Credit to HeX. (Sorry if I caused problems for you earlier)
What if: The British Empire went down in flames much quicker?
Points of Divergence: Greatly-expanded American Influence throughout the world leads to the UK-USA rivalry. The British Empire finds rivals much sooner rather than later.
1848: United States of America heavily supports the Revolutions of 1848. It had also solved most of its home problems, such as slavery.
Two British MPs (Members of Parliament) were talking to each other as they were discussing the matters of the day. We will call them S and T for now for Stanley and Thomas. They are seen talking with each other in an upholstered room with white curtains near the windows. They sat in chairs near a desk—an office area in a building. Both had concerns about the British Empire and its future, but wanted to talk amongst themselves first before telling anyone else about it.
S: How did the well-established monarchies in France and Austria fall apart, and that there is war in Italy as we speak? They were triple oaks, standing tall against the ravages of time. Louis in France has fled here after his people forced him out. The Kaiser in Austria abdicated and we received the news of it just three days ago. What madness is this where the ancient and proud Habsburgs are now fleeing for their lives? And in Italy, the various parts are a house divided; they cannot stand divided as they are consuming each other like young snakes. Some of them say they will consume all the other snakes and make a unified Italy under the banner of a republic.
T: The Revolutions are more coordinated than we thought they were. The one that tried to gain traction here was crushed early. I am thinking that the other monarchies did not take decisive action in time and were overthrown as a result. Their armies and police forces also were not as reliable as we hoped. I can still here the ringing in the streets of Germany and Austria, where shouts of “Equality for all” rang through them, as well as various demands. How could these groups be so organized? The one here was a rabble. As for the Habsburgs, if they arrive here, we will give them shelter from the prospective revolutionaries.
S: I am thinking international agreements. Considering the structure of these revolutions, probably the Americans are involved, and the different groups are in communication with each other. The Americans have also foiled us since their birth, and it seems as if they continue to cause problems for us. From 1812, to spreading anti-colonial sentiment, to now in Europe, they seem to exist just to bedevil us. The armies also did not always remain loyal to the governments they were supposed to serve. The French one turned on its monarch and the Austrian one was badly divided and ineffectual at stopping the movements. The dying of the old houses is starting in earnest. At this rate, are the only ones left the German Kaiser, the British Royal Family, and the Russian Czar?
T: I’m not sure what is going to happen to Italy, or to Austria, or to France. However, it bodes poorly for us. America has caused manifold problems for us, spouting anti-colonial sentiment that has spread to Canada. Revolutionary sentiment that has spread to our fellows in Europe—while we may have distrusted each other, we distrust the revolutionaries even more. Maybe there will be a war that consumes the entirety of Italy, maybe even dragging Austria in due to the Austrian claims on parts of Italy?
S: Something has to be done about this “Manifest Destiny” that the Americans are spreading. The remaining monarchies—Germany, us, Russia—will need to hold fast against the rising tide of revolutionaries who threaten to destroy our safe and secure society. They claim to bring about ‘a more perfect union’ but by tossing out the old order, they destroy all the good those older orders built. The House of Commons is going to discuss what to do about this—to try and spark counter-revolution or not.
T: I already know what the House of Commons is likely to do. Nothing. They are too heavily divided for anything meaningful to happen. At best there will be an act saying “We do not support the revolutionaries and support the existing governments in Europe.”; little action will be done. Instead, more support will be used to crush the Indians and maintain royal control over Canada. I heard there were American sympathizers in Canada…
S: That’s not good. The Americans seem to be causing so-called progress at a breakneck speed. How could anyone live with the social system changing so quickly? People would not be able to get used to anything. The stable life would be impossible. Upheaval is everywhere. The Southern Planter “Aristocracy” was the main casualty of the rapid American change. Those planters so respected and looked up to us. It was a waste that the honorable gentlemen in Parliament did not support them.
T: That was impossible due to slavery concerns. Anyhow, Sir William just returned from his trip in the United States. He was seeing their technological and social progress, but the most exciting part, according to him, was screaming “YEE HAW” in the Great Plains as he and his entourage shot at buffalo. The Americans were willing to let him do it as long as he paid up and they received the carcasses. He told us that the Americans say that they are not doing anything in Canada.
S: I trust Sir William but not the Americans. I already hear the whispers of movements in Canada that we will need to crack down on. They are not reform movements but rebellion ones. The Great White North must not fall.
What if: The British Empire went down in flames much quicker?
Points of Divergence: Greatly-expanded American Influence throughout the world leads to the UK-USA rivalry. The British Empire finds rivals much sooner rather than later.
1848: United States of America heavily supports the Revolutions of 1848. It had also solved most of its home problems, such as slavery.
Two British MPs (Members of Parliament) were talking to each other as they were discussing the matters of the day. We will call them S and T for now for Stanley and Thomas. They are seen talking with each other in an upholstered room with white curtains near the windows. They sat in chairs near a desk—an office area in a building. Both had concerns about the British Empire and its future, but wanted to talk amongst themselves first before telling anyone else about it.
S: How did the well-established monarchies in France and Austria fall apart, and that there is war in Italy as we speak? They were triple oaks, standing tall against the ravages of time. Louis in France has fled here after his people forced him out. The Kaiser in Austria abdicated and we received the news of it just three days ago. What madness is this where the ancient and proud Habsburgs are now fleeing for their lives? And in Italy, the various parts are a house divided; they cannot stand divided as they are consuming each other like young snakes. Some of them say they will consume all the other snakes and make a unified Italy under the banner of a republic.
T: The Revolutions are more coordinated than we thought they were. The one that tried to gain traction here was crushed early. I am thinking that the other monarchies did not take decisive action in time and were overthrown as a result. Their armies and police forces also were not as reliable as we hoped. I can still here the ringing in the streets of Germany and Austria, where shouts of “Equality for all” rang through them, as well as various demands. How could these groups be so organized? The one here was a rabble. As for the Habsburgs, if they arrive here, we will give them shelter from the prospective revolutionaries.
S: I am thinking international agreements. Considering the structure of these revolutions, probably the Americans are involved, and the different groups are in communication with each other. The Americans have also foiled us since their birth, and it seems as if they continue to cause problems for us. From 1812, to spreading anti-colonial sentiment, to now in Europe, they seem to exist just to bedevil us. The armies also did not always remain loyal to the governments they were supposed to serve. The French one turned on its monarch and the Austrian one was badly divided and ineffectual at stopping the movements. The dying of the old houses is starting in earnest. At this rate, are the only ones left the German Kaiser, the British Royal Family, and the Russian Czar?
T: I’m not sure what is going to happen to Italy, or to Austria, or to France. However, it bodes poorly for us. America has caused manifold problems for us, spouting anti-colonial sentiment that has spread to Canada. Revolutionary sentiment that has spread to our fellows in Europe—while we may have distrusted each other, we distrust the revolutionaries even more. Maybe there will be a war that consumes the entirety of Italy, maybe even dragging Austria in due to the Austrian claims on parts of Italy?
S: Something has to be done about this “Manifest Destiny” that the Americans are spreading. The remaining monarchies—Germany, us, Russia—will need to hold fast against the rising tide of revolutionaries who threaten to destroy our safe and secure society. They claim to bring about ‘a more perfect union’ but by tossing out the old order, they destroy all the good those older orders built. The House of Commons is going to discuss what to do about this—to try and spark counter-revolution or not.
T: I already know what the House of Commons is likely to do. Nothing. They are too heavily divided for anything meaningful to happen. At best there will be an act saying “We do not support the revolutionaries and support the existing governments in Europe.”; little action will be done. Instead, more support will be used to crush the Indians and maintain royal control over Canada. I heard there were American sympathizers in Canada…
S: That’s not good. The Americans seem to be causing so-called progress at a breakneck speed. How could anyone live with the social system changing so quickly? People would not be able to get used to anything. The stable life would be impossible. Upheaval is everywhere. The Southern Planter “Aristocracy” was the main casualty of the rapid American change. Those planters so respected and looked up to us. It was a waste that the honorable gentlemen in Parliament did not support them.
T: That was impossible due to slavery concerns. Anyhow, Sir William just returned from his trip in the United States. He was seeing their technological and social progress, but the most exciting part, according to him, was screaming “YEE HAW” in the Great Plains as he and his entourage shot at buffalo. The Americans were willing to let him do it as long as he paid up and they received the carcasses. He told us that the Americans say that they are not doing anything in Canada.
S: I trust Sir William but not the Americans. I already hear the whispers of movements in Canada that we will need to crack down on. They are not reform movements but rebellion ones. The Great White North must not fall.
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