Who controls Puerto Rico at the moment, because on that map it is white.
Otherwise, coolness.
Otherwise, coolness.
The Red Crowns: An Imperial Tale
- Thread starter Major Crimson
- Start date
Chapter Thirteen: Of Ships and Swedes
Extract from A Brief Naval History of Great Britain
By John Gusman Published by Penguin Publishing, 1976
1904 has often been called the “Light before the Dusk”, that brief period of the Early 20th century before the Wars began. This description is, in my opinion, a little dramatic. In truth, 1905 was not so violent a year and 1904 not so peaceful itself. The year began undramatically, the new British Monarchs were still the big news of the day and would soon boost their prestige with a project that had been long in the works. As soon as she was presented to the World, the HMS Leviathan changed everything. Trapped in a hellish development cycle, the Leviathan was first commissioned in 1896, the ship was to be the largest ever made. A collosal beast, she was 623 in length and 87 in width with a draught of just over 30 feet. The Leviathan completely overshadowed the rest of the fleet and in truth, every fleet. Many countries, including the Japanese and Americans had been working on similar vessels but the British design proved to be both the most effective and first to be put into action. What truly defined the Leviathan however was her armament, 6 18-inch torpedo tubes, 8 twin 12-inch BL guns and 26 12-pounder guns, she was the first “all-big-guns” ship and had enough firepower to capture a city. Her armour too, left few wanting, 15 inches of steel at the belt made her safe from anything her foes could throw at her.
In summary, the ultimate vessel; or so people thought. Little could anyone have predicted but the Leviathan would be but the first in a long series of Battleships developed after her, each bigger and better than the last. The first to respond were the Germans who, in an attempt to keep up with their Britannic brethen, would put to sea the SMS a few years later, in 1907. The escalation of Ship building greatly strained the relationship between the two empires and only seemed to increase as years went by. The Anglo-German relationship had been on a stable rise for almost a decade now and had begun to see each other as firm friends, however that friendship was now ebign tested in major way.
The Great Leviathan
Extract from The Lion of the North
By Peter Henkle, Published by Olso University Press 1982
Whilst the British wowed the world with her ever indomitable navy, the Scandinavians made leaps and bounds in their politics. The trends were obvious, the Scandinavians were moving towards union. The RSC (Royal Scandinavian Council) had been set up by the Danish and Swedish ImpSoc parties in order to encourage greater unity. The Swedo-Norwegian Royal Labour Party was doing well in elections and whilst they were far from a majority in parliament, they had enough sway to encourage His Majesty, King Oscar, to officially endorse the RSC. Through negotiations with the Danish Crown, Oscar was also able to persuade the Danish King Christian to give his endorsement. This opened up the floodgates. Before, only Imperial Socialists and the odd Marxian had supported the group but with the Kings giving their support, Conservatives, Liberals and everyone in between came out in support of the RSC. The ruling Swedish Conservative Party added Scandinavian Union to their political manifesto in December 1903 and officially linked themselves to their Danish counterparts. In March 1904, the first Bill presented to the RSC found it’s way into the Norwegian, Swedish and Danish Parliaments. An Official monetary Union, the Nordic Krona, would be put into place. Old currencies would remain legal tender until the end of the year with both the Danish and Swedish Krona being pegged at equal price, only to be slowly faded out and replaced with the modern, decimalised currency. The new coins featured Danish, Norwegian, Swedish and even Finnish Kings, Scientists and Warriors, with the old national coats of arms being replaced with the logo of the RSC, by this point an official institution. In July, a complete passport union was established, now Nords were not only citizens of their homelands but “Citizens of Scandinavia” as well. This allowed them free travel between their nations and moreover, created a sense of unity and oneness. A Free-Trade Zone followed soon after and by September 1904, any Scandinavian borders (bar that with Russian Finland) were in effect dead. All this change had not come without resistance however, the Swedish Conservative party was straining under tensions between those in favour of union and those who were opposed. On the other side of the sea, the Danish King was much less supportive of the idea than his Swedish Counterpart.
Despite this, the Royals, their Prime Ministers and the RSC met on September 10th to discuss a potential constitution for the Union. From day one, Christian made it very clear that he would remain King of Denmark and would accept no Swedish King above him. Oscar acknowledged that this was a reasonable position, but held firm in his belief that since Sweden-Norway was the much larger member of the union, it should have bigger sway. In a rather clever move, the RSC was able to quickly resolve the somewhat trivial matters of union before scaring anyone off with big decisions. First, a capital was chosen. Copenhagen and Stockholm were immediately rejected and the only old capital up for discussion was Oslo, however it was decided that as the individual Parliaments would remain as federal institutions, a different city was needed. Kalmar was a popular choice for a long while but King Christian feared that it was too Swedish and many Swedes were opposed to such blatant reference to the Danish-led Kalmar Union. In the end, Goteborg was to be the new seat of Government. It was central, historical and had (at one point or another) been a part of all three nations. The political nature of the union had been planned for some time and was simple, each Kingdom (Sweden, Denmark and Norway) would have a King who was sovereign of his own nation whilst a High King in Goteborg would take the title “High King of Scandinavia”. The old parliaments would bow to the central Government but continue as institutions. This plan had already been accepted by all parties and merely needed confirmation.
The unification however could not be done immediately and the nations went into a "Unifaction Period" that was to last until January 1st 1907, wherein they were legally one nation but still in the process of integration. The militaries were slowly combined under one Central Command in Göteborg and new uniforms were developed. Based on the Swedish model, the uniform's dull blue colours and distinctive tricorn would soon become an easily identifiable part of the Scandinavian national image. The individual military structure was not changed much however, despite standardisation of equipment and division size and the integration of the two command structures into one. Denmark had taken great steps to avoid Swedish dominance of the union and had succeeded on every front but a military one, where the more well known, well drilled and larger Swedish Military took priority. in order to keep some semblance of equality however, the Swedish First Army became the Scandinavian First, whilst the Danish First Army became the Scandinavian Second, Norway Third and so on.
Infantrymen from the Scandinavian Third Army, July 1908
With the overnment laid out and the military unified only one question remained, who would be King? Some advocated Bringing in a British or German noble, with one Swede famously advocating that Napoleon Bonaparte be offered the title. It was decided that Sweden give up the title of King of Norway and that the two new Kingdoms (Norway and Scandinavia) would be split between a Danish and Swedish member of each royal family. The final candidate was an obvious one. Prince Carl of Denmark was almost universally popular and with a Swedish Mother was able to represent both countries. However he was a Dane and so as Scandinavia went to a Danish Prince, Norway went to Prince Oscar of Sweden. The deal left everyone happy, the House of Bernadotte still held the titles of Norway and Sweden and therefore a much bigger portion of the new Parliament but the Danes took the High-Kingship. The final “Bill of Union” passed through the Danish, Swedish and Norwegian Houses of Parliament on the 18th, 20th and 22nd of December respectively and so, on February 19th 1905, Prince Carl became High King Carl I of the United Kingdoms of Scandinavia.
The first Scandinavian Parliament would not convene for almost two years but that didn’t stop celebrations bursting out in major cities across the region. For the people of the North, a new era was being ushered in.
Extract from A Brief Naval History of Great Britain
By John Gusman Published by Penguin Publishing, 1976
1904 has often been called the “Light before the Dusk”, that brief period of the Early 20th century before the Wars began. This description is, in my opinion, a little dramatic. In truth, 1905 was not so violent a year and 1904 not so peaceful itself. The year began undramatically, the new British Monarchs were still the big news of the day and would soon boost their prestige with a project that had been long in the works. As soon as she was presented to the World, the HMS Leviathan changed everything. Trapped in a hellish development cycle, the Leviathan was first commissioned in 1896, the ship was to be the largest ever made. A collosal beast, she was 623 in length and 87 in width with a draught of just over 30 feet. The Leviathan completely overshadowed the rest of the fleet and in truth, every fleet. Many countries, including the Japanese and Americans had been working on similar vessels but the British design proved to be both the most effective and first to be put into action. What truly defined the Leviathan however was her armament, 6 18-inch torpedo tubes, 8 twin 12-inch BL guns and 26 12-pounder guns, she was the first “all-big-guns” ship and had enough firepower to capture a city. Her armour too, left few wanting, 15 inches of steel at the belt made her safe from anything her foes could throw at her.
In summary, the ultimate vessel; or so people thought. Little could anyone have predicted but the Leviathan would be but the first in a long series of Battleships developed after her, each bigger and better than the last. The first to respond were the Germans who, in an attempt to keep up with their Britannic brethen, would put to sea the SMS a few years later, in 1907. The escalation of Ship building greatly strained the relationship between the two empires and only seemed to increase as years went by. The Anglo-German relationship had been on a stable rise for almost a decade now and had begun to see each other as firm friends, however that friendship was now ebign tested in major way.
The Great Leviathan
Extract from The Lion of the North
By Peter Henkle, Published by Olso University Press 1982
Whilst the British wowed the world with her ever indomitable navy, the Scandinavians made leaps and bounds in their politics. The trends were obvious, the Scandinavians were moving towards union. The RSC (Royal Scandinavian Council) had been set up by the Danish and Swedish ImpSoc parties in order to encourage greater unity. The Swedo-Norwegian Royal Labour Party was doing well in elections and whilst they were far from a majority in parliament, they had enough sway to encourage His Majesty, King Oscar, to officially endorse the RSC. Through negotiations with the Danish Crown, Oscar was also able to persuade the Danish King Christian to give his endorsement. This opened up the floodgates. Before, only Imperial Socialists and the odd Marxian had supported the group but with the Kings giving their support, Conservatives, Liberals and everyone in between came out in support of the RSC. The ruling Swedish Conservative Party added Scandinavian Union to their political manifesto in December 1903 and officially linked themselves to their Danish counterparts. In March 1904, the first Bill presented to the RSC found it’s way into the Norwegian, Swedish and Danish Parliaments. An Official monetary Union, the Nordic Krona, would be put into place. Old currencies would remain legal tender until the end of the year with both the Danish and Swedish Krona being pegged at equal price, only to be slowly faded out and replaced with the modern, decimalised currency. The new coins featured Danish, Norwegian, Swedish and even Finnish Kings, Scientists and Warriors, with the old national coats of arms being replaced with the logo of the RSC, by this point an official institution. In July, a complete passport union was established, now Nords were not only citizens of their homelands but “Citizens of Scandinavia” as well. This allowed them free travel between their nations and moreover, created a sense of unity and oneness. A Free-Trade Zone followed soon after and by September 1904, any Scandinavian borders (bar that with Russian Finland) were in effect dead. All this change had not come without resistance however, the Swedish Conservative party was straining under tensions between those in favour of union and those who were opposed. On the other side of the sea, the Danish King was much less supportive of the idea than his Swedish Counterpart.
Despite this, the Royals, their Prime Ministers and the RSC met on September 10th to discuss a potential constitution for the Union. From day one, Christian made it very clear that he would remain King of Denmark and would accept no Swedish King above him. Oscar acknowledged that this was a reasonable position, but held firm in his belief that since Sweden-Norway was the much larger member of the union, it should have bigger sway. In a rather clever move, the RSC was able to quickly resolve the somewhat trivial matters of union before scaring anyone off with big decisions. First, a capital was chosen. Copenhagen and Stockholm were immediately rejected and the only old capital up for discussion was Oslo, however it was decided that as the individual Parliaments would remain as federal institutions, a different city was needed. Kalmar was a popular choice for a long while but King Christian feared that it was too Swedish and many Swedes were opposed to such blatant reference to the Danish-led Kalmar Union. In the end, Goteborg was to be the new seat of Government. It was central, historical and had (at one point or another) been a part of all three nations. The political nature of the union had been planned for some time and was simple, each Kingdom (Sweden, Denmark and Norway) would have a King who was sovereign of his own nation whilst a High King in Goteborg would take the title “High King of Scandinavia”. The old parliaments would bow to the central Government but continue as institutions. This plan had already been accepted by all parties and merely needed confirmation.
The unification however could not be done immediately and the nations went into a "Unifaction Period" that was to last until January 1st 1907, wherein they were legally one nation but still in the process of integration. The militaries were slowly combined under one Central Command in Göteborg and new uniforms were developed. Based on the Swedish model, the uniform's dull blue colours and distinctive tricorn would soon become an easily identifiable part of the Scandinavian national image. The individual military structure was not changed much however, despite standardisation of equipment and division size and the integration of the two command structures into one. Denmark had taken great steps to avoid Swedish dominance of the union and had succeeded on every front but a military one, where the more well known, well drilled and larger Swedish Military took priority. in order to keep some semblance of equality however, the Swedish First Army became the Scandinavian First, whilst the Danish First Army became the Scandinavian Second, Norway Third and so on.
Infantrymen from the Scandinavian Third Army, July 1908
With the overnment laid out and the military unified only one question remained, who would be King? Some advocated Bringing in a British or German noble, with one Swede famously advocating that Napoleon Bonaparte be offered the title. It was decided that Sweden give up the title of King of Norway and that the two new Kingdoms (Norway and Scandinavia) would be split between a Danish and Swedish member of each royal family. The final candidate was an obvious one. Prince Carl of Denmark was almost universally popular and with a Swedish Mother was able to represent both countries. However he was a Dane and so as Scandinavia went to a Danish Prince, Norway went to Prince Oscar of Sweden. The deal left everyone happy, the House of Bernadotte still held the titles of Norway and Sweden and therefore a much bigger portion of the new Parliament but the Danes took the High-Kingship. The final “Bill of Union” passed through the Danish, Swedish and Norwegian Houses of Parliament on the 18th, 20th and 22nd of December respectively and so, on February 19th 1905, Prince Carl became High King Carl I of the United Kingdoms of Scandinavia.
The first Scandinavian Parliament would not convene for almost two years but that didn’t stop celebrations bursting out in major cities across the region. For the people of the North, a new era was being ushered in.
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Who controls Puerto Rico at the moment, because on that map it is white.
Otherwise, coolness.
Ah, Puerto Rice should be American. Fixed in the newest map.
Ok, sorry that took so long! Life at the minute is just... ech, busy.
I hope that people like the developments and so, thoughts? Comments? ect, ect.
Did I go too fast on Scandinavian Unification? I honestly doubt that it's be a slow process, especially with the idea of Pan-Nordicism having been around for many years by this point.
We haven't seen all that much of Latin America, perhaps you can do a update on that.
Edit: What are those... yellow? white? spots in china.
Perhaps add one or two more years, I think it seems just a tad forced.
Are they merging their armies or do they have some other arrangement?
I'd also expect there to be some disputes down the road on each Kingdom's autonomy. And what do they do with the language issue? Perhaps the creation a "Scandinavian Language" incorporating elements of each language could be a way to solve that.
Edit: What are those... yellow? white? spots in china.
Perhaps add one or two more years, I think it seems just a tad forced.
Are they merging their armies or do they have some other arrangement?
I'd also expect there to be some disputes down the road on each Kingdom's autonomy. And what do they do with the language issue? Perhaps the creation a "Scandinavian Language" incorporating elements of each language could be a way to solve that.
Last edited:
I think they are lakes as there are two large ones roughly where they are on the map.
One issue i have with this TL is when did Italy gain Libya as in OTL it was 1911 after a war with the Ottomans, and souldn't the Italians control parts of east Africa?
Besides that i like this timeline and can't wait to see where it's going
Chapter Fourteen: Where Hearts Were Entertaining In June
Extract from When Hearts Were Entertaining: South America in the 20th Century
By Phillipe Tobago, Published by Penguin Publishing 2007
South America is a tragically neglected region in many histories of the twentieth century and yet bears a huge amount of vibrant and interesting history. The continent is often interpreted as being divided between two major powers, the Empire of Brazil and the Argentine Republic. This is however quite a limited way at looking at the varied and diverse continent and in truth such an interpretation is only really valid in the later half of the 20th century. I hope to provide in this novel a comprehensive summary of the Latin American states during the Great Wars Period (1909-1949). In this prologue however, I will merely be outlining how the states of Latin America reached their various positions during the time period.
Brazil
The Empire of Brazil is a unique example of a European style monarchy functioning on the American Continent. It’s apparent stability however was greatly questioned in the 1880s and seemed to boil down to two major things, the faltering of the economy and the lack of a suitable heir. Pedro II was Emperor at the time and the heir-apparent was his daughter, Isabella. Pedro himself was growing tired and old and it seemed that the royal family itself were the main force pushing against monarchy in Brazil. Despite these troubles, Brazil seemed to be doing well on the world stage. Her abolishment of slavery in 1888 and her trade agreements with the United Kingdom. However internally, the abolishment of slavery caused rifts and the growing republicanism saw the time as ripe. As the Liberals and others who sought the end of the monarchy began to move, the Emperor did very little and some question whether he was truly opposed to being deposed. By mid 1899, little seems to have changed and Princess Isabella went on a whistle stop tour to reinforce the position of the royal family. The tour was a standard one, starting in Rio de Janeiro and bouncing about the nation. It was in the Curitiba was disaster struck. At a meeting with local administrators a man ran through the crowd and opened fire on the Princess. Both her and Manuel Vargas, a local politician were killed. The man was killed by security but his identity has never been confirmed and he is suspected to have been a member of a Western Amazonian Tribe, who had seen persecution at the hands of the Empire. The news of the assasination shocked the country and Emperor Pedro himself was deeply hurt. The man died less than a week later, having “lost the will to live”. This lead to Pedro’s Grandson, also called Pedro, being inaugurated as Emperor. Though the boy was just 14, many pointed out that Pedro II had been even younger when he reached the throne. With Pedro III's ascension, support for the monarchy reached new heights, the idea of Republicanism was seen as traitorous and the government of the nation, which had been waning in it’s support, now stood firmly behind the Emperor. As Brazil moved forwards immigration and industrialisation skyrocketed. By 1900 she was the undisputed number one in South America and was beginning to be seen as a major power. Though far from the likes of Great Britain or the United States, many predicted that Brazil, alongside Japan, would become the “Second Generation” of Global Empires, how right they were.
Pedro II was a popular and Charasmatic leader throughout his reign and is still remembered as a national hero
Argentina
Argentina, like her northern neighbor, underwent a period of Great Modernisation in the years leading up to her participation in the Wars. Many pin the start of “modern Argentina” in 1880, when the Argentinian government refused to allow the secession of Buenos Aires and overrode the local autonomy which had been such an important part of the nation’s politics. 1880 was also the year that the politics of the nation began to be dominated by the Autonomists, who after their 1880 election victory put an end to liberalism in the nation for many years. The Argentinians had long been British Allies and a strong balance in South America, as hard as it might be to believe now but that relationship began to fade at the turn of the 1890s, when during a minor financial crisis, the British Government refused to back the Argentinians. Many feared that the “bubble” of growth that had been occurring in Argentina and even more so in Brazil was about to pop. Luckily however, these fears never amounted to anything real and the modernisation of South America continued at a breakneck pace. Before the Leviathan Race of the 1910s, the Argentine Republic underwent a period of relative peace. Often in her history, Argentina had clashed with her neighbors, seeking hegemony over them that they could never quite claim. In the late 1890s however, they found an option emerging that had never before seemed possible. The success of Supranational organisations in Scandinavia (and later in Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean ect.) also spread to South America. Led primarily by Argentinians, La Liga Latinoamericana was a proposed alliance and council of Spanish American nations, intended first as an anti-Brazilian group, it later transformed into a more general anti-Colonialist and Supranational union. The Autonomist Argentine government was split over the matter but in the end, put their support behind the idea. Brazil had always and always would, be a pain in their backsides, such a measure could increase Argentina’s influence and completely remove the Brazilian threat. The undemocratic nature of the Republic (whose elections are considered flawed at best) allowed more freedom with their international alliances than the British or Americans could manage and so the first meeting of the LLL was held in Buenos Aires in 1902 with the official backing of the Government. Delegations from Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay, Ecuador, Bolivia, Venezuela and Peru were in attendance and hopes were high amongst all. The word disaster is perhaps a little harsh but the LLL showed that Supranational Leagues could not apply to all spheres and the brotherhood felt in Scandinavia simply wasn’t present in South America. Years of War and border disputes drove the nations involved apart and the council achieved nothing. A few more meetings would be held but the LLL, in its current form, was deemed a failure. Things only got worse as the economy’s growth faltered and, for the first time, the government began bickering with Great Britain about the ever controversial Falklands.
The LLL took the old Flag of La Plata as it's symbol
Chile
As things often are in history, the Chileans seemed to be contrary to their Argentinian rivals in almost every way. As Argentina slipped in conservatism, Chile entered into an age of liberalism. Suffrage became universal in 1894 and the economy prospered as Anglo-American investments began to flow into the nation. Like Argentina, Chile’s history remained relatively peaceful until the Leviathans and Wars tore that peace to shreds. Other than this, the period was largely uneventful, the Chileans were major detractors of the LLL and may have been a major reason for it’s failure. The Liberals stood almost unopposed in government for a period of more than 30 years and Socialism began to seep through the cracks of the Liberal Party.
Bolivia and Peru
The Andean nations saw less growth than their neighbors, considerably less in fact as both economies slumped throughout the late 19th century. The two nations found that they only had one reliable trade partner, each other. After the failure of the LLL, a smaller scale league was considered. Long at each others throats, the two nations had once been joined in the Peru-Bolivian Confederation though memories of the union were not always happy ones. Peruvians remembered the dominance Bolivia had once had and wished to avoid it. Nevertheless, an Andean Commonwealth was proposed no less than three times to both parliaments. Finally, in 1904, the governments of the two nations relented and the first Council of the Andean Commonwealth was held in Sucre, Bolivia in the November of that Year. The Council had little power and seemed to have enabled nothing but a renewed military alliance and greater trade links. Despite this, the Council was a Success and gave the two nations more exposure on the world stage. From 1905 onwards, the economies of both nations picked up noticeably.
Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador
The Three Northern Republics, as they have come to be known, saw considerably more conflict than their southern comrades. Colombia was gripped in the the Hundred Days War, a conflict between liberals and conservatives that saw Liberals gain control of the Country. In 1886, the Conservative Government replaced the Nation’s constitution, greatly centralising the nation. The Conservatives were know to used fraudulent election to maintain their stranglehold of the country and by 1899 the Liberals had grown tired of this. The Delaying of the War’s start until November is considered to have given the Liberals a great boon, as it allowed their rebel generals to assemble and arrange their forces more completely. On the 7th of November, the Liberals burst into open revolt, securing control of the Department of Santander and marched towards Bogota. The Conservatives were slow in their reaction and a dispute between the Generals Pinzon and Ospina led to a delay in their advance, as did their inability to pay their armies in actual currency. The Liberals won a grand victory at Magdalena River which resulted in the splintering of the Conservatives in “Historical” and “National” factions. By March 1900 the Liberals were able to capture the Capital and the conservatives surrendered not long after. The Liberals were greatly aided in their victory by Venezuelan Supplies and arms, which brought the nations closer together. In 1902 the Venezuelan and Colombian Governments signed an alliance and pledged their military support should either be attacked. This only further isolated the forgotten little Ecuador, whose growth and industrialisation was hindered by Conservative Bureaucracy. Despite this, the little nation grew more than either Venezuela or Colombia and saw a period of prosperity in the early 20th century and her links with the United States grew, trade flourishing.
When things were sufficiently desperate, the conservatives resorted to Child soldiers in the Hundred Days War.
I hope these few short paragraphs have given a simple overview of the continent as we approach the 20th century and I apologise to Uruguay, Paraguay and the Guyanas, whose histories were merely uneventful during the period, they will be covered later.
Extract from When Hearts Were Entertaining: South America in the 20th Century
By Phillipe Tobago, Published by Penguin Publishing 2007
South America is a tragically neglected region in many histories of the twentieth century and yet bears a huge amount of vibrant and interesting history. The continent is often interpreted as being divided between two major powers, the Empire of Brazil and the Argentine Republic. This is however quite a limited way at looking at the varied and diverse continent and in truth such an interpretation is only really valid in the later half of the 20th century. I hope to provide in this novel a comprehensive summary of the Latin American states during the Great Wars Period (1909-1949). In this prologue however, I will merely be outlining how the states of Latin America reached their various positions during the time period.
Brazil
The Empire of Brazil is a unique example of a European style monarchy functioning on the American Continent. It’s apparent stability however was greatly questioned in the 1880s and seemed to boil down to two major things, the faltering of the economy and the lack of a suitable heir. Pedro II was Emperor at the time and the heir-apparent was his daughter, Isabella. Pedro himself was growing tired and old and it seemed that the royal family itself were the main force pushing against monarchy in Brazil. Despite these troubles, Brazil seemed to be doing well on the world stage. Her abolishment of slavery in 1888 and her trade agreements with the United Kingdom. However internally, the abolishment of slavery caused rifts and the growing republicanism saw the time as ripe. As the Liberals and others who sought the end of the monarchy began to move, the Emperor did very little and some question whether he was truly opposed to being deposed. By mid 1899, little seems to have changed and Princess Isabella went on a whistle stop tour to reinforce the position of the royal family. The tour was a standard one, starting in Rio de Janeiro and bouncing about the nation. It was in the Curitiba was disaster struck. At a meeting with local administrators a man ran through the crowd and opened fire on the Princess. Both her and Manuel Vargas, a local politician were killed. The man was killed by security but his identity has never been confirmed and he is suspected to have been a member of a Western Amazonian Tribe, who had seen persecution at the hands of the Empire. The news of the assasination shocked the country and Emperor Pedro himself was deeply hurt. The man died less than a week later, having “lost the will to live”. This lead to Pedro’s Grandson, also called Pedro, being inaugurated as Emperor. Though the boy was just 14, many pointed out that Pedro II had been even younger when he reached the throne. With Pedro III's ascension, support for the monarchy reached new heights, the idea of Republicanism was seen as traitorous and the government of the nation, which had been waning in it’s support, now stood firmly behind the Emperor. As Brazil moved forwards immigration and industrialisation skyrocketed. By 1900 she was the undisputed number one in South America and was beginning to be seen as a major power. Though far from the likes of Great Britain or the United States, many predicted that Brazil, alongside Japan, would become the “Second Generation” of Global Empires, how right they were.
Pedro II was a popular and Charasmatic leader throughout his reign and is still remembered as a national hero
Argentina
Argentina, like her northern neighbor, underwent a period of Great Modernisation in the years leading up to her participation in the Wars. Many pin the start of “modern Argentina” in 1880, when the Argentinian government refused to allow the secession of Buenos Aires and overrode the local autonomy which had been such an important part of the nation’s politics. 1880 was also the year that the politics of the nation began to be dominated by the Autonomists, who after their 1880 election victory put an end to liberalism in the nation for many years. The Argentinians had long been British Allies and a strong balance in South America, as hard as it might be to believe now but that relationship began to fade at the turn of the 1890s, when during a minor financial crisis, the British Government refused to back the Argentinians. Many feared that the “bubble” of growth that had been occurring in Argentina and even more so in Brazil was about to pop. Luckily however, these fears never amounted to anything real and the modernisation of South America continued at a breakneck pace. Before the Leviathan Race of the 1910s, the Argentine Republic underwent a period of relative peace. Often in her history, Argentina had clashed with her neighbors, seeking hegemony over them that they could never quite claim. In the late 1890s however, they found an option emerging that had never before seemed possible. The success of Supranational organisations in Scandinavia (and later in Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean ect.) also spread to South America. Led primarily by Argentinians, La Liga Latinoamericana was a proposed alliance and council of Spanish American nations, intended first as an anti-Brazilian group, it later transformed into a more general anti-Colonialist and Supranational union. The Autonomist Argentine government was split over the matter but in the end, put their support behind the idea. Brazil had always and always would, be a pain in their backsides, such a measure could increase Argentina’s influence and completely remove the Brazilian threat. The undemocratic nature of the Republic (whose elections are considered flawed at best) allowed more freedom with their international alliances than the British or Americans could manage and so the first meeting of the LLL was held in Buenos Aires in 1902 with the official backing of the Government. Delegations from Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay, Ecuador, Bolivia, Venezuela and Peru were in attendance and hopes were high amongst all. The word disaster is perhaps a little harsh but the LLL showed that Supranational Leagues could not apply to all spheres and the brotherhood felt in Scandinavia simply wasn’t present in South America. Years of War and border disputes drove the nations involved apart and the council achieved nothing. A few more meetings would be held but the LLL, in its current form, was deemed a failure. Things only got worse as the economy’s growth faltered and, for the first time, the government began bickering with Great Britain about the ever controversial Falklands.
The LLL took the old Flag of La Plata as it's symbol
Chile
As things often are in history, the Chileans seemed to be contrary to their Argentinian rivals in almost every way. As Argentina slipped in conservatism, Chile entered into an age of liberalism. Suffrage became universal in 1894 and the economy prospered as Anglo-American investments began to flow into the nation. Like Argentina, Chile’s history remained relatively peaceful until the Leviathans and Wars tore that peace to shreds. Other than this, the period was largely uneventful, the Chileans were major detractors of the LLL and may have been a major reason for it’s failure. The Liberals stood almost unopposed in government for a period of more than 30 years and Socialism began to seep through the cracks of the Liberal Party.
Bolivia and Peru
The Andean nations saw less growth than their neighbors, considerably less in fact as both economies slumped throughout the late 19th century. The two nations found that they only had one reliable trade partner, each other. After the failure of the LLL, a smaller scale league was considered. Long at each others throats, the two nations had once been joined in the Peru-Bolivian Confederation though memories of the union were not always happy ones. Peruvians remembered the dominance Bolivia had once had and wished to avoid it. Nevertheless, an Andean Commonwealth was proposed no less than three times to both parliaments. Finally, in 1904, the governments of the two nations relented and the first Council of the Andean Commonwealth was held in Sucre, Bolivia in the November of that Year. The Council had little power and seemed to have enabled nothing but a renewed military alliance and greater trade links. Despite this, the Council was a Success and gave the two nations more exposure on the world stage. From 1905 onwards, the economies of both nations picked up noticeably.
Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador
The Three Northern Republics, as they have come to be known, saw considerably more conflict than their southern comrades. Colombia was gripped in the the Hundred Days War, a conflict between liberals and conservatives that saw Liberals gain control of the Country. In 1886, the Conservative Government replaced the Nation’s constitution, greatly centralising the nation. The Conservatives were know to used fraudulent election to maintain their stranglehold of the country and by 1899 the Liberals had grown tired of this. The Delaying of the War’s start until November is considered to have given the Liberals a great boon, as it allowed their rebel generals to assemble and arrange their forces more completely. On the 7th of November, the Liberals burst into open revolt, securing control of the Department of Santander and marched towards Bogota. The Conservatives were slow in their reaction and a dispute between the Generals Pinzon and Ospina led to a delay in their advance, as did their inability to pay their armies in actual currency. The Liberals won a grand victory at Magdalena River which resulted in the splintering of the Conservatives in “Historical” and “National” factions. By March 1900 the Liberals were able to capture the Capital and the conservatives surrendered not long after. The Liberals were greatly aided in their victory by Venezuelan Supplies and arms, which brought the nations closer together. In 1902 the Venezuelan and Colombian Governments signed an alliance and pledged their military support should either be attacked. This only further isolated the forgotten little Ecuador, whose growth and industrialisation was hindered by Conservative Bureaucracy. Despite this, the little nation grew more than either Venezuela or Colombia and saw a period of prosperity in the early 20th century and her links with the United States grew, trade flourishing.
When things were sufficiently desperate, the conservatives resorted to Child soldiers in the Hundred Days War.
I hope these few short paragraphs have given a simple overview of the continent as we approach the 20th century and I apologise to Uruguay, Paraguay and the Guyanas, whose histories were merely uneventful during the period, they will be covered later.
Well, that was a hell of a gap. Turns out life can really bite you in the arse sometimes. I have various excuses but I basically boils down to family and work. Should be far more consistent now and tomorrow I'll have a nice, chilled out, update on how Christmas is happening across the Nations of TRC. Anyway, a nice long look at south America. Sorry if certain countries got priority, just more to write about for some.
ENJOY
The spots are lakes, as someone said and yeah, I think I'll retcon the Scandinavian thing to slow it down a little. I don't think language will be a colossal issue, Danish and Norwegian are astoundingly similar and Swedish is still mutually intelligible with both. In time I'm sure the languages will start to amalgamate, as for what language the government will use, I imagine Swedish will be the Lingua Franca, it's the language of the capital and of the majority of the population.
Anyway, South American update ho! Mexico will have its due, dont worry.
Aquired after a stand off with the Ottomons in 1879, I've left much of the TTL Scramble for Africa unexplained but I have plans for most things and also; increased Anglo-German interest in East Africa as well as their backing of Ethiopia scared off the Italians for the most part. Anyway, glad you're enjoying it! Hopefully the updates should be more consistent from now on!
ENJOY
The spots are lakes, as someone said and yeah, I think I'll retcon the Scandinavian thing to slow it down a little. I don't think language will be a colossal issue, Danish and Norwegian are astoundingly similar and Swedish is still mutually intelligible with both. In time I'm sure the languages will start to amalgamate, as for what language the government will use, I imagine Swedish will be the Lingua Franca, it's the language of the capital and of the majority of the population.
Anyway, South American update ho! Mexico will have its due, dont worry.
I think they are lakes as there are two large ones roughly where they are on the map.
One issue i have with this TL is when did Italy gain Libya as in OTL it was 1911 after a war with the Ottomans, and souldn't the Italians control parts of east Africa?
Besides that i like this timeline and can't wait to see where it's going
Aquired after a stand off with the Ottomons in 1879, I've left much of the TTL Scramble for Africa unexplained but I have plans for most things and also; increased Anglo-German interest in East Africa as well as their backing of Ethiopia scared off the Italians for the most part. Anyway, glad you're enjoying it! Hopefully the updates should be more consistent from now on!
I just want to say I have REALLY a enjoyed this well written timeline, along with your most recent update. And since you mentioned it, I'm just hoping Mexico doesn't fall into the black whole of the otl drug wars and the pervasive cartels. Let it see its true economic potential be achieved!
"I love deadlines, they make a wonderful sound as they whiz by."
Yes it's the Christmas update out just in time for New Years. Sorry for the sparsity of anything but I have lots of free time for once so I should be able to get another update out today or maybe tomorrow.
Anyway, Merry Belated Christmas and enjoy.
Aww, thank you! I love to hear that people are actually enjoying what I write and Mexico is going to have a very different history than OTL but I shant say more.
Yeah, they really got served a bum hand in OTL, this time around they should have a bit more luck in their endeavours.
Yes it's the Christmas update out just in time for New Years. Sorry for the sparsity of anything but I have lots of free time for once so I should be able to get another update out today or maybe tomorrow.
Anyway, Merry Belated Christmas and enjoy.
Aww, thank you! I love to hear that people are actually enjoying what I write and Mexico is going to have a very different history than OTL but I shant say more.
Yeah, they really got served a bum hand in OTL, this time around they should have a bit more luck in their endeavours.
Because the writer knows nothing about German christmas traditions?
Harsh! I do know some things, I swear. It's just the Anglo-American influence of Christmas taking over, pretty much as it did OTL. Kris Kringle is a German-American terms for the Christkind which caught on more in the homeland OTL.
I think I spent the holidays in the wrong TL
Haha, I did try to make it a bit more exciting!
There's just so many ways Christmas could have developed, I think it's quite neglected in Alt History.Sorry everyone, no update today, I've been having real issues with my PC and can't active everything I'd like to to make the new update high quality. Should be up by mid day tomorrow.
For now though I just wanted to ask, where would we like to see in the next few updates? I've given a glimpse into many parts of the world but lots have been neglected, ironically I have the TL quite well planned after about 1910 but until then we're a little freeform and so; requests?
For now though I just wanted to ask, where would we like to see in the next few updates? I've given a glimpse into many parts of the world but lots have been neglected, ironically I have the TL quite well planned after about 1910 but until then we're a little freeform and so; requests?
I've just caught up with this. Very nice stuff. You've got me torn between my Francophile Heart and my love for Kaiser Freddy.
One tiny nitpick: Your maps seem to show Puerto Rico as independent.
One tiny nitpick: Your maps seem to show Puerto Rico as independent.
Perhaps an update on the development of the other smaller though notable European powers that are normally not extensively covered. They will surely develope very differently, in particular Belgium which hasn't seen the destructive German occupation, and the Netherlands which gets its fleet expansion that should be coming around now and no wave of pacifism due to no WW1. Plus there's Italy and the Ottomans, both of them I'm not sure you've covered.