Clement Atlee
National Government
1945-1950
National Government
1945-1950
The removal of Winston Churchill by King George was a shock to Britain. Churchill had faced a vote of no confidence in parliament and when he had hesitated over resignation the king intervened. The King then asked Clement Atlee his deputy Prime Minister and leader of Labour in the national government to be Prime Minister. This caused a rift in the national government with several Tories moving to opposition over this and events that followed
The first thing he did in the role was seek peace with the Soviet Union. The terms offered by the USSR and its new European puppets were punishing. Trade with the continent was heavily limited as the Soviet Union limited trade between communist and "Imperialist" Nations. Any support from the United States was not forthcoming as Harry Truman continued the USA's isolationist stance, focusing their energy inward as the New Deal project continued apace, implementing the Second Bill of rights.
The end of the long, bloody war in Ireland was one of the few positives of the Atlee government although republican violence would continue. Atlee signed the revised Anglo-Irish agreement with Michael Collins in May 1946 and while some troops remained as peacekeepers in the Free State and Ulster, many could now return home to take the place of the annihilated European BEF.
As Britain suffered under the peace agreement with the Soviet Union, paying reperations of both gold and industrial resources, violence in the streets continued. A campaign grew calling for the return of Churchill and to fight the USSR. These protests and riots gained some legitimacy when in spring 1947 Churchill held a series of rallies criticising the National Government for surrenderng to the USSR. These grew huge crowds who often turned violent against the police and several protestors were killed. Many troops returning from Ireland (and the trickle of POWs returned by the USSR) found themselves agreeing with Churchill, having spilt blood only to surrender, in their eyes. The chant of "No Surrender! No surrender! No surrender to the USSR" became a popular cry for anti-communists in pubs and streets across the country
This violence built and built until running battles between Government troops and pro-Churchill militias. The final push into outright civil war was the Duke of Windsor, the abdicated Edward VIII. He gave a speech pledging his support to Churchill and his sentiments. With apparent Royal ascent the movement built. With entire cities being captured by the "Edwardian" forces, as they had dubbed themselves. The country tore itself apart. Communist sympathisers, percieved or real were dragged into the street. National government MPs were arrested by Edwardian police. Noted casualties in this time were the Labour MP Aneurin Bevan, "New Labour" MP and leader of the opposition, Oswald Mosley and the Economist John Keynes.
Finally, by 1950, Liverpool the final major holdout of government forces fell and Atlee's government surrendered with opposition Tories returning to government. Many members of the Atlee government once again took their place on the government benches with Churchill back in power. There would be no surrender to the Soviet Union.