Jaxa (state) - Wikipedia
A very obscure Polish exile buffer state on the border of Russia and China.
Obscure buffer states as modern nations
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A very obscure Polish exile buffer state on the border of Russia and China.
In northeast Belgium there once existed a small sliver of a buffer state known as Neutral Moresnet. At its height it consisted of one small town and an extremely profitable zinc mine. It was created as a compromise during the Congress of Vienna as neither the Netherlands nor Prussia were willing to concede the land to the other side, so it was jointly governed by the two powers. Later, it was governed by Belgium and Prussia, and after that, Belgium and Germany.
Eventually the zinc ran out, and Neutral Moresnet tried a variety of different economic programs, including casinos, gin manufacturing, stamp exporting, and becoming the only place in the world where Esperanto was an official language. Nothing fully caught on, and it was occupied by Germany during the First World War, then absorbed into Belgium as part of the Treaty of Versailles. A sad fate for such an enterprising little territory. If it weren't for the world wars I think it would have managed to survive to the present day after finding some sort of economic niche. After all, it did manage to last over a century IOTL and it's no more unusual than Liechtenstein.
Eventually the zinc ran out, and Neutral Moresnet tried a variety of different economic programs, including casinos, gin manufacturing, stamp exporting, and becoming the only place in the world where Esperanto was an official language. Nothing fully caught on, and it was occupied by Germany during the First World War, then absorbed into Belgium as part of the Treaty of Versailles. A sad fate for such an enterprising little territory. If it weren't for the world wars I think it would have managed to survive to the present day after finding some sort of economic niche. After all, it did manage to last over a century IOTL and it's no more unusual than Liechtenstein.
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Israel creates a Druze buffer state in Southern Syria.
1967 WI: Israel Turns Golan Heights (and more) Into A Druze Buffer State
1) In 1967 during the Six Day War, Israel conquered the Golan Heights in Southwestern Syria. 2) The Golan Heights as well as much of Southwest Syria is populated predominantly by a minority group known as the Druze. 3) In otl the Druze do not have their own country. However in Israel and...
www.alternatehistory.com
On that note there was a proposal, not one taken very seriously, to establish a Central Confederacy that would be between the USA and the CSA. I’ll talk more when I can send the link.
Central Confederacy - Wikipedia
Here is the link to the wiki page I learned about it from.
What about a surviving International Zone of the Straits (or an internationalized Constantinople, for that matter) turning into a truncated Ottoman Caliphate (with the rest of Turkey under a republican regime) post-decolonization? Would that count for the purposes of this scenario?
In the same region one idea I had previously was an earlier independent Danubian Principalities. In the latter part of the Crimean War the Austrian Empire is able to successfully float the idea of turning Moldavia, Wallachia and Northern Dobruja into a neutral state similar to Belgium. The Kingdom of Danubia is required by treaty to remain neutral with the Great Powers acting as guarantors to stop any interference.
I can't see many other countries recognising this new state, it having been forcibly carved out of Syria's recognised territory, so diplomatic and economic links will be negligible. The Syrian government itself certainly isn't going to recognise it. Any Druze state is going to be looking at constant low-level conflict with Syria. Becoming Israel's meat-shield isn't a very attractive proposition.
Fairly unlikely to my mind. The Druze have managed to get on in the region, as you mention in your third point, by being faithful to whichever country they found themselves in - those in Israel served the Israeli state, those in Syria the Syrian state etc. If they accept this deal, especially at the behest of Israel, that goes straight out of the window and they become pariahs.
I can't see many other countries recognising this new state, it having been forcibly carved out of Syria's recognised territory, so diplomatic and economic links will be negligible. The Syrian government itself certainly isn't going to recognise it. Any Druze state is going to be looking at constant low-level conflict with Syria. Becoming Israel's meat-shield isn't a very attractive proposition.
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