Challenge: Continental British Empire

[Thande]

In OTL Britain has, for much of its history, been chiefly a maritime power and pursuing only occasional adventures on the European continent.

The challenge is to create a Britain that includes a sizeable portion of continental territory and is first and foremost a continental-style power, e.g. it would always have a standing army, and the navy would be secondary.

However, the centre of power must remain in London, or some other British city.

Now you might say the easiest way to do this would just to have the English win the Hundred Years' War, or by some other means end up holding on to a large part of France and being forced to defend it. But I dislike this idea because 1) this POD is before there even WAS a united Britain, so even if the island is eventually united, it won't be anything like OTL's "British" character, and 2) the centre of power would probably end up moving to France.

So let's say any POD after 1603, when Scotland and England were united.

 

[JLCook]

I can think of a British Continental power all right

But it won't be in Europe.

And you would get it, possibly, by rearranging the 18th century considerably.

To begin with, the American Revolution never happens, or, the British win.

Second, the French revolution and/or Napoleon Bonaparte are much more successful. Let's say that Villainueve defeats Nelson at Trafalgar and that the Naval superiority of the Royal Navy is broken, temporarily at least, and just long enough for the French to launch an invasion---which succeeds!

The British government and Royal Family are forced to evacuate to British North America, setting up a Government-in-exile in say Virginia.

Naturally, since the Royal Navy itself is still quite powerful, the British Crown is able to be extremely "safe" in America, and can continue to wage war against Napoleon Bonapart for as long as it takes. With the benifit of North American resources, and the incentive to develope them, the French are going to have a very difficult time of waging a trans-atlantic war.

Suppose that eventually Napoleon and the French are defeated, perhaps by 1830 or so, and the British Isles are themselves reoccupied by British Empire forces. It has now been 30 years since the forced evacuation of the Crown to North America, and the base of power has shifted, dramticlally to North America, within the British Empire. Perhaps, Government might relocate back to London---and perhaps they might not!

A very likely expansion across the North AMerican continent---Louisiana having been CONQUERED rather than purchased, and Tejas and California might also still be annexed. A war with Mexico might even come earlier while Mexico was still a Spanish possession, and as an outgrowth of the Napoleonic wars. In such a case, perhaps even MORE of Mexican territory would have been annexed.

By 1900, a British Empire,m built around British North America might be unchallengablly powerful, with not only a massive Royal Navy, but also an large and powerful Continental Army (stationed in North AMerica, with Units in Africa, India, and of course in the British Isles as well). In such a case, WWI might be avoided entirely, seeing as how no one would stand a chance against the British Empire.

 

[Nicole]

I believe I posted a scenario in one of Oth's old AH Challenges (Pan-Saxony, I believe it was called), where the Kingdom of Hannover becomes a massive power across much of North Germany... though Britain and Hannover are separate Kingdoms though clsoely allied and in union, and Britain still has the RN... this is a rather hard one.

 

[Max Sinister]

I tend to Britain conquering half or all of France in 100yr war. Whether you could still call it British, is another question. Maybe if we include Bretagne / Brittany, and give them only one half, and also make Burgundy stronger, so France can't simply take it all back... or a longer-lived Angevine Empire...

 

[Smuz]

The division of France post 1815, between Britain, Belgium, Spain, Germany and Italy? Britain gets Britanny and Normandy, say. I can see Belgium becoming a de facto British client state in such a scenario.

 

[Othniel]

Hmm, I could think of a different Hundread years War which keeps England in Possesion of Flanders, and from there possible growth.

 

[Thande]

The division of France post 1815, between Britain, Belgium, Spain, Germany and Italy? Britain gets Britanny and Normandy, say. I can see Belgium becoming a de facto British client state in such a scenario.

I think this is probably one of the best PODs for this scenario. I'm not saying it's particularly likely, but it could produce the intended result. Maybe George III doesn't give up the claim to the throne of France, and the British part of France is run as though it were the rightful kingdom of France? (of course, presumably some of the other powers might do the same).

 

[Wendell]

I've vaguely contemplated a scenario where the U.S. gains independence with less, land, and that leads to a "British" Empire based in Chicago...But, that fails here as this challenge wants the capital in the Isles. Maybe Britain goes Communist, and speads revolution to Northwestern Europe?