There were strikes, civil discontent, riots, extremism amongst unions. Large Unemployment during the early years.
If there was no Falkands, what would happen?
Was a civil war possible?
There already was a civil war in Northern Ireland at the time.
Mainland Britain.
No. Partly because Thatcher took on each union (miners, printworkers, dockers …) individually, partly because the unions were led by a bunch of communist complete idiots (IMO), partly because most people didn’t give a toss at best as to why the individual unions were striking, and partly because Thatcher had a lot of support left over from the Falklands War.
The Soviet Union regularly supported British unions; Scargill lost a lot of support by ignoring valid ballots, started a strike when there were massive reserves, got caught soliciting money from Libya (then seen as a Soviet proxy), and got served a warrant on live TV; the printworkers simply refused to accept new technology and Maxwell and Murdoch brushed them aside.
I forget how Thatcher dealt with the unemployment issue.
There were race riots, but they were dealt with in the long term peacably.
I said this.
If you’re proposing that a widespread civil war was possible, where do you suggest the fault lines may have been? What exactly was an issue so divisive as to have a large part of the population ready to fight their neighbours for it?
The 80s in GB need to be seen in the context of the 70s. In those years there had been miners’ strikes, power cuts and all sorts of strikes from a variety of other workers. This happened under both Conservative and Labour governments. In the winter of 1978-79 (I remember it well - I had just gone up to university), the government of Jim Callaghan was rendered virtually powerless during the Winter of Discontent. I have still vivid memories of rubbish piled up on the streets.
To answer the question. Civil War in Britain in the 80s was about as likely as China granting Taiwan independence would be today. Civil War in Britain in the 70s, though slightly more plausible, was about as likely as China granting independence to Tibet would be today.
Sorry, I should have been clearer. Thatcher’s early victories over the unions would not have been hampered if there had been no Falklands War. She was simply too strong-willed. Winning the Falklands War certainly helped, but it wasn’t critical; having the right people around like Ian MacGregor, Geoffrey Howe, and William Whitelaw was critical, as was dividing her enemies, and choosing when to fight.
Roger Thornhill makes good points about the 70s. I can just about remember the power cuts of the early 70s and I certainly remember the Winter of Discontent.
I talked with a lot of UK folks regarding that time frame, most of them are under the impression that there was a low scale civil war happening , under the aegis of the poll tax.
Most of the conversations tended to be on the extreme side , and yet …
Declan
The only way a semblance of a civil war could have happened is if Thatcher used the armed forces against the union workers. Which she wouldn’t ever have done - however strongly you feel about ‘breaking’ the unions you wouldn’t support British troops massacring ordinary British people on the streets. Had she used the armed forces she would be out of her job within days.
The last time i think a civil war was possible in the UK was around 1810 - 1820. Many figures at the time were very seriously worried that something like the French revolution could happen in this country.
Where in the UK you lived would also play a large part in your perceptoin of the times.
I can see that if you lived in the Yorkshire coalfields then you might feel that something major was occuring, but to us down in Hampshire all we saw was our boys in blue slapping about some bolshie proles.
Also you have to remember that Britain in the 70s was truly shit place to be. The unions were the de facto governement (beer and sandwiches etc) and they weren’t doing a particularly good job of it - rubbish was piled high in the streets the power kept getting cut off and we couldn’t even bury our dead.
As such a LOT of people were pleased to see the likes of Scargill, Gormley et al put down.
Glad to see you broadened your horizons, owl, with the occasional cheap-day return to Basingstoke.
So if I were to stretch reality out a bit, the only possibility of civil war in modern times would of been in the 70s?
Why was the unions in such effective control? How did this happen?
Let’s not dwell on the past. What do you think are the prospects for a civil war in Britain in the near future? And how should we place our bets? 
Well I made the thread to gain some background info for a scenario I’m making for civ II. But anyway, civil war in the UK could come from the declaration of independence of Scotland and Wales, or ethnic strife in northern cities. But this would have to come with some pretty bad economic situations.
Dumb American here. Where would the weapons come from? Would you be figuring that factions of the military would realign so easily?
I mean, you guys do have pretty syringent gun control, right?
If the Q betrays an ignorance on my part, please clarify for me. Thanks.
7th Y should be a T.
Soviet supplies, Eastern bloc etc. Either that or massive civil disobedience.
I far as I remember before the Falklands war the Tories where doing very very badly indeed.
If that war hadn’t happened I think there is a strong chance we would have seen the Labour party back in power in 1983.
God knows what the result of a Foot/Healey goverment would have been but I’m pretty sure it would never have been civil war.
With their track record on governance?