The Bleak Epoch Timeline, though very much a WIP, stretches from 1920 to beyond the 37th century. The Bleak Epoch (Epoch for short) officially has been in development for over a year now but has roots that are older. Currently Epoch is broken up into six parts, each focusing on a particular era. Part 1 begins with the POD and ends with the start of World War 2. I'm not exactly sure how to break it up for a forum so I apologize in advance if I do something wrong.
On Thursday, May 30th 1929, the Labour Party achieved victory in the General Election, and won the most seats in the House of Commons for the first time, but failed to get an overall majority. The Liberal Party, led by David Lloyd George, regained some of the ground it had lost in the 1924 election and held the balance of power. Sir Oswald Mosley outmaneuvered Ramsay MacDonald and successfully became the first Prime Minister of the Labour Party. A veteran of the Great War, Mosley feared another large-scale war in Europe and had a passionate convection to protect Britain from the horrors of war by any means necessary. Prime Minister Mosley, in addition to being aggressively isolationist, also advocated for significantly more protectionist policies and a greater sense of nationalism, veering towards authoritarianism. Though none admit it openly, behind closed doors it was well known that Mosley had fascist ideals and could be a threat to the Establishment if not contained and controlled.
When the Wall Street Stock Market crashed on “Black Tuesday”, October 29th, Britain's economy quickly began to feel the effects. The Great Slump had started. The depression continued to worsen, cutting Britain's world trade in half, heavy industrial output dropping by a third, and causing unemployment as high as 70% in some areas. In an attempt to revive the rapidly failing economy, Prime Minister Mosley attempted to implement his old economic program known as the "Birmingham Proposals” in 1930. The program was critical of both classical liberalism and Labourite socialism and proposed an expansion in production through an increase in demand, which would be met by rises in real wage levels, issues of consumer credits to the unemployed and producers' credits to manufacturers, and nationalization of banking. This programme was met with fierce opposition from the Conservative Party, citing that the program would only worsen the depression and lacked the free market forces needed for recovery. The program failed to pass by a narrow margin.
As the 1931 General Election’s date, Tuesday, October 27th, loomed closer and the British government had failed to pass any significant legislation, tensions grew radically. Mosley had accused the Conservative Party of trying to sabotage the Labour Party, and delivered several stinging speeches across Britain, vowing to restore the economy and make it thrive once more. Central to both Mosley's and the Labour Party's platforms was the "Mosley Memorandum," which proposed protectionist high tariffs to protect Britain from international finance, state nationalization of main industries, and a programme of public works to solve unemployment. Meanwhile, the Conservative Party, under Party Leader Stanley Baldwin, criticized Mosley as stubborn and too radical. They decried the Memorandum as anti-capitalist and fiscally unsound. Posters portraying the Labour Party as outright socialist began to circulate nationwide, meeting with mixed results.
Roadblock Here
With the Labour Party's grip on Parliament secured, Prime Minister Mosley had decided to make a brief study tour of the “new movements” of Italy’s Benito Mussolini and other fascists while also warming relations. He would return secretly convinced that fascism was the future of Britain. Mosley officially reformed the Labour Party as the British Union of Fascists. A record number of protest resignations and party defections occurred shortly after. When the Battle of Cable Street occurred, the British Blackshirts and police forces ruthlessly crushed protests. An era of fear had descended over the British Isles.
In the midst of the Great Depression, trouble was brewing in the British Royal Family. King Edward VIII had become dead-set on marrying the American socialite and twice-divorced Wallis Simpson. Several MPs threatened to resign if Edward would not abdicate. The BUF declared support for the British monarchy, regarding the monarchy for its role in bringing Britain to preeminence in the world, and as such a symbol of Britain's imperial splendor. Its support went as far as "Absolute loyalty to the Crown" and aimed to "in every way maintain its dignity" Edward both remained King and married Wallis.
With the King’s blessing and their opposition weakened, the BUF sought to cement its influence across the British Empire. Pro-fascist rallies and parades started to pop up everywhere, from Canada to England, from South Africa to New Zealand.
Chapter 2: Crippled By Fear
That's it for now! I have plenty of lore made but none of it particularly structured yet. I was considering making a thread that just has all general lore in it to make it easier for people to read and find. Any questions and feedback is appreciated!
On Thursday, May 30th 1929, the Labour Party achieved victory in the General Election, and won the most seats in the House of Commons for the first time, but failed to get an overall majority. The Liberal Party, led by David Lloyd George, regained some of the ground it had lost in the 1924 election and held the balance of power. Sir Oswald Mosley outmaneuvered Ramsay MacDonald and successfully became the first Prime Minister of the Labour Party. A veteran of the Great War, Mosley feared another large-scale war in Europe and had a passionate convection to protect Britain from the horrors of war by any means necessary. Prime Minister Mosley, in addition to being aggressively isolationist, also advocated for significantly more protectionist policies and a greater sense of nationalism, veering towards authoritarianism. Though none admit it openly, behind closed doors it was well known that Mosley had fascist ideals and could be a threat to the Establishment if not contained and controlled.
When the Wall Street Stock Market crashed on “Black Tuesday”, October 29th, Britain's economy quickly began to feel the effects. The Great Slump had started. The depression continued to worsen, cutting Britain's world trade in half, heavy industrial output dropping by a third, and causing unemployment as high as 70% in some areas. In an attempt to revive the rapidly failing economy, Prime Minister Mosley attempted to implement his old economic program known as the "Birmingham Proposals” in 1930. The program was critical of both classical liberalism and Labourite socialism and proposed an expansion in production through an increase in demand, which would be met by rises in real wage levels, issues of consumer credits to the unemployed and producers' credits to manufacturers, and nationalization of banking. This programme was met with fierce opposition from the Conservative Party, citing that the program would only worsen the depression and lacked the free market forces needed for recovery. The program failed to pass by a narrow margin.
As the 1931 General Election’s date, Tuesday, October 27th, loomed closer and the British government had failed to pass any significant legislation, tensions grew radically. Mosley had accused the Conservative Party of trying to sabotage the Labour Party, and delivered several stinging speeches across Britain, vowing to restore the economy and make it thrive once more. Central to both Mosley's and the Labour Party's platforms was the "Mosley Memorandum," which proposed protectionist high tariffs to protect Britain from international finance, state nationalization of main industries, and a programme of public works to solve unemployment. Meanwhile, the Conservative Party, under Party Leader Stanley Baldwin, criticized Mosley as stubborn and too radical. They decried the Memorandum as anti-capitalist and fiscally unsound. Posters portraying the Labour Party as outright socialist began to circulate nationwide, meeting with mixed results.
Roadblock Here
With the Labour Party's grip on Parliament secured, Prime Minister Mosley had decided to make a brief study tour of the “new movements” of Italy’s Benito Mussolini and other fascists while also warming relations. He would return secretly convinced that fascism was the future of Britain. Mosley officially reformed the Labour Party as the British Union of Fascists. A record number of protest resignations and party defections occurred shortly after. When the Battle of Cable Street occurred, the British Blackshirts and police forces ruthlessly crushed protests. An era of fear had descended over the British Isles.
In the midst of the Great Depression, trouble was brewing in the British Royal Family. King Edward VIII had become dead-set on marrying the American socialite and twice-divorced Wallis Simpson. Several MPs threatened to resign if Edward would not abdicate. The BUF declared support for the British monarchy, regarding the monarchy for its role in bringing Britain to preeminence in the world, and as such a symbol of Britain's imperial splendor. Its support went as far as "Absolute loyalty to the Crown" and aimed to "in every way maintain its dignity" Edward both remained King and married Wallis.
With the King’s blessing and their opposition weakened, the BUF sought to cement its influence across the British Empire. Pro-fascist rallies and parades started to pop up everywhere, from Canada to England, from South Africa to New Zealand.
Chapter 2: Crippled By Fear
That's it for now! I have plenty of lore made but none of it particularly structured yet. I was considering making a thread that just has all general lore in it to make it easier for people to read and find. Any questions and feedback is appreciated!
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