WI/AHC: A British Revolution in 1919
- Thread starter Mynock
- Start date
I think the suggestion was not that Ireland would itself go communist, but rather a communist UK would conquer it and turn it into a resource colony for food as per Ukraine-USSR
And that the way that it would get there would include a bloody multi-way mess of a local civil war.
Ah, that makes a little more sense. Though given a communist UK from a 1918/19 uprising is unlikely in the extreme I don't think it likely, especially given that any communist revolution in the UK would lead to either a civil war or it's suppression and simmering 'Troubles'.
Where? In the UK or Ireland? Your posts are rather vague.
BTW, while the incident occurred in 1926 in the wake of the General Strike, the Ronald Knox radio play of violent insurrection in London led to widespread panic and gives some background on the state of mind of people in the period.
www.bbc.co.uk
Ronald Knox | Radio hoax | Paul Slade - Journalist
Broadcasting the Barricades, catholic priest Ronald Knox's spoof 1926 BBC radio live broadcast of a riot in central London, caused panic as many took Ronald Knox's hoax radio satire seriously.
www.planetslade.com
BBC - Radio 4 - The Riot That Never Was
Information about the Radio 4 programmeThe Riot That Never Was
In Ireland over the divisive issues of socialisation, nation versus socialist commonwealth, atheism versus catholicism, one nationalism versus another, two major religions, a bunch of regions, an imperial ex army of whites, a new imperial army of workers.
It may not be the kinds of continental numbers, but there’s lots of conflicting motivators in crisis to go next door and murder your neighbour in the island of Ireland.
It may not be the kinds of continental numbers, but there’s lots of conflicting motivators in crisis to go next door and murder your neighbour in the island of Ireland.
What is this supposed to mean?
What do you mean by "socialisation"?
What "atheism versus catholicism" divisive issue? Do you understand the religious makeup of Ireland in 1918?
What do the "bunch of regions" have to do with anything?
What "imperial ex army of whites"?
Its really hard to say, if Britain is locked in turmoil for a good long while and the US isn't interested in getting further involved that makes France the sole power upholding the Versailles order. They have got options, they could try for rapprochement with Germany but immediately post-war that seems unlikely. Or maybe they take a route like supporting the Rhenish Republic (which would be a pretty resource intensive affair given support for that idea was very much a minority position).
In terms of Ireland I think it depends entirely on who ends up on top in the British mainland, a sort of British Bolshevism despite the fears of the upper class seems unlikely. What would the character of this new state be? It seems to me unlikely that a state dominated by the more radical parts of the Labour Party for instance would opt to go to war with the Irish. Similarly a state that was largely dominated by the trade unions isn't one that I could see being keen on a foreign adventure.
Historically the fear was that Ireland would serve as a base for the invasion of a hostile power. This would apply here, especially given the international isolation.
That is true and will be a factor in how the new government approach Ireland.