Could a Chinese Superpower coexist with a Russian Superpower?

[NiGHTS]

So, I actually have three questions here.

1. So, say that due to a number of PODs of indeterminate time, Imperial Russia is able to become a superpower that dominates much of South Eastern Europe and the Middle East, in addition to what it already had in Central Asia and East Asia. At the same time, in this timeline, the Republic of China is able to rise up and become a superpower that manages to hold much of East and South East Asia as its backyard. Could these two powers peacefully coexist without encroaching on each other' territory? Could Russia be able to control much of West Eurasia while controlling and having very little influence in East Asia?
2. What's more interesting? A German Imperial wank, or A Russian Imperial Wank? For me, this is a hard question as on one hand, Germany lost both world wars, and was never able to dominate much of Europe for a long time, while Russia, as the USSR, was able to win at least one World War, and was able to dominate more or less half of Europe for many decades, but still in the end would lose control of all that, and more. This makes it hard for me to decide to which to make the dominant power in Europe in regards to my own worldbuilding. What do you guys think would be more interesting or cool to see? Super Germany, or Super Russia?

 

[Teutoberg Forest]

Super Germany is interesting because before World War One (and really until Versailles) Germany was far closer to being a superpower than Russia. Germany was able to hold back Britain, France, and Russia with minimal help from its allies; being able to face down the three next most powerful nations in Europe hints that Germany was OTL not that far away from becoming a superpower. Furthermore, a Super Germany would almost certainly preclude the possibility of a Super Russia, because in order to be superpowers both would need to exert control over Eastern Europe; in my opinion, Super Germany would have to relegate Russia to at least a low-tier great power status, and would most likely seek to divide Russia the same way that the OTL USSR divided Germany.

 

[BellaGerant]

So, I actually have three questions here.

1. So, say that due to a number of PODs of indeterminate time, Imperial Russia is able to become a superpower that dominates much of South Eastern Europe and the Middle East, in addition to what it already had in Central Asia and East Asia. At the same time, in this timeline, the Republic of China is able to rise up and become a superpower that manages to hold much of East and South East Asia as its backyard. Could these two powers peacefully coexist without encroaching on each other' territory? Could Russia be able to control much of West Eurasia while controlling and having very little influence in East Asia?

Central Asia and Mongolia are of great interest to both Russia and China OTL and much of Russia's Far Eastern possessions were taken from the Qing Empire. Without taking Outer Manchuria, then there's fewer issues and Russia has fewer interests in East Asia but there's still a massive, porous, and hard to patrol border with resource-rich lands on both sides. Conflict would be tantalising, to say the least.

1. What's more interesting? A German Imperial wank, or A Russian Imperial Wank? For me, this is a hard question as on one hand, Germany lost both world wars, and was never able to dominate much of Europe for a long time, while Russia, as the USSR, was able to win at least one World War, and was able to dominate more or less half of Europe for many decades, but still in the end would lose control of all that, and more. This makes it hard for me to decide to which to make the dominant power in Europe in regards to my own worldbuilding. What do you guys think would be more interesting or cool to see? Super Germany, or Super Russia?

Russia has more reach simply due to being so big, and so its influence and intrigues would be more directly felt throughout Eurasia whereas Germany's depends on its naval reach. Plus, Russia actually being managed well in the 20th century would be interesting to see, OTL already having Russia under some...lacklustre leadership at pivotal moments of history. Russia at its full potential (that is to say, not devastated by war, civil war, purges, and war again over a few decades that sidelined economic developments) wasn't something we got to see OTL.

 

[NiGHTS]

Central Asia and Mongolia are of great interest to both Russia and China OTL and much of Russia's Far Eastern possessions were taken from the Qing Empire. Without taking Outer Manchuria, then there's fewer issues and Russia has fewer interests in East Asia but there's still a massive, porous, and hard to patrol border with resource-rich lands on both sides. Conflict would be tantalising, to say the least.

Russia has more reach simply due to being so big, and so its influence and intrigues would be more directly felt throughout Eurasia whereas Germany's depends on its naval reach. Plus, Russia actually being managed well in the 20th century would be interesting to see, OTL already having Russia under some...lacklustre leadership at pivotal moments of history. Russia at its full potential (that is to say, not devastated by war, civil war, purges, and war again over a few decades that sidelined economic developments) wasn't something we got to see OTL.

How much of Europe do you think a super Russia could control vs a super Germany? Like, could Russia become string enough to become the dominant naval power on the peninsula. And how would Russian power over the Arab world look like vs that of a super Germany?

Oh, and for the general idea of super Germany's naval power, let's say that they manage to take Britain's place as being the largest navy in the world. As in no nation in Europe can challenge Germany's naval power.

 

[NiGHTS]

Super Germany is interesting because before World War One (and really until Versailles) Germany was far closer to being a superpower than Russia. Germany was able to hold back Britain, France, and Russia with minimal help from its allies; being able to face down the three next most powerful nations in Europe hints that Germany was OTL not that far away from becoming a superpower. Furthermore, a Super Germany would almost certainly preclude the possibility of a Super Russia, because in order to be superpowers both would need to exert control over Eastern Europe; in my opinion, Super Germany would have to relegate Russia to at least a low-tier great power status, and would most likely seek to divide Russia the same way that the OTL USSR divided Germany.

How would Germany divide Russia? Like, let's say that China joins them in a war against Russia. Would Russia actually be divided, or would it just have a puppet king or republic installed on it? Would Russia still be able to control Siberia if it has a puppet ruler? Or would Russian mini states appear past the Urals?

 

[Teutoberg Forest]

How would Germany divide Russia? Like, let's say that China joins them in a war against Russia. Would Russia actually be divided, or would it just have a puppet king or republic installed on it? Would Russia still be able to control Siberia if it has a puppet ruler? Or would Russian mini states appear past the Urals?

I think that Germany wouldn't divide Russia by force but rather work to facilitate a multi-sided civil war in Russia similar to the OTL Russian Civil War, except ending with multiple factions holding territory. A more powerful Germany would weaken the Russian state even more than it did in OTL WWI, which could lead to a worse civil war that ends without a true winner. And if Russia ever divides, a superpower Germany would not let it reunite; a Germany which would allow Russia to resurrect itself would only do so because it doesn't have the means to do anything about it, at which point they wouldn't be a superpower.

 

[HIM Dogson]

Imperial Russia wank is more interesting because it's been done much less. Look, I'm as Kaiserboo as the next guy but Imperial German wanks are just oversaturated at this point.

 

[NiGHTS]

In terms if aesthetic, who would be cooler? By aesthetic, I mean in terms of visual arts such as architecture and fashion. That's kind of a big influence on me, as well as language. One thing I'm thinking of is having Germany or Russia be the head of an present day aristocratic Europe, where aesthetics are heavily based on the more imperial and religious eras of Europe. I'm thinking of fashion like the Victorian era, but modernized.

Like this is a heavy inspiration for me.

Between Russia and Germany, who would provide the type of above aesthetic for me? Or could both do it?

 

[Thisisnotausername]

Imperial Russia wank is more interesting because it's been done much less. Look, I'm as Kaiserboo as the next guy but Imperial German wanks are just oversaturated at this point.

Imperial Russia wanks are certainly less explored, but most of the oversaturation of Imperial German wanks is just an oversaturation of Kaiserreich fanfiction. Like, at this point you could probably make an Imperial Germany wank halfway original just by not being yet another scenario where Germany wins WWI in 1917/18, subsequently gains Brest-Litovsk, everything it wanted in the Septemberprogramm, and half of Austria-Hungary, and then winds up fighting a fascist/communist France twenty years later.

In terms if aesthetic, who would be cooler? By aesthetic, I mean in terms of visual arts such as architecture and fashion. That's kind of a big influence on me, as well as language. One thing I'm thinking of is having Germany or Russia be the head of an present day aristocratic Europe, where aesthetics are heavily based on the more imperial and religious eras of Europe. I'm thinking of fashion like the Victorian era, but modernized.

Like this is a heavy inspiration for me.
Between Russia and Germany, who would provide the type of above aesthetic for me? Or could both do it?

Honestly, this sort of thing is more about author fiat than anything else, and you could probably do it equally well with either. I'd suggest looking at architecture, fashion, and so on from both states and picking the one whose overall aesthetic fits your vision best.

 

[Goats-&-Bolts]

Super Germany is interesting because before World War One (and really until Versailles) Germany was far closer to being a superpower than Russia. Germany was able to hold back Britain, France, and Russia with minimal help from its allies; being able to face down the three next most powerful nations in Europe hints that Germany was OTL not that far away from becoming a superpower.

By that logic Afghanistan is a superpower.

 

[jjstraub4]

I often wonder about a more successful Russia. With a 1900 butterfly you could have over 400 million ethnic Russians.

 

[Kalga]

By that logic Afghanistan is a superpower.

Not sure if you're being disingenuous or genuinely missing the point. There's a vast difference between Germany's context in WWI and Afghanistan's performance in its various conflicts. The former took on the world in a peer fight, at times taking the war to their opponent's lands. That rarely occur's for Afghanistan...

 

[stevej713]

So, I actually have three questions here.

1. So, say that due to a number of PODs of indeterminate time, Imperial Russia is able to become a superpower that dominates much of South Eastern Europe and the Middle East, in addition to what it already had in Central Asia and East Asia. At the same time, in this timeline, the Republic of China is able to rise up and become a superpower that manages to hold much of East and South East Asia as its backyard. Could these two powers peacefully coexist without encroaching on each other' territory? Could Russia be able to control much of West Eurasia while controlling and having very little influence in East Asia?

I think it's impossible for continental hegemons to coexist with each other. In geopolitics, countries with large neighbors will often support any action that ties them down and diverts them elsewhere. Vietnam was a tremendous benefit to the USSR because it moved American attention and military assets far away from their borders. However, you may have noticed that Russia vehemently protested the War on Terror. That was because all of the sudden, new airbases were being established all along Russia's periphery, including in former Soviet Republics.

In this case, China would be quick to support any revolution or rebellion in Europe, and vice versa. Thus the seeds of distrust and antagonism would be sown. As long as both states are sufficiently and simultaneously tied down in opposite sides of the world, there may be peace. However, history is rarely ever so neat.