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Against all Odds: The British Empire in World War Two

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Bafflegab said:
If you mean the fact that the Warspite is clearly around and healthy in 1963 as per the picture caption... Then yes! cookie please! :D
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She is a floating Museum, and is, just like HMS Victory still listed as an active vessel.

One Royal Navy Fancookie just for you. ●

Press 'reply' to the post with the cookie you can copy the code for the cookie (change the size to 2) and you can (if you wish) have an interactive cookie in your signature just like mine.
 
trekaddict said:
She is a floating Museum, and is, just like HMS Victory still listed as an active vessel.

One Royal Navy Fancookie just for you. ●

Press 'reply' to the post with the cookie you can copy the code for the cookie (change the size to 2) and you can (if you wish) have an interactive cookie in your signature just like mine.
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Sweet. Just added. mmmmmm... Cookie
 
Bafflegab said:
Sweet. Just added. mmmmmm... Cookie
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A small nitpick: my nickname is spelled with a small t. :eek:o

Sorry. Couldn't resist.
 
Very, very interesting pairs of updates.. (me business during the last days made me unable to post between the last one and the one before that and I'm sorry for it..) I like your idea for India and the rest of the Empire, although I have a very hard time in believing that certain Boer heirs will come to accept it.. But that's just me.. However, one point in consideration for them is that they will stand alone, if they vote against it, I believe.. I'm not sure how they will view this though..

The really interesting part is, that if such a scheme as this or perhaps something like it had been implemented back then in OTL, the British Empire might still exist in one form or another.. Now that would have been a splendid thing indeed.. :)
 
Doge Robert said:
Very, very interesting pairs of updates.. (me business during the last days made me unable to post between the last one and the one before that and I'm sorry for it..) I like your idea for India and the rest of the Empire, although I have a very hard time in believing that certain Boer heirs will come to accept it.. But that's just me.. However, one point in consideration for them is that they will stand alone, if they vote against it, I believe.. I'm not sure how they will view this though..

The really interesting part is, that if such a scheme as this or perhaps something like it had been implemented back then in OTL, the British Empire might still exist in one form or another.. Now that would have been a splendid thing indeed.. :)
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SOMEONE WHO FEELS LIKE I DO! HOORAY!

Seriously though, you hit the nail on the head with that post, and in all respects. The Boer will appear in a not too distant update.
 
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trekaddict said:
SOMEONE WHO FEELS LIKE I DO! HOORAY!

Seriously though, you hit the nail on the head with that post, and in all respects. The Boer will appear in a not too distant update.
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Not up to date yet on this AAR, but if you going to feature The Boers in here, I'll be looking forward to it (I consider myself desendent of The BOER, and proud of it).
 
ShadowWarrior said:
Not up to date yet on this AAR, but if you going to feature The Boers in here, I'll be looking forward to it (I consider myself desendent of The BOER, and proud of it).
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Then I must warn you because things might get nasty and I might decide to bash them a bit.
 
trekaddict said:
Then I must warn you because things might get nasty and I might decide to bash them a bit.
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It's OK. I have a sense of humor :D
 
Do you plan to include something like table of contents to the first post? It's kinda hard to keep up with this otherwise great AAR when you miss few updates ;)
 
Winner said:
Do you plan to include something like table of contents to the first post? It's kinda hard to keep up with this otherwise great AAR when you miss few updates ;)
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One day, yes, but right now I am too lazy to go through it mself, I'll probably make once after the conference is concluded.
 
Enewald said:
What about the indian princes, rajs? :confused:

Shall the local rulers accept this treaty?
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I admit I forgot them. But let us pretend that the INC made some sort of deal with them. It is domestic politics of India after all.
 
Chapter 35
​

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Admiral of the Empire Sir Andrew Cunningham, 1st Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope, Bt, KT, GCB, OM, DSO - the architect of the Imperial Military​

December 1st, 1938 10:58 AM

St. Georges Island, Bermuda

“And we have achieved a settlement?” “Yes Sir.” Admiral Cunningham said, clutching a cup of tea in his hands. Cunningham and Jinnah had been the last to leave the meeting. Churchill and the other INC leaders had withdrawn after the positions of the British and the Indians had been made clear. “It took us quite some time, but we reached a compromise. To summarize the Indians will get their own Army, but under the command of the Imperial General Staff.” Cunningham continued. The biggest problem however was the Navy, Sir. Jinnah refused to yield there. He wanted an independent Royal Indian Navy.” Churchill mentally laughed. He knew that Cunningham would never yield on that point either, and two such strong personalities so completely pitted against each other over a matter of such mutual importance must have been quite a confrontation. “So anyway, Sir, I yielded in the end.” Cunningham paused. “However there are conditions sir. They want their own Air Force in exchange.” Churchill slammed his fist on the table. “That damn insufferable man. We can't afford to splinter one of the two most essential services!” The Admiral took a deep sip from his cup while Churchill droned on. After a while the Prime Minister had calmed down again and asked: “Are there any other 'conditions', Cunningham?” “No, Sir. Jinnah agreed to have their Air Force and the Army under the command of the IGS, and isn't that essentially what we wanted, Sir?” Churchill sat back down and said after lighting his sixth cigar of the day: “ Of Course, Admiral. You did good.” “Thank you, Prime Minister. So what do I tell them? I kept him on standby saying I had to discuss this first with you.” Churchill nodded. “A tentative yes. I will have to discuss this with the King first, but I see no problem there. But also tell them that in exchange for this the Royal Indian Air Force will remain within the command structure of the RAF.” The Admiral nodded and then excused himself to talk with Jinnah so that both could finally go to bed. The main conference would begin in two days with the Arrival of the King aboard HMS Nelson who would contrary to the first plans remain here for the duration and not only the last few days, and there was still much that needed to be done.

Churchill expected visits from several other Imperial factions, chiefly those who denied the Indians and all Imperial subjects the ability to rule themselves. There had been times when Churchill had believed as they did, but recent events had gradually changed his mind. Ghandi was chiefly among them. Churchill had only met him briefly before today, but back in 1935 the small man had deeply impressed the then Colonial Secretary, so that he had written in a letter back home to the Colonial Office: 'Mr. Gandhi has gone very high in my esteem since he stood up for the untouchables… I do not care whether you are more or less loyal to Great Britain… Tell Mr. Gandhi to use the powers that are offered and make the thing a success.' And here they were three years later and were discussing the greatest state-induced revolution in British politics since the days of the English Civil War. Some boneheads might still demand that withdrawal of the reforms. Eden and Morrisson expected the biggest opposition from the Boers and from South Africa who were already starting to talk about leaving the Empire because the 'British have started selling out to the savage masses'. They refused to see that the Status Quo could no longer be maintained and that the only alternative to the Empire Plan was the eventual total dissolution of the British Empire. But still these two groups violently opposed the plan to a degree that had seen buildings of the colonial Administration in Rhodesia burned down. Churchill was tempted to simply say to them: “Go with god, but GO!” but he still resented anyone leaving the Empire in any form. He had therefore agreed to meet with their leaders too, just to hear their point and try to reason with them. So far no luck.

General Smuts, the head of the South African Delegation had openly threatened to go directly to the King and appeal to him to allow South Africa to stay as it was, and Churchill had been forced to remind the General that the whole thing had been the King's idea and that backing out now would cost Britain some hard-won credibility with the Colonials. Then the Boer representative had started to argue as to why this would never work and had begun to use arguments that Churchill found most revolting and that would have appalled him even during his hard-liner days. When this had not worked either the two representatives had sworn that they would block against anything that the conference would put to vote, that had prompted Churchill to remark: 'Luckily we are guided by the principles of democracy and not outdated, timid and unrealistic policies.' and told the two men that the decisions would be taken by majority vote, so their blocking would be inconsequential. When the South African had then said that the Dominion of South Africa would simply refuse to implement these policies then Churchill had warned them with a hint of threat in his voice that if South Africa refused to obey the reforms then South Africa might soon find herself very alone in the world. The barely hidden threat of “play along or on alone” had finally silenced the elderly General. And so they had gone, both obviously fuming, but silenced for the moment. Churchill knew that they would eventually try to get back at him, maybe in the open and maybe on more shadowy ways. Whatever they were going to do the British needed to be on their guard. Still, the plan would go forward now and the Prime Minister was certain of success, with universal suffrage being the joker up his sleeves. It would be awfully hard to say 'The evil British oppressed us by giving us the vote' and keep a straight face at the same time, as the Foreign Secretary had put it before meeting with the representatives of British-Somalialand and British-Malya. Eden had been a real workhorse in this, even though they had only arrived here yesterday. Earlier this morning Winston had taken walk through the streets of Hamilton where most of the Colonial Embassies were located. The sea of hastily designed Dominion flags had warmed the Prime Ministers heart, as they had proven that despite all the crown still found some loyalties there.

Now he was back in the offices of the British delegation in St. Georges, and was preparing for the next meeting, this time with several representatives from Hong Kong. This vital Asian Naval Base was in a strange position. Technically a part of the Republic of China it was vital to the British Far East strategy, but the mainland parts would still have to be returned to China in the 1990s. On the other hand the Republic of China was in a bad state and might not be around for another 6 months, not talking about 6 decades. Eden had suggested approaching the crumbling Chinese Government about buying or at least leasing them indefinitely. Churchill had approved this, but wanted to talk with the China Experts from Hong Kong first before someone embarked on the dangerous journey to the current Chinese capital, in danger from Bandits, abysmal roads and roving Japanese Aircraft. Still while he was here the world did not stand still and while he waited he reviewed wireless messages sent from London, among them one that concerned Singapore and the planned expansion of the fortress with fortifications oriented towards the Malayan peninsula.



[Game Effects: I really suck at writing such ideologically driven conversations, they always sound too cheesy for me, so I hope you don't mind that we don't get to see the actual talk.]
 
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trekaddict said:
[Game Effects: I really suck at writing such ideologically driven conversations, they always sound too cheesy for me, so I hope you don't mind that we don't get to see the actual talk.][/SIZE]
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If it's cheesy and over the board, then you have it right ! Ideologues never debate otherwise. :D
 
Nitpick: The Islands of Hong Kong are owned by Britain indefinitely; they leased the mainland Hong Kong territories.

In any case, I expect India to astonish the world with its ingratitude postwar.

Edit: here's an interesting article by Comrade Trotsky, that might help you give flavor to the USSA.

http://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1934/08/ame.htm
 
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Bafflegab Tank you, and I agree.

Atlantic Friend :D I still don't like it though.

Faeelin Bugger. It shall be corrected immediately.

As for India: We shall wait and see. The PoD is way too far behind to say for shure what is going to happen anywhere.
 
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