MoF 05: Cold War: UK vs US

My entry:

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Bah. Tried several alternate ideas, but nothing really went "click", so I just gave up and finished one. Perhaps I'll be more inspired next time.

This is a TL where the Germans managed to collapse the USSR and the war ending in the atomic bombardment of central Europe. With no new Great Enemy in sight, the more conservative than OTL US leadership withdraws back into isolationism for a while (well, until much of east Asia goes Red) leaving the British and the French with the job of cleaning up the godawful mess in Europe. Things do not go well.

Bruce

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The Lion And The Eagle - Collaborative Map!

Hi all! This is a collaboration between myself and Nicksplace27 - he produced the map and the TL concept and asked me to add country name annotations and flavour text to round it out a little. Nick probably has a better idea of his TL, but he's been incommunicado, and since the deadline's coming up I thought I'd better post it. So, here's my take on the background info he sent over:

The P.O.D. is a different Quebec Act of 1774 which fails to placate the French settlers (whilst still enraging the southern colonists as per OTL). The Province of Quebec supports Benedict Arnold and a more successful New Brunswick rising allows the United States of North America to assume control over much of British North America. The Treaty of Paris grants the fifteen United States all the land south of the Hudson River Basin and east of the Mississippi. Britain then has to figure out what to do with 100,000 loyalists, as Newfoundland and Rupertsland can't support the extra population. By 1786 most have been relocated to Australia.

An alternate French Revolution sees the USNA declare war on *Napoleonic France. South America rises against Spanish rule and Louisiana is annexed by the USNA. France invades the Netherlands, annexing the Austrian Netherlands and establishes the Batavian Republic, which declares war on Britain. Britain takes control of Gold Coast, the Cape, Ceylon and Indonesia. In Europe, France, Russia, and the Batavian Republic soundly defeat Austria, Prussia, and Spain. The *Continental System comprises the Batavian Republic, the Kingdom of Catalonia, the Kingdom of Italy (later the Republic of Italy) and the Federation of German Nations.

However, after our Napoleon analogue's death, Europe is again plunged into war in the 1820s and 1870s, as the *Napoleonic constructs turn on France and attempt to reclaim historically German and Italian territory. Britain chooses to remain neutral, profiteering from the German, French, and Italian republics. Britain and Portugal are left the undisputed masters of the colonial world, and divide the spoils more or less amicably.

The Anglo-American wars in the 1850s see the British possessions in North America whittled down to just Newfoundland and the island protectorates. Britain's long-term ally in America, the Kingdom of Mexico, is defeated with the aid of the Central American Confederation and the Confederation of New Granada. The King of Mexico is put on trial and executed, and a USNA-friendly Mexican Republic established. The breakaway Republic of the Yucatan proves highly unstable, requiring USNA intervention. In the late 19th century Britain adopts a policy of containment, and expands into the Southern Cone to prevent further USNA influence.

By the 20th century Britain is suffering from severe overstretch - the four Kingdoms of Egypt, South Africa, Malaysia and Australia can be considered similar to OTL's Dominions, but do not have self-determination, and are considered separate Crowns (e.g. as if the Crown of Canada had been created in OTL). To complicate matters they have a shared parliament and are often referred to as the United Kingdom (officially they remain the United Kingdoms of the Hanoverian monarch). The Kingdoms have joint responsibility for administering the dominions of their Queen (though the Union of British Indian Dominions and Princely States remain a British preserve). Portugal has gone even further by granting full citizenship and the political franchise to all the peoples of its dependencies. This has allowed the colonial powers to resist USNA political and economic encroachment thus far - but for how much longer?
 
And I can post the longerish backstory for this map.

The POD is Britain passing a much harsher Quebec Act in 1774, which led to the Province of Quebec to rise up alongside Benedict Arnold's invading army. This, along with with a more successful uprising in New Brunswick, allows the fledgling United States to assume control over nearly the entirety of British North America, with the lands of the Hudson Bay Company and Newfoundland being the last holdouts. The Treaty of Paris grants grants the now 15 United States all the land south of the Hudson River Basin and East of the Mississippi. The United States then has Washington, Arnold, and then Hamilton by 1800 giving the British a very solid trading partner and ally.

The roughly 100,000 Loyalists temporarily set up camp in St. John but Newfoundland cannot sustain that large of a population through the winter. So, the British Government decided to relocate these Loyalists to Australia, where they arrive in 1786, marking the beginning of a much stronger colony of Australia.

The French Revolution hits on schedule and after Robspierre, Nappy takes over (He never goes to Egypt, but instead fights in the Austrian Netherlands after relieving the Siege of Toulon) and tries for domination of Europe. Everyone declares war on Napoleon, including America. He invades the Netherlands and sets up the Batavian Republic, who switches sides. Britain takes control of Gold Coast, the Cape, Ceylon and Indonesia. Then, Napoleon focuses on invading Spain and after defeating them, has them switch sides. America invades Luisiana and eventually all of South America rises up.

Napoleon is ultimately victorious against all enemies on land; dismembering Austria, Prussia and Spain setting up the Kingdom of Italy, the Confederation of the Rhine, and the Kingdom of Catalonia. His alliances now spread throughout Europe and France had gained more territory than ever. Then, like Alexander, he dies just after finishing his conquests. Luckily, the senate takes over and Talleyrand ensures that Prussia and Austria do not invade. They settle to a quiet peace.

Germany and Italy rise up from the Napoleonic constructs and decide to attack France, who had occupied territories with majority German and Italian people in it. The bloody wars fought between 1820 and 1870 left all of Europe devastated. Britain stayed out of it because there were nearly no naval battles and neutrality made for good business with the German, French and Italian republics. With all of this war profiteering, the British could afford to explore and expand their empire to ultimately gather as many natural resources as possible.

The 1840s marks the split of the Anglo-American alliance. The United States begins to feel Manifest Destiny coming on and with Slavery having been voted state by state to end beginning with Virginia in the 1830s, there is no slave-free balance to worry about. The British are unwilling to sell Rupertsland and decides to fund the Kingdom of Mexico against them. The Americans gather allies in the form of Gran Colombia and The United Provinces of Central America. It blossoms into a massive war taking up most of the Hemisphere, with American backed Brazilians rebelling against the Portuguese rulers and allies of the British. Ultimately, the Americans emerge victorious with the establishment of the Republics of Brazil and Mexico and the forming the foundations for the Alliance of Liberty.

Meanwhile, Britain smarts from their losses in the Anglo-American by banning together with it's fledgling colonies to form a sort of Imperial Federation by the 1880s and eventually beginning to admit their most developed non-white colonies like the Malay and Egyptians. Also a timely intervention in a massive uprising in China in the 1860's had a group of British soldiers and allied Chinese forces declare George V as Emperor of China. It kept the mostly Chinese court and smaller administrative duties, including the exam form of civil service choices but with the British as head.

Fast forward to 1920. The Alliance of Liberty consisting of most of the Western Hemisphere faces off against the Twin Empires consisting of Portugal, the United Kingdom and their various colonies taking up most of the Eastern Hemisphere. The balance is holding but tenuously...
 
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