United Kingdom
.svg) TAG = ENG | |
| Capital | London |
| Ruling Party |  British People's Party |
| Head of State | Edward VII |
| Sphere |  Grossraum Kontinentaleurope |
| Foreign Alignment |  Einheitspakt Mitstreiter |
| GDP | $24.45B |
| Credit Rating |  Good |
| Market Type |  Free Market Capitalism |
The United Kingdom of Great Britain is a German client state spanning much of the British Isles. A nation with a long history of imperialism, most of its colonies were lost by the end of the Second World War which saw it fall under the control of the Greater German Reich and a collaborationist Mistreiter (client state) being installed.
Politics
Since Germany had no desire to spread Nazism to Britain, the United Kingdom did not become a fully integrated Reichskommissariat, nor a Nazi-led government like the French State.
Instead, the newly-organised government keeps most of the pre-war system, with the House of Lords being empowered to be on par with the House of Commons and the only legal party being the British People's Party.
The British People's Party is made of both dedicated fascists and pragmatic liberals, unified by their support for collaboration with the Reich. This was allowed by the Germans in order to avoid excessive resistance in the British Isles, especially since the German army was stretched thin to control the Russian lands: while an uprising could be easily defeated by the German garrison (and the British Free Corps if needed), it would have required tens of thousands of men, and resources the Reich could not afford. Therefore, it was deemed more prudent to allow the beaten enemy to keep a facade of democracy and independence, as fraudulent and shallow as it had become, as long as the British parliament would not oppose the Germans in any way. While this unwritten agreement has resisted for more than a decade thanks to the "carrot and stick" combination of "free" democratic elections and the German garrison, now the cracks are starting to show.
With the steady decline of the German Reich, its economy weakened by the absence of international trade and the excessive reliance on slaves, and its leadership embroiled in internal strife over the looming matter of Hitler's succession, the threat of German retaliation is fading. This is making increasingly difficult for the government to justify its subservience to German demands, and increasingly easy for the underground resistance to take control of local institutions thanks to weak rule of law.
This is not made easier by the King: Edward VIII, once a fervent admirer of Hitler, is now a shadow of his bright pre-war persona, haunted by remorse for what he had been forced to do to satisfy the Germans. While he keeps telling himself that he did it to avoid bloody and merciless retaliation from Germany, it still isn't enough to keep the regret and self-loathing at bay. As such, he has almost completely retired himself from politics, leaving the government alone in its increasingly difficult task. Hated by his people, who see him as a German puppet, and mistrusted by the Germans, who see him as too moderate and reluctant to comply, he is the proverbial clay pot between the iron pots, at constant risk of being crushed.
As such, English politics are becoming increasingly radicalized as time passes should the resistance decide the time is right for a full-scaled insurrection, civil war will break the country in two, with the constant threat of the German garrison taking things into its own hands and restoring order the German way. Finally, there is the matter of the "Ottawa pretender": Elizabeth II, Queen-in-exile of the United Kingdom, follows the situation with great attention, with many insinuating that a good portion of the resistance is acting on her behalf. Should her uncle be forcibly removed from power, there is little doubt that the remnants of the British Empire and its American allies will try to retake the British homeland.
