AH and maybe FH Challenge: Unite the World!

[WhatIsAUserName]

Put the entire world under the control of one nation. That simple. No enormous alliance headed by one country, no organizations (NATO, NAFTA, Warsaw Pact, etc). This country directly controls the world.

Here's the Challenge: The world must more or less accept this one nation's authority. At most, you can have something like the US with fringe groups trying to get Vermont or Anchorage to secede. No open rebellions are allowed, but groups like Hamas or the PLO are allowed. They cannot do too much damage though.

Is it even possible for the world-state?

I put it in the post-1900 section since I think it's going to go FH.

[Evil Opus]

Nazi Germany wins in WWII, by 1980 controls most of the world with the exception of South America and the Japanese Empire. (Italy is peacefully annexed to Germany in the 1960's). In about 2010, the Germans and Japanese get into a nuclear war..with Germany taking all. I suppose this is a little bit plausible..

[Lokit]

Originally Posted by WhatIsAUserName

I put it in the post-1900 section since I think it's going to go FH.

The Roman Empire perhaps? With some decent luck ofcourse.

[EvolvedSaurian]

Originally Posted by Lokit

The Roman Empire perhaps? With some decent luck ofcourse.

An expansionist China would be easier.

[Admiral Matt]

Rome is possible, given big technological change in the pre-Imperial period.

As to the Nazis... No. Not even a little bit. The Nazis might have been able to get a hold of most of Europe and hold it given incredible luck. They would then be stuck with nothing to look forward to but decay.

There are only three countries really able to pull this off in the near modern era: China, England, and France. Say the Chinese start up an industrial economy somewhere in the 1200s or 1300s range, before Europeans appear. They could be drawn outward into the Indian Ocean as the economic incentive to back their traderoutes becomes too great to ignore. Then... it depends how much a head start they can get on the Europeans. If they have to deal with them as equals, there's not much hope.

If France got very lucky somewhere in the Napoleonic Wars and stumbled into a successful invasion of England, they could do it. The POD is not even as ridiculous as it sounds. With the huge role that weather played and the achingly slow communications, the Brits could accidentally leave themselves without enough ships in the Channel for a critical month or two. Not likely, but possible. All British colonies seized, plus a garrison on the island, a free Ireland, domination of Europe... Pretty soon most of France's "allies" would find themselves forced to turn over their colonies even if they aren't annexed directly. A couple solid generations are spent absorbing Germany, Italy, and Northern Africa. By 1850, the only really "independent" states are the USA, China, Russia, and Turkey, and they've all been on the recieving ends of one or more French punitive expeditions. France could spend the next century expanding its directly held territory. But it might not.

Britannia is the most likely candidate. Say they give an odd parliamentary seat to a colony or two in the last years of the 1600s. By 1750 every American colony has at least one representative in either Commons or Lords. By 1800 the ratio of seats between America and Britain is the same as the ratio of populations. Representation is given early to Australia, New Zealand, the Caribbean, British bits of Central America, and Ireland. Basically anywhere with anglophonic white populations. During the Napoleonic Wars the additional strength of America allows the conquest of Spanish North America, the entire Caribbean, Guyana, Venezuala, and the southern end of South America. The Brits also keep a hold of the East Indies and Egypt. They get back an inflated Hannover when Nappy finally gives up the ghost.

The Chinese are more aware of British strength when the Opium War comes. Unfortunately, this is actually a bad thing, the Chinese preparations allow them to overwhelm and humiliate the limited forces present, but are utterly useless against the strength sent to avenge them. Redcoats march to Peking, and then... why not? Prussia and Austria fight Britain for the leadership of the German confederation and lose. Russia is dismembered by its European and Turkish neighbors in a giant version of the Crimean War, leaving Persia, Turkey, and Alaska as English puppets-colonies. This takes us to about 1880-90, and the United Kingdom is only on the rise.

Very doable.

[The Man]

THis would have to involve a sucesful LON

[Nekromans]

Been done.

[BlackMage]

I've heard some Alexander the Great scenarios proposed, most of which require him not to sleep, eat or do anything but conquer for about 50 years. It's sorta on the verge of possibility, if you haven't had much sleep recently.

A Mongol Empire scenario sounds reasonable to me; simply have the Mongols overrun Europe, and then I don't think there's anything in the world that can stand against them except, of course, their own disintegration, which is a major factor. However, if you find a way to keep the empire together longer (a more authoritarian system, less dependent on the kurultai?), then you're within reach.

Still, I think it's almost definitely FH, if only because we still haven't reached the point where a worldwide empire is actually possible. But in future, who knows?

Oh yes, and the Daleks manage to unite the world in the Dalek Invasion of Earth. All hail the Dalek Supreme, Commandant of the Earth!

[NapoleonXIV]

Assuming that the Mongols had gone on to wipe out the Armies of Europe and there was no saving kamikaze in Japan then we have most of the Eurasian land mass under one government by 1300. Now assume that this government integrates the ruling elites of the conquered nations into their own, solving the problem of overextension of the mongol rulers and creating a stable and loyal polity with no tendency to revolution (as the ruling elites would co-opt them). The Conquest of India, Southwest Asia and Africa would be an ongoing project, with everything except Sub-saharan Africa integrated by 1400. The taking of the rest of Africa might take until 1600 due to disease, resistance, topography etc.

North and South America would be colonised pretty much as in OTL, only by one huge mongol power instead of many European nations, for this reason the colonisation would be much faster, with full settlelment occurring by about 1700

It might be much more thinly populated, however, as lots of the reasons for immigration might not exist. OTOH other reasons might, I dunno

The problem here is that I see it beginning to break up by 1600, particularly as the interests of the Old and New Worlds diverge.

[HueyLong]

Mongolwank? Jengiswank?

Its going to be very hard to keep their manpower up, keep their traditional armies, and keep their territory under even nominal control.

Mongols aren't going to get any closer to a cohesive world state than the UN.

[Magnum]

If Alexander had lived a long life, and had heirs as good or better than him, with the urge too conquer all and impose greek culture, we would have probably had a greek version of the roman empire.
The roman empire itselfis a very likely candidate. Let's say they totally conquer Carthage in the First Punic War (=> no Hannibal), the reforms of Marius are imposed immediatly afterwards, but these would have clauses and/or by any other means deny generals the power to persuade their legions too march onto Rome. Eventually, a dictator would take power, reducing the senate too puppets. If a succesion of 3-4 emperors are good politicians and generals, the empire would grow even faster. Christianity would still appear, the empire, beeing stronger, would simply be able to annihilate the barbarians at its borders, together with their dogs, cats and livestock. If at one time an emperor would turn to christianity, the transition would be easyer and less painfulll. After a couple of generations, we would have christian roman empire. If the new country had the appetite for tehnological progress and the desire too spread its faith, I don't see how it could be stopped.
An expansionist China could also doo. As would a british empire, although highley unlikely. A big chance would have Nazi Germany if they had the nuke very early on and if Fuhrerdirektive #10 (I think) wouldn't have halted major tehnicall advancement.
Or if no nuke had ever been built, and the soviets fought the allies over Europe and Asia and won. They would then build a strong fleet, enough to invade the US and sustain the invasion.
I think the closer we get too our time, it's less and less likely for a country who promotes human rights, freedom a.o. (like England, even Napoleonic France or the US) to take over the world and be a super-state. More likely, they would push forward for a federation or something like that.