A History of Kings (ATL Revolutionary Wars)
- Thread starter Grey Wolf
- Start date
Grey Wolf
Donor
Valamyr said:
Thanks
Of course, in German France is Frankreich, literally still the Empire of the Franks and that is the origin of the word France anyway
I hypothesised a change of name as a reaction to the Revolution in a way. It would kind of be like renaming Great Britain formally to Britannia.
As for the wars, well its a complicated one because there WERE a lot of wars in OTL. Here, one could say the OTL Napoleonic Wars have their analogue, they just go slower at a lesser pace and take longer
Then you are into things like 1848, the Crimean War, the wars of Italian and German unification, all within a couple of decades of OTL. And of course in OTL that period also saw the American Civil War
In the ATL, the wars are of course different, but the Americas are adjuncts to them, not just colonies but industrialised overseas provinces, most especially British America
There are also periods of peace that simply don't get much of a mention - for example the wars I just posted occur in the 1890s, look for when the last previous wars were ? About 10-15 years before I think
Best Regards
Grey Wolf
Grey Wolf
Donor
Century's End
1898
Forces of the Union of Great Britain and the Americas, acting in the name of the Spanish King, land uninvited in Buenos Aries, Montevideo, Caracas, Vera Cruz and in the Pacific at Monterrey.
British fleets put into Havana where the governor assures his old allies that Cuba is under control and that it remains loyal to the King in Madrid
The Spanish King journies secretly to Andorra in the Pyrenees
There he meets incognito with the Frankish emperor, also there in secret
They sign a secret treaty
The agreement is made that the current Pope is a menace, even to Catholics
He must be removed
The Frankish Empire will redefine its strategy
Spain will act at the appropriate moment
Francia withdraws all but a holding force from Germany
Bavaria and Wurttemberg surge back
Austria is able to withdraw its forces to meet a presumed Frankish strike into Lombardy
Francia concentrates everything on Rome
Contingents are even recalled from Sardinia and Sicily
The Algiers fleet (strongest of the N African) is involved fully
Austria is unable to interfere
Naples is swept aside on the seas
Landings of Frankish troops begin in N Naples
The King flees South
But the Frankish troops march North on Rome
Rome is caught in a pincer movement
The Neapolitan army is largely bogged down in Sicily, now fighting a nativist force resurgent with the disappearance of the Franks
Austria rushes some reinforcements to the Papal States but the defensive measures in Lombardy and the Bosnian Uprising are tying down most of its army
Once the main attack occurs, Rome falls in a day
The saying is amended
"Rome wasn't built in a day
But a day was all it took to destroy her"
Of course that ignores the months of bombardments etc
Under a secret order from the Frankish emperor, the Frankish forces repeat the 'Rape of Rome' of almost 100 years earlier. This time they are ordered to finish the job.
This isn't exactly what the King of Spain had in mind
His protestations are drowned out by both sides
The victorious Franks
The howling of Catholics more than disillusioned with him
His complaints to Paris are seen as evidence of complicity
The British landings in the Americas are seen as a betrayal of national interest
A popular revolution breaks out, finds a leader in a minor member of the dynasty
The royal palace in Madrid is stormed
The king is torn to pieces
The minor prince declares himself the new king
He signs an immediate alliance with the Holy League
Rome, both ancient and modern is devastated
The Austrian emperor declares it a 'disaster for civilisation'
The Pope, over two dozen cardinals and most of the Vatican clergy are massacred
Only saved are the Deist buildings and communities existing from the previous time of Frankish rule
In London, King William IV declares that the cities held in custody for the Spanish King are now forfeit
The Prime Minister whips up popular feeling for 'New Imperialism'
Prevously confined to West Africa and expeditions into the Congo
The idea of adding vast belts of the Spanish Empire fires the popular imagination
An army of invasion descends on California from Oregon
The entire British Pacific squadron supports the attack with naval assaults on coastal cities
The armies from Buenos Aries and Montevideo effect a union, spread into the hinterland and declare the British colony of La Plata
The British mission to Mexico City is caught in an ambush and massacred
The governor of Cuba holds urgent talks with the British admiral at Havana
He insists Cuba still holds out for the rightful rulers of Spain
That worthy, who escaped the massacre in Madrid, is a cousin of the late king and has fled to Francia
In Paris, the 'Rape of Rome' has not gone down too well
The political classes had agreed on the need to remove the Pope
And to take Rome
They never expected to see a repeat of the 1790s
It begins to be whispered that the emperor is in his dotage
1899
The fighting across Europe has largely entered a phase of stalemate
Within Germany a vicious system of trenches and fortifications have cut a swathe across the land
In Italy, Francia has held off the Austrians in the North, consolidated a hold on the central duchies and the Papal States and occupies N Naples
In Sicily the Neapolitan army is fighting the Sicilian rebels and most Frankish forces have been withdrawn
In Sardinia the rebels largely have control after the withdrawal of Frankish forces. Only Cagliari holds out
Despite the new Spanish king's declaration of war, Spanish armies prove woefully inadequate to break through the Pyreenees
A palace coup in Paris sees the son of the Frankish emperor depose his father
He immediately sends out peace feelers to the Holy League
But to prove he is not weak, he launches a major assault against mainland Naples, the weakest of the allies ranged against him
As Neapolitan forces fall back towards the South, and the King and court flee across the Adriatic to Austria, the Holy League leaders meet in Vienna
The Austrian Emperor proposes accepting the Frankish offer
Faced with this the other representatives agree - as long as they get their lands back
The Peace of Luxembourg ended the 'War of Belief'
- No mention was made of Spanish America
- Spain's borders with Francia were guaranteed
- The Italian duchies and Papal States including Rome were reincorporated into Francia
- Naples was evacuated and the King and court returned
- Sicily was independent under a nativist regime and king drawn from the rebel leaders
- Sardinia was left in a vague position, with local autonomy but Frankish control of Cagliari
- Germany returned to a status quo ante-bellum despite the mass slaughter and ruination
Thus ended the nineteenth century
The Pope, elected by an emergency conclave in Austria
Britain in possession of large areas of Spanish America
Others declaring for the 'legitimate' King in Exile
Much mention was made of how things seemed to be an echo of 100 years before
But much was in reality very different
With the spread of Theosophite, Gnostic and Deist thought across Frankish Italy the hold of Catholicism was finally broken
Rome was rebuilt again as a Deist city
Cagliari became a Deist metropolis
Although bandits remained a constant problem across Sardinia, the Catholic leaders of the revolt finally came to a working relationship with Francia
As it became clear that Spain was unable to enforce its will over La Plata or California, Union settlers poured in to the new colonies, bringing with them a sizeable Deist, Theosophite and Gnostic influence
Grey Wolf
1898
Forces of the Union of Great Britain and the Americas, acting in the name of the Spanish King, land uninvited in Buenos Aries, Montevideo, Caracas, Vera Cruz and in the Pacific at Monterrey.
British fleets put into Havana where the governor assures his old allies that Cuba is under control and that it remains loyal to the King in Madrid
The Spanish King journies secretly to Andorra in the Pyrenees
There he meets incognito with the Frankish emperor, also there in secret
They sign a secret treaty
The agreement is made that the current Pope is a menace, even to Catholics
He must be removed
The Frankish Empire will redefine its strategy
Spain will act at the appropriate moment
Francia withdraws all but a holding force from Germany
Bavaria and Wurttemberg surge back
Austria is able to withdraw its forces to meet a presumed Frankish strike into Lombardy
Francia concentrates everything on Rome
Contingents are even recalled from Sardinia and Sicily
The Algiers fleet (strongest of the N African) is involved fully
Austria is unable to interfere
Naples is swept aside on the seas
Landings of Frankish troops begin in N Naples
The King flees South
But the Frankish troops march North on Rome
Rome is caught in a pincer movement
The Neapolitan army is largely bogged down in Sicily, now fighting a nativist force resurgent with the disappearance of the Franks
Austria rushes some reinforcements to the Papal States but the defensive measures in Lombardy and the Bosnian Uprising are tying down most of its army
Once the main attack occurs, Rome falls in a day
The saying is amended
"Rome wasn't built in a day
But a day was all it took to destroy her"
Of course that ignores the months of bombardments etc
Under a secret order from the Frankish emperor, the Frankish forces repeat the 'Rape of Rome' of almost 100 years earlier. This time they are ordered to finish the job.
This isn't exactly what the King of Spain had in mind
His protestations are drowned out by both sides
The victorious Franks
The howling of Catholics more than disillusioned with him
His complaints to Paris are seen as evidence of complicity
The British landings in the Americas are seen as a betrayal of national interest
A popular revolution breaks out, finds a leader in a minor member of the dynasty
The royal palace in Madrid is stormed
The king is torn to pieces
The minor prince declares himself the new king
He signs an immediate alliance with the Holy League
Rome, both ancient and modern is devastated
The Austrian emperor declares it a 'disaster for civilisation'
The Pope, over two dozen cardinals and most of the Vatican clergy are massacred
Only saved are the Deist buildings and communities existing from the previous time of Frankish rule
In London, King William IV declares that the cities held in custody for the Spanish King are now forfeit
The Prime Minister whips up popular feeling for 'New Imperialism'
Prevously confined to West Africa and expeditions into the Congo
The idea of adding vast belts of the Spanish Empire fires the popular imagination
An army of invasion descends on California from Oregon
The entire British Pacific squadron supports the attack with naval assaults on coastal cities
The armies from Buenos Aries and Montevideo effect a union, spread into the hinterland and declare the British colony of La Plata
The British mission to Mexico City is caught in an ambush and massacred
The governor of Cuba holds urgent talks with the British admiral at Havana
He insists Cuba still holds out for the rightful rulers of Spain
That worthy, who escaped the massacre in Madrid, is a cousin of the late king and has fled to Francia
In Paris, the 'Rape of Rome' has not gone down too well
The political classes had agreed on the need to remove the Pope
And to take Rome
They never expected to see a repeat of the 1790s
It begins to be whispered that the emperor is in his dotage
1899
The fighting across Europe has largely entered a phase of stalemate
Within Germany a vicious system of trenches and fortifications have cut a swathe across the land
In Italy, Francia has held off the Austrians in the North, consolidated a hold on the central duchies and the Papal States and occupies N Naples
In Sicily the Neapolitan army is fighting the Sicilian rebels and most Frankish forces have been withdrawn
In Sardinia the rebels largely have control after the withdrawal of Frankish forces. Only Cagliari holds out
Despite the new Spanish king's declaration of war, Spanish armies prove woefully inadequate to break through the Pyreenees
A palace coup in Paris sees the son of the Frankish emperor depose his father
He immediately sends out peace feelers to the Holy League
But to prove he is not weak, he launches a major assault against mainland Naples, the weakest of the allies ranged against him
As Neapolitan forces fall back towards the South, and the King and court flee across the Adriatic to Austria, the Holy League leaders meet in Vienna
The Austrian Emperor proposes accepting the Frankish offer
Faced with this the other representatives agree - as long as they get their lands back
The Peace of Luxembourg ended the 'War of Belief'
- No mention was made of Spanish America
- Spain's borders with Francia were guaranteed
- The Italian duchies and Papal States including Rome were reincorporated into Francia
- Naples was evacuated and the King and court returned
- Sicily was independent under a nativist regime and king drawn from the rebel leaders
- Sardinia was left in a vague position, with local autonomy but Frankish control of Cagliari
- Germany returned to a status quo ante-bellum despite the mass slaughter and ruination
Thus ended the nineteenth century
The Pope, elected by an emergency conclave in Austria
Britain in possession of large areas of Spanish America
Others declaring for the 'legitimate' King in Exile
Much mention was made of how things seemed to be an echo of 100 years before
But much was in reality very different
With the spread of Theosophite, Gnostic and Deist thought across Frankish Italy the hold of Catholicism was finally broken
Rome was rebuilt again as a Deist city
Cagliari became a Deist metropolis
Although bandits remained a constant problem across Sardinia, the Catholic leaders of the revolt finally came to a working relationship with Francia
As it became clear that Spain was unable to enforce its will over La Plata or California, Union settlers poured in to the new colonies, bringing with them a sizeable Deist, Theosophite and Gnostic influence
Grey Wolf
Grey Wolf
Donor
Straha said:
No nation in the Americas ever became independent, though because of the civil war in Britain for half the century one faction was based in the Americas and another in the British Isles
Apart from the loss of whatever Spain called Louisiana, and the fact that Britain hung onto Florida, Spain has remained in control of its Spanish Empire
It has benefitted from only being peripherally involved in the major European wars to wrack this ATL
Until now
As the Spanish king (torn to pieces) realised, getting involved risk losing everything
Now the Spanish dominions are split three ways
- Taken by Britain
- Holding out for the legitimate king (in exile in Francia)
- Swearing allegiance to the King in Madrid
You will notice that the idea of the 4th option, becoming independent isn't exactly high on the agenda
Grey Wolf
The importance of Being Earnest
I must echo the sentiment that this is wildly divergent stuff. Perhaps this wild divergence in multiple directions is the main culprit for the limited number of comments. I find it very interesting as you know from other forums--even if I do sometimes make equally wild suggestions about using either a certain infamous Marquis and/or a fabled Count in the TL
.
This is also not the best time of year to get posts to threads.
Tom
I must echo the sentiment that this is wildly divergent stuff. Perhaps this wild divergence in multiple directions is the main culprit for the limited number of comments. I find it very interesting as you know from other forums--even if I do sometimes make equally wild suggestions about using either a certain infamous Marquis and/or a fabled Count in the TL
.This is also not the best time of year to get posts to threads.
Tom
Grey Wolf
Donor
20th century New Imperialism
1900
After the devastation and exhaustion of war, the European nations enter a period of turning their energies outwards in an imperialistic way
Austria vies with Britain and Francia in the Congo
The Netherlands expands its formal control into Namaland and Darmaland (OTL South and Central Namibia)
In do doing, they come to a more precise arrangement with the Boer states in the interior
The Boer states in Bechuanaland, the Orange River, Transvaal, Matebeland etc are granted official self rule (after having it for ages) and simply acknowledge the Dutch King as head of state above their own institutions
The Netherlands is also busy in the East Indies
Brunswick, Mecklenburg and Prussia (rump) vy with Denmark, Britain, Francia and Portugal in West Africa
Expansion of trading stations into hinterland
Britain and Francia have the advantage
But British impetus has been halted by adventures elsewhere
Spain is the only remaining major flashpoint
Although the Bosnian Uprising lingers on a decade or so against the country that is the new home for the Pope
Spain sees numerous small plots against the Usurper King
Francia backs the legitimate King-in-exile
Britain supports legitimist risings in Caracas, Cartagena and Panama
1900s
Among the Turkic successor states in Anatolia a unifier emerges, a Bey of previously undistinguished lineage who through battle welds together a Turkish state and names himself sultan
Russia in this tie consolidates its hold on the Eastern coastal plains, expands into Cilicia
Trebizond expands into the interior, takes over several Pontus Greek port cities
1905
The new Turkic sultanate is recognised by Russia
And by Trebizond, Bulgaria, Greece, Syria, Baghdad
And later by Mameluke Egypt
1906 by France
Britain lands armies across New Granada and encourages the local leaders to press the conflict
Any city or area cleaving to the Usurper King is attacked
By 1905 all of New Granada swears loyalty to the King in Exile
Troubles in California between native Catholic Mehicos and immigrant Deist and Gnostic Britons
Theosophites seem to fit in better
Austrian settlement in the Congo proceeds apace
Britain restricts itself to the coastal zone
Cedes rest of rights over the NW area to Austria
Netherlands colonists reach Ovamboland (N OTL Namibia)
Portugal announces Baretseland, the middle 1/3 between Angola and Mozambique
Britain is now so involved in operations agaiinst Spanish America, that the New Imperialism it had sparked off is passing it by
From Kingston, the Duke of Edinburgh and Miami (illegitimate descent from Augustus II) establishes a 'Front' which includes the pro-Exile regimes in Cuba and New Granada
Troops from their plus British forces take Puerto Rico, and secure Panama
Britain reinforces its garrisons in Miskitia and British Honduras
Pressure is brought to bear on the central American provinces
Frankish thrusts into Saharan Africa from the West come up against outposts of her allies, Algiers, Tripoli and also against those of Egypt
With British expeditions stalled in the sahel, and no other nation pressing that far inwards, the Frankish emperor agrees to accept his allies dominance of the interior
For one thing it is cheaper by far than maintaining a Frankish garrison everywhere
Grey Wolf
1900
After the devastation and exhaustion of war, the European nations enter a period of turning their energies outwards in an imperialistic way
Austria vies with Britain and Francia in the Congo
The Netherlands expands its formal control into Namaland and Darmaland (OTL South and Central Namibia)
In do doing, they come to a more precise arrangement with the Boer states in the interior
The Boer states in Bechuanaland, the Orange River, Transvaal, Matebeland etc are granted official self rule (after having it for ages) and simply acknowledge the Dutch King as head of state above their own institutions
The Netherlands is also busy in the East Indies
Brunswick, Mecklenburg and Prussia (rump) vy with Denmark, Britain, Francia and Portugal in West Africa
Expansion of trading stations into hinterland
Britain and Francia have the advantage
But British impetus has been halted by adventures elsewhere
Spain is the only remaining major flashpoint
Although the Bosnian Uprising lingers on a decade or so against the country that is the new home for the Pope
Spain sees numerous small plots against the Usurper King
Francia backs the legitimate King-in-exile
Britain supports legitimist risings in Caracas, Cartagena and Panama
1900s
Among the Turkic successor states in Anatolia a unifier emerges, a Bey of previously undistinguished lineage who through battle welds together a Turkish state and names himself sultan
Russia in this tie consolidates its hold on the Eastern coastal plains, expands into Cilicia
Trebizond expands into the interior, takes over several Pontus Greek port cities
1905
The new Turkic sultanate is recognised by Russia
And by Trebizond, Bulgaria, Greece, Syria, Baghdad
And later by Mameluke Egypt
1906 by France
Britain lands armies across New Granada and encourages the local leaders to press the conflict
Any city or area cleaving to the Usurper King is attacked
By 1905 all of New Granada swears loyalty to the King in Exile
Troubles in California between native Catholic Mehicos and immigrant Deist and Gnostic Britons
Theosophites seem to fit in better
Austrian settlement in the Congo proceeds apace
Britain restricts itself to the coastal zone
Cedes rest of rights over the NW area to Austria
Netherlands colonists reach Ovamboland (N OTL Namibia)
Portugal announces Baretseland, the middle 1/3 between Angola and Mozambique
Britain is now so involved in operations agaiinst Spanish America, that the New Imperialism it had sparked off is passing it by
From Kingston, the Duke of Edinburgh and Miami (illegitimate descent from Augustus II) establishes a 'Front' which includes the pro-Exile regimes in Cuba and New Granada
Troops from their plus British forces take Puerto Rico, and secure Panama
Britain reinforces its garrisons in Miskitia and British Honduras
Pressure is brought to bear on the central American provinces
Frankish thrusts into Saharan Africa from the West come up against outposts of her allies, Algiers, Tripoli and also against those of Egypt
With British expeditions stalled in the sahel, and no other nation pressing that far inwards, the Frankish emperor agrees to accept his allies dominance of the interior
For one thing it is cheaper by far than maintaining a Frankish garrison everywhere
Grey Wolf
Grey Wolf
Donor
A New Pope
1910
Death of the Pope in Vienna
The conclave that gathers is split between Traditionalists who look back to Rome and the values of the Italian Catholic Church on the one hand, and Modernists who insist that the Papacy must now settle in Vienna, forget the past and come to an agreement with a world in which the Catholic Church is no longer the dominant force in a lot of countries
Austria attempts to mediate a solution, and the Interegnum drags on longer than any in recent history
Eventually, under Hungarian and Bavarian pressure, Austria comes down on the Reformist side
The Modernists elect Pope Xavier I, a Spanish Moderniser who nevertheless has the backing of the Spanish (Usurper) King
The election of a Spaniard with ties to the Spanish court causes great problems across the ragged Spanish Empire.
Even in areas such as Mexico which remain loyal to Madrid, the fact that the new Pope is a Moderniser is seen as a betrayal.
In California, the election sets off another round of fierce fighting between the Spanish Catholics and the immigrant British communities
In New Granada, the leadership meets to discuss a response to the election. They come out with a compromise saying that they respect the office and the divine sanction, but will not treat any rulings made in the interests of the King of Spain as legitimate.
Cuba follows suit, and this view is echoed across the Caribbean and Central American territories now under the control of the 'Front'
In Buenos Aries, the British Governor of La Plata announces that he is pleased with the conlave's decision. A large number of Spanish Catholics live in the territory and the election of a moderniser should ease some of the difficulties that the immigrant British communities are facing. That he is also allied to the Spanish court does not go unnoticed, but the Governor has the local bishops agree a ruling similar to that agreed in New Granada
Grey Wolf
1910
Death of the Pope in Vienna
The conclave that gathers is split between Traditionalists who look back to Rome and the values of the Italian Catholic Church on the one hand, and Modernists who insist that the Papacy must now settle in Vienna, forget the past and come to an agreement with a world in which the Catholic Church is no longer the dominant force in a lot of countries
Austria attempts to mediate a solution, and the Interegnum drags on longer than any in recent history
Eventually, under Hungarian and Bavarian pressure, Austria comes down on the Reformist side
The Modernists elect Pope Xavier I, a Spanish Moderniser who nevertheless has the backing of the Spanish (Usurper) King
The election of a Spaniard with ties to the Spanish court causes great problems across the ragged Spanish Empire.
Even in areas such as Mexico which remain loyal to Madrid, the fact that the new Pope is a Moderniser is seen as a betrayal.
In California, the election sets off another round of fierce fighting between the Spanish Catholics and the immigrant British communities
In New Granada, the leadership meets to discuss a response to the election. They come out with a compromise saying that they respect the office and the divine sanction, but will not treat any rulings made in the interests of the King of Spain as legitimate.
Cuba follows suit, and this view is echoed across the Caribbean and Central American territories now under the control of the 'Front'
In Buenos Aries, the British Governor of La Plata announces that he is pleased with the conlave's decision. A large number of Spanish Catholics live in the territory and the election of a moderniser should ease some of the difficulties that the immigrant British communities are facing. That he is also allied to the Spanish court does not go unnoticed, but the Governor has the local bishops agree a ruling similar to that agreed in New Granada
Grey Wolf
Grey Wolf
Donor
Settling of Accounts
1910s
Although generally a decade of peace within Europe, this is not the case everywhere
1912
Naples makes a last attempt to exert influence over Sicily, attempting to negotiate a subordinate protectorate status for the island, but finding in the Sicilian refusal the start of a short shapr war that drags in Tunis and Algiers and leaves the King of Naples having to back down. Broken, he dies soon after and his successor decides to look outwards for glory rather than towards an island that no longer wishes union with the mainland. A naval modernisation programme taxes the fragile budget, but Neapolitan warships and survey vessels are soon a common sight in all corners of the world
A Neapolitan trading station is founded in West Africa, built on the ruins of an abandoned Brandenburger one (and the rights purchased from Prussia for a nominal fee)
Spain is the main flashpoint
The King-in-Exile attempts an invasion with Frankish underhand help
He lands in Barcelona
Gathers a force and marches on the interior
The Usurper King meets him in force and decisively defeats him
The King-in-Exile flees back to Francia
The Usurper King completes his reorganisation of the army
Its partial culling had allowed it to stay loyal to him in crisis
Now he removes anyone suspected of Exile sympathies
1916
The King in Exile dies
He is childless
The legitimist king is now a prince who is stationed in the Caribbean
This changes Exile dynamics
The prince, soon crowned King in Havana, has British rather than Frankish allies
He visits New Granada to a tumultuous welcome
The British Governor in the Caribbean begins to reorientate the Front to face against Spain
The King in Havana recruits from Cuba and especially from New Granada
Pope Xavier I attempts to prohibit civil war between Catholics
Its a mealy-mouthed and disingenuous ruling
Although weak and largely meaningless it is denounced in Caracas and Cartagena
1917
The King in Havana launches the Armada of the New World against Spain
Protected by the British warships of the Front
Transports laden with New Granadan and Cuban soldiers
And backed by British and New Granadan money
The fleet sails East across the Atlantic
In London, King William IV Augustus, first Emperor of the Union dies suddenly and unexpectedly
His heir, Augustus, Prince of Wales and Virginia is terminally ill
He ascends the throne as Emperor Augustus V
But rule is largely in the hands of his Prime Minister
In the midst of this the British naval units of the home fleet receive no further orders
They shadow the Front but offer no assistance
Off Cape Finisterre the Spanish fleet meets the Armada in battle
British firepower and seamanship of the Front ships wins through
The tattered Spanish remnants flee South to Cadiz
The Armada approaches Ferrol/La Coruna
The British battleships move to bombard the city, but the Mayor comes out in support of the Exiles
The Armada unloads its New World troops who soon control the whole of Galicia
The British Prime Minister meets with the Frankish Emperor in Paris
A secret treaty to protect their mutual interests is arranged
Front troops soon enter and subdue Asturias
The King in Exile and his son arrive in NW Spain
His son is proclaimed Principe de Asturias and tours the principality
Front troops secure the NW as far South as the Portuguese border
Local cadres begin to join the Front
In Madrid, the Usurper King has been gathering his forces
He suppresses a renewed outbreak of rebellion in Catalonia especially in Barcelona
As his enemy continue to consolidate their power base he strikes out of Castille
A series of clashes leaves neither side in an advantageous position
The onset of Winter stops meaningful hostilities
1918
Emperor Augustus V succumbs to his illness amidst the Winter chill
His young son (16) succeeds him as Emperor Julius I
Legally of age, he dismisses the idea of a formal regency
But policy remains controlled by the Prime Minister and by his uncle, Prince Marcus, Duke of York
The Front's fleet lands detachments of New World soldiers in W Basque country
To their surprise the Basques rally to the more conservative and tradtionalist Usurper King
The detachments are massacred and the Front has to content itself with naval shore bombardments
Taking heart, the Usurper King changes his tactics
Instead of a frontal attack on his enemy's positions he leaves a defensive force in NW Castille
And takes the army in the Basque country
There, reinforced, he launches an attack into Asturias
Surprised by the audacity of the plan, the Front falls back to the borders of Galicia
Bolstered by these successes, the Usurper King pulls off a major coup by securing a massive Austrian loan
He sets in hand a major modernisation of army equipment, and significant naval construction on the East coast
Meanwhile, he purchases most of Naples' older warships and bolsters the main fleet at Cadiz
The Duke of Edinburgh and Miami, British governor of the Caribbean and British commander in the Front journies to London
He gains an audience with Julius I but is unimpressed. The youth is not making any decisions himself
He goes on to meet with the Prime Minister and the Duke of York to request further aid
The Prime Minister refuses, and the Duke of York concurs
The Spanish Expedition is a Front matter, and only the Caribbean part of the Union is involved
The Duke of Edinburgh returns to Kingston intending to raise new West Indian units for the Front
However, the strain has told on him and he dies soon after arriving there
The Prime Minister appoints an old ally as Governor, and this choice is signed into law by Julius I
In Spain, the Exile King realises that the tide is turning against him
The new Governor informs him that Britain will supply nothing more than that already promised
- this adds up to money already spent, and ships badly in need of repair and reinforcement
Setting his own holding force against the Usurper King on the Asturias border, the Exile King strikes into Castille
The Spanish defences crumble, but the army retreats to a fall-back position
The advancing Front armies are set upon by the Usurper King's from the North
The Battle of Ponferrada decides the issue
The Front is broken and reels back towards Galicia
The Exile King's brother and nephews die in the rout
With new forces, trained and equipped using the Austrian loan, coming up
The Usurper King thrusts into Galicia in three columns
The Front falls back on La Corunna
An attempted evacuation runs into the Spanish fleet out of Cadiz
Although older and less imposing, the Spaniards have their backs up, their ships are refurbished and replenished
The British are in need of repair, low in morale and uncertain
The battle is effectively a draw
The British withdraw North into the shadowing Home fleet
The Spanish lay siege to Ferrol/La Corunna
The Exile King attempts to negotiate a surrender, a way out back into exile
The Usurper King ignores all overtures and launches an all-out assault on the remaining Front
Ferrol falls, and La Corunna soon follows
Somewhere amongst the ruins lie the bodies of the Exile King and his son
The only remaining legitimist is an old man living in Morocco who declares he has no interest in the throne or in Spanish politics
The Usurper King now finds himself de facto legitimist
In the New World, Cuba and New Granada react to the news by declaring their independence
This is soon followed by a Central American 'United Provinces' under joint British and New Granadan auspices
Puerto Rico is taken as a part of Cuba
Miskitia and British Honduras are recognised by the newly-independent governments
Grey Wolf
1910s
Although generally a decade of peace within Europe, this is not the case everywhere
1912
Naples makes a last attempt to exert influence over Sicily, attempting to negotiate a subordinate protectorate status for the island, but finding in the Sicilian refusal the start of a short shapr war that drags in Tunis and Algiers and leaves the King of Naples having to back down. Broken, he dies soon after and his successor decides to look outwards for glory rather than towards an island that no longer wishes union with the mainland. A naval modernisation programme taxes the fragile budget, but Neapolitan warships and survey vessels are soon a common sight in all corners of the world
A Neapolitan trading station is founded in West Africa, built on the ruins of an abandoned Brandenburger one (and the rights purchased from Prussia for a nominal fee)
Spain is the main flashpoint
The King-in-Exile attempts an invasion with Frankish underhand help
He lands in Barcelona
Gathers a force and marches on the interior
The Usurper King meets him in force and decisively defeats him
The King-in-Exile flees back to Francia
The Usurper King completes his reorganisation of the army
Its partial culling had allowed it to stay loyal to him in crisis
Now he removes anyone suspected of Exile sympathies
1916
The King in Exile dies
He is childless
The legitimist king is now a prince who is stationed in the Caribbean
This changes Exile dynamics
The prince, soon crowned King in Havana, has British rather than Frankish allies
He visits New Granada to a tumultuous welcome
The British Governor in the Caribbean begins to reorientate the Front to face against Spain
The King in Havana recruits from Cuba and especially from New Granada
Pope Xavier I attempts to prohibit civil war between Catholics
Its a mealy-mouthed and disingenuous ruling
Although weak and largely meaningless it is denounced in Caracas and Cartagena
1917
The King in Havana launches the Armada of the New World against Spain
Protected by the British warships of the Front
Transports laden with New Granadan and Cuban soldiers
And backed by British and New Granadan money
The fleet sails East across the Atlantic
In London, King William IV Augustus, first Emperor of the Union dies suddenly and unexpectedly
His heir, Augustus, Prince of Wales and Virginia is terminally ill
He ascends the throne as Emperor Augustus V
But rule is largely in the hands of his Prime Minister
In the midst of this the British naval units of the home fleet receive no further orders
They shadow the Front but offer no assistance
Off Cape Finisterre the Spanish fleet meets the Armada in battle
British firepower and seamanship of the Front ships wins through
The tattered Spanish remnants flee South to Cadiz
The Armada approaches Ferrol/La Coruna
The British battleships move to bombard the city, but the Mayor comes out in support of the Exiles
The Armada unloads its New World troops who soon control the whole of Galicia
The British Prime Minister meets with the Frankish Emperor in Paris
A secret treaty to protect their mutual interests is arranged
Front troops soon enter and subdue Asturias
The King in Exile and his son arrive in NW Spain
His son is proclaimed Principe de Asturias and tours the principality
Front troops secure the NW as far South as the Portuguese border
Local cadres begin to join the Front
In Madrid, the Usurper King has been gathering his forces
He suppresses a renewed outbreak of rebellion in Catalonia especially in Barcelona
As his enemy continue to consolidate their power base he strikes out of Castille
A series of clashes leaves neither side in an advantageous position
The onset of Winter stops meaningful hostilities
1918
Emperor Augustus V succumbs to his illness amidst the Winter chill
His young son (16) succeeds him as Emperor Julius I
Legally of age, he dismisses the idea of a formal regency
But policy remains controlled by the Prime Minister and by his uncle, Prince Marcus, Duke of York
The Front's fleet lands detachments of New World soldiers in W Basque country
To their surprise the Basques rally to the more conservative and tradtionalist Usurper King
The detachments are massacred and the Front has to content itself with naval shore bombardments
Taking heart, the Usurper King changes his tactics
Instead of a frontal attack on his enemy's positions he leaves a defensive force in NW Castille
And takes the army in the Basque country
There, reinforced, he launches an attack into Asturias
Surprised by the audacity of the plan, the Front falls back to the borders of Galicia
Bolstered by these successes, the Usurper King pulls off a major coup by securing a massive Austrian loan
He sets in hand a major modernisation of army equipment, and significant naval construction on the East coast
Meanwhile, he purchases most of Naples' older warships and bolsters the main fleet at Cadiz
The Duke of Edinburgh and Miami, British governor of the Caribbean and British commander in the Front journies to London
He gains an audience with Julius I but is unimpressed. The youth is not making any decisions himself
He goes on to meet with the Prime Minister and the Duke of York to request further aid
The Prime Minister refuses, and the Duke of York concurs
The Spanish Expedition is a Front matter, and only the Caribbean part of the Union is involved
The Duke of Edinburgh returns to Kingston intending to raise new West Indian units for the Front
However, the strain has told on him and he dies soon after arriving there
The Prime Minister appoints an old ally as Governor, and this choice is signed into law by Julius I
In Spain, the Exile King realises that the tide is turning against him
The new Governor informs him that Britain will supply nothing more than that already promised
- this adds up to money already spent, and ships badly in need of repair and reinforcement
Setting his own holding force against the Usurper King on the Asturias border, the Exile King strikes into Castille
The Spanish defences crumble, but the army retreats to a fall-back position
The advancing Front armies are set upon by the Usurper King's from the North
The Battle of Ponferrada decides the issue
The Front is broken and reels back towards Galicia
The Exile King's brother and nephews die in the rout
With new forces, trained and equipped using the Austrian loan, coming up
The Usurper King thrusts into Galicia in three columns
The Front falls back on La Corunna
An attempted evacuation runs into the Spanish fleet out of Cadiz
Although older and less imposing, the Spaniards have their backs up, their ships are refurbished and replenished
The British are in need of repair, low in morale and uncertain
The battle is effectively a draw
The British withdraw North into the shadowing Home fleet
The Spanish lay siege to Ferrol/La Corunna
The Exile King attempts to negotiate a surrender, a way out back into exile
The Usurper King ignores all overtures and launches an all-out assault on the remaining Front
Ferrol falls, and La Corunna soon follows
Somewhere amongst the ruins lie the bodies of the Exile King and his son
The only remaining legitimist is an old man living in Morocco who declares he has no interest in the throne or in Spanish politics
The Usurper King now finds himself de facto legitimist
In the New World, Cuba and New Granada react to the news by declaring their independence
This is soon followed by a Central American 'United Provinces' under joint British and New Granadan auspices
Puerto Rico is taken as a part of Cuba
Miskitia and British Honduras are recognised by the newly-independent governments
Grey Wolf
Grey Wolf
Donor
Imperial Complications
1920
Russia, meanwhile, has been steadily expanding within Central Asia
The Chinese Empire has fought and lost several wars, shed some of its outlying provinces
The states of Khiva, Bokhara and Khokand have fallen under Russian domination
With the rest of the world focused elsewhere this has aroused little interest
- China has been opened in the South over the last few decades, and Britain, France, Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands and increasingly other powers now trade there
- India is still a tripartite system, divided between British India, French India and the Mughal Empire, with the North an unknown territory to the European powers
- Tibet retains its vassals and remains largely undisturbed by the European powers
Russian Alaska is being settled as part of the expansion of Russian settlement to the East
This accelerates with the discovery of gold
The British gold fields in California
And the Netherlands' in South Africa rival the Russians in the Klondike
The Pacific is home to numerous small kingdoms
In this period some are coming under the domination of European powers
But a large number remain independent, negotiating favourable treaties
Indo-China is largely untouched by Europe
Britain has some small colonies in Johore and Singapore but the rest of the Malay peninsular remains as independent sultanates or as part of Siam
Asa (Burma), Cambodia, Vietnam, Ventiane and the Shan States (Laos) remain independent and untouched by European imperialism
The main thrust for the New Imperialism continues to be Africa, particuarly Western, Central and Southern Africa
In the latter, a tri-partite agreement between the Netherlands, the Portuguese and the Zulus finally settles the borders in 1920
Although a half dozen de facto independent Boer republics now exist, they still retain the King of the Netherlands as head of state, and the Netherlands is subject to no restrictions on trade, immigration etc
The Congo sees Britain in possession of the Central coastal strip, Austria in possession of the North-West, Portugal moving into the South, and Francia moving into the North from Central Africa where the empire has been focusing its efforts (OTL Cameroon, Central Africa)
A patchwork of colonial holdings decorates a map of West Africa, coastal trading stations with hinterland and river valleys
The most extensive are British and Frankish colonies
But Naples, Prussia, Denmark, Austria, Brunswick, Mecklenburg and Sweden all have some
Whilst Spain and Portugal have expanded their age-old holdings significantly
In the Saharan interior, the sultanates and other states are under the influence of Algiers, Tripoli or Egypt. A slave trade still prospers across the Sahara, as indeed it does in the Sultanate of Zanzibar and in the Persian Gulf
1923
Kanto (Tokyo) Earthquake
The 18th Tokugawa Shogun is killed, his capital of Edo almost annihilated
Russia has by this time established a protectorate over Korea (after war with China), seized all of Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands and become the dominant economic and political partner of Japan
The destruction of the Japanese government brings forth a crisis
Various daimyo attempt to throw off Tokugawa power
A new Tokugawa shogun is immediately nominated by the Tokugawa and their allies
The 19th Shogun, from the heart of his rural estates attempts to seize and secure power
The emperor in Kyoto is brought out of seclusion by ambitious daimyo
Russia lands a force upon Honshu
Initially it is intended to protect Russian, and other European, populations against civil war
But it soon advances inland
These developments are viewed with alarm in the capitals of Europe
It looks like Russia will make of Japan what it has of Korea or Khiva, a mere protectorate
Emperor Julius I meets with the new Frankish emperor
Together they agree a joint strategy
But it will take time to assemble the necessary ships and men
In the meantime, British warships from Johore, Oregon and California put into Southern Japanese ports
A Spanish expeditionary force lands also
Tensions are high between the British and Spanish, some minor incidents occur
A Netherlands force arrives
The British commander suggests to the Russians the formation of an International Force
The Russian commander is unimpressed, he has his orders
1924
A Frankish fleet, replete with battleships and an expeditionary force puts into Southern Japan
This is soon followed by a British fleet, including both elite (West Indian) and Indian units
As Spring comes upon the land, the Russians get more involved in the civil war
They give open backing to the daimyo around the emperor in Kyoto
And clash in minor battles with Tokugawa forces
A tripartite British-Frankish-Netherlands force moves to intervene
Spain remains on the sidelines unwilling to join with its former enemies
A British amphibious landing secures Edo
Amidst the devastation, Union aid from Oregon, California and the British colonies in Terra Australis begins to alleviate the suffering
As the political situation deteriorates and becomes more complex, Emperor Julius I sends out his cousin, Prince Aurelius, Duke of York (son of his uncle) to take command of the Union forces
Prince Aurelius, travelling by airship across the Atlantic to New Yorks, takes a train across British America, Frankish Missouri and Oregon, then a swift armoured frigate across the Pacific to Japan
He meets with the Frankish commander, and they agree a plan.
The Netherlands commander reluctantly accepts the agreement.
British and Frankish forces link up with the Tokugawa leadership
They supply arms, munitions, field artillery and experts
Whilst remaining outside the battle themselves
The Russians and the imperial forces (daimyo mainipulating the emperor) attack Tokugawa positions
With the aforementioned aid of the British and Franks, the Tokugawa hold them off
The daimyo suffer severe losses
The Russians retreat in a more orderly fashion, now in possession of the emperor
The 19th Tokugawa Shogun is formally installed in Edo, or what is left of it
He issues an ultimatum calling for the restoration of normality
Tsar Aleksandr II of Russia is unhappy with the performance of his commander in Japan
The Tsar's maxim has always been not to take on enemies who are ready for you
He believes in the long game, and in planning for the long term
He sends a negotiator to Edo who undercuts the Russian commander
In return for substantial economic concessions, Russia withdraws its force
The 19th Shogun solidifies his power
The emperor returns to seclusion at Kyoto
British and Frankish advisors remain in the country
Netherlands and Spanish forces are withdrawn fully
The majority of the British and Frankish forces leave in 1926
Grey Wolf
1920
Russia, meanwhile, has been steadily expanding within Central Asia
The Chinese Empire has fought and lost several wars, shed some of its outlying provinces
The states of Khiva, Bokhara and Khokand have fallen under Russian domination
With the rest of the world focused elsewhere this has aroused little interest
- China has been opened in the South over the last few decades, and Britain, France, Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands and increasingly other powers now trade there
- India is still a tripartite system, divided between British India, French India and the Mughal Empire, with the North an unknown territory to the European powers
- Tibet retains its vassals and remains largely undisturbed by the European powers
Russian Alaska is being settled as part of the expansion of Russian settlement to the East
This accelerates with the discovery of gold
The British gold fields in California
And the Netherlands' in South Africa rival the Russians in the Klondike
The Pacific is home to numerous small kingdoms
In this period some are coming under the domination of European powers
But a large number remain independent, negotiating favourable treaties
Indo-China is largely untouched by Europe
Britain has some small colonies in Johore and Singapore but the rest of the Malay peninsular remains as independent sultanates or as part of Siam
Asa (Burma), Cambodia, Vietnam, Ventiane and the Shan States (Laos) remain independent and untouched by European imperialism
The main thrust for the New Imperialism continues to be Africa, particuarly Western, Central and Southern Africa
In the latter, a tri-partite agreement between the Netherlands, the Portuguese and the Zulus finally settles the borders in 1920
Although a half dozen de facto independent Boer republics now exist, they still retain the King of the Netherlands as head of state, and the Netherlands is subject to no restrictions on trade, immigration etc
The Congo sees Britain in possession of the Central coastal strip, Austria in possession of the North-West, Portugal moving into the South, and Francia moving into the North from Central Africa where the empire has been focusing its efforts (OTL Cameroon, Central Africa)
A patchwork of colonial holdings decorates a map of West Africa, coastal trading stations with hinterland and river valleys
The most extensive are British and Frankish colonies
But Naples, Prussia, Denmark, Austria, Brunswick, Mecklenburg and Sweden all have some
Whilst Spain and Portugal have expanded their age-old holdings significantly
In the Saharan interior, the sultanates and other states are under the influence of Algiers, Tripoli or Egypt. A slave trade still prospers across the Sahara, as indeed it does in the Sultanate of Zanzibar and in the Persian Gulf
1923
Kanto (Tokyo) Earthquake
The 18th Tokugawa Shogun is killed, his capital of Edo almost annihilated
Russia has by this time established a protectorate over Korea (after war with China), seized all of Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands and become the dominant economic and political partner of Japan
The destruction of the Japanese government brings forth a crisis
Various daimyo attempt to throw off Tokugawa power
A new Tokugawa shogun is immediately nominated by the Tokugawa and their allies
The 19th Shogun, from the heart of his rural estates attempts to seize and secure power
The emperor in Kyoto is brought out of seclusion by ambitious daimyo
Russia lands a force upon Honshu
Initially it is intended to protect Russian, and other European, populations against civil war
But it soon advances inland
These developments are viewed with alarm in the capitals of Europe
It looks like Russia will make of Japan what it has of Korea or Khiva, a mere protectorate
Emperor Julius I meets with the new Frankish emperor
Together they agree a joint strategy
But it will take time to assemble the necessary ships and men
In the meantime, British warships from Johore, Oregon and California put into Southern Japanese ports
A Spanish expeditionary force lands also
Tensions are high between the British and Spanish, some minor incidents occur
A Netherlands force arrives
The British commander suggests to the Russians the formation of an International Force
The Russian commander is unimpressed, he has his orders
1924
A Frankish fleet, replete with battleships and an expeditionary force puts into Southern Japan
This is soon followed by a British fleet, including both elite (West Indian) and Indian units
As Spring comes upon the land, the Russians get more involved in the civil war
They give open backing to the daimyo around the emperor in Kyoto
And clash in minor battles with Tokugawa forces
A tripartite British-Frankish-Netherlands force moves to intervene
Spain remains on the sidelines unwilling to join with its former enemies
A British amphibious landing secures Edo
Amidst the devastation, Union aid from Oregon, California and the British colonies in Terra Australis begins to alleviate the suffering
As the political situation deteriorates and becomes more complex, Emperor Julius I sends out his cousin, Prince Aurelius, Duke of York (son of his uncle) to take command of the Union forces
Prince Aurelius, travelling by airship across the Atlantic to New Yorks, takes a train across British America, Frankish Missouri and Oregon, then a swift armoured frigate across the Pacific to Japan
He meets with the Frankish commander, and they agree a plan.
The Netherlands commander reluctantly accepts the agreement.
British and Frankish forces link up with the Tokugawa leadership
They supply arms, munitions, field artillery and experts
Whilst remaining outside the battle themselves
The Russians and the imperial forces (daimyo mainipulating the emperor) attack Tokugawa positions
With the aforementioned aid of the British and Franks, the Tokugawa hold them off
The daimyo suffer severe losses
The Russians retreat in a more orderly fashion, now in possession of the emperor
The 19th Tokugawa Shogun is formally installed in Edo, or what is left of it
He issues an ultimatum calling for the restoration of normality
Tsar Aleksandr II of Russia is unhappy with the performance of his commander in Japan
The Tsar's maxim has always been not to take on enemies who are ready for you
He believes in the long game, and in planning for the long term
He sends a negotiator to Edo who undercuts the Russian commander
In return for substantial economic concessions, Russia withdraws its force
The 19th Shogun solidifies his power
The emperor returns to seclusion at Kyoto
British and Frankish advisors remain in the country
Netherlands and Spanish forces are withdrawn fully
The majority of the British and Frankish forces leave in 1926
Grey Wolf
Grey Wolf
Donor
Technologica
1930
A young scientist from Wurttemberg stuns the scientific community with his Theories of Relative Relationships
This is soon followed by more scientific breakthroughs across the German kingdoms
Within Francia, scientists begin to look deeper into radioactivity
In the Union of Great Britain and the Americas leading discoveries are made in radio wave technologies
In Saint Petersburg, Tsar Aleksandr II is concerned
Military technology he has an understanding of
Russia produces so much of everything it eventually catches up
The Alaskan gold has also been very useful in buying in outside advice
Russian industry is the equal of the rest of Europe
But the 'New Sciences' - he is worried by
He pours vast amounts of money into new institutes, establishments and universities in Saint Petersburg, Moscow, Vladivostock
Airships are now spanning the globe
Within the Union, Imperial Airways links Britain to the Americas, to Oregon, to British India, and back
Subsidiary branches cover Canada, California, La Plata, Johore
Francia, Austria, the Netherlands have the next most advanced networks
Russia and Spain come in next
No other nation can claim a global spanning network of airships
Automobiles are beginning to become popular
A plethora of companies exists in every nation
They are still not affordable for the ordinary family
Rail networks continue to develope, lines deeper into the interiors
Ever-faster locomotives
Aeroplanes have advanced from dual-seater to small-scale passenger ones
They are generally used for mail and short hops
Against established airship companies they are otherwise uneconomic
Their military use is being investigated further however
1940s
Wireless radio becomes freely available to the people
State, and in some areas commercial, stations are born
This is soon followed by an early form of television
Monorails, electro-magnetic advances and electric trains all advance train transport
Although some small airlines now operate exclusively aeroplanes, the norm is for a mixed airship-aeroplane service
Automobiles are becoming cheaper, as factories become larger
But they remain largely a middle class preserve
The military possibilities for aeroplanes and automobiles have spawned a mass of prototypes
Grey Wolf
1930
A young scientist from Wurttemberg stuns the scientific community with his Theories of Relative Relationships
This is soon followed by more scientific breakthroughs across the German kingdoms
Within Francia, scientists begin to look deeper into radioactivity
In the Union of Great Britain and the Americas leading discoveries are made in radio wave technologies
In Saint Petersburg, Tsar Aleksandr II is concerned
Military technology he has an understanding of
Russia produces so much of everything it eventually catches up
The Alaskan gold has also been very useful in buying in outside advice
Russian industry is the equal of the rest of Europe
But the 'New Sciences' - he is worried by
He pours vast amounts of money into new institutes, establishments and universities in Saint Petersburg, Moscow, Vladivostock
Airships are now spanning the globe
Within the Union, Imperial Airways links Britain to the Americas, to Oregon, to British India, and back
Subsidiary branches cover Canada, California, La Plata, Johore
Francia, Austria, the Netherlands have the next most advanced networks
Russia and Spain come in next
No other nation can claim a global spanning network of airships
Automobiles are beginning to become popular
A plethora of companies exists in every nation
They are still not affordable for the ordinary family
Rail networks continue to develope, lines deeper into the interiors
Ever-faster locomotives
Aeroplanes have advanced from dual-seater to small-scale passenger ones
They are generally used for mail and short hops
Against established airship companies they are otherwise uneconomic
Their military use is being investigated further however
1940s
Wireless radio becomes freely available to the people
State, and in some areas commercial, stations are born
This is soon followed by an early form of television
Monorails, electro-magnetic advances and electric trains all advance train transport
Although some small airlines now operate exclusively aeroplanes, the norm is for a mixed airship-aeroplane service
Automobiles are becoming cheaper, as factories become larger
But they remain largely a middle class preserve
The military possibilities for aeroplanes and automobiles have spawned a mass of prototypes
Grey Wolf
Grey Wolf
Donor
Alayta said:
You ask an interesting question, though I am not quite sure of the thrust of it. I will attempt to answer it as I understand you to mean.
As in OTL, the philosophical currents of the 18th century produced a dangerous mix when the French Revolution of this ATL breaks out. Note that in this ATL, the American Revolutionary Wars have failed so there is no USA to give an example of a modern republic, and the ideas and beliefs of the OTL Founding Fathers have been trampled underfoot by George III's victorious forces.
The French Revolution goes through its coups, counter-coups, revolutions etc so that by the end of the 1790s an atheist current is strongest, and with the emergence of an atheist military genius, the French sweep aside much of the Old European order, sack Rome and kill the Pope.
In time, a Deist current becomes dominant within France, rather than an atheist one. This Deism becomes the dominant force in half of Europe - Northern Italy, the German states (reorganised as a patchwork of territorially contiguous kingdoms in this ATL), the Netherlands and after its conquest in Britain under the client Cambridge regime.
Thus, the underpinning for the world of a century later is one where the philosophies of the Enlightenment led to a Deist domination in half of Europe. The theories of democracy etc don't do so well, with the French turning from a system of First Consuls into a hereditary Empire of Francia, somewhat along the lines of what Napoleon did, though several decades later and with rather less conquest of the world desires.
The rulers of the Deist states remain powerful, but they are constitutional monarchies, perhaps more like OTL empires such as Austria-Hungary or Germany, rather than OTL late nineteenth century Britain.
I'd be glad to answer any further questions
Just going out for some beer and chips in the rain !Grey Wolf
Grey Wolf
Donor
1937
The death of Aleksandr II
The accession of Tsar Konstantine III
Whereas in his last years Aleksandr had concentrated on science and technology
Konstantine III comes to the throne with a readymade plan for global hegemony
Turning Russia's dominance of the Near East and Far East into a global position
Most international observers assume he will tone this down upon his accession
They are surprised by reality
Pre-existing tensions :-
California
Russian settlement in Alaska is overflowing
Trading companies spread along the Oregon and California coast
Sizeable Russian communities settle in British California
Frequent tensions between them and the British occur
The Spanish Catholics tend to side more with the Russians in this
The British Governor of California has a hard time of it !
Japan
British and Frankish advisors remain key to the Shogunate's independence
Russian economic interests are frequently clashing with this
Russian naval units frequently make technically illegal calls into N Japanese harbours
Japan begins to develop a naval force of their own, but not a major one
British and Frankish warships are frequent vsitors to Japan
Middle East
Britain's position of influence over Mameluke Egypt
Russia and Francia sharing uneasy influence over Syria
Frequent clashes on the Egyptian-Syrian border
Grey Wolf
The death of Aleksandr II
The accession of Tsar Konstantine III
Whereas in his last years Aleksandr had concentrated on science and technology
Konstantine III comes to the throne with a readymade plan for global hegemony
Turning Russia's dominance of the Near East and Far East into a global position
Most international observers assume he will tone this down upon his accession
They are surprised by reality
Pre-existing tensions :-
California
Russian settlement in Alaska is overflowing
Trading companies spread along the Oregon and California coast
Sizeable Russian communities settle in British California
Frequent tensions between them and the British occur
The Spanish Catholics tend to side more with the Russians in this
The British Governor of California has a hard time of it !
Japan
British and Frankish advisors remain key to the Shogunate's independence
Russian economic interests are frequently clashing with this
Russian naval units frequently make technically illegal calls into N Japanese harbours
Japan begins to develop a naval force of their own, but not a major one
British and Frankish warships are frequent vsitors to Japan
Middle East
Britain's position of influence over Mameluke Egypt
Russia and Francia sharing uneasy influence over Syria
Frequent clashes on the Egyptian-Syrian border
Grey Wolf
Grey Wolf
Donor
Comparison of Empire
1937
Comparison of empire
Russia is dominant across Asia, with inroads into N China, protectorates over Khiva, Bokhara and Khokand and over Korea, and a dominant economic position over Japan. Added to this is Alaska which is being settled in great depth now, and influence in Peking over the Chinese court
Russia is also dominant in the Middle East, ruling over the Principalities, the W Black Sea coast, Constantinople and the Straits, Western Anatolian coastal plains, Cilicia, and also Eastern Anatolia, where the land not owned is shared with dominance from Baghdad
Russia and Francia share influence over Syria.
Arabia, Persia, the Persian Gulf are less influenced, but Russia has a significant position in them
The Union of Great Britain and the Americas
Home rule parliaments in Edinburgh, Dublin, New York and Kingston (as well as London)
Union assembly in London (airships make it easy to get there now)
Rules over British America, the Canadian crown colonies and the Hudson Bay Company by association, Oregon (OTL British Columbia plus Oregon and Washington) and California, plus the West Indies
Alliance with the now independent New Granada, Cuba and the United Provinces of Central America
A certain dominance in the Caribbean
British India, about 1/3 of the mass, is divided between crown colonies and the East India Company
British Africa is mainly some holdings in West Africa, plus the central coastal Congo
In addition, Mameluke Egypt is in the British sphere of influence
In South America, Britain rules over La Plata (NE Argentina plus Uruguay)
Britain has Johore and Singapora on the Malay peninsular
And a position within S China and Japan of some influence
Some Pacific islands are British protectorates, none are direct colonies
Terra Australis has British colonies in it
Francia's main colonies are Missouri (think Louisiana Purchase and add the Ohio lands seized from the Union), and Frankish India
In addition there are some West African holdings, and the Frankish Congo (OTL Cameroon, Central Africa and the N Congo)
Francia has a position of influence in Japan, and some in S China and IndoChina
Francia shares influence with Russia over Syria
Frankish allies include Algiers, Tunis and Tripoli giving a certain dominance in the Mediterranean
There are also of course the Frankish Indies, and various colonies and protectorates in the Pacific
Francia itself includes S OTL Belgium and areas of the Rhineland, as well as Sardinia, NW and central Italy including Rome
Terra Australis has Frankish colonies in it
Spain has finally settled down
The Usurper King outlives the last of the legitimists (old man dies happy in Morocco)
The Usurper King's son is now legitimate king
Spain's empire includes some W African holdings, but is mainly focused on the Americas, and in the Pacific
In the Pacific it has the Philippines, the Carolines and Marianas and Guam
Terra Australis has Spanish colonies in it
In the Americas there is Mexico, which includes OTL Mexico, Tejas, New Mexico and into S Wyoming
California has been seized by Britain
In S America there are :-
The Viceroyalty of Peru
And the new remnant Viceroyalty of Argentina (after the loss of La Plata)
Portugal's empire includes the autonomous Viceroyalty of Brazil now rules by a hereditary line of Viceroys
Some holdings in West Africa
And in the South the swathe of land from Angola in the West, across Baretseland (S Congo and Zambia) and Mozambique
There are some significant Portuguese holdings remaining in India
Plus East Timor
Terra Australis has a few small Portuguese colonies in it
The Netherlands main colonial empire is split into the African and East Indies holdings
In Africa, its Cape Province (inc Natal) now has formal colonies over OTL Namibia
Informal suzerainty is exercised over 6 Boer republics in OTL Transvaal, Orange River, Rhodesia and Bechuanaland
The Netherlands has the Netherlands Antilles and a few other islands in the Caribbean, as well as a holding in Guyana
In the Indian Ocean, there is Ceylon
The East Indies are technically Netherlands territory but quite a few of the native states remain, with Netherlands protectorates over them; these include Aceh
Terra Australis has Netherlands colonies in it too
The other colonial empires are much smaller :-
Sweden with some holdings in West Africa
Denmark with holdings in West Africa, islands in the Caribbean and the Nicobar islands in the Indian Ocean
Prussia, Mecklenburg, Brunswick all have only their West African holdings
Austria has holdings in West Africa and the Austrian Congo (OTL Gabon)
Naples too has established a holding in West Africa as well as some protectorates in the Pacific
Grey Wolf
1937
Comparison of empire
Russia is dominant across Asia, with inroads into N China, protectorates over Khiva, Bokhara and Khokand and over Korea, and a dominant economic position over Japan. Added to this is Alaska which is being settled in great depth now, and influence in Peking over the Chinese court
Russia is also dominant in the Middle East, ruling over the Principalities, the W Black Sea coast, Constantinople and the Straits, Western Anatolian coastal plains, Cilicia, and also Eastern Anatolia, where the land not owned is shared with dominance from Baghdad
Russia and Francia share influence over Syria.
Arabia, Persia, the Persian Gulf are less influenced, but Russia has a significant position in them
The Union of Great Britain and the Americas
Home rule parliaments in Edinburgh, Dublin, New York and Kingston (as well as London)
Union assembly in London (airships make it easy to get there now)
Rules over British America, the Canadian crown colonies and the Hudson Bay Company by association, Oregon (OTL British Columbia plus Oregon and Washington) and California, plus the West Indies
Alliance with the now independent New Granada, Cuba and the United Provinces of Central America
A certain dominance in the Caribbean
British India, about 1/3 of the mass, is divided between crown colonies and the East India Company
British Africa is mainly some holdings in West Africa, plus the central coastal Congo
In addition, Mameluke Egypt is in the British sphere of influence
In South America, Britain rules over La Plata (NE Argentina plus Uruguay)
Britain has Johore and Singapora on the Malay peninsular
And a position within S China and Japan of some influence
Some Pacific islands are British protectorates, none are direct colonies
Terra Australis has British colonies in it
Francia's main colonies are Missouri (think Louisiana Purchase and add the Ohio lands seized from the Union), and Frankish India
In addition there are some West African holdings, and the Frankish Congo (OTL Cameroon, Central Africa and the N Congo)
Francia has a position of influence in Japan, and some in S China and IndoChina
Francia shares influence with Russia over Syria
Frankish allies include Algiers, Tunis and Tripoli giving a certain dominance in the Mediterranean
There are also of course the Frankish Indies, and various colonies and protectorates in the Pacific
Francia itself includes S OTL Belgium and areas of the Rhineland, as well as Sardinia, NW and central Italy including Rome
Terra Australis has Frankish colonies in it
Spain has finally settled down
The Usurper King outlives the last of the legitimists (old man dies happy in Morocco)
The Usurper King's son is now legitimate king
Spain's empire includes some W African holdings, but is mainly focused on the Americas, and in the Pacific
In the Pacific it has the Philippines, the Carolines and Marianas and Guam
Terra Australis has Spanish colonies in it
In the Americas there is Mexico, which includes OTL Mexico, Tejas, New Mexico and into S Wyoming
California has been seized by Britain
In S America there are :-
The Viceroyalty of Peru
And the new remnant Viceroyalty of Argentina (after the loss of La Plata)
Portugal's empire includes the autonomous Viceroyalty of Brazil now rules by a hereditary line of Viceroys
Some holdings in West Africa
And in the South the swathe of land from Angola in the West, across Baretseland (S Congo and Zambia) and Mozambique
There are some significant Portuguese holdings remaining in India
Plus East Timor
Terra Australis has a few small Portuguese colonies in it
The Netherlands main colonial empire is split into the African and East Indies holdings
In Africa, its Cape Province (inc Natal) now has formal colonies over OTL Namibia
Informal suzerainty is exercised over 6 Boer republics in OTL Transvaal, Orange River, Rhodesia and Bechuanaland
The Netherlands has the Netherlands Antilles and a few other islands in the Caribbean, as well as a holding in Guyana
In the Indian Ocean, there is Ceylon
The East Indies are technically Netherlands territory but quite a few of the native states remain, with Netherlands protectorates over them; these include Aceh
Terra Australis has Netherlands colonies in it too
The other colonial empires are much smaller :-
Sweden with some holdings in West Africa
Denmark with holdings in West Africa, islands in the Caribbean and the Nicobar islands in the Indian Ocean
Prussia, Mecklenburg, Brunswick all have only their West African holdings
Austria has holdings in West Africa and the Austrian Congo (OTL Gabon)
Naples too has established a holding in West Africa as well as some protectorates in the Pacific
Grey Wolf
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