What form of government would the territories of Great Britain, what
is now the United States, Canada, Argentina, Uruguay, New Zealand,
Australia and South Africa have formed if the places named had been
united in the middle of the 19th Century? We can assume a monarchy, a
form of Parliamentary government and probably a large measure of local
autonomy. I would imagine something like a NATO or United Europe but
without all the universal laws.
Would a place like India, Malaya and the African colonies been a part
of this union or a separate concept? Would the other European
countries have seen a menace in the great power that controlled the
seas and had the land forces of Australia, New Zealand and the North
Americans to enforce their will? Would this lead to "us versus them"
view of the world in which parties like China and Japan, and perhaps
the rest of Latin America were forced to choose sides.
I could see what we would think of as independent "countries" self
governing entities with thie local laws, sometimes in rebellion, soft
or hard, against a central "ruling" organ. How much this ruling organ
could expect in the form of obedience would depend on the issue.
Slavery pretty harsh, local language not much interest.
Would there be members of the Imperial family spread out as vice-
regents or would the local representative of the head of state be a
functionary, a technician, serving the crown like a military commander
or the Governor Generals of the older era, morphing into a local
primary figure?
|
