The Empire reformed, the Commonwealth Rises

I was thinking Queen of India, its a tough sell for India to keep the Governor-General title, and Empress sounds more imperialist. Although I like the sound of Empress Elizabeth.

Why not? The term Empire for India could sound better for the local population, after all there was the precedent of the Moghul, so Indians were abituated to the idea of Empire... Also, because Empire is more prestigious of Kingdom, for India could be a motive of pride and ulterior loyalty to Elizabeth...
 
1952 Policies amendment:

Commonwealth-Europe negotiations: This round has been concluded, to ends both the Commonwealth (mostly the UK) and France both consider successful. A new organization is formed, the Commonwealth and European Coal and Steal Community. The participants in the agreement are Commonwealth, FR of Germany, France (and Saarland), Italy, Norway, Denmark, Luxembourg, Belgium, Iceland, and the Netherlands. The institutional (working languages) of the Community will be English and French (by mutual agreement with France to the displeasure of the Germans), and its hiring practices will give preference to multilingualism. Each of the participating entities has their own motivations and interests in the agreement.
The French are interested in the agreement to protect their domestic industries and to develop greater control over the German industries. Germany is not in a strong position to negotiate with either France or the Commonwealth. It was deemed necessary to promote industrial cooperation in order to reduce competition between Western European countries. The Low Countries are interested due to a combination of institution locations and to expand their markets and to an extent to further relationships with the Commonwealth, Denmark is involved due to economics, and Iceland doesn’t have much in the way of industry so it is taking the opportunity to push for concessions in trade negotiations. Norway is interested in part for market access but more so to expand its relationship with the Commonwealth, with serious discussion occurring on joining the Commonwealth Union.
European defence: The Treaty of Brussels, 1948 is extended to Norway, Denmark, Germany, and Iceland. The Commonwealth will subsume the responsibility of being the depository from the Kingdom of Belgium. (Historically this co-operation has been subsumed by NATO, but the agreement still exists.)
An agreement between Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Commonwealth also forms along the Norwegian basis. This is cementing the historic relationships, and to ensure defence cooperation and interoperability in the event of another conflict.



This is some illuminating commentary on Anglo-European relations
Yes said:
[FONT=&quot]Sir Humphrey[/FONT][FONT=&quot]: Minister, Britain has had the same foreign policy objective for at least the last five hundred years: to create a disunited Europe. In that cause we have fought with the Dutch against the Spanish, with the Germans against the French, with the French and Italians against the Germans, and with the French against the Germans and Italians. Divide and rule, you see. Why should we change now, when it's worked so well?[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Hacker[/FONT][FONT=&quot]: That's all ancient history, surely?[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Sir Humphrey[/FONT][FONT=&quot]: Yes, and current policy. We had to break the whole thing [the EEC] up, so we had to get inside. We tried to break it up from the outside, but that wouldn't work. Now that we're inside we can make a complete pig's breakfast of the whole thing: set the Germans against the French, the French against the Italians, the Italians against the Dutch. The Foreign Office is terribly pleased; it's just like old times.[/FONT]

Yes said:
[FONT=&quot]Hacker[/FONT][FONT=&quot]: Europe is a community of nations, dedicated towards one goal.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Sir Humphrey[/FONT][FONT=&quot]: Oh, ha ha ha.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Hacker[/FONT][FONT=&quot]: May we share the joke, Humphrey?[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Sir Humphrey[/FONT][FONT=&quot]: Oh Minister, let's look at this objectively. It is a game played for national interests, and always was. Why do you suppose we went into it?[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Hacker[/FONT][FONT=&quot]: To strengthen the brotherhood of free Western nations.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Sir Humphrey[/FONT][FONT=&quot]: Oh really. We went in to screw the French by splitting them off from the Germans.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Hacker[/FONT][FONT=&quot]: So why did the French go into it, then?[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Sir Humphrey[/FONT][FONT=&quot]: Well, to protect their inefficient farmers from commercial competition.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Hacker[/FONT][FONT=&quot]: That certainly doesn't apply to the Germans.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Sir Humphrey[/FONT][FONT=&quot]: No, no. They went in to cleanse themselves of genocide and apply for readmission to the human race.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Hacker[/FONT][FONT=&quot]: I never heard such appalling cynicism! At least the small nations didn't go into it for selfish reasons.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Sir Humphrey[/FONT][FONT=&quot]: Oh really? Luxembourg is in it for the perks; the capital of the EEC, all that foreign money pouring in.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Hacker[/FONT][FONT=&quot]: Very sensible central location.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Sir Humphrey[/FONT][FONT=&quot]: With the administration in Brussels and the Parliament in Strasbourg? Minister, it's like having the House of Commons in Swindon and the Civil Service in Kettering![/FONT]
 
Amended 1953 policies


Status of Kuwait, Maldives, the Trucial States, Qatar, and Bahrain: This is a transition from either protected states or protectorates to more normalized relations with the Commonwealth using membership categories outlined with the negotiations with Europe. It is a combination of the Commonwealth wanting to maintain its privileged relationship combined for a desire for more influence over foreign affairs and economic activity by the protectorates and protected states. For the most part it is a renewing the agreements that made them protectorates in the first place. It also affirms a privileged economic position for the Commonwealth and mandates how the payment for their defence needs will be addressed.
 
1954


· January 1, Soviet Union ceases reparation demands from East Germany
· January 21, 1st nuclear-powered submarine launched
· February 3, Queen Elizabeth II in Australia, 1st reigning monarch to visit Australia
· February 25, Queen Elizabeth II in New Zealand
· May 14, Boeing 707 is released
· May 12, Nordic Labour Market
· June 17, CIA sponsored military coup in Guatemala
· June 27, first atomic power station opens at Obninsk, Russia
· July 4, food rationing in the UK ends
· July 21, Geneva conference ends 1st Indochina War with de facto creation of North and South Vietnam
· September 6, Southeast Asia Treat Organization between the Commonwealth, France, United States, Republic of China, the Philippines, and Thailand is formed. Agreement more limited then NATO.
· October 23
[FONT=&quot]o [/FONT]West Germany joins NATO
· October 18, vote in Pondicherry (French India) on joining the Union of India
· October 31, Algerian War of independence stars with Algerian NLF beginning revolt
· November 1, de facto power transfer in Pondicherry occurs from France to union of India
· December 24, Laos gets full independence from France
 
1955
· January 11
[FONT=&quot]o [/FONT]Commonwealth Day
[FONT=&quot]o [/FONT]Sierra Leone, the Gambia, and Nigeria gain fully elected legislative assemblies of varying strength
[FONT=&quot]o [/FONT]Legislative assemblies in the Gold Coast, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar are strengthened
[FONT=&quot]o [/FONT]West Indies Federation is launched, although British Honduras, the Bahamas, and British Guiana do not take part
[FONT=&quot]o [/FONT]It is announced a expansion will take place of the legislative assembly and franchise in Kenya after the uprising is over


· January 22, the Pentagon announced ICBM plans

· January 25, USSR announces war between it and Germany is over

· February 4, Baghdad Pact between Commonwealth, Turkey, Iraq, and Persia

· April 5,Louis St. Laurent becomes Commonwealth First Minister, the first non-Anglophone to hold the post
§ While he is not a Conservative, he is a compromise candidate presenting a non-English face for the Commonwealth, which strengthens its image outside of the ‘Old Commonwealth’ and in Europe


· May 1, Warsaw Treaty

· May 14, Warsaw Pact formed

· May 15, Austrian State Treaty restores Austria’s sovereignty but prevents it from entering into military alliances

· August 20, hundreds killed in anti-French rioting in Morocco and Algeria

· August 25, last Soviet occupation forces leave Austria

· September 22, ITV starts broadcasting in UK

· October 26, last Allied troops leave Austria

· December 1, Rosa Parks arrested

· December 14, Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Laos, Libya, Nepal, Portugal, Romania, Spain, and Ceylon join the United Nations simultaneously ending several year moratorium
 
Something to bear in mind: Norway's request to join the Commonwealth OTL was not so much rejected because of economic reasons or any such. It was rejected because Parliament wasn't happy about the idea of forcing European monarchies to subjugate themselves to the Queen. If it had been a Republic that had applied, the application might have gone much further, and perhaps even (though probably not) set a precedent.
 
Something to bear in mind: Norway's request to join the Commonwealth OTL was not so much rejected because of economic reasons or any such. It was rejected because Parliament wasn't happy about the idea of forcing European monarchies to subjugate themselves to the Queen. If it had been a Republic that had applied, the application might have gone much further, and perhaps even (though probably not) set a precedent.


Interesting, I have Ireland set up in this timeline as a de facto republic (even has a president... and the title King/Queen of Ireland falls by in the wind). I hadn't thought of it as not wanting to subordinate another monarch though.
 
Interesting, I have Ireland set up in this timeline as a de facto republic (even has a president... and the title King/Queen of Ireland falls by in the wind). I hadn't thought of it as not wanting to subordinate another monarch though.

Yeah. As I recall, Norway was fairly willing to accept it, but battle raged in Parliament about whether it violates those monarchs' sovereignty - if by accepting the leadership of another monarch even over a supranational body who has no direct control over your country, it degrades your own right to claim to have ultimate control over your country. Valid points were made in the defence of the idea, including that there were tribal chieftains and such in the Pacific who claimed the title King (i.e. the King of Tonga, Fiji, etc and that they set a precedent, and tbh I would be tempted to accept those arguments, so it was hardly a one-way street, but ultimately Parliament rejected the Norwegian bid not because of the arguments about subjugation being incontrovertible but because the situation itself was "too controversial to accept". That said, the Commonwealth of OTL has far less powers so TTL would make those arguments about losing sovereignty far more prescient. It's your story though, so it's your call where you go with it.
 
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