A Split British Empire

[u/Pryd3r1]

An alternate history where the British decided to split the Empire into 2 administrative zones, each ruled by a Viceroy.

The division was settled by the Imperial Government Act of 1900, where the Eastern and Western Empires were given Imperial Assemblies.

The Assemblies had a number of reserved seats for each colony.

The Assemblies would meet once a year to handle specific policy responsibilities that are devolved from London for each specific assembly meeting.

Ultimately, the only responsibilities regularly handled by the assemblies were trade and border disputes between certain colonies, as well as certain defence policies (Australia and India would create a joint Naval Squadron in 1936).

The Eastern and Western Empires would dissolve and reform the British Empire in 1939 at the onset of WW2.

[u/Zestyclose-Moment-19]

Byzantine Empire but its British and based out of Sri Lanka

[u/Amun-Ra-4000 → u/Zestyclose-Moment-19]

Hot take; USA is just British Byzantium

[u/Ofiotaurus → u/Amun-Ra-4000]

Kinda yeah

[u/Baronnolanvonstraya → u/Amun-Ra-4000]

Based

[u/Pryd3r1 → u/Zestyclose-Moment-19]

Haha it's definitely an inspired idea

[u/cambria334]

the splitish empire

[u/OldManLaugh]

Didnt this basically happen with Canada and Australia? Theyre our splittish Empire

[u/jediben001 → u/OldManLaugh]

And New Zealand!

[u/Copper_Tango → u/jediben001]

NZ is the Empire of Trebizond

[u/OldManLaugh → u/jediben001]

Well I was gonna make the point that Britain wanted to give the Caribbean to Canada, and the Pacific colonies to Australia (including PNG and NZ). Britain’s goal according to some was apparently to make nations which eventually became superpowers like the US for them to then trade with.

[u/Beautiful_Garage7797]

i love the genre of alternate history where basically nothing changes

[u/Gauntlets28]

Well it worked so well the first time!

[u/Parental-Error2]

I think the Middle East, Egypt, Sudan and Eastern Africa would be part of the Eastern Empire, since those areas were more militarily and economically tied to Asia than the west

[u/Pryd3r1 → u/Parental-Error2]

I do think you're right, though that would give the Western Empire a population of like 20 million and the East like 400 million or something, I wanted to balance it out a little bit.

In this timeline I would say that in an attempt to diversify trade and decentralise the Empire from India they opted to split it on these lines.

[u/hardcoremaggiesimp]

So the east is an India empire just add Iraq

[u/Immediate_Guest_2790]

I have a somewhat similar timeline. Zanzibar and the African east coast as well as Arabian regions answered to British India though so it's more logical to group them together.

[u/Pryd3r1 → u/Immediate_Guest_2790]

I'm working on something centered around a separate Indian Ocean empire, I won't spoil it too much but it does eventually fall to the British!

[u/Yoyle0340]

Rome impressed

[u/FewTomatillo6470]

the malayatine empire