"What Madness Is This?" - A Timeline

[Napoleon53]

Don't miss the chapter I just posted on the last page, guys!

Sorry I haven't gotten around to commenting lately, but I'm loving the new updates.

I love how this story/timeline is coming along. It seems as if the Gilded Age is a more dystopian Victorian Era. Is this right? Anyway, how long will Goodyear live? I remember you made an 1895 poster for the Goodyear blimps. Will he really live to be 95?

Hey, man! Good to see you!

Danke, and yep, this TL is definitely a dystopia. I plan on Goodyear living to be 100, and then he'll promptly roll over and die. Not as unrealistic as it sounds, a bunch of OTL Civil War soldiers lived to be in their 90s.

BTW, I made a map for 1900! I'll send it to you in a while and we can discuss what should happen in Africa and such.

 

[FleetMac]

...aaaaannnddd America's begun its freight elevator ride straight to Hell. I mean, we have a quasi-Nazist party in charge, riots in the capital, mass executions and deportations of "anarchists" (I'm guessing a stand-in for "subversives"), charismatic demagogues spouting hateful diatribes and revanchist promises...Jeezus.

Incidentally, I like what you did with the "aerforce" coming into existence (does anybody else have this idea too? Seems like it'd be a good idea). And I'm guessing "Inferiors" refers to immigrants from Eastern Europe and Ireland?

 

[Napoleon53]

...aaaaannnddd America's begun its freight elevator ride straight to Hell. I mean, we have a quasi-Nazist party in charge, riots in the capital, mass executions and deportations of "anarchists" (I'm guessing a stand-in for "subversives"), charismatic demagogues spouting hateful diatribes and revanchist promises...Jeezus.

Incidentally, I like what you did with the "aerforce" coming into existence (does anybody else have this idea too? Seems like it'd be a good idea). And I'm guessing "Inferiors" refers to immigrants from Eastern Europe and Ireland?

That is PERFECT phrasing of it. The MDP is also heavily inspired by the Bolsheviks and especially Mussolini (Mussolini more than anyone). Yep, anyone who is called an Anarchist pretty much knows his life is over as they know it. They probably won't do mass executions of them, at least not yet, but they will be imprisoned and deported.

Crap, I didn't even know I spelled it aerforce! It is rather neat, but I think I'll change it to aeroforce to match a bunch of posters and pictures I've made. I haven't decided how advanced other countries are with airships yet, but France and Prussia are probably not far behind.

 

[Deleted member 14881]

This won't end well

 

[Napoleon53]

This won't end well

My reply:

I made that poster months ago, that's how long I've been planning this.

 

[FleetMac]

Y'know, I get that this is a dystopia and nobody will come out ahead, but is it wrong that reading about the RUA makes me grit my teeth and look forward to the inevitable clash, just to lay them low for good? (And is it wrong that I actually would like to live in this TL, just to take the fight north of the Ohio? )

That poster is chilling, really. Very nice work.

 

[Deleted member 14881]

Napoleon53, RU conquers Mexico

 

[Napoleon53]

Y'know, I get that this is a dystopia and nobody will come out ahead, but is it wrong that reading about the RUA makes me grit my teeth and look forward to the inevitable clash, just to lay them low for good? (And is it wrong that I actually would like to live in this TL, just to take the fight north of the Ohio? )

That poster is chilling, really. Very nice work.

That's totally the reaction I want. That's one reason Goodyear lives to 1900, because you should love hating him. I promise the eventual fall will be epic, and a long time coming.

Thanks! I love doing the posters. I'm very happy I can start incorporating some of them into the TL now that we've reached the modern era.

Napoleon53, RU conquers Mexico

Much too Catholic to hold down Mexico, but their will be an expeditionary campaign to take Panama. That's the next chapter, actually...

 

[Zoidberg12]

I haven't read the March on Philly chapter yet (I posted that comment while you were putting that up apparently ), but I have a two questions. Did French Louisiana actually conquer California from Mexico or did I read something wrong?

Also I remember you saying Archibald Bulloch was still leader of Georgia in 1812, while your list shows him as dying/ending his term in 1809. Was that a retcon?

 

[Napoleon53]

I haven't read the March on Philly chapter yet (I posted that comment while you were putting that up apparently ), but I have a two questions. Did French Louisiana actually conquer California from Mexico or did I read something wrong?

Also I remember you saying Archibald Bulloch was still leader of Georgia in 1812, while your list shows him as dying/ending his term in 1809. Was that a retcon?

Yep, France waged an intense undeclared war against France so they could reach Cali and connect their railroads with the North American countries. Mexico is a toilet right now, anyway, and has better things to do than fight a huge war with France, so they basically accepted it after a while. I'm sending you a PM about the maps so I'll tell you more in that.

Darn! Nope, it's a mistake. I'll need to fix that.

 

[Zoidberg12]

Yep, France waged an intense undeclared war against France so they could reach Cali and connect their railroads with the North American countries. Mexico is a toilet right now, anyway, and has better things to do than fight a huge war with France, so they basically accepted it after a while. I'm sending you a PM about the maps so I'll tell you more in that.

Darn! Nope, it's a mistake. I'll need to fix that.

Thanks. BTW, I just happened to see your map in the test thread. Still can't wait for the PM.

 

[Napoleon53]

Thanks. BTW, I just happened to see your map in the test thread. Still can't wait for the PM.

NOOOO! No one else look in the test thread! Look at your own risk; it'll do nothing but spoil it.

 

[Zoidberg12]

NOOOO! No one else look in the test thread! Look at your own risk; it'll do nothing but spoil it.

I'll be honest, I feel as if it didnt spoil to much for me.

 

[Napoleon53]

I'll be honest, I feel as if it didnt spoil to much for me.

Oh, okay. Carry on then.

Still working on that PM. It'll cover everything in the map.

 

[FleetMac]

Out of curiosity, what would you say are the top 10 powers on the world stage by the dawn of the century?

 

[Napoleon53]

Out of curiosity, what would you say are the top 10 powers on the world stage by the dawn of the century?

Weird, I was thinking about making a list!

1. France, Spain, and Austria-Hungary (the Tripartite Empire, or simply, the Empire).
   
2. The Prussian Empire
3. The Russian Empire
4. Kingdom of Holland
5. Republic of Virginia tied with the Republican Union
6. Denmark-Norway
7. Sweden
8. Republic of Georgia
   
9. Confederation of the Rhine
10. England
11. Republic of Greece
12. Kingdom of Italy
13. Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
    
14. Empire of Bulgaria
15. Kingdom of Ireland

 

[FleetMac]

Weird, I was thinking about making a list!

1. France, Spain, and Austria-Hungary (the Tripartite Empire, or simply, the Empire).
   
2. The Prussian Empire
3. The Russian Empire
4. Kingdom of Holland
5. Republic of Virginia tied with the Republican Union
6. Republic of Georgia
7. Denmark-Norway
8. Sweden
9. Confederation of the Rhine
10. England
11. Republic of Greece
12. Kingdom of Italy
13. Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
    
14. Empire of Bulgaria
15. Kingdom of Ireland

I can't help but get a kick out of how powerful Holland is now (as a fan of the Dutch culture and language, this amuses me greatly), or Spain for that matter (ditto for reasons) . I also didn't realize Virginia and Georgia were so powerful on the world stage, not that that's a problem for me of course. Would you say that the countries on the list have separated into "blocs" already, or is that too soon?

EDIT: Also, a powerful Greece? Sweet, when did that happen?

 

[Napoleon53]

I can't help but get a kick out of how powerful Holland is now (as a fan of the Dutch culture and language, this amuses me greatly), or Spain for that matter (ditto for reasons) . I also didn't realize Virginia and Georgia were so powerful on the world stage, not that that's a problem for me of course. Would you say that the countries on the list have separated into "blocs" already, or is that too soon?

EDIT: Also, a powerful Greece? Sweet, when did that happen?

Yep, it's been part of a plot point I've been secretly doing where Holland becomes a great power behind everyone's back.

For clarification, France, Austria-Hungary, and Spain are one country, forming the Tripartite Empire under Napoleon III, I'll cover it all in the next Europe chapter.

I should probably bump Georgia down a bit. EDIT: Done! Virginia is quite powerful, though, indeed.

As for blocs: there's the Bonapartist Bloc, with all the relatives allied to each other. Prussia wants an alliance with Russia, but so far it ain't happening. And then of course there's the Columbian Allies. Other than that, not really any big groups. A lot of countries can't stand each other.

Greece will be covered in the Africa/Asia chapter (very soon, talking it over with Zoid via PM).

 

[Napoleon53]

I decided we needed two chapters to show the leaders of the world before we get back to the regular chapters. Here's the one for the Bonaparte camp!
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A NEW GENERATION OF BONAPARTES

Caesar Napoleon III

The period of history in the last quarter of the 19th Century saw the passing of many leaders in Europe. The new "Gilded Age" generation was different than the last in a number of ways. For one, the Gilded Age Generation did not remember the Great Wars of the Empire, and many did not even have any memories of Caesar Napoleon I.

When Napoleon II died at age 85 in 1896 and his son Napoleon III took the the throne, he also inherited the Imperial Crown of Austria-Hungary. The 57 year-old monarch's first real act was to form a union named the Tripartite Empire, consisting of the three nations of France, Spain, and Austria-Hungary. The new Empire dominated the map of the continent, which was a source of discontent in Prussia and Russia. Napoleon III proved quickly, though, that he had absolutely no desire to spark a war, and even declared that as long as he lived, the Pax Napoleonica would be maintained. He had married a Bavarian noblewoman in 1859, and their son Napoleon IV was currently 37, and their two daughters, Marie and Napoleona, were 38 and 39 respectively, and married with children to Italian nobles. Napoleon IV already had a 19 year-old son, Napoleon V, who was married to Elisabet, the daughter of an Austrian count. Napoleon III was not expected to rule long as he was extremely overweight and had suffered a heart attack just two years before being crowned. The only major governmental change Napoleon III made was breaking Quebec off from the rest of Canada and installing his daughter Marie as Queen of Quebec.

Napoleon IV

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Napoleon V

Princess Élisabeth​

Caesar Napoleon III shortly after his coronation

Queen Marie I of the Kingdom of Quebec

In the Kingdom of Holland, Louis Napoleon I of Holland had died in 1875, leaving his 19 year-old son Louis Napoleon II the throne. Louis Napoleon I had annexed a vast amount of Asian territory during his rule, and Louis Napoleon II carried on the same legacy, invading several Indochinese countries and parts of southern mainland China in the next couple decades. Holland had become a great power when no one was even looking, and it enhanced their prestige so much they actually started doing things independently of whether Caesar thought was good or not. Louis Napoleon II put Holland on the map as a force to be reckoned with.

King Louis Napoleon II of Holland

In Ireland, Joseph Bonaparte's son King Dominic I died at 79 in 1877. His son Dominic II (born 1828) was crowned at age 49. Ireland and the Republic of Scotland still detested each other, and when Napoleon III considered taking troops out of the bastion of Fort Scotia, which helped keep the peace between the Irish and Scots, his cousin Dominic II talked him into leaving them.

In the Confederation of the Rhine, Napoleon III's step-brother Kaiser Franz Joseph (Francis Joseph) I showed no signs of ill-health. Franz Joseph was always working in conjunction with Paris, but every so often he did show a little independent spirit. By the 1890s, the Rheinbund was no longer a minor country, but a legitimate and respected power.

Portrait of the Rheinbund Imperial Family
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List of Bonaparte-Hapsburg Leaders of the 1860s - 1900:

• Napoleon II (born 1811 died 1896) Caesar of the United Empire of France and Spain, Emperor of the United Empire of Brazil and Rio de la Plata, Lord of Mann, Mediator of the Helvetic Confederation, Protector of the Confederation of the Rhine, and Protector of the Free City of Lisbon.
• Napoleon III (born 1839) Caesar of the Tripartite Empire, Emperor of the United Empire of Brazil and Rio de la Plata, Lord of Mann, Mediator of the Helvetic Confederation, Protector of the Confederation of the Rhine, and Protector of the Free City of Lisbon.
• Napoleon IV (born 1859) Prince Imperial of the Tripartite Empire, Prince Imperial of the United Empire of Brazil and Rio de la Plata, Prince of Bohemia, Duke of Reichstadt, Prince of Bombay
• Napoleon V (born 1877) Future Prince Imperial
• Francis Joseph I (Franz Josef I) (born 1830) Emperor/Kaiser of the Confederation of the Rhine
• Massimiliano I (born 1832) King of Italy, Count of Vienna
• Charles Louis I (born 1833) King of Andorra
• Carlotta I (born 1824 died 1876) Queen of the Two Sicilies
• Carlo I (born 1847) King of the Two Sicilies
• Dominic I (born 1798 died 1877) King of Ireland
• Dominic II (born 1828) King of Ireland
• Marie I (born 1858) Queen of Quebec
• Louis Napoleon I (born 1808 died 1875) King of Holland
• Louis Napoleon II (born 1856) King of Holland
• Elisa Napoleona I (born 1806 died 1897) Princess of Lucca and Piombino
• Adriana I (born 1849) Princess of Lucca and Piombino (mother Elisa Napoleona II died at childbirth)

King Carlo I of the Two Sicilies

King Dominic II of Ireland

Princess Adriana I of Lucca and Piombino


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[FleetMac]

Nice update on recent events in Europe, Nappy!