Full Nation Name: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Territorial Core: Map of the British Empire (in pink)Territorial Claim: Orkney Island, Shetland, the rest of India
Capital City: London
Flag: Demographics
Majority/Official Culture: British (largely Anglo and some Scottish culture)
Other Cultures: Welsh, Irish, Indian, African, Middle Eastern, South Asians, Indigenous Americans, Pacific Islander
Majority/Official Religion: The Catholic Church is the majority religion in Great Britain as there was no effort to establish an official Church of England. Britain operates on a principle of freedom of religion, allowing adherents of other faiths and religions such as Jews and Protestants to practice their religions openly with no exclusionary clauses against such religious minorities to run for office.
Population:United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland - 47,898,900
Australia - 3,765,700
New Zealand - 802,200
Gibraltar - 29,000
British Raj - 194,000,000
British Philippines - 3,200,000
Jamaica - 720,000
British Guiana - 300,000
Malta - 195,000
Bermuda - 20,000
Falkland Islands - 2,300
Saint Kitts and Nevis - 45,000
Dominica - 32,000
Antigua, Barbuda, and Redonda - 35,000
Tonga - 21,000
Cook Islands - 6,000
Solomon Islands - 135,000
Fiji - 125,000
Elice Islands (Tuvalu) - 2,400
Christmas Islands - 900
Cocos Islands - 650
Tokelau Islands - 500
Pitcairn Islands - 170
Phoenix Islands - 69
Northern Nigeria - 8,500,000
Southern Nigeria - 7,500,000
Uganda - 1,649,000
Mozambique - 2,239,000
Angola - 4,790,000
Namibia - 210,000
Kenya - 1,352,000
Sierra Leone - 1,027,000
Nyasaland - 717,000
Northern Rhodesia - 770,000
Southern Rhodesia - 692,000
British Somaliland - 300,000
Bahrain - 70,000
Tristan da Cunha - 95
Ascension Island - 100
Governance
Government Type: Constitutional Monarchy
Government Ideology: Classical liberalism, one nation conservatism, social democracy, anti-socialism, progressive-conservatism
Head of State: Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom, Empress of India
Head of Government: Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury
Government Description: The United Kingdom operates under a unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy with a Westminster system. Queen Victoria is the monarch and head of state of the United Kingdom and its territories, and while many colonies and territories may have enough autonomy to establish its own governance and military, they all recognize the British crown as their ruler. That being said, while the Crown is formally vested with all executive authority as the sovereign, power is generally exercised only on the advice of ministers of the Crown responsible to Parliament. The British monarch has various rights such as the right to be consulted, the right to encourage, and the right to warn, along with reserve powers, although such powers are to uphold responsible government and prevent constitutional crises (ie appointments of Prime Ministers, enactment of legislations, and prorogation and dissolution of Parliament).
The Parliament of the United Kingdom is sovereign and is made up of the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The House of Commons is headed by the Prime Minister, whom is appointed by the Crown but has always been the leader of the ruling party in the House of Commons. The Prime Minister holds a lot of power as the head of government and acts as the chief advisor to the Crown.
Great Britain tends to have a hands off approach to its colonies and territories, largely leaving local rulers and governments to maintain sufficient levels of autonomy.
Economy
Economic System/Ideology: Capitalism
Major Production: Manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals, food and beverages, tobacco, steel, vehicles, armament,
Economic Description: The British Empire has one of, if not the, largest and most advanced economies in the world, even as its economic advantage had lessoned with the rise of other powers. It is the first western country to industrialize and was described as the "Workshop of the World" in 1851. Manufacturing, agriculture, and service play key roles in the British economy, and the city of London maintains itself as the financial and commercial capital of the western world, if not the world. Britain was one of the first countries to abandon mercantilist trade policies in favor of free trade and lower tariffs and restrictions, bolstered by the Royal Navy to protect British commercial interests, shipping, and international trade. The British legal system also plays a role in British economy by providing a rather inexpensive system for resolving disputes between parties.
The territories and colonies also play major roles, providing resources and trade to not just the British economy but also the global economy at large. Quality of life of the territories, however, may differ compared to the British isles with some colonies having just as advanced economies as Britain while others still having rather primitive, but still growing markets, especially in Africa.
Military
Army Description: The Royal Army of the British Empire is largely a volunteer force, with the public having a strong distaste for conscription. Even with a volunteer system, the Royal Army is still quite large with active duty size being as many as 520,000. More can be called up in full mobilization without the need of conscription as many willingly answer the call to serve the Crown and her Empire with great patriotic fervor, from Dublin to Calcutta to Sydney. Territorial armies are often called into battle to assist Britain's foreign endeavors and it wouldn't be out of place to see the Royal Army supplanted by colonial forces, although many colonial militaries are usually a step behind the British military in terms of military technology (such disparities also depend on the colonies as well). As technologies move forward, Britain ensures that the Royal Army would be on top of new military developments such as the use of walkers and tanks to support the ground forces.
Naval Description: The Royal Navy is the pride of the nation, arguably one of the largest and the greatest fleet in the world. Many would recognize Britain's sea power across the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Ocean. The Royal Navy has 37 battleships, 34 armored cruisers, 16 coastal defense ships, 36 destroyers, 12 monitors, 75 torpedo boats, and 97 auxiliary vessels within it fleets and 73,000 active personnel, including 23,000 marines.
Air Force Description: The Royal Air Force plays a major role in protecting Britain's interests in the skies with aerial vehicles made for information gathering and as mobile artillery platforms. While airships are still dominant in the Royal Air Force, forward thinking officers and engineers in the Empire are always eager to test new technologies for service. From regular zeppelins to flying cruisers and battleships, to gyrocopters serving as fighter roles; all aerial vehicles play their own roles in maintaining aerial superiority of the United Kingdom and the British Empire.
Further Military Description : [[OPTIONAL]]
History and Aspirations
National Goals: Maintaining a stable balance of power in Europe, ensure open international trade.
National Issues: Territories in Asia and Africa's desire for independence, potential growth of the Americans at the expense of Britain, fear of socialist encroachment from the Reds.
History: In March 1502, Arthur, Prince of Wales and Princess Catherine of Aragon were afflicted with an unknown illness at Ludlow Castle. Fortunately for King Henry VII, both Arthur and Catherine were able to recover fully and Arthur succeeded Henry VII as King Arthur of England in 1509. The reign of King Arthur had to deal with the fallout of the Protestant Reformation in which Arthur remained fully committed to the Catholic Church, receiving the title of "Defender of the Faith" by Pope Leo X in 1521. Despite Arthur's best efforts, Protestantism had steeped into the British Isles and a number of the English population had turned to various Protestant faiths. Arthur was given authority by Pope Clemmons VII to tax monastic incomes and grew the power of the English crown under the reasons of combating heresies. Conflicts with various European powers, be it for geopolitical or for religious reasons also lead to him investing heavily in the Royal Navy, establishing a standing English fleet from seven to fifty ships with a functioning command structure during his reign. Arthur had attempted to mend relations with Scotland under James V with both kings showing willingness to stand together as faithful Catholic monarchies against Protestant heresies but many efforts had failed. Arthur I passed away in 1541 and was succeeded by his son, Arthur II, Prince of Wales. The reign of King Arthur II was largely a continuation of Arthur's policies with the continuation of naval buildup and conquests against the Irish. George made steps to improve relations with the Scots under King James V and later Queen Mary (a Stuart born to a Tudor mother) with efforts to combat the growing powers of Protestant lords with mixed results. George passed away in 1564 and was succeeded by his sickly son, Arthur III whom passed away in 1567. As Arthur III passed away with no suitable heirs, he was succeeded by his cousin Elizabeth, the daughter of Prince Henry, Arthur I's younger brother and his wife Anne Boleyn.
Queen Elizabeth I was rather moderate compared to her predecessors in the issues of religion, she was relatively tolerant and avoided systemic persecutions. It was under her reign that saw the highest growth of Protestant activities, even though the majority of the population remained Catholic and with Elizabeth publicly supporting the Pope. Her reign saw a flourishing of English drama with renown playwrights such as William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe. Since 1583, the English would join the Age of Exploration and establish colonies across the New World starting from now New England to Virginia (named after Elizabeth's virginity) with permanent settlements soon established. In 1600, the East India Company would be chartered to trade with entities in the Indian Ocean and East Asia. Her reign wasn't entirely peaceful however, the English engaged in costly and ineffective wars with conflicting European powers and Queen Elizabeth faced conspiracies after conspiracies from various groups. As Elizabeth was never wed to a prince or a king, nor had she given birth to any successor, she was the last of the Tudors and the English court scrambled for a suitable successor after her passing in 1603, eventually coronating King James VI of Scotland as King James I of England, Scotland, and Ireland; changing the royal throne of England from a Tudor to a Stuart and unifying the crown of Britain for the first time.
King James I stylized himself as "King of Great Britain and Ireland" and moved from Scotland to England in 1617. He was a major advocate of a single parliament for England and Scotland and desired a closer union between the two countries. However, Scotland and England remained individual sovereign states with their own parliaments, judiciaries, and laws only together in a personal union under James I and VI. England's cultural golden age continued under his reign and James I was strongly committed to a peace based foreign policy, refusing to have England and Scotland engage in Europe's religious wars. James even continued Elizabeth's policies on religious tolerance (for the time) between Catholics and Protestants. Colonization of the Americas continued under his reign with the establishment of the colony of Jamestown in Virginia. James I was a prolific writer and authored books such as the
Daemonologie,
The True Law of Free Monarchies, and
Basilikon Doron. However, James would grow the power of the monarchy and embraced a Catholic interpretation of the diving right of kings, soon conflicting with the English Parliament over the roles of King and Parliament and instilling his views on his heir, Princes Charles. Despite his character flaws, he was widely mourned after his passing in 1625.
Charles I was an unpopular ruler who believed in the divine rights of kings and sought to govern based on his own conscience, without the Parliament standing in his way. Surprisingly, the English Parliament was opposed to Charles' views on absolutism and sought to curb royal prerogative. Many of Charles I's policies were opposed by Parliament, particularly his levying of taxes without Parliamentary consent. He was opposed by both Catholics and Protestants alike and tensions were mounting as some Catholic dissenters attempted to petition Pope Urban VIII to excommunicate Charles for his views of the divine right of kings being antithetical to the doctrine of papal supremacy, without much success. Charles I saw multiple small scale rebellions across England, Scotland, and Ireland; eventually culminating into the War of the Three Kingdoms in 1639 between the Royalists loyal to Charles, the Parliamentarians in favor of a constitutional monarchy, Republicans supported by English Puritans and Scottish Covenanters, and Irish Confederates agitating for greater self-rule. The war was a messy affair with the Parliamentarians aligning with the Republicans in fighting the Royalists while sending aid to the Confederates in repelling the Republicans. During the war, Republicans lead by Oliver Cromwell seized the Royalist city of London in 1649 and captured King Charles, executing him a few weeks later. Of his two sons, Princes Charles was able to flee to Scotland while Prince James fell in battle. Much of England would fall in Republican hands under Cromwell but the Republican position became tenuous as Puritan support dwindled due to many restrictions against the public. The remaining Royalists joined the Parliamentarian cause or fled to Ireland in support of the Confederates. Parliamentarians crowned Prince Charles as King Charles II of Scotland after making him profess support for a constitutional monarchy and the war in Britain would be between the growing Parliamentarians and the weakening Republicans. The war would eventually end in favor of the Parliamentarians in 1655 with Charles II coronated as King of England, Scotland, and Ireland. In hopes of bringing the war torn country back into peace, Charles II and Parliament proclaimed amnesty for any remaining Royalists, Confederates, and Republicans whom recognize the coronation of Charles II, although options were also given to Republicans in moving to the New World. The reign of Charles II, although initially tumultuous due to him dealing with the fallout of the civil war, would soon be marked by the liveliness and hedonism of his court, including the siring of at least 12 illegitimate children with various mistresses. Despite acknowledging at least 12 bastards, Charles II died with no suitable heir and the throne was passed on to his sister, Mary.
Mary II would rule until 1694, with her reign overseeing the passing of the English Bill of Rights which laid out various responsibilities of Parliament, curtailing the power of the monarchy, prohibition of cruel and unusual punishments, and listed individual rights such as religious freedom, right to bear arms, and right to free speech and assembly. She was succeeded by her younger sister, Anne. Queen Anne oversaw the Acts of Union that officially unified the English and Scottish Throne, having her as Queen Anne of Great Britain and Ireland instead of Queen Anne of England, Scotland, and Ireland. Her reign saw the rise of the two political parties, the Whigs and the Tories as the dominant factions in British politics. In foreign policy, Britain would continue its expansion into the New World and in India. Britain would also seize Gibraltar in the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula in support of the Navarres against the Spanish, a piece of territory that Britain would hold on to this day and would also be a center of possible British-Spanish hostilities. As Anne also died with no suitable heir, Parliament would designate heirs to Princess Sophia of Hanover (born to Stuart blood) as part of the crown's succession; officially replacing the Scottish Stuart dynasty with the German Hanover dynasty with the ascension of George of Hanover as King George of Great Britain in 1714.
George didn't really connected well with the public. He was a Protestant king in a majority Catholic nation; he is of German birth and speaks very little English. It was under his reign that the power of the monarchy diminished greatly in favor of Parliament with the leadership of Whig leader Robert Walpole being instrumental to the modern cabinet system and the creation of the office of the Prime Minister. George I was succeeded by his son, George II in 1727 as George I passed away in Germany. Like his father, George II also had trouble connecting with British society as a German born Protestant and excised little control over domestic policies. However, he was much more successful in influencing British foreign policy and military action, leading the country against France in the first few years of the Seven Years War. He was succeeded by his grandson, George as King George III in 1760. Unlike his predecessors, George III was born in Britain, spoke English as his first language, a Catholic convert, and never visited Hanover in his reign. George's life and reign were marked by a series of military conflicts involving Great Britain in Europe, the Americas, and Asia. Britain's victory against the French in the Seven Years enabled Britain as a major power in the Americas and India. Great Britain also faced a colonial crisis when tensions in the American colony grew violent. However, a peace commission lead by Frederick Howard, 5th Earl of Carlisle, was able to meet the demands of the American colonists. Britain also experienced the Industrial Revolution in 1760 at the end of George II and the beginning of George III's reign. George III passed away in 1820, succeeded by his son George IV whom was later succeeded by George IV's brother William III in 1830. William III was succeeded by his daughter, Victoria as Queen Victoria of Great Britain and Ireland in 1837.
The reign of Queen Victoria was a long period of industrial, political, scientific, and military change within Great Britain and Ireland, including expansion of the British Empire. The British government instituted major policies such as improving working conditions, abolishing child labor, and the abolishing slavery across the territories that later saw minor British intervention in the American Commonwealth between the government and anti-abolition rebels known as Jenkin's Rebellion. The Victorian Era saw greater liberalization in politics with gradual political reforms, improved social reforms, and greater enfranchisement. The population of England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland grew rapidly along with emigration from Britain to its colonial territories in Oceania, the Caribbean, Asia, and Africa. Literacy also grew to near universal rate near the end of the century due to educational reforms with the British public becoming increasingly more educated. Britain's relations with other Great Powers are driven by increasing cooperation with France, antagonism with the Nords after the 1870s, and competition with the Koreans. While the Whigs/Liberals and Tories/Conservatives remained as dominant forces, the Labour Party grew as a distinct entity in British politics.
RP Sample:-
Generic late 19th century Alt-history RP again (1904: Dawn of a New Era)-
Fantasy RP with guns (Empire of Steam)-
Alternate history gone mad in 1618 (Alternate Divergence 1618)-
Alternate World War 2 (War of Blood and Steel)-
Fantasy Sword Throwing (A Dance of Chaos)-
Alternate history gone mad in 1812 (Alternate Divergence 1812) -
It's like Alternate Divergence but made by the Cobalt Network and has set nations (Tales of Two Horizons II)-
War, what is it good for? (Back to 1935)-
Rednecks and post-apocalyptic America (Fallout: Damn Dirty South)-
NS Red Dawn (Crane Ascendent)-
Generic late 19th century Alt-history RP (Voice of a New Age)-
War, war never changes (Fallout: Republic of Dusts)-
Alternate history taken all the way (1900: Alternate Divergence)-
Anime Vietnam Flashbacks (Operation Gatelord)-
When the Spanish Flu wiped off 50% of the world population (All Quiet on the Front) #AltDiv (Do not delete this, it is used to keep track of the apps)