Which of these microstates could plausibly exist to the present day?
First, I want to ask about one which does exist today.
San Marino claims it was an independent country in the days of the Roman Empire. I wonder what the Romans would have thought about that claim?
Is there any justification for the claim? Why wasn't it annexed by Rome?
In the late 19th century, the individual islands of Japan become separate countries. One government is socialist, one a constitutional monarchy, one a republic, one a military dictatorship. Perhaps the Emperor of Japan only rules over an independent city-state of Tokyo. Okinawa and Ryukyu Islands also become parliamentary democracies.
In exchange for recognition and support, Lenin (or somebody else in charge of the Revolution) agrees to have just one city on the Baltic, and he decides not to try to spread the revolution to other countries (for a few years at least).
The Founding Fathers couldn't persuade all the states to ratify the Constitution, so Delaware is the only state in the United State of America.
The other states are either in the Confederation of Albany (New England) or the Republic of Savannah (Dixieland).
Did the Ottomans seem to have some sort of sentimental feelings about Constantinople's long and storied history? It was on the European side of the Straits, so the Ottomans could still control the Asian side. Is there any way any Ottoman would agree to let Constantinople remain "independent" (actually a vassal state, but this might have worthwhile political effects.)
The wealth from a California Gold Rush produces city-states.
The wealth from an Alaska Gold Rush produces city-states all the way from the Aleutians to Seattle...okay just a few moderately large ones along the West coast.
Nineteenth century occultists, explorers, utopian visionaries and exiled princes settle Hawaii, and each of the Hawaiian islands eventually becomes a separate country relying on tourism, off-shore banking, investments and selling trinkets related to a real or imagined past.
The same goes for many of the other Pacific islands.
The last Inca settles on the Falkland Islands and nobody bothers invading.
The last Aztec rulers settle on one of the Caribbean islands and nobody bothers invading.
The last Mayan rulers settle on the Galapagos Islands and nobody bothers invading. They get interested in European science and one of them does what Darwin did in OTL.
The US started Liberia in Africa; they might have tried again with a nearby region called Cabinda, which might have become independent. Then somebody writes about the tiny new country ruled by a benevolent king with a Christian name...the book is called Uncle Tom's Cabinda.
First, I want to ask about one which does exist today.
San Marino claims it was an independent country in the days of the Roman Empire. I wonder what the Romans would have thought about that claim?
Is there any justification for the claim? Why wasn't it annexed by Rome?
In the late 19th century, the individual islands of Japan become separate countries. One government is socialist, one a constitutional monarchy, one a republic, one a military dictatorship. Perhaps the Emperor of Japan only rules over an independent city-state of Tokyo. Okinawa and Ryukyu Islands also become parliamentary democracies.
In exchange for recognition and support, Lenin (or somebody else in charge of the Revolution) agrees to have just one city on the Baltic, and he decides not to try to spread the revolution to other countries (for a few years at least).
The Founding Fathers couldn't persuade all the states to ratify the Constitution, so Delaware is the only state in the United State of America.
The other states are either in the Confederation of Albany (New England) or the Republic of Savannah (Dixieland).
Did the Ottomans seem to have some sort of sentimental feelings about Constantinople's long and storied history? It was on the European side of the Straits, so the Ottomans could still control the Asian side. Is there any way any Ottoman would agree to let Constantinople remain "independent" (actually a vassal state, but this might have worthwhile political effects.)
The wealth from a California Gold Rush produces city-states.
The wealth from an Alaska Gold Rush produces city-states all the way from the Aleutians to Seattle...okay just a few moderately large ones along the West coast.
Nineteenth century occultists, explorers, utopian visionaries and exiled princes settle Hawaii, and each of the Hawaiian islands eventually becomes a separate country relying on tourism, off-shore banking, investments and selling trinkets related to a real or imagined past.
The same goes for many of the other Pacific islands.
The last Inca settles on the Falkland Islands and nobody bothers invading.
The last Aztec rulers settle on one of the Caribbean islands and nobody bothers invading.
The last Mayan rulers settle on the Galapagos Islands and nobody bothers invading. They get interested in European science and one of them does what Darwin did in OTL.
The US started Liberia in Africa; they might have tried again with a nearby region called Cabinda, which might have become independent. Then somebody writes about the tiny new country ruled by a benevolent king with a Christian name...the book is called Uncle Tom's Cabinda.
