alternatehistory.com
Europe: Northern Germany
The German Confederation is one of the leading members of the European Trade Union and one of the leading global powers. However, to get to this point, the German Confederation had a rough history.
During the Napoleonic Wars, Germany was unified into a single state east of the Rhine, the Confederation of the Rhine. However, this did not last as eventually Napoleon Ist agreed to a Prussian Dominion over the smaller German states in the north, and Bavarian dominion in the south. This split would endure over the years. The German Confederation was therefore observed by Prussia, under the watchful eye of Napoleonic France. With no way of unifying, both sides drifted away from one another.
Then came the Revolutions of 1848. The Kingdom of Prussia, unlike its neighbours, did not have major demonstrations against the monarchy, and on the contrary had demonstrations asking for Pan-Germanism and a reunification of Germany. However, although the Prussians considered it, the French situation stabilised itself fast enough that the Germans could not put their plan of a unified Germany to completion fast enough.
While most unification movements were anti-french block, this all changed with the arrival of one Otto von Bismarck. Bismarck was very much pro-unification, however he saw that without French approval, this would never come. As the German ambassador to France, then as Minister of Forgein Affairs, Bismarck made several ties inside the french political machine, notably with Leon Gambetta, future President of the French Empire, as well as Emperor Napoleon III. Bismarck discovered that France were increasingly worried about the British presence in both Asia and Africa, and the need to stop the utter domination of the British Empire over the world.
Bismarck managed to maneuver the french into accepting a unified German state as a counter to British influence, and his rise to Chancellor in 1863 made this task easier. After years of discussion, the old chancellor struck a deal with the french forgein minister, Albert de Broglie, in the Hamburg Agreements.
Those agreements would see the beginning of the Franco-German friendship, with both nations sealing a military and commercial alliance. It authorised the Kingdom of Prussia to annex all of Northern Germany east of the Rhine. However, the southern states of Baden, Wurtemberg and Bavaria would stay out of this Confederation, as a buffer between Germany and Austria-Hungary.
From then on, Germany would rack up its military, political and industrial power. During the European Crisis however, although Germany was seen as one of the most stable nations (along with France, the UK and the Nordic countries), it came close to civil war with the argument over the monarchy. However, this came to a peaceful resolution in 1924 as Wilhelm II stepped down as the absolute ruler of the country, and became only its head of state. Germany would go on to integrate the alliances involving the European powers, the Magenta Compact, the Strasbourg Agreements, and finally the European Alliance.
Germany honored its military alliance during the World War, where the country was badly beaten, losing much of its infrastructure and industry in the north. Its colonies descended into chaos, although the heroic resistance of Zanzibar would become a folk story in post-war Germany. However, despite losing a lot during the war, Germany came out as one of the winners, obtaining a seat on the World Security Council, along with the United States, France, Brazil and Persia. It also became one of the founding members of the ETU, promoting free trade and travel inside Europe.
Today Germany is one of the most developed countries in the world, as well as one of the richest. Berlin has become the economic capital of Europe, rivaling Lyon and London, and disposes of a well-trained and equipped army, probably the best one in Europe, although its navy is one of the weakest. It is also the main contributor to the European Defence Force budget, right over France and Poland-Lithuania.
Germany also disposes of an overseas territory, the autonomous lander of Sansibar-Neue Posen, last remnants of German East Africa, which has become the State of Tanganyika. Living standards are high and the economy is booming, which invites a lot of mainlanders to try and cross into the islands illegally through the Zanzibar Channel, and is one of the big issues debated in the German Bundestag at the moment.
During the Napoleonic Wars, Germany was unified into a single state east of the Rhine, the Confederation of the Rhine. However, this did not last as eventually Napoleon Ist agreed to a Prussian Dominion over the smaller German states in the north, and Bavarian dominion in the south. This split would endure over the years. The German Confederation was therefore observed by Prussia, under the watchful eye of Napoleonic France. With no way of unifying, both sides drifted away from one another.
Then came the Revolutions of 1848. The Kingdom of Prussia, unlike its neighbours, did not have major demonstrations against the monarchy, and on the contrary had demonstrations asking for Pan-Germanism and a reunification of Germany. However, although the Prussians considered it, the French situation stabilised itself fast enough that the Germans could not put their plan of a unified Germany to completion fast enough.
While most unification movements were anti-french block, this all changed with the arrival of one Otto von Bismarck. Bismarck was very much pro-unification, however he saw that without French approval, this would never come. As the German ambassador to France, then as Minister of Forgein Affairs, Bismarck made several ties inside the french political machine, notably with Leon Gambetta, future President of the French Empire, as well as Emperor Napoleon III. Bismarck discovered that France were increasingly worried about the British presence in both Asia and Africa, and the need to stop the utter domination of the British Empire over the world.
Bismarck managed to maneuver the french into accepting a unified German state as a counter to British influence, and his rise to Chancellor in 1863 made this task easier. After years of discussion, the old chancellor struck a deal with the french forgein minister, Albert de Broglie, in the Hamburg Agreements.
Those agreements would see the beginning of the Franco-German friendship, with both nations sealing a military and commercial alliance. It authorised the Kingdom of Prussia to annex all of Northern Germany east of the Rhine. However, the southern states of Baden, Wurtemberg and Bavaria would stay out of this Confederation, as a buffer between Germany and Austria-Hungary.
From then on, Germany would rack up its military, political and industrial power. During the European Crisis however, although Germany was seen as one of the most stable nations (along with France, the UK and the Nordic countries), it came close to civil war with the argument over the monarchy. However, this came to a peaceful resolution in 1924 as Wilhelm II stepped down as the absolute ruler of the country, and became only its head of state. Germany would go on to integrate the alliances involving the European powers, the Magenta Compact, the Strasbourg Agreements, and finally the European Alliance.
Germany honored its military alliance during the World War, where the country was badly beaten, losing much of its infrastructure and industry in the north. Its colonies descended into chaos, although the heroic resistance of Zanzibar would become a folk story in post-war Germany. However, despite losing a lot during the war, Germany came out as one of the winners, obtaining a seat on the World Security Council, along with the United States, France, Brazil and Persia. It also became one of the founding members of the ETU, promoting free trade and travel inside Europe.
Today Germany is one of the most developed countries in the world, as well as one of the richest. Berlin has become the economic capital of Europe, rivaling Lyon and London, and disposes of a well-trained and equipped army, probably the best one in Europe, although its navy is one of the weakest. It is also the main contributor to the European Defence Force budget, right over France and Poland-Lithuania.
Germany also disposes of an overseas territory, the autonomous lander of Sansibar-Neue Posen, last remnants of German East Africa, which has become the State of Tanganyika. Living standards are high and the economy is booming, which invites a lot of mainlanders to try and cross into the islands illegally through the Zanzibar Channel, and is one of the big issues debated in the German Bundestag at the moment.
- Wings
- Word Count: 730