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Seems like the Great Powers are being relatively nice and focused more on internal matters.
Wow I didn’t even know you can do that in Kaiserreich, and then the vey next game I play the AI does that.
Epilogue II: 1965-1969
Obligatory music:
1965
On the 13th of January 1965 the Earl of Oldham, better known as Sir Winston Churchill, was reported to have suffered a severe stroke; he passed away just twelve days later, on the 25th, at his home at Chartwell in Kent. Despite never managing to become Prime Minister, Churchill had held almost every cabinet position possible at one point or another, and his vitality and energy with which he pursued the war effort in the 40s and 50s, despite declining health, had endeared him greatly to the nation. Winston Churchill was given a ceremonial funeral, attended by His Majesty the King, on the 1st of February 1965.
The last known photograph of the Earl of Oldham, taken as he left a function at the House of Lords in early January
On the 14th of February 1965 the new Liberal government announced that TSR.2, an experimental strike aircraft, would be put into service as the "Shrike". Widely regarded as the best in the world, TSR.2 was on the verge of being scrapped, and the soaring costs had become a minor scandal, but the Ministry of Defence eventually won over the Treasury.
TSR.2 in flight; the aircraft was later accepted into RAF service as the "Shrike", and was also sold to Canada, India, Australasia and Poland
Elizabeth Lane QC, a County Court judge, was appointed to the Family Division of the High Court on the 27th of May 1965, and was subsequently appointed a Dame Commander of the British Empire; she was the first female High Court judge of the United Kingdom.
Parliament passed a bill on the 17th of September 1965, that became the Murder (Abolition of Death Penalty) Act 1965, abolishing capital punishment for all crimes other than treason across the United Kingdom and the whole of the British Empire.
The preamble of the Murder (Abolition of Death Penalty) Act 1965, that removed the death penalty for the first time in Britain
That proved to be that Parliament's last act, as Parliament was dissolved for the 1965 General Election in November. The results were extremely unremarkable, with a seat swing of just five in the Conservatives' favour, only one of which was actually a Liberal seat. The final seat counts gave the Liberals 329, only down by one since 1961, the Conservatives 284, up five, the Labour Party 34, up one, and other parties just three.
The 1965 Parliament
1966
By 1966 a social revolution had swept Britain, leading to what many dubbed the "permissive society". Theatre, film, television, radio, print, and all other forms of media had been liberalised and more open. However, this was not to the delight of all, as on the 7th of January 1966 Mary Whitehouse, a "concerned citizen" (her own words) founded the "National Viewers' and Listeners' Association" to protest this degradation of moral values. She was often derided by the press, and the Prime Minister, Roy Jenkins, was alleged to have referred to her as "that ridiculous woman". Some civil servants reported that he'd vowed to undertake his own liberal crusade against her and people like her.
Mary Whitehouse, founder of the NVLA
Britain suffered its greatest loss yet on the 14th of April 1966, as T.E. Lawrence, the leader of the Second Glorious Revolution, died at his country home in Essex at the age of 77. Lawrence had declined all offers made to him of reward since the Revolution, which included a knighthood, a dukedom and innumerable other honours and titles of nobility, choosing instead to fade into the background, becoming more of a legend than a hero. While everybody knew of him, very people knew him, and he was rarely seen in public. Following his death His Majesty the King declared a week of official mourning, and directed that Lawrence be given a full state funeral and burial in Westminster Abbey. The funeral took place on the 3rd of May 1966, and Lawrence was interred in Westminster Abbey as planned, alongside other greats of British history, Darwin and Dickens among them. This was the final, and only, honour afforded to the man who had changed it all, and the only one he was unable to turn down. As the funeral barge proceeded along the Thames the cranes on the docksides dipped in salute, and an RAF flypast roared up the river. The service at Westminster Abbey was attended by all the leading statesmen, the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition among them, and almost the entire royal family.
The funeral procession moves through London, the gun carriage drawn by sailors of the Royal Navy and attended by men of the Queen's Colour Squadron and the Welsh Guards, with arms reversed; Royal Marines lining the route present arms as the coffin passes
Cranes dip in salute as Lawrence's funeral barge proceeds up the river
The British national team won the FIFA World Cup on the 17th of July 1966, beating out the Prussian national team, and winning 2-1.
The British team celebrates their victory at the 1966 World Cup
HMS Resolution, the first of her class, was launched at Chatham on the 28th of September 1966. Resolution was the first submarine to carry the "Typhoon" Intercontinental Ballistic Missile, which was nuclear-capable. A harbinger of a new age, perhaps.
Resolution moves out to sea from Chatham
On the 4th of October 1966 Parliament passed another piece of new legislation, the Sexual Offences Act 1966, which decriminalised homosexuality for those over the age of 21. This legislation had been supported and backed up by the Prime Minister himself, well known for his liberal views, and had passed with great support from most Liberal MPs.
1967
The 9th of March 1967 saw the Metropolitan Police employ their first black police constable, Norwell Roberts, an Anguillan who had emigrated to Britain with his family in 1954.
PC Roberts talks with a tourist outside Charing Cross station in London
The Leader of the Opposition, Harold Macmillan, resigned from the post on the 11th of April 1967, due to his advanced age and declining health; he handed the reigns to R.A. "Rab" Butler, a well-liked and experienced cabinet minister, who had been Chancellor as far back as the Tory-Liberal National Government of the 40s and 50s.
R.A. "Rab" Butler was seen as a safe choice for the Conservatives, and a no-nonsense candidate for leadership
In June the government took a risk, and, following Spanish overtures regarding Gibraltar's status, organised a sovereignty referendum on The Rock. It turned out to be a rather safe gamble, though, as only 44 of Gibraltar's 27,000 residents voted to become Spanish.
A car decorated for the occasion of the 1967 sovereignty referendum in Gibraltar
One of Britain's greatest writers, Siegfried Sassoon, died on the 1st of September 1967, at the age of 80. His poetry of the Weltkrieg had gained an added poignancy after Britain's defeat, and he was one of the last surviving poets of his era. His funeral was a small family affair, and was attended by only a few of his closest friends and relatives.
Sassoon pictured at his home in 1954
The Abortion Act 1967 was passed on the 8th of October, legalising abortion in Great Britain (but not Ulster) on a number of grounds. The Act also made provision for NHS funding for the procedure.
Only a week after that Act was passed, Roy Jenkins called an early General Election, hoping to ride the wave of his liberal reforms, and to take advantage of the resignation of the popular Macmillan and the increasingly behind the time Conservatives. However, that plan backfired on Jenkins somewhat. While the Liberals managed to hold onto government, and generally kept their number of seats, the Conservatives saw a small gain. Most pollsters and critics described the 1967 General Election as "entirely pointless" and "a waste of time", given the final results. The Liberals lost three seats, going down to 326, only just hanging on to a majority. The Conservatives saw a gain of six, going up to 290 seats. The Labour Party dropped back down to 33, and other parties only claimed a single seat. The Liberals now had a majority of one seat, and were criticised for putting little effort into the campaign, having produced a lacklustre manifesto already.
The 1967 Parliament
1968
Following the election loss, Jenkins looked around for methods to increase the government's popularity. In the end he decided to step up commitment to the ongoing Centroamérican War, committing 4000 British advisors, and sending some 20,000 rifles to the rebels.
Despite this shock, in February construction and furnishing work on the new Imperial Parliament was completed. The enormous building was four times larger than St. Paul's Cathedral, and was situated in the outskirts of London, in the midst of a large development area set aside for the purpose. On the 12th of March 1968, Empire Day, the first Imperial Parliament was opened, in a huge ceremony attended by the King, and accompanied by a parade of troops from every British colony and overseas territory, as well as detachments sent from the Dominions of Canada, Australasia and India. British, Nigerian, Indian, Canadian, Malay, Kenyan and countless other nationalities marched side by side in one of the largest parades ever seen in Britain, along with tanks and a large flypast of RAF aircraft, including Lightning interceptors, the new Shrike aircraft, and Vulcan bombers. The Parliament building itself was fronted by a huge facade of marble columns, with the entrance reached by a wide, shallow flight of steps, and flanked on either side by a statue of Britain's two greatest military heroes, Nelson and Wellington, each measuring some 30 feet in height. The columns were surmounted by the Royal arms, and above that, an immense bronze effigy of Britannia, with shield and trident. The first elections to the Imperial Parliament were scheduled for the next year, and in the meantime regional assemblies for all colonies were being busily opened and prepared across the Empire as part of the "drive for democracy" envisaged years ago.
The Imperial Parliament on the outskirts of London, 1968
On the 3rd of May 1968, at the Conservative Party's spring conference, the Conservative MP Enoch Powell delivered a speech that lambasted the Liberal government's immigration policy. Powell described what he saw as "a nation busily engaged in heaping its own funeral pyre", and he quoted Aeneid, saying "Like the Roman, I seem to see 'the River Tiber foaming with much blood'". That line gave rise to the speech's popular name, the "Rivers of Blood" Speech. Roy Jenkins later condemned Powell as "a hateful man, full of vitriol", and Rab Butler quickly sacked him from his position as shadow defence secretary, saying that his views were not representative of those of the Conservative Party.
Enoch Powell delivers his speech to the Conservative Party
Enoch Powell and the Prime Minister before appearing on Newsnight together, shortly after the former's speech
On the 14th of June 1968 two destroyers of the Caribbean Federation, HMCFS Jamaica and Grand Bahama, were bombed and strafed by Centroamérican aircraft in the Gulf of Mexico. In the wake of this "Gulf of Mexico Incident", Roy Jenkins imposed strict trade embargos on the syndicalists in Central America, measures which were backed up by the rest of the Entente. As well as that, a further 12,000 British troops were sent to Centroamérica, and Entente "observers" were beginning to get involved in the fighting. British aircraft, including Hawker Hunters and Fairey Edmontons, were also "leased" to the rebel forces, as well as substantially more arms and ammunition.
Roy Jenkins condemns the actions of Centroamérica during a speech in June 1968
Parliament passed the Race Relations Act 1968 on the 22nd of October, making it illegal to discriminate on the grounds of race in employment, public services and housing.
A month later the Divorce Reform Act 1968 was passed, which extensively liberalised the law on divorce, making it much easier for a divorce to be obtained, and the resulting settlements were made less harsh on the wife.
1969
A great leap for British technology, and all that of mankind, came on the 4th of March 1969, as the Britannia 11 space mission landed the first men on the moon. The first to walk on the moon was Buzz Aldrin, a Canadian astronaut and test pilot. Originally born in America in 1930, his family had fled north during the Second Civil War, and he had later emigrated to Britain after the Second Glorious Revolution. Aldrin commented "that's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind", before planting the Union Flag on the Moon's surface and posing for several photographs.
Britannia 11 launches from its site in northern India
Aldrin poses with the British flag on the Moon
Hawker's new Harrier aircraft entered RAF service in its first iteration, the GR.1, on the 4th of April 1969. The Harrier was a strike fighter, notable for its revolutionary ability to take off vertically and still fight in the same way as a normal aircraft. The Harrier was a huge success, and would later be sold in large numbers to India, Canada, Australasia, New England, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Siam, Sweden, Poland, Portugal, Greece and Switzerland.
A Harrier pilot of 20 Squadron is chastised by the RAF Police for breaking station regulations
A week later, on the 11th of April, Parliament passed the Representation of the People Act 1969, lowering the minimum voting age to 18 years old, from 21.
Students from the University of Cambridge protesting for the voting age to be lowered
May 1969 saw the first elections to the Imperial Parliament, with 30,000 Members of Parliament being elected to represent the more than two billion citizens of the Empire. Only 650 of those members were from the United Kingdom itself; each constituency in the UK elected two members now, one to the traditional Westminster Parliament, and one to the Imperial Parliament. The Conservatives were the largest party, with just 5791 seats. The Liberals came in second with 5611, and the Labour Party with 4974. The rest of the Parliament was made up from hundreds of other smaller parties, like the Nigerian Liberal Party or the Ceylon People's Party. Members now represented traditional constituencies like Acton, but also other seats, such as Falklands and South Sandwich Islands, Ceylon Central and Hanover West. At the same time as this election, 200 Lords from Canada, India and Australasia were invested into the House of Lords.
On the 5th of October 1969 the new surreal comedy programme, Monty Python's Flying Circus, aired its first episode on BBC Two. The new series, starring Michael Palin, Eric Idle, John Cleese, Terry Jones, Graham Chapman and Terry Gilliam, went on to be a new success, and later spawned several film specials and new series.
Filming on location for an episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus in 1969
November saw the next General Election, which resulted in the Liberals finally losing their majority. The number of Liberal seats fell to 274, while the Conservatives swept to victory with 343. The Labour Party took only 30, and other parties just 3. While Jenkins' liberal reforms had been popular with the public, the economy had been coasting for some time and many felt that Jenkins had not been tough enough on foreign policy. He was succeeded as Prime Minister by Rab Butler. Despite the failures of the Liberal Party, Jenkins clung onto leadership, refusing to resign.
The 1969 Parliament
Rear-Admiral Sir Morgan Morgan-Giles, Conservative candidate for Winchester, arrives at the polling station on horseback during the 1969 election; famous for his phrase "pro bono publico, no bloody panico", and often greeted by the Liberals in Commons debates with cries of "send a gunboat!" (a reference to his naval career and cantankerous temper), Morgan-Giles won the seat by a landslide
Nuns at a polling station in Hackney
Although a popular leader and a good performer in debates and interviews, Harold Wilson failed to lead Labour to success in 1969 due to the ingrained taboo that still surrounded left-wing politics
"He who rejects change is the architect of decay. The only human institution which rejects progress is the cemetery." ~ Harold Wilson
Obligatory music:
1965
On the 13th of January 1965 the Earl of Oldham, better known as Sir Winston Churchill, was reported to have suffered a severe stroke; he passed away just twelve days later, on the 25th, at his home at Chartwell in Kent. Despite never managing to become Prime Minister, Churchill had held almost every cabinet position possible at one point or another, and his vitality and energy with which he pursued the war effort in the 40s and 50s, despite declining health, had endeared him greatly to the nation. Winston Churchill was given a ceremonial funeral, attended by His Majesty the King, on the 1st of February 1965.
The last known photograph of the Earl of Oldham, taken as he left a function at the House of Lords in early January
TSR.2 in flight; the aircraft was later accepted into RAF service as the "Shrike", and was also sold to Canada, India, Australasia and Poland
Parliament passed a bill on the 17th of September 1965, that became the Murder (Abolition of Death Penalty) Act 1965, abolishing capital punishment for all crimes other than treason across the United Kingdom and the whole of the British Empire.
The preamble of the Murder (Abolition of Death Penalty) Act 1965, that removed the death penalty for the first time in Britain
The 1965 Parliament
By 1966 a social revolution had swept Britain, leading to what many dubbed the "permissive society". Theatre, film, television, radio, print, and all other forms of media had been liberalised and more open. However, this was not to the delight of all, as on the 7th of January 1966 Mary Whitehouse, a "concerned citizen" (her own words) founded the "National Viewers' and Listeners' Association" to protest this degradation of moral values. She was often derided by the press, and the Prime Minister, Roy Jenkins, was alleged to have referred to her as "that ridiculous woman". Some civil servants reported that he'd vowed to undertake his own liberal crusade against her and people like her.
Mary Whitehouse, founder of the NVLA
The funeral procession moves through London, the gun carriage drawn by sailors of the Royal Navy and attended by men of the Queen's Colour Squadron and the Welsh Guards, with arms reversed; Royal Marines lining the route present arms as the coffin passes
Cranes dip in salute as Lawrence's funeral barge proceeds up the river
The British team celebrates their victory at the 1966 World Cup
Resolution moves out to sea from Chatham
1967
The 9th of March 1967 saw the Metropolitan Police employ their first black police constable, Norwell Roberts, an Anguillan who had emigrated to Britain with his family in 1954.
PC Roberts talks with a tourist outside Charing Cross station in London
R.A. "Rab" Butler was seen as a safe choice for the Conservatives, and a no-nonsense candidate for leadership
A car decorated for the occasion of the 1967 sovereignty referendum in Gibraltar
Sassoon pictured at his home in 1954
Only a week after that Act was passed, Roy Jenkins called an early General Election, hoping to ride the wave of his liberal reforms, and to take advantage of the resignation of the popular Macmillan and the increasingly behind the time Conservatives. However, that plan backfired on Jenkins somewhat. While the Liberals managed to hold onto government, and generally kept their number of seats, the Conservatives saw a small gain. Most pollsters and critics described the 1967 General Election as "entirely pointless" and "a waste of time", given the final results. The Liberals lost three seats, going down to 326, only just hanging on to a majority. The Conservatives saw a gain of six, going up to 290 seats. The Labour Party dropped back down to 33, and other parties only claimed a single seat. The Liberals now had a majority of one seat, and were criticised for putting little effort into the campaign, having produced a lacklustre manifesto already.
The 1967 Parliament
Following the election loss, Jenkins looked around for methods to increase the government's popularity. In the end he decided to step up commitment to the ongoing Centroamérican War, committing 4000 British advisors, and sending some 20,000 rifles to the rebels.
Despite this shock, in February construction and furnishing work on the new Imperial Parliament was completed. The enormous building was four times larger than St. Paul's Cathedral, and was situated in the outskirts of London, in the midst of a large development area set aside for the purpose. On the 12th of March 1968, Empire Day, the first Imperial Parliament was opened, in a huge ceremony attended by the King, and accompanied by a parade of troops from every British colony and overseas territory, as well as detachments sent from the Dominions of Canada, Australasia and India. British, Nigerian, Indian, Canadian, Malay, Kenyan and countless other nationalities marched side by side in one of the largest parades ever seen in Britain, along with tanks and a large flypast of RAF aircraft, including Lightning interceptors, the new Shrike aircraft, and Vulcan bombers. The Parliament building itself was fronted by a huge facade of marble columns, with the entrance reached by a wide, shallow flight of steps, and flanked on either side by a statue of Britain's two greatest military heroes, Nelson and Wellington, each measuring some 30 feet in height. The columns were surmounted by the Royal arms, and above that, an immense bronze effigy of Britannia, with shield and trident. The first elections to the Imperial Parliament were scheduled for the next year, and in the meantime regional assemblies for all colonies were being busily opened and prepared across the Empire as part of the "drive for democracy" envisaged years ago.
The Imperial Parliament on the outskirts of London, 1968
Enoch Powell delivers his speech to the Conservative Party
Enoch Powell and the Prime Minister before appearing on Newsnight together, shortly after the former's speech
Roy Jenkins condemns the actions of Centroamérica during a speech in June 1968
Parliament passed the Race Relations Act 1968 on the 22nd of October, making it illegal to discriminate on the grounds of race in employment, public services and housing.
A month later the Divorce Reform Act 1968 was passed, which extensively liberalised the law on divorce, making it much easier for a divorce to be obtained, and the resulting settlements were made less harsh on the wife.
1969
A great leap for British technology, and all that of mankind, came on the 4th of March 1969, as the Britannia 11 space mission landed the first men on the moon. The first to walk on the moon was Buzz Aldrin, a Canadian astronaut and test pilot. Originally born in America in 1930, his family had fled north during the Second Civil War, and he had later emigrated to Britain after the Second Glorious Revolution. Aldrin commented "that's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind", before planting the Union Flag on the Moon's surface and posing for several photographs.
Britannia 11 launches from its site in northern India
Aldrin poses with the British flag on the Moon
A Harrier pilot of 20 Squadron is chastised by the RAF Police for breaking station regulations
Students from the University of Cambridge protesting for the voting age to be lowered
On the 5th of October 1969 the new surreal comedy programme, Monty Python's Flying Circus, aired its first episode on BBC Two. The new series, starring Michael Palin, Eric Idle, John Cleese, Terry Jones, Graham Chapman and Terry Gilliam, went on to be a new success, and later spawned several film specials and new series.
Filming on location for an episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus in 1969
The 1969 Parliament
Rear-Admiral Sir Morgan Morgan-Giles, Conservative candidate for Winchester, arrives at the polling station on horseback during the 1969 election; famous for his phrase "pro bono publico, no bloody panico", and often greeted by the Liberals in Commons debates with cries of "send a gunboat!" (a reference to his naval career and cantankerous temper), Morgan-Giles won the seat by a landslide
Nuns at a polling station in Hackney
Although a popular leader and a good performer in debates and interviews, Harold Wilson failed to lead Labour to success in 1969 due to the ingrained taboo that still surrounded left-wing politics
I had to smile at the Shrike 
I suppose that comes with the territory of being the superpower - even more so than America was for us.
I imagine that without decolonisation or Britain being scarred by war there wouldn't be the same influx of immigrants from the Empire (or ex-Empire) at the government's encouragement. That was my thinking, at least.
A Very British Century this is shaping up to be!
The numbers for the Imperial Parliament are staggering. How well would it function in practice? I imagine speaking rights must be by party and not representative.
The numbers for the Imperial Parliament are staggering. How well would it function in practice? I imagine speaking rights must be by party and not representative.
I can't imagine a parliament with 30000 MIPs to be anything more than a rubber stamp or a powerless discussion club. On the other hand, legislatures with immense numbers of lawmakers (like the Chinese National People's Congress) usually meet for a few plenary sessions per year, while a standing committee works throughout the year, acting as a de facto legislative body.
I don't know if there is any reason for that in this case, however, as it is quite hard to imagine an Empire-wide legislative process, anyway.
I don't know if there is any reason for that in this case, however, as it is quite hard to imagine an Empire-wide legislative process, anyway.
It's more of a periodical thing, they'd only meet a few times a year. Day-to-day legislation would be done by the local assemblies in each colony.
Interesting developments for the Commonwealth/Empire. I wonder how the regional parties of the dominions would line up in formal or informal coalitions (which I see as likely, similar to party groups in the EU). For instance, the Australian Liberal-Country/National Coalition may find itself closer politically to the British Conservatives than the British Liberals, but I digress.
I'd be interested to know what other countries in the world have been doing while Britain is going through another golden age. Has France democratized? Has it remained close to or drifted away from Britain? Has Italy managed to recover from their (multiple) occupations? What sort of state is Germany in? How has Russia been faring, and what are relations like with Britain (Could the Great Game 2.0 become this time line's Cold War?) What ultimately happened to Japan, and the Second-Russo-Japanese Conflict? What are the relations amongst the splinter factions of the United States (For instance, I doubt the Federated States of America is likely to follow the lead of the USA on ending segregation anytime soon, and they might not be thrilled about the prominence of Martin Luther King, who may or may not have been born in their territory in this timeline. Also, I imagine the Great Lakes Confederacy no doubt wants a direct connection to their primary deep sea port at Baltimore)? Is the world a powder keg, or has Britain maintained calm through becoming the "world police"? (gasps for breath)
In other news, the situation in Central America is very worrying. Hopefully the Prime Minister will hear the cries of Britain's oppressed brethren in Belize, yearning to be returned to the empire (Central America is in control of them, right)? Without any major syndicalist powers to back them up, the time may be ripe for a proper Contra-Revolution. (or could the nuclear syndicalist Balkan States try to install silos in Central America? Oh so many possibilities!)
Regardless, great updates and a truly compelling narrative you've built. Really fascinating to have such an extensive epilogue to this grand epic.
I'd be interested to know what other countries in the world have been doing while Britain is going through another golden age. Has France democratized? Has it remained close to or drifted away from Britain? Has Italy managed to recover from their (multiple) occupations? What sort of state is Germany in? How has Russia been faring, and what are relations like with Britain (Could the Great Game 2.0 become this time line's Cold War?) What ultimately happened to Japan, and the Second-Russo-Japanese Conflict? What are the relations amongst the splinter factions of the United States (For instance, I doubt the Federated States of America is likely to follow the lead of the USA on ending segregation anytime soon, and they might not be thrilled about the prominence of Martin Luther King, who may or may not have been born in their territory in this timeline. Also, I imagine the Great Lakes Confederacy no doubt wants a direct connection to their primary deep sea port at Baltimore)? Is the world a powder keg, or has Britain maintained calm through becoming the "world police"? (gasps for breath)
In other news, the situation in Central America is very worrying. Hopefully the Prime Minister will hear the cries of Britain's oppressed brethren in Belize, yearning to be returned to the empire (Central America is in control of them, right)? Without any major syndicalist powers to back them up, the time may be ripe for a proper Contra-Revolution.
(or could the nuclear syndicalist Balkan States try to install silos in Central America? Oh so many possibilities!)Regardless, great updates and a truly compelling narrative you've built. Really fascinating to have such an extensive epilogue to this grand epic.
New update tomorrow. Sorry for the delays recently, I've got a lot on and these epilogues take a while to write.
Got to love the British being disturbed by France using Nukes. How many did they use already?
Also... One world, one dream... Free Tibet! :angry:
Also... One world, one dream... Free Tibet! :angry:
Epilogue III: 1970-1974
Music:
(I couldn't choose one so you can have all three)
1970
In February 1970 the son of Princess Elizabeth, Charles, entered training with the Royal Navy. Carrying on a tradition of military service in the Royal Family, Charles obtained his commission 18 months later.
Charles pictured shortly after receiving his commission with the Royal Navy
A study by the Employment and Industry Commission in March 1970 reported that 38% of workers in heavy industry and manufacturing were members of a trade union, a record high since 1937. Union membership was also found to be on the rise among other professions, including clerical workers and public service employees.
On the 4th of April The Reverend Ian Paisley, a well-known hardline Protestant unionist, entered the Ulster Parliament as a member of the Ulster Unionist Party. Famous already for his vehement anti-Catholic rhetoric, Paisley had previously referred to the Pope as "the antichrist" and was suspected of having links with extreme unionist paramilitaries.
The Rev. Ian Paisley speaking at a UUP event in Londonderry
June 1970 saw upheaval in the Balkans, as the Greek government was overthrown by a military coup. The army had been watching with distaste as the government began to subtly align itself with the Entente, and took power in the summer. Some suspected that elements of the armed forces were pro-Russian, or even Russian-backed, but the British government remained quiet on the matter.
Tanks on the streets of Salonica during the 1970 Greek coup d'état
On the 17th of August 1970, Downing Street reported that the Prime Minister, Rab Butler, had suffered a severe heart attack during the night. Rumours had been going around lately of Butler's declining health, and since the late 60s he had been putting on weight and making less and less public appearances. Three days later, on the 20th of August, Rab Butler announced his intention to resign as Prime Minister, although he would not visit the Palace to meet His Majesty the King until the 4th of September, not being released from hospital until the 2nd.
Rab Butler convalescing with his wife
The resignation of Butler triggered a leadership, and led to what was the Conservatives' first actual leadership election. Rather than the usual cloak-and-dagger backroom politics, the Tories opted for an election to choose the new face of the party. The most prominent and venerable statesmen stood aside, believing it was time for somebody outside of the "magic circle" to lead, and lend a more popular face to the Conservatives. The two main contenders for the leadership were Reginald Maudling, Butler's Chancellor, and Edward Heath, Secretary of State for Education. Also running were Enoch Powell, despite his controversiality, and Willie Whitelaw, the Industry Secretary. In the end Heath polled just over 50% of the vote. Maudling gained just under 40%, and Whitelaw 6% and Powell only 4%. The next day, the 10th of September 1970, "Ted" Heath, as he was called, went to the Palace, where His Majesty invited him to form a government.
The Rt. Hon Edward Heath MP, PC, enters 10 Downing Street on the evening of the 10th of September 1970
In October the Australasian feminist critic published her new book, "The Female Eunuch", arguing that the traditional nuclear family repressed the female sexuality. The book received critical acclaim, but was slated by conservative elements in society. It quickly became a bestseller, and was sold across the world, although it was banned by Russia and in many Middle Eastern countries.
First edition of "The Female Eunuch", 1970
Australasia saw some upheaval in December, as the New Zealand independence referendum was held. The turnout was notably high, at nearly 90%, and the motion of New Zealand's independence was rejected, but only by a very narrow majority; only 53% voted against.
1971
On the 15th of January 1971 the Russo-Japanese Peace Accord finally ended the war between Russia and Japan. It had been "raging" for years; rather, it had been simmering for years. The Russians had been thrown off the Japanese mainland in the late 50s, and the two had been throwing bombs and missiles across the Sea of Japan for over a decade, neither side willing to surrender. Eventually a peace had been settled, which had been arbitrated by Formosa and Siam, that promised no territorial changes between Russia and Japan.
British military commitment to the Centroamérican War was, by 1971, at its highest yet. By March about 50,000 British troops were serving in various capacities, as well as some two hundred tanks, and aircraft operating from Cuba and Jamaica. One of the first tasks of the British contingent was to secure the area of the Panama Canal from the syndicalists, which had been done quickly. The south of the country was now in the hands of Panamanian nationalists and rebels. The Democratic Army of Centroamérica had now properly formed, providing some coherent resistance. Support for the DAC was particularly strong in Belize and among the natives in the mountains, and guerilla warfare was often fought between the two sides. The main "front line" between the syndicalists and the rebels was about where the old Nicaragua-Costa Rica border was, running at right angles across the Central American isthmus.
RAAF Edmontons on operations against syndicalist targets in El Salvador
Commonwealth troops on patrol in Costa Rica, hunting guerillas
In April 1971 Roy Jenkins resigned as the leader of the Liberal Party, having decided he was not the man to lead the party to another victory. He was succeeded by David Steel.
David Steel and his wife shortly after his election as leader of the Liberals
May 1971 saw the Secretary of State for Education, Margaret Thatcher, announce the end of the provision of free milk for schoolchildren in primary education. A controversial policy, it earned her the moniker of "Thatcher the Milk Snatcher", but the government still decided to go through with the idea.
The Hon. Margaret Thatcher MP, PC, pictured at the 1970 Conservative Party conference
In June the 1971 Local Elections were held. Usually, these would be unremarkable and unimportant affairs, but the 1971 elections were notable for the election at which Labour gained its first proper success since 1937. The Labour Party gained control of Bristol and Middlesborough City Councils, their best results yet at any election.
Harold Wilson out campaigning in Hull during the 1971 local elections
That July the Prime Minister, surprisingly (well, surprisingly for a Prime Minister, probably unsurprisingly for Ted Heath) took part in the Admiral's Cup Yacht Race, sailing, naturally, for the British team. He captained one of the winning yachts, his own Morning Cloud, and contributed to the British victory, beating Australasia into second place.
Ted Heath aboard Morning Cloud, his private yacht
September 1971 saw the first major strike of the post-restoration period, with the dockers at several key ports going on strike in protest at a government wage freeze. The strike lasted for two weeks, before Heath, and Willie Whitelaw, still Industry Secretary, negotiated a deal with them, bending to demands for a 7% pay increase. Heath was criticised by many, particularly in his own party, but was said to have become more popular among working people.
London shop and print workers protest in support of the dockers
In December Britain lost one of its greatest war heroes, Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester. The Prince had held several key commands during the wars, and afterwards had done much work for veterans and their families. On the 5th of December 1971 he died of pancreatic cancer, and was afforded a full state funeral. He lay in state in Westminster Hall for a few days, before being interred at Westminster Abbey. The funeral was attended by his brother, the King, the Prime Minister, and the Prime Ministers of all the Dominions, as well as representatives from all other Entente nations.
HRH The Duke of Gloucester at an event for British and French Weltkrieg veterans, his last public appearance
1972
In February 1972 the Prime Minister and His Majesty the King both went on a goodwill tour to the United States. Heath was known to be very pro-American, and wished to foster good relations with the U.S. Whilst there the Prime Minister and the King met with American President Richard Nixon, and Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. His Majesty attended a review of the US Navy at San Francisco, and watched joint Anglo-American military exercises on the Great Plains. Heath and Nixon also met to discuss Anglo-American trade, and defence cooperation.
HM The King and President Nixon at a function in Atlanta
The Prime Minister speaks at a joint press conference with President Nixon
In March the King and the Prime Minister returned to Britain, but shortly afterwards His Majesty was taken ill; late last year he had been diagnosed with throat cancer, but it had not been announced to the public.
In early April the National Union of Mineworkers held a strike ballot, with 62% of members voting for strike action. After three weeks of striking Heath and Whitelaw agreed to a pay increase.
On the 28th of May 1972, at the age of 77, His Majesty King Edward VIII, Emperor of India, passed away at Balmoral, where he had been resting in his final weeks. His Majesty's death was announced six hours later, and preparations were made for the funeral. A full state funeral, would, of course, be necessary. The King lay in state for three days at Westminster Hall, where some one and a half million people visited to pay their last respects.
Having passed without any children, and with no living siblings, the throne passed to the eldest daughter of the late Duke of York, Princess Elizabeth. The very next day she was proclaimed as Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of Great Britain, Ulster and Hanover, and the British Dominions Beyond the Seas Queen, Defender of the Faith, Empress of India.
His Majesty the King lies in state in Westminster Hall
Her Majesty the Queen is proclaimed at a ceremony in Lancaster; the parade gives three cheers for the occasion; scenes like this were repeated across the British Empire
The planned funeral was to be the largest yet seen in Britain. Riding along with the funeral procession were Her Majesty the Queen, niece of His Late Majesty, as well as Napoleon VI of France, Juliana of the Netherlands, Baudouin, King of the Belgians, Simeon II of Bulgaria, Michael, King of Romania, Olav V of Norway, Margrethe II of Denmark, Gustav VI Adolf of Sweden, Otto, Emperor of Austria, Hirohito, Emperor of Japan, Fuad II of Egypt, Haile Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia, Pujie, Emperor of China, Kalākaua of Hawaii, and Rama IX of Siam. Notably, and unusually, the Russian Tsar also attended.
The funeral was also attended by the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Edward Heath MP, the Leader of the Opposition, the Rt. Hon. David Steel MP, the Prime Ministers of Canada, India, Australasia and the Caribbean Federation, the President of the United States, the President of Cuba, the President of New England, the President of Poland, the President of Italy, the President of Spain and the Prime Minister of Portugal. Following the service at Westminster Abbey, the funeral procession took the King to Windsor Castle, where he was interred in a private ceremony.
His Late Majesty's coffin is carried out to the waiting gun carriage outside Westminster Abbey
July saw another notable death, as James Chadwick, the leader of Britain's initial atomic weapons programme, passed away. He had spent the last few years of his life campaigning against nuclear proliferation, and had warned of the dangers of atomic weapons.
In September a crisis between Britain and Ireland emerged, as Britain imposed import tariffs in response to Irish tariffs. What followed escalated into the Anglo-Irish Trade Dispute, which would go on for nearly three years.
Environmentalism was beginning to make its appearance in late 1972, and in November "A Blueprint for Survival" was published, warning of the impact of man on the planet.
"A Blueprint for Survival" first appeared as a Penguin Special and became very popular reading material
1973
In January 1973 the Open University awarded its first ever degrees. The University was a Liberal initiative with its roots in the 1960s, which aimed to make higher education more accessible to ordinary people through correspondence courses.
Some of the first graduates from the Open University
March saw yet more strikes hit Britain, as rail workers and civil servants went on strike. The latter was particularly harmful for the government, who bent to their demands. However, Heath refused to go anywhere with the rail workers, offering only a minor pay rise which was turned down. The rail strike went on, until it petered out a few months later.
In May the Treasury introduced Value Added Tax, as a flat rate of taxation on goods. The same month the government announced pay restraint measures to curb the rate of inflation, a deeply unpopular policy but one Heath said was necessary.
During the summer of 1973 the new James Bond film, "Live and Let Die", premiered in cinemas. It starred the new actor Roger Moore as Bond, the first film of the series in which he took on the role.
A 1973 poster for "Live and Let Die"
In October the actor and playwright Noel Coward, well known for his eccentricity and flamboyance, died at the age of 74 at his estate in Jamaica. Recently he had worked on the successful film "The Italian Job", despite his failing health.
For many, Coward represented the face of English eccentricity and wit
1973 saw an unremarkable General Election in November, with Heath leading the Conservatives to a modest victory. The Conservatives gained four seats, going up to 347, while the Liberals dropped by 24 to 250. Most of these seats were gained by Labour, who went from 30 to 44 seats. Other parties and independents took 9 seats between them.
The 1973 Parliament
The Prime Minister arrives to cast his vote at the 1973 General Election
Labour leader Harold Wilson canvasses Nottinghamshire miners' votes in 1973
Ted Heath on the road in Norwich; despite his unpopular work on the economy, Heath himself proved to be marginally more popular than his own policy
On the 7th of December 1973 the renowned British novelist, J.R.R. Tolkien, author of "The Hobbit" and the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, passed away at the age of 81 at his home in Bournemouth. He had been a favourite artist following the restoration, and was approved of by the government due to his traditionalist opinions.
J.R.R. Tolkien, who died at the age of 81 in December 1973
1974
1974 got off to a bad start for Heath, as the NUM announced another strike in late January, protesting the fact that their pay had not been adjusted for rising inflation. Heath refused to bow to them.
Protests in support of the 1974 miners' strike in Sheffield
In March, in the 1974 Local Elections, the far-right group "National Front", which adopted a new ideology they called "fascism", polled as high as 15% of the vote in some areas, although they failed to win any seats. Labour won several more local councils, including Hull, Sheffield, Birmingham and Liverpool.
Trouble broke out in the Middle East in May 1974, as the people of Iraq rose up in rebellion. Major uprisings were reported in Kuwait, Mosul, Baghdad and Basra, and the Russians were quick to put them down. It was thought that the rebels had been supplied and encouraged by Syria and Egypt, although there was no proper evidence to act on. Largely cut off, and with no international aid forthcoming, the rebellions were stamped out in a matter of weeks.
Iraqi rebels firing a small calibre field gun on the outskirts of Mosul, May 1974
Russian troops move into Basra to quell the uprisings
Two Russian airliners lay burned out on the tarmac at Baghdad International Airport after fighting in the city
Meanwhile in Britain, the strikes went on. In July the miners were once again joined by the rail workers. Later in the month they were joined by the dockers, and other transport workers.
Strikers call for the removal of Heath during the 1974 strikes
By September winter was drawing in, and the country was almost paralysed by the growing strike action. The lack of coal production now meant that power would need to be limited to conserve energy for the cold and dark months. In late October Heath announced the commencement of the Three Day Week, limiting work and school to three days to conserve coal. Television and radio broadcasting hours were reduced, and the country braced itself for a hard winter.
"We shall have a harder Christmas than we have known since the war" ~ Edward Heath
Music:
1970
In February 1970 the son of Princess Elizabeth, Charles, entered training with the Royal Navy. Carrying on a tradition of military service in the Royal Family, Charles obtained his commission 18 months later.
Charles pictured shortly after receiving his commission with the Royal Navy
On the 4th of April The Reverend Ian Paisley, a well-known hardline Protestant unionist, entered the Ulster Parliament as a member of the Ulster Unionist Party. Famous already for his vehement anti-Catholic rhetoric, Paisley had previously referred to the Pope as "the antichrist" and was suspected of having links with extreme unionist paramilitaries.
The Rev. Ian Paisley speaking at a UUP event in Londonderry
Tanks on the streets of Salonica during the 1970 Greek coup d'état
Rab Butler convalescing with his wife
The Rt. Hon Edward Heath MP, PC, enters 10 Downing Street on the evening of the 10th of September 1970
First edition of "The Female Eunuch", 1970
1971
On the 15th of January 1971 the Russo-Japanese Peace Accord finally ended the war between Russia and Japan. It had been "raging" for years; rather, it had been simmering for years. The Russians had been thrown off the Japanese mainland in the late 50s, and the two had been throwing bombs and missiles across the Sea of Japan for over a decade, neither side willing to surrender. Eventually a peace had been settled, which had been arbitrated by Formosa and Siam, that promised no territorial changes between Russia and Japan.
British military commitment to the Centroamérican War was, by 1971, at its highest yet. By March about 50,000 British troops were serving in various capacities, as well as some two hundred tanks, and aircraft operating from Cuba and Jamaica. One of the first tasks of the British contingent was to secure the area of the Panama Canal from the syndicalists, which had been done quickly. The south of the country was now in the hands of Panamanian nationalists and rebels. The Democratic Army of Centroamérica had now properly formed, providing some coherent resistance. Support for the DAC was particularly strong in Belize and among the natives in the mountains, and guerilla warfare was often fought between the two sides. The main "front line" between the syndicalists and the rebels was about where the old Nicaragua-Costa Rica border was, running at right angles across the Central American isthmus.
RAAF Edmontons on operations against syndicalist targets in El Salvador
Commonwealth troops on patrol in Costa Rica, hunting guerillas
David Steel and his wife shortly after his election as leader of the Liberals
The Hon. Margaret Thatcher MP, PC, pictured at the 1970 Conservative Party conference
Harold Wilson out campaigning in Hull during the 1971 local elections
Ted Heath aboard Morning Cloud, his private yacht
London shop and print workers protest in support of the dockers
HRH The Duke of Gloucester at an event for British and French Weltkrieg veterans, his last public appearance
In February 1972 the Prime Minister and His Majesty the King both went on a goodwill tour to the United States. Heath was known to be very pro-American, and wished to foster good relations with the U.S. Whilst there the Prime Minister and the King met with American President Richard Nixon, and Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. His Majesty attended a review of the US Navy at San Francisco, and watched joint Anglo-American military exercises on the Great Plains. Heath and Nixon also met to discuss Anglo-American trade, and defence cooperation.
HM The King and President Nixon at a function in Atlanta
The Prime Minister speaks at a joint press conference with President Nixon
In early April the National Union of Mineworkers held a strike ballot, with 62% of members voting for strike action. After three weeks of striking Heath and Whitelaw agreed to a pay increase.
On the 28th of May 1972, at the age of 77, His Majesty King Edward VIII, Emperor of India, passed away at Balmoral, where he had been resting in his final weeks. His Majesty's death was announced six hours later, and preparations were made for the funeral. A full state funeral, would, of course, be necessary. The King lay in state for three days at Westminster Hall, where some one and a half million people visited to pay their last respects.
Having passed without any children, and with no living siblings, the throne passed to the eldest daughter of the late Duke of York, Princess Elizabeth. The very next day she was proclaimed as Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of Great Britain, Ulster and Hanover, and the British Dominions Beyond the Seas Queen, Defender of the Faith, Empress of India.
His Majesty the King lies in state in Westminster Hall
Her Majesty the Queen is proclaimed at a ceremony in Lancaster; the parade gives three cheers for the occasion; scenes like this were repeated across the British Empire
The funeral was also attended by the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Edward Heath MP, the Leader of the Opposition, the Rt. Hon. David Steel MP, the Prime Ministers of Canada, India, Australasia and the Caribbean Federation, the President of the United States, the President of Cuba, the President of New England, the President of Poland, the President of Italy, the President of Spain and the Prime Minister of Portugal. Following the service at Westminster Abbey, the funeral procession took the King to Windsor Castle, where he was interred in a private ceremony.
His Late Majesty's coffin is carried out to the waiting gun carriage outside Westminster Abbey
In September a crisis between Britain and Ireland emerged, as Britain imposed import tariffs in response to Irish tariffs. What followed escalated into the Anglo-Irish Trade Dispute, which would go on for nearly three years.
Environmentalism was beginning to make its appearance in late 1972, and in November "A Blueprint for Survival" was published, warning of the impact of man on the planet.
"A Blueprint for Survival" first appeared as a Penguin Special and became very popular reading material
In January 1973 the Open University awarded its first ever degrees. The University was a Liberal initiative with its roots in the 1960s, which aimed to make higher education more accessible to ordinary people through correspondence courses.
Some of the first graduates from the Open University
In May the Treasury introduced Value Added Tax, as a flat rate of taxation on goods. The same month the government announced pay restraint measures to curb the rate of inflation, a deeply unpopular policy but one Heath said was necessary.
During the summer of 1973 the new James Bond film, "Live and Let Die", premiered in cinemas. It starred the new actor Roger Moore as Bond, the first film of the series in which he took on the role.
A 1973 poster for "Live and Let Die"
For many, Coward represented the face of English eccentricity and wit
The 1973 Parliament
The Prime Minister arrives to cast his vote at the 1973 General Election
Labour leader Harold Wilson canvasses Nottinghamshire miners' votes in 1973
Ted Heath on the road in Norwich; despite his unpopular work on the economy, Heath himself proved to be marginally more popular than his own policy
J.R.R. Tolkien, who died at the age of 81 in December 1973
1974 got off to a bad start for Heath, as the NUM announced another strike in late January, protesting the fact that their pay had not been adjusted for rising inflation. Heath refused to bow to them.
Protests in support of the 1974 miners' strike in Sheffield
Trouble broke out in the Middle East in May 1974, as the people of Iraq rose up in rebellion. Major uprisings were reported in Kuwait, Mosul, Baghdad and Basra, and the Russians were quick to put them down. It was thought that the rebels had been supplied and encouraged by Syria and Egypt, although there was no proper evidence to act on. Largely cut off, and with no international aid forthcoming, the rebellions were stamped out in a matter of weeks.
Iraqi rebels firing a small calibre field gun on the outskirts of Mosul, May 1974
Russian troops move into Basra to quell the uprisings
Two Russian airliners lay burned out on the tarmac at Baghdad International Airport after fighting in the city
Strikers call for the removal of Heath during the 1974 strikes
"We shall have a harder Christmas than we have known since the war" ~ Edward Heath
Quite a lot of trouble for that Heath. Perhaps we'll see an union buster like Thatcher at the helm soon, eh?