Preserving the British Empire

[Exarch]

here's a game scenario;

You're the British Prime Minister and the year is 1933, complete with the great depression hammering at the economy and the rise of Fascism and communism on the continent.
Add to that, colonial native subjects having been educated in england return to their countries and call for independance and democratic/communist reform.
so you're pretty much more or less broke and the empire is threatening to tear itself apart (sort of)

how would you go about preserving the british empire? what alliances would you make? what economic programs would you start? i want creativity and originality here for the Empire eh?!

Imagine Away!

[Pious Agnost]

Warm up the Soviet relations so Germany dosen't get any funny ideas. Send the entire British Navy to Singapore so Japan dosen't get any funny ideas (Yes I know these ideas require a lot of hindsight). Further Indian and African Autonomy, but reserve the final say for the British Government.

Attempt to buy the Congo, or at least the resource rich parts of it, from Belgium (Apply pressure when necessary)
Replace the Lee Enfield with something a little more modern. (1935, I know, but this is hypothetical)

I think that's a bit too ambitious, but I'd have done something like that

[gaius valerius]

Get high on opium...

[removeduser_487563287433]

Send the entire British Navy to Singapore so Japan dosen't get any funny ideas (Yes I know these ideas require a lot of hindsight).

That would starve the British Isles if Germany declared war.

[gsoxx]

That would starve the British Isles if Germany declared war.

Why would Germany declare war on GB ever?

[Abendstern]

1933 is a bit late for that dont you think? Make that 1903 to give it some chance of success.

[Exarch]

1933 is a bit late for that dont you think? Make that 1903 to give it some chance of success.

what'd be the fun in that?
it's because of the difficulties that makes it fun
1903, britain was at the heigh of its power, there was no need to do anything much.

it's like me asking for a scenario on how to save the american republic's hegemony back in 1997

[Pious Agnost]

That would starve the British Isles if Germany declared war.

Well I assume that base would be covered by the warm relations with the Soviets.

Make that the Czechs and French too, but not the Italians... Not the Italians...

[EireEmerald]

invade Ireland again

[Niles Crane]

invade Ireland again

You're funny.

[Hookah Smoking Caterpiller]

invade Ireland again

Africa is far more profitable, and the population more sober.

[LoZz]

Africa is far more profitable, and the population more sober.

The Irish Free State is part of the Empire.

dont let him get his way with this thread please

[67th Tigers]

invade Ireland again

The Irish Free State is part of the Empire.

[War&Politics]

Why would I want to save the British empire? By giving the colonies independence I get all the economic benefits without the cost.

[Yorkshireman]

The Empire would'nt have lasted any longer than it did with or without the second world war. The world changed, attitudes changed, not just in the colonies themselves amongst the native populations, but amongst the general populations in Europe.

[Londinium]

I'd move the White Commonwealth towards a mirror of the modern day EU, free trade, free movement of population etc and federalise the government of The United Kingdom, the Irish Free Republic, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and Australia into one central Imperial government based in London. Internal politics would be devolved to Ottawa, Canberra etc while issues of defence, foreign relations, overarching laws etc would be decided in London.

India would be given Dominion status and earmarked for eventual integration into the federal structure in a number of years and the rest of the empire would continue in it's colonial nature but with greater interaction in the colonies from Canada, Australia, New Zealand et al. After India's entry to the Imperial Federation, small scale colonies but strategic such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Gibraltar, Malta, Cyprus would be earmarked to join next but the African colonies and Malaysia wouldn't be offered membership.

In the long run with a federal empire we wouldn't need to worry about Europe, we'd leave Nazi Germany to their own devices (Hitler being a known admirer of the British Empire and not interested in a war with them) and the inevitable war with the Soviet Union and once the Soviet Union steamrollered Germany (although probably with much greater casualties this time round due to the lack of a 2nd front), the Cold War would be America and the British Empire as equal partners vs the Soviet Union.

African nationalism wasn't that strong before WW2 and with India remaining in the fold, it wouldn't be given the boost it recieved from their precedent, over a period of time various African colonies would join the federation (Rhodesia and Kenya spring to mind). Although I feel without the creation of the United Nations and the lack of human rights legislation, institutionalised racism would have lingered on well beyond when the political establishment started to turn against it in real life.

[War&Politics]

I'd move the White Commonwealth towards a mirror of the modern day EU, free trade, free movement of population etc and federalise the government of The United Kingdom, the Irish Free Republic, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and Australia into one central Imperial government based in London. Internal politics would be devolved to Ottawa, Canberra etc while issues of defence, foreign relations, overarching laws etc would be decided in London.

India would be given Dominion status and earmarked for eventual integration into the federal structure in a number of years and the rest of the empire would continue in it's colonial nature but with greater interaction in the colonies from Canada, Australia, New Zealand et al. After India's entry to the Imperial Federation, small scale colonies but strategic such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Gibraltar, Malta, Cyprus would be earmarked to join next but the African colonies and Malaysia wouldn't be offered membership.

In the long run with a federal empire we wouldn't need to worry about Europe, we'd leave Nazi Germany to their own devices (Hitler being a known admirer of the British Empire and not interested in a war with them) and the inevitable war with the Soviet Union and once the Soviet Union steamrollered Germany (although probably with much greater casualties this time round due to the lack of a 2nd front), the Cold War would be America and the British Empire as equal partners vs the Soviet Union.

African nationalism wasn't that strong before WW2 and with India remaining in the fold, it wouldn't be given the boost it received from their precedent, over a period of time various African colonies would join the federation (Rhodesia and Kenya spring to mind). Although I feel without the creation of the United Nations and the lack of human rights legislation, institutionalised racism would have lingered on well beyond when the political establishment started to turn against it in real life.

At the time the Commonwealth governments already had sovereignty: the Balfour declaration of 1926 recognised that the Commonwealth dominions were already de facto sovereign and this was made law by the statue of Westminster in 1931, the Commonwealth nations soon made their own laws to confirm this position. So dissolving some of their powers and running them from London wouldn't have been a possibility.

I think the scenarios of this thread can only work if the date is pushed back to at least 1926, if not earlier.

[Londinium]

At the time the Commonwealth governments already had sovereignty: the Balfour declaration of 1926 recognised that the Commonwealth dominions were already de facto sovereign and this was made law by the statue of Westminster in 1931, the Commonwealth nations soon made their own laws to confirm this position. So dissolving some of their powers and running them from London wouldn't have been a possibility.

I think the scenarios of this thread can only work if the date is pushed back to at least 1926, if not earlier.

I'm aware of the statue of Westminster but there were still very strong ties between the White Commonwealth and Britain at this time, and Britain still pretty much dictated their foreign policy, it wasn't until WW2 when America gained the influence it does now over Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Like I said it'd be based on the modern EU but with more powers, all the states of the EU are sovereign but they are part of one superstate also without compromising their sovereignty.

[Lord Tomyris]

I'd move the White Commonwealth towards a mirror of the modern day EU, free trade, free movement of population etc and federalise the government of The United Kingdom, the Irish Free Republic, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and Australia into one central Imperial government based in London. Internal politics would be devolved to Ottawa, Canberra etc while issues of defence, foreign relations, overarching laws etc would be decided in London.

India would be given Dominion status and earmarked for eventual integration into the federal structure in a number of years and the rest of the empire would continue in it's colonial nature but with greater interaction in the colonies from Canada, Australia, New Zealand et al. After India's entry to the Imperial Federation, small scale colonies but strategic such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Gibraltar, Malta, Cyprus would be earmarked to join next but the African colonies and Malaysia wouldn't be offered membership.

In the long run with a federal empire we wouldn't need to worry about Europe, we'd leave Nazi Germany to their own devices (Hitler being a known admirer of the British Empire and not interested in a war with them) and the inevitable war with the Soviet Union and once the Soviet Union steamrollered Germany (although probably with much greater casualties this time round due to the lack of a 2nd front), the Cold War would be America and the British Empire as equal partners vs the Soviet Union.

African nationalism wasn't that strong before WW2 and with India remaining in the fold, it wouldn't be given the boost it recieved from their precedent, over a period of time various African colonies would join the federation (Rhodesia and Kenya spring to mind). Although I feel without the creation of the United Nations and the lack of human rights legislation, institutionalised racism would have lingered on well beyond when the political establishment started to turn against it in real life.

Yes yes I'd do the same, create the Imperial Federation in place of the Empire!

[SigniferOne]

here's a game scenario;

You're the British Prime Minister and the year is 1933, complete with the great depression hammering at the economy and the rise of Fascism and communism on the continent.
Add to that, colonial native subjects having been educated in england return to their countries and call for independance and democratic/communist reform.
so you're pretty much more or less broke and the empire is threatening to tear itself apart (sort of)

You're completely mistaken if you think that the economics were what let the empire break apart. As long as Political Correctness exists (and it came into existence in the 30s), it wouldn't have been possible to keep the empire together.