1925 British Revolution
From Kaiserreich
Revision as of 16:53, 19 February 2009
Contents |
Britain
Canada
The 1925 general elections Mackenzie King's Liberals hold on to power with the help of Progressive Robert Forke, despite the Conservatives, led by Arthur Meighen, winning more seats. A political crisis ensues as a flood of British political refugees pours into Canada. The Progressives, painted with the brush of Syndicalism are viciously attacked by the Conservatives in the media. Some street fighting is reported between members of the Right and Left wings. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police restores order and Prime Minister King declares a National Emergency and invokes the War Measures Act. The Royal Navy re-establishes itself in Canada as the Union of Britain consolidates its control of the Home Isles.
Without a centralized Imperial government, the Empire is thrown into confusion. The declaration of a National emergency plays into King’s hands as he is now able to stifle accusations of corruption and patronage within his government (that actually turned out to have much validity) and the more centrist of the Progressives jump ship to the Liberal party which wraps itself in the flag to weather the Crisis. With a stronger Liberal party and an emasculated Progressive party, the Conservatives bide their time, constantly criticizing King’s failure to secure more of the Empire (though realistically, the tiny Canadian army was only able to send a token force to the Caribbean). King, realizing that the Empire is lost but that the admission of such a fact is political suicide, embarks upon a new Imperial Policy as the most powerful British state left standing. The presence of a British government in exile is a threat to Canadian unity and King’s power, and under the provisions of the War Measures Act and Martial Law, King promulgates a legislative union act, merging the two governments into one under his control. He is able to outmanuver and replace all British leaders who could conceivably try to become PM of Canada in the highly charged emotional mindset of the fall of Britain. After asserting his control over the Cabinet and parliament and making sure that only British MP’s who will follow his line and get elected in their own right in Canadian ridings, King moves on to the armed forces. Seeing the Royal Navy as the only common institution of the Empire still intact, the Fleet is ordered to divide up and deploy squadrons to Karachi, Australasia and South Africa. This does much to reassure the Australasians and South Africans, though it won’t be permanent.
India
The British Indian Army re-groups in Delhi and salvages as much of the former Raj as it can.
Africa, Asia and other colonies
The German Empire seizes most of the Strategic naval stations of the British Empire, allegedly to prevent a world crisis, but it becomes clear as most of the Empire plunges into rebellion and civil war that the British fleet cannot insure order and the German presence becomes permanent.
Australasia
Australia and New Zealand, without the protection of the Royal Navy (later to become a point of great contention between Ottawa and Canberra) merge into a political union.
Caribbean
The Royal Navy, acting mostly of its own initiative is able to maintain control of the Caribbean.
