Greater Britain 1975

[frontal assault]

About five years ago I remember reading in an old copy of the Spectator (from Lancaster University Library) that there was a rumour that some in the military were planning to stage a coup if Labour was reelected in the November 1974 election.  Anyway I decided to check this out and a quick search on Altavista brought to my attention a group called Greater Britain 1975 founded by David Stirling, a former soldier in the SAS.  Stirling and his associates believed that the Labour Government and its leader Harold Wilson were a Communist Trojan Horse intended to usher in a soviet state in Britain and that when the time came they would have to overthrow the government to preserve democracy.

Thankfully none of this ever happened, but being prone to speculation I couldn't help but wonder what might have happened if it had.  How many of the military would have been behind it?  How would the Queen have reacted (admitteld y I think she would have denounced it)?  How would the Americans and Soviets have responded?  More importantly how would the people of Britain dealt with what was happening?

I'm aware that there are already a few wargaming scenarios for civil conflicts in this period of British history, including a great looking one set in the late 80s, but I feel that this one has some really interesting elements to it.  Anyone else agree?

[redzed]

forward 4 years for this LINK

don't forget to check out the pdf on the right hand side.

[Arlequín]

There were rumours of planned coups in 1968 and 1974, which were investigated by MI5. Lord Mountbatten's name was frequently mentioned in relation to these. In 1974 Heathrow Airport suffered a couple of 'security exercises', which involved troops forming a 'Ring of Steel' around it, ostensibly as anti-terrorist exercises. Harold Wilson certainly made no secret in later years of his fears of a coup.

I don't see there being much chance of civil war, just the UK becoming a right wing-ish military dictatorship at worst. There was no political movement to step into the gulf that would be created, although extreme Conservatives (Enoch Powell?) might have been more prominent in the event. There was certainly some communist paranoia at this time and the spectre of Maclean, Philby and Burgess was still a raw wound.

Assuming that this all came off (or 'orf' as the new order might say), then I can see a resistance developing against it. The Trade Unions were certainly heading more to the left at this time. The biggest problem facing the resistance would be the lack of weapons in the UK. So anti-government sentiment, acts of peaceful resistance, weapons thefts and low level insurgency, perhaps developing into something bigger over time.

The Soviets would interfere at some point, probably committing funds and weapons, once they'd chosen the right horse to back. I can't see the US involving itself until things looked very bleak, if it got that far.

[Barry S]

I read a novel in the late 80's that my dad found called 'Land’s End', by Peter Francis Browne. It was set in the early 80's I believe where England has been taken over in a coup by the ‘New Elizabethan Party' and sees a fascist state implemented by Sir Matthew Hyde, President for life of England and Wales.

[redzed]

although extreme Conservatives (Enoch Powell?) might have been more prominent in the event.

Powell was never on the extreme right (he despised the Thatcherite ideals), it's a disservice to imply he was, it's also a disservice  to imply that he would break the Oath of Allegiance (which MPs take) and serve against the Crown or against Parliament.

Willie Whitelaw is also out as he was as straight as they come, he was also in the lead tank at the battle of Arnhem

Alternative what ifs? are great, but they really need to be credible to work. A better one would be a 'coup' against Thatcher by Right Wingers/Left Wingers, Lefty one would be easy, but a Right coup would be a lot more interesting. Afterall Thatcher didn't have a lot of supporters initially. Also the late 70's early 80's will be easier to get kit for.

MODS- if the above breaks the 'politics' rule, please say so and I'll delete it   rather than lock the topic.

[Mustasha Pasha]

It’s an interesting concept and in some respects no more far fetched than the 1930s VBCW. In fact as I recall 3 or 4 years ago when VBCW began to be talked about as a potential alternative-history period, the 1970s were also discussed. I think the “tanks at Heathrow” exercise during the mid-Seventies was one of the catalysts. Harold Wilson’s resignation was certainly a shock when it occurred and there does seem to be some evidence that there was right-wing plot going on, but it probably had little support outside a few London gentlemen’s clubs.

Consider too that there was a near-civil war going on in Northern Ireland at the time which had reached its peak just a couple of years earlier in 1972 with “Bloody Sunday” and over 100 British troops killed in action during the year. I think you could theoretically have a situation where the armed forces are split between those loyal to the elected government and those siding with the senior officers who have mounted the coup. Firearms of all sorts were much more widely held by the general public than today and if you add ready supplies from Northern Ireland then an armed civilian militia is quite feasible.

As wargamers we seem to be quite happy with completely fanciful concepts such as Weird War Two so a VBCW2 in the 1970s does not seem completely outrageous. But as someone said earlier, just be thankful it didn’t happen.

[Arlequín]

Powell was never on the extreme right (he despised the Thatcherite ideals), it's a disservice to imply he was, it's also a disservice  to imply that he would break the Oath of Allegiance (which MPs take) and serve against the Crown or against Parliament.

Extreme Conservative isn't the same as extreme right, we're not talking about pseudo-Blackshirts, the NF, or anything like that. As I was speaking in the context of Lord Mountbatten possibly being involved, so there's no suggestion that Powell would be serving against the Crown either. A military dictatorship, where the Crown is theoretically the head of the armed forces, isn't a contradiction in terms and as Powell was an ardent Royalist, I don't see that he'd oppose the idea of an expanded role for the monarchy.

I really don't see a civil war coming out of it. A 'clarification of the constitutional crisis' following a removal from office of the 'wrong sort of prime minister' perhaps, maybe some rioting etc, but that's pretty much it.

I think 1974 is sufficiently 'historical' not to be current affairs, so I think we're on safe ground.    

I don't think you can draw any comparison with this and VBCW. There's no constitutional crisis regarding the monarchy versus politicians, nor the same real level of polarity of politics. In 1974 we have a small group of people who thought, with little justification, that Wilson was going to drag us into the Warsaw Pact. The VBCW has a governmental system which wasn't elected, but just happened to be in the right place at the right time, while the elected politicians were trying to make a point.

[carlos marighela]

"In 1974 we have a small group of people who thought, with little justification, that Wilson was going to drag us into the Warsaw Pact."

It is an indictment on successive British governments that the patriotism and particular qualities of these people were not properly harnessed to the nation's needs. Removal of the tin foil lining of their bowler hats and perhaps a slight calibration to ensure terrestrial rather than extra terrestrial coverage could have rendered sites like RAF Fylingdale redundant and thus saved the British taxpayer millions of pounds.

As for the scenario I think it has one big thing going for it, a good reason to crank up the stereo and belt out TRB's Power in the Darkness.

[redzed]

As for the scenario I think it has one big thing going for it,

SLR's and Chieftan tanks

[carlos marighela]

Yeah that too. Personally speaking, I prefer SLRs and Centurions but that's just me. A Chieftain in Berlin Brigade urban camo would be a nice addition to the table though.

Back on topic. Eureka do an odd little range in 20mm of British troops in IS gear, tin hats and SLRs. Between them, the old Hotspur range and Airfix you would have pretty much all you need.

[voltan]

SLR's and Chieftan tanks

I'd vote for that 

[commissarmoody]

Dont forget to chech out RH Models modern British 1960s-80s, SAS/SBS and urban terrorist range, if you going to 20mm scale and check out the Winter of 79 blog. Lots of background info and good AARs of games played. http://winterof79.blogspot.com/

[6milPhil]

I remember reading how the idea was floated between the coup plotters that Prince Philip would make a good figurehead... can't recall the source so anecdotal at best.

[swiftnick]

A comparison pic. From left to right Eureka IS Brit, Elheim Indian army and then Hotspur IS Brit. Sorry the pic is a bit dark.

The Hotspur IS pack now available from Stonewall miniatures.

[Bugsda]

Excellent! An SLR and a fusiliers hackle, looks like my little brother, about the same height too