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Commonwealth of Nations

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Commonwealth of Nations
Flag
Characteristics
Headquarters Bristol, Great Britain (executive and legislative)
New Delhi, India (judicial capital, from 1951)
Type Intergovernmental supranational union
Historical era Established - 1939
Dissolved and superseded by the United Commonwealth - 1968
Currency Commonwealth pound

The Commonwealth of Nations (Commonwealth) was a mid-20th century human political and economic union of Great Britain and several former British colonies that were located on Earth in the Sol System. It was initially formed to manage a single market and currency union among its member states.

The Commonwealth of Nations was dissolved in 1968, when it was merged with the European Union to create a new supranational intergovernmental union called the United Commonwealth.

History[]

Throughout most of the 19th and early 20th centuries, the United Kingdom was the world's leading political and military power and possessed a worldwide empire that at its height was the second-largest in human history, only exceeded in territorial size by the Mongol empire. However, the Great War (1914-16), and particularly the exchange of orbital kinetic bombardment weapons that ended the conflict, left much of the European continent devastated. Britain lost several of its largest cities, including London, and had several million civilian and military deaths. The near-collapse of the British government and royal family and the immense losses in economic activity caused by the war were factors exploited by independence movements in British territories and colonies. Within only a few years, Ireland and India had successfully broken away from the United Kingdom. The defeat of British forces in the Indian War of Independence in 1927 is generally accepted to mark the end of the once-vast British Empire.

Although the British royal family and political system survived the war, the nation's economic recovery was slow, taking several decades to return to pre-war levels of economic productivity. During the 1930s, the major nations of continental Europe were in negotiations that would eventually result in the formation of the European Union. Despite new optimism that a long-term peace could be maintained in Europe due to improved relations with Germany, British political wisdom at the time was for the country to disengage economically and politically from Europe in order to prevent a need for British involvement in a future European war. Britain therefore decided to prioritise the rebuilding of its economy on the basis of trade with its dominions and former colonies, such as Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

The Commonwealth of Nations was formed in 1939 by Great Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The 1939 Statute of Westminster removed the ability of the Parliament of Great Britain to pass legislation in these countries. All member states of the Commonwealth were declared to be "free and equal" as a result of the London Declaration the same year. In return, the member states of the Commonwealth became part of a monetary union using a single currency (the Commonwealth pound) and an internal common market with a standardised system of laws applying in all of its member states. The Commonwealth of Nations became a model for future supranational organisations, such as the European Union and the Organisation of African Unity.

British diplomatic power and the legitimacy of the Commonwealth received a major boost in 1951 when India joined the union. India was one of the largest economies in the world at the time, and its admission into the Commonwealth created one of the largest global free trade zones. Ireland also joined the Commonwealth in 1955, joining the Commonwealth over the European Union.

During the early 1950s, negotiations began between the European Union and Commonwealth of Nations officials about a prospective merging of the two intergovernmental organisations. By the 1950s British policy toward Europe had shifted again, and Great Britain wanted to once again engage economically and politically with Europe. The British government received the support of India, the largest and most powerful Commonwealth of Nations member, to initiate negotiations. The merging of the Commonwealth of Nations and the European Union would create a large global free trade zone that would give the new organisation huge bargaining power in trade negotiations, and a large combined military force that would serve to protect member nations from the powerful Soviet Union. In 1968 the political and economic structures of the European Union and the Commonwealth of Nations were merged to form the United Commonwealth. The United Commonwealth federalised its government in 1988 in response to the start of the Allied-Cramori War, becoming the premier human political and economic power until the Human Federation was established in the 22nd century.

Government, law and economy[]

The treaties establishing the Commonwealth of Nations created an internal single market between Commonwealth member nations. A monetary union was also established upon the Commonwealth's foundation in 1939, leading to the replacement of all national currencies with the Commonwealth pound.

Commonwealth policies were passed by the Commonwealth Parliament in Bristol, which had members elected by the citizens of member states, who also elected their national parliaments. The laws passed by the Commonwealth Parliament aimed to ensure the free movement of people, goods, services and capital within the internal market.

The Commonwealth Secretariat acted both as the Commonwealth's executive arm, responsible for the day-to-day running of the Commonwealth, and also the legislative initiator, with the sole power to propose laws for debate. One Commonwealth Secretary was also elected by voters in each Commonwealth member state during Commonwealth elections. A single Commonwealth Secretary was selected to be the Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Nations.

The Commonwealth of Nations also had a Supreme Court to adjudicate disputes between member nations, and member nations and the Commonwealth itself. As a condition for India's admission into the Commonwealth of Nations, the Commonwealth Supreme Court was moved from the Commonwealth capital of Bristol to India's capital of New Delhi.

The Commonwealth of Nations was never as closely integrated as the later European Union. For example, member nations maintained separate military forces and separate policies on defence. However, as part of the membership of the organisation, all Commonwealth member nations pledged to defend each other in the event of external aggression. The military forces of Commonwealth member states also regularly conducted military exercises. The succeeding United Commonwealth, although its governmental structure was heavily derived from that of the Commonwealth of Nations, was far more integrated from its inception in 1968.

Member states[]

The members of the Commonwealth of Nations, between the organisation's formation in 1939 and its replacement by the United Commonwealth in 1968, included the following nations:

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