Thought it through and this is how the Imperial decision on entering the war goes
Sept 1 (war -10): Emergency Imperial Conference called in London.
Sept 3 (war -7): Dominion delegations leave for conference.
Sept 5 (war -5): Canadian delegation arrives in London, talks between Britain and Canada begin.
Sept 7 (war -3): South African delegation arrives in London, begins lobbying for neutrality.
Sept 11 (war +1): War breaks out, small numbers of German forces immediately enter Belgium to seize strategic points.
Sept 12 (war +2) Three French armies begin entering Belgium without any Belgium appeal for help.
Sept 13 (war +3): Full scale German invasion of Belgium begins, Belgium appeals for help.
Sept 14 (war +4): French launch a large offensive in Alsace-Lorraine.
Sept 15 (war +6): French offensive in Alsace-Lorraine suffers huge casualties in poorly coordinated frontal assaults.
Sept 16 ( war +7): German forces in Belgium suffer serious defeat in Belgium against French Guard Army, German advance continues but is temporarily slowed.
Sept 21 (war +10): Australian delegation arrives in London.
Sept 23 (war +12): Fijian and New Zealand delegations arrive in London.
Sept 24 (war +13): London Emergency Imperial Conference opens, French offensive in Alsace-Lorraine halt after suffering massive casualties, French and Belgians still falling back in Belgium.
Sept 26 (war +15): Vote held on entering the war results in deadlock (7 required for a vote for war = Australia 6, Britian 6, Canada 4, Chile 7, Fiji 11, Newfoundland 8, New Zealand 10, South Africa 3), Germans still advancing rapidly in Belgium but there advance is beginning to slow.
Sept 27 (war +16): Discussions begin in London on resolving the deadlock.
Sept 28 (war +17): Large scale French reinforcements begin arriving in Belgium.
Sept 30 (war +19): Compromise decision on the deadlock in London is maintain status quo with a second vote in one week.
Aug 4 (war +23): German advance in Belgium begins to lose momentum, though their advance is still significant.
Aug 5 (war +25): British government falls, current delegation retained but significant additional input from the opposition.
Aug 7 (war +26): Second vote held in London again results in deadlock (7 required for a vote for war = Australia 5, Britian 6, Canada 5, Chile 7, Fiji 11, Newfoundland 7, New Zealand 11, South Africa 3), talks begin on resolving the second deadlock.
Aug 10 (war +29): Decision reached in London to hold another Emergency Imperial Conference in London to attempt to resolve the deadlock in three months.
Aug 13 (war +31): Australian government falls.
This means any Imperial decision on entering the war will not be made until at least mid November. By then the Schlieffan Plan will have failed and the war bogged down into attritional trench warfare. Plus large scale war orders should be starting to flow into the Empire from both sides. It is very likely anti war sentiment will have increased.
This will also establish a constitutional precedent for resolving deadlocks. A second vote in a week. If that deadlocks again another Imperial Conference in three months. Though what exactly happens if that conference also deadlocks is something everyone has very definitely put in the way too hard basket, with any resolution to be decided by the now well established Imperial policy of putting it off to that wonderfully undefined "some time later" lol.
I actually have rolled for if the second conference leads to a vote for war or not. The results are (9 required for a vote for war = Australia 10, Britian 5, Canada 6, Chile 7, Fiji 12, Newfoundland 8, New Zealand 11, South Africa 3), five to three for staying out, with only the Pacific Dominions voting for entering the war, though they do seem really keen on it. However this is very much a provisional result and may quite easily change. In fact after the earlier double deadlock I would suspect a compromise decision to be reach without a vote. However it looks very likely the Empire will be sitting this one out, at least initially
Sept 1 (war -10): Emergency Imperial Conference called in London.
Sept 3 (war -7): Dominion delegations leave for conference.
Sept 5 (war -5): Canadian delegation arrives in London, talks between Britain and Canada begin.
Sept 7 (war -3): South African delegation arrives in London, begins lobbying for neutrality.
Sept 11 (war +1): War breaks out, small numbers of German forces immediately enter Belgium to seize strategic points.
Sept 12 (war +2) Three French armies begin entering Belgium without any Belgium appeal for help.
Sept 13 (war +3): Full scale German invasion of Belgium begins, Belgium appeals for help.
Sept 14 (war +4): French launch a large offensive in Alsace-Lorraine.
Sept 15 (war +6): French offensive in Alsace-Lorraine suffers huge casualties in poorly coordinated frontal assaults.
Sept 16 ( war +7): German forces in Belgium suffer serious defeat in Belgium against French Guard Army, German advance continues but is temporarily slowed.
Sept 21 (war +10): Australian delegation arrives in London.
Sept 23 (war +12): Fijian and New Zealand delegations arrive in London.
Sept 24 (war +13): London Emergency Imperial Conference opens, French offensive in Alsace-Lorraine halt after suffering massive casualties, French and Belgians still falling back in Belgium.
Sept 26 (war +15): Vote held on entering the war results in deadlock (7 required for a vote for war = Australia 6, Britian 6, Canada 4, Chile 7, Fiji 11, Newfoundland 8, New Zealand 10, South Africa 3), Germans still advancing rapidly in Belgium but there advance is beginning to slow.
Sept 27 (war +16): Discussions begin in London on resolving the deadlock.
Sept 28 (war +17): Large scale French reinforcements begin arriving in Belgium.
Sept 30 (war +19): Compromise decision on the deadlock in London is maintain status quo with a second vote in one week.
Aug 4 (war +23): German advance in Belgium begins to lose momentum, though their advance is still significant.
Aug 5 (war +25): British government falls, current delegation retained but significant additional input from the opposition.
Aug 7 (war +26): Second vote held in London again results in deadlock (7 required for a vote for war = Australia 5, Britian 6, Canada 5, Chile 7, Fiji 11, Newfoundland 7, New Zealand 11, South Africa 3), talks begin on resolving the second deadlock.
Aug 10 (war +29): Decision reached in London to hold another Emergency Imperial Conference in London to attempt to resolve the deadlock in three months.
Aug 13 (war +31): Australian government falls.
This means any Imperial decision on entering the war will not be made until at least mid November. By then the Schlieffan Plan will have failed and the war bogged down into attritional trench warfare. Plus large scale war orders should be starting to flow into the Empire from both sides. It is very likely anti war sentiment will have increased.
This will also establish a constitutional precedent for resolving deadlocks. A second vote in a week. If that deadlocks again another Imperial Conference in three months. Though what exactly happens if that conference also deadlocks is something everyone has very definitely put in the way too hard basket, with any resolution to be decided by the now well established Imperial policy of putting it off to that wonderfully undefined "some time later" lol.
I actually have rolled for if the second conference leads to a vote for war or not. The results are (9 required for a vote for war = Australia 10, Britian 5, Canada 6, Chile 7, Fiji 12, Newfoundland 8, New Zealand 11, South Africa 3), five to three for staying out, with only the Pacific Dominions voting for entering the war, though they do seem really keen on it. However this is very much a provisional result and may quite easily change. In fact after the earlier double deadlock I would suspect a compromise decision to be reach without a vote. However it looks very likely the Empire will be sitting this one out, at least initially
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