WI UK Incorporates Dominions into itself ?

What if the British empire decided to incorporate it`s mainly white colonies like Canada ,Australia and New Zealand ,With South Africa maybe added along with some of the islands in the Caribbean and Pacific into the United Kingdom ?
That is all you all get ,run with it :D
 
The Dominions would resist such a move, even young Australia had varying amounts of self government from as early as 1823.
 
I could only see this working with the ability to contact people in these places in real time, so like the 1980s at the earliest, by then most of the key parts of the Empire have left and made their own identities. Maybe some small key parts, Singapore or like HK if it didn't have to be given back.
 
What if the nations in question were officially part of the UK but had control over local maters like where roads need to be built and taxation ?The central government then controls things like naval and army bills and whether or not to go to war .
 
What if the nations in question were officially part of the UK but had control over local maters like where roads need to be built and taxation ?The central government then controls things like naval and army bills and whether or not to go to war .

Thats really the only way it would work. Im not sure that analogues to Scotland Act 1998 would be politically viable early enough for it to work though.
 
I believe that there were originally plans for an Imperial Federation/Parliament, which would eventually turn the British Empire into one huge nation. However, as posters here have pointed out - nationalism in colonial nations makes that kind of thing impossible, and the idea basically died after WW2, with decolonisation, independence movements, and increasing autonomy for Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
 
Also a note on Canada in this scenario is you have to figure on how this will affect UK-USA relations. I can guarantee that the Americans would not be pleased with the idea that pre-ww2 America (both people an politicians) would be very pleased with the idea of sharing a border with British home territory as opposed to a semi-autonomous dominion. In OTL, improving relations between the UK and the USA was one of the major goals (although certainly not the only one) behind the 1867 British North America Act which first established responsible government in Canada and set in motion the path to eventual Canadian independence.
 
Also a note on Canada in this scenario is you have to figure on how this will affect UK-USA relations. I can guarantee that the Americans would not be pleased with the idea that pre-ww2 America (both people an politicians) would be very pleased with the idea of sharing a border with British home territory as opposed to a semi-autonomous dominion. In OTL, improving relations between the UK and the USA was one of the major goals (although certainly not the only one) behind the 1867 British North America Act which first established responsible government in Canada and set in motion the path to eventual Canadian independence.

The Canadians will be a far bigger hurdle than the Americans. Virtually all of Canadian trade goes south, but they're being asked to re-orient it across the Atlantic. Britain had be better making a really good offer to get Canada on board because as it stands, she has the most to lose.
 
The Canadians will be a far bigger hurdle than the Americans. Virtually all of Canadian trade goes south, but they're being asked to re-orient it across the Atlantic. Britain had be better making a really good offer to get Canada on board because as it stands, she has the most to lose.
Are you suggesting that a Canada incorporated into the UK will cause a tariff war? Otherwise why is their trade with the US a problem? Trade with the US is already a vital part of the British economy, Canada isn't going to be forced into some strange mercantilist arrangement where they can't trade with their southern neighbor.
 
Last edited:
Top