The Other Great Game: Britain vs The United States (1922-1941)

This video aims to be a short documentary charting the Anglo-American relationship during the inter-war era and early days of WWII. It looks at the competition between Washington and London over the new financial order of the world, the squabbling over reparations and wartime debts, and the failure to find a common solution to the rise of Germany in the 1930's.
It then looks at the desperate situation Britain found itself in in 1940, and how the US acted both as a saviour and profiteer in the empire's struggle against the German Reich.
#BritishEmpire, #USA, #WW2,

[@kevinwilliams3694]

This casts a new light on the world wars when these British and American tensions are considered. The fall of the British world order, including trade and currency issues, seems highly relevant today. That the British world order changed to an American order while fighting on the same side is a strange turn of history.

[@AW-zk5qb]

Because the US and Britain had so many cultural, linguistic, ethnic and religious similarities, the transition from British dominated world to American dominated world was as smooth as could be, even with some tensions. Usually when there is a transfer of world leadership between nations, it results in more tensions or even war

[@RoadmanRob8]

I have always had the uneasy feeling Americans relished having the power over there old masters during the world wars. It was like a power game.

[@kevinwilliams3694]

@@RoadmanRob8 "Lords of the desert " is covers the middle east, post ww2. Lots of interesting details in the book. Short version is your right about the Brits and the Americans.

[@enderman_of_d00m24]

Like a father handing his son the keys to the castle, and voluntarily removing his crown and giving it to his son

[@RoadmanRob8]

@@enderman_of_d00m24 Errr no. More like a son doing absolutely everything to impress his dad. Gets rich. Copys his family. Gos down the gym to get strong. But it’s all for nothing because the Dad doesn’t care and can never forgive him for hitting his mother when he was young. The Dad will always favour the other sons (Australia Canada) because they are good boys who do as there fucking told

[@bcvetkov8534]

It goes to show how disastrous it was for the Japanese to strike Pearl Harbor. This was a phenomenal video. I've loved the series as a whole so far. Thank you so much for taking the time to make it.

[@ihl0700677525]

IMO if the Japanese invaded South East Asia, the US would have to react regardless. So the moment US put an oil embrago on Japan, which necessitate Japanese attack on Dutch East Indes, war between Japan and the US is already *inevitable.* Let's say Japan did not attack Pearl Harbor, and somehow the US just sit idly by, watching Japan taking over South East Asia (and possibly most of India and China as well), and then allow Japan a time to recuperate and consolidate. In this case, within 10-20 years, Japan would became extremely powerful rival (even more so than Britain ever was) and a serious threat, even to continental US. There's just no way US govt would allow this. Pacific war was inevitable, and Japanese gambit on Pearl Harbor was IMO justified from military and geostrategic view.

[@richardgietzen4591]

Interesting : apon close examination of events prier to the attack on Pearl Harbor it seems that the Japanese quest for an Empire and their behavior in getting that Empire was quite similar to Western Europe / America. My only conclusion is that Western European's can act like ( assholes) but the Japanese can't.

[@shorewall]

@@richardgietzen4591 No, the Japanese are allowed to act like assholes. They are also allowed to get nuked. :D

[@Jacob-df5hr]

@@richardgietzen4591 there is no "allowed" to. Might makes right. If you can take it, so be it. If you can't, well, you're going to have a bad time. So says the ancient right of conquest.

[@kubhlaikhan2015]

American blockade and embargo of Japan, combined with their successful diplomatic-economic pressure to destroy the Anglo-Japanese detente, left the Japanese no real choice. If Britain had stood firm in the far east and concentrated on ending the pointless (to Britain) war in Europe, the world would be a very different and probably better place. Although its hard to be sure whether it was accidental or calculated, it was American pressure that forced both continents into war.

[@OldBritannia]

I hope you enjoy the fourth part in this series on Anglo-American relations. Sorry for the long wait in getting it up. Any feedback/ corrections welcome as always. Thanks again for watching. Correction: The scale at the start is weighted the wrong way, apologies, clearly wasn’t thinking when I made it.

[@Ricky-oi3wv]

'Our true and greatest enemy', to paraphrase JE Powell.

[@LauWarmerTee]

What I really like is that you always list your sources!

[@QuizmasterLaw]

Churchill: an incompetent militarist, brilliant orator, and ultimately one who embraced correct values. Even if Britain in 1921 decided to amplify Japanese power Japan still would have turned out proto-fascist, a criminal regime. The criminality was not limited to the rulers, a faction of the rulers, or tainted segments in the military. Japanese criminality was pervasive, but Europeans only encountered it themselves in 1941, before then the Japanese cruelties were only visited on other East Asians. But they were there all along, at least in the 1930s if not already in the 1890s.

[@OldBritannia]

@@QuizmasterLaw Indeed, my joke was probably in bad taste, but the fruit was too low hanging to pass up on. Anglo-Japanese relations were fairly friendly until the 1930s anyway, and the alliance wouldn’t have prevented the 1930’s expansionism as you say.

[@QuizmasterLaw]

Lend Lease hidden dividend? Ukraine, 2022. Values Matter.

[@ilFrancotti]

Beautiful. The diplomatic sequence between Great Britain and the United States shifting from pessimism to optimism and then finally culminating with disillusionment has been greatly reenacted. May sound weird but to me it feels almost like hearing/witnessing a dramatic play at a theatre.

[@One.More.Time-]

This is my second favorite series on your channel. The first one that I loved so much was the history of the British Empire. 🙂

[@vincentfegley6068]

I liked that series too. As an American I never really learned the British perspective of US-Anglo relations. I knew there was a fair amount of distrust for a while but never really got any depth about it. There isn't much nuance. Especially with the world wars.

[@jakehughes6087]

Will we ever see the opium wars ever documentated by you?

[@evanbillington2585]

Bump

[@RaptorBo]

Bump

[@OrbitalAstronaut]

Bump

[@astrolonim2032]

What they said.

[@d3thkn1ghtmcgee74]

That woukd be Afghanistan lol

[@vishackvapricorn3426]

I'm honestly surprised by the amount of views and subscriptions this channel has, looking at the quality of the content, it deserves much better. I hope more people get an opportunity to discover, learn and enjoy as much as we do.

[@Randomstuffs261]

This channel is a hidden gem, love this stuff

[@VociferousMallard]

Great as usual. Could you possibly put this whole series in a playlist?

[@jamy30]

Great informative video as always! Looking forward to any future parts :)

[@ystudbeast3]

Good video as always. Always interesting to see how the British and US relations change over time

[@aaronkelley8909]

Very interesting perspective. Thank you for posting!

[@ZPheenix]

I’ve seen all of your videos, just want to say that you’re one of my favourite channels

[@bhaskarmisra3871]

Great video! Please keep the series going. Looking forward to any future parts :)

[@LanguagePolice-us6vw]

It is very nice to say " please "

[@twillis1998]

I love this series so much! Great work!

[@johnwright9372]

A very good commentary, emphasizing the importance of financial power in waging war.

[@johnpaul3099]

Excellent as always my favourite KZbin channel period.

[@philliprandle9075]

Another great episode keep the great work coming.

[@reclamationify]

Was wondering if you would consider making a video about the "stately quadrille", I find that you're extremely unique in making videos about early modern diplomacy and that is one that always fascinated me.

[@Lysimachus]

It's really good that you can switch from the political to the economic with total ease, good job mate.

[@paulceglinski7172]

Love the content and the channel. Cheers from Tennessee

[@DevinDTV]

amazing content. keep it up

[@matthewhuszarik4173]

I immensely enjoyed this video it greatly elaborated on history I was familiar with but not knowledgeable about. Good work. Obviously I subscribed.

[@danielthebot4041]

These videos are so detailed how do you not have more subs

[@monkeeseemonkeedoo3745]

Thank you for posting these, great content every time,

[@LanguagePolice-us6vw]

It is very nice to say " Thank you "

[@sparkybrit]

Excellent video. The Battle of Breton Woods is particularly revealing.

[@eklezia2829]

Great episode, well worth the wait. It's interesting how the level of suspicion between Britain and US never really decreased over the decades.

[@alansmithee8831]

Great Britain. Great Game. Great videos. I will keep mentioning the channel in comments elsewhere, as it deserves great support too, I reckon.

[@SharpieLEET]

man you deserve a hell of a lot more subscribers and views than you currently get, but its fine cus youll get there soon enough anyway. no way content of this quality doesnt blow up

[@occckid123]

It probably was lot up but since it's so small you can't even see it on this map lol

[@nygothuey6607]

Fantastic series. I'm a big fan of your content. Keep up the great work. I'd love to see a series like this on "The Great Game". You know, the best other one. The one in Central and South Asia. 😊

[@KingoftheWelsh]

Great series, keep up the good work.

[@micahistory]

great video, I really enjoyed this series

[@Anthony-jo7up]

The US decided to take its own national security as a global power more seriously after the First World War. This meant that it was to be both a Pacific and Atlantic power. An Anglo-Japanese alliance would be the foremost threat to this new geostrategic paradigm, necessitating the US to build a fleet as powerful as both combined. The subsequent naval arms race would make the Anglo-German one look tiny by comparison. The already financially devastated UK would not be able to keep that up. Instead, they aligned with the US, and with the two most powerful navies working together towards a common goal of free trade. An amicable relationship with the US also means that the country is more likely to support British efforts around the world, and in the case of another world war, join on Britain's side. To this end, Churchill made the right choice. The idea that Imperial Japan is a more valuable, natural, and stable long-term ally than the US is preposterous. Frankly, if they didn't align with the US and the British empire somehow remained in tact until WW2, the Japanese would probably still attack the British, except the US wouldn't get involved.

[@drdeadred851]

Well the US didnt get involved, it got attacked by Japan then declared on by Germany. If the Japanese were willing to attack the British in this alternative time line why wouldnt they like-wise attack the US as they did in ours? They never had an expectation of winning against either materially long term, it was always just a gamble that 'superior Japanese willpower' would succeed they expected the surprise attack to scare the US cause them to back out of the pacific or at least out of japans interests. Larger navies from both the British and US would knock that delusion out of their mind? Assuming they dont likewise up the size of their own fleet to keep up. Really the entire Axis grand plan was 'the otherside are sub-human and weak, one big smash and we will win'. If the US hadnt been attacked I can imagine they would join as they did in ww1, near the end after both sides had already thoroughly exhausted and indebted themselves in order to be given a prime seat at the peace table.

[@ihl0700677525]

The US would have to enter the war regardless. Should Britain (British Empire), continental Europe, the Middle East, and Western Russia (or perhaps entire Soviet Union) fallen to the Fascists (Germany & Italy), and whole Asia (China, South East Asia, and India) came under Japanese control, America would not be safe for long. Empire of Japan would acquire immense resources, more than enough to challenge US industrial might within next 10-20 years. Germany, which at that time (i.e. after the fall of France) already on par with the US, would become trully unrivalled superpower after acquiring its Russian Lebensraum and turning British Empire into its vassal state. So while British Empire was indeed dying, it could very well choose who will succeed it. The Fascists, the US, or even the Japanese. Britain had the option to just quit by handing over its Asian colonies to Japan, Middle East to Germany, African colonies to Italy, and its holdings in the Americas to the US (just like how Britain handed over bases all over the world to America with the Land Lease , followed by post-war decolonization).

[@cjp8u2]

Why would the British have enforced an oil embargo on an ally?

[@SpartanHoplite360]

For the US it was the right choice. Britain ended up with the worst possible outcome, losing its empire, wealth and Great Power status. Just have to see how the Suez crisis played out to see the “value” of having the fickle US as an ally

[@1998atlas]

The US was opposed to Japan because of its war against China. Not because it supported Britain. The idea that the Americans wouldn't react after pearl harbour is laughable. You could argue that the US wouldn't provide the UK with lend lease, but they would probably still be involved with Germany too, since it's Hitler who declared war and not the reverse.

[@matejurkovic7967]

Great video. Please keep this series going. A look at the post-war relationship (especially US-Anglo relations during Suez crisis would be very interesting. Some US leaders such as Arleigh Burke contemplated firing upon the Anglo French fleet involved Suez.)

[@Jackcarr87]

You should have a lot more views and subscribers. Interesting topics, presented engagingly.

[@guccicoupons]

Fantastic series, I really learned a lot about the history of our relationship post revolutionary war. Quite enlightening

[@nathanlandrum8629]

Great series! Really interesting analysis with great source material used! Looking forward to Britain vs. The United States following World War II when the Empire begins to disintegrate.

[@richjg3049]

Excellent analysis of a hand over of empire from one nation to another.

[@d.dean42973]

the British empire was not handed over to the us, each colony became independent, the British monarch is actually still the head of state in 15 commonwealth realms which includes Canada, Australia, Jamaica

[@The_First_Sean]

There was no handover, only a strategic overthrowing.

[@JoanieAdamms]

I am Late! but few channels have such focus and erudite presentation as yours, Sir; In nuanced hues, you provide the very generous pillar all Good Education can come from.

[@leojohn1615]

this was a great and thought provoking series thanks for making it

[@fyang1429]

I saw in an interesting article recently how there were negotiations between Japan and the US in late 1941 that were about to give in to Japanese interests in trade. Yet the Chinese ambassador to the US at the time, Hu Shi (a giant in Chinese history even besides his role as a diplomat), managed to convince the US diplomats to continue the embargo on Japan, which put the final straw on Japan's entry into the war against the US.

[@SuperCatacata]

Tbf it probably wasn't hard to convince anyone that they shouldn't side with Japan after what they did in China.

[@forthrightgambitia1032]

I would add that probably more critical than the pro-American voices in the British government, the Anglo-Japanese treaty was primarily dropped because of lobbying and pressure from Canadian politicians who feared after WW1 that Britain would not be in a position to defend them any more in such circumstances as they had in radically different ones in 1812. In other words they were worried they would be where Australia was in WW2 vis-a-vis Japan but in reverse. The most likely cause of a UK-USA war in their analysis was the looming Japanese-American clash in the Indo-Pacific, where Japan had managed to expand into in WW1 without much fighting at German and Chinese expense, that said alliance might pull Britain into. Given the circumstances after WW1 and the fact that Britain knew it may have to draw on the resources of the empire again which was becoming restless (see the Chanak crisis), imperial unamity was considered important enough here to override the treaty. I also wonder whether the treaty would have survived the 1930s turn towards extreme militarism in Japan in any case. Britain was extremely cautious towards Japan and gave the country many concessions (such as closing the movement of armaments through the Burma road to China during the Second Sino-Japanese war) to no avail before Japan attacked the Malay peninsula. Vichy France were nominally sympathetic or allied with Japan but ended up having their colonies occupied under duress by Japan and I find it unlikely that Japan would have altered their "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere" for an old alliance formed by what were seen as by then the corrupted liberal governments of the early 20th century or indeed that Britain, whilst fighting WW2, would have been willing to actively support a Japanese invasion of French, Dutch and American colonies in the Pacific. 11:45 a pedantic correction here: the US didn't have a separate Air Force like Britain at this stage until 1947 so at this point US air assets were primarily part of the army.

[@shorewall]

Exactly. Japan saw itself as a player at the table, but that meant that they needed to expand in Asia. If Germany wanted colonies in WW1, how much more did Japan want colonies. And since the US and UK had interests in Asia (among them free trade, Australia, and the Philippines), Japan had to step on their toes in order to get what it wanted.

[@forthrightgambitia1032]

​@@shorewall Yes, and indeed British interests were highly affected by Japanese expansion, given the Japanese's use of native discontent under their cynical pro-Asianist rhetoric (see Bose in India) and the fact that the Japanese invasions shattered the psychological barrier of European superiority in the colonies.

[@voltairethegoldflame9280]

One thing a lot of people miss is that Japanese militarism was NOT inevitable, and the course of the first world war and the dismantlement of the Anglo-Japanese alliance played a major part in the establishment of an environment that allowed Totalitarian Militarism to take hold.

[@forthrightgambitia1032]

@@voltairethegoldflame9280 I'm not sure this is true. The First Sino-Japanese war happened before the Anglo-Japanese alliance and the expansion into German Pacific colonies and German Chinese concessions, which was an essential precondition of what later happened, occured whilst the alliance was still active.

[@Hans_Niemand]

Looking forward to your assessment of the post-war settlements and current relationship details.

[@dindu551]

Excellent work

[@danever159]

Last part or will there be more? I love this series.

[@Chris-ut6eq]

Strong narrative that puts a perspective on the interwar years between US & UK Empire

[@ropiakpawel]

I love that you post sources.

[@danraes5661]

We need an episode for the relationship post WW2! I cannot wait for Part 5 😁

[@ramal5708]

Also the relationship between FDR and Churchill from 1940 until FDR's death flared up when the discussion about Empire comes forth in a conversation between these two. FDR, a staunch democratic and free world leader, while Churchill an upholder of the British Empire, that is why the Destroyer for Bases deal didn't come through much earlier than historically since Churchill was adamant that the territories the British have shouldn't be handed over to other party other than by force, both these men agreed on lots of other stuff, except Empire.

[@ramal5708]

Tension between these two countries also flared up during the Trent Affair at the height of the American Civil War, which made the British send troops into Canadian border with the US, but the situation didn't escalate since both countries solved the situation diplomatically.

[@alexthred2179]

Great video!

[@NunyaMcBusiness]

LESS GOOOO, NEW UPLOAD

[@ahmedshaharyarejaz9886]

The players change but the Game never Ends.

[@therearenoshortcuts9868]

dont hate the player hate the Game LOL

[@craigkdillon]

A good look at a slice of the inter-war period. It was a complex time. Changing power relationships. Rise of Nazism and Fascism. Rise of the Soviet Union. Great Depression & The Dust Bowl. Rise of the car industry. Rise of Unions in US & Europe. Rise of the movie industry. Rise of Radio and national news networks. Rise of US as the world's creditor and bank. Rise of military and commercial aircraft Decline of the economic usefulness of colonial empires. Were they any good anymore? LIke I said, one slice of an interesting period.

[@mariadelcarmenvaldezlozano9534]

Great content

[@gabedejongh4767]

Another great video

[@gamingquagga3057]

Could you please do the aims of each country in the Congress of Vienna?

[@juliane__]

11:18 This puts Chamberlains appeasement into a more realistic light. It makes sense to sell off some parts of other countries if it means to buy time, when you expect no one will help you and you have to fight from a relativ weak stand.

[@DovahFett]

The issue is that they weren’t his countries to sell.

[@tzazosghost8256]

Except that Germany was in no state to fight Britain and France at the time of Munich.

[@MuscleboundKage]

@Oblivion'sLegend well apperantly it was since those countries offered no resistance when Germany walked in and took the lands.

[@toekneekerching9543]

@@MuscleboundKage They did offer resistance ,they were just ineffective and unorganised in the face of a highly prepared German force. Most equipment of the French and Czech armies were superior to the Germans but they were taken by surprise and with no overarching single strategy they were quickly defeated.

[@stevendebettencourt7651]

@@DovahFett The weren’t Germany’s to take either, but here we are with France split in 2.

[@stev4479]

I Love your Videos

[@ludbwkx]

Grate video! Can you make a video about the British Empire and the Japanese Empire Relations from the Russo-japanes war to ww2?

[@roachdoggjr3235]

This channel fucking ROCKS dude

[@webcelt]

The history was more complex than generally realized. The cultural ties that survived the American Revolution, and even similar growth as democracies, wasn't enough to make the "special relationship" automatic. It's easy to assume the way things went and the way things are are also the wat things had to be. I recall reading a science fiction story from the interwar wars, don't recall the title, that said the near future had a big war where Japan and Britain fought America, and that seemed weird. Maybe not so much. We forget how much alliances have normally been about interests, not beliefs or values. NATO and the EU are really quite exceptional.

[@The_First_Sean]

Nato is a colony for us, eu is a undercover colony for us as well.

[@shacklock01]

Line in the Sand and Lords of the Desert are great books on the topic of Anglo-American and Anglo-French relations/great game rivalries in this period.

[@azore1184]

Get this man more subscribers NOW!!

[@texasRoofDoctor]

"...A rare outbreak of fiscal competence..." We could use some of that right about now.

[@strategosopsikion8576]

As an American, this is very fascinating. We were never taught any of this in school. Period real politick is pretty much omitted from our teaching. It’s pretty sad to see how economically relentless we were towards the Brits. We systematically disassembled the empire. Kinda crazy to think about.

[@The_First_Sean]

They deserved it.

[@truthseeker327]

It was necessary they british were mercantilist in their empire did not allow Countries like USA to trade directly with countries like India and in africa. Everything had to go through London who would use their grievances against the americans. Empire is always and impediment to free trade

[@strategosopsikion8576]

@@truthseeker327 interesting

[@owenowen212]

Another excellent video, thanks!

[@shadowwarriorshockwave3281]

Binging this at 1am perfect

[@Rumpelstyltskin]

The Special Relationship, in all its splendour.

[@specialted1]

The irony that Churchill, the ultimate defender of the Empire, chose to sacrifice it instead of making peace with Germany

[@marcel84marcel]

"You can't negotiate with a lion while YOUR HEAD IS IN ITS MOUTH!

[@BasicLib]

“Peace with Nazi Germany” Yh bro, makes total sense.

[@19MAD95]

The garden hose analogy is definitely an amazing one to make.

[@owenevans83]

Good stuff

[@jmwilliamsart]

Very interesting indeed, I hope that you will do The Other Great Game video Post 1941, covering the war and what happened in the years afterwards.

[@isaacbourdeau3167]

Would you ever do a video discussing the Cold War or events in that era?

[@OldBritannia]

Final video on this series will be Cold War. It’s not naturally my area of expertise, but yes there’ll definitely be a fair catalogue of videos on that era eventually.

[@isaacbourdeau3167]

@@OldBritannia I suppose it would be odd to have a series about US and British relations without discussing the Suez Crisis.

[@auldflyer]

Oh so true, well done.

[@dardo1201]

Did you remove some videos? I swear I remember viewing videos on the British Empire and Bismarck earlier.

[@erichluepke855]

I'd love to learn about Sino-Anglo relations in the early 20th century!

[@erichluepke855]

The way it seemed to me is that the UK wanted nothing to do with an independent, unified China for imperial reasons, and had some interest in keeping trade open between both sides during the sino-japanese war. But beyond that I have no idea.

[@fweb3134]

A strange period to look back on as a Brit. A mix of obligated imperial shame but also wounded pride as America reduces us to second fiddle

[@johnflorendo5846]

quite the plot considering the history between the countries.

[@waynewagner6581]

As an American, I wish we had supported the British a little better. I know that use learning about this is never the same as those living through it. We have hindsight to know who our true friends would be.

[@The_First_Sean]

@@waynewagner6581No, the British don’t deserve our help, they’re disgusting colonialists and imo, we should’ve been more brutal, I reckon we could’ve gotten them to be a colony, officially, for now they’re our colony, unofficially.

[@The_First_Sean]

@fweb3134, you feel imperial shame? You don’t think others felt that way when you were animals, savagely raping the world, anything and anyone vulnerable you could get? WE CIVILISED YOU, YOURE A MORE TOLERABLE AND APPROPRIATE COUNTRY BECAUSE OF US, NOT AS MUCH THE POOR ANIMAL YOU WERE WITHOUT OUR INFLUENCE.

[@zuesadam7143]

​@@waynewagner6581Nah don't You gave them what they deserved Don't forget 1812 and how they treated you post 1776

[@user-cd4bx6uq1y]

Interesting how these get more detailed towards the end

[@BalenCM]

How do you make your maps? They're just great

[@ake_lindblom]

The scale in the first scene goes the wrong way ;)

[@OldBritannia]

Urgh, can’t believe I didn’t notice that. Increasingly becoming a rule of thumb on this channel that if there is a basic error to be made, I will do so. Thanks for pointing it out.

[@tonyrigorous]

I should point out that if you’re going to show all of Britain's territories as a part of it, you should probably do the same for the US. Most notably Puerto Rico and Cuba, which the US won from Spain in 1898, though Cuba was released in 1902, and Puerto Rico remains part of the country to this day.

[@RRaquello]

Cuba was never actually part of the US. After the war with Spain it was, at least technically, an independent country. What we had with Cuba was probably more in the nature of a protectorate, like Britain with Egypt.

[@eddiestone12]

It might just be the next video in the series but he definitely shows Puerto Rico

[@retromanstv]

Will you ever do documentary on Cecil Rhodes and British south Africa?

[@thenewparallel]

Hello Make video about Sykes-Picot agreement plz PS +1 idea: Benelux territorial claims after ww2

[@alexplotkin3368]

Very good episode. Great point about sunk British merchant tonnage in World War I: 7.8 million tons! A huge part of Britain's merchant fleet was sunk. Britain's debt skyrocketed in World War I and hasn't fallen since. Britain was mortally wounded in World War I. And the USA has dominated England ever since.

[@clauvex7829]

How dramatic is the whole relationship between the United States and the British Empire in the early 20th century, it really seemed that the British government, maybe subconsciously, noticed the writing in the wall at the end of the Great War and just began the long and slow "transfer" of the informal empire to the US.

[@shorewall]

I think of it as rational actions that led to a destiny. Why did the Roman Empire fall? Because it had to. Why did the British Empire fall? Because it had to. But that destiny was the result of many small choices and events that were thought over and fought over at the time.

[@ScottJB]

Better to keep it in the family than to risk that mantle going to someone with less similar cultural values and interests. The differences between the US and UK were substantial within the Anglosphere context. Outside of that box, they were petty.

[@Ralfi_PoELA]

​@@ScottJB the original English Americans died off afetr our civil war and became a minority amongst the "white" population. Also the Anglo-Saxons were conquered by the Normans long before. There are only so few grassroots communities within the United States and it isn't lineal English Americans from the founding fathers. Why our politics are completely different and England suffers a total collapse even nations within the British isles that long to break away into their own sovereignty.

[@ScottJB]

@@Ralfi_PoELA American culture, regardless of population genetics, is derived from post-medieval/early modern English culture. Same with Anglo-Canadian culture. And Aus and NZ, with their cultural divergence happening a century later. America was the first to break off so it's had the most time for the UK and US to drift apart culturally, with NZ probably having the least time. That said, in terms of genetics, British, and particularly English ancestry is vastly underestimated in the US because it was considered default or "just American." So families tended to report the ancestry that was "different," which often was German or Irish. But genetic testing of swaths of the population tend to show much more English ancestry than generally reported.

[@Ralfi_PoELA]

@@ScottJB cool story bro. 💀 imagin not being from North America telling a North American Native about our large nation in congruence to your not even full island nation but half of an island.

[@ImperialSublimeEmpire]

W video man

[@LasertechStudios3142]

This video was excellent. Any chance you could post a source list? I'm thinking of designing a game set in this time period from the perspective of the British Prime Minister.

[@The_First_Sean]

Nobody wants to see British perspective

[@JasonParmenter]

I can see why Japan felt slighted that Britain chose America over them, but it also made way more sense for Britain to choose America

[@AJPMUSIC_OFFICIAL]

I've learnt a lot about Churchill recently and maybe he was not a top chap but he definitely saw the potential of US/UK cooperation.

[@476233]

I don’t think Churchill was a perfect man, but he was the perfect man for this perfect time for him.

[@andym9571]

Beware where you are 'learning' things about him. There is currently a lot of cr#p written about him. Read his memoirs of WW2 to know the man. He was not a racist and certainly did not cause the Bengal famine...amongst other things he has been accused of.

[@NoName-hg6cc]

​@@andym9571 He was a racist and had a big hand in Bengal famine

[@andym9571]

@@NoName-hg6cc Tell me when he had been racist ? How was he responsible for the famine ?

[@NoName-hg6cc]

@@andym9571 Really? Do I have to point out his racist phrases against Indians? Or how his orders to redirect food caused the famine that killed 4 millions people?

[@DavideKuras]

You make me discover new politician every day, if only in school they could teach so specifically

[@011...]

What a great it as expanded my worldview!

[@Sometimes_Happiness]

As an American, I've loved this series. I can't wait for the next episode since that will be the Cold War.

[@half-hazard8903]

babe wake up, new old britannia video just dropped

[@eructationlyrique]

When you display different British Dominions at 4:40, it should be noted that you show Newfoundland (and Labrador) as part of Canada, but it was its own Dominion at the time

[@Johnnycdrums]

What is your explanation for the small circled area in the western part of the USA map?

[@baneofbanes]

That’s the not a circle, that’s the Great Salt Lake in Utah.

[@Jacob-df5hr]

I've read two biographies on Roosevelt and what his actual intentions were at the beginning of the war continue to elude me. Hindsight finds him as impenetrable as the moment did.

[@jeffs4483]

UK would have retained their empire had they stayed out of both world wars. America is not to blame.

[@ssssaa2]

How? they were too weak. They only had such a vast empire because of a temporary position of extreme power compared to the rest of the world. By the 20th century that was rapidly fading and there's no way that today's Britain could dream of maintaining such an empire from Great Britain. I suppose they wouldn't have lost it as rapidly as happened in our timeline, but it still would have been lost.

[@jeffs4483]

@@ssssaa2 How? It went bankrupt.

[@ilFrancotti]

If they didn't join how would they have addressed their issues with the Kaiser's high seas fleet? Not to mention they would have lost Belgium, comprising one of their main trade routes to Europe.

[@dreams1205]

​@@ilFrancotti by 1914 Anglo-German relations were already cooling and while Germany would've dominated Europe militarily and economically they would in no way close the trade routes in Europe after the war

[@ilFrancotti]

@@dreams1205 Cooling down with the Kaiser's replying to Great Britain that their treaty safeguarding Belgium's neutrality was worthless? How do you know? When Napoleon took control of most of Europe he did try just that. And even if the Kaiser decided not to, Great Britain could have been endlessly blackmailed by Germany at that point.

[@randomperson6988]

This series it soo good. I could only dream of a part five

[@nickmacarius3012]

Maybe this channel should have been called: *"The Other Great Game."* Seems to be a reoccurring theme. 🤪👍