A New World Order: 1945-1950
Chapter 3 Part 3 - Origins of Churchill's Dictatorship
After the British victory in WW2, Churchill was praised for leading the empire to victory in the darkest of times. Back in 1940, the British faced their darkest hour. Mainland France was on the verge of falling to the German blitzkrieg in and many feared that the British isles were next on Hitler's chopping block. The primary leader for an armistice was Lord Halifax, who was the primary voice for the former policy of appeasement for Hitler's expansion and militarization. With Churchill in power and rejected any notion of a peace deal with Hitler and the axis, Halifax and Chamberlain's former advisories were growing upset with Churchill. Halifax believed that the British should explore the option for a negotiated peace settlement. In May 1940, the proposal and released to Churchill and he opposed the deal and resisted the proposed peace settlement.
Many figures in the British government backed Halifax, believing that Churchill was leading the British Empire into a suicidal war with the Germans and their unstoppable war machine. Clement Attlee, Arthur Greenwood, Sir Archibald Sinclair all support Halifax's proposal for the peace settlement. Churchill tried to get the support of Chamberlain and convince him to support war but he aligned himself with Halifax. They tried to get Churchill to resign as prime minister but he refused, so Halifax tried to plot a coup to depose of Churchill. A battalion of the British home guard assigned by Halifax tried to march into the House of Commons and take it over in June 1940 and they declared a new government. Churchill was not present in the House of Commons but was in a war cabinet meeting. Outraged, he rallied the people of British people to resist the coup attempt, giving a speech that traitors have taken over Britain.
A British tank patrols the streets of London during the June Coup, circa 1940
The British were moved by Churchill's speech and protests broke out across London in defiance of the June Coup. Halifax continued to resist and the coup plot was finally thwarted when the British army sided with Churchill. Pro-Churchill units rolled into London and surrounded the House of Commons and a standoff took place for a day. Fighting took place after a misfire, overwhelmed, the pro-Halifax brigade was overwhelmed and the House of Commons was retaken and the coup perpetrators were arrested. As a result of the June Coup, Churchill assumed dictatorial control of the British government and installed all pro-Churchill politicians to power. No one really cared about Churchill's dictatorial control due to the war being first propriety but after WW2 concluded in an allied victory and the next election was in the horizon, Churchill's iron fist over Britain would be exposed.
The 1945 election was to take place in July but anything resembling a normal democratic election was not present. The Labor Party was greatly weakened and reduced to a weak shell of itself after the June Coup of 1940. When elections took place, there was an influx of propaganda that ridiculed the labor party and lots of pro-Churchill flyers were released into the public. The "New Liberal" party was created in 1946 with the merging of the National Liberals and the Liberals in one party, although its primary use was to curb voters from voting labor. The Conservative Part under Churchill praised itself for Britain's victory in WW2 and promised on a optimistic post war future. Once the ballots went trough, there was numerous rigging and manipulation to make the election look like a victory for Churchill. After the election took place, it ended in a Conservative victory and Churchill continued to be prime minister, and he made sure it was oblivious to the world of the election rigging.
Churchill, victory of the 1945 election - Conservative Party
Hugh Dalton - Labor Party
Clement Davies - New Liberal Party
The British also emerged from the Second World War in relatively good shape economical wise, with them retaining most of their industrial complex from the worst of the Luftwaffe unlike the rest of Europe. The economy was unstable after WW2 for a few year after war formally concluded and the demobilization process from a total war economy to a peacetime economy was difficult due to the whole "total war" and "maximum production" quotes enforced. The technocratic programs instantiated by Churchill during WW2 to help the war effort were preserved by Churchill and was converted for use for a peace time economy. The British economy was still the most powerful in all of Europe in the post war period. With the British economy in good shape, the British managed to pay off much of the war debt accumulated during WW2.
Meanwhile, back in Europe, war was not totally over. Problems started to brew up in Spain, under Franco's fascist regime. Spain was accused of hosting Nazi war criminals by the British and French and demanded Franco to hand them over. Franco rejected at the premise of Spain hosting war criminals and refused any Franco-British investigation into it in March 1946. The British did no military response but sent a secret MI6 agent to stir up a coup against Franco. All of this was part of Churchill's plan to "remove" the last stain of Fascism in Europe and also to get most of Europe on board for the pro-British future European Union project. In June of 1946, MI6 agents were able to foster a split between Spanish conservatives and create a considerable resistance to Falangism. A coup was launched by more moderate conservatives with heavy British backing and was able to successfully depose of Franco. Some hardcore pro-Franco Falangists put up some resistance against the conservative coup but lost. The Spanish monarchy was officially restored and a rightist but non fascist pro-British government took over. Franco was exiled to Venezuela after the coup where he lived until his death in 1977.
Tanks in Madrid following the coup, circa 1946
New plans were revealed for Germany. The British and the French greatly encouraged separate German identities and the program saw a significant degree of separatism, especially among the North and South Germans. In April of 1946, Bavaria officially declared de jure independence and restored the monarchy, abolished back in 1918. The French greatly backed the Bavarians and were among the first to recognize the nation. The British also were prepping Hanover to be integrated back into the United Kingdom. The borders of the old 1815 Kingdom of Hanover were re-established and it was formally annexed back into Britain on October 12, 1950. The Saarland also was annexed by France for "reparations" for WW2. Finally in 1950, after years of planning, Germany was to be split up into many states as it was before 1871. All of the monarchies of the German state were invited back to their thrones and new kingdoms were crafted, such as Rhine and Thuringia. Nearly all of Western Germany was under Franco-British domination to make sure the the greatly industrialized and populated West was to be under protection to make sure the Germans stay down. The Germans were also allowed to still have open borders.
1. Duchy of Schleswig-Holstein (Permanent British presence)
2. Duchy of Mecklenburg
3. Duchy of Oldenburg (Permanent British presence)
4. Duchy of Westphalia (Permanent Franco/British presence)
5. Duchy of the Rhine (Permanent Franco/British presence)
6. Duchy of Hessen (Permanent Franco/British presence)
7. Duchy of Thuringia (Permanent Franco/British presence)
8. Duchy of Palatine (Permanent Franco/British presence)
9. Kingdom of Wurttemberg (Permanent Franco/British presence)
10. Kingdom of Baden (Permanent Franco/British presence)
11. Kingdom of Saxony
12. Free City of Danzig
[1] The Germans ITTL were not expelled from the East but some expulsions took place *cough* Czechoslovakia *cough*
[2] Most of Western Europe ITTL is spared much less destruction than in OTL and emerged from Europe as the least war torn.
[3] There wasn't a civil war in Spain against because most of the government, even moderate Falangists, thought it wasn't worth it over Franco to start another brutal civil war.
[4] The German states will adapt a common currency once the European Union is established, thwarting an economic crisis.
After the British victory in WW2, Churchill was praised for leading the empire to victory in the darkest of times. Back in 1940, the British faced their darkest hour. Mainland France was on the verge of falling to the German blitzkrieg in and many feared that the British isles were next on Hitler's chopping block. The primary leader for an armistice was Lord Halifax, who was the primary voice for the former policy of appeasement for Hitler's expansion and militarization. With Churchill in power and rejected any notion of a peace deal with Hitler and the axis, Halifax and Chamberlain's former advisories were growing upset with Churchill. Halifax believed that the British should explore the option for a negotiated peace settlement. In May 1940, the proposal and released to Churchill and he opposed the deal and resisted the proposed peace settlement.
Many figures in the British government backed Halifax, believing that Churchill was leading the British Empire into a suicidal war with the Germans and their unstoppable war machine. Clement Attlee, Arthur Greenwood, Sir Archibald Sinclair all support Halifax's proposal for the peace settlement. Churchill tried to get the support of Chamberlain and convince him to support war but he aligned himself with Halifax. They tried to get Churchill to resign as prime minister but he refused, so Halifax tried to plot a coup to depose of Churchill. A battalion of the British home guard assigned by Halifax tried to march into the House of Commons and take it over in June 1940 and they declared a new government. Churchill was not present in the House of Commons but was in a war cabinet meeting. Outraged, he rallied the people of British people to resist the coup attempt, giving a speech that traitors have taken over Britain.
A British tank patrols the streets of London during the June Coup, circa 1940
The British were moved by Churchill's speech and protests broke out across London in defiance of the June Coup. Halifax continued to resist and the coup plot was finally thwarted when the British army sided with Churchill. Pro-Churchill units rolled into London and surrounded the House of Commons and a standoff took place for a day. Fighting took place after a misfire, overwhelmed, the pro-Halifax brigade was overwhelmed and the House of Commons was retaken and the coup perpetrators were arrested. As a result of the June Coup, Churchill assumed dictatorial control of the British government and installed all pro-Churchill politicians to power. No one really cared about Churchill's dictatorial control due to the war being first propriety but after WW2 concluded in an allied victory and the next election was in the horizon, Churchill's iron fist over Britain would be exposed.
The 1945 election was to take place in July but anything resembling a normal democratic election was not present. The Labor Party was greatly weakened and reduced to a weak shell of itself after the June Coup of 1940. When elections took place, there was an influx of propaganda that ridiculed the labor party and lots of pro-Churchill flyers were released into the public. The "New Liberal" party was created in 1946 with the merging of the National Liberals and the Liberals in one party, although its primary use was to curb voters from voting labor. The Conservative Part under Churchill praised itself for Britain's victory in WW2 and promised on a optimistic post war future. Once the ballots went trough, there was numerous rigging and manipulation to make the election look like a victory for Churchill. After the election took place, it ended in a Conservative victory and Churchill continued to be prime minister, and he made sure it was oblivious to the world of the election rigging.
Churchill, victory of the 1945 election - Conservative Party
Hugh Dalton - Labor Party
Clement Davies - New Liberal Party
The British also emerged from the Second World War in relatively good shape economical wise, with them retaining most of their industrial complex from the worst of the Luftwaffe unlike the rest of Europe. The economy was unstable after WW2 for a few year after war formally concluded and the demobilization process from a total war economy to a peacetime economy was difficult due to the whole "total war" and "maximum production" quotes enforced. The technocratic programs instantiated by Churchill during WW2 to help the war effort were preserved by Churchill and was converted for use for a peace time economy. The British economy was still the most powerful in all of Europe in the post war period. With the British economy in good shape, the British managed to pay off much of the war debt accumulated during WW2.
Meanwhile, back in Europe, war was not totally over. Problems started to brew up in Spain, under Franco's fascist regime. Spain was accused of hosting Nazi war criminals by the British and French and demanded Franco to hand them over. Franco rejected at the premise of Spain hosting war criminals and refused any Franco-British investigation into it in March 1946. The British did no military response but sent a secret MI6 agent to stir up a coup against Franco. All of this was part of Churchill's plan to "remove" the last stain of Fascism in Europe and also to get most of Europe on board for the pro-British future European Union project. In June of 1946, MI6 agents were able to foster a split between Spanish conservatives and create a considerable resistance to Falangism. A coup was launched by more moderate conservatives with heavy British backing and was able to successfully depose of Franco. Some hardcore pro-Franco Falangists put up some resistance against the conservative coup but lost. The Spanish monarchy was officially restored and a rightist but non fascist pro-British government took over. Franco was exiled to Venezuela after the coup where he lived until his death in 1977.
Tanks in Madrid following the coup, circa 1946
New plans were revealed for Germany. The British and the French greatly encouraged separate German identities and the program saw a significant degree of separatism, especially among the North and South Germans. In April of 1946, Bavaria officially declared de jure independence and restored the monarchy, abolished back in 1918. The French greatly backed the Bavarians and were among the first to recognize the nation. The British also were prepping Hanover to be integrated back into the United Kingdom. The borders of the old 1815 Kingdom of Hanover were re-established and it was formally annexed back into Britain on October 12, 1950. The Saarland also was annexed by France for "reparations" for WW2. Finally in 1950, after years of planning, Germany was to be split up into many states as it was before 1871. All of the monarchies of the German state were invited back to their thrones and new kingdoms were crafted, such as Rhine and Thuringia. Nearly all of Western Germany was under Franco-British domination to make sure the the greatly industrialized and populated West was to be under protection to make sure the Germans stay down. The Germans were also allowed to still have open borders.
1. Duchy of Schleswig-Holstein (Permanent British presence)
2. Duchy of Mecklenburg
3. Duchy of Oldenburg (Permanent British presence)
4. Duchy of Westphalia (Permanent Franco/British presence)
5. Duchy of the Rhine (Permanent Franco/British presence)
6. Duchy of Hessen (Permanent Franco/British presence)
7. Duchy of Thuringia (Permanent Franco/British presence)
8. Duchy of Palatine (Permanent Franco/British presence)
9. Kingdom of Wurttemberg (Permanent Franco/British presence)
10. Kingdom of Baden (Permanent Franco/British presence)
11. Kingdom of Saxony
12. Free City of Danzig
[1] The Germans ITTL were not expelled from the East but some expulsions took place *cough* Czechoslovakia *cough*
[2] Most of Western Europe ITTL is spared much less destruction than in OTL and emerged from Europe as the least war torn.
[3] There wasn't a civil war in Spain against because most of the government, even moderate Falangists, thought it wasn't worth it over Franco to start another brutal civil war.
[4] The German states will adapt a common currency once the European Union is established, thwarting an economic crisis.
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