Happy and Glorious.

[Devolved]

Happy and Glorious

continued

September 1st to September 30th 1946




China


Kuomintang forces took Dalian but had to be careful as the Russians were still in nearby Port Arthur. There were now 15 Soviet divisions in Manchuria as Stalin was also having to demobilize because of labour shortages within the Soviet Union. However, the withdrawal was still slower than the Chinese expected.

The Soviet La 5 fighters flying in Chinese Communist colours shot down 2 KMT Baltimores and a Hudson for now loss. This was the first direct Soviet intervention in the civil war.

Truman decided to send George Marshall on yet another fact finding tour in China. The main purpose was to see whether the government of Chiang had made progress with promised social reforms and efforts to eradicate corruption. There was also the issue as to whether to increase aid and deploy US air power.

Vietnam

General LeClerc declared Indochina to be secured and that the Viet Minh were reduced to a few jungle bandits that could be dealt with by the police. In the Viet Duc mountain area Ho Chi Minh and his officers counted 5,000 armed fighters still available but they were short of weapons and most important of all ammunition.

Indonesia

An air strike by the Dutch air force killed Sukarno's deputy Hatta. In Indonesia too victory was being declared by the European powers.

Singapore

Field Marshall Auchinleck is replaced as Commander in Chief of South East Asia with General Slim. Auchinleck was moved to command the Indian Army.

Iran

The Shah of Iran was now under considerable pressure to do something about the Republic of Azerbaijan. He was finally persuaded by his angry Parliament to send troops. On September 9th 6,000 Iranian soldiers lacking heavy weapons crossed into the Republic and marched towards Tabriz. The Azeris were able to deploy just 2,500 men of their own and they put up resistance. The Azeri President appealed to Stalin for direct help. Stalin felt that he was on safe diplomatic ground as it was the Tehran government that had used force to settle a dispute that had been taken to the UN.

Soviet Airforce Stormoviks strafed the Iranian troops on September 10th while a Russian tank division blocked the Tabriz road. By September 18th the Iranians fell back to the border after losing 129 killed. The Russians lost 2 soldiers killed.

Palestine


A bomb attack on the King David Hotel in Jerusalem killed 49 British service personnel and civilians and 19 other people. The British responded by appointing General Gott as the new commander of British forces in Palestine. Churchill condemned the attack and said that the policy of restricting Jewish immigration would continue. He was also aware of the need to keep the Egyptian government happy during the negotiations for a new post war settlement in Egypt.

TBC

 

[Devolved]

OK, I meant that British also occuppied Zadar and area around Zadar at the end of war...

BTW. I'm still angry at you for letting the communist rule over my city after the war.

There may be rollback.

 

[zeppelin247]

it is interesting to see how long this peace in the colonies will last, Britain may be able to hold on longer due to loosing a lot less prestige and is a in a general stronger global position but cant last for ever

 

[usertron2020]

Happy and Glorious

continued

September 1st to September 30th 1946


Germany

British Sector

The financial burden to the British of the occupation was less than OTL as Germany was not subjected to the same level de industrialization. One problem was what to do with the poltical situation. Many pre Nazi (1) era officials had emerged and were being employed as mayors and officials.

1) OTL the problem with that was the age of these people (retirees) and those banned (and thus w/out serious experience) from such political work BECAUSE they weren't Nazis.

However, Churchill was not interested in a witch hunt of Nazis except for the most senior ones. It was Churchill's character to hate his enemies until they were defeated and then want to be friends with them. (2)

2) Yeah, but this is Post-Final Solution. The fact that TTL's Holocaust "isn't as bad" as OTL won't mean diddly-squat to the horrified people in this world. This is just one of the things that helped get Patton fired OTL. OTOH, there was the practice of using low-level Nazis to go turncoat and testify against guiltier Nazis in exchange for clemency and a job. Henry Kissinger once gave the job of local Police Chief to a Gestapo officer in exchange for all the names he had of his former comrades!

The German Kriegsmarine was now reduced to 300 minesweepers and apporoximately 200 E boats plus 1 destroyer. This force was to be maintained in order to help clear the thousands of mines and fight smuggling. On September 5th Admiral Canaris (who had avoided execution ITTL) was appointed the commander of the new Coastal Marine. His anti Nazi past was made public and even exaggerated in order not to provoke outrage that a senior Nazi era commander had been reinstated.

Great idea about Canaris and using him this way. But would the Germans even have 300 minesweepers and 200 E-Boats LEFT at this point? And how do they pay for all this so soon after VE-Day?

As this was being done there were also plans to form a new German homeguard that would serve under British command. Churchill talked about Hessian mercenaries when questioned about it.

Churchill's in BIG trouble if he thinks he can get away with this so soon after the war and with a marginal working Parliamentary majority. At this point, he almost can't politically survive WITHOUT WWIII. AND it's got to be a pretty unprovoked Soviet First Strike scenario (ala Finnish Winter War) to rally the country THIS time. At least Stalin APPEARS, anyway, to be publicly keeping his mouth relatively shut.

American Sector

Patton was increasingly uncomfortable about sitting in an office as governor of Germany. He had been persuaded to keep the job by close aides who told him that it would be good for his future political career if he could show that he was a man of peaceful administration as well as war. He was already aware of the whisperings about Eisenhower running in 1948.

Patton had all the electability of a dead fish. In comparison, MacArthur would have been looking at a 48 state sweep, and Mac couldn't carry even a Republican primary in 1948. Even WITHOUT the slapping incident, insulting the Soviets at the UK press conference, or having Drew Pearson (and half the US reporters in Europe) personally dedicated to his destruction, there is just no way such a militarized individual would be acceptable to the American people.

In his own diary, he said that "...peace is going to be Hell on me." This was a man who only planned for the next battle, campaign, or war. He was no politician, and he knew it. I wonder if he would have taken the Presidency on a gold platter. Anyway, Ike would have destroyed him.

Another thing that concerned Patton was the withdrawal of US forces. He shared the British view of the Soviet threat and was openly talking of a new military alliance to guarantee European peace.

Patton's problem with that was only in his inability to keep quiet about it.

Yugoslavia

Tito's government released the British and Italian prisoners taken in Zadar but insisted that the town was now his.

More border clashes resulted in 124 Communist and 98 non communist killed.

On September 10th the British cruiser HMS Cleopatra struck a mine and sank with the loss of 72 men. The British blamed the Tito government and demanded an apology and compensation. Tito's government replied that the ship must have struck a wartime mine that hadn't been swept.

Churchill ordered HMS Belfast and 2 more destroyers to the Adriatic.

How little of Yugoslavia does Tito control that he would be so trigger-happy ITTL?

UK

HMS Irresistible (34,000 tons full load) joined the Fleet and was immediately ordered to the Mediterranean. She carried with her an air component of 21 Fireflies, 20 Sea hornets, 18 Sea Furies and 14 Barracudas.

Gwilym Lloyd George the First Lord of the Admiralty informed Churchill that the Navy could not be maintained at it's present size unless demobilization was halted. The fleet was very strong and had been kept at a higher level than even the US Navy seemed to be. Very soon the Royal Navy would be the number one Navy again unless the Americans halted their own post war rundown. (3) However, this happy dream would be unlikely to be achieved as financial problems started to bite.

3) If the USN comes out of WWII smaller than the RN, and the British Government doesn't fall when that fact is announced, the Labour and Liberal Parties should both just pack their bags, leave Parliament, and forget that politics ever existed.

Despite the international situation it was necessary to send the Battleships Nelson, Rodney (4) and Hood to the shipyards to be refitted. The same was deemed necessary for the Illustrious and Indomitable both of which would require extensive modernization. As a result of the withdrawal of these two fleet carriers a plan to send the Glorious to the scrapyard was abandoned for now.

Instead HMS Glorious (5) was to be given a short refit in Gibralter and serve in the Mediterranean.

4) I'm not the only one who has noticed the fact that even CHURCHILL knew postwar that BOTH of the Nelsons could not be retained.

5) As a museum ship? She certainly has earned it!

The Labour Party faced a turbulent Party Conference as Atlee's leadership was criticized for not fighting Churchill hard enough and allowing the country to drift towards a Third World War. Others were worried about the growth of the far left that was looking to Aneurin Bevan for leadership and wanted Atlee to deal with them more firmly. This was not Atlee's style.

A few days before the Conference Atlee announced that he would resign the leadership. The result was a leadership contest that had Herbert Morrison, Ernest Bevin, Aneurin Bevin, Emmanuel Shinwell and Hugh Dalton.

Thanks to the support of the Trades Unions the winner was Ernest Bevin. (6) He immediately said that he wanted Atlee to be his deputy leader.

TBC

(6) Hmm. Unless "ATL" and "POD" are invoked, this means either Labour is going to continue in the wilderness for a long time to come, Ernest Bevan will be run over by a bus, or (if E. Bevan becomes PM someday) TTL will undergo a fundamental change in direction.

I've noticed in many TLs regarding MANY countries and their political parties that there is a tendency to follow the "My one party rule". Meaning, after the Reagan-Bush Era (12 years), and the Thatcher-Major Era (18 years), and the Blair-Brown Era (13 years) {Even France, until two weeks ago, has had only three Presidents in the last 31 years}, people who have grown up since the Seventies only remember (in Britain, France, and America, at least) parties ruling for a very uninterrupted very long time. In the US we have had only one 1 term POTUS in the last 30 years.

But the political changes in the world at the end of WWII do NOT favor statism, nor incumbency. Only the primordial nature of the right wing of the Republican Party as it existed at the time (plus Thomas E. Dewey's incompetent campaign) allowed Truman to be elected in 1948. Even with a "better result" for Britain in WWII only temporarily holds back the inevitable political and Tolstoyan forces of history. There will some day be a time of reckoning for the Tories. The longer it takes, the bigger the tsunami that reckoning will be.

 

[abc123]

How little of Yugoslavia does Tito control that he would be so trigger-happy ITTL?

Tito ITTL controls about 3/4 of Yugoslavia.
But he was pretty trigger-happy even OTL when evreything went into his favour, so his TTL behaviour is for entirely reasonable and plausable.

 

[Devolved]

Happy and Glorious

continued

October 1st to October 15th 1946


Yugoslavia

Two ex WW2 Italian patrol boats now being used by the Yugoslav communists approached the cruiser HMS Mauritius. The ship signalled to the Yugoslavs to withdraw but were ignored. Then the Mauritius fired warning shots from their AA guns and were still ignored. Finally she opened fire with her 6" guns. One shell landed next to a patrol boat and holed the hull. The boat sank taking 4 of her crew while the other ship withdrew. The survivors were rescued by the cruiser.

Poland

One of the Russian over flights made a navigational error and Polish air force Spitfires immediately pounced on them and shot down 2 Li 2 transport planes resulting in the deaths of 19 Russians.

The next day 22 La 7 fighters made an aggressive sweep over Polish territory and were met by Polish Spitfires. The resulting dogfight led to 8 Russian fighters being shot down for the loss of 2 Spitfires. The day after that Stormoviks escorted by La5 and La 7s attacked an airfield destroying 3 Spitfires and a C 47 on the ground.

Furious diplomatic activity ensued as the Polish government ordered full mobilization. The Soviet Union put it's own forces on full alert and Stalin didn't think he needed a full mobilization since his forces were already quite large. President Truman urged a peaceful solution and offered to send a peace envoy to broker a settlement.

UK

A series of wildcat coal strikes lead to worries about fuel stocks for the winter. Opinion polls now showed that support for Labour had risen to 48% to 39% for the Tories in the aftermath of Bevin's election to the Party leadership.

Another major issue was housing. There was no co ordinated plan for housing although Churchill was not opposed to the idea of a housing program. The only work achieved until now had been repair work to 200,000 houses mostly in London. The private sector had started to build houses but there was a shortage of both Labour and materials. On the positive side the demand was high and private investment in the construction industry was rising. The government was hopeful that house building would accelerate in 1947.

TBC

 

[The Oncoming Storm]

UK

A series of wildcat coal strikes lead to worries about fuel stocks for the winter. Opinion polls now showed that support for Labour had risen to 48% to 39% for the Tories in the aftermath of Bevin's election to the Party leadership.

Another major issue was housing. There was no co ordinated plan for housing although Churchill was not opposed to the idea of a housing program. The only work achieved until now had been reapir work to 200,000 houses mostly in London. The private sector house had started to build houses but there was a shortage of both Labour and materials. On the positive side the demand was high and private investment in the construction industry was rising. The government was hopeful that house building would accelerate in 1947.

TBC

Uh-oh

1945 was probably a real good election to lose in any TL.

 

[Devolved]

Uh-oh

1945 was probably a real good election to lose in any TL.

Yes unfortunately there's no way of changing the 1947 winter!

 

[Devolved]

Happy and Glorious

continued

October 1st to October 31st 1946


China

The KMT moved advanced towards Shenyang with 8 divisions and support troops totalling 75,000 men. The Communists gave battle and were defeated fairly easily although in one small tank battle the KMT lost 3 Grants and 7 Shermans destroyed without knocking out a single communist T 34.

On October 22nd Shenyang fell to the KMT but then found their supply lines coming under guerrilla attack. Mao and his generals had decided to change tactics and to resort to irregular warfare until at least more weapons could be obtained. In the air the communists did slightly better. The Russian pilotsalone shot down 9 fighters and 5 bombers for the loss of 2 planes. The Americans lost a C47 to AA fire as they airlifted supplies to the KMT in Manchuria.

George Marshall was almost fooled by Chiang but the situation was too obvious for Chiang to cover up completely.The social reforms were often not being implemented at all and it was clear that Chiang's government couldn't govern effectively until something was done about the Warlords but it was these same Warlords that provided Chiang with his main support against Mao. Despite the problems he saw he reasoned that the United States had little choice but to continue sending aid.

Vietnam

The Viet Minh were able to overrun two police stations north of Hanoi. Although militarily not significant it gave a huge morale boost to Ho Chi Minh's forces.

Iran

It was now clear that Iranian Azerbaijan was no more than a Soviet satellite. The defeat of the Shah's forces brought about a major political crisis that resulted in mass demonstrations in Tehran. The demonstrations frightened the elite who had never witnessed public opinion being mobilized in this way. Some of the protests were from the Tudeh Party but others were more religious in nature.

The Shah hated the British for overthrowing his father and forcing him into exile where he had died in 1944 but he had no choice but to ask for their help. He placed an order for tanks, artillery and planes to equip his forces.
The British responded by offering more war surplus stock. The Shah insisted on modern weapons but the British said that they needed modern weapons for themselves and their Allies and that if he did want modern weapons he would have to purchase at full market prices. At the same time the British government suggested that Tehran should enter talks with a view to joining a new Middle Eastern power bloc under British leadership with the French in Syria and the British dominated government in Iraq plus the British Indian Government too.

The Shah was wary of joining a British dominated Alliance and instead signed a hastily put together deal for the supply of 48 Comet Tanks, 72 field guns (mostly 25 pounders), 28 anti Tank guns, various small arms and ammunition plus 22 Tempests, 9 Mosquitoes,11 training aircraft and an order for 34 brand new Maelstroms (the first overseas customer for the fighter).

In Iranian Azerbaijan the government took a more acitve role in recruiting new men for their army while the Russians promised more weapons.

TBC

 

[Roisterer]

Yes unfortunately there's no way of changing the 1947 winter!

OK, so we can rule out massive nuclear war (at least over Britain)

That's a relief.

Regards

R

 

[usertron2020]

OK, so we can rule out massive nuclear war (at least over Britain)

That's a relief.

Regards

R

That would be kind of tough with only one side having the Bomb.

 

[usertron2020]

Happy and Glorious

continued

October 1st to October 15th 1946

Poland
Furious diplomatic activity ensued as the Polish government ordered full mobilization. The Soviet Union put it's own forces on full alert and Stalin didn't think he needed a full mobilization since his forces were already quite large. President Truman urged a peaceful solution and offered to send a peace envoy to broker a settlement.

There are those that might say that the Truman Administration as being awfully pacifistic compared to OTL, but I think the OP has it right here. After all, Truman has to balance his foreign policy in the West compared to a much more pugnacious Churchill Government, rather than Atlee's.

But OTOH, Truman, and his SecState, were NOT known as men of patience. He has already gotten Stalin's measure once, and for Harry, that was always enough. Stalin, at Potsdam, realized he had on his hands a scrappy brawler, not the naive pushover he was expecting.

I think Truman and his people at this time are simply building up their Bomb stockpiles and figure that will be deterrent enough. Time, for now, is on their side.

UK

A series of wildcat coal strikes lead to worries about fuel stocks for the winter. Opinion polls now showed that support for Labour had risen to 48% to 39% for the Tories in the aftermath of Bevin's election to the Party leadership.

I DO NOT pretend to understand the intricacies of the British Parliamentary System. But I DO have a question: Would this not be a time for the Labour Party to try for a No Confidence Vote, and force a new election? Or is the relationship between the Socialists and Liberals so caustic as to make a Left-Center coalition impossible?

Another major issue was housing. There was no co ordinated plan for housing although Churchill was not opposed to the idea of a housing program. The only work achieved until now had been repair work to 200,000 houses mostly in London. The private sector had started to build houses but there was a shortage of both Labour and materials. On the positive side the demand was high and private investment in the construction industry was rising. The government was hopeful that house building would accelerate in 1947.

TBC

Housing was THE big issue for Americans coming home from the war. If Churchill is still launching new aircraft carriers and refitting old battleships (And the US Navy is demobilizing!) while cities in Britain lay in relative ruin in terms of having places to live (and the USA is launching new federal housing programs) the people of Britain will soon be seething.

If there's no WWIII, Labour's numbers can only go up.

 

[usertron2020]

Uh-oh

1945 was probably a real good election to lose in any TL.

I don't understand? The Labour Party won in 1945 OTL, was in power that winter, and continued on so for another six years?

 

[StevoJH]

Housing was THE big issue for Americans coming home from the war. If Churchill is still launching new aircraft carriers and refitting old battleships (And the US Navy is demobilizing!) while cities in Britain lay in relative ruin in terms of having places to live (and the USA is launching new federal housing programs) the people of Britain will soon be seething.

If there's no WWIII, Labour's numbers can only go up.

Yes and no. As long as any remaining R-class and QE class battleships are retired the RN will have less battleships in service then at the start of the war.

In terms of total fleet size the RN *is* demobilising. The majority of its small convoy escorts and older light and heavy cruisers along with escort and old carriers will presumably be either decommissioned for scrapping or placed into reserve.

Remember that in OTL all the Implacable and Illustrious class carriers along with the KGV class and HMS Vanguard remained in service for a considerable time after the war.

 

[The Oncoming Storm]

I don't understand? The Labour Party won in 1945 OTL, was in power that winter, and continued on so for another six years?

The country was in a terrible state with massive investment needed in the economy, housing and infrastructure. While Labour won a huge landslide in 1945, the public mood turned against then over the following years because of the failure to end rationing, economic weakness and the response to the Winter of 46/47. The fact Atlee barely held on in 1950 tells you just how unhappy people were, he was unlucky to lose in 1951 but Labour was subsequently out of power for 13 years.

 

[usertron2020]

The country was in a terrible state with massive investment needed in the economy, housing and infrastructure. While Labour won a huge landslide in 1945, the public mood turned against then over the following years because of the failure to end rationing, economic weakness and the response to the Winter of 46/47. The fact Atlee barely held on in 1950 tells you just how unhappy people were, he was unlucky to lose in 1951 but Labour was subsequently out of power for 13 years.

Thank you for straightening me out. I had always thought Labour had held on until 1953. Oh well...

 

[Devolved]

The country was in a terrible state with massive investment needed in the economy, housing and infrastructure. While Labour won a huge landslide in 1945, the public mood turned against then over the following years because of the failure to end rationing, economic weakness and the response to the Winter of 46/47. The fact Atlee barely held on in 1950 tells you just how unhappy people were, he was unlucky to lose in 1951 but Labour was subsequently out of power for 13 years.

To be fair Labour's support held. What happened was that the Liberal vote collapsed by 1950 and their supporters switched to the Tories.

Similar to now in the UK. Labour's support has gone up in the opinion polls since 2010 because the LibDem vote has crashed to the floor. It's UKIP that is taking Tory support these days not Labour.

 

[usertron2020]

To be fair Labour's support held. What happened was that the Liberal vote collapsed by 1950 and their supporters switched to the Tories.(1)

Similar to now in the UK. Labour's support has gone up in the opinion polls since 2010 because the LibDem vote has crashed to the floor. It's UKIP that is taking Tory support these days not Labour.(2)

1) I wonder how much of that (economics had a lot to do with it too, I understand that) was linked (if at all) with the start of the Korean War and the Cold War beginning in earnest?

2) Doesn't that represent more of a party split for the Tories? Weakening them while strengthening Labour? (3) I mean, despite UKIP's successes elsewhere, they have never won a seat in the House of Commons, yes? I'm making no accusations of the UKIP itself (for all I know they are nothing more than Britain's answer to the American Libertarian Party), but there are any number of parties on the Continent that have had SOME political support over the years yet have never come close to power in their own right.

(3) Reminds me of the Social Democratic Alliance split away from Labour during the nutsy-cuckoo days of Michael Foot's time as Opposition Leader.

 

[Neala]

1) I wonder how much of that (economics had a lot to do with it too, I understand that) was linked (if at all) with the start of the Korean War and the Cold War beginning in earnest?

2) Doesn't that represent more of a party split for the Tories? Weakening them while strengthening Labour? (3) I mean, despite UKIP's successes elsewhere, they have never won a seat in the House of Commons, yes? I'm making no accusations of the UKIP itself (for all I know they are nothing more than Britain's answer to the American Libertarian Party), but there are any number of parties on the Continent that have had SOME political support over the years yet have never come close to power in their own right.

(3) Reminds me of the Social Democratic Alliance split away from Labour during the nutsy-cuckoo days of Michael Foot's time as Opposition Leader.

1. Not so much. Liberal support has always collapsed shortly after they go into coalition with the Tories. Makes you wonder what the current lot were thinking...

2. Pretty accurate. UKIP effectively represent the old far right wing of the Tory party. The BNP incidentally pretty much represent the old far right of the Labour party

3. Yep

 

[Devolved]

Happy and Glorious

continued

October 16th to October 31st 1946


Poland

By October 18th the Poles had called up 500,000 men. Apart from perhaps 67 serviceable Shermans and 59 Cromwells they had nothing to match a Soviet invasion. Their airforce was made up of WW2 Spitfires, Mosquitoes, Typhoons and even some Wellingtons.

The Soviets had amassed 30 divisions on her eastern and northern border and another 14 on her west. This force totalled 450,000 troops and 900 tanks most of them T34/85s with a few IS 2s.

Truman and Churchill both agreed that a Three Power summit was needed to diffuse the situation. Stalin refused to meet on the grounds that there was nothing to discuss and that this was a private matter involving Poland and the Soviet Union.

Stalin's refusal was widely reported in the press and comparisons were now openly being made in some newspapers between Stalin and Hitler. It also reopened the old issue of the Molotov/Ribbentrop Pact that had had divided Poland in 1939. With Soviet forces on both borders the comparison became easier to make.

President Truman was now in a dilemma. Should he openly make a declaration of support for Poland or should he wait until the Soviets actually attack? Isolationsim was threatening to return and Truman and most of the American military and business elite were anxious to avoid that. There was also the feeling of guilt that America had stood by and done nothing for Poland in 1939 and shouldn't do the same in 1946 with the same disastrous long term results. The Republicans were torn between isolationist tendencies and opposition to Communist expansion and were not putting forward a coherent alternative to anything the Truman administration was doing in foreign affairs.

On October 20th Churchill made a speech in praise of Polish valour but in private he was very worried about a war. Although he wanted to destroy the Soviet Union or at least 'throw them over the River Bug' he knew that Britain couldn't do it and the Americans were now just 5 divsions strong in Europe.

Stalin was actually not planning on a war at all. He was simply engaged in brinkmanship and bullying. He knew he could crush Poland but saw no need if they could be intimidated into compliance. He already had as much of Poland as he felt he needed but unfortunately only a few in the West understood this.

On the other hand there were members of his Politburo who thought that the West had no stomach for a fight and that the Soviet Union should strike before the Americans build more atom bombs. Their intelligence services reported that the Americans had 13 Bombs (it was actually 12). The Soviet Union could absorb 13 bombs they said even if all the bombers were able to reach their targets which of course they wouldn't.

Stalin however, was also aware that the Soviet Union was still devastated from the war and was suffering from shortages of locomotives, trucks and food. Of course the Russian people were accustomed to hardships and dissent had been ruthlessly crushed with thousands of war veterans and vast numbers of liberated POWs in the Gulag. He also knew that the Soviet Union was working on it's own Atom bomb and he also believed that the economy would recover faster and then have superior growth to the West in the years ahead. In other words he felt time was on his side.

On the other hand opportunities should not be missed.

On October 22nd there were serious disturbances in Warsaw as pro communist Poles demonstrated against what they believed was the reactionary old fashioned government. Supporters of the government attacked the demonstrators as the police looked on. The result was over 48 hours of fighting that left 19 people dead. This was a God send to the Russian propaganda machine and brought disappointment to Churchill who was trying to win sympathy for Poland. The truth was that most of the Left in Britain and throughout Europe had little regard for the Warsaw government.

On October 25th Russian newsreels showed pictures of Polish communist refugees trying to flee across the border into Soviet annexed Poland. Of course the newsreels failed to show that most of the refugees were transported to NKVD work camps in the Ukraine.

The Russians sent a letter of protest to the UN about the repressive policies of the Polish government. They also tried to introduce a UN Resolution calling for sanctions. As expected the UK vetoed and the US and China abstained.

On October 28th Churchill met Patton in Nuremburg where the trials were still being conducted. Goebbels had been sentenced first. As Propaganda Minister he was seen as an integral part of the Nazi regime when actually he was on the fringes but there was more than enough evidence to sentence him to death.

Patton was sympathetic to the idea of a Transatlantic European Alliance (especially if he were in command) put forward by Churchill. The British Prime Minister hoped that by winning over the US military he could influence Washington into making the same committment to Europe as his own country.

Istanbul

Anthony Eden finally achieved his aim of creating a new Balkan Alliance that would hopefully complement the Dunkirk Treaty.

The Istanbul Treaty was signed by Britain, Turkey, Bulgaria and Greece.

Austria

The British and Americans decide to merge their occuaption zones as a prelude to a full rehabillitation of Austria as an independent nation. The merger would take place on January 1st 1947.

UK

The Light carrier HMS Majestic entered service as did the cruiser HMS Blake.

The government was warned that coal stocks were low and to buy time they awarded a nationwide pay rise to the coal miners. The old regional wage differentials were also abolished earlier than planned. Noticeably the demand for nationalisation from the unions was not mentioned in the final negotiations.

Under pressure from the Liberals the Tories announced that parts of the Beveridge report on health would start to be implemented from 1947 onwards. They also announced that the Butler Education Act with it's plan to raise the school leaving age to 15 was to come into full effect in the school year starting September 1947. The giving of free school milk had already been implemented.

The battlecruiser HMS Repulse returned from the Mediterranean and was seen to be in such a poor condition that it would cost a fortune to refit her. Even with the threat of a Third World War Lloyd George persuaded Churchill that it made more sense for the ship be withdrawn and scrapped and her crew freed for other ships. The Ship lowered her flag for the last time on Octber 30th.

TBC