Did French and Italian colonies come along with?
A WIP for the finale of my 1940 France and Italy ISOT to 1812 scenario. The Franco-Italian War (or the European War or Second Great War depending on who you ask) ends very, very badly for Italy. Tentatively set in 1833/1960. Not shown: the disintegration of the Rhinebund and revolts in France's overseas empire.
Map Thread XIX
- Thread starter water123
- Start date
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Yup although with the cost of defeating Italy and having to deal with remnant Fascists and nationalists in the Italian states, there are well founded concerns that revolts in France's African territories, Syria, and Indochina will stretch the country to the breaking point. They will not be going into the 1860s/1980s with the same amount of overseas territories they had in the 1830s.
The Italian Empire meanwhile is completely dismantled due to their loss in the war naturally. The Senussi are in charge in Libya, Ethiopia's free, though Somalia is home to the "Italian Empire in Exile" an apartheid state that use to control all of East Africa until French backed native revolts pushed them out of Ethiopia and French Somaliland.
Funnily enough, the Ethiopian Emperor wasn't ISOTed as he was in exile at the time
Since Haile Selassie spent the war in London IOTL, he's left behind though I know that some members of the Ethiopian royal family was part of the resistance against the Italians so Im going to look into the possibility of one of them taking up the throne instead.
One hopes so: Ethiopia falling into civil war at this point would be rather unfortunate.
There certainly will be a lot of arguing about borders: Italian rule created a wanked Eritrea and Somalia to weaken the ruling Amharans.
(From Wikipedia)
You really have outdone yourself with these. Any chance of a Byzantine colonial empire or a Egyptian one?
Shit dude, I saw that on reddit a while ago and thought you were calling Australia "another America".
Another topographic map from yours truly. The main point of the map is to try to find a style suitable for the next series I'm planning; a continuation of Warring Libya. Since I'm going to risk my own series and ended throwing another work into the pile, I made a headcanon of SCP's very own Mekhanite Empire, basically a past extension of the Church of the Broken God. Thought the premise was great but the details are too blurry for my taste, that's why I made this map to make an interesting interpretation of it. I tried to find a map thread on the Fandom AH but most of them are either Warhammer 40k stuff or GOT fan-fic, that's why I'm posting it here.
NOTE: I like to give thanks to my co-workers generous enough to make this map. Graphic Design isn’t my forte and I’m more interested in spending my time reading the scrolls we have rather than wasting my time on the computer.
The Church of Broken God, while a nuisance to our operations, presents itself as one of the most enigmatic factions in our history. They have faced tragedies after tragedies, broken into many sects while their biblical adversary is evolving into an apocalyptic monstrosity. Their folks are full of wit and wonders, driven by the need to seek crude knowledge but not the point being apathetic towards human emotion. And in some cases, they're willing to cooperate despite their ulterior motives
But they’re not just a fringe cult vying for influence, however. Their past is as ancient as history itself, deriving from the era of antiquity and presenting itself within the cradles of time as one of the most influential cultures in human history; one that has contributed greatly to the development of human civilization from years to come.
Before the collapse of the Bronze Age, the Mekhanites are mostly religious and mercantile folk living around the Aegean Islands and the northern coast of the Peloponnese region. Their tools of the trade are considered to be exquisite by many of their neighbors ranging from Egyptians, Hittites, Daevites, and Othotans. They also a crude folk familiar with the raids of sailing pirates, forcing them into tight but formidable communities.
Their empire wasn’t formed until the collapse of the Bronze Age, which forced most of their people to resettle on the island of Crete. This exodus leads them to centralize their communities into a powerful state, leading them to consolidate their rule over the entire island. While the rest of their world is devastated by Daevite raiders, lands under their dominion prospered and flourished. Their expansionist drive to seek plots of land to spread the teachings of Mekhane (or Wan in their tongue)led them to rule lands ranging from Kefalonia to modern-day Lebanon.
The formation of their empire leads them to become seafaring warriors and merchants, with accounts describing their fleet as a majestic school of ships glittered with gold and able to summon thunders from the high heavens to impress the surrounding kingdoms. They provide quality goods considered precious by many of their neighbors, from the earliest form of prosthetics to a metal man that thinks and moves on its own. Their warriors are also sparked interest in the eyes of many, accounts from many sides describe their weapons of war as terrifying, ranging from a spear that shoots light to incinerate a man to a giant metal colossus that eclipses the mountains.
It’s unknown if they’re led by a monarch or a form of consensus, by their rule can be described as theocratic. People gathered for congregations every week and insulting their creed is blasphemy to all. Their rule over the existing cities of antiquity can be ambivalent to many. While not tyrannical to any degree, they seem to seek tribute from conquered lands in a form of resource ranging from metal ores to coals; probably to sustain their trade without the need to use their own men. If they can’t produce the needed goods, they usually levy a few of their conquered subjects to serve as auxiliaries.
The Mekhanites are welcoming folk when it comes to trade, many of their goods seem to be spread throughout the Mediterranean. Their relations with the surrounding kingdoms devolve into nothing more but indifferent, with the exception of the Judean Tribes in Palestine. Their relation with Kalmatkama Empire is filled with contradictions. While accounts of raids over their temples are numerous, the ruins around Thrace and Crimea suggest their respective communities live harmoniously, albeit segregated. There are even accounts of from a Phonecian merchant describing an envoy covered with red silk and protruding horns preparing to meet the upper hierarchy of the Mekhanite theocracy.
Life in their settlement can be described as spartan. But despite their religiosity, they can be very lenient on the teaching, usually integrating the beliefs of the local people into their own. They tend to the farms and gather all of their surpluses into the settlement center for a feast, celebrating religious festivals for their god. Life in their capital - Chalkos, is different, however. Accounts from an Orthotan envoy describe massive bronze towers and pierced through the sky and the smell of burning coal all across the air. Many flocked to the city to trade and some settled without any need of religious conversion, with many archeological findings from SCP-**** suggesting Phonecian temples existing through the ruins.
Their empire ended during the Sarkic incursion over the Mediterranean. Their raids devastated most of their place of worship and slaughter their folk to form their flesh-temples (Kiraaks). A turning point occurred during the Siege of Gyaros, where the Mekhanite-led coalition devastated the massive war party that was meant to sail towards Chalkos. Their crushing defeat destroyed any winning chance for the Kalmaktama Empire to spread threat across the known world, pushing them out from Crimea and indirectly contributed to the fall of the Sarkic Empire.
This leaves the Mekhanites weary, however. With most of their cities destroyed and their population either devoured or decimated, this leaves them little to survive as a powerful empire. Exacerbated with the impending force posed by the newly-formed Greek city-states and the Achaemenids, they can no longer sustain their once glorious dominion. This tragedy has led to another exodus among their folk, rallied by the remnants of their hierarchy into the small settlement of Amoni. This leads to the foundation of the city-state of their own, leading to another form of prosperity among their culture until the end of antiquity.
Their history shows that despite our first encounter with the CotBG, they seem to be more than just a group of technological hoarders or a fanatical cult. They're cordial when the need arises and centuries of suffering leads them to become very cynical when it comes to our affairs and others. They're folks holding centuries of tradition and imperative for us to sympathize with their blight, especially the growing threat imposed by the Neo-Sarkic Cult has become apparent.
--- Dr. Joshua Kurtz, Department of Anthropology
The Church of Broken God, while a nuisance to our operations, presents itself as one of the most enigmatic factions in our history. They have faced tragedies after tragedies, broken into many sects while their biblical adversary is evolving into an apocalyptic monstrosity. Their folks are full of wit and wonders, driven by the need to seek crude knowledge but not the point being apathetic towards human emotion. And in some cases, they're willing to cooperate despite their ulterior motives
But they’re not just a fringe cult vying for influence, however. Their past is as ancient as history itself, deriving from the era of antiquity and presenting itself within the cradles of time as one of the most influential cultures in human history; one that has contributed greatly to the development of human civilization from years to come.
Before the collapse of the Bronze Age, the Mekhanites are mostly religious and mercantile folk living around the Aegean Islands and the northern coast of the Peloponnese region. Their tools of the trade are considered to be exquisite by many of their neighbors ranging from Egyptians, Hittites, Daevites, and Othotans. They also a crude folk familiar with the raids of sailing pirates, forcing them into tight but formidable communities.
Their empire wasn’t formed until the collapse of the Bronze Age, which forced most of their people to resettle on the island of Crete. This exodus leads them to centralize their communities into a powerful state, leading them to consolidate their rule over the entire island. While the rest of their world is devastated by Daevite raiders, lands under their dominion prospered and flourished. Their expansionist drive to seek plots of land to spread the teachings of Mekhane (or Wan in their tongue)led them to rule lands ranging from Kefalonia to modern-day Lebanon.
The formation of their empire leads them to become seafaring warriors and merchants, with accounts describing their fleet as a majestic school of ships glittered with gold and able to summon thunders from the high heavens to impress the surrounding kingdoms. They provide quality goods considered precious by many of their neighbors, from the earliest form of prosthetics to a metal man that thinks and moves on its own. Their warriors are also sparked interest in the eyes of many, accounts from many sides describe their weapons of war as terrifying, ranging from a spear that shoots light to incinerate a man to a giant metal colossus that eclipses the mountains.
It’s unknown if they’re led by a monarch or a form of consensus, by their rule can be described as theocratic. People gathered for congregations every week and insulting their creed is blasphemy to all. Their rule over the existing cities of antiquity can be ambivalent to many. While not tyrannical to any degree, they seem to seek tribute from conquered lands in a form of resource ranging from metal ores to coals; probably to sustain their trade without the need to use their own men. If they can’t produce the needed goods, they usually levy a few of their conquered subjects to serve as auxiliaries.
The Mekhanites are welcoming folk when it comes to trade, many of their goods seem to be spread throughout the Mediterranean. Their relations with the surrounding kingdoms devolve into nothing more but indifferent, with the exception of the Judean Tribes in Palestine. Their relation with Kalmatkama Empire is filled with contradictions. While accounts of raids over their temples are numerous, the ruins around Thrace and Crimea suggest their respective communities live harmoniously, albeit segregated. There are even accounts of from a Phonecian merchant describing an envoy covered with red silk and protruding horns preparing to meet the upper hierarchy of the Mekhanite theocracy.
Life in their settlement can be described as spartan. But despite their religiosity, they can be very lenient on the teaching, usually integrating the beliefs of the local people into their own. They tend to the farms and gather all of their surpluses into the settlement center for a feast, celebrating religious festivals for their god. Life in their capital - Chalkos, is different, however. Accounts from an Orthotan envoy describe massive bronze towers and pierced through the sky and the smell of burning coal all across the air. Many flocked to the city to trade and some settled without any need of religious conversion, with many archeological findings from SCP-**** suggesting Phonecian temples existing through the ruins.
Their empire ended during the Sarkic incursion over the Mediterranean. Their raids devastated most of their place of worship and slaughter their folk to form their flesh-temples (Kiraaks). A turning point occurred during the Siege of Gyaros, where the Mekhanite-led coalition devastated the massive war party that was meant to sail towards Chalkos. Their crushing defeat destroyed any winning chance for the Kalmaktama Empire to spread threat across the known world, pushing them out from Crimea and indirectly contributed to the fall of the Sarkic Empire.
This leaves the Mekhanites weary, however. With most of their cities destroyed and their population either devoured or decimated, this leaves them little to survive as a powerful empire. Exacerbated with the impending force posed by the newly-formed Greek city-states and the Achaemenids, they can no longer sustain their once glorious dominion. This tragedy has led to another exodus among their folk, rallied by the remnants of their hierarchy into the small settlement of Amoni. This leads to the foundation of the city-state of their own, leading to another form of prosperity among their culture until the end of antiquity.
Their history shows that despite our first encounter with the CotBG, they seem to be more than just a group of technological hoarders or a fanatical cult. They're cordial when the need arises and centuries of suffering leads them to become very cynical when it comes to our affairs and others. They're folks holding centuries of tradition and imperative for us to sympathize with their blight, especially the growing threat imposed by the Neo-Sarkic Cult has become apparent.
--- Dr. Joshua Kurtz, Department of Anthropology
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@B_Munro
Great stuff! Re Qatar: so, the majority of the population is actually South Asian, right? Well, what about some sort of near-future scenario (or a technothriller/War on Terror scenario with a POD in the recent-ish past) that sees much of the Middle East, especially the established powers within the Arabian Peninsula, collapse in some devastating war... leaving the desis of the Persian Gulf to form some sort of New India, with its capitol in Doha, where the expat revolts began in earnest?
Great stuff! Re Qatar: so, the majority of the population is actually South Asian, right? Well, what about some sort of near-future scenario (or a technothriller/War on Terror scenario with a POD in the recent-ish past) that sees much of the Middle East, especially the established powers within the Arabian Peninsula, collapse in some devastating war... leaving the desis of the Persian Gulf to form some sort of New India, with its capitol in Doha, where the expat revolts began in earnest?
Cordial relations with the Judean Tribes. I don't really have much thought on this, just a filler since I'm running out of ideas during the writing process.
Couldn't the U.S. harness the power of the Pentagon and the Oval Office?
I’d make it more like Qatar being the successor state to some major Indian empire, such as Delhi or Mughal.
It's not the RDNA-verse, for a change. But here's a little something I've spent the past week working on: an ISOT wherein the Earth (circa February 1, 1940), winds up in the Earth Sphere in the Universal Century Gundam timeline (circa February 1, UC 0079). The full version can be found on DeviantArt.
The end result could be best described as a cursed blend of the Thousand Week Reich and The New Order mods for Hearts of Iron IV , as well as Harry Turtledove's Worldwar series and
's Our otherworldly Benefactors: The Galactic Empire. Add in the generally grueling and brutal nature of UC, as well as the World War II influences used by Yoshiyuki Tomino and subsequent contributors to the Gundam franchise...and it's a strange yet harmonious combination to say the least. At the same time, however, I try to make it as plausible and believable as possible, while still staying true to the lore. All things considered, I'm glad with how this worked out.
All that said, hope you enjoy this peculiar adventure into the Universal Century!
----
Universal Century: Brave New World
AD 1950
UC 0089
It was the year 1940 of the Anno Domini calendar. Two decades had passed since the end of the Great War, and less than three months since the Third Reich launched its brazen campaign of conquest in Poland. On February 1, a faint glimmer enveloped the globe. Astronomers from Moscow to Berlin, Greenwich and America's Rocky Mountains began noticing strange peculiarities in the night sky. More than just the stars themselves being somewhat off, strange objects were being picked up by telescopes, from moving lights to giant floating stations. Such findings, however, were largely kept hidden if not outright ignored amidst the escalating conflict. The public had little time for tabloid stories of flying saucers, not when an impending attack by the Nazis on Western Europe seemed imminent. Even as intelligence reports began filtering in from the Axis Powers of strange transmissions and clandestine meetings with unidentified VIPs, few noticed their significance until it was too late.
On March 21, everything changed. As Adolf Hitler broke the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact with an invasion of Soviet-occupied Poland, strange vessels began landing over the Ukraine and Caucasus. Reports came in of the immense Red Army being overrun by invaders from the stars. Armed with a strange mix of highly advanced technology and conventional munitions, the centerpiece of these weapons were green humanoid robots that seemed to shrug off tanks and artillery with relative ease. What was even more stunning was that these hostile adversaries weren't "aliens" at all, but human. Which was confirmed when the so-called Spacenoids, referring to themselves as the Principality of Zeon, revealed themselves through worldwide broadcasts. Worse, their purported spokesman and Supreme Commander, Gihren Zabi, had aligned his people with the Axis Powers, proclaiming in no uncertain terms that mankind needed a new destiny, in which their souls would no longer be "weighed down by gravity."
Even as panic spread, some still clung on to the possibility that it was an elaborate Nazi ruse, if not a hoax on par with Orson Welles' infamous radio drama. The subsequent invasion of France and the Low Countries, however, brought such thoughts to heel as Allied troops saw the might of the "Mobile Suits" up close. All the while, similar landings were taking place in lands as far afield as India, South America, the Belgian Congo and Southeast Asia, the latter dragging an isolationist United States into what was becoming a Great War like no other. Initial fighting lasted close to a month, with Allied and Soviet casualties mounting with each crushing defeat and costly defense. Following the fall of Moscow and Stalin's ignoble demise plunging the USSR into near-anarchy, it seemed like London was next.
It was then, that other Spacenoid groups approached the Allied Powers. Comprised largely of the Earth Federation Space Force and those opposed to Zeon, they were all that remained of a global polity that no longer existed and had already begun fracturing. Some approached the Americans and Free French, claiming legitimacy through old continuity protocols and democratic lineages. Others, led by Admiral Johann Ibrahim Revil, went to the aid of the beleaguered British Empire, seeing in the Commonwealth the seeds of what a more reform-minded Earth Federation could have been. There were even those, including a number of vestigial politicians with socialist ties, who sought to directly support the Communist holdouts and warlords, whether their compatriots liked it or not. Nonetheless, these displaced remnants were at least united in denying their mutual foes their victory.
Despite the advantages, however, the Free World could only stall Zeon's advance for so long before the ruling Zabis, or at least Gihren, began pondering the notion of breaking the glorified gentleman's agreement to avoid so-called "weapons of mass destruction." Still, the EFSF factions had one key ace in the hole. They continued the original Federation's plans to create Mobile Suits of their own, "Operation V," as a joint venture under chief engineer Tem Ray in a loyalist group of space colonies called Side 7, or "Noa." Whether it was due to hard work, espionage or a combination of both, the results soon bore fruit. On August 8, three prototypes, of which the "RX-78 Gundam" was the centerpiece, were forced into action after the main research site was discovered by an enemy patrol. The people and crew dragged into action, including Tem's son Amuro Ray, would go on to successful engage the foe in both space and Earth, the data gathered instrumental in finalizing the development of mass-production models. Though these managed to turn the tide to a degree, there simply wasn't enough time or resources at hand to truly dislodge the invaders or the Axis Powers. Thus, fearing potential escalation and, in Revil's words, "a second Operation British," it was decided to bring the Principality and its collaborators to the table. Thus, on January 4, 1941, the Second Great War, also known as the One Year War, came to a close.
Nearly a decade has passed since then. It is the year 0089 of the Universal Century, or 1950 in the Anno Domini reckoning. In the span of less than a generation, the face of the globe has changed irrevocably.
The fascist nations that comprise the "New Axis" stand as major powers on Earth, collaborating with their mutual Zeon ally, at least on paper. The Greater Germanic Reich in particular still presents itself, and not entirely without reason, as the face of the new order. Even as the Germans continue remaking their territories and conquests in their image, however, they too have been changed in turn. While Gihren was known to have admired Hitler, this didn't stop the latter's mysterious assassination alongside Joseph Goebbels in 1943, nor did this stop his sister Kycilia and his father, Sovereign Degwin Sodo Zabi, from endorsing Albert Speer to succeed as Fuhrer over Heinrich Himmler. While its benefactors are not overly particular about how it runs its affairs, the Reich has nonetheless undergone various "reforms" largely suggested by them, which have made it more stable and egalitarian at the expense of the once untouchable SS. All the while Nazism itself, right down to its Aryan master race rhetoric, is increasingly resembling the "Contolism" espoused by the deceased Zeon Zum Deikun, from whom the Principality claims legitimacy from. Not only have similar trends emerged from Japan, Italy and Brazil in one form or another, but they've also had the effect of further tying the bloc to their benefactors, with many citizens being encouraged to emigrate beyond the confines of the Earth. Ultimately, however much some hardliners might grumble, all know who the true hegemon is.
For the Principality of Zeon has indeed come far from its days of being oppressed by those weighed down by gravity. Originating from their "homeland" of Side 3, the cluster of colonies farthest from the Earth, these Spacenoids under the Zabi family wield significant power across the Earth Sphere. Their "Sectors" on Earth alone, encompassing territories claimed during the invasion, are by no means insignificant, contributing much in resources, industry and manpower. From advisors and liasons to whole garrisons meant to protect their erstwhile collaborators, Zeon's influence transcends formal borders. That the New Axis nations also mirror the mixed ethnic ancestries of Side 3 and, in another reality, helped shape it Germanic-inspired pretensions is no coincidence. Yet, all is not well beneath the surface. The Sovereign, more of a figurehead than autocrat by this point, has encouraged a gradual transition to constitutionalism but grows more frail by the week, whether due to stress or, as some suggest, poison. Though he has designated his youngest and most benevolent son, Garma, as his heir, the conniving Kycilia and sociopathic Gihren are said to be plotting against each other and their sibling to achieve have their own ambitions and plans. Meanwhile, the maverick "Red Comet" known as Char Aznable, revealed to be the son of Deikun himself, had gone rogue along with other traitors to the state, many of which were people with latent psionic abilities known as Newtypes. His "Neo Zeon" movement, suspected to be hiding in Antarctica and even in the Asteroid Belt, has over time become an amorphous entity, driven more by the man's lust for revenge against those who wronged him than any lingering claims to represent Contolism or his people.
There are still many, however, that stand apart from and defy this state of affairs, even as they go down increasingly different paths for humanity. The "Legitimist" faction in the EFSF that had approached the US and Free France during the conflict have become the prime benefactor of the United League of Nations. An economic and military alliance ostensibly meant to embolden the original League in the face of the Axis Powers and their new masters, in practice it is not only an extension of the Legitimists. The ultimate aim has been to lay the groundwork for re-establishing the Earth Federation, with the ULN trying to encourage a sense of a global consciousness, expand its mandate and more closely integrate its member states. These are not lost on the Americans and current President Douglas MacArthur, as while among the first to join, they're growing concerned with what's increasingly seen as a raw deal. Such matters are not unfounded, especially as more militant and Earth supremacist elements, led by Admiral Gene Coliny, had all but usurped what vestigial authority the bureaucrats had, with the amoral Jamitov Hymen's "Titans" task force at the helm.
The "Reformists" among the EFSF, meanwhile, couldn't be any more different. Even in the midst of the Second Great War, it was never lost on Admiral Revil and his supporters that seeking to recreate a deeply flawed system risked repeating history. It wasn't for mere pragmatism, then, that they reached out to Winston Churchill and King George VI. Warts and all, they saw a chance to succeed where the original Federation failed. This has resulted in the emboldened Commonwealth of Nations. While leases and compromises were made to allow the Reformists to set up various facilities across the myriad dominions and protectorates, a conscious effort was made to establish a more stable partnership between them and their allies. Though not without some setbacks, this have proven to be mutually beneficial. The British Crown remains firm as ever, as do many Old World traditions, but so do democracy and the rule of law. All while the citizenry savor newfound liberties, prosperity and solidarity to an extent once thought to be unattainable. Given the strained ties with the Legitimists, and with the charismatic Blex Forer slated to succeed his esteemed superior as Commander-in-Chief, this may either bring salvation or ruin for all involved.
The renegade EFSF elements who set off for the remnants of Russia had long since dropped any pretensions of following orders. Where others saw a sordid collection of warlords and rival Communist cliques, they saw an opportunity to directly shape the course of history. Acting as latter-day Alexanders, or Ungern-Sternbergs as some detractors might claim, these rogues unified the fractured groups and crushed those who dared to oppose them. From the ashes rose the Federation of Soviet Socialist Republics. Under the nominal rule of Chairman Adenauer Paraya, the FSSR has sought to unify the world through its particular take on Socialism, with neither Spacenoids or decadent reactionaries, even their former compatriots, standing in their way. In the intervening time, many of the rogue personnel and Party members have "gone native" to various degrees, from adopting Russian to buying into the Slavic nationalist rhetoric originally intended to help placate their new "comrades." Nonetheless, these would-be heirs to Marx and Lenin have managed to keep Zeon and its collaborators preoccupied in their corner of the world. For how long, remains to be seen.
To say that the events of 1940/0079 have transformed the face of the planet forever would be pointing out the obvious. The realization, from the off-world perspective, that an historical snapshot of the "Middle Era" had appeared in place of the Earth as they knew it, was about as shocking as those on the surface finding out that they were, technically, in a future straight out of science fiction. In the span of a decade, the major world powers were faced with, and with varying degrees of success adapted, generations' worth of technological advances and social developments, some of which seemed undreamed of: nuclear fusion, beam weaponry, color TV, gender equality and so on. The arrival of Spacenoids and Newtypes, whether as tourists hoping to glimpse the world of their distant forefathers or as soldiers and entrepreneurs seeking their fortune, has similarly been met with reactions ranging from tolerance to outright bigotry, the latter fueling Earth supremacist sentiment especially in the ULN. While the new immigrants to the void, whether to Zeon or otherwise, have generally been met with open arms, if at times patronizingly so. Then, there are Mobile Suits. Despite the Principality's "first-mover advantage" in developing those humanoid machines, it has been in a nigh-constant arms race with the Federation successors ever since the Gundam made its debut. While countries like the Reich and US tend to have access to "outdated" models for military use, or scavenged prototypes in the case of the FSSR, the ubiquity of such weapons of war have reached the point wherein they could be reverse-engineered by many of the globe's top engineers. A trend that was grown even more pronounced as the underlying principles behind Minovsky Particles, shown to impact electrical equipment and radar, are understood.
Though it's a given that the wider Earth Sphere would capitalize on the situation, few would compare to corporate giant residing in the Lunar "capitol" known as Von Braun City. Built in the Sea of Tranquility, it is nominally aligned with, and contested by, the Federation successors. In practice, however, it and the surrounding Lunar Settlements outside of Zeon control are effectively company towns owned by Anaheim Electronics. Only Zeonic, Zimmad and MIP, all from Side 3, could really come close to the conglomerate's sheer clout and influence. On top of encompassing various industries, from manufacturing to cosmetics and banking, it also produces the bulk of the military equipment, including Mobile Suits, used by the Legitimist and Reformist EFSF. That being said, the mega-corporation is not above buying out companies on Earth itself or clandestinely selling its services to the highest bidder, even if enemies to their major clients are involved.
It may be easy to conclude that Anaheim is simply seeking to profit from a peace that could all too easily break. At the same time, however, there may be reason to believe that this might be an elaborate ruse, or part of a larger scheme. While it's an open secret that the wealthy Vist Foundation has served as the corporation's largest stockholders for generations, there's much more that's hidden from the public eye. Despite the absence of the Federation, this enigmatic family is believed to wield considerable sway in affairs across the Earth Sphere, having seemingly navigated its way around the various geopolitical players with relative ease. But as rumors of war on the horizon spread, so too has hearsay involving the aging patriarch of the Foundation, Syam Vist, and a vault of secrets that could yet change the course of history.
For the brave new world of the Universal Century is more than one where people are born and raised, then die. There, too, is the possibility of a better tomorrow. Whoever triumphs in the coming years would decide whether that hope's well-founded, or wind up being humanity's last foolish dream.
The general arrangement of the Earth Federation successors are partially inspired by the possible outcomes and splinter factions seen in the Japan-only Gihren's Greed strategy games.
The "glorified gentleman's agreement" is a reference to the Antarctic Treaty, which in-universe was intended to prevent the use of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, as well as a repeat of Operation British.
The state of the wider Earth Sphere is an based on an amalgamation of various UC Gundam works, especially Zeta Gundam and Gundam Unicorn.
The end result could be best described as a cursed blend of the Thousand Week Reich and The New Order mods for Hearts of Iron IV , as well as Harry Turtledove's Worldwar series and
's Our otherworldly Benefactors: The Galactic Empire. Add in the generally grueling and brutal nature of UC, as well as the World War II influences used by Yoshiyuki Tomino and subsequent contributors to the Gundam franchise...and it's a strange yet harmonious combination to say the least. At the same time, however, I try to make it as plausible and believable as possible, while still staying true to the lore. All things considered, I'm glad with how this worked out.
Though just to be on the safe side, this is a work of fiction. All rights, especially for the Gundam franchise, belong to their respective owners.All that said, hope you enjoy this peculiar adventure into the Universal Century!
----
Universal Century: Brave New World
AD 1950
UC 0089
It was the year 1940 of the Anno Domini calendar. Two decades had passed since the end of the Great War, and less than three months since the Third Reich launched its brazen campaign of conquest in Poland. On February 1, a faint glimmer enveloped the globe. Astronomers from Moscow to Berlin, Greenwich and America's Rocky Mountains began noticing strange peculiarities in the night sky. More than just the stars themselves being somewhat off, strange objects were being picked up by telescopes, from moving lights to giant floating stations. Such findings, however, were largely kept hidden if not outright ignored amidst the escalating conflict. The public had little time for tabloid stories of flying saucers, not when an impending attack by the Nazis on Western Europe seemed imminent. Even as intelligence reports began filtering in from the Axis Powers of strange transmissions and clandestine meetings with unidentified VIPs, few noticed their significance until it was too late.
On March 21, everything changed. As Adolf Hitler broke the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact with an invasion of Soviet-occupied Poland, strange vessels began landing over the Ukraine and Caucasus. Reports came in of the immense Red Army being overrun by invaders from the stars. Armed with a strange mix of highly advanced technology and conventional munitions, the centerpiece of these weapons were green humanoid robots that seemed to shrug off tanks and artillery with relative ease. What was even more stunning was that these hostile adversaries weren't "aliens" at all, but human. Which was confirmed when the so-called Spacenoids, referring to themselves as the Principality of Zeon, revealed themselves through worldwide broadcasts. Worse, their purported spokesman and Supreme Commander, Gihren Zabi, had aligned his people with the Axis Powers, proclaiming in no uncertain terms that mankind needed a new destiny, in which their souls would no longer be "weighed down by gravity."
Even as panic spread, some still clung on to the possibility that it was an elaborate Nazi ruse, if not a hoax on par with Orson Welles' infamous radio drama. The subsequent invasion of France and the Low Countries, however, brought such thoughts to heel as Allied troops saw the might of the "Mobile Suits" up close. All the while, similar landings were taking place in lands as far afield as India, South America, the Belgian Congo and Southeast Asia, the latter dragging an isolationist United States into what was becoming a Great War like no other. Initial fighting lasted close to a month, with Allied and Soviet casualties mounting with each crushing defeat and costly defense. Following the fall of Moscow and Stalin's ignoble demise plunging the USSR into near-anarchy, it seemed like London was next.
It was then, that other Spacenoid groups approached the Allied Powers. Comprised largely of the Earth Federation Space Force and those opposed to Zeon, they were all that remained of a global polity that no longer existed and had already begun fracturing. Some approached the Americans and Free French, claiming legitimacy through old continuity protocols and democratic lineages. Others, led by Admiral Johann Ibrahim Revil, went to the aid of the beleaguered British Empire, seeing in the Commonwealth the seeds of what a more reform-minded Earth Federation could have been. There were even those, including a number of vestigial politicians with socialist ties, who sought to directly support the Communist holdouts and warlords, whether their compatriots liked it or not. Nonetheless, these displaced remnants were at least united in denying their mutual foes their victory.
Despite the advantages, however, the Free World could only stall Zeon's advance for so long before the ruling Zabis, or at least Gihren, began pondering the notion of breaking the glorified gentleman's agreement to avoid so-called "weapons of mass destruction." Still, the EFSF factions had one key ace in the hole. They continued the original Federation's plans to create Mobile Suits of their own, "Operation V," as a joint venture under chief engineer Tem Ray in a loyalist group of space colonies called Side 7, or "Noa." Whether it was due to hard work, espionage or a combination of both, the results soon bore fruit. On August 8, three prototypes, of which the "RX-78 Gundam" was the centerpiece, were forced into action after the main research site was discovered by an enemy patrol. The people and crew dragged into action, including Tem's son Amuro Ray, would go on to successful engage the foe in both space and Earth, the data gathered instrumental in finalizing the development of mass-production models. Though these managed to turn the tide to a degree, there simply wasn't enough time or resources at hand to truly dislodge the invaders or the Axis Powers. Thus, fearing potential escalation and, in Revil's words, "a second Operation British," it was decided to bring the Principality and its collaborators to the table. Thus, on January 4, 1941, the Second Great War, also known as the One Year War, came to a close.
Nearly a decade has passed since then. It is the year 0089 of the Universal Century, or 1950 in the Anno Domini reckoning. In the span of less than a generation, the face of the globe has changed irrevocably.
The fascist nations that comprise the "New Axis" stand as major powers on Earth, collaborating with their mutual Zeon ally, at least on paper. The Greater Germanic Reich in particular still presents itself, and not entirely without reason, as the face of the new order. Even as the Germans continue remaking their territories and conquests in their image, however, they too have been changed in turn. While Gihren was known to have admired Hitler, this didn't stop the latter's mysterious assassination alongside Joseph Goebbels in 1943, nor did this stop his sister Kycilia and his father, Sovereign Degwin Sodo Zabi, from endorsing Albert Speer to succeed as Fuhrer over Heinrich Himmler. While its benefactors are not overly particular about how it runs its affairs, the Reich has nonetheless undergone various "reforms" largely suggested by them, which have made it more stable and egalitarian at the expense of the once untouchable SS. All the while Nazism itself, right down to its Aryan master race rhetoric, is increasingly resembling the "Contolism" espoused by the deceased Zeon Zum Deikun, from whom the Principality claims legitimacy from. Not only have similar trends emerged from Japan, Italy and Brazil in one form or another, but they've also had the effect of further tying the bloc to their benefactors, with many citizens being encouraged to emigrate beyond the confines of the Earth. Ultimately, however much some hardliners might grumble, all know who the true hegemon is.
For the Principality of Zeon has indeed come far from its days of being oppressed by those weighed down by gravity. Originating from their "homeland" of Side 3, the cluster of colonies farthest from the Earth, these Spacenoids under the Zabi family wield significant power across the Earth Sphere. Their "Sectors" on Earth alone, encompassing territories claimed during the invasion, are by no means insignificant, contributing much in resources, industry and manpower. From advisors and liasons to whole garrisons meant to protect their erstwhile collaborators, Zeon's influence transcends formal borders. That the New Axis nations also mirror the mixed ethnic ancestries of Side 3 and, in another reality, helped shape it Germanic-inspired pretensions is no coincidence. Yet, all is not well beneath the surface. The Sovereign, more of a figurehead than autocrat by this point, has encouraged a gradual transition to constitutionalism but grows more frail by the week, whether due to stress or, as some suggest, poison. Though he has designated his youngest and most benevolent son, Garma, as his heir, the conniving Kycilia and sociopathic Gihren are said to be plotting against each other and their sibling to achieve have their own ambitions and plans. Meanwhile, the maverick "Red Comet" known as Char Aznable, revealed to be the son of Deikun himself, had gone rogue along with other traitors to the state, many of which were people with latent psionic abilities known as Newtypes. His "Neo Zeon" movement, suspected to be hiding in Antarctica and even in the Asteroid Belt, has over time become an amorphous entity, driven more by the man's lust for revenge against those who wronged him than any lingering claims to represent Contolism or his people.
There are still many, however, that stand apart from and defy this state of affairs, even as they go down increasingly different paths for humanity. The "Legitimist" faction in the EFSF that had approached the US and Free France during the conflict have become the prime benefactor of the United League of Nations. An economic and military alliance ostensibly meant to embolden the original League in the face of the Axis Powers and their new masters, in practice it is not only an extension of the Legitimists. The ultimate aim has been to lay the groundwork for re-establishing the Earth Federation, with the ULN trying to encourage a sense of a global consciousness, expand its mandate and more closely integrate its member states. These are not lost on the Americans and current President Douglas MacArthur, as while among the first to join, they're growing concerned with what's increasingly seen as a raw deal. Such matters are not unfounded, especially as more militant and Earth supremacist elements, led by Admiral Gene Coliny, had all but usurped what vestigial authority the bureaucrats had, with the amoral Jamitov Hymen's "Titans" task force at the helm.
The "Reformists" among the EFSF, meanwhile, couldn't be any more different. Even in the midst of the Second Great War, it was never lost on Admiral Revil and his supporters that seeking to recreate a deeply flawed system risked repeating history. It wasn't for mere pragmatism, then, that they reached out to Winston Churchill and King George VI. Warts and all, they saw a chance to succeed where the original Federation failed. This has resulted in the emboldened Commonwealth of Nations. While leases and compromises were made to allow the Reformists to set up various facilities across the myriad dominions and protectorates, a conscious effort was made to establish a more stable partnership between them and their allies. Though not without some setbacks, this have proven to be mutually beneficial. The British Crown remains firm as ever, as do many Old World traditions, but so do democracy and the rule of law. All while the citizenry savor newfound liberties, prosperity and solidarity to an extent once thought to be unattainable. Given the strained ties with the Legitimists, and with the charismatic Blex Forer slated to succeed his esteemed superior as Commander-in-Chief, this may either bring salvation or ruin for all involved.
The renegade EFSF elements who set off for the remnants of Russia had long since dropped any pretensions of following orders. Where others saw a sordid collection of warlords and rival Communist cliques, they saw an opportunity to directly shape the course of history. Acting as latter-day Alexanders, or Ungern-Sternbergs as some detractors might claim, these rogues unified the fractured groups and crushed those who dared to oppose them. From the ashes rose the Federation of Soviet Socialist Republics. Under the nominal rule of Chairman Adenauer Paraya, the FSSR has sought to unify the world through its particular take on Socialism, with neither Spacenoids or decadent reactionaries, even their former compatriots, standing in their way. In the intervening time, many of the rogue personnel and Party members have "gone native" to various degrees, from adopting Russian to buying into the Slavic nationalist rhetoric originally intended to help placate their new "comrades." Nonetheless, these would-be heirs to Marx and Lenin have managed to keep Zeon and its collaborators preoccupied in their corner of the world. For how long, remains to be seen.
To say that the events of 1940/0079 have transformed the face of the planet forever would be pointing out the obvious. The realization, from the off-world perspective, that an historical snapshot of the "Middle Era" had appeared in place of the Earth as they knew it, was about as shocking as those on the surface finding out that they were, technically, in a future straight out of science fiction. In the span of a decade, the major world powers were faced with, and with varying degrees of success adapted, generations' worth of technological advances and social developments, some of which seemed undreamed of: nuclear fusion, beam weaponry, color TV, gender equality and so on. The arrival of Spacenoids and Newtypes, whether as tourists hoping to glimpse the world of their distant forefathers or as soldiers and entrepreneurs seeking their fortune, has similarly been met with reactions ranging from tolerance to outright bigotry, the latter fueling Earth supremacist sentiment especially in the ULN. While the new immigrants to the void, whether to Zeon or otherwise, have generally been met with open arms, if at times patronizingly so. Then, there are Mobile Suits. Despite the Principality's "first-mover advantage" in developing those humanoid machines, it has been in a nigh-constant arms race with the Federation successors ever since the Gundam made its debut. While countries like the Reich and US tend to have access to "outdated" models for military use, or scavenged prototypes in the case of the FSSR, the ubiquity of such weapons of war have reached the point wherein they could be reverse-engineered by many of the globe's top engineers. A trend that was grown even more pronounced as the underlying principles behind Minovsky Particles, shown to impact electrical equipment and radar, are understood.
Though it's a given that the wider Earth Sphere would capitalize on the situation, few would compare to corporate giant residing in the Lunar "capitol" known as Von Braun City. Built in the Sea of Tranquility, it is nominally aligned with, and contested by, the Federation successors. In practice, however, it and the surrounding Lunar Settlements outside of Zeon control are effectively company towns owned by Anaheim Electronics. Only Zeonic, Zimmad and MIP, all from Side 3, could really come close to the conglomerate's sheer clout and influence. On top of encompassing various industries, from manufacturing to cosmetics and banking, it also produces the bulk of the military equipment, including Mobile Suits, used by the Legitimist and Reformist EFSF. That being said, the mega-corporation is not above buying out companies on Earth itself or clandestinely selling its services to the highest bidder, even if enemies to their major clients are involved.
It may be easy to conclude that Anaheim is simply seeking to profit from a peace that could all too easily break. At the same time, however, there may be reason to believe that this might be an elaborate ruse, or part of a larger scheme. While it's an open secret that the wealthy Vist Foundation has served as the corporation's largest stockholders for generations, there's much more that's hidden from the public eye. Despite the absence of the Federation, this enigmatic family is believed to wield considerable sway in affairs across the Earth Sphere, having seemingly navigated its way around the various geopolitical players with relative ease. But as rumors of war on the horizon spread, so too has hearsay involving the aging patriarch of the Foundation, Syam Vist, and a vault of secrets that could yet change the course of history.
For the brave new world of the Universal Century is more than one where people are born and raised, then die. There, too, is the possibility of a better tomorrow. Whoever triumphs in the coming years would decide whether that hope's well-founded, or wind up being humanity's last foolish dream.
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For some added trivia, the situation of the Axis Powers and the former Soviet Union are somewhat based on both TNO and TWR. Though the influences are more evident with Zeon, given the implications of a civil war on the horizon between three of Degwin Zabi's children. Coincidentally, this take on Char Aznable/Casval Deikun's "Neo Zeon" is reinterpreted as being TNO!Kovner and TNO!Omsk in space.
The general arrangement of the Earth Federation successors are partially inspired by the possible outcomes and splinter factions seen in the Japan-only Gihren's Greed strategy games.
The "glorified gentleman's agreement" is a reference to the Antarctic Treaty, which in-universe was intended to prevent the use of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, as well as a repeat of Operation British.
The state of the wider Earth Sphere is an based on an amalgamation of various UC Gundam works, especially Zeta Gundam and Gundam Unicorn.
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I would argue that to preserve its identity, Ethiopia might consider ceding the areas of Somalia and Harrar . Of course, you may argue, that currently Somalia is a mess. However, the elites from Ethiopian Somalia may come to power and restore order in a geopolitically sensible country.One hopes so: Ethiopia falling into civil war at this point would be rather unfortunate.
There certainly will be a lot of arguing about borders: Italian rule created a wanked Eritrea and Somalia to weaken the ruling Amharans.
(From Wikipedia)
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