'd be about 70, I'd expect a stroke to finish him off sometime in the 40s, or perhaps the harsh winter of '47.
 
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