Omar Bennett
World War II, a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, saw the involvement of many nations, some of which were constitutional monarchies. A constitutional monarchy is a form of government where the monarch's powers are limited by a constitution, and they rule alongside an elected body. The oldest constitutional monarchy was that of the Hittites, an ancient Anatolian people, but several countries had constitutional monarchies during WWII, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, all of which shared the same monarch, King George VI, and had their own unique constitutional frameworks. Other countries, like Pakistan, briefly experienced constitutional monarchy in the years immediately before or after the war.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Countries with constitutional monarchy during WW2 | Pahlavi Iran, Italy, Kingdom of Laos, Malta, Pakistan, United Kingdom, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Andorra, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Thailand, Japan, Bhutan, Cambodia, Tonga, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain |
| Countries with constitutional monarchy before becoming a republic | Germany, France, Poland-Lithuania |
| Oldest constitutional monarchy | Hittites |
| Number of constitutional monarchies under King Charles III | 15 |
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What You'll Learn
- The UK and 14 other countries are constitutional monarchies with King Charles III as their monarch
- Pahlavi Iran was a constitutional monarchy until 1946
- Pakistan was a constitutional monarchy from 1947 to 1956
- Japan is a constitutional monarchy
- Germany was a constitutional monarchy before becoming a republic
The UK and 14 other countries are constitutional monarchies with King Charles III as their monarch
The United Kingdom and 14 other countries are constitutional monarchies with King Charles III as their monarch. These countries are known as Commonwealth realms, which evolved from the British Empire into fully independent states within the Commonwealth of Nations. Each country is sovereign and independent of the others, with the monarch holding a different official national title and style for each realm.
The UK's monarchy is a form of government where a hereditary monarch, currently King Charles III, reigns as the head of state. The monarch's powers are regulated by the British constitution and, while they formally have authority over the government, this power may only be used according to laws enacted in Parliament and within constraints of convention and precedent. In practice, the monarch's role is limited to functions such as bestowing honours and appointing the prime minister.
The 14 other Commonwealth realms with King Charles III as their monarch are:
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Australia
- The Bahamas
- Belize
- Canada
- Grenada
- Jamaica
- New Zealand
- Papua New Guinea
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Solomon Islands
- Tuvalu
These countries are all constitutional monarchies and full democracies, where the King (or his representative) legally possesses vast prerogatives but fulfils a largely ceremonial role.
In addition to the Commonwealth realms, there are several other countries that are constitutional monarchies, although they do not share the same monarch as the UK. These include:
- Andorra
- Belgium
- Denmark
- Luxembourg
- The Netherlands
- Norway
- Spain
- Sweden
- Liechtenstein
- Monaco
- Bhutan
- Cambodia
- Japan
- Thailand
- Lesotho
- Tonga
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Pahlavi Iran was a constitutional monarchy until 1946
During World War II, several countries were constitutional monarchies, where the monarch exercises their authority in accordance with a constitution and is not the sole decision-maker. One such country was Pahlavi Iran, which was a constitutional monarchy until 1946.
Pahlavi Iran, officially known as the Imperial State of Persia until 1935, was a constitutional monarchy under Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi. The Pahlavi dynasty was established in 1925 through a coup d'état that overthrew the Qajar dynasty. The new dynasty was founded by Reza Shah Pahlavi, a non-aristocratic soldier who took the name "Pahlavi" to strengthen his nationalist credentials. The Persian Constitution of 1906, established during the Persian Constitutional Revolution, formed the basis for the country's parliamentary constitutional monarchy. In this system, the Shah served as the head of state, while the prime minister acted as the head of government.
During World War II, Iran played a significant role as a conduit for British and American aid to the Soviet Union. In 1941, Reza Shah abdicated and was replaced by his son, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who continued his father's reform policies. However, a power struggle emerged between the Shah and the nationalist politician Mohammad Mosaddegh, who became prime minister in 1951 and nationalized the British-owned oil industry. This led to the Iran crisis of 1946, a confrontation that ended with oil concessions to the USSR and the withdrawal of Soviet forces from Iran in May of that year.
The Pahlavi dynasty ruled Iran until 1979, when it was overthrown in the Islamic Revolution. The monarchy was replaced by the current Islamic Republic of Iran. The end of the monarchy was precipitated by growing public discontent, which culminated in a popular revolutionary movement led by the religious cleric Ruhollah Khomeini. As a result, Mohammad Reza Shah went into exile with his family in 1979, and the country transitioned to an Islamic Republic.
In summary, Pahlavi Iran was a constitutional monarchy until the mid-1940s, after which it continued as a more autocratic monarchy until the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynasty in 1979. The country's experience during World War II and the subsequent crisis over oil concessions contributed to the political dynamics and eventual end of the monarchy in Iran.
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Pakistan was a constitutional monarchy from 1947 to 1956
The Dominion of Pakistan had two monarchs during this period: King George VI and Queen Elizabeth II. George VI was the sovereign of Pakistan from 1947 until his death in 1952, after which his elder daughter, Princess Elizabeth, became the new monarch. During her coronation in 1953, Elizabeth II was crowned Queen of seven independent Commonwealth countries, including Pakistan.
The governor-general of Pakistan, appointed by the monarch on the advice of the Pakistani government, was responsible for carrying out the duties of the sovereign in the Dominion. Muhammad Ali Jinnah was the first governor-general, appointed by King George VI. The governor-general had the power to summon, prorogue, and dissolve the Federal Legislature, and all Pakistani laws were enacted with their granting of Royal Assent.
The creation of the Dominion of Pakistan and its status as a constitutional monarchy were established by the Indian Independence Act of 1947, which divided British India into two independent sovereign states: India and Pakistan. This Act ensured that the Pakistani monarch was advised solely by Pakistani ministers, and no British government minister could advise the sovereign on matters pertaining to Pakistan.
The constitutional monarchy in Pakistan ended on 23 March 1956 with the adoption of the first Constitution of Pakistan, which established the country as an Islamic republic within the Commonwealth. This transition is commemorated annually on Republic Day, or Pakistan Day.
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Japan is a constitutional monarchy
The role of the emperor in Japan is largely ceremonial. The emperor is the head of the Imperial Family and the ceremonial head of state. The emperor does not hold sovereign power, and the government does not act under his name. Instead, the emperor represents the state and appoints other high officials in the name of the state, in which the Japanese people hold sovereignty. The emperor is defined by the Constitution as "the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people".
Japan's current emperor is Naruhito, who ascended to the throne in 2019. He is the first emperor to be educated outside of Japan, having studied in Britain. The empress, his wife, also has an impressive resume, having studied at Harvard and worked in the Japanese Foreign Ministry before her marriage to the crown prince in 1993.
Japan's modern state was built around a constitutional monarchy, with all modern institutions, including the constitution, parliament, and bureaucracy, built around the emperor. While the Meiji Constitution of 1889 placed all sovereignty in the hands of the emperor, this changed after World War II, when the present Constitution of Japan was adopted, replacing Imperial rule with a Western-style liberal democracy.
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Germany was a constitutional monarchy before becoming a republic
Germany was a constitutional monarchy, also known as a limited monarchy, parliamentary monarchy, or democratic monarchy, from 1871 to 1918. During this period, a hereditary monarch was the sovereign of the German Empire. The monarchy was characterised by a struggle between modernism and traditionalism, with the Kaiser's influence on affairs of state often being contested.
The German monarchy was established during the Franco-Prussian War, with the proclamation of the President of the North German Confederation and the King of Prussia, William I of Prussia, as "German Emperor" on 18 January 1871. The title "German Emperor" was carefully chosen by Otto von Bismarck, the Minister President of Prussia and Chancellor of the North German Confederation, after much discussion. William I accepted the title reluctantly as he would have preferred "Emperor of Germany," which was unacceptable to the federated monarchs as it would have signalled a claim to lands outside of his reign.
Under the German constitutional monarchy, the Kaiser appointed the Imperial Chancellor, who was not dependent on the confidence of a parliamentary majority. However, the Reichstag had to approve the national budget, and in practice, it was challenging to enact any laws without its consent.
In the years leading up to 1918, political parties in Germany transformed themselves into modern organisations, and the Reichstag became a working parliament, playing a key role in establishing a national legal and economic framework as well as laying the foundations for the welfare state. Views differ on whether this extensive legislation made the Kaiser and the Imperial Government heavily dependent on the Reichstag, creating a gradual transition to a parliamentary system of government.
On 28 October 1918, the Empire became a parliamentary monarchy, and on 9 November 1918, Philipp Scheidemann, of the Social Democrats, proclaimed the Republic from the Reichstag building, marking the end of the constitutional monarchy in Germany and the beginning of the Weimar Republic.
While Germany did not have a constitutional monarchy during World War II, it is interesting to speculate what might have happened if it had. Some believe that Nazi indoctrination would have still occurred, but the personality cult surrounding Hitler may have been toned down, and the German flag may not have changed to the Nazi Party flag. The German Emperor Wilhelm II's non-intervention in politics would likely have continued, but once the war started going badly, conspirators may have gathered around the new Emperor to gain legitimacy and replace Hitler.
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Frequently asked questions
A constitutional monarchy is a system of rule in which a king or queen acts as the head of state but their powers are restricted by a constitution.
The United Kingdom, Thailand, and Nepal were constitutional monarchies during World War II. Germany was a constitutional monarchy until the end of World War I, and Italy until 1946.
Some modern constitutional monarchies include the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Spain, Denmark, Canada, and Australia.
In many constitutional monarchies, the role of the monarch has become largely ceremonial, with political power resting in a parliament or other governing body.
