Was it inevitable that Canada, Australia and New Zealand would eventually look to the USA as their main trading and defence partner?
US-British Dominion relations question
- Thread starter Emperor of Halton
- Start date
no, clearly any number of PODs could of kept the UK strong or made the US weak (or at lest weaker than other powers) the US has some things going for it, its the largest mostly white of British stock English speaking nation on Earth, Canada sharing the largest border on Earth with the US makes it likely it ends up in the US orbit, but if the US never goes all Imperialist in 1898 it never ends up in the Pacific, thus Australia and New Zealand never look to the US, maybe they turn to each other and other Neighbors, or maybe to Japan or China in a post British Empire world, or maybe if the US never rises at all the Commonwealth stays knitted together as trading partners.
I don't think it was inevitable. The strength of the US economy post WW1 started the gravitation but it wasn't the only factor. Even in 1932 there was still a strong UK preference over US in terms of economic and defence relations, but the British botched the Ottawa Conference which killed the chance for Imperial Preference. Even after that the UK was probably the most important trading partner for New Zealand until it joined the EEC.
Overall I doubt direct trade with the UK would be the most important trading relationship, but trade within the empire could have been.
In the case of Canada trade with the United States would have continued to be very important, but if things moved along at the right time the relationship culturally with the UK and Empire could have continued to be a paramount consideration.
As brick24alpha said, direct trade with the US will probably always surpass trade with the UK, but an early enough POD could create an Imperial trade zone greater than the US. I've never really understood how "imperial preference means more expensive food" worked, but "imperial preference means the factory you work for has less competition" didnt in 1906. I'd say this would possibly be the latest such a movement could happen. I'd love to see a Joseph Chamberlain as PM timeline, potentially closer ties to the US, Germany and the Empire, as well as relatively progressive domestic policies seems a win-win