Ronald Cartland Historical Figure Nationality: United Kingdom Date of Birth: 1907 Date of Death: 1940 Cause of Death: Shot in battle Occupation: Politician, Soldier Affiliations: Conservative Party 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: Direct

John Ronald Hamilton Cartland (1907—1940) was a British Conservative Party politician. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for King's Norton in Birmingham from 1935 until he was killed in action in 1940, aged 33.

During his tenure, Cartland was a sharp critic of first Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin's domestic economic policies and then Neville Chamberlain's policy of appeasement of Germany and Italy.

Concurrently, Cartland served in the British Army. By 1940, he had attained the rank of major. He was shot and killed during the retreat from Dunkirk, although his family did not learn his fate until the following year.

His elder sister was the British author Barbara Cartland (1901-2000).

Ronald Cartland in The War That Came EarlyEdit

MP Ronald Cartland was a supporter of War Minister Winston Churchill and opposed the Chamberlain government's talks with Rudolf Hess to enter into an alliance with Germany in 1940. After Churchill was killed in an accident,^[1] the alliance was successfully concluded, and Britain and France joined Germany in its war against the Soviet Union. Disillusioned, Cartland left the army,^[2] and formed a small group of MPs who opposed Chamberlain, including Anthony Eden, Harold Macmillan, and Viscount Cranborne, among others. This group was soon joined by Sgt. Alistair Walsh, the man who'd taken Rudolf Hess into custody.^[3]

In the fall of 1940, Chamberlain was succeeded by Horace Wilson, who began a program of spying on his potential enemies. Cartland's colleagues soon grew alarmed by this, and as 1940 passed into 1941, Cartland and Walsh were openly considering whether or not a coup would be necessary.^[4]

To this end, Walsh spoke to General Archibald Wavell in the early months of 1941 about possible military intervention in the government.^[5] Wavell was non-commital at this point, a fact that disgusted Cartland, although Walsh was quick to point out Wavell had not turned Walsh in.^[6] Wilson soon went too far, however, arresting political enemies, including Walsh.^[7] The military acted, arresting Wilson and his Cabinet.^[8] Cartland became part of the new government, as an army captain, rather than an MP.^[9]

Cartland used his position to send Walsh to Egypt in the Fall of 1941, where British troops, unable to fight Germany on the continent, instead engaged Italian forces from Libya.^[10]

NotesEdit

1. ↑ The Big Switch, pg. 212.
2. ↑ Ibid., pg 341.
3. ↑ Ibid., pg. 342.
4. ↑ Ibid., pgs. 410-11.
5. ↑ Coup d'Etat, pgs. 91-94, HC.
6. ↑ Ibid., pg. 94.
7. ↑ Ibid., pg. 134.
8. ↑ Ibid., pgs. 153-154.
9. ↑ Ibid., pg. 188.
10. ↑ Ibid., pgs. 309-312.

Political offices (OTL)
Preceded by Lionel Beaumont Thomas	Member of Parliament for Birmingham King's Norton 1935 – 1940	Succeeded by Basil Arthur John Peto

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