WI: United Kingdom of Great Britain and France

Using a PoD after the Acts of Union 1707, create a timeline in which France is, by 1900, part of the United Kingdom. Whether Ireland is or not, in whole or in part, is up to you. Likewise, other areas may or may not be part of the UK, so the name written in the title is not a requirement (though, for a somewhat unlikely example, 'the Holy and United Kingdom of Great Britain, France, Ireland, the Germanies, South Africa, and North America' is a bit of a mouthful).
 
Using a PoD after the Acts of Union 1707, create a timeline in which France is, by 1900, part of the United Kingdom. Whether Ireland is or not, in whole or in part, is up to you. Likewise, other areas may or may not be part of the UK, so the name written in the title is not a requirement (though, for a somewhat unlikely example, 'the Holy and United Kingdom of Great Britain, France, Ireland, the Germanies, South Africa, and North America' is a bit of a mouthful).

NEVERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR - i'm too patriotic :rolleyes:
 
I think the French would not go for it, more importantly, the French possess far more than enough strength to resist British occupation and annexation.
 
I'm not sure this is possible at all, save some colossal event (I'm talking magnitudes more influential than, say, Revolutionary France, which itself was completely unprecedented) which entirely nullified existing government structures and necessitated a total reformation of society. By 1707 the UK and France are just far too well-formed and advanced to be able to annex each other. Even the case of a union of the thrones by Personal Union wouldn't get very far as the two countries were too different and too self-righteous to allow for a political merger - not that political mergers actually happened anyway. This kind of subsuming of one state into another just didn't happen in this era, not with two such dominant European states.

If you head back 300 years, then you have a time period when this is feasible. Even then, though, the opportunity by that point is rapidly slipping away.
 
Check this out:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franco–British_Union

In WWII and 1956 unions of the two nations were considered, but I guess it's way irrelevant if the POD is 1707. Nonetheless, it's there.

The idea intrigues me, personally. I can see one nation wanting to be dominant over the other, especially when it was proposed that Elizabeth II be head of state, seeing as French nationalists would probably not enjoy having a British queen.

But for a POD of 1707, I can offer very little. I don't know much history of that period aside from the Act of Union.
 
Check this out:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franco–British_Union

In WWII and 1956 unions of the two nations were considered, but I guess it's way irrelevant if the POD is 1707. Nonetheless, it's there.

The idea intrigues me, personally. I can see one nation wanting to be dominant over the other, especially when it was proposed that Elizabeth II be head of state, seeing as French nationalists would probably not enjoy having a British queen.

But for a POD of 1707, I can offer very little. I don't know much history of that period aside from the Act of Union.

Some form of Franco-British nation is possible with either the POD you just mentionned or the 16th June 1940. The most I could see happening would be very loose political union, perhaps leaving both parliaments and governments intact with only a small number of Franco-British organs. Try to imagine a cross between some aspects of the EU, some aspects of the United Kingdom itself and American/Canadian federalism. Could work out if set up properly and if there is some kind of external pressure at work (Iron Curtain on the Rhine?).

As for a POD between 1707 and 1900 I can't honestly think of anything viable, short of adding some kind of "Franco-British" thringe to the French Revolution. The main obstacle to an union of equals at that time is the fact that France has an higher population than Britain+Ireland. Religion would be a dividing factor as well.

The best shot for a United Kingdom of Britain, France and Ireland is some POD in the Middle Ages.
 
The British monarchs didn't renounce their claim to the French throne until 1800 or so.
I suppose you could have them claiming this state of affairs exists at least quite easily....
 
The British monarchs didn't renounce their claim to the French throne until 1800 or so.
I suppose you could have them claiming this state of affairs exists at least quite easily....

This was universally acknowledged as a worn-out joke, though. "James III" was crowned "King of France, England, Scotland, and Ireland" in France, with Louis XIV footing the bill.
 
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