Wikia

Horace Wilson

Historical Figure
Nationality:	Britain
Date of Birth:	1882
Date of Death:	1972
Cause of Death:	Natural Causes
Occupation:	Politician
Turtledove Appearances:

The War That Came Early _{POD: July 20, 1936; Relevant POD: September 29, 1938}
Appearance(s):	The Big Switch through Coup d'Etat
Type of Appearance:	Contemporary references

Southern Victory _{POD: September 10, 1862}
Appearance(s):	In at the Death
Type of Appearance:	Contemporary reference

Sir Horace John Wilson, GCB, GCMG, CBE (1882-1972) was a British government official who had a key role in the appeasement-oriented government of Neville Chamberlain just prior to World War II. Somewhat ironically, Wilson had been sent to meet personally with Adolf Hitler in September, 1938 in advance of the Munich Conference, and affirm Britain's alliance withg France and Czechoslovakia. This position changed in the Chamberlain administration in short order. Wilson subsequently admitted to feeling out of his depth in dealing with Hitler, and has been identified as one of those to blame for the actual appeasement.

Horace Wilson in The War That Came Early

In 1940, a few months after the "big switch" saw the United Kingdom and France join their former enemy Germany against their former ally the Soviet Union, Sir Horace Wilson succeeded Neville Chamberlain as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.^[1]

Wilson followed Chamberlain's tactic of keeping an eye on his opponents, using Scotland Yard officers to follow people.^[2] Nonetheless, a group of politicians, led by Ronald Cartland were able to meet and discuss the less-than-democratic turn the country was taking.^[3] Even so, Wilson survived a non-confidence vote in the closing weeks of 1940.^[4]

However, as 1940 passed into 1941, Wilson's actions grew noticeably more ruthless. He was also more obsequious to the Nazis.^[5] As the year went on, Wilson showed less tolerance of public protests.^[6] More government (including King George VI himself) and military officials grew alarmed, but respect for constitutional principals held them all back from direct action.^[7] Finally, in the Spring of 1941, after a few Wilson opponents (including former soldier Alistair Walsh) were arrested and detained without charges,^[8] the military acted, arresting Wilson and his Cabinet, and freeing political prisoners.^[9]

The new interim government, mindful of its "extraconstitutional" status, did not execute Wilson. He was held in preventive detention, from which he was able to write out endless complaints to friendly newspapers.^[10] In the meantime, the U.K. went back to war with Germany.^[11]

This article is a stub because the work is part of a larger, as-of-yet incomplete series.

Horace Wilson in Southern Victory

In 1944, Sir Horace Wilson led a vote of non-confidence against the government of Winston Churchill following the dropping of three German superbombs on Britain in one day and the failure of the Royal Air Force to respond in kind. Upon the collapse of Churchill's government, Wilson formed a provisional government and immediately sued for peace with Germany.^[12]

References

↑ The Big Switch, pg. 339.
↑ Id., at pg. 342.
↑ Id., pg. 342-344.
↑ Id., pg. 408.
↑ Coup d'Etat, pg. 22, HC.
↑ Ibid., pg. 104.
↑ Ibid., pgs. 91-94.
↑ See, e.g., pg 134.
↑ Ibid., pgs. 151-152.
↑ Ibid., pgs. 187-188.
↑ Ibid., pg. 187.
↑ In at the Death, pgs. 363-68.

Political offices (OTL)
Preceded by Sir Warren Fisher	Head of the Home Civil Service 1939 - 1942	Succeeded by Edward Bridges, 1st Baron Bridges
Political offices (The War That Came Early)
Preceded by Neville Chamberlain	Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 1940-1941	Succeeded by Interim Military Government
Political offices (Southern Victory)
Preceded by Winston Churchill	Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 1944-19??	Succeeded by Incumbent as of the End of the Series