Dominion of Southern America

[Glen]

The arrival of troops from Naples, France, and even a small contingent from Spain to the city of Rome proved a complication for the nascent Roman Republic. Spain was most concerned with the restoration of the new Pope to his proper dignities in the Holy City and the Papal States. The Neapolitans were much more concerned about the Austrians to the north and vacillated between wanting strong Roman state as a buffer and ally, or annexing the territory in part or whole to stave off the Austrians doing otherwise. The French were more nuanced in their approach, and served as broker between the Romans, the Papacy, and the other states with an interest there who were at least partly aligned with France, though also following their own agenda. Of course, France was also the strongest power in the region, if a bit distracted by the events to the north.

In the end, the French brokered a compromise agreement that if not pleasing to any side, met the basic needs of all sides. The Roman Republic would continue, but with the Pope as the Head of State and with recognition of the church's possessions and supremacy over the Vatican itself, as well as the continuation of Church Law with respect to the clergy, though not the laity. However, there would be a popularly elected legislature, from which a secular Prime Minister would be chosen who would be the Chief Executive of the Republic. The Code Napoleon would become the law of the land for the people. A special commission would be established to develop a procedure for legal cases involving both clergy and laity. Catholicism would be the official religion of the nation, but freedom of conscience would be respected and religion would not be a bar to enfranchisement nor to holding secular office (even Prime Minister). While there were many other details to be worked out, this formed the basics of the agreement that brought Pius back to the Vatican, although it was commonly rumored that if the Austrians were to break through to Rome, the pope would repudiate the agreement. Austria, of course, was livid about the deal.

Flag of the Roman Republic after the Compromise of 1850:

[Julius Vogel]

Originally Posted by Glen

Curses! Foiled again!!



I did not explicitly explain, but the pieces to the puzzle are all there in the timeline if you put them together. Ferdinand is basically made a prisoner by his own Cortes in the 1820s, and France does not invade to change the situation ITTL due to their liberal leanings, unlike in OTL where French intervention essentially put Ferdinand back in charge. With Ferdinand out of action, he takes up even earlier/worse health habits than he did OTL, resulting in his earlier death than OTL. Basically in bad health and imprisoned and dying a year before the birth of OTL Isabella - he doesn't remarry (and who would want him under the circumstances!) and he doesn't have any children before his death. Of course OTL's Isabella wouldn't have been born this far after the POD in a country now embraced by the retarded butterflies, but with no children, naturally Carlos remains the heir and inherits on Ferdinand's death.

Clear?

Well no Isabella would certainly answer that question. Hopefully no Carlist question will take some of the poison out of 19th/20th century Spanish politics

[Arachnid]

While Europe is coming along well are we going to hear more about the rest of the Empire any time soon?

[Falastur]

Excellent! The Papal States survive. I'm no Catholic, but for some reason I always had a place in my heart for the Papal States.

[Glen]

Originally Posted by Julius Vogel

Well no Isabella would certainly answer that question. Hopefully no Carlist question will take some of the poison out of 19th/20th century Spanish politics

Yes, that's what I thought.

[Glen]

Originally Posted by Aracnid

While Europe is coming along well are we going to hear more about the rest of the Empire any time soon?

You mean the non-European, non-Western Hemisphere possessions of the British Empire? If so, they are on the list, but it may be a few weeks before we can get there.

[Glen]

Originally Posted by Falastur

Excellent! The Papal States survive. I'm no Catholic, but for some reason I always had a place in my heart for the Papal States.

Glad you are pleased - assuming it does in fact survive...

[Falastur]

Originally Posted by Glen

Glad you are pleased - assuming it does in fact survive...

True that. I took a chance based on the theory that you wouldn't have had the Roman Republic revive, and elaborated on its political structure, if you intended to topple it immediately. But yes, it could easily go under again.

[Glen]

Originally Posted by Falastur

True that. I took a chance based on the theory that you wouldn't have had the Roman Republic revive, and elaborated on its political structure, if you intended to topple it immediately. But yes, it could easily go under again.

Oh, you never know...

[Julius Vogel]

Originally Posted by Glen

Oh, you never know...

Look, if the Zombie Julius Ceaser ends up invading Britain again, this time with a steampunk army of legions from the Second Roman Republic I'm going to have to petition this gets moved to ASB

[Glen]

Originally Posted by Julius Vogel

Look, if the Zombie Julius Ceaser ends up invading Britain again, this time with a steampunk army of legions from the Second Roman Republic I'm going to have to petition this gets moved to ASB

Oh, that's not going to happen in this timeline - maybe the next one.

[Julius Vogel]

Originally Posted by Glen

Oh, that's not going to happen in this timeline - maybe the next one.

Well, I think the publishing industry is currently in a buzz about steampunk/zombie cross over versions of classic stories, so there could be an angle here

[Glen]

The war for the fate of Europe would come to be known as the Liberal War.

France had on her side the Kingdom of Belgique, Kingdom of Naples, and the liberal revolutionaries of Europe, but arrayed against them were the forces of Russia, Prussia, and Austria. What had started as a reaction to Prussian overreaching and to forestall Austrian expansion into the Papal States had become a war for the soul of Europe, and an existential threat to the Kingdom of France. The best hope for France and the rest of Western Europe lay in her old enemy, Britain.

While France fought valiantly and well, making maximum use of their army's main rifle, that fired a hefty cylindro-conoidal bullet that had been inspired by the English rifles developed in the latter stages of the Slaver Uprising. The French muzzle-loaders through a heavier bullet than the Prussian needle guns, but the Prussian army was starting to adopt tactics from the German partisans that made the advantage of breech-loaders a significant factor. In addition, Russian troops were starting to bring more numbers to the Prussian lines, and the gains the French had made were in danger.

The Cologne Convention had initially been pulled in many directions by the various factions in their nascent parliament, Catholic and Protestant, Nationalist and Liberal, those who favored concilliation with Prussia and/or Austria and those who wanted to stand alone. Early on, the debate had been regarding who to offer the crown of a new unified Germany to, Austria (favored by the nationalists, and the Rhinelanders and other Catholic states) or Prussia (favored by the liberals, and the other Protestants states). However, with the Prussian crown's embrace of conservatism and vigorous war against the liberals, it became clear that the Prussian king would not be a viable candidate. Similarly, as the Austrian Emperor eventually crushed liberal and nationalist aspirations in his domains using Russian troops, the Catholics and favorers of a Greater Germany also began to lose ground. But then a dark horse candidate began to gain popularity for the leader of a new, if more modestly sized Germany, German born George, Duke of Clarence and St Andrews and Viceroy of Hanover, nephew to the King of England. Duke George had been a friend to the liberals of the Germanies and the Colonge Convention since the beginning. Also, given that the aging King of Queen of England had only daughters, according to Salic Law he was the next in line to inherit the Kingdom of Hanover, another Germanic Kingdom to add to the new German Nation.

At first, the French balked at the idea of a scion of England on the throne of a new German state on its borders - unless it would bring the British off the sidelines and into the war on the side of France. Intense negotiations between the representatives of the Cologne Convention, the French, and the British eventually led to a new understanding between the British and the French. Already alienated by the reactionary and oppressive acts of the great powers of the East, Prussia, Russia, and Austria, the United Kingdom realized the best way to restore the balance of power in Europe was to side with the French and see the formation of a stable, liberal, Germany. Out of those discussions came the treaty that led to what the French called the Entente Cordiale. The treaty covered such disparate points as recognition of each others' colonial borders (for example, on the continent of Australia and the islands in the Pacific), the acquiescence of Britain to Hanover joining the new German nation, and the marriage of Duke George to the King of France's youngest daughter, Josephine.

And so did Germany gain its Kaiser, George I, and Kaiserina, Josephine, and the Anglo-French alliance went to war against the Eastern Powers.

[Glen]

Originally Posted by Julius Vogel

Well, I think the publishing industry is currently in a buzz about steampunk/zombie cross over versions of classic stories, so there could be an angle here

Yes, I suppose so - but of course, in this case I think it would be most appropriate for Zombie Wellington to fight off the machinations of Zombie Jackson!

[Cylon_Number_14]

Holy Smokes your Revolution of 1848 is escalating into an enormous war! And and Anglo-French royal family ruling a Germany that doesn't include (east) Prussia or Austria!

Post-War Europe is going to be truly fascinating.

[Glen]

Originally Posted by Cylon_Number_14

Holy Smokes your Revolution of 1848 is escalating into an enormous war! And and Anglo-French royal family ruling a Germany that doesn't include (east) Prussia or Austria!

Post-War Europe is going to be truly fascinating.

Thanks for your comments! I kinda think it's cool, too, though I will point out that George's family is all German despite being British rulers, and the King of France's mom was Marie-Antoinette - an Austrian!

But we'll see how the map of Europe looks after the war - though you aren't far off...

[Plumber]

What's happened to all of the other Northern Italian states? I was updating the map... though you just said we'll get a map when everything's over so I guess it's moot.

[eschaton]

What are the borders of the new Germany? I could see them being as maximalist as this potentially.

[Glen]

Originally Posted by Plumber

What's happened to all of the other Northern Italian states? I was updating the map... though you just said we'll get a map when everything's over so I guess it's moot.

Yeah, still developing the Northern Italian story; I'll get it to you as I can.

[Glen]

Originally Posted by eschaton

What are the borders of the new Germany? I could see them being as maximalist as this potentially.

Could be similar to that, but you need to remember that the territory ceded to Prussia in the Congress of Vienna wasn't quite to the same extent as in OTL. See the map below for the cession ITTL.