Thank you for reading.
Yes, I think a labor union movement, at the very least, is likely to crop up once mass industrialization reaches the "developed" world. These labor unions would probably ally with assorted political radicals as well.
America - Albion's Orphan - A history of the conquest of Britain - 1760
- Thread starter Alt History Buff
- Start date
Thank you for reading.
Yes, I think a labor union movement, at the very least, is likely to crop up once mass industrialization reaches the "developed" world. These labor unions would probably ally with assorted political radicals as well.
Chapter 296
1856
Anahuac
King Augustin II of Anahuac had rarely interfered with politics. But the national demand for the franchise would bring about the most radical political act in modern electoral history when Augustin expanded the franchise to all adult males age 23 and up. Even the Kingdom of British North America, in which over 58% of adult males may vote, did not come close to matching this number.
The move would have repercussions throughout the Americas in spite of the relative unimportance of the nation. While the occasional radical government over the years, usually very, very short-lived, had raised such a banner, the Kingdom of Anahuac would be the first to actually survive for long. Inevitably, despite internal turmoil, Anahuac would inspire other regions of the Spanish Empire and the world.
New Spain
Prince Sebastian would hear of the New Constitution in Anahuac with a measure of concern. Certainly, this would make his own governance more difficult. Yet, the Prince had approved virtually every act of legislation the Cortes requested. Of course, the Cortes were effectively an oligarchy, hardly a true representation of the entire nation. Sebastian did not intent to allow the men to create a situation where rebellion was certain.
Kingdom of California
King Jose of California would die in 1856, leaving his son Jose II in command of the nation. Like his father, the younger Jose desired to create a modern government and nation...but lacked much in the way of resources to do so.
Fortunately, the improved relations with Spain would see both Anahuac and California export their goods without further Spanish hindrance. Of course neither California and Anahuac HAD much in the way of goods worthy of export. Hides, some low level mining, a bit of agricultural produce (Russian America was the biggest customer).
But California in particular was politically stable and that was something.
Eventually, the new foreign secretary George Brown would invite the Kingdom of California to negotiations for exploiting the port of San Diego for an American Naval Base. This was too much for King Jose II to accept. However, he was willing to cooperate on a rail junction between San Diego and the rapidly expanding Trans-Continental Railroad. He assured the Foreign Secretary that an amicable deal could be reached for using the port for export in which American property would be safe and American traders would be welcome to trade out of Californian territory.
Similar entreaties with Anahuac would bear fruit though Russian America's governor would, somewhat predictably, be declined.
Manhattan
First Lord Abraham Lincoln would make an attempt at reapproachment with his old friend Stephen Douglas. He ensured that Chicago would receive a major rail junction. Unfortunately, Douglas proved rigidly unwilling to accept the olive branch and continued to ineffectually oppose Lincoln on every matter. Resigned to this, Lincoln stopped his entreaties and returned to business at hand.
Fortunately for Lincoln, the worst of the recession under Buchanan had eased and Lincoln would prove popular enough with the people. He would have the occasional trouble with the obnoxious William Seward and occasional annoying Salmon Chase, the acerbic George Brown and the coldly ambitious John A. MacDonald but deemed himself capable of dealing with them.
Anahuac
King Augustin II of Anahuac had rarely interfered with politics. But the national demand for the franchise would bring about the most radical political act in modern electoral history when Augustin expanded the franchise to all adult males age 23 and up. Even the Kingdom of British North America, in which over 58% of adult males may vote, did not come close to matching this number.
The move would have repercussions throughout the Americas in spite of the relative unimportance of the nation. While the occasional radical government over the years, usually very, very short-lived, had raised such a banner, the Kingdom of Anahuac would be the first to actually survive for long. Inevitably, despite internal turmoil, Anahuac would inspire other regions of the Spanish Empire and the world.
New Spain
Prince Sebastian would hear of the New Constitution in Anahuac with a measure of concern. Certainly, this would make his own governance more difficult. Yet, the Prince had approved virtually every act of legislation the Cortes requested. Of course, the Cortes were effectively an oligarchy, hardly a true representation of the entire nation. Sebastian did not intent to allow the men to create a situation where rebellion was certain.
Kingdom of California
King Jose of California would die in 1856, leaving his son Jose II in command of the nation. Like his father, the younger Jose desired to create a modern government and nation...but lacked much in the way of resources to do so.
Fortunately, the improved relations with Spain would see both Anahuac and California export their goods without further Spanish hindrance. Of course neither California and Anahuac HAD much in the way of goods worthy of export. Hides, some low level mining, a bit of agricultural produce (Russian America was the biggest customer).
But California in particular was politically stable and that was something.
Eventually, the new foreign secretary George Brown would invite the Kingdom of California to negotiations for exploiting the port of San Diego for an American Naval Base. This was too much for King Jose II to accept. However, he was willing to cooperate on a rail junction between San Diego and the rapidly expanding Trans-Continental Railroad. He assured the Foreign Secretary that an amicable deal could be reached for using the port for export in which American property would be safe and American traders would be welcome to trade out of Californian territory.
Similar entreaties with Anahuac would bear fruit though Russian America's governor would, somewhat predictably, be declined.
Manhattan
First Lord Abraham Lincoln would make an attempt at reapproachment with his old friend Stephen Douglas. He ensured that Chicago would receive a major rail junction. Unfortunately, Douglas proved rigidly unwilling to accept the olive branch and continued to ineffectually oppose Lincoln on every matter. Resigned to this, Lincoln stopped his entreaties and returned to business at hand.
Fortunately for Lincoln, the worst of the recession under Buchanan had eased and Lincoln would prove popular enough with the people. He would have the occasional trouble with the obnoxious William Seward and occasional annoying Salmon Chase, the acerbic George Brown and the coldly ambitious John A. MacDonald but deemed himself capable of dealing with them.
1. Vietnam must be feeling awfully uncomfortable now, what with its new powerful neighbor to the north who could easily create a claim to the Northern part of Vietnam.
2. Will Persia try taking Azerbaijan now that Russia is humiliated? Not saying that it'll be successful.
2. Will Persia try taking Azerbaijan now that Russia is humiliated? Not saying that it'll be successful.
I am not sure I agree that it would not impact their reputation, this was not a minor defeat but a very large one with a large number of soldiers killed. This does make Russia look weaker than it has in a very long time
Chapter 297
1857
Budapest
Emperor Francis III would spend much of his reign attempting to placate regional interests. He would dispatch his younger brothers (when they reached of age) to the "Regency" of Hungary and Italy to prove to the locals their importance in the Imperial Crown. The "Regent", like a Viceroy, was the Head of State when the Emperor was not present. Most Political power devolved to the Prime Ministers.
Like his father and grandfather (and beyond), Francis III desired reform, preferably quickly. But reform in the chaotic and Byzantine clutch of governments under the Habsburg Crown, where each Kingdom jealously fought to maintain their prerogative, was always challenging. Even acts of legislation intended to aid the common man would be demonized by those above as an assault on regional autonomy.
The Emperor would be as frustrated as his ancestors making only incremental process. But at least in this, he had allies in the Imperial Diet, where the centralizing and modernizing faction was strongest. A tug of war between responsibility and funding was eternal between the Imperial and individual national Diets. Over a century of battles had only marginally succeeded in moving power for internal projects on infrastructure (roads, railroads, ports), the military, foreign relations, foreign trade and a few other functions were reserved for the Imperial Diet while most other work devolved to the resistant regional Diets.
Fighting this battle had driven Francis III's ancestors mad and now threatened to do the same with him.
Beijing
The Emperor smirked as his Foreign Minister presented the formal peace with Russia. The foreign devils had been taught a lesson. The Middle Kingdom remained the only center of civilization on earth and the Russians learned the same lesson taught to the opium-peddlers in his grandfather's reign.
Pune, Maratha Empire
The Maratha Empire was similarly attempting to reform. Over the years, the Peshwas had removed the East India Company from its status as effectively a sovereign state on the subcontinent's soil to but a wealthy company. No longer in need of modern ships or weapons, the privileges of the Company had been reduced to a mere trading concern. The lands once occupied by the company were reassumed via eminent domain by the Peshwa. By 1857, the Company's sole sovereign territory was in the East Indies.
In a cunning bit of maneuvering, the Peshwas also centralized most Royal Armies under national control. The Peshwa's would send "Administrators" to various Courts to assume tax collection responsibilities. With control over the armies and finances of each Kingdom on the subcontinent, the Peshwa would effectively come to dominate the assorted Kings.
There were some holdouts. Occasionally a powerful King would refuse such a demand and the Peshwa would dispatch an army to deal with them. The dynasty would be formally abolished or a more pliant puppet would be put in command depending upon the situation. By 1857, the only major state to resist these mandates would be the Sikh Kingdom. Here the Peshwa decided upon caution as the Sikhs had been solidly supportive to the Maratha Empire up to this point. Arguably the most powerful army on the subcontinent belonged to the Sikhs and, while it was certainly possible for the Maratha's to conquer the Sikh Kingdom, it would be a long, bloody and expensive affair which may lead to rebellion elsewhere.
For the moment, the Peshwa was willing to leave the Sikhs be. They did an excellent job as the Empire's first line of defense against the Muslims of the Durrani Empire. Far better to leave them to that task as the Peshwa used control over the military, foreign trade, tax collection, internal improvement projects (the rail road for example) to consolidate control over the vast and disparate Empire.
Budapest
Emperor Francis III would spend much of his reign attempting to placate regional interests. He would dispatch his younger brothers (when they reached of age) to the "Regency" of Hungary and Italy to prove to the locals their importance in the Imperial Crown. The "Regent", like a Viceroy, was the Head of State when the Emperor was not present. Most Political power devolved to the Prime Ministers.
Like his father and grandfather (and beyond), Francis III desired reform, preferably quickly. But reform in the chaotic and Byzantine clutch of governments under the Habsburg Crown, where each Kingdom jealously fought to maintain their prerogative, was always challenging. Even acts of legislation intended to aid the common man would be demonized by those above as an assault on regional autonomy.
The Emperor would be as frustrated as his ancestors making only incremental process. But at least in this, he had allies in the Imperial Diet, where the centralizing and modernizing faction was strongest. A tug of war between responsibility and funding was eternal between the Imperial and individual national Diets. Over a century of battles had only marginally succeeded in moving power for internal projects on infrastructure (roads, railroads, ports), the military, foreign relations, foreign trade and a few other functions were reserved for the Imperial Diet while most other work devolved to the resistant regional Diets.
Fighting this battle had driven Francis III's ancestors mad and now threatened to do the same with him.
Beijing
The Emperor smirked as his Foreign Minister presented the formal peace with Russia. The foreign devils had been taught a lesson. The Middle Kingdom remained the only center of civilization on earth and the Russians learned the same lesson taught to the opium-peddlers in his grandfather's reign.
Pune, Maratha Empire
The Maratha Empire was similarly attempting to reform. Over the years, the Peshwas had removed the East India Company from its status as effectively a sovereign state on the subcontinent's soil to but a wealthy company. No longer in need of modern ships or weapons, the privileges of the Company had been reduced to a mere trading concern. The lands once occupied by the company were reassumed via eminent domain by the Peshwa. By 1857, the Company's sole sovereign territory was in the East Indies.
In a cunning bit of maneuvering, the Peshwas also centralized most Royal Armies under national control. The Peshwa's would send "Administrators" to various Courts to assume tax collection responsibilities. With control over the armies and finances of each Kingdom on the subcontinent, the Peshwa would effectively come to dominate the assorted Kings.
There were some holdouts. Occasionally a powerful King would refuse such a demand and the Peshwa would dispatch an army to deal with them. The dynasty would be formally abolished or a more pliant puppet would be put in command depending upon the situation. By 1857, the only major state to resist these mandates would be the Sikh Kingdom. Here the Peshwa decided upon caution as the Sikhs had been solidly supportive to the Maratha Empire up to this point. Arguably the most powerful army on the subcontinent belonged to the Sikhs and, while it was certainly possible for the Maratha's to conquer the Sikh Kingdom, it would be a long, bloody and expensive affair which may lead to rebellion elsewhere.
For the moment, the Peshwa was willing to leave the Sikhs be. They did an excellent job as the Empire's first line of defense against the Muslims of the Durrani Empire. Far better to leave them to that task as the Peshwa used control over the military, foreign trade, tax collection, internal improvement projects (the rail road for example) to consolidate control over the vast and disparate Empire.
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Chapter 298
1858
Manhattan
First Lord Abraham Lincoln would have a fight on his hands in Parliament as the Territories of Lycia, Baetica and Pamphylia had formally requested Dominion status of the King. Most western territories had been quickly and eagerly accepted by Parliament as expansion west historically meant that America's frontiers were being settled and therefore more defensible. Granted, there were few fears of foreign invasion by the 1850's given British North America's demographic domination of the continent and generally peaceful relations with France and Spain.
However, these new territories were the first where the majority of residents did not speak English as a first language nor were they overwhelmingly White Protestants. These lands included a large numbers of Spanish colonials, Indians, Freedmen, Copts, Jews, Roma, Germans, Irish and other even more obscure groups like Greeks, Russians, northern European Mennonites and something called Lebanese Maronites.
While the odd Catholic had long served in Parliament (unlike Old Britain's Parliament, "Old Britain" or "Ante Bellum Britain" long being an American expression for the old order), these tended to be low in number and hardly a demographic threat. Now it appeared that entire Dominions may barely resemble their eastern counterparts.
The debate would become less than cordial in Parliament and, despite his public support for extending Dominion-hood upon the westerners, Lincoln dared not put the matter to a vote as victory was not yet assured. Anti-Catholic and Anti-immigration groups would dominate debate for years.
Asian Steppe (Russian Steppe)
As if humiliated by the defeat to China, the Russian Army would be reorganized in the Steppe and ordered south to wipe out the last remnant of Turkic civilization on the Steppe. They were to be forced into the mountains of Iran or the lands of the Afghans, the thousands of years of Turkic domination of the Central Asian Steppe put to an end.
Huge numbers of Russian migrants began pouring into the region, in some cases so large that entire swathes of the west were abandoned. In some cases, noble lords would travel to their huge country estates only to find once-thriving towns virtually abandoned as the entire community had travelled west by the Czar's orders.
Several examples of nobles attempting to halt the migration by force were physically put down by the army, which had been put in charge of organizing large groups of peoples east. Charges were filed and high-ranking men were jailed for their impudence. Most would eventually be pardoned but the Czar's will prevailed without any doubt.
As Russia's population was expanding by nearly a million souls per year, the Czar would have been happy if the entirety of this increase marched east. This would be somewhat impractical but the overall scale of the movement could not be denied. At least 300,000 Russians per year were settling in Central Asia and the Czar would respond to these statistics by inquiring what the Empire could do to increase it.
One suggestion was to expand the rail system further and further east as this would greatly expedite the transportation of people as well as create means for the projected wheat, cotton and other crops grown in the region to reach western markets. The Czar knew that the great distances would make this expensive but agreed to expand the rail line incrementally, moving from one eastern city to the the next with the intention of producing one massive railroad across the nation.
Pune, Capital of Maratha Empire
The Peshwa would personally receive the foreign visitors and observe the remarkable machine they had invented. Apparently the "telegraph" had been in service in Europe and America at least a decade but only recently on large scale. The Americans were apparently building a network across the entire country where messages could be delivered from thousands of miles away within HOURS!
The Peshwa was something of a bureaucrat at heart and knew that his ministers' greatest complaint was that reports from their agents in the various Royal Courts of India often took weeks to arrive in Pune. If a rebellion or general discontent were to erupt, it could often take months before the Peshwa's forces to arrive and the unrest could have expanded exponentially.
This was among the reasons why the Peshwa had expended so much gold in building the rapidly expanding rail system. This cut the response time of the Imperial Army to a fraction of what it took in generations past. But adding these telegraphs to the rail system would expedite the ability of the capital to learn of problems and respond with a speed his forefathers would have killed for. The remoteness of the Peshwa's subordinates had been the biggest reason why so much decentralization had taken place in the previous century.
These wonders of modern technology would allow the center to ascend once again in the Maratha Empire.
The Peshwa ordered this telegraph system to be set up along all major transportation junctions, usually along the railroads (thus did not require very much additional construction as the land had been seized and erection of the system relatively cheap. The Peshwa also ordered that schools were to be set up to train operations in this telegraph system (much like the mechanical schools set up to train engineers and mechanics to operate the rail network).
Manhattan
First Lord Abraham Lincoln would have a fight on his hands in Parliament as the Territories of Lycia, Baetica and Pamphylia had formally requested Dominion status of the King. Most western territories had been quickly and eagerly accepted by Parliament as expansion west historically meant that America's frontiers were being settled and therefore more defensible. Granted, there were few fears of foreign invasion by the 1850's given British North America's demographic domination of the continent and generally peaceful relations with France and Spain.
However, these new territories were the first where the majority of residents did not speak English as a first language nor were they overwhelmingly White Protestants. These lands included a large numbers of Spanish colonials, Indians, Freedmen, Copts, Jews, Roma, Germans, Irish and other even more obscure groups like Greeks, Russians, northern European Mennonites and something called Lebanese Maronites.
While the odd Catholic had long served in Parliament (unlike Old Britain's Parliament, "Old Britain" or "Ante Bellum Britain" long being an American expression for the old order), these tended to be low in number and hardly a demographic threat. Now it appeared that entire Dominions may barely resemble their eastern counterparts.
The debate would become less than cordial in Parliament and, despite his public support for extending Dominion-hood upon the westerners, Lincoln dared not put the matter to a vote as victory was not yet assured. Anti-Catholic and Anti-immigration groups would dominate debate for years.
Asian Steppe (Russian Steppe)
As if humiliated by the defeat to China, the Russian Army would be reorganized in the Steppe and ordered south to wipe out the last remnant of Turkic civilization on the Steppe. They were to be forced into the mountains of Iran or the lands of the Afghans, the thousands of years of Turkic domination of the Central Asian Steppe put to an end.
Huge numbers of Russian migrants began pouring into the region, in some cases so large that entire swathes of the west were abandoned. In some cases, noble lords would travel to their huge country estates only to find once-thriving towns virtually abandoned as the entire community had travelled west by the Czar's orders.
Several examples of nobles attempting to halt the migration by force were physically put down by the army, which had been put in charge of organizing large groups of peoples east. Charges were filed and high-ranking men were jailed for their impudence. Most would eventually be pardoned but the Czar's will prevailed without any doubt.
As Russia's population was expanding by nearly a million souls per year, the Czar would have been happy if the entirety of this increase marched east. This would be somewhat impractical but the overall scale of the movement could not be denied. At least 300,000 Russians per year were settling in Central Asia and the Czar would respond to these statistics by inquiring what the Empire could do to increase it.
One suggestion was to expand the rail system further and further east as this would greatly expedite the transportation of people as well as create means for the projected wheat, cotton and other crops grown in the region to reach western markets. The Czar knew that the great distances would make this expensive but agreed to expand the rail line incrementally, moving from one eastern city to the the next with the intention of producing one massive railroad across the nation.
Pune, Capital of Maratha Empire
The Peshwa would personally receive the foreign visitors and observe the remarkable machine they had invented. Apparently the "telegraph" had been in service in Europe and America at least a decade but only recently on large scale. The Americans were apparently building a network across the entire country where messages could be delivered from thousands of miles away within HOURS!
The Peshwa was something of a bureaucrat at heart and knew that his ministers' greatest complaint was that reports from their agents in the various Royal Courts of India often took weeks to arrive in Pune. If a rebellion or general discontent were to erupt, it could often take months before the Peshwa's forces to arrive and the unrest could have expanded exponentially.
This was among the reasons why the Peshwa had expended so much gold in building the rapidly expanding rail system. This cut the response time of the Imperial Army to a fraction of what it took in generations past. But adding these telegraphs to the rail system would expedite the ability of the capital to learn of problems and respond with a speed his forefathers would have killed for. The remoteness of the Peshwa's subordinates had been the biggest reason why so much decentralization had taken place in the previous century.
These wonders of modern technology would allow the center to ascend once again in the Maratha Empire.
The Peshwa ordered this telegraph system to be set up along all major transportation junctions, usually along the railroads (thus did not require very much additional construction as the land had been seized and erection of the system relatively cheap. The Peshwa also ordered that schools were to be set up to train operations in this telegraph system (much like the mechanical schools set up to train engineers and mechanics to operate the rail network).
Chapter 299
1859
Rome
After years of discussion regarding the long-term capital of Italy (it had been Turin for a number of years after Queen Maria Beatrice had conquered the southern portions of Italy and later moved to Rome), a dozen different cities had been considered. While Rome was more or less central to Italy geographically, a capital further north like Turin would be closer to the demographic and economic core of Italy.
Of course, the southern peoples of Naples feared such a northern capital would leave them permanently marginalized from the attention of the Italian Parliament. As economic investment inevitably follows the political center, the less-developed south would remain undercapitalized and forgotten. The southern Italians in Parliament vowed to make every piece of legislation a battle if the industrializing north sought to leave the former Kingdom of Naples behind.
Finally the King of Italy, the Habsburg Emperor Francis III, would step in by traveling to Rome and pronounce that Rome would remain the capital of Italy. Indeed, when his late father and mother had first overseen his tutoring in politics, one of the first issues he'd read about deemed important to Italians was the longterm location of the Capital.
And it only took two decades to determine it, the Emperor thought caustically, and who says Italians took forever to make a decision?!
In truth, the King understood the Southern Italian fears. There was a certain haughty arrogance to the northern Italians relative to their southern peers. Outnumbering them more than 2 to 1, certainly Parliament WOULD seek to disproportionately invest in the north, leaving the south to rot.
Like his late mother, the King of Italy would continue the reforms across the Peninsula. Italy, as much as any region in Europe, was backwards and desperately in need of the Enlightenment which started across the continent over a century prior.
1. The Legal System was softened.
2. Taxes were equalized and standardized.
3. Internal commerce was vastly simplified.
4. Many of the old guilds were abolished.
5. Educational institutions were expanded and restrictions on entry eliminated.
6. Manufacturing was encouraged everywhere.
7. Infrastructure improvements to ports and, most especially, railroads, were funded.
Among the greater complaints among the southerners was that virtually none of the railroads being built connected to the south. The northerners countered that the southern topography was so difficult that one could lay ten miles of track in the north to one in the south. And it was patently obvious that there wasn't a great deal of trade to MAKE with the south, so why not invest in the north?
Eventually, the King had to step in once again and demand a compromise. A full third of the national railroad budget MUST be used to develop the rugged mountainous region in the south else Naples become an albatross around Italy's neck.
After centuries of desiring to unite, there were some factions both north and south who were starting to rethink this concept. Both thought they were being unfairly penalized under the new regime and shortchanged.
The Berber Kingdom
While the Berber Kingdom had comprehensively defeated Egypt years prior, the regions of Tripolitania and Cyrenaica were left to dispute. The new Khedive and the King would negotiate back and forth. These regions had once been centers of piracy but European ascendance at sea ended this and swiftly the coast fell into anarchy as economic collapse affected the entire area. The ruling dynasties erupted in civil war and, within a few decades, anything resembling "government" was usually relegated to tribal chieftains and whatever strongman could gain control over the walled coastal towns.
Generations of stagnation left the region a political mess which encouraged the Egyptians occasionally to annex the area, though these attempts tended to be short-lived.
The Berber King proposed a division: the largely Berber-speaking Tripolitania would fall to the Berber Kingdom while the more Arabized Cyrenaica would go to Egypt.
Despite the war only a few years prior between the Berber Kingdom and Egypt, the division of spoils proved surprisingly peaceful and swift. While the local potentates would not necessarily be happy with the situation, the far superior armies of the Berber Kingdom and Egypt would swiftly achieve control.
Over the coming few decades, there was some exchange of population between the two. As the Berber Language became the "official" language of Tripolitania, many Arab speakers would migrate, though they were not forced to do so. Similarly, tribal units or individuals would choose to reside under one powerful umbrella or the other, as it best suited them.
By 1860, the entire coast of North Africa was split between two Islamic powers.
Egypt would direct her future towards the Canal being built to the east.
The Berber Kingdom would gravitate towards international trade.
Egypt had evicted its minority peoples generations prior. The Berber Kingdom had given sanctuary to hundreds of thousands of Copts and Jews while allowing foreign merchants to set up shop throughout the long, long Berber coast.
Thus two faces of Islam would move forward into the 19th century in very different ways.
Manhattan
King Henry II would indirectly aid his First Lord, Abraham Lincoln, in gaining approval for Dominionhood for the western Territories. There had been significant resistance to bringing equality to regions which barely had a Anglo-Protestant plurality, much less anything like a majority. Could these people be trusted to be loyal to the nation.
In His annual address to Parliament, the King would remind them of the conflict centuries before in Britain in accepting Presbyterians and other Protestant "Dissenters" to their midst. Then then pointed out the argument waged in the British American Parliament in debating if the young Kingdom would demand a Tithe for the "official" Anglican religion from parishioners of other Christian faiths (or Jews, etc).
He reminded them that non-Anglican Church of America worshippers proved every bit as loyal to the Crown and Country as any others. Henry did not...and need not...add any more. With a few weeks, Parliament approved the Dominion status of Pamphylia, Lycia and Baetica for the 1860 election cycle.
Rome
After years of discussion regarding the long-term capital of Italy (it had been Turin for a number of years after Queen Maria Beatrice had conquered the southern portions of Italy and later moved to Rome), a dozen different cities had been considered. While Rome was more or less central to Italy geographically, a capital further north like Turin would be closer to the demographic and economic core of Italy.
Of course, the southern peoples of Naples feared such a northern capital would leave them permanently marginalized from the attention of the Italian Parliament. As economic investment inevitably follows the political center, the less-developed south would remain undercapitalized and forgotten. The southern Italians in Parliament vowed to make every piece of legislation a battle if the industrializing north sought to leave the former Kingdom of Naples behind.
Finally the King of Italy, the Habsburg Emperor Francis III, would step in by traveling to Rome and pronounce that Rome would remain the capital of Italy. Indeed, when his late father and mother had first overseen his tutoring in politics, one of the first issues he'd read about deemed important to Italians was the longterm location of the Capital.
And it only took two decades to determine it, the Emperor thought caustically, and who says Italians took forever to make a decision?!
In truth, the King understood the Southern Italian fears. There was a certain haughty arrogance to the northern Italians relative to their southern peers. Outnumbering them more than 2 to 1, certainly Parliament WOULD seek to disproportionately invest in the north, leaving the south to rot.
Like his late mother, the King of Italy would continue the reforms across the Peninsula. Italy, as much as any region in Europe, was backwards and desperately in need of the Enlightenment which started across the continent over a century prior.
1. The Legal System was softened.
2. Taxes were equalized and standardized.
3. Internal commerce was vastly simplified.
4. Many of the old guilds were abolished.
5. Educational institutions were expanded and restrictions on entry eliminated.
6. Manufacturing was encouraged everywhere.
7. Infrastructure improvements to ports and, most especially, railroads, were funded.
Among the greater complaints among the southerners was that virtually none of the railroads being built connected to the south. The northerners countered that the southern topography was so difficult that one could lay ten miles of track in the north to one in the south. And it was patently obvious that there wasn't a great deal of trade to MAKE with the south, so why not invest in the north?
Eventually, the King had to step in once again and demand a compromise. A full third of the national railroad budget MUST be used to develop the rugged mountainous region in the south else Naples become an albatross around Italy's neck.
After centuries of desiring to unite, there were some factions both north and south who were starting to rethink this concept. Both thought they were being unfairly penalized under the new regime and shortchanged.
The Berber Kingdom
While the Berber Kingdom had comprehensively defeated Egypt years prior, the regions of Tripolitania and Cyrenaica were left to dispute. The new Khedive and the King would negotiate back and forth. These regions had once been centers of piracy but European ascendance at sea ended this and swiftly the coast fell into anarchy as economic collapse affected the entire area. The ruling dynasties erupted in civil war and, within a few decades, anything resembling "government" was usually relegated to tribal chieftains and whatever strongman could gain control over the walled coastal towns.
Generations of stagnation left the region a political mess which encouraged the Egyptians occasionally to annex the area, though these attempts tended to be short-lived.
The Berber King proposed a division: the largely Berber-speaking Tripolitania would fall to the Berber Kingdom while the more Arabized Cyrenaica would go to Egypt.
Despite the war only a few years prior between the Berber Kingdom and Egypt, the division of spoils proved surprisingly peaceful and swift. While the local potentates would not necessarily be happy with the situation, the far superior armies of the Berber Kingdom and Egypt would swiftly achieve control.
Over the coming few decades, there was some exchange of population between the two. As the Berber Language became the "official" language of Tripolitania, many Arab speakers would migrate, though they were not forced to do so. Similarly, tribal units or individuals would choose to reside under one powerful umbrella or the other, as it best suited them.
By 1860, the entire coast of North Africa was split between two Islamic powers.
Egypt would direct her future towards the Canal being built to the east.
The Berber Kingdom would gravitate towards international trade.
Egypt had evicted its minority peoples generations prior. The Berber Kingdom had given sanctuary to hundreds of thousands of Copts and Jews while allowing foreign merchants to set up shop throughout the long, long Berber coast.
Thus two faces of Islam would move forward into the 19th century in very different ways.
Manhattan
King Henry II would indirectly aid his First Lord, Abraham Lincoln, in gaining approval for Dominionhood for the western Territories. There had been significant resistance to bringing equality to regions which barely had a Anglo-Protestant plurality, much less anything like a majority. Could these people be trusted to be loyal to the nation.
In His annual address to Parliament, the King would remind them of the conflict centuries before in Britain in accepting Presbyterians and other Protestant "Dissenters" to their midst. Then then pointed out the argument waged in the British American Parliament in debating if the young Kingdom would demand a Tithe for the "official" Anglican religion from parishioners of other Christian faiths (or Jews, etc).
He reminded them that non-Anglican Church of America worshippers proved every bit as loyal to the Crown and Country as any others. Henry did not...and need not...add any more. With a few weeks, Parliament approved the Dominion status of Pamphylia, Lycia and Baetica for the 1860 election cycle.
Is the purple country next to India the Sikh Empire or the Durrani Empire?
I think it's both a sense of being familiar with the OTL "Sea to Shining Sea" US borders and the straight-line border (as straight as it can be) separating the KoNA and Russian America being awkward.
Since the KoNA isn't trying to act against Russia in the Middle East and Anatolia, there would be no Great Game and less of a reason to go to war, but I can definitely see the KoNA-Russian America border being an unfriendly one.
I'm wondering on how much longer the Anahuac situation can exist. Anahuac is definitely living in borrowed time since they are being strangled by having no access to the Atlantic and they can only sell so much land to the KoNA until they either run out or decide to fold into either New Spain or the KoNA.
Edit: Pacific -> Atlantic
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I agree and I also think California is not in a great situation economically either. Both regions should consider joining KoNA with some special arrangements in place regarding autonomy and their monarchs. They can all unite peacefully with a situation that benefits all
While anti Catholic sentiment might be a problem for some, it seems to be becoming less of an issue and the benefits of such valuable ports would be too great of an opportunity to pass.
TheLoneAmigo
Donor
This is such a weird sentiment. Most countries in the world are significantly smaller than the USA and do just fine. Countries in situations like Anahuac and California survived all the time in OTL.
Irvine
Banned
But the US was the protagonist of the story in a sense, I was expecting them to reach the Pacific Coast. And they have no reason not to do so, other than the author fondness for Russian North America. Not judging.
TheLoneAmigo
Donor
History doesn't really have a protagonist - I think that's the model AHB is following.