Map Thread XXII
- Thread starter Balkanized U.S.A
- Start date
1930 in the Schlieffenless world
TLDR: Germany focuses fighting Russia during WWI, but Russia is able to hold on anyways, ultimately resulting in a more thorough defeat of the Central Powers and a more stable post-war order
Same outbreak of war. Initial combatants are Germany and Austria vs Serbia and Montenegro, Russia, and France.
Main visible POD is no Schlieffen Plan, instead the French border is fortified by Germany and the focus is put on Russia. First Central Powers attacks go pretty well with Serbia and Russia being put seriously on the back foot. About twice as much Russian territory is occupied by Germany by the fall of 1915, including all of Poland and reaching far enough to threaten both Petrograd and Kiev. Harvests from these regions in the summer of 1915 and 1916 keep Germany and Austria much better fed then OTL. Some small revolts are inspired amongst the Finns in the north. Serbia is forced out of some northern areas and Belgrade is put under siege though the government relocates south and keeps fighting hard, but most of Montenegro falls which isolates them.
Russia is slow to mobilize and has been caught in a bad situation but digs in for a long war. Mobilizing and training millions of new soldiers while simultaneously building a war economy and importing goods through the new port of Murmansk while buying time with tactical retreats to the best defensive positions, essentially trading land for time. A few clever but brutal police sweeps justified by martial law during the war clear out (and execute) most communist agitators along with some leading nationalist separatists and other troublemakers like Rasputin.
Without the Schlieffen plan the western front is much quieter throughout 1914. A sort of WW1 “phony war” happens where well built German static defences in Alsace-Lorraine easily repulse some light French attacks and then northing of consequence happens for a while.
Tensions slowly rise between Britain and Germany. The initially divided British government gradually unites in support for joining the war in support of France despite Germany being desperate to keep them neutral, at one point going as far as to offer the colonies of Samoa, Nauru, North Paupa and Southwest Africa in exchange for friendly neutrality and the guaranteed sale certain goods.
Irish home rule never passes in 1914 TTL and that issue doesn’t break out for a while longer, and successful MI6 operation prevents the Easter rising in 1916.
In the colonies Germany takes some ground in Equatorial Africa and severs the link between French Congo Ubangi-Chari + Chad, France takes German Samoa in the Pacific.
In the spring of 1915 Britain and her empire declares war against Germany and Austro-Hungary, which provokes the Ottoman Empire to join the Central Powers. In the summer Italy turns on Austria, followed in the fall by a joint declaration for the allies by Bulgaria and Romania, who are essentially bribed by territories from their new allies (Bessarabia and Southern Vader Macedonia, respectively) as well as being promised lands from their enemies after conquering them.
With British entry into the war they quickly move to conquer Germany’s global empire and cut them off from the rest of the world. After a few decisive naval battles a blockade is establish that never gets successfully challenged for the rest of the war. Britain starts building up the expeditionary force in France for a fall offensive and launches the Gallipoli invasion together with a Russian naval assault on Constantinople from the Black Sea that summer in and also conjunction with the Romanian and Bulgarian entry into the war and a Bulgarian invasion of Eastern Thrace. It goes much better then OTL and by the fall the Straights are opened, with the European side entirely under Allied control.
China declares war on Germany and attacks German soldiers in China but doesn’t fight abroad.
Italy does poorly against Austria at first as in OTL and their offensive is unable to break through the Alps. They have some naval success in the Adriatic and capture a few ports, but at great cost.
In the spring of 1916 Greece and Portugal join the Allies, with the Greeks landing on the shores of Western Anatolia. Portugal doesn’t do much on its own but contributes to the western front.
Romania makes moderate gains in Transylvania before getting bogged down while Serbia this year with Bulgarian assistance lifts the siege of Belgrade, liberates Montenegro, and starts taking large areas of Bosnia and Croatia.
By the fall of 1916 the German offensive in Russia has ground to a halt. France after two years of bloody failure launches a major offensive into the Rhineland which finally breaks through the German border defences and starts taking ground. Germany counterattacks through Belgium and forces a partial allied withdrawal to avoid being cut off. Belgium and parts of northern France reaching to the channel are overrun before winter sets in and the armies get bogged down in mud and trench warfare.
In the winter of 1916-1917 Russia launches a major wave of counterattacks and retakes about 2/3 of the territory Germany had occupied the previous year. The Russian Tzar elevates Armenia and Poland to Grand Duchy status like Finland, and expands the territories of all three along with establishing separate parliaments and militaries to rally these people to the cause.
British advances in Arabia from Egypt and Kuwait against the Ottomans proceed faster than OTL while the Russian counterattack in Armenia sees great success. The Balfour declaration is not issued TTL.
The summer of 1917 deals several critical blows to the Central Powers:
The Ottoman Empire has by July lost control over all territories outside central Anatolia and sues for peace. They surrender and are placed under temporary occupation until the end of the war when the new borders will be established.
Austro-Hungary begins to collapse as Romania continues to advance in Transylvania, Serbian and and Bulgarian armies conquer all of Bosnia and parts of Hungary and Croatia. Eventually they link up with Italian forces who have been slowly advancing on the coast and cut off Austro-Hungary from access to he ocean entirely (they had already been blockaded in the Adriatic since Italian entry into the war). In the northeast Russia is advancing quickly through Galacia and after their first crossings of the Carpathian Mountains they Hungarian parliament begins to revolt and seek a separate peace. In the chaos they are mostly ignored by Allied armies who keep advancing.
Germany fares no better. In the spring Russia retakes Warsaw and keeps moving west, with devisions along the coast soon after crossing into Prussia. From the west the Allied spring offensive finally crosses the Rhine into Westphalia and Hesse and in the summer in combination with a long planned naval invasion and assistance from Denmark who joins the war overrun most of Hanover and Schleswig-Holstein.
In the summer of 1917 with the second Mexican-American war all but over America also finally joins the Allies and declares war on Germany and Austro-Hungary. Several other countries in the Americas follow in it’s wake but none contribute significantly to the fighting.
In September of 1917, with the Russians in Posen and the Entente in Saxony converging towards Berlin from both directions Germany asks for peace. The very next day Austria does the same. The war ends more than a full year before OTL and Germany is unambiguously defeated on the battlefield, not the home front.
Symbolically, it is decided to host the peace conference where the war began in Sarajevo, now part of Serbia.
Representatives of all combatant nations are invited as well as major neutrals (though they are mostly ignored when terms are drawn up).
The defeated central powers representation consists of: Germany (representatives from all major states are invited) Bavaria, Austria, Hungary, Czechia, Turkey, Kurdistan, and Arab representatives for Syria, Mesopotamia, Hejaz, Yemen,
The Allies are (by order of declaration of war): Serbia, Russia (including representatives for the autonomous Grand Duchies of Finland, Poland, and Armenia), France, Britain (including representatives for the Dominions and Egypt), Italy, Romania/Bulgaria, China, Greece, Portugal, Belgium/Luxemburg, Denmark, USA (also representing Panama, Cuba, Haiti, Liberia, and Nicaragua), and Brazil
Invited major neutrals include Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Norway, Persia, Thailand, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Columbia, and Japan.
Of course just because over 50 Nations were represented in Sarajevo doesn’t mean they all got treated the same.
In practice the victorious triumvirate of Britain, France and Russia wielded most of the power. Italy and the new Balkan League of Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, and Greece both got significant consideration while on the other side the representatives of the defeated nations were heard out in their protests, and then generally had terms dictated to them. Countries that contributed little to the war effort like China or America sent small delegations and were given little consideration
Results of the war
Over a dozen significant international treaties were signed as part of the Sarajevo conference. Most important was the instrument of general peace signed by all belligerents, which declared the war a global tragedy caused by failures of diplomacy on all sides without assigning blame. The general instrument declared a common sorrow and a vow never to repeat bloodshed at such scale before reestablishing peaceful relations on all sides. As all three Empires of the Central Powers were vanquished and destroyed it was decided there would be no monetary reparations extracted.
Germany:
Rhineland:
Bavaria:
Austria:
Hungary:
Czechia:
Former Ottoman Empire:
Albania:
- Lost all colonies except Kamerun which was vastly reduced in size
- Samoa to France
- New Guinea, Nauru, and the Caroline Islands to Australia
- The Marianna and Marshall Islands to America
- The concessions and occupations zones in China returned to China
- East Africa and Togoland to Britain
- Southwest Africa mostly to the cape province of South Africa with part off the north to Portugal (Angola), and narrow strips to the British protectorates of Botswana and Barotseland
- Provinces of Posen, East and West Prussia, and Upper Silesia are annexed to the Grand Duchy of Poland (Russia)
- Most of Schleswig to Denmark
- Alsace–Lorraine to France
- Independence of the Rhineland (the pre-war province and all land west of the the Rhine river)
- An Independent Kingdom of Bavaria (including the states of Baden and Württemberg and some other nearby regions)
- The lone territorial acquisition of Germany was the Sudetenland from her erstwhile ally Austria
- Abdication of the Kaiser and abolition of the monarchy in Germany and the Rhineland
- Unification with Rhineland or Bavaria prohibited for 50 years
- German Federal Republic created consisting of the states of Westphalia, Hanover, Holstein, Saxony, Brandenburg, Pomerania, and Silesia
- Significant state autonomy and democracy enshrined in the new constitution
- A “gentle” Allied occupation of the entire nation is accepted until 1920
- Moderate military limitations
Rhineland:
- Created as an independent republic
- French occupation for up to 10 years
- Prohibited from rejoining Germany for 50 years
- Strict limitations make the country almost demilitarized
Bavaria:
- Regains independence as a kingdom
- Includes Baden and Württemberg
- Prohibited from rejoining Germany for 50 years
- Light Allied occupation of some areas until 1920
- Moderate military limitations
Austria:
- Consists of Rump Cisleithania having lost almost everything outside “Austria proper”
- Loses Galicia to Russia / Grand Dutch of Poland
- Bukovina to Romania
- Southern Tyrol, the Littoral, Carniola, and parts of Croatia and Dalmatia to Italy
- Independence of Czechia
- Sudetenland to the German Federal Republic
- Abolishment of the Monarchy and creation of a republic
- Light Allied occupation of some areas until 1920
- Moderate military limitations
Hungary:
- Consists of Rump Transleithania
- Loses Transylvania to Romania
- Vojvodina, Bosnia, and parts of Croatia and Dalmatia to Serbia
- Allied occupation of the entire nation is accepted until 1920
- Significant military limitations for 20 years
Czechia:
- Gains independence from Austro-Hungary
- Consists only of ethnically Czech regions of Bohemia-Moravia
Former Ottoman Empire:
- Turkey consists only of western Anatolia
- Ionia to Greece
- Eastern Thrace to Bulgaria
- Gallipoli to Britain as a sort of Eastern Mediterranean Gibraltar
- Tsargrad to Russia (both sides of the Bosphorus)
- Northeast Anatolia to Grand Duchy of Armenia (Russia)
- Southeast Anatolia to Kurdistan
- Syria to France as a protectorate
- Palestine and Jordan to the British protectorate of Egypt
- Mesopotamia created as a British protectorate
- Hashemite kingdom of Hejaz is a British client state
- Expansion of Yemen
- Entire gulf coast attached to British trucial states
Albania:
- The young country had fallen into anarchy during the war and been occupied by its neighbours
- North Epirus to Greece
- Northern and Interior regions to Serbia
- Basically cut down to what was originally proposed by France and Russia during the Balkan war
- An Italian protectorate is established over what’s left
Outside of Europe Iran lost some northern regions to Russia and Kurdistan, and some southern regions to the British protectorates of Mesopotamia and Baluchistan. The Anglo-Russian occupying forces pledged to withdraw from the rest of the country within a year. At the same time Afghanistan was acknowledged to in the British sphere of influence, East Turkestan and Mongolia were in the Russian sphere while Tibet was neutral.
A subsequent treaty between China and most foreign powers fixed these new borders and recognized the independence of Tibet, Mongolia, and East Turkistan by all along with the French protectorate over Hainan. In exchange all foreign forces withdrawn from inland China and most interior leased territories were returned, while the coastal leases were maintained. Equitable commercial terms were also set for conduct of trade.
In southwestern Europe the vision of the Balkan League is achieved. Following the war a sort of shared diplomatic capital for the league is established in Veles, Bulgaria. The 4 nations declare “A union of 4 equals, founded on mutual respect and the orthodox faith.”. The capital is placed in the region of Macedonia which is a crossroads of Bulgarians, Serbs, Greeks, and Aromanians. The union includes open borders, free trade, support for each others territorial integrity, an ironclad military alliance, and diplomatic unity against the Turks, Italians, and Russians.
This union significantly improves conditions for the ethnic people of the four nations living outside their home country but makes things worse for the Muslim Turks, Bosniaks, and Albanians who face pressure to assimilate or emigrate. Indeed all four countries gained significant minority populations of other nationalities in their newly gained territories. Thrace and Ionia in particular see brutality and deportations of many ethnic Turks during the war in revenge for the same being done to Greeks in Anatolia. There are no official population transfers after the war however, in accordance with the global council rules of conduct.
In Russia the Tsarist regime had been shaken by the war but emerged stronger than before. The Grand duchies were elevated to almost independent countries in personal union with the exception of open borders to Russia. The acquisition of Tsargrad was a particular point of pride and a propaganda coup, though the blood that flowed in the city streets during the expulsion of Muslims tainted that imagine in international eyes. Russia remains on a dangerous trajectory but a victorious war has indeed boosted national unity and strengthened the regime, at least temporarily.
The United States had spent most of the Great War distracted by its own fighting in Mexico. Eventually though the third Rosevelt administration entered into the fight (some say rather cynically to get a seat at the peace table). While an important financier to the Allies the combat was minimal and America is not truly woken from her slumber the way she was OTL. In Mexico the war escalates quickly and takes an American occupation of much of Mexico to end it. The peace includes the annexation of Baja California and Sonora territories to America along with the independence of the Yucatan and Chiapas. Panama is also annexed during the war.
The Line and Phoenix islands disputes between America and Britain are arbitrated in Sarajevo.
The Global Council is the last major result of the Sarajevo conference. It is a sort of weaker LoN analogue consisting of all countries that attended the conference and with future invites extended to all other sovereign states.
The council is to meet biennially or when en emergency requires responding. The goals are to promote peace and love and blah blah blah…
Effectively it meant to be a forum for negotiations to avoid war when possible. Without Woodrow Wilson pushing things along it’s mostly a toothless fig leaf, which at least allows it to reach near-universal membership. Universal treaties globally ban the use of “cruel and inhumane weapons”, the slave trade, the killing or forced expulsion of large groups of people (genocide), and the making of war for aggressive purposes (lmao, right, like that’s gonna happen).
- The American Flu pandemic which spreads around the world from 1919-1922. It is the same viral outbreak at the OTL Spanish flu, but owing to the early end of the war and better nutrition spreads slower and kills less than half as many people.
- The sale of the Belgian Congo to England and France to fund the reconstruction of the kingdom, which is not as badly damaged as OTL but does not receive any reparations.
- The Italian invasion of Ethiopia, which Britan had agreed to turn a blind eye to as part of secret negotiations during the Great War. Certain regions are annexed to Eritrea and Somalia while the rest of the country falls into the Italian sphere of influence with a pliable king.
- The situation in China stabilizes following the withdrawal of occupying armies and acceptance of new frontiers but the government remains corrupt and weak.
- Japan stayed neutral during the Great War and fell back into disorganization and isolationism from which they have not yet emerged.
- There is a minor exchange of colonial territory between Britain and France, with a disputed strip of the Sahara desert, some Indian cites, and St Pierre (which voted to join Canada) swapped for the Gambia protectorate and half control of the New Hebrides.
- France annexes Hainan and Eastern Thailand into Indochina.
- Arabia remains unstable with conflicting factions in the desert and expansionist ambitions from the Sauds and Hashemites.
- Newfoundland joins Canada in 1921.
- Ireland (the whole island) peacefully gains dominion status in 1925.
- A few years later an earlier but weaker statute of Westminster grants additional autonomy to the dominions (Jamaica is also a dominion TTL).
- Spain sells Equatorial Guinea to Italy, Western Sahara to France and Morocco (which has reasserted its independence while staying a close French ally).
- The Riff remains a Spanish territory.
- Germany starts to align diplomatically align with England in the 1920’s
- Catholic Bavaria is French alligned
- Austria is Neutral
- There is an informal “Latin Axis” between France, Italy, Spain, and their allies emerging in contrast to the Anglo-German reconciliation in the north and the Balkan league in the east
- Russia wants to be big brother to the Balkan league but the fact is it’s the Balkans who had to bail them out in the Great War, not the other way around
- Russia is a pretty true neutral these days, they aren’t holding too much of a grudge against Germany but Poland sure is, and vice versa
- Meanwhile Italian support for Turkey (which wants to reconquer Armenia and Ionia) is slowly souring Russian relations with the Latin nations
- The second Mexican-American war and the third Rosevelt presidency war rekindled America’s expansionist streak and they just annexed Cuba in 1929
Looking forwards there are no major wars looming, but a growing divide between Britain and France threatens conflict, along with signs of future troubles in the Russian Empire. Meanwhile the Slovaks, Slovenians, and Croats all still long for nation-states in Europe, along with a hundred other colonized peoples around the world. The dreams of Arab unification one Turkish revanchism both threaten to destabilize the Middle East. In India it’s beginning to become clear that the Raj cannot last as is for another 50 years and something will have to change.
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There's either gonna be a bunch of wars pretty quickly on and/or the ethnic cleansing and genocide of a few million in the former Ottoman Empire there.
The image isn't loading for me, is anyone else having this issue?Dominion of Tamerlane:
Timurid Invasion of China
The World in Waiting (1394-1400)
What you say is true, and I was to pay what was due. However, do not burden yourselves with such tribute, for I shall deliver it for you.
- Timur, before he arrested the Ming ambassadors and executed their guards. (1393)
The fifteenth century has dawned upon the world, and Timur stood triumphant against the rising sun.
The Mamluks, once housing Sultan Ahmad of the Jalayirids and executing the emir's envoys in defiance, succumbed to his demands after the capture of Sultan Barquq during the Battle of Samarra (1394). Tokhtamysh of the Golden Horde was also captured during the Battle of Terek River (1395), bestowing his throne to a more subservient lot. Bayezid I of the Ottoman Empire, who once seethed his lettered words with vile and vim, finally humbled himself upon the emir, recognizing his rule across the eastern highlands, surrendered his enemies to his court, and, in return, courted with pleasantries of a marriage alliance between their grandsons and granddaughters and martial support of five thousand men for the sultan's campaign against the withering Byzantines.
With the threats from his west swiftly tamed, Timur and his army marched eastward to Samarkand, forwarding Saifuddin Allahdad - one of his personal followers, to Transoxania to complete four tasks: To chart the depths of the eastern mountains and beyond, to cultivate farms and pastures along the eastern marches, to build forts and mustering grounds eastward of the Syr Darya river, and to support Muhammad Sultan Mirza - heir apparent and his favored grandson, in rallying the tribes in Chaghatayid lands [1]. This while Timur was invading the already weakened Tughlaq of the Dehli Sultanate from 1398-1399, returning to the capital once more to frolic with the plunders from the once unconquered empire.
Thus, in 1400, when all the snow covering the Rome of the East melted, when the people of Samarkand - from the needy to the noble, whispered of his next grand design, Timur - the Commander of the Chaghatays and the Unconquered Lord of the Seven Climes, emerged from the ornate gates of Ak Sarai (White Palace) with chained Chinese envoys on his left and his grandson to his right. Facing an army of 200,000 stretching to the horizon, he stood tall for his men to witness as he boasted his most magnificent campaign yet:
"Let us offer tribute to the pig-faced emperor, this master of a realm on which the serpents bestowed a mortal man divinity and power. For what right do we deny his tribute? Thus, it is within our oath to deliver our obligations to him."
With a wave of his hand, the envoys were released from their chains and gifted them his fastest steeds, for Timur ordered them to gallop as fast as they could, for he shall trail them to claim his greatest prize: China.
Historical Footnotes and References
[1] Chaghatayid lands refer to Central Asia, especially Tranxosania and Eastern Turkestan.
Timur - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timur
Tokhtamysh - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokhtamysh
Muhammad Sultan Mirza - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_Sultan_Mirza
At the Gates of Khanbaliq (1400-1403)
"I gazed upon the invaders when they caught us crossing the roads, and realized how different they look compared to barbarians of the north. They all come in shades; few are the typical barbarians from the mountains, but some are tanned with large noses and fair-skinned with blue eyes."
- Anonymous, supposed recollections from the Journal of Yan (1422)
While the commanders and eunuch spies were clamoring to Nanjing to warn the already distraught Jiawen Emperor [1], some reported that Timur and his army passed through the Hexi Corridor unscathed within a mere month (April 19th - May 24th, 1400); Mongol auxiliaries betrayed the garrisons of the Jiayu Pass, and the regional commanderies were too feeble to oppose the emir's army. To the imperial court's relief, Timur and the Chaghatay army marched along the northern side of the Yellow River instead of heading toward Sichuan. With the possibility that he and his already rebellious uncle, Zhu Di - the Prince of Yan, will clash against each other, the emperor commands a withdrawal from Zhu Di's dominion (encompasses modern-day Beijing and Hebei) while leaving a small contingent to observe the theatre, intending to have them wither themselves until his army can deliver the killing blow — despite the dismay of many generals within the imperial court.
However, as Timur struck victory with each battle against the commanderies and princely fiefdoms, he gained support from the Turco-Mongol tribes residing under Ming suzerainty. With a sense of proto-nationalist euphoria, many chieftains rallied towards the emir as they viewed him as the restorer of Mongol authority across China. It was enough to rally 25,000 horsemen on his side, delegating half of them to Muhammad Sultan as another envoy to the declining Yuan Dynasty, with the recently-pardoned Tokhtamysh as the acting commander of his right wing.
Since Timur's incursion, Ming spies reported the emir spent two years occupying the Gansu region. From plundering to extortion, his army sustained itself by living off the land and through the flowing logistics provided by Moghulistan caravans and satisfied by the generous share of loot they received galloping across the riverside. They also informed the emperor of Zhu Di's probing attacks against the Army; they revealed themselves far more disciplined than his northern foes, even slaying his Mongolian vassal - Qoryocin, and his regiments [2].
However, it wasn't until the Autumn of 1403 that Yan scouts witnessed a swirling of dust heading towards Beijing, later revealed to be Timur marching with his 60,000 men detachment. In return, he rallied over 90,000, which included 40,000 from his princely brothers and 12,000 Mongolian auxiliaries from the northern regions. Timur and the Prince of Yan met for the first time at Lugou River, clashing on a bridge once crossed by Marco Polo. Unfortunately for Zhu Di, his nomadic auxiliaries — barring a few, were revealed to be conspiring with Muhammad Mirza for years since his arrival. Fear of being enveloped, the prince rallied the rest of his reserve in flight while his main force crushed from both sides, leaving him to collect his regiments and family in Beijing and seek refuge from the east while his son, Zhu Gaozhi, volunteered to remain behind.
When Timur and his forces arrived at the city and demanded their peaceful surrender, Gaozhi refused and declared the people would fight to the last man. In return, instead to the defenders themselves, he decreed this to his men in a Chaghatayid tongue unfamiliar to the Chinese:
"When we enter this city, none shall leave without bearing four heads on their belts. May God have mercy to those suffering under this fool's arrogance, for I do not."
Historical Footnotes and References
[1] Jianwen Emperor historically faced numerous problems when disposing of the princely vassals (his uncles' fiefdom), especially against Zhu Di - the future Yongle Emperor.
[2] Qoryocin and his people surrendered to the future Yongle Emperor in 1381, becoming his right-hand man and eventually Marquis of Tongan after Zhu Di's ascension to the Dragon Throne.
Jianwen Emperor - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jianwen_Emperor
Zhu Di, Prince of Yan - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yongle_Emperor
Princely States - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princes_of_the_Ming_dynasty
When The Yellow River Turned Red (1403-1406)
"The Great Timur gallops freely across the land of the infidels, cutting through them like a scythe mowing through grass. He knows and fears nothing but the Almighty himself for what the world means to him when he shall visit the afterlife."
- Sharaf al-Din Ali Yazdi, detailing his triumph against the Chinese in the Zafarnama - Book of Victories (1415)
From dusk to dawn, lasting over five days, over 150,000-320,000 men, women, and children are slaughtered. Beijing's riches, from the largest jade to the tiniest golden scrap, were striped to reward the emir's men and enrich his beloved capital, Samarkand. Despite the onslaught, only the tradesmen, from artisans to engineers, were spared to support the war effort or migrate to Tranxosanian proper.
When Bunyashiri - Timur's protege and recently-crowned Khagan of the Yuan Dynasty [1], and his 50,000 men bore witness after emerging from the Yanshan Mountains, he recollected:
"The capital of my forebears is no longer of my own, being stolen by the rebellious. As retribution, the Commander of the Chaghatay smites it into a smoldering black spot as an example to the rest."
Since 1404, in a calculated strategy to create massive waves of refugees heading toward the south, Timur committed his greatest atrocities across the North China Plain. From erecting spikes of the impaled to be displayed across towns to the disemboweling of selected village peasants and elders, he encouraged his commanders to employ whatever means necessary for them to achieve his grand design. Many cities, especially Taiyuan and Liaocheng, followed the example of their Beijing counterparts as their people were slaughtered in the thousands; the emir ordered the construction of towers to display their heads for the survivors and refugees to witness.
In consequence, hundreds of thousands (350,000-1,250,000) were butchered, and millions flocked towards Southern China to seek sanctuary from the rather indecisive Jiawen Emperor; many accounts cited hauling ships sinking into the depths of the Yellow River due to the brunt of overcrowding. The sudden crisis has strained the already indecisive imperial government as Nanjing faces rapid overpopulation, worsened by food shortages due to the loss of the northern farmlands.
Realizing that the Army was a greater threat to his imperial authority than the princely fiefdoms, he set course for diplomatic couriers to grant amnesty to his uncles and levied 350,000 men to repel the invaders, with Li Jinglong [2] - son of an influential duke, as appointed commander-in-chief.
In 1405, After witnessing the Ming army crossing through the Yellow River during autumn, Timur splintered his 175,000-manned forces into four mobile formations to avoid capture; Muhammad Sultan, Totkhamysh, and Bunyashiri led their respective detachments. Instead of fighting against impossible odds, he attempted to deprive them until they were weak enough to be crushed, using tactics such as destroying their wagon supply routes, committing night raids against stationed camps, skirmishing marching formations, and razing the farmlands and grain depot. He was able to deprive Li Jinglong's forces; his army dwindled from 350,000 to 225,000.
While his army is regrouping near Jinan, Muhammad Sultan — by Timur's orders, deceives Li Jinglong into believing that he is the emir; he dresses in colorful garbs and carries large ornate yurts to display a pretense of an invading royalty. Marching from Yuncheng, the commander-in-chief's relentless pursuit against him deprived the levies of decent rest, which caused exhaustion and even desertion. Li Jinglong seemed to corner the heir apparent in a mountain valley southeast of Jinan but was too late to realize the emir's ploy as eighty thousand soldiers - veterans of numerous campaigns since Timur's rise, had emerged from the forested mountain slopes. Believing he could still win through sheer numbers, Li Jinglong ordered a massive charge to end the nomadic threat. However, he later discovered that their infamous cavalry (numbering over 55,000) emerged against his rear, with the actual Timur leading its vanguard. Thus, the battle ended in a Timurid triumph when he led the charge against an exhausted army's exposed formation.
With the largest contingent of the Ming Army destroyed within a single battle, the army was free to cross the Yellow River unchallenged. Across the entire year of 1406, Timur exploited such opportunity extensively: They galloped to pillage cities and villages stretching from Xuzhou and Yancheng, eventually diverting towards the Xian to crush the resisting Prince of Jin and finally occupying China's breadbasket region, Sichuan. From the arid plains of Jiayuguan to the shores of Yancheng, all of Northern China is under the reign of the Timurid Empire, closely resembling the Mongol Empire of the old.
However, despite the numerous triumphs, new problems arise: The Yangtze River seems impenetrable due to the patrolling Ming riverboats, and the further they dive into the southern mountains, the further they are from the logistics of Moghulistan caravans, unable to live off the land when the people tilling the fields are gone. His army became more anxious and sickly for home; even Muhammad Sultan himself questioned his grandfather's grand design.
As for Timur himself, he collapsed during his march towards Xian and, for the remainder of the invasion, was carried by an ornate carriage [3]. For the first time in his life, the emir realizes that death is at his doorstep.
Historical Footnotes and References
[1] Bunyashiri - or Öljei Temür was granted asylum under Timur's court and converted to Islam. Timur planned to restore Yuan rule across Mongolia and China through him, but some scholars disagreed due to his legitimacy revolving around the Chaghatayid throne.
[2] Li Jinglong was appointed commander-in-chief due to the frequent failures of Marquis Geng Bingwen - his predecessor. Since his appointment, he attempted to recruit 500,000-600,000 levies and was tricked into marching his armies during severe winter, losing countless soldiers in the process.
[3] According to Spanish envoy, Ruy González de Clavijo, Timur was occasionally carried by a litter, especially as he aged.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Öljei_Temür_Khan
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Li_Jinglong
When the Titans Clashed (1406-1408)
"As son of heaven, I command my uncle - the Prince of Yan, to raise his sword and lead my men. As you had done under my grandfather, I shall bestow you the mission to repel the Tartar threat and reclaim the lands of our ancestors."
- Jianwen Emperor, bestowing a letter of amnesty to Zhu Di during his refuge in Joseon Korea.
By the dawn of 1406, China is in turmoil.
The Ming dynasty faced the greatest foreign invasion since Chinggiz Khan's incursion of the Jurchen Dynasty. The loss of both Sichuan and the North China Valley deprived the people residing south, especially Nanjing; food shortages shifted to deadly famines, and the rest of the stockpile was reserved for the war effort. Signs of plague began to emerge as some refugees inadvertently carried bubonic disease, inflicting the deaths of thousands and even forcing the Jianwen Emperor to leave the premises, isolating the capital in the process.
However, the Prince of Yan sailed to Nanjing with an army — 20,000 men comprised of veterans of the Battle of Lugou Bridge and Jurchen auxiliaries from both sides of the Amur River, on his back. Becoming the emperor's new commander-in-chief and war minister, he raised 250,000 levies and organized them as loose independent divisions rather than a single marching army. Instead of seeking decisive battles, he uses the Yangtze River as staging grounds for skirmishes and raids, attempting to exhaust Chaghatay formations through sporadic marches.
Ma He - Zhu Di's eunuch general and appointed grand admiral [1], recounted his experience of such strategies when sailing towards the charred fiefdom of the Prince of Yan:
"We sailed towards Beijing with a hundred ships; we crewed a few but left the others sparse, but enough to give the pretense of a moving army. We stuck close to the shores and lit our lanterns when the skies went dark, everything to attract Tartar scouts while dissuading any suspicion. Every time we pretend to land, they gallop to the beaches to prepare for battle but find wanting as we depart instead. We commit such maneuvers across the Yellow Sea to deprive and confuse them, pulling a contingent of their forces north to make theatre amicable for the prince."
It was successful enough for Zhu Di to launch an expedition to liberate Yancheng and repel the Yuan auxiliaries occupying the northern half of Wuhan, enough for Henan-Jiangbei to become a contested region once again. However, pitch battles against the greater army proved more difficult than the prince anticipated: His numerous but ill-trained levies were no match against Timur's well-experienced and disciplined professional soldiers, and the actual battles he'd won were pyrrhic; he lost 45,000 soldiers during the Battle of Wuhu against Muhammad Sultan.
Despite enduring casualties, the prince received a relief of 75,000 levies, and his victories provoked Timur's ire; his scouts reported a massive gathering of his forces westward of Xuzhou, presumably to reconsolidate the region and repel his liberation force as he did with Li Jinglong's. Recognizing such deception similar to Jinan and receiving reports of swirling dust heading towards Wuhan, Zhu Di intercepted Muhammad Sultan's formation during the Battle of Chongsan Mountain (1407). From there, he allowed the heir apparent to fall back with his remaining cohort while the prince's forces trailed him to their mustering grounds.
A few weeks later, Zhu Di took advantage of the emerging winter to conceal his army's movement from scouts, reaching the outskirts of Xuzhou despite the lost decent men. But much to his surprise, his scouts report that Timur's men and his commanders are marching in unison towards the Xinbian River, purportedly abandoning his initial ploy to avenge his grandson's defeat.
From there, with an army depleted to 200,000 forces - including his foreign auxiliaries, he meets the outnumbered Army of 140,000 men. While taking the offensive, Zhu Di took notice of Timur reorganizing his battle formation; He diverted half of his eastern wing (led by Muhammad Sultan Mirza) to reinforce his western counterpart (Tokhtamysh), organized Bunyashiri's men into skirmishing parties, and slightly tilted his entire line backward from his eastern flank. Believing Timur wanted to rout the western wing to envelope and destroy his army, the prince evened both wings and took command of the rear to prevent immediate collapse. Despite the marginal casualties inflicted by the harassing horse archers, he made contact with his foe in massive numbers. His army grinds against the Chaghatay footman, whose morale was wavering due to the exhaustive years of marching and fighting. To his delight, his couriers relayed that Muhammad Sultan's wing was slowly pushed back by his Jurchen cavalry, albeit not routed as previously assumed. However, Muhammad Sultan eventually revealed his ploy: While the Jurchen pushed themselves behind the rear, a contingent of Iranian spearmen - who had hidden themselves in the snow, unraveled their shrouds and charged at the cavalry's flank. Such a move routed the Jurchens after suffering massive casualties and left Zhu Di's eastern wing vulnerable. He was also relayed that Muhammad Sultan, immediately accompanied by Timur's elite guards, attacked his rear; each of his levy cohorts slowly fell to disorder due to the pressure deployed by both commanders. Realizing the slow collapse and with no reserves to counter the enemy, Zhu Di and his remaining cavalry (both Chinese and Jurchen) retreated as the Chaghatay army enveloped the thousands of levies left behind, unable to reform themselves due to the pursuing Bunyashiri and his Yuan forces.
It was another disaster inflicted by Timur, but not without cost. While defeated, Zhu Di's forces inflicted massive casualties; His scouts, returning to the battlefield to witness remains, reported that over 65,000 of the emir's men had fallen. It was a defeat that crushed any means of resistance the Jianwen Emperor could deploy, and it was also a defeat that saved China from another impending onslaught.
Historical Footnotes and References
[1] Ma He was a Hui eunuch from Yunnan brought by Zhu Di's mentor, General Fu Youde. After years of serving under him, he changed the commander's name to Zheng He - admiral of the Treasure Fleet, since his ascension as the Yongle Emperor.
Ma He - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zheng_He
To Mourn for the Young and Old (1408-Beyond)
"Timur - the Unconquered Lord of the Seven Climes, is now rendered lame and blind for his sins against the believers. Guided by his blessed son - Shah Rukh, he lords over his father's dominion with wisdom and guile, leading faithful from the gardens of Samarkand."
- Ibn Arabshah [1], summarizes the contrast between Timur and Shah Rukh in his contemporary biography, The Wonders of Destiny of the Ravages of Timur.
Timur faced a pyrrhic victory during the Battle of Xinbian River; despite destroying the entire Ming army in a single battle once again, his army was reduced to 75,000 men. Many of his commanders and soldiers expressed bitter mutiny, pleading to return home with the spoils they had. However, it was Muhammad Sultan Mirza who convinced him as he — revealed by his guards, to have died from his wounds. With an army too meager to siege Nanjing and mourning over his grandson's death [2], he returned to the restored Beijing — renamed again as Khanbaliq, and departed from Bunyashiri as Timur and his remaining army marched back to Samarkand.
His return to his capital was polarizing: His plunder of China's insurmountable riches accelerated the development of his domain (especially Tranxosania, Khawresm, and Khorasan), and the capture of many skilled Chinese tradesmen, especially gunsmiths, allowed the proliferation of cannons and arquebuses in his army and turned Tranxosania into an economic powerhouse [3]; however, the supposed triumphant parade was disappointingly brief and silent, and it shall be Timur's final conquest as he peacefully lords his dominion for the next five years.
Shah Rukh - the impromptu regent of the Timurid Empire [4], informed of what transpired around his empire since his departure: Bayezid, with the support of Timurid aid, conquered Constantinople and declared himself Kayser-i Rum (Caesar of Rome); Mecca and Medina are now under a new Caliphate with a territory stretching from the mountains of Yemen to the shores of Gulf of Aqaba; and the Golden Horde, with their Novgorod allies, razed Muscovy into the ground.
The last five years of Timur's reign were his attempt to redeem himself to the Islamic faith, especially when he contemplated whether his slaughter of infidels was enough to absolve his past sins. Abandoning the Yasa (Mongol Law), he introduced many Persian customs into his Turco-Mongol court, granted himself the title Padishah (Master King), and replaced the Chaghatay throne by force with his own imperial line; the nomadic tribes who defied his legitimacy were either slaughtered, settled or coerced to move east.
In 1413, knowing he was nearing his end, Timur gathered all his sons and grandsons into Samarkand. From here, he declared his will in front of all his family and followers to witness and honor: For Pir Muhammad - Muhammad Sultan's half-brother, he shall receive the east (Eastern Afghanistan and India); Miran Shah will receive the west (Iraq, Ar-Raqqah, Eastern Anatolia, Caucasus, and Tabarestan); and Shah Rukh, being proven far capable than expected, receives the lion's share and the nominal title of Padishah. Declaring the Shahada one last time, Timur - the Unconquered Lord of the Seven Climes, gasped his last breath and passed away during the silent winter.
During the first few years of Shah Rukh's reign, Ghiyathuddin Naqqash [5] - the Padishah's envoy to China, returned to the Ak Saray to relay his findings:
"The country (China) is divided into two realms: The northern lands under the faithful (Bunyashiri's restored Yuan Dynasty), and the southern depths divided by warring princes. Once ravaged by civil strife, the Great Khan brought good to his realm: He developed roads, farms, and cities, continued the trade flow of silk and fine china, and erected many mosques in his capital. In contrast, I was greeted by earthen walls when reaching south; its commander shared tales of deadly plagues, disorderly princes, and even raging dragons. When I asked what happened to the emperor, he merely briefed me of his murder."
Despite his prosperous reign and triumph against Miran Shah and his sons, Shah Rukh passed away in 1445. Like Timur himself, he passed his titles to his sons, with Ulugh Beg inheriting the Persianate (Iran and Western Afghanistan) and the title of Padishah. However, the polities of the greater Timurid Empire no longer recognized his authority, with Pir Muhammad's sons conquering India and Khalil Sultan's dominion warring against the resurgent Golden Horde.
Miran Shah, while defeated, was given a generous pardon to rule east of the Syr Darya River (Tashkent and Otrar). From here, he lord his dominion peacefully and bestowed the title to his son, his son to his grandson, and so on. However, it wasn't until 1483 when Qutlugh Nigar Khanum - a princess from Eastern Moghulistan and Umar Shaikh's consort, gave birth to a boy.
A boy who will follow in the footsteps of his ancestors. A boy who will cross the mountains and tame the warring states. A boy - predestined by the aligning spheres, to wield the sword and claim the middle kingdom for God and his house.
A boy named Babur.
Historical Footnotes and References
[1] Ibn Arabshah was a contemporary chronicler of Timur's life, who was carried off with his mother and brothers to Samarkand as a prisoner. In contrast to Sharaf al-Din Ali Yazdi, the Arabshah's accounts were scathing due to his personal experience during the Siege of Damascus (1400)
[2] Timur was distraught by the news of Muhammad Sultan Mirza's death, to the point he ordered the entire population of Samarkand into a state of mourning.
[3] Timur was known for sparing skilled tradesmen from his numerous onslaughts, especially engineers and artisans. To deter them from returning to their homeland, Timur imposed ferry restrictions on the Amu Darya River to prevent unauthorized travel.
[4] In contrast to Timur, his grandson, Shah Rukh, mended his ties with the Ming Dynasty. Such normalization allowed unprecedented flow of trade across the Silk Road.
[5] Shah Rukh sent Ghiyathuddin Naqqash as a Timurid ambassador to the Yongle Emperor, bringing elaborate descriptions of Beijing and even gifts.
Shah Rukh - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shah_Rukh#Administration
Miran Shah - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miran_Shah
Babur - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babur
Yes. Someone else on the board mentioned that Discord is blocking images hosted on it from appearing elsewhere, for some strange reason
I'd intended to finish and post this with the overall religion map I'd dont a bit ago, but didn't finish until today.
The below is a map of the sovereign and autonomous polities of the world by major religious denominations.
NOTES:
-As Israel is the only Jewish polity I did not include any of the Jewish denominations; on a related note I don't consider the variants of Hinduism to be different enough to need to be shown.
-A few places (ex. New Zealand) might actually have changed, however I am going by the most recent official sources or trustworthy non-governmental sources from between 2019-2023.
-In the cases of the 'Insufficient Data' polities they fall into five categories; 1. Places where the government does not collect religious demography (Tanzania) and NGO's have not recently asked beyond overall religion, 2. Are authoritarian polities where the government does not allow collecting of the data by private entities and provides its own obviously false numbers (Eritrea), 3. There has not been recent enough polling or censuses on denominations to be able to tell (Hungary), 4. The polity has gone through recent periods of chaos and demographic shifts, with only very general polling (South Sudan) and 5. Places where there is to much confusion in responses among government and private polling on the matter as to make it impossible to figure out (Albania).
-There are a significant amount of polities where I was able to determine majorities, but not by how much (mostly Muslim polities), so while I can tell you that Libya is large majority Sunni, I can't say of that's 75% or 99% or I can tell you that Algeria is 90%+ Sunni, but not the exact percent; likewise there are several Christian polities where all I can tell you is 'X' denomination is the majority, but that could range between 52-70%.
-There are currently no majority Mahāyāna polities and only one where it's the plurality (Singapore), this is basically because all the countries that it was most prevalent have all become majority Irreligious.
-There are a few cases that will likely change by the next time I do another set of these, the most notable being Brazil, which is at present only 51% Catholic.
The below is a map of the sovereign and autonomous polities of the world by major religious denominations.
NOTES:
-As Israel is the only Jewish polity I did not include any of the Jewish denominations; on a related note I don't consider the variants of Hinduism to be different enough to need to be shown.
-A few places (ex. New Zealand) might actually have changed, however I am going by the most recent official sources or trustworthy non-governmental sources from between 2019-2023.
-In the cases of the 'Insufficient Data' polities they fall into five categories; 1. Places where the government does not collect religious demography (Tanzania) and NGO's have not recently asked beyond overall religion, 2. Are authoritarian polities where the government does not allow collecting of the data by private entities and provides its own obviously false numbers (Eritrea), 3. There has not been recent enough polling or censuses on denominations to be able to tell (Hungary), 4. The polity has gone through recent periods of chaos and demographic shifts, with only very general polling (South Sudan) and 5. Places where there is to much confusion in responses among government and private polling on the matter as to make it impossible to figure out (Albania).
-There are a significant amount of polities where I was able to determine majorities, but not by how much (mostly Muslim polities), so while I can tell you that Libya is large majority Sunni, I can't say of that's 75% or 99% or I can tell you that Algeria is 90%+ Sunni, but not the exact percent; likewise there are several Christian polities where all I can tell you is 'X' denomination is the majority, but that could range between 52-70%.
-There are currently no majority Mahāyāna polities and only one where it's the plurality (Singapore), this is basically because all the countries that it was most prevalent have all become majority Irreligious.
-There are a few cases that will likely change by the next time I do another set of these, the most notable being Brazil, which is at present only 51% Catholic.
A variety of historic and modern social trends that one could write entire essays and books on.
The shortest answer I can give is that Japan has never been a particularly religious country, indeed its systems of spirituality have always been closer to folklore and mythology than religion while in South Korea, prior to 1920 Buddhism, Indigenous Faiths and syncreticisms of those were predominant, but following WW2 the Indigenous Faiths all but disappeared (much of the population lived in the North) and Christianity became a major religious pole, which itself probably turned some people off of religion (S. Korean Christianity is very much of the American Evangelical variety), but like much of East Asia the population just moved towards being irreligious as the past systems became to be seen as quaint and false.
It makes sense for Discord, I imagine they do not want to be an image hosting site.
Which sucks because every single image hosting site out there fucking sucks ass.
America lost the Cold War.
The Soviet Union began the 1950s a cripple, bruised badly by a Second World War that the United States played no part in. But, having singlehandedly defeated Germany, the Soviet Union rebuilt Europe in its image, harnessing the industrial and creative powers of that continent to expand the Revolution to new shores. In the East, the Soviet Union wiped up the Japanese Empire, bringing a red banner over Asia.
As the Soviet Union caught up to the United States, the city on the hill turned in desperation to the demagoguery of Richard Nixon, who cemented his control over the republic with illegal means. Though Nixon almost reversed America's fortunes, his death brought the United States into an era of instability. The election of Jesse Jackson marked the penultimate nail in the coffin in the union; the shadowy forces of the Pentagon, fearing Jackson to be America's own Lenin, toppled the president.
This had the opposite effect as intended. America split apart and Americans embraced the comparatively successful socialism of the Soviet Union. But 2000 marked a turning point: David Petraeus, America's own Caesar, rose to power. Petraeus has launched a lengthy campaign to restore America's position in the world. In 2014, the American army plunged into Texas, but soon found itself bleeding in trench warfare. In 2024, America's restoration remains in question.
But communism cannot last forever.
Hey would you have the base map for this with the cities?
I was originally working on an other map that showed the same concept but it had the entirety of North America at a later date. I couldn't quite decide on where I was going with it so I decided to go back further in time on work out from there how they could expand past the Mississippi. I quite like the result, so it may become it's own thing in a series or TL if I find the time for it.
Very good map - only quibble is, given a situation like this, I’m surprised Spain is so pacific about Florida and the Trans-Appalachians - does the breakdown of the USA in 1789 affect the efforts by Wilkinson at precisely that point to convince Kentucky to make itself subject to Spain, in exchange for free trade down the Mississippi?I was originally working on an other map that showed the same concept but it had the entirety of North America at a later date. I couldn't quite decide on where I was going with it so I decided to go back further in time on work out from there how they could expand past the Mississippi. I quite like the result, so it may become it's own thing in a series or TL if I find the time for it.
Mostly inspired by the alternate history "What madness this is?" but turning out somewhat better than in that dystopic TL
Early american civil war results in a dissolution of the US in the 1790's.
Two republics form in the deep south, Georgia (Encompassing the lands of Yazoo and also West Florida) and Carolina (Encompassing north and south Carolina).
Georgia falls to a slave revolt led by John Brown in the 1850's, and is succeeded by an abolitionist state named "Magnolia".
Many wars happen between Magnolia and Carolina over ideological disputes, by the late 19th century disputes mostly disappear as Carolina goes on to abolish slavery and desegregates in the mid 20th century.
Map of the former Yugoslavia on May 19, 1987 AD, three decades after the Austrian Restoration, one decade after the Collapse of Czechoslovakia, and 24 hours prior to the Fall of the USSR and the Collapse of the Warsaw Pact. I am not particularly well versed in post-WWII Balkan history so I have no idea if this scenario is even remotely plausible, but they say that reality is often stranger than fiction. The basic gist of it is that Yugoslavia is a willing Axis member ITTL, but the war ends aroud the same time as OTL and the country gets partitioned into occupation zones like Germany post-war. A different war around the Balkans and southern Germany/northern Italy means that Austria ends up firmly in the Western Bloc and the Allied occupation zones in Yugoslavia are in the north of the country while the Soviet zone is in the south. In 1951, Soviet Occupation Zone in Yugoslavia is reconstituted as the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia, a full member of the Warsaw Pact. Meanwhile, the (Western) Allied Occupations of Yugoslavia in the north are reorganised as the Provisional Government of Northern Yugoslavia, which comes to be dominated by Croat and Slovene monarchists who restore Otto to the throne and form the Habsburg Realm of Illyria, abandoing pretensions to being the legitimate Yugoslavian government.
EDIT:
Republics of the FPR Yugoslavia
- People's Republic of Serbia
- People's Republic of Montenegro
- People's Republic of Macedonia
- People's Republic of Kosovo
- People's Republic of Petrovgrad
- Duchy of Carniola, with the Princely County of Gorizia and Gradisca, the Margraviate in Istria, and Lordships of Trieste and on the Windic March
- Kingdom of Croatia
- Kingdom of Slavonia
- Kingdom of Dalmatia, with the Duchies of Ragusa and Zara, and the Lordship of Cattaro
- Voivodeship of Serbia
- EDIT: Also, Kingdom of Bosnia
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