In 1926, the General Strike paralyses Britain after the coal industry freezes to a standstill over pay disputes, although civil unrest has been building since the end of the Great War. As various professions called strikes, socialist agitators took to the streets of London and a huge crowd gathered on the streets of the city. After two days of protests the army and police were ordered to disperse the crowd, they refused and joined the rioters.
Crowds of soldiers and protesters occupied the Houses of Parliament, major intersections, the BBC and other strategic points around the city, the government and the Royal Family were arrested and the Democratic Republic of Britain, with Harry Pollitt as President of the republic was proclaimed. The new ruling Socialist Party promised independence to all Britain's colonies within 20 years. This caused declarations of independence by anti-communist colonial authorities in Rhodesia, Burma, Belize and Kenya, these countries maintained loyalty to deposed George V, but these breakaway states would be overthrown or re-conquered by USSSWA forces by 1938 (with the exception of Rhodesia, which would last until 1978).
In Britain the aristocracy had begun a mass exodus to the colonies and to Europe, while the Royal Family was imprisoned on the Isle of Wight. The successful revolution in Britain inspired Socialists in the rest of Europe. Later that year The Second French Revolution took place, when French Communists took over Paris and other French cities, while in Ireland a similar uprising happened.
Later that year, the Socialist Republics of Britain, Ireland and France united into the USSSWA - United Soviet Socialist States of Western Europe, Harry Pollitt became president of the new state. To counter the threat, Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg united into the temporary Benelux Confederation, which was promptly invaded by Soviet forces and quickly overrun, becoming the Benelux SSR, part of the Union. The same fate awaited Andorra and Monaco.
In 1927, former King George and his wife Queen Mary and their children were shot in Carrisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight, while the deposed ruling families of Belgium, Holland & Luxembourg were wiped out while imprisoned on the Dutch island of Texel.
In 1932 Iceland was invaded and made into the Iceland SSR during a war with Denmark and in 1934 Switzerland was absorbed. From 1948 onwards a Cold War ensued between the Russian Empire and the USSSWA. By 1950 the USSSWA had made a transition to Socialist Democracy and the elections held every four years were genuinely fair. Throughout the Cold War the USSSWA made alliances with various Socialist governments in developing countries throughout the world.