The Multipolar Struggle: A Draka ATL

Prologue
Prologue of Draka: From the Dutch to the Dominion by former Governor-General of the Dominion of Draka Eric von Shrakenberg, 2008
By Professor Langley Pienaar, Drakan National University, Archona

As the Dominion of Draka nears 150 years of self-government, it is important for us to consider our long history as a people, as a nation. From the earliest days of the arrival of our ancestors on the shores of Capetown, to the Drakan Civil War that reaffirmed our commitment to the Crown, to the founding of the Dominion of today, all the way through the two Great Wars and the present, we have come a long way. Once an enslaving force that marched across the African plain undeterred for nearly half a century, we have since progressed past the ideals of the old, and made ourselves the pride and envy of both the British Empire of the past, and its modern successor, the British Imperial Union, second only to England herself.

But as much as the past is important to us, we must also look to the future. Already humanity continues to expand past Mars and towards the outer reaches of the Solar System, and the Drakan people are proud to be part of the continuous effort to expand throughout space. As it is, we, the Drakan people, of all different races and nationalities, black and white, must continue to look to both the past and the future in order to achieve the goals that we seek.

While many events that still remain freshly ingrained in our memories may hamper our ambitions, I would like to close on a positive note with a life story: as a young white man who had a secret relationship with a foreigner, a Russian immigrant, in the 1930s, a time when racism, segregation and the ideal of white supremacy remained rampant in our society, I thought the future to be bleak. Little did I know that within my lifetime, the Drakan nation has advanced past the ancient stigma of one particular race being superior to others, and has become largely all-inclusive, as was shown two years ago with men and women and boys and girls of all faces gathering together at the Football World Cup, in particular at our victory over Germany - the clamor at the last-second goal that secured Draka's win still rings fresh in many ears, including my own.

And so, while we may not be united in ideals or beliefs, I do believe that one thing unites our nation - a shared history of laughter and tears, of toil and joy, that has evolved over time to allow us to get to where we are now. And I foresee that our past, like the past of other great nations, will continue to shape the future.

********************************************************************************************************************************

Hello everybody, and welcome to my TL. In case you haven't realized it yet, it is an "alternate of an alternate" - an alternate history of the Draka, one where the Draka's expansionism is successfully contained before they went batshit crazy, and is inspired by a map by RoyalPsycho, who so very kindly gave me permission to use it as an inspiration and base for the TL (the link is below if you are curious).

As of now, I will continue to write the TL in the current "history book" format - the prologue is just the tip of the iceberg that will consist of exploring the potential ramifications of a Draka TL without the Draka's hyper-expansionism. I can adjust to different formats, such as the "third-person narrative" used by authors like Harry Turtledove and S.M Stirling, or the "quotes from sources" format used in A World of Laughter, A World of Tears, and the changes will come according to popular demand. I will also attempt to rationalize certain world-building points that the Domination series' author, S.M Stirling, raised throughout the series, such as the wanked United States. I will also play with certain bits of history to explore the greater potential of the butterfly effect in other parts of the world.

In the meantime, please leave feedback, comments and whatnot below, and also let me know about which format you guys like most - I can't satisfy everybody out of the necessity for consistency, but I'll try to adjust the narrative according to popular demand.

Link to RP's map: royalpsycho.deviantart.com/art/Stopped-Short-336520306

Wow, this is an ambitious undertaking considering the original subject matter (not that it's not doable, as Analytic-Engine started a similar concept of a "rationalized" Draka-verse). I personally love the idea of a not-evil Draka, although considering how low the canon Snakes set the morality bar I'm not sure that's all that hard to do in comparative terms. However, the notion of Draka getting their s**t pushed in by the British (the way they would in any realistic world) and asserting their dominance over their, y'know, Dominions, already gives this concept a leg up in my book. I'll be keeping an eye on this, and congrats on a good (if short) start!

FleetMac said:

Wow, this is an ambitious undertaking considering the original subject matter (not that it's not doable, as Analytic-Engine started a similar concept of a "rationalized" Draka-verse). I personally love the idea of a not-evil Draka, although considering how low the canon Snakes set the morality bar I'm not sure that's all that hard to do in comparative terms. However, the notion of Draka getting their s**t pushed in by the British (the way they would in any realistic world) and asserting their dominance over their, y'know, Dominions, already gives this concept a leg up in my book. I'll be keeping an eye on this, and congrats on a good (if short) start!

Click to expand...

Thanks! I haven't actually seen AE's project (or is it ME with his since-dead A Crack at Draka TL?), so I may need a link. Otherwise if it's ACAD I think I might be covered.

Speaking of ACAD, unlike ME, I don't plan to take this work as seriously as he did, so I will end up killing quite a number of butterflies, but at least it won't be full-on genocide. I also need some help in getting info on what the scale of the Dutch garrison at the Cape Colony and British sea power in the Indian Ocean in the late 1770s were to set the foundations.

Yes, I know I'm starting with Stirling's blatantly implausible POD, but like I said, I don't want this to be as hard as the other great TLs on this forum. I also can't think of a proper POD that would kick things off with a bang. I hope you guys don't completely rip on me for this decision.

Argh, I actually meant Municipal Engine's work, not Analytic Engine (the "engine" part confused me, I guess ). Anyway, I've no problems with using the original POD really (I enjoy the "Proof Through The Night" duology and the now-defunct Drakafic project, even though they more-or-less go along with the kind of tech wankage of the original story to some degree or another), the thing that turns me cold is playing the Draka as straight protagonists without either making them worthy of being protagonists (something I think your work will accomplish) or setting them up in a way where they can become sympathetic (such as PTTN, wherein they suffer a "The Big One"-style nuclear sneak attack and a horrific civil war afterward). That, and the ultra-weird techy stuff like ghouloons, mutant war-baboons and orbital death lasers .

Bump'd. I need feedback and help with my stats.

Although the history of Draka prior to the Civil War has been somewhat forgotten by later generations, the arrival of the first people that would become the descendants of the people of the Dominion are remembered fondly as daring pioneers arriving in the unknown when they arrived. Less remembered, however, are their origins, stemming back to the loss of British America.

During the American Revolutionary War, the Kingdom of Great Britain (the predecessor to the modern United Kingdom before union with Ireland in 1801) had a substantial naval presence in the Indian Ocean. When the war broke out in 1775, Parliament became divided over whether ships in the Indian Ocean had to be recalled to the American Colonies to defend them. The declaration of war against the Netherlands in December of 1780, however, changed that, as French and Dutch privateers began harassing and conducting attacks against the Royal Navy in multiple theatres. The beginning of the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War, in addition to the breakout of a full-scale revolt in British Canada after Lower Canada's Governor Guy Carleton narrowly survived assassination, led to the loss of naval supremacy in the Colonies and forced Parliament to recall ships from India to America.

However, ships making the long and at times perilous journey to America were faced with a major obstacle while bridging the Indian and Atlantic. The Dutch Cape Colony, in peacetime, was a well-equipped port-of-call for the Royal Navy, where ships could restock on much-needed supplies. The commencement of hostilities, however, turned the situation upside-down, as now the British were faced with a hostile force that would be less than willing to fill their stores. This meant that the British ships making the journey would be forced to bypass the Cape, forcing a longer and more perilous trip that would lead to strict onboard austerity measures. This caused the sailors on the first British ships out to become rebellious, and mutinies nearly broke out on nearly a dozen warships.

The crises faced on the ships was one that could not be ignored by the High Command of the Royal Navy, and warranted the necessity of a response. The response was simple: the seizure of the Dutch Cape Colony, its pacification, and its conversion to become a supply base for the Royal Navy. On October 29, 1781, a Royal Navy fleet commanded by newly promoted Admiral Sir George Rodney arrived at the Dutch Cape Colony, and immediately began bombarding the Dutch garrison and naval squadron stationed there. Afterwards, a force of 6,000 British regulars and 1,000 Hessians under the leadership of Colonel Patrick Ferguson, the pioneer of modern breech-loading rifles, landed at the administrative capital, Capetown, swiftly capturing the town and forcing the Dutch to break ranks, with nearly all of the remaining 2,000 men retreating towards Table Mountain, to the south.


The campaign to fully secure the Cape Colony and destroy the Dutch army began just days later, as Ferguson's men spent days "cleaning house", that is, finishing off any stragglers remaining. Ferguson also spent time finalizing designs for his rifle. When the advance north began, military engineers immediately seized control of the major port facilities and began servicing them with supplies for ships making the journey to America. Then, on November 12, Ferguson's forces broke out of Capetown and marched towards Table Mountain. The resultant three-day battle between the 7,000-strong British Army and Hessians and the remainder of the 2,000-strong Cape garrison saw the Dutch ranks decimated and the Dutch Cape Colony to be occupied by the Kingdom of Great Britain. Although stragglers remained in the wilderness, the colony had been largely pacified, and was safe for the British to use.

Needless to say, the fall of the Dutch Cape Colony did little to stem the American advance. Even with extra reinforcements, the British lost a decisive battle against the French and Dutch at Chesapeake Bay, followed by Lord Cornwallis' well-known loss at Yorktown in 1781, which was the final factor in guaranteeing the sovereignty of the Thirteen Colonies. The Treaty of Paris, signed on September 3, 1783, finalized the independence of the United States of America.

A lesser-known and somewhat more ignored article in the Treaty, however, was Article 5, the brainchild of British negotiator Richard Oswald: "As part of a trade between the belligerents, the Kingdom of Great Britain is to relinquish control over Florida and her Caribbean acquisitions in exchange for the Dutch Cape Colony." Suddenly the British found themselves in control of a very vital strategic asset that would allow them to control the seas. There was, however, a major problem. Despite British pacification, the Dutch population of the Cape Colony became increasingly restive in the face of the change of government. This led to numerous attacks against British soldiers garrisoned in the Colony.

Parliament found a solution in the Loyalists in North America. During the Revolutionary War, the revolts in Lower Canada (now the U.S state of Quebec), the Patriot invasion of Upper Canada, and the eventual annexation of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia (which had been under American military occupation by 1780) all lead to the loss of a lot of colonial infrastructure in what was left of British North America. While immigration by Loyalists to the British Crown remaining in the United States was at first encouraged at settlement in Canada, the rise of ethnic tensions between French and British settlers and the necessity to rebuild the infrastructure saw the colonial populace undersupplied and under strict austerity measures. This led Parliament to enact the Crown Colony of Drakia Act.

The Crown Colony of Drakia Act, commonly shortened as the Drakia Act, provided the newly-acquired Cape Colony to become a suitable home for the remaining Loyalist migrants from North America. The first 5,000 Loyalists arrived at Capetown on March 22, 1784, and more arrived soon afterwards, with a large number, formerly plantation owners in the Southern Colonies, primarily the Carolinas, bringing their slaves as well. In addition, the displacement of much of Iceland's population following the disastrous eruption of the Laki volcano in June 1783 caused a major humanitarian crisis for many nations, particularly Britain, whose leaders brought to a close with the resettlement of the Icelandic refugees at the Cape Colony (now known as the Crown Colony of Drakia). By the end of 1785, 50,000 Loyalists, in addition to 10,000 Hessians, had arrived. The Dutch population, numbering no more than 9,000, was steadily assimilated through intermarriage. Patrick Ferguson, now a knight and one of Britain's most celebrated men, was recognized for his contributions in the Revolution, and accepted the post of Drakia's first Governor-General, in addition to a commission for his breech-loading rifles. And the arrival of more people meant that there needed to be more room to grow.

Come ON, people, feedback. FEEDBACK!

I'll try to update on a consistent basis, but as long as if I don't get some feedback don't even think that this TL will be as good as most others on the board.

Good update.

Waiting for more, of course.

Gonna take this to today?

I watch with baited interest. However, shouldn't this be ASB, given that it's based off AH literature?

BTW wouldn't the existence of the Draka colony alone cause butterflies?

This probably belongs in Alt Media but I too like the idea of the Draka not being complete twits. Im interested

Under the Ferguson regime, Drakia managed to gain a lot of territory as a result of the influx of refugees in the colony. In 1784, with Capetown under pressure due to the influx of British naval vessels needing to resupply at the port, two major permanent settlements were founded - the cities of Virconium and Venta Belagrum. The two ports, placed strategically on the eastern coast of Drakia, eased naval traffic and allowed the Colony to handle a greater capacity of ships transiting the Cape. That same year, the Colony began accepting permanent settlement, and declared Drakia open to immigration, though the initial unpopularity of its location and quotas established on non-white races saw no more than two thousand prospective Drakians arrive per annum.

In order to further sustain order in Drakia following the influx of refugees, the Colony was given a permanent garrison of British Army troops stationed in Capetown (later moved to Archona after it was declared the colonial capital), with its first Commander-in-Chief being famed Revolutionary War hero General Banastre Tarleton. This was the initial foundations of Drakian Army, with its mission to explore the interior of Africa and to defend the Colony from invaders.

Eventually, the British colonial government began to encourage immigration by Europeans by controlling the slave market in Drakia and lowering the price for native slaves. Although many slaves in Drakia had worked on plantations in British America prior to the Revolution, the number of Khoisan natives that were able to be rounded up and sold at auctions managed to increase the slave population in Drakia up to 43,000. For hours on end, slaves would toil in horrendous conditions on cotton plantations while the owners would claim the profits.


As Drakians got rich off the profits gained from cotton, they sought to acquire more land to claim as their own. Following the French Revolution, which saw over 2,000 French Royalists and aristocrats escape the guillotine by seeking refuge in Drakia, the Drakian government began financing expeditions into the interior of the colony, in order to allow for them to lay claim to more land and govern it.


Alright people, this is the third update. Expect more sooner or later.

Do remember to leave your thoughts, comments and rants in replies. Thank you.

Unknown said:

Good update.

Waiting for more, of course.

Gonna take this to today?

Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure I will, or at least up until 1984 - the bicentennial of British Draka - with occasional interludes from TTL's present day.

Grouchio said:

I watch with baited interest. However, shouldn't this be ASB, given that it's based off AH literature?

BTW wouldn't the existence of the Draka colony alone cause butterflies?

Click to expand...

Perhaps it should go under ASB, but this is an attempt to make the Draka NOT become übermensch Karma Houdinis, and I haven't even gotten to when the shit hits the fan. Besides, I think ME's "A Crack of Draka" went under the "Before 1900" section as well. And as for butterflies, I will inevitably remove many, many key figures, but I'm not going as hardcore as ME, so expect to see a very different world map, and one or two historical cameos here and there, from characters IRL and in the Drakaverse.

Alex1guy said:

This probably belongs in Alt Media but I too like the idea of the Draka not being COMPLETE twits. Im interested

Click to expand...

On belonging in Books and Media, see above.

All of you guys, thanks for commenting. Let me know about whether you'd like to see an interlude in the present day or keep going while I'm at it.

There would surely be placed limits to stop too many Indians from immigrating, and they would probably also encourage them to adopt Christianity. Also what does Venta Belagrum mean?

CieloPane said:

There would surely be placed limits to stop too many Indians from immigrating, and they would probably also encourage them to adopt Christianity. Also what does Venta Belagrum mean?

Click to expand...

TBH, I don't think the Draka would mind too much of an increase of cheap labor. But then again, given how high they prioritized racial purity, perhaps they might do so. I might retcon this or point it out in the next update.

Also, Venta Belagrum is/was a former Roman settlement in Britannia that occupied part of what is now Winchester. Not sure why the Draka used the name, but you might as well ask Mr. Stirling.

LiberatePalestine said:

TBH, I don't think the Draka would mind too much of an increase of cheap labor. But then again, given how high they prioritized racial purity, perhaps they might do so. I might retcon this or point it out in the next update.

Also, Venta Belagrum is/was a former Roman settlement in Britannia that occupied part of what is now Winchester. Not sure why the Draka used the name, but you might as well ask Mr. Stirling.

Click to expand...

I think the Draka would prefer European labour using Indian labour only/more when necessary. There were a bunch of Europeans looking elsewhere for a better life for a very long time. And despite the fact that many will be immigrating to the US (assuming it is similar to Sterling's US), there will still be a large supply to draw from.

The 1790s, the decade of turmoil that saw the fall of France's ruling monarchy and the making of a new republic, led to the rise of the ambitious and prominent military leader Napoleon Bonaparte, who sought to re-establish France as a leader in world affairs. Under Napoleon, France began a large-scale naval campaign in the Mediterranean, primarily Egypt, ostensibly to protect its trade interests in the region, but in reality to threaten the interests of Britain in India by establishing a base of control in the region. Naturally, Great Britain felt threatened, and as a result began battling Napoleon in the Mediterranean and in Egypt. In order to maximize its power base, it also began receiving manpower from the Crown Colony of Drakia.

Though few in number, the citizens of Drakia were more than willing to assist their mother country in its fight to protect its interests. Although the colonial government had encouraged many to fight, the number of volunteers was unprecedented - over 2,000 men signed up to fight. Most of them joined establishedregiments in the British Army, but a sizeable number also joined the Navy and the Army's medical services. They were then sent to Egypt, where, at the Battle of Giza, towards the end of the war where the French armies were beaten back after the Drakian forces cornered the French near the site of the the Pyramids through a brilliantly organized pincer move that saw the French forced into headlong retreat from Egypt and allowed British and Ottoman forces to seize control of the Nile River, numerous Drakian soldiers distinguished themselves in battle, among them Augustus von Shrakenberg, the son of a Hessian and an American, who would become the ancestor of a long line of Drakan politicians and military leaders, including two Governor-Generals. Drakians also fought Napoleon in Europe, where they were also commended during the Iberian Campaign and then at the Battle of Waterloo.

At sea, Drakian seamen fought the French in the Mediterranean, with many earning commendations at the Battle of the Nile. Some Drakian sailors also took part in the Franco-American Undeclared War, though the numbers are few because of hostile attitudes towards the United States at the time. Those who chose to fight had seen Napoleon as an much more dangerous enemy and were willing to see the United States as a partner in containing him, and did so by attacking French shipping in and out of their Caribbean colonies, although the war was largely overshadowed by the eventual white peace and France's cession of all of its North American colonies to the United States in 1803.

Some Drakian men enlisted in other regiments also took part in the failed defense of Canada during the Canadian War, with most being taken prisoner after the Battle of the Saguenay River, during the final defense against the United States. When the United States declared victory in North America and was allowed free reign in Canada by the British, the Americans responded by repatriating all soldiers who wished not to take up permanent residence in the U.S, and the Drakians were sent back to their home, with a massive celebration organized upon their arrival at Capetown on January 14, 1815.

The end of the Napoleonic Wars left the United Kingdom with the impression of the Drakians being some of the best and brightest troops in the Empire, and was the first step in ensuring Draka would remain the military powerhouse it is.

Let me know if this is too implausible. I have a very narrow understanding of military strategy, and will need plenty of help in describing military involvements properly.

Remember: I will retcon if deemed necessary.

Next update will be an interlude that shows what the present day looks like ITTL. Remember that the TL, or so far as the narrative goes, will hopefully stretch until 1983 - the bicentennial of Draka's founding.

LiberatePalestine said:

Let me know if this is too implausible. I have a very narrow understanding of military strategy, and will need plenty of help in describing military involvements properly.

Remember: I will retcon if deemed necessary.

Next update will be an interlude that shows what the present day looks like ITTL. Remember that the TL, or so far as the narrative goes, will hopefully stretch until 1983 - the bicentennial of Draka's founding.

Click to expand...

Will there be a map of the Drakian Dominion?

CieloPane said:

Will there be a map of the Drakian Dominion?

Click to expand...

I'm not a good mapmaker, but I'll try to make one.

Reagent said:

I like the concept of this timeline, but I've noticed a few flaws with it.

First, I don't think the Dutch would declare war on the British in 1777. After all, the Fourth Anglo-Dutch war was started by the British, not the Dutch (who wanted to be able to trade with nations at war with the United Kingdom, not engage in hostilities).

This isn't a huge issue, as you could just have the British attempt to capture Cape Colony in 1781 succeed.

Second, I think the number of refugees resettled in Cape Colony is too high.
IOTL, only about 50,000 loyalists emigrated, and a decent portion of these ended up in the United Kingdom or eventually returned to America. Canada was a popular destination because of its proximity and it was relatively established. Unless Loyalists are forced to go to the rather isolated former Dutch Cape Colony, I suspect most won't.

However, some will (as will other Europeans), maybe a few thousand per annum. Given the high growth rates of European South Africans during the 19th century, this can become a decent sized population by the turn of the 20th century. The greater number of existent immigrants will slowly increase the capacity for more immigration. The number of French Royalists is also really high. When the Edict of Fontainbleau was issued and >210,000 Huguenots left France, only about 300 ended up in Dutch Cape Colony over several decades. I don't see Drakia being a particularly attractive place for the French Royalists, since it would likely be suffering population stresses already (and isn't the most settled place in the world).

The biggest plausibility related issue is the speed at which Draka is expanding, and how early Gold is discovered. It took decades for European rule to expand to modern day Gauteng. This was after the Mfecane ( massive population movements / depopulations) which took place in during the 1820s and 1830s. Before this, the area between the Cape and Gauteng is going to be much more populated, and therefore much more difficult for Europeans to establish control over. I think the discovery of Gold and resulting Gold Rush at Witwatersrand could probably be pushed up a few decades from OTL, but really not much before that. The establishment of new settlements also takes time, as does the construction of infrastructure between said settlements.

Overall, you can probably speed up some things like the Gold Rush a few decades, and found some settlements earlier, but not this quickly.

I don't think you could have that many soldiers as a percentage of a population. A decent portion of Drakia's White population would be rural, and they need to tend to the farms instead of fighting a war for a very protracted period of time (off the top of my head, Rhodesia's involvement in the Second Boer War is the only instance I can think of when a percentage close to that was reached, and that was under very different circumstances) . I suppose there could be some small contingent from Drakia, but the British would more than likely just draw extra troops from home, or let less experienced / disciplined soldiers take over garrison duty in the colonies to make use of better soldiers closer to home if they were really in need of more soldiers.

Lourenço Marques was already a Portuguese settlement by the time, so the settlement would need to be conquered by the British for some reason (which will be tricky due to the Anglo-Portuguese alliance).

Click to expand...

I was actually using this site to help me cover the first few years of the TL: http://www.changingthetimes.net/draka/app01.html

Obviously it's flawed, and I never really did that much research on the Revolution and what happened to the Loyalists.

I will change what I have now by keeping the Dutch joining the war the same as OTL, and the primary POD will now be the attempted British takeover of the Cape in 1781, in addition to the rebellion in Canada. However Ferguson will still play a major role here. I'll revise the colonization of Gauteng and try to come up with a realistic schedule for the Gold Rush. I'll also have the British eventually purchase Lourenço Marques from Portugal and it could become incorporated as a historical landmark into the alternate Shahnapur, which in the original Draka TL is on the site of the city of Maputo itself - the new alternate Shahnapur could also have a different name, and I'll leave the name to you guys.

Otherwise, I'll keep the founding of Virconium and Venta Belagrum. I'll have scouting expeditions take place, but no gold so early. Same deal with diamonds, perhaps. Enlisted troop numbers for the Napoleonic Wars will decrease as well, but I do want the Draka to have some significance, which is why I'll keep Von Shrakenberg's cameo, though his story will be different. I'll also add and remove some things, and create some numbers for immigrants.

Thanks for the feedback and help!