The Old Land of My Fathers
a Welsh KR AAR
Last edited:
-
We have updated our Community Code of Conduct. Please read through the new rules for the forum that are an integral part of Paradox Interactive’s User Agreement.
The Old Land of My Fathers
a Welsh KR AAR
Foreword
Hello and welcome to The Old Land of My Fathers, a Welsh AAR set in the Kaiserreich universe for Darkest Hour. This can be considered a reworking of my previous KR AAR set in the British Isles, For your Altars and your Fires, which if it had lived would have taken place in Scotland after a German partitioning of the Union of Britain; but is instead set in Wales after a much different invasion. Most of all it is heavily influenced by Antonine's magisterial National French AAR Vive L'Empereur and his description of the Principality of England post-Second Weltkrieg. Kaiserreich has changed some of the options for partitioning and the postwar nations since those AARs were written but this AAR is still very much in their spirit. I'm also hoping for it to be a companion for one of my previous DH KR AARs, A Thousand Years of Happy Reign, both in following the style of that AAR and that it will hopefully also be complete -- with my Japanese AAR for DH being the only one of my 30+ AARs to have been completed. I hope you all enjoy accompanying me (and accompanying the Welsh) as I tell this story.
AO
Chapter I: the Beginning (1936-1938)
On September 23rd 1936, Niclas y Glais was elected Chairman of the British Trade Unions Congress. During the annual TUC Convention weeks previously his Autonomist faction had swept the board and become the dominant faction within the Congress; a seismic shift in British politics stoked by years of complacency and neglect in London. Capturing the hearts and minds of the delegates with speeches of autonomy, home rule, and the virtues of home and family Glais was described in the memoirs of an attendee as “writing sonnets of fire in the air, burning up the chaff in a new vision of federalism” and his words struck a chord. Dreaming of pastoral idylls -- and under no small pressure from the Republican Army; whose disorganised and decentralised militia command found Glais’ proposal of ‘three home armies’ to be amenable -- the Congress elected Autonomists to multiple important positions and gave them the leverage needed to see him elected Chairman of the TUC upon the resignation of Philip Snowden.
Niclas y Glais shortly after his election as Chairman of the Trade Unions Congress of the Union of Britain
Now the supreme ruler of the Union of Britain, Glais immediately set about implementing his ideals. Although he had initially consented to the appointment of the moderate William Gallacher to the position of Secretary of the Trade Unions Congress, Gallacher’s objections to the radical policy changes soon necessitated his removal. Instigating a snap vote after accusing Gallacher of ‘reactionary sentiment unbefitting a socialist’ the Chairman presided over his removal and exile from British politics and appointed his old friend, and revered trade activist, Lewis Jones to the post. Although reforms made at home would prove to be most consequential the more immediately stunning actions were in the sphere of foreign policy: citing a new policy of ‘Socialism in one country’ Glais rejected the French invitation to the meeting of the Internationale in Paris and effectively isolated Britain from world syndicalism in a single stroke. Perhaps recognising what he had done Glais decided to take an even more aggressive tack to shore up his position. Putting the mighty Republican Navy to sea off the coast of Ireland and using as an excuse the arrest of a handful of leftist agitators some months before, the Union of Britain formally issued a demand that the ‘Collins regime peacefully resign and give way to the naturally socialist expressions of the people’ or risk an armed intervention. To international surprise Collins folded immediately and fled to Germany as James Larkin, the famed Irish socialist and labour activist, declared himself ‘Chairman of the Irish Republic’ and invited British forces to help establish his rule.
The coat of arms of the Irish State under Michael Collins prior to the establishment of the Larkin regime
The downfall of Ireland placed the world on notice: though Britain had withdrawn into herself, she remained a power to be reckoned with. Although the Republican Navy was forced to go on high alert after increasingly menacing exercises of the Kaiserliche Marine the nation -- nations, rather -- felt a warm sense of pride which had been unknown during the late Snowden government. It was perhaps this feeling that greased the wheels as Chairman Glais undertook his cherished policy of decentralisation without issue. Vastly weakening the strength of the central government the Autonomist majority of the national Congress consented to the creation of English, Scottish, and Welsh Trade Union Congresses (the proposal of a Cornish TUC was shot down after much debate, being largely regarded as a step too far despite Glais’ personal support) and delegated many powers to their control; most notably authority over the ‘national armies’ into which the Republican Army had been reorganised. The national congresses were by and large grateful for their having been created as autonomists secured majorities in Wales and Scotland (although the Scottish majority was rather thin, given a bitterness toward the dismissal of their native son Gallacher) and earned Glais even more institutional backing for his policies. The one glaring exception to this was the English TUC. Giving a middle finger to prevailing Autonomist sentiment the trade unions of England returned a Totalist supermajority and elected Sir Oswald Mosley, Bt. -- a title he proudly wore even in a Syndicalist age -- as their Chairman; a fiery authoritarian whose rhetorical skills could match Glais blow-for-blow. His first, final, and greatest act as Chairman was to secure a vote for the self-dissolution of the English Trade Union Congress itself and the restoration of its powers to an unwilling London; an expression of radical irony which won him fame throughout Britain.
A fearsome and powerful orator, Oswald Mosley was the leading voice against the policies of the Autonomist government; and successfully used their reforms as a weapon to embarrass them
Sadly however, Mosley’s showmanship and the difficulties of handling strikes in Cornwall proved to be the least of the government's problems. After months of agitation by the Sinn Féin government in exile and the support of pro-Irish Zentrum MPs the German foreign office was finally prevailed upon to deliver an ultimatum to the Union of Britain: withdraw British troops from Ireland. The unspoken understanding that they would be replaced with German troops was well understood by London, and a special meeting of the British Congress of Trade Unions was called in August 1937 to discuss the issue. The Federationists lead by Arthur Horner advocated firmly in favour of letting Ireland fall to the Germans as ‘a necessity to preserve our own Revolution’ but the result was never in doubt: to abandon their socialist brothers in Ireland would be an act of cowardice that the British people couldn't stomach. Following rousing pro-war speeches from a number of delegates, including both Oswald Mosley and Niclas y Glais, an overwhelming majority of the Trade Union Congress voted to reject the ultimatum. Three days later the German Empire declared war. Things immediately went badly. The German landing at Portsmouth was completely unhindered by the might of the Republican Navy given that the majority of the RN lay at the bottom of the ocean; unprepared for a German offensive showcasing just how far the Kaiserliche Marine had come since the Weltkrieg. Once Germans actually set foot on British soil the reality of the situation came crashing down and Glais called for ‘Republican stalwarts’ across the country to volunteer; but it was too late. The Heer easily trounced the disorganised Republican Army militias at Dover and Norwich and the British were handicapped severely by a lack of coordination and unified command between the Scottish and Welsh national armies. Growing increasingly desperate Glais ordered the nationalisation of the ‘stalwart’ volunteer units and privately thanked the English TUC for dissolving and handing London direct command of the English national army. More surprises lay in store as the Imperial French Army landed at Caernarfon.
Imperial German soldiers lined up for inspection shortly after the Battle of Dover
The Canadian declaration of war on the Union of Britain wasn't a surprise to anyone; being merely the fulfilment of over a decade of hardline foreign and domestic policy. That having been said, it wasn't expected to amount to anything. Abwehr and Republican Intelligence units alike were stationed in the Dominion and had reported that the continuous infighting between native Canadians and British exiles in the government had hamstrung any real preparations for a reconquest; and it was the consensus in both Berlin and London that the declaration was, at most, symbolic. That the French Empire in Algeria would devote any serious effort to assisting their ally was likewise viewed as deeply unlikely, but they had not reckoned on Charles De Gaulle. They were not the first to make that mistake. A leading officer of the “Young Guard” within the French Army, De Gaulle had been one of the driving forces behind the restoration of Napoleon VI after Petain announced his retirement and had ever since been the Emperor’s Counsellor of State and loyal confidant. Deftly outmaneuvering enemies in the Petainiste military establishment as well as other, younger officers vying for a place in the new Empire the ‘little Colonel’ worked up to one of the most senior voices in the Imperial government and had taken a hard expansionist foreign policy dedicated to reconquering the metropole and marching the Emperor under the Arc de Triomphe. Upon seeing the Canadian declaration of war he urged the Emperor to enlist National France as an active participant; arguing that Britain’s international isolation would allow France to showcase her military prowess without provoking the premature wrath of the Communards. After conferencing for days with his General Staff, Napoleon finally gave the greenlight for a full-scale invasion of the Union.
His Imperial Majesty Napoleon VI, by the grace of God and will of the Nation, Emperor of the French
Profiles of the Treaty of Aberdeen: I
Signed on May 23rd 1938 between Canadian, Imperial French, and German representatives in the Scottish city of Aberdeen, the Treaty of Aberdeen represented a definitive settlement of the contentious borders in Great Britain since the fall of London on March 4th of that year. The French Occupation zone was divided into three: the Kingdoms of Wales and Scotland were given independence as 'amicable protectorates' of the French Empire -- which Ottawa was begrudgingly forced to accept -- while the rest of the occupation zone, the Midlands and North of England, was given over to the authority of the Canadians. The German occupation zone was at Berlin's insistence granted independence as the Kingdom of England. Aberdeen marked the beginning of the decline of Canada as a serious power, given their insultingly few gains at the hand of an ostensible ally, and of a shift of power toward Algiers within the Entente.
The Kingdom of England
His Royal Majesty James III of England
Efforts by the Canadians to dissuade Germany from using 'England' as the name of this nation-in-waiting were dismissed with something approaching glee by Berlin's representatives and finally, from Ottawa, Edward telegraphed his consent to German terms in full. Confident in their victory, shortly before the treaty was ratified the Germans invited Don Jacobo FitzJames Stuart y Falcó to serve as the first King of England in the over two centuries since the Act of Union. Don Jacobo was in many respects a natural choice: one of the wealthiest and most prominent aristocrats of the age he was head of the venerable House of FitzJames-Stuart and held, among many other titles, no less than six dukedoms and fourteen marquisates. Chief among those titles (at least for the Germans) was the Duchy of Berwick, of which Don Jacobo was the 10th Duke within the Jacobite peerage by virtue of being a direct descendant of James II of England. This storied lineage was viewed as quite enough for Berlin and, evidently, for D. Jacobo himself, who accepted the German offer posthaste. The recipient of a lavish and heavily-guarded coronation in Cambridge's Church of Our Lady and the English Martyrs -- which unlike London's famous churches survived the war completely unscathed -- the new King James set about organising a government immediately.
The first Prime Minister of England was Bernard Law Montgomery. By this time a general in the Royal Canadian Army his appointment was initially a concession offered to the Canadians but the speed with they accepted the offer (His Majesty's Government of England invited Montgomery to serve on the 24th, and Montgomery was in London on the 26th) soon revealed that it had been, for the Germans, a serious mistake. Although possessing an impeccable CV detailing his vicious offensives against Socialist forces during the British Revolution the Prime Minister's singleminded determination and stunning lack of tact or social grace would go on to be a serious thorn in the side of the genteel Prussian military establishment. Relations between Montgomery and the Germans, and moreover with the King, deteriorated swiftly and it would only be his evident dedication to the English cause which would preserve him until the first elections in 1943. The infrastructure and communications initiatives of Home Secretary Leslie Hore-Belisha would meanwhile spur much of the reconstruction boom of the 1950s; leading to his eventual election as Prime Minister under the aegis of the English Conservatives.
Last edited:
While the idea of a France based in North Africa being able to launch an invasion of the British isles without massive backing by the rest of the entente is.... laughable at best. It does set an interesting scene in the British isles with French, British and German interests. Canada will not be happy with their "allies" preempting them and this will certainly drive a wedge between the entente powers unless France backs off. Tensions will be high.
The AI be like it do. Once I looked up from my Battle of London prep and realised the NatFrench cut me off I just decided to roll with it.
Profiles of the Treaty of Aberdeen: II
The Dominion of Britain [1]
His Royal Highness the Duke of York, Viceroy of Britain for His Majesty Edward VIII of Canada, Britain, and all his Realms and Territories beyond the Seas, Emperor of India
The fall of the Union of Britain and the successes and failures of the Aberdeen Conference would go on to change the course of Canadian history. The utter lack of preparedness to take back the British Isles from Syndicalism came back to Ottawa in a big way as the Canadians were effectively closed out of postwar Britain; first by the Germans and then, shockingly, by their Imperial French allies. Left merely with the return of that portion of England which had been under French occupation it became clear to the Canadians that the grand homecoming they had dreamed of would be something far less indeed. Although many were thrilled just to reclaim any portion of that green and pleasant land the furor which 'the failure at Aberdeen' had given rise to ultimately caused the collapse of the Mackenzie King government, and tensions between the native Canadians and the British exiles skyrocketed. In order to brook a solution and avoid the grim prospect of rioting Edward VIII summoned both R. B. Bennett, the interim Prime Minister of Canada he had appointed, and the elderly Ramsay MacDonald, who occupied the most-ceremonial post of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, to his residence of Spencerwood.
The Dominion of Britain [1]
His Royal Highness the Duke of York, Viceroy of Britain for His Majesty Edward VIII of Canada, Britain, and all his Realms and Territories beyond the Seas, Emperor of India
The results of 'the Meeting at Spencerwood' would be tremendous: despite MacDonald's apoplectic objections (which legend says came to the point of threatening to 'whip' King Edward) it was determined that it would be impossible to reconstitute the old order in the territory which had been given to them. The balance of power had shifted immovably toward Canada and there was no sense in pretending that things could be put back to normal in the British way; not with what the French had given them to work with. A bitter pill to swallow for MacDonald and his fellow Exiles the decision was made that Canadian territories in Great Britain would simply be constituted as the Dominion of Britain in the style of Australasia or the West Indies. Furthermore the official name of the polity in Canada would be changed to reflect new realities. Using the vast prerogatives granted to him by Bill C-7 the King forced through an Act of Parliament essentially abolishing the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and reworking it into a federal/imperial system of states centered around Canada and the Imperial Crown. He would then follow his own lead and issue an Order-in-Council altering the style of the Monarch and announcing the new designation 'of Canada, Britain, and all his Realms and Territories beyond the Seas, Emperor of India'.
With the creation of the Dominion of Britain tensions in Canada noticeably declined. The British exile population was divided between the firmly conservative middle class and the peers, military men, and titans of industry who would've been hanged at first glance; and so the decision for many of them whether to return home was an easy one. Aristocrats and officers generally returned to Britain; having suffered in the New World after being either dismissed (in the case of the peers, as the nobility was primarily a British establishment) or displaced (in the case of the officers, as the Canadians were quite content with their own officers) by the natives and eager to retake their jobs and social standing back in the mother country. The middle class Royalists and industrial tycoons meanwhile remained in Canada; having integrated nicely with the general population and contributed to Canadian society as a whole. The mass emigration of the upper crust of British exiles soothed issues which had been fermenting for some time and Prime Minister Bennett publicly wished 'a fond farewell to our cousins and friends, departing to plant a new seed in the ancient soil of Albion.' Accompanying this ingathering of the exiles was HRH Prince Albert, Duke of York.
By fiat of King Edward the Duke of York was made Viceroy of Britain, the informally elevated status of the dominion being seen to merit the same representation of the Royal dignity as India; where Edward was of course accorded the title of Emperor. While Albert himself wasn't thrilled to be placed into such a position -- Edward's marriage to Isabelle of Orleans was a great relief to his brother, as pressure on him to succeed to the throne was reduced tremendously -- it was decided that he and his photogenic family would be the perfect choice to represent the Royal Family in Britain once more. After an austere coronation-like 'installation' at Manchester Cathedral the Viceroy decided to settle in the city and issued a decree naming it the provisional capital of the Dominion; taking the former premises of the Manchester Art Gallery as the viceregal residence in addition to the seat of government. In the early days of the Dominion much of the daily governing was accomplished by decree. While fears of Syndicalist unrest proved to be without merit (Albert famously remarked that 'thirty years of nonsense cannot wash away centuries of loyalty) the Canadian Army remained ubiquitous until a staged withdrawal was completed in 1952 and the first civilian government was appointed directly by Albert without any vote whatsoever.
The first Prime Minister of the Dominion of Britain was Harold Nicolson. A prominent member of the Foreign Service prior to and during the Weltkrieg, Nicolson's staunch support of George V and many connections among the upper-class (not the least of which was Vita Sackville-West, his wife and the daughter of the Baron Sackville) necessitated his flight to Canada during the Revolution and he remained there until 1938. Having reluctantly gotten himself elected as a Canadian MP at the urging of the nation's Conservative party Nicolson resigned his position and returned to England with his wife as soon as possible. Recommended by the Canadian prime minister for the position he was shocked to hear of his appointment to the British premiership but accepted it dutifully. The Nicolson government would, like its contemporaries in England, Scotland, and Wales, be consumed mainly with economic affairs for the duration of its existence and the Prime Minister's public works initiatives and focus on reindustrialisation would win him much affection. Resigning at the conclusion of his second ministry in 1956 Nicolson, by then Sir Harold Nicolson KCVO CMG, would go on to publish a best-selling memoir entitled Roses in Albion.
[1] although the Dominion of Britain formally adopted a new designation and flag after its creation in 1938 it took decades for them to enter common use and informal use of the Union Jack, as well as simply referring to the country internationally as 'the United Kingdom', remained widespread.
Subscribed!! What a cool idea for an AAR. Also, a wonderful and funny antidote to an overdose of British Glory that one can get from reading some of the marvels of the DH AAR forum such as Crown Atomic 
But you have to wonder. If the British Syndies let themselves be snuffed out so unceremoniously by the Kaiser's forces, what does that portend for the French Communards' upcoming confrontation with Germany. Do they even stand a chance? Would they even risk war, standing alone?
But you have to wonder. If the British Syndies let themselves be snuffed out so unceremoniously by the Kaiser's forces, what does that portend for the French Communards' upcoming confrontation with Germany.
Do they even stand a chance? Would they even risk war, standing alone?
Profiles of the Treaty of Aberdeen: III
The Kingdom of Scotland
His Royal Majesty Ferdinand I, King of the Scots
Bitterly referred to in Canadian diplomatic circles as 'the stab in the back' for years afterward, the Kingdom of Scotland's very existence would prove testament to Imperial French ambition even at the expense of their allies. France could perhaps be forgiven for forcing an acquiescence to German demands for their own piece of the pie, but their response to the Canadian delegation at Aberdeen could not so easily be let to pass. After the Germans were grudgingly ceded what all parties has previously recognised as de jure British land the Canadians attempted immediately to shore up their losses and politely enquired as to when the French planned on transferring control of their zone of occupation. This was a mere formality as far as Ottawa was concerned. The Imperial French were a founding member of the Entente and a close Canadian ally, of course they were going to give control over to the Canadians. Such self-assured optimism was in for a rude awakening however when they were informed that His Imperial Majesty's Government could not possibly transfer their entire zone of occupation; and that Scotland and Wales were to be granted self-determination at the earliest possible date.
The Kingdom of Scotland
His Royal Majesty Ferdinand I, King of the Scots
Filling in the stunning silence left by their allies -- or 'allies' rather -- the French apologised profusely, but it had been determined by His Imperial Majesty the Emperor that the peoples of Scotland and Wales could only be allowed to choose their own future; in the spirit of liberty, equality, and fraternity that even now guided the French nation. What wasn't mentioned was that the French had made contact with Scottish nationalists as soon as their forces had entered Scotland, and that this had been a long time coming. Shortly after the decision was made in Algiers to 'assist in the liberation' of the British Isles a conference of the imperial government had been convened by Napoleon VI and Prime Minister De Gaulle to discuss the hypothetical fate of the islands. While Irish independence was a foregone conclusion -- it was felt that the British had brought that upon themselves -- whether control of Great Britain proper would be given over to the Canadians was another matter entirely. Although some voices in the Imperial Cabinet and the Corps legislatif were insistent that the alliance with Canada be honoured in spirit as well as in letter they were drowned out by the hungry voices of neo-imperialism; chiefly the Emperor and De Gaulle themselves alongside foreign minister Paul Baudoin. To carve out satellite states from Albion would, in the view of De Gaulle and company, elevate the status of the French Empire to that of a player on the international stage rather than 'some parochial master of Africa'.
And so, eventually, the French got their way. Promised the English portions of the Imperial occupation zone and realising that they had little actual choice in the matter, the British bitterly assented to the independence of Scotland and Wales. Further hopes that the Scottish crown would at least be offered to a member of the House of Windsor were dashed as the French decided to take the German lead and offer the crown to Hernando Carlos María Teresa FitzJames Stuart y Falcó, 14th Duke of Peñaranda de Duero, 13th Marquis of Valderrabano, and 11th Count of Montijo. His older brother the Duke of Alba would be offered the English throne by Berlin, and those same dynastic qualities which had lent him to the position were also recognised by the French in Hernando. Gratefully accepting the crown as King Ferdinand of the Scots, the Duke's relationship with James of England would be a vital determinant in inter-island relations during later years. Selected as the first Prime Minister of Scotland was Lindsay Ian Campbell-Grey, Master of Grey, more commonly known as Lord Grey in the Scottish peerage. A relative nonentity Lord Grey was a Weltkrieg veteran and minor aristocrat best known for his work training racehorses, completely and utterly void of any political experience whatsoever. That suited the French just fine.
While King Ferdinand was only too happy to listen to his French 'advisors' on the matter of his political appointees their erstwhile collaborators in the Scottish nationalist movement were less than thrilled. The Scottish nationalist movement had been in existence for only a relatively short period of time, beginning with the formation of the Scots National League in 1921. Advocating radically for full Scottish independence in preference to those who supported autonomy within the new Union of Britain the League was comfortably leftist enough to survive in the new order; even boasting prominent Irish socialists forced to leave their homeland. Over the years both the leftists and nascent conservative Scottish nationalists united gradually as their commitment to their homeland overrode ideological niceties, and the Scottish National Party was founded in 1934. With the French invasion of Scotland the nationalists saw their best hope for independence and quickly cosied up to the occupiers, making themselves indispensable as civilian liaisons between the Imperial army and the people of Scotland. With independence the SNP expected to be ushered into the ranks of the new government but were swiftly closed from power by the French slate of inexperienced appointees. Ruadraidh Erskine, the leading figure of the SNP after the French entered the country, remarked acerbically that 'the French appoint the government on the basis that they have no opinions which can be discerned.'
The tensions between the French appointees and the native Scottish nationalists reached a boiling point in 1950 as SNP parliamentarians resigned en masse from the provisional House of Commons, collapsing the Campbell-Grey ministry and leading to the appointment of moderate SNP leader Roland Muirhead as second Prime Minister of Scotland -- Erskine having resigned from the Party after a furious schism between those who supported and opposed the FitzJames monarchy. Serving a full decade until 1960, Muirhead oversaw the transition of Scotland into a regional pseudo-Scandinavian power while still carefully toeing the line of Scotland's French patrons. Succeeded by Douglas Young to the premiership, who would reject Muirhead's pro-Entente policies and begin Scotland's turbulent drift to the left, Muirhead retired to a life of peace and quiet before being knighted by King Ferdinand in 1952; later serving as a member of the House of Lords shortly prior to his death.
Indeed! Nappy must have quite a bit of moxie on his side.
I'm glad you enjoy it! Not that TCA isn't wonderful ofc but I do always prefer a balkanised Britain in DH. In fairness, the UoB's army has always been complete and utter garbage in-game (compensated for by the impressive strength of the Republican Navy) and can't really be compared to the Commune's army; which of course is fairly substantial. I've never seen the UoB be a substantial aid to the Commune during the Second Weltkrieg and I have a feeling that they'll be able to acquit themselves well. I'm interested in seeing what happens to Syndicalist Ireland, frankly, as both the Entente and Mitteleuropa are still at war with them -- as well they should be, given that they're the cause of the Anglo-German War and the French Intervention in Britain to begin with. Maybe Canada will surprise us all and manage to take it, or maybe we'll see Bonapartist Ireland...Subscribed!! What a cool idea for an AAR. Also, a wonderful and funny antidote to an overdose of British Glory that one can get from reading some of the marvels of the DH AAR forum such as Crown Atomic
But you have to wonder. If the British Syndies let themselves be snuffed out so unceremoniously by the Kaiser's forces, what does that portend for the French Communards' upcoming confrontation with Germany.
Pffffft all the French did was liberate oppressed peoples. Totally heroic and not at all self-serving.And that is why one should never trust the French
Nope, not self-serving at all. Totally.
