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Post by whiteshore on Jul 10, 2016 10:35:08 GMT
What if the Edward VIII refused to back down in the Abdication Crisis and with both Atlee and Baldwin refusing to serve as his Prime Minister, Edward VIII decides to turn to Oswald Mosley and the British Union of Fascists (in coalition with Winston Churchill's pro-Edward VIII faction of the Tory party), leading to Oswald Mosley becoming the British Prime Minister and eventually quashing opposition with assistance of royalist elements in the army and establishing a Fascist dictatorship with Churchill and co being sidelined and eventually purged after all other opposition is crushed. How do France, Germany, Japan, Italy, Soviet Russia, and America react? What happens in the Dominions? Do local fascists, inspired by Mosley and the BUF seize power? Or do they turn to Washington and either proclaim a republic or proclaim Prince Albert the King?
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Jul 10, 2016 11:52:26 GMT
What if the Edward VIII refused to back down in the Abdication Crisis and with both Atlee and Baldwin refusing to serve as his Prime Minister, Edward VIII decides to turn to Oswald Mosley and the British Union of Fascists (in coalition with Winston Churchill's pro-Edward VIII faction of the Tory party), leading to Oswald Mosley becoming the British Prime Minister and eventually quashing opposition with assistance of royalist elements in the army and establishing a Fascist dictatorship with Churchill and co being sidelined and eventually purged after all other opposition is crushed. How do France, Germany, Japan, Italy, Soviet Russia, and America react? What happens in the Dominions? Do local fascists, inspired by Mosley and the BUF seize power? Or do they turn to Washington and either proclaim a republic or proclaim Prince Albert the King? I think that if If Edward VIII had not abdicated the throne, the United Kingdom would have been divided on whether to resist the aggression of Hitler's Germany. |
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stevep
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Post by stevep on Jul 10, 2016 19:56:24 GMT
I think if Edward VIII or his supporters had tried that there would have been civil war, with hopefully them being quickly defeated. The BUF was never particularly popular in the general population and there are deep social barriers against the army seizing power. [Ironically in the last case because the army overthrew and executed a king. ] Also parliamentary democracy is deeply embedded and the bulk of Parliament would be deeply opposed to such a move, the conservative ones as much as the socialists and liberals.
The big problem here would be that it would distract the western democracies at a key area. You might see Hitler start a war while Britain is paralysed although given how weak Germany was militarily at this point that might backfire badly. Too many variables as to how things might develop.
Even if somehow a fascist state managed to gain power then the dominions and possibly sizeable parts of the empire might break away. The dominions almost certainly would.
Britain and Germany both being fascist is unlikely to make them close allies. They are both proud nations and the governments would have to play up national identities. I can't see either being willing to play 2nd fiddle to the other.
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Post by whiteshore on Jul 11, 2016 13:57:57 GMT
I could see them being gritted-teeth allies against "Judeo-Bolshevism" as a Fascist Britain could lead to a leftward swing in French politics with the Popular Front lasting longer. Also, how would WW2 develop assuming the BUF and Edward VIII is successful in their actions?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 12, 2016 17:37:39 GMT
What if the Edward VIII refused to back down in the Abdication Crisis and with both Attlee and Baldwin refusing to serve as his Prime Minister, Edward VIII decides to turn to Oswald Mosley and the British Union of Fascists (in coalition with Winston Churchill's pro-Edward VIII faction of the Tory party) Sir Oswald Mosley was not an MP, nor leader of any parliamentary party in 1936-7, so Edward VIII could not "turn" to him in any constitutional sense. You cannot be Prime Minister if you are not an MP. Had Baldwin refused to serve, someone else in the Conservative party, or the National Government, most assuredly would - Chamberlain. |
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Post by whiteshore on Jul 17, 2016 2:23:14 GMT
Would Fascist Britain persuade Hitler to stick with KMT China or would it revive the Anglo-Japanese alliance?
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Jul 17, 2016 8:14:21 GMT
Would Fascist Britain persuade Hitler to stick with KMT China or would it revive the Anglo-Japanese alliance? If a fascist Britain is not torn up then a 2nd Anglo-Japanese Alliance sounds nice. |
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stevep
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Post by stevep on Jul 17, 2016 9:34:18 GMT
Would Fascist Britain persuade Hitler to stick with KMT China or would it revive the Anglo-Japanese alliance? If a fascist Britain is not torn up then a 2nd Anglo-Japanese Alliance sounds nice. Possibly although by this time there are significant tensions between the two. Japan wants Britain's dominant economic position in China, already probably by conquest of the latter and is also looking enviously at Malaya and other British colonies. Another problem for a fascist Britain, apart from the civil war it would pretty much involve to get it into power, would be the reaction of India. It wants at least self-government in the near future and this is unlikely to be a popular idea for a fascist government in Britain so there is likely to be severe unrest there, at the very least. This could well start while Britain is racked by the conflict that brings fascism to power. |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2016 9:53:11 GMT
The fact that Parliament wields nearly all the Crown's power means that Edward VIII would be more and more isolated, whatever bizarre and unconstitutional stunts the OP tries to force him to take.
Edward VIII would be forced to abdicate & barred from the throne, whichever political route he took.
Fascism would never have taken root in the UK, besides unemployment, none of the causes on which it depends are present in the 1930s.
Google the words 'Peace Ballot.'
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Post by whiteshore on Jul 30, 2016 12:15:53 GMT
What foreign policy does the BUF regime pursue? Could we see a largely united Fascist Europe facing off against the USSR and the USA?
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Jul 30, 2016 13:15:51 GMT
What foreign policy does the BUF regime pursue? Could we see a largely united Fascist Europe facing off against the USSR and the USA? Is the Fascist Britain the one in charge of a united Fascist Europe (which i think will consist of Germany, Italy and Spain as its members among others smaller countries in Europe). |
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Post by whiteshore on Jul 30, 2016 13:39:45 GMT
No, it is one of Fascist regimes who have temporarily set aside their differences to fight the "Bolshevik-Asiatic Hordes". Also, how do you think would France react to the fact the UK is now under a Fascist regime? Align with the Soviets?
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lordroel
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Post by lordroel on Jul 30, 2016 13:44:50 GMT
No, it is one of Fascist regimes who have temporarily set aside their differences to fight the "Bolshevik-Asiatic Hordes". Also, how do you think would France react to the fact the UK is now under a Fascist regime? Align with the Soviets? There is the Franco-Soviet Treaty of Mutual Assistance already in place so more and close relations could happen. |
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