Map Thread IX

[TheNordicBrit]

An (small) update of my previous map.

The biggest change is the Soviet-Turkish War of 1946, when IOTL the two nations almost went to war as Stalin viewed them as being very pro-German during the war. Thus after WWII a border shoot-out (plus Stalin's humiliation in eastern Europe) leads to war between Stalin and Turkey. The war doesn't last too long, due to Turkey's rather backward military, and by the end of the war Turkey had been thoroughly defeated. In the treaty that ended the war the Turkish Kurdish area, and the Iranian Kurdish area, were united into the Kurdish SSR.

This weakened Turkey joins NATO as soon as the war is over. Another knock on effect is that Cyprus, when the British leave, is annexed by Greece, a stronger, anti-Communist nation that the Western democracies hope will be able to put up more of a fight against the Arab Federation and the Communists, if the need was ever there.

The North Yemen kingdom is a fully fledged part of the Arab Federation, and obviously not a kingdom any more.

Also in the east Hainan is included in the ROC, not the PRC, as prior to any Chinese attack on the island the Sino-Soviet War begins, diverting all attention and thus allowing for a secure government to be set up.

[Opunium]

No Tsargrad?

Also what kind of state is the Arab Federation? Western or Muslim orientated? Do Christians have the same rights as Muslims or is the state even leaning towards fascism?

[TheNordicBrit]

Originally Posted by Opunium

No Tsargrad?

Also what kind of state is the Arab Federation? Western or Muslim orientated? Do Christians have the same rights as Muslims or is the state even leaning towards fascism?

Despite having made good progress in the east, where the land is relatively flat and there were Kurds just waiting to revolt against Turkish rule, the remainder of Anatolia is rather mountainous and so the Soviets repeatedly got bogged down. In the end a UN led peace conference allowed for the Soviets to annex the Kurdish lands, but no more (another small butterfly from the whole 'Truman putting his foot down in Europe' thing).

The Arab Federation, if forced, would lean more to the West, however ordinarily it would just view itself as a pan-Arab, Muslim state. Christians have less rights than Muslims (Jews have even less, due to the dislike of Israel), and the government type is more dictatorial, though not fascist.

[pearsonwright]

Map of Europe, Africa, and the Near East in 1950, in the Union Forever TL (though some aspects of Africa remain undetermined)

[Kaiphranos]

I return from my self-imposed exile, bearing... a Map of the Fortnight entry!

Originally Posted by Kaiphranos

THE PAST:

Sometime in the 1820's, Robert Owen's life takes a slightly different term. While his views on human society remain much the same, he does not attempt to put his theory into practice with the "New Harmony" settlement--instead, he devotes his time to writing more books, including one called Towards An Improved Human Society which describes a world made up of so-called "townships" of a a few thousand people, each formed around some common trade or attribute, and how a greater society of these townships might be formed. Without the failure of New Harmony to discredit it, these views remain popular in certain intellectual circles; later writers build upon them to form the basis of what is known as the Utopian Movement.

In the United States, Utopian ideas stay mostly below the surface into the mid-19th century, as the country is busy with a civil war and a period of Reconstruction which both proceed much as in our own world. (Although Seward never ends up purchasing Alaska, for one thing.) However, the turbulent era of economic growth and experimentation followed by a severe depression leads to Utopian ideas gaining a wider audience, and a number of Owenite and similar communities are founded throughout the country. A few of these prosper, and others emulate them. A second wave of Utopian philosophy and political thought develops during this period, and some Utopian communities remain even as the country recovers.

The US manages to avoid getting involved in this world's equivalent of World War I, which occurs in the 1890's and sees Britain and Germany defeat France and Russia. Unfortunately, it does not manage to avoid a second round of economic malaise, and in the aftermath of that, the Utopians emerge as a major political party for the first time. A perfect storm of charismatic leaders, clever politicking, and a few dirty tricks puts the Utopians in power by 1912, and pretty soon a few minor reforms have snowballed into a "Fifty Year Plan" to reshape the country along Utopian lines. Citizens are encouraged to join "phalansteries," the descendants of Owen's "townships"; eventually membership becomes mandatory, and the phalansteries evolve into economic and administrative units. After a dismal showing backing the Germans in the Second European War, the military is reformed along Utopian lines. Dissenters are assigned to "special education phalansteries"; some flee abroad instead. By the time the first generation of collectively-raised children comes to adulthood, America is an entirely different place.

In the meantime, Germany has been building a more conventional powerbase, balancing imperial authority with a modicum of constitutional reform, and harnessing growing industry with a system of powerful cartels. The Second European War saw revanchist elements in France and Russia defeated decisively; the formation of the Eurobund established German economic and political leadership of the continent. Britain has remained acquiescent, more concerned with trying to hold its empire together than challenging German dominance.

THE PRESENT:

The success of the Utopians in America has inspired similar movements elsewhere; the details vary widely, and poor Robert Owen would be appalled by many of the results. Perhaps the largest is the "Peach Blossom Movement," which has reunified much of China, formerly a mess of warlordism and European interference. Liberia's ties to the US have extended to the Utopian ideology; the Liberian variant is virulently anti-colonialist as well, much to the distress of the Eurobund, which is struggling to maintain its influence abroad. Britain's attempts to hold onto its empire have been largely unsuccessful: India was a spectacular and bloody failure; much of Africa was less spectacular but equally bloody, and the "white dominions" are largely autonomous these days--with the exception of Canada, which is extremely concerned about its southern neighbor. Russia has recently slipped the German leash--still annoyed by the loss of Poland, Ukraine, and the Baltics, it has been cozying up to the US.

Atomic weapons have been developed by both German and American scientists, but rocket technology lags significantly behind our world; vast fleets of jet bombers are still the delivery system of choice. In fact, technology in general lags behind our world--despite the propaganda, the US system does not work nearly as well as advertised, and a significant amount of its brainpower is devoted to working the bugs out of that system--and what with one thing and another, the Germans aren't much better off. Space travel is still out of the picture, but the Americans have been working on building a self-sufficient community in Antarctica to serve as a model for the next stage of Utopia... if no one ends the world first.

[Kaiphranos]

And... a map!

[Tallest Skil]

Originally Posted by pearsonwright

Switzerland

Insignificant

Oh, you've done it now.

[Klisz]

Originally Posted by Tallest Skil

Oh, you've done it now.

And yet Luxembourg is significant.

[pearsonwright]

Originally Posted by Klisz

And yet Luxembourg is significant.

There was a fairly important series of Battles in Luxembourg. (that, and Luxembourg has a color in TACOS)

But, isn't Switzerland staying exactly the same as OTL a rule of Alternate History?

[Iori]

Originally Posted by Klisz

And yet Luxembourg is significant.

Luxemburgum est imperare orbi Universo!

[Pischinovski]

Originally Posted by Pischinovski

Map

No comments? I am feeling ignored

[Codae]

Originally Posted by Beedok

I thought they were pretty smack dab in the middle of the city.

Each capital is represented as a point. Since the Vatican is west of the Roman city center, it gets everything west of Rome.

[rcduggan]

Originally Posted by wolf_brother

The American Civil War ITTL is basically the reverse of IOTL.

I'd be interested in hearing more about this, particularly taking into consideration the story you posted set in a "communitarian" / utopian community in the late 1890s...

[TurkishCapybara]

Originally Posted by Iori

Luxemburgum est imperare orbi Universo!

The House of Luxembourg did rule over Brandenburg, Bohemia, Hungary, and the Entire Holy Roman Empire once.

[Youkai]

Originally Posted by Pischinovski

snip

Interesting, I love your work. Do continue on the series of maps.

[metastasis_d]

Originally Posted by Tallest Skil

Oh, you've done it now.

In the TUF thread, I suggested he give Andorra, Lichtenstein, Monaco, and San Marino colors just to make it more direct.

[ilikesushi]

Don't know if this is the best place to ask, but does someone have a blank/white, standard-sized, province map of the world?

[B_Munro]

Originally Posted by Nietzsche

"Since penguins and seals are incapable of confession.."

God damn it man, you made me laugh myself into an asthma attack.

Sorry!

Bruce

[1.36]

A map of the world from one of the most successful Nation Games I've ever seen or played. It is currently December 1926.

The situation in Greece is not over yet. The nation is currently Communist and Italy is in the process of invading it while Yugoslavia is about to join in.

[B_Munro]

Originally Posted by Troyer IV

As always, brilliant!

My only problem ever comes with the multi-hued factions. In this case, the Papists have about 20 () sub-sections, thus it gets a little confusing. Keep it up!

Thanks! I was thinking of doing a seperate UCS-style map, but this one was a time-eater as it was...

Bruce