AHC: Russia -British Cold War

Here's a challenge for you - find a way to make it so that, after the end of a WWII analog, the two major powers in the World are Russia (Tsarist, Communist, whatever) and the British Empire/Commonwealth, and that they promptly get into a Cold War. The British Empire has to have broadly the same boundaries as in OTL - you can't just decide they shall conquer China or anything. As a suggestion, it seems likely that Britain will try and contain Russias southern expansion using India as a base, and that they would have Japan and the Ottomans (if they still exist) as allies to prevent Russian expansion in other directions.

In addition, the US can't be a superpower (obviously). It can be a great power, but either so isolationist it doesn't really care or weakened to some extent.

Disclaimer: I wasn't sure whether to put this thread in the pre-1900 or post-1900 board, because it kinda straddles the period, but if it should be moved, move it.

If we're allowed to go back further than a WWII analogue, than a World War One that ends fairly quickly would probably be your best bet. Say German command isn't on the ball and badly miscaculates their strategy, leading to a surrender sometime in 1916. You'd have a neutered Germany, Austro-Hungary that's pretty much a non-entity if it hasn't already collapsed and Britain and Russia being the biggest winners. Have Britain go through a period of reform for their colonies in improving matters and Russia modernising their industry. Have them slowly drift apart but the WWII analogue has them fight a revnachist Germany and some other powers before defeating them, essentially dividing the world between them and their respective allies.

We had this already: it lasted from 1856 until 1907 IOTL.

What position does this put the US in, though? Is it Britain's equal or slightly less powerful ally? Is it a neutral power? Must it have to be devastated by some means to keep the British on top, or can it exist and still continue to play second fiddle to the UK?

You could do this pretty easily with, say, a British victory in the American War of Independence or reintegration of the United States in the war of 1812, but that's not really quite what you had in mind. It'd certainly justify Britain as an even larger power doing the Cold War, though, after a 'WWII'.

The only other thing I can think of is a dual PoD - firstly, letting Britain somehow keep their production advantage and remaining in the vanguard of the Industrial Revolution, rather than falling behind to Gemany and the US by 1914. Secondly, the US or its equivalent would have to have political changes making them happy to ship natural resources out of the country, particularly to Britain, but not to actually do much producing themselves.

One more thought is this could possibly be done with major British policy changes in the early 20th century, focusing on the industrialisation and development of the colonies - a modernising, industrial India, in particular, would be a huge string in their bow, though it's more likely to be plausible to make Canada and Australia stronger. Of course, they wouldn't be able to remain 'imperialist' and do this; it'd have to be more of a Dominion-style partnership with self-determination for the colonies.

Shtudmuffin said:

What position does this put the US in, though? Is it Britain's equal or slightly less powerful ally? Is it a neutral power? Must it have to be devastated by some means to keep the British on top, or can it exist and still continue to play second fiddle to the UK?

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Keep isolationists in Washington. A Tom Reed presidency might be enough keep isolationism going another generation. If non-entanglement with Europe can survive past a Great War, it will be that much stronger going into Round 2.

Have the US remain the Power of the Western Hemisphere, and you'll still have an Anglo-Russian cold war in Eurasia.

Wolfpaw said:

Have the US remain the Power of the Western Hemisphere, and you'll still have an Anglo-Russian cold war in Eurasia.

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Could then, theoretically, Brazil rise to power, creating a second cold war in the Western Hemisphere? Would either of these powers tangle with the cold war in Eurasia/the Eastern Hemisphere?

Shtudmuffin said:

Could then, theoretically, Brazil rise to power, creating a second cold war in the Western Hemisphere? Would either of these powers tangle with the cold war in Eurasia/the Eastern Hemisphere?

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That would be pretty hard. The US has a massive lead on Brazil in pretty much every field. To give you an idea, the populations of the US and Brazil in 1900 were 76 million and 18 million, respectively.

I mean, I suppose if you had a Brazilian Stalin who was all "Industrialization NOW!!!!" you could achieve something like this, but that is literally what it takes to transform a 3rd world nation into a Superpower within a generation.

Different Second World War, followed by America drawing down the army, withdrawing from overseas military commitments (out of Germany and Japan in a decade or so), and returning to isolationism (but with nukes).

Britain is still the face of globalisation, and so it's up to them to play communist whack-a-mole. Meanwhile, America probably enjoys even greater economic success, since they have outsourced a big chunk of security to Britain. It's the same situation China will probably be in in thirty years, they are the economic powerhouse of the world, but they'll be happy to let another nation, the USA in this case, spend the blood and treasure on keeping global markets open for business.

Try this
America enters the civil war as IOTL but the Trent incident is allowed to get out of hand and the CSA gets a reluctant ally which contents itself with a naval blockade and supplying the midwest indian tribes with up to date weaponry .This results in a stalemate where neither side is able overcome the other and both are unable to gather enough strengh to expand westwards.There will be peace eventually, but Lincoln was right the divided house falls and any impetus is lost in rebuilding. Maybe we end up with a truncated USA, a CSA ,a union of western states and just possibly a federation of the midwest indian tribes.
So no transcontinental railways, no expansion, reduced immigration due to reduced economies and political/racial unrest etc
UK
Takes a more active role in emmigration begining with the removal of a large proportion of Irelands population in the 1840's..Something like 2,000,000 people are moved to Africa,Canada, Australia and N.Z. This could arrise from alarm at the rising population and a greater wish to 'make the world England' maybe a super empire league with a political voice could sponser 'Ten pound poms' a hundred years early.
All those emmigrants need British manufactured goods which means more manfacturing which means more investment, which means more research, more discoveries etc etc etc
Some earlier than OTL education reform acts would not hurt either.
So we have a stonger empire with people less unevenly distrubuted, a more inovative UK with maybe some earlier moves to empire federation
Russia
Not looking forward to this one but here goes
we need a new Peter the Great on steroids with a long life ,as before he dies he needs to free the serfs early in the ninteenth century, educate them and give them some form of political life.Next he needs to open up Russia to ideas ie no reactionary censorship and encourage people to enter Russia on a massive scale ,and build up the economy quickly as he will need new money to stabilise the country as every boyar from Minsk to Vladivostock will be against these reforms. somehow he is going to have to get the majority of the guys 'on board'
So by 1900 we have Russia maybe looking semi modern

Germany pretty much as IOTL Prussian dominated federation with rising population growing economy and starting to annoy the UK

WW1 can start any time after 1908 and will eventually though not at the start involve the UK and Russia [they can come in at different times though and both against the CP ] British naval force and Russian manpower overcome German military genius and a peace is declared which just as IOTL leads to 'a' WW2 which leads to a triumphant UK and Russia staring at each other over the soon to be dismembered corpse of Germany
This has so many PODS If I was clever I would be able to think of just one