Formally known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland these questions relate to the history of events that have happened in the countries that make up the United Kingdom; such as England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and various territories; or the United Kingdom's ...
52
votes
15answers
5k views
Why did Hitler attack the Soviet Union when he was still busy fighting the United Kingdom?
This has always bothered me. Everyone knows that having to fight on two opposite fronts at once is bad... and it's also a well known fact that every European country which tried to invade Russia has ...
24
votes
2answers
1k views
Why did Britain not purchase Alaska when Russia had it up for sale?
One thing that comes up often when discussing "what-ifs" with family or friends is why the British government never nabbed Alaska when Russia had placed it up for sale and made it into Canada's fourth ...
20
votes
4answers
887 views
Why didn't France and UK invade Germany September 3rd 1939?
On September 3rd 1939, when UK and France declared war on Germany, both ordinary Polish people and government officials became enthusiastic. There were spontaneous demonstrations of support for the ...
14
votes
3answers
424 views
Is there a reason for a Queen's husband not to be referred too as King?
While watching the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II events going on recently, I noticed that the Queen's husband is referred to as 'Prince'-- not 'King'. Upon researching further, I found that ...
14
votes
3answers
2k views
When and how did the USA and the UK become allies?
So, you may remember that the United States and Great Britain had a minor spat in 1776, which shall we say, did not put them on the friendliest of terms. In 1812, while Britain was focused on its war ...
12
votes
3answers
210 views
Were British fears of Russia using Afghanistan as a staging post for an invasion of India unfounded?
I know that "The Great Game" was originally concerned with Russian-British competition in Central Asia, but my question is was this competition and British fear founded on anything? My understanding ...
10
votes
3answers
277 views
Was Antarctica a factor in the Falklands war?
Were Argentina's and the UK's Antarctic territorial claims significant in the Falklands War?
9
votes
2answers
284 views
Did Churchill and Roosevelt know about the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, or the following secret pacts between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union?
The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact was the non-aggression pact between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany prior to, and during WWII. It seems that the actions of the two countries after the invasion of Poland ...
9
votes
3answers
371 views
Even though Spain and Portugal had many colonies (15th/16th C), what factors permitted UK/France to become world powers later (18th/19th C)?
Some of the first European countries to acquire colonies in the "New World" (and elsewhere) were Spain and Portugal. They "discovered America" (as the euro-centric interpretation goes), and had ...
9
votes
3answers
258 views
Was it ever illegal for two people of different religions to marry in the UK?
Was it ever illegal for 2 people of different religions (e.g. Catholic & Anglican) to marry in the UK? I'm refering only to "civil marriage". I'm sure, even now, that the Catholic church may not ...
8
votes
4answers
2k views
Why did Canada, Australia and New Zealand separate from UK?
I asked this question in various places in the Web. I haven't received a clear answer.
The USA separated from the UK because the people felt that they are not British, and they weren't.
Weren't ...
8
votes
3answers
171 views
Why did the kingdoms of Scotland and England merge?
I'm from the states, so I'm not so sharp on the history of various European monarchs. Having been told as a child that my ancestors emigrated from Scotland, I've always had an interest in the country. ...
7
votes
2answers
132 views
Why is Finland represented as a Soviet satellite in this 1947 cartoon?
The cartoon is a British one. I found it at http://lenta.ru/articles/2013/05/28/secretwar/ but without any specific attribution.
7
votes
3answers
203 views
Is the USA Congress explicitly patterned after the British Parliament?
I have always presumed this to be the case. They have a similar form: two chambers, the lower representing "all the people" and the upper representing, very roughly speaking, "institutional forces" ...
6
votes
2answers
96 views
Why did Churchill accept the Order of the Garter in 1953?
Churchill had refused the Order of the Garter in 1945, quipping that he couldn't accept the garter from the king after the people gave him the boot. But in 1953 he relented and accepted the honour? Is ...
6
votes
1answer
467 views
Did King George III turn his back on John Adams and Thomas Jefferson?
After the resolution of the Revolutionary War, John Adams and (later) Thomas Jefferson were diplomatic agents in London. John Adams had been there a while and had previously met the King, apparently ...
5
votes
3answers
470 views
What is the basic structure of British Politics?
This is obviously an extremely broad (but answerable!) question, and I honestly don't know where to start and have no knowledge whatsoever about the topic. Basically I would like to know how the ...
5
votes
0answers
58 views
What scholarly positions exist evaluating Thatcher's competence and the desirability of her government's policies?
I am aware of a variety of normative accounts of the desirability of Thatcher's politics in the social domain; and of the broad opinions regarding her competence (generally highly competent, poll tax ...
4
votes
1answer
87 views
Financial ramifications of peerages created since the 19th century
I once (quite naively) thought that those who were awarded titles of nobility in olden times would henceforth life charmed lives in their splendid houses, etc.: until I noticed e.g. in several ...
4
votes
1answer
81 views
Why are lower court jurists, judges, and supreme court jurists, justices?
I cannot find any information explaining why judges that sit on a Supreme Court are referred to as "justices," and judges that sit on a lower court are "judges." Everything I've found seems to ...
4
votes
1answer
114 views
Has the UK ever used the Diplomatic and Consular Premises Act 1987 to enter an embassy without approval?
The Diplomatic and Consular Premises Act 1987 allows the UK to remove the diplomatic status of any place.
Has the UK already used this act to enter an embassy/consulate/etc?
They recently threatened ...
4
votes
1answer
113 views
Is there any evidence of Edward VIII trying to influence the UK Government?
Edward VIII was King of the UK, however he abdicated because he wanted to marry a divorced woman.
Someone told me that the "real reason" was that he was trying to influence the UK government and/or ...
3
votes
2answers
148 views
UK involvement in Yugoslavia during WW2
What was the role and the level of involvement of the United Kingdom in Yugoslavia during the World War II ?
2
votes
1answer
90 views
What were the animals on the Coat of Arms of Edward IV of England?
(Asked after reading this answer in SciFi&Fantasy SE):
I think that whole Stark (York) and Lanister (Lancaster) feud is reference to War of Roses. Both houses descended from house Plantagenet ...
2
votes
1answer
102 views
What differences led to Technicolor becoming the dominant color filming technology in Hollywood?
Apparently another technology, Kinemacolor, was invented first in the UK, but it never caught on in Hollywood. Kinemacolor was expensive, and had some other glitches involved, but the fact that it was ...
2
votes
0answers
77 views
Is there any speech dialogue on record on Palestine independence day given by the Great Britain Prime minister?
Is there any speech dialogue on record on Palestine independence day on 1988 given by the Great Britain Prime minister?
I know that Great Britain was once a proud supporter of Palestine.
1
vote
2answers
150 views
Great Britain's role in Islamic Iran
Before the World War Iran was a colony of Great Britain.
I am sure that the Islamization of today's Iran is the result of Great Britain's policy on Iran before the World War.
However, no data has been ...
1
vote
1answer
64 views
How come the British did not notify the Poles about the Molotov-Ribbentrop secret protocol?
I have just read this answer and would like to know if there is a known reason why the British did not inform the Poles. Or is the whole thing wrong?
-1
votes
2answers
131 views
Why does the UK buy some of its major military hardware from the USA while France is self-reliant?
UK:
Trident missile.
M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System.
AgustaWestland Apache
Boeing E-3 Sentry.
Raytheon Sentinel
some other examples
In contrast, France isn't nearly as reliant on USA. Why did ...
