A Yellow Lys on Azure Main

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Today I should feel relieved to come back to my home soil after fighting so long for it. Instead I only feel guilt and regret about killing for British interests and hegemony. We must lead our country towards its own path if we do not want to lead a century of British domination over us.
- Francois-Joseph Paul de Grasse

We thought that forming an allied french state in the form of the Duchy of Provence would grant us control over Napoleonic France and her allies and ensure our domination over Europe. We didn't realise we were only thinking ahead for ten to twenty years.
- Benjamin Disraeli

The nations of Europe must learn to accept the will of the people in order to maintain order and a sense of cooperation between the peoples of the continent.
- Napoleon III

The times of fighting have ceased. Let us come together into a bright future, for it belongs to us continentals.
- Otto von Bismarck

It is time for us to look for new allies and new friends if we are to keep the state of our Empire intact.
- Winston Churchill

More than two hundred years ago our founding fathers fought the British for liberty and the right for our country to exist. Today, the British are once more threatening our way of life and ours and the peoples of the world's rights to liberty. Let us follow the path of our Founding Fathers and continue the fight for what we truly believe in.
- Franklin D. Roosevelt

Today I announce that the Dominion of Australia is no more. We will dictate our own way, one not dictated by a monarch and country half a world away.
- John Curtin

They fought the war for Africa. Instead they destroyed it.
- Nnamdi Azikiwe

The Russians have slaughtered the forefathers of our revolution. It is time for us to take revenge.
- Mao Zedong

Never has the sun of Japan shined so bright, yet I feel deep inside that this sun is about to be obstructed by huge clouds.
- Emperor Akihito

It did not have to come to this, but it did. And I will never forgive myself to not having been able to do more.
- Nelson Mandela

Hello everyone ! After much thought and reflection, I finally decided to launch my own graphics timeline. I had this project in mind for a long while now, and I never got around to actually making it kick off. But I finally got the courage to start it, and so here we go. I was of course strongly inspired by @Kanan and @LeinadB93's wonerdful timelines, but also by @KaiserEmu which I feel is very much underrated. This is therefore my own shot at creating a timeline.

What's this ?
Well every TL I saw generally greatly favored the British Empire and Commonwealth. So I decided to mix things up in a world where the British Empire totally collapses (most of it anyways), leading to a stronger Europe. However, this would all come with a British decision in the first place, which was to establish a French Government-in-Exile in Southern France and later Sardinia and Liguria. However, Frenchmen don't really like being at the boot of the Brits and things go south from there...

What is the POD ?
Young Corporal Bonaparte is affected to the Army of the Rhine and gets his share of glory in Mayenz instead of Toulon. Toulon falls to the English who quickly overrun Provence and establish the Kingdom of France. However the King is very unpopular and the Comte de Grasse, a war hero takes over instead. De Grasse founds the Duchy of Provence under British supervision, but quickly turns towards isolating the country as much as possible from Britain, although the mere presence of the Duchy helps contain Napoleonic France who never really meddles in Italy or Spain. However, in 1848, things start to turn south as a Republic is declared...

What will you post ?
Infoboxes, maps, everything. However I will try to focus more on the geographical and historical aspects rather than the political ones, which I am frankly pretty bad at describing or putting into infoboxes.

How often will you post ?
I'm aiming for twice a week, but frequency may vary depending on how much work I have to get done.

Is the TL collaborative ?
No unfortunately, but I will take any idead you have about any country. Outside of Australia, New Zealand, France, the UK and the US, my knowledge in local politics and historical politics is lacking.

What's the state of the World ?
Well it's not terrible unless you live in Subsaharan Africa, or the Middle East, or East Asia....

 

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Atomic weapons or Weapons of Mass Destruction have been operating all across the globe since 1945, when the United States detonated "Trinity". Over the course of history, these weapons have been only detonated against human targets seven times, thankfully, twice during the World War, four times during the Indian Coalition War and once during the Chinese Intervention in Central Asia.
The United States were the first to acquire nuclear weapons during Project Manhattan, where US scientists successfully detonated Trinity in the New Mexican desert. The United States would go on to detonate the first nuclear bomb against a civilian target, in Hiroshima, against Japan, then against a tactical target, in the Naval Base of Kure. The United States would go on to operate more than 500 tests, both under and overground, with several atmospheric test and one nuclear launch into space (See Project Balthazar). The United States currently operates more warheads than all other nuclear powers combined.
France were the second nation to detonate nuclear weapons, just five years after the United States. Under the Franco-German project Iron Fist, scientists from both countries contributed to obtaining nuclear weapons. France were the first to recieve nuclear warheads, due to their wider operational range, while Germany obtained them five years later after a test in German Tanganyika. Both nations are technically the only european nations disposing of nuclear weapons, although under the EDF, french warheads are stored at Salon-de-Provence, Provence, at Kleine Brogel, Flanders and at SAFB Lossiemouth, Scotland, while german warheads are stored at Lask Air Base, Poland-Lithuania and at Skaraborg AFB, Sweden. Note that all these require a dual-key system to activate.
Australia was the next country to develop nuclear weapons. Encouraged by the United States, the acquisition of nuclear weapons by Australia was supposed to ensure peace and stability in the South-East Asia and Pacific Region. Instead it did the opposite, with the acceleration of the Chinese nuclear program, and China developing its own nuclear weapons in 1964.
The U.S and Europe then tried to enforce a nuclear non-proliferation treaty, however China would not have any of it and declined to sign it, killing the first treaty in its crib. The U.S therefore allowed Brazil and Persia to start a nuclear program, under U.S supervision. Brazil completed its first test in 1968, while Persia would follow suit in 1971. This only exacerbated Chinese pile-up, which peaked during the Chinese Intervention in Central Asia, where China detonated a nuclear warhead in Dushanbe, the first detonation on civilian targets since the World War. Utterly terrified by this and with the racking up of tensions during the Great Asian Crisis, the U.S greenlit Japan and Korea to develop warheads. By 1974, both nations had functionning warheads, and threat of an all-out nuclear war was looming. Thankfully, things de-escalated, and China finally agreed to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 1978, which forbid any nation from developing nuclear weapons or stockpiling any more.
This wouldn't stop six more nations from developing nuclear weapons however. India and Hyderabad never signed the NPT, and therefore developed nuclear weapons anyways. India viewed nuclear weapons as an alternative to reclaiming Southern India, and obtained their nukes in 1982. India then expected an easy victory against Hyderabad and the Southern Indian Coalition, forcing Hyderabad to use their first nuclear device directly in the field. The resulting fallout was devastating, and both nations came to a halt, with the war ending soon after the detonation of no less than four warheads (two from each side). Both countries still use MAD in order to protect their independence to this day.
The next country to have developed nuclear weapons is Canada, who found a loophole in the Treaty of Versailles, which mentions that the UK cannot develop nuclear weapons, but it was stated nowhere that a Commonwealth Country couldn't. Canada therefore tested four nuclear weapons, withdrew from the NPT and constructed an estimated total of 15 nukes. However, this did not sit well with the US, who threatened Canada with intervention if these 15 weapons ever left tjhe country. The Great Lakes Crisis would only last a few days, but it would prove costly for the Canadian economy, who eventually folded to the US with the Hamilton Agreement.
The last country to have obtained nuclear weapons was Siam, due to aggressive positionning from China and tensions mounting in Burma, Under Franco-German supervision, the Siamese built an estimated 15 nuclear warheads, to be detonated only if necessary. This flew under the U.S radar, who didn't really take kindly to chinese positionning anyways, although the U.S did sanction Siam in order to keep China at bay, before taking the sanctions away a few years later.
The U.S are also suspected to have given Israel nuclear weapons, although this has never been proven, as the Jewish State never acknowledged having any of these weapons. However, this is not the main concern of the world today, as it is turned towards the pariah Saudi State, a well-known islamic terrorism funder and internationally isolated and hated. The Saudis have exactly five nukes, although none are deployed, and they remain the most fiercly tracked weapons in the world. Ever since the Saudis tried to smuggle one of these warheads to Indonesia onwards towards an unknown target of terrorist organisation Al-Qaeda, the U.S has warned the Saudis that if one of their nukes crossed a meter out of their border or international waters, their country would cease to exist. The U.S would prove they mean business by deploying nuclear weapons to air force bases in Oman, the UAE and Qatar.

What would you guys like to see next ?

 

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The Republic of Provence was first established by the British Government as a foothold in Southern France after their victory at the Battle of Toulon. However, settlement did not go as expected, as the locals refused to have the king stay and instead accepted retired admiral and war hero, Francois-Joseph Paul de Grasse as First Duke of Provence. Too bothered with the wars ongoing, Britain accepted and started militarising the new state, which effectively cut off France from Italy and Northern Africa. However, the British had to soon realise that they could not conquer all of France, and with the Peace of Avignon, had to sign a truce. However, the Duchy of Provence, thanks to the geography of the region, had managed to stay strong, and the British had managed to make the french directory recognize the Duchy.
This would however be a source of embarassment for the French Directory, who fell to Napoleon. Under Napoleon, France tried to invade Provence several times, but wasn't able to shake off the thorn in their boot. It was during these times that Provence, with British help, seized Sardinia, Genoa and Liguria in order to further protect the coast and solidify their positions. Provence managed to remain neutral during the Napoleonic Wars, despite British pleas to intervene, as De Grasse's policy of neutrality to better strengthen the nation was put into place. This policy also infuriated Napoleon, who couldn't meddle in Italian affairs, apart from the First Italian Campaign, and was too scared of a British attack through Provence to attack Spain. For several years, Provence therefore became a giant naval base for Britain, until the 1848 European Revolutions came.
In 1848, a wave of revolutions swept through Europe, bringing the time of absolute monarchies to an end. It was no different in Provence, as the Republicans toppled the Duchy, who was anyways not very keen on keeping power. The new Republic kicked out the British forces from Provence and moved towards reconciliacion with Napoleonic France, who shifted towards a constitutional monarchy.
Provence therefore started to colonise sparses of Africa, with colonies in Tunisia, Libya and Mauritania. Some of those colonies would remain under Provencal rule until the present day. These include Carthage and Port-de-Grasse. Provence also moved towards the industrial revolution as a mediator between European powers, mediating the Germano-French treaty of friendship and the establisment of the Austro-Hungarian nations after the Civil War of 1930 During these times, Provence did not go unmolested however. In 1915, the Italian Unification Wars began, and Piedmont invaded Provence. However, the Provencaux were able to defeat Piedmont and end Italian Unification before it even began.
During the World War, Provence remained neutral at first, but had to join the Allies to protect its interests in Africa and on the continent as Piedmont attacked the small country once more. With the Allies winning the war, Provence sat at the table of the victors, and became one of the founding members of the European Trade Union along with France, Northern Germany, Bavaria, Flanders and Catalunya,
Today, the Republic of Provence is one of the richest nations in Europe, mainly due to its light restrictions on taxes and its many tourist destinations. The country enjoys friendly relations with most European nations, barring maybe Turkey and Spain in recent years.

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François Joseph Paul, Comte de Grasse, was the first Duke of Provence, and Admiral of both France and Provence. He is regarded as the founder of the Duchy of Provence and its modern-day counterpart the Republic of Provence, and is regarded by many in the country as one of the reasons the British never took a full hold on the country.
Having served as Admiral in the French Navy, De Grasse was made prisoner by Sir George Rodney's fleet at the Battle of the Saintes, thwarting the planned French invasion of Jamaica. It is in captivity that he and his British counterpart exchanged their views on naval warfare, politics and forgein relations, before De Grasse was repatriated to France. Following his court-martial for his failure to defeat the British fleet, De Grasse retired back to the south of France in his estate of Le-Bar-sur-Loup. During the invasion of France, and the establishment of the French government in the south of France, De Grasse was called upon by Rodney and the British government to stabilise the region in the name of the king of France.
De Grasse knew that the British were stretched thin and that the region wouldn't accept a French king that easily, and negociated the formation of the Duchy of Provence, raising several armies and a fleet, resisting republican incursions during the Provencal War and the Italian Campaign, he and his British allies managed to form the Duchy of Provence during the Peace of Avignon in 1797.
De Grasse then worked hard during the last years of his life to lay the foundations of the new Provencal state. He knew he could not kick the British out of the area, for this would mean total British occupation. Instead, he limited British presence with the Free Provence Act, essentially the closest thing to a declaration of independence the country had. De Grasse managed to convince several royalist factions in Vendée, the North and the East to emigrate to Provence, while still maintaining that the King wasn't needed.
He also maintained the policy of neutrality Provence held, and although he was forced to cede Corsica and Martigues back to France in 1799, he managed to make Napoleon Bonaparte, first consul of France, recognize the newly formed state. Additionally, De Grasse strenthened the Provencal position in the Mediterrannean, expanding Toulon's naval base and expanding the ranks of the Provencal Army, including by the integration of the Piemontese and Ligurian militias.
De Grasse also reached for reconciliation with France, a task which would be achieved with his successor, André Masséna, who had fought with Bonaparte before his defection to Provence, in 1811. The "Old Admiral" would also open diplomatic relations with several european countries, including the Kingdom of Austria, the Kingdom of Prussia and the United States. For the latter, he was visited by Thomas Jefferson in his estate in Bar-sur-Loup in 1799, where the United States offered him six canons from the Battle of Yorktown, in which he proved to be a decisive factor to ensure an American victory. It was this visit that cemented the good relations between Provence and the US, which lasts to this day. The canons are still on display in De Grasse's estate, which has since become a museum.
De Grasse died in 1800, in the Ducal Palace of Nice. His ashes were transferred to Nice Cathedral for burial, where he rests today. Every year, dignitaries from the United States (generally the Vice-President or Secretary of State but more recently presidents have come as well) lay a crown of flowers on the "Old Admiral"'s tomb in Nice during Provence's "Freedom Day". He was succeeded by his close collaborator and commander-in-chief of the Army, André Masséna, who would bridge the gap with France and enforce the neutrality doctrine that would infuriate British leadership for the years to come.

 

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The 2018 Provencal presidential election was a decisive election for modern-day Provence. With the Alliance Républicaine in power since the late 1990s, no left-wing coalition had managed to take down the right-wing coalition. However, 2018 saw the rise of the Green and Worker's rights parties, usually far behind in the polls. This led the Parti Socialiste de Provence (PSP) leader Massimo Zedda to form a coalition with the Parti pour la Dépendance Ecologique de Provence (PDEP) to try and topple incumbent president Hubert Falco. However, Falco still had strong support, mainly among the Arab and Western Provencal voters, which resulted in Hubert Falco getting reelected by a short margin of less than two million votes. This was still a victory for the left-wing alliance though, who gathered enough seats to dethrone the AR in the Chamber of Deputies and launched a serious opposition for the first time in years.

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List of major Provencal Parties:

Alliance Républicaine (AR): Right-wing/Conservative Party, Pro-buisness, Pro-ETU
Parti Socialiste de Provence (PSP): Center-Left Party, Socialist, Pro-Spending, Pro-ETU
Parti pour la Dépendance Ecologique de Provence (PDEP): Ecologists, Pro-ETU
Parti de l'Unification: Far-Right, Pro-Reunification with France, Mildly Anti-Arab and anti-immigration, no clear stance on ETU
Front pour la Liberté des Peuples Arabes (FLPA): Pan-Arabist, Arab breakaway group, Far-Right, Anti-ETU
Partito Sarde (PS): Pro-Sardinian autonomy, Center-Right, Pro-ETU
Partito di Italia: Far Right, Pro-Italian Unification, no clear stance on ETU, Anti-immigration
Front de Gauche Provencal (FDGP): Left-Wing hardliners, Anti-ETU, Anti-buisness
Front des Agriculteurs et des Ouvriers Méditerranéens (FAOM): Left-Wing, Pro-Arab, Anti-ETU, Anti-buisness
Mouvement Contre la Corruption Gouvernementale de Provence (MCCGP): Center-Left, Pro-buisness but anti-corruption, pro-ETU, pro-government transparency
Parti Communist Provencal (PCP): Anti-ETU, Far Left

Next up, a bloody conflict

 

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The Kingdom of Denmark-Norway is a constitutional monarchy in Northern Europe non-member of the European Trade Union but is a member of the Kalmar Trade Area and Bastogne Area. The Kingdom of Denmark-Norway had a difficult time during the Napoleonic Wars, struggling to maintain neutrality, and declaring for both France and the coalition over the years. However, it was decided during the Swedish succession crisis, that as to avoid another conflict with the U.K, Denmark-Norway would be allowed to remain neutral, not taking part in any further wars between the Continental Block and the Coalitions. As a matter of fact, no real large scale wars would come around to menace the young kingdom. Denmark-Norway would unify the monarchies into a single one, based in Copenhagen, much to the disdain of Norway. However, in order for Norway to not seek an alliance with the French-backed Sweden, the Danes fell back onto the British who were eager to support the Danes and ensure an uprising in Norway wouldn't happen.
The Revolutions of 1848 wouldn't send a lot of ripples in the country, although the monarchy relinquished much of its power and became a symbolic role after protests rocked the capital Copenhagen, but thanks to British help, the country would never fall into outright civil war. As the industrial era passed by, Denmark-Norway formally integrated the British sphere, much to Sweden and France's disapproval, as the balance was now maintained in Scandinavia. Denmark-Norway therefore actively supported British endeavours during the first half of the 20th century, with intervention forces sent to Spain or the Ottoman Empire. The Danes even held a colony until 1976, in the form of the Gold Coast colony, which was given its independence late into the 70s.
When the World War however, everything changed. Despite the Ruhr Offensive and Operation Lionheart, the Danes had no chance against the German II Corps who took Copenhagen in less than 2 weeks. The government did manage to flee to Oslo under British escort, but this would prove to be a great opportunity for the norwegians, for a long time ignored during the political discussions. The norwegians pressured Denmark into accepting 50-50 representation in parliament as well as in the cabinet, as well as the presence of at least 2 Norwegian generals in the high command (out of 5 high commanders). Failing that, Norway would just declare neutrality in the war, or worse, just invite the Allies in. The Danes were forced to agree during the Stavanger Agreements of 1942, leading to the parliament we know today. The rest of the war went alright for Denmark-Norway, until the Battle of Ushant changed everything. The Royal Navy was reduced to a size in which it could not defend the Norwegian coast and was withdrawn. This led Norway, as well as being invaded from Finland (November 1944) and Sweden (Spring 1945) to be invaded via landings south of Oslo by American and German troops, with the city falling on March 5th.
Denmark-Norway did not have to concede any territory, except for Iceland, which was given independence, and a small Air Force Base in Greeland to the U.S.A. Additionally, they were given the small Shetland (Hjaltland) archipelago, which was already occupied by Danish-Norwegian troops since 1942, and deemed small enough to not be incorporated into the SOZ. Denmark-Norway and the U.K remained strong allies throughout the next years, although they took different paths. Denmark-Norway scaled back their defence budget, and although they didn't join the ETU, joined both the Kalmar Trade Agreements and the Bastogne Area of Free Travel. Today, Denmark-Norway is known for their high standards of living, and being one of the best countries in the world in terms of education and happiness. It also has some of the highest development indexes and GDP/capita in the world, despite its economy being dwarved by their neighbours Sweden.

 

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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.

 

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The United Kingdom has had a rough last century. However, the British Empire was at the height of its meight only two hundred years ago, having successfully quarantined Napoleonic France after the Napoleonic Wars thanks to the existence of the Duchy of Provence and defeated the United States during the War of 1812, where the U.K forced the U.S to abandon its claims onto the Oregon Territory. These two decisions would eventually come back to haunt them.
The U.K first faced internal turmoil during the Revolutions of 1848, where several uprising occured, notably in the north of the country, but nothing comparable to the French and Austrian situations. However, the U.K experienced a golden age during the Industrialization of the country, and with the expansion of the British Empire into Africa. The scramble for Africa would nearly kick off the World War early, if not for the Conference of Berlin that partitionned the continent.
Things would start to turn sour for the U.K in the early 1910s with the Troubles in Ireland. With a more and more active IRA, the Irish became such a big problem that the British resolved to send in the army in 1926, kicking off the First Irish Uprising. For two years the Irish struggled, and finally won their independence, except for the northern half of their country. However, this wouldn't be enough as both protestants and catholics continued butting heads in Ireland, prompting the Second Irish Uprising in 1934. This one would result with a massive British crackdown on the protests, which only ignited the conflict even more. A referendum was agreed upon, and the "Join Ireland" option won by eight votes. A recount was made, with "stay with Britain" this time winning by 23 votes. This would prompt the British government to deny the Irish reunification and Stanley Baldwin, the British PM, resigned soon after the decision. Soon after, the Third Irish Uprising commenced, which would be as deadly as the first, with Irishmen united against the occupying British Army, that was supposed to "maintain order in the autonomous province". This would prove disastrous for Britain with more than 3000 dead in three months. Finally, Ulster was given back to Ireland, prompting backlash of the British public onto the government, who was once more forced to resign. The people went with Winston Churchill, who wanted action instead of what he saw as inaction by the government.
Churchill soon renewed the London Accords, bringing in both the Empires of Russia and Japan, despite their differences, to block the Alliance expansion with Persia and Poland. And it would prove to be one of the many catalysts of the World War, with increasing tensions between the two blocks. It would finally be in Nigeria that the final spark would be made. A disagreement over the Franco-British border would spark a reaction, with British and French soldiers exchanging shots. Tension builds, and soon, the World is set ablaze. The U.K soon found the upper hand, invading via the Low Countries, but would finally be pushed out after an eight-month campaign. From then on, and with the U.S intervention on the side of the Alliance, Britain would collapse under the pressure. Russia would fall first, before Operation Constellation would seal the fate of Britain. Japan would be the last to fall, three days after the British capitulation.
The British Empire was in shambles, as was Africa, but got to keep the colonies it still had control over, notably Hong Kong, Aden or several Caribbean Islands the French and Americans retroceded in good faith. However, the Alliance would not allow Britain to stay united, and established the SOZ (Scottish Occupation Zone). With vivid opposition, the Scots eventually got huge economic aid from both the newly-founded ETU and the US, and found itself in a much better position than Britain. With no desire to reunite, despite referendums in 1985 and 2006, Scotland stood independent from the U.K, and eventually joined the ETU in 2000.
Britain would come back into world affairs but remains staunchly anti-ETU, and remains close with their Commonwealth Allies, most notably Canada and New Zealand, and other ex-colonies such as India and Jordan. Today, it remains economically fragile, but remains a strong economical power, despite falling behind Germany, France and even Sweden. Its navy is still limited in size, and it is not allowed to have nuclear weapons, but the UNSC lifted the air force and ground forces restrictions in 2011.
Britain has also kept Hong Kong due to fears of Chinese involvment and expansionism, like Portugal, Japan or France, and incorporated the territory into a constituent country in 1994. It still claims ownership of Scotland, and doesn't have an embassy in Edinburgh, but rather a High Comission.

 

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The European Defence Force is a multinational military alliance. Founded after the World War by the founding members of the ETU, the European Defence Force was a military alliance that would allow European states to contest U.S domination and fight for the interests of the ETU abroad. It is required for any ETU state to adhere to the EDF as well. Usually seen as second fiddle to the United States, after Walter Mondale's election and the withdrawal of the US from much of world affairs, the EDF became the primary peacekeepers in the world. With the strongest navy in the world from 1982 on, and one of the most modern air forces, it intervened in bloody conflicts such as the Indian Conflict or the South African Civil War. Even with the involvement of the United States following the Millenium Attacks, the EDF remains a strong military power. It has been deployed to Africa notably, to quell unrests and islamic revolutions since the 1960s and the brutal post-World War civil wars plaguing the continent, and is the only armed forces with a permanent presence on all 5 continents. Today, it still ranks as the third largest military by active force size, behind the U.S and China, and is one of the best equipped, in addition to having access to half of France and Germany's nuclear arsenals under dual-key activation system, which are deployed both on EDF bases across Europe, but also on EDF nuclear submarines around the globe.

 

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The United States of America or U.S, U.S.A or just simply referred to as "America", is a country composed of 50 individual states, a federal district and several overseas territories. It is the 3rd largest country as well as the 3rd most populous, as well as being the largest economical power in the world.
However, it wasn't always like that for the U.S. After the disastrous and humiliating War of 1812, the country was left staunchly divided, despite winning two wars against Mexico. which finally exploded during the American Civil War (1859-1868), one of the most brutal conflicts to ever take place on the continent of the Americas. It took nearly twenty years for the country to heal, after which the U.S entered a policy of non-intervention during the European Conflict. However, it shared economical ties with the Continental European powers such as France and Germany. These ties would finally lead to a military alliance which saw the United States finally being able to avenge the humiliation of the War of 1812 by asserting their domination over the continent during the World War. The U.S acquired the disputed Oregon Territories, Northern Maine and the Maritime Provinces of Canada.
Thanks to this, the U.S gained several new states. The Pacific States, who were named after the three first U.S presidents, Washington, Adams and Jefferson, as well as the States of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. After the war, it also incorporated the states of Roosevelt, Guam and Puerto Rico, bringing the total number of states to 50 by 1971 (date of the incorporation of the State of Guam into the Union).
After the World War, the U.S.A re-entered a period of isolation, although the Liberty Party presidencies did involve a degree of American intervention, notably in East Asia with their Korean, Japanese, Chinese and Vietnamese allies. The U.S didn't actively involve themselves in world affairs, despite having a permanent seat at the United Nations World Council, and being the leading world economical power.
Today, the United States has been hit by the War on Terror, with several terrorist attacks on U.S soil leading to the rise of the Liberty and the Radical party, who was mostly annihilated during the late 60s and 70s, and has since seen a surge in voters. In 2016, soon after the election, the U.S made their first intervention in Africa since the wars against the Barbary Coast, intervening in the Bornu Emirate to contain Boko Haram. It has also joined forces with the EDF and Iranese Army by providing air support to combat terrorrist groups in Balochistan and the Zagros Mountains.

 

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"10 Major" U.S Routes - or high priority routings:
Los Angeles - Las Vegas - Salt Lake City - Denver - Chicago - Columbus - Baltimore - Philadelphia - Newark - New York-Central - Boston
Chicago - Columbus - Baltimore - Philadelphia - New York
Los Angeles - Santa Barbara - Santa Maria - Monterey - San Jose - San Francisco
Chicago - Kansas City - Wichita - Denver - Salt Lake City - Las Vegas - Los Angeles
Miami - Ft.Lauderdale - Orlando - Atlanta - Charlotte - Washington DC - Philadelphia - New York-Penn
Atlanta - Knoxville - Cinncinati - Indianapolis - Chicago
Chicago - Milwaukee - Madison - Minneapolis
Atlanta - Charlotte - Washington DC - Philadelphia - New York-Penn
Atlanta - Daytona Beach - Orlando
Chicago - Columbus - Baltimore - Washington DC

 

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Pan American Flight 007 or Pan Am Flight 7 was a scheduled civilian flight from Chennai, Tamil Lanka to New York-JFK, U.S.A, with a stopover in Copenhagen, Denmark-Norway. The flight was a red-eye during the Copenhagen to New York sector, which took them over the Dominion of Newfoundland & Labrador. When it entered Newfoundland airspace, the airliner did not respond to calls from RAF Gander ATC and was intercepted by a pair of de Havilland Phantom-7s. Despite three attempts to come into contact with the aircraft in foggy and rainy weather, the P-7s never came into contact with the plane and were ordered to shoot it down, misidentifying the aircraft as a Saint Pierre and Miquelon-launched EDF Dassault D-505 "Firefly" bomber/spy plane.
The Pan Am aircraft spiraled out of control, crashing just west of Goose Bay. The Newfoundland Army found the wreckage at daybreak on an isolated hill. As expected, none of the 235 passengers survived. They included 115 Americans, 36 Dano-Norwegians and 27 Tamil-Lankans, including ex-Tamil Minister of Agriculture and Mayor of Chennai Habibullah Baig (the rest being 14 Mysoreans, 11 Hyderabadi, 8 Indians, 6 Persians, 3 Japanese, 2 Israelis, 2 British, 2 Swedes, 2 Quebecans, 1 Mexican, 1 Korean, 1 Insulindian, 1 Hejazi, 1 Pole and 1 Cambodian). The U.K immediately admitted shooting down the aircraft, creating a wave of Anti-British sentiment in the U.S, despite the AAIB allowing NTSB investigators to take part in the investigation.
The incident was blamed on a radio problem in the cockpit which didn't allow pilots to contact Gander ATC, despite hearing the Halifax ATC clearly, as well as the inability for the British pilots to find the frequency the aircraft was using. Finally, foggy weather and a lapse in judgement by the ground command were blamed for the misidentification of the aircraft.
This incident not only soured up relations between the U.K and the U.S yet again, but also between the U.K and Denmark-Norway, who lost 36 of their citizens on that flight. This prompted the U.K to demobilize part of their interceptor squadrons in Newfoundland and revise their interception tactics during peacetime.

 

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KLM Flight 65 was a commercial flight between Los Angeles and Amsterdam that became one of the major turning points in recent U.S politics. The flight left Los Angeles with nothing special to report, until over the Great Lakes of Ontario, where a deflagration occured above the right wing of the aircraft. A terrorrist belonging to the organisation Boko Haram had managed to light a makeshift bomb in his shoe, which blew up a part of the aircraft and shredded some of the right wing. Having lost control over part of the hydraulics and little control over the right engine, the pilots opted for an emergency landing at Minneapolis Airport. However, they wouldn't be able to make it and settled for a field 114km north of the airport. The aircraft was smashed into several pieces on touching the ground, but nevertheless 157 people survived the intital crash, including both pilots. 9 passengers would unfortunately die at the site, while a further 8 would die in hospital.
The attack was claimed by the terrorrist organisation Boko Haram, which operated in the highly unstable Bornu Emirate. The EDF had begun an intervention in the region, but the U.S had declined to participate in the U.N-mandated intervention despite their recent interest in the region as part of their follow-up to the Millenium Attacks fourteen years earlier. The Social-Liberal party still proned non-intervention in the African region, but most of the Liberty and Radical parties would back up the intervention idea.
While they stayed high in the polls for the 2016 election, the Social-Liberal party would fall down and lose several states in the 2016 election due to their non-interventionist attitude amongst other things. The Liberty Party immediately passed a law after coming to power, making the United States join the EDF-led coalition against Boko Haram, and in April 2016, the first U.S soldiers landed in Africa in order to wage war since the Barbary Coast Wars.

 

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The 2016 United States presidential election was the 57th U.S election. For the first time in 12 years, it saw the Social-Liberal party lost the White House to the Liberty Party, with Rubio/Kasich's ticket defeating the Sanders/Castro one handily, while the Radical McCain/Bush ticket managed to take back 2 states from the Social-Liberals, the first time they win back states since 2004. The election was marked by a low turnout, albeit not the all-time low, and turned around both internal issues, with healtcare reforms and the debates over the nationalisation of U.S high-speed rail, as well as exterior issues with the stance of the U.S on the EDF intervention in Subasaharan Africa as well as the recent Chinese developments, including their space program and the launch of Shanghai-2, the first Chinese probe to land on the Moon.
Marco Rubio managed to win the election, winning back both California and Ohio from the Social-Liberals, a great feat, despite California only being acquired by Rubio by 0.7%. Bernie Sanders lost much of the Obama gains in 2008 and 2012, but still managed to keep most of the core Social-Liberal states around the Rust Belt and in the Maritimes. However, ineffective campaining and a weak stance on the Chinese and Japanese issues probably sunk the campaign, as well as successive corruption scandals inside the party right before the election.

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Major U.S Parties:
SocL (Social-Liberal): Pro-Isolation, More interested in internal issues rather than intervention abroad, pro-social government spending (see OTL left-wing democrats, socialists, greens)
Liberty: Middle ground between SocL and Radicals, pro-intervention but also favor the development of key U.S allies and U.S intervention in areas where these allies are menaced (see OTL radical Democrats/measured Republicans)
Radical: Pro-intervention, anti-government spending (except on the Army, Navy, NSA etc), focused on U.S intervention where interests and economic/political gain are to be made (see center/right wing of the Republican party OTL)

 

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The Republic of the Gold Coast (Guldkysten) is a small nation on the Gulf of Guinea, which borders only the Ashanti State, and the sea. Originally founded as Fort Christianborg, the small Dano-Norwegian colony soon found itself encircled by British colonies. However, due to the increased friendliness between both Denmark-Norway and the British, Fort Christianborg was never bothered, and was even expanded as the British funded many projects to expand the Christianborg harbour to supply their Ashanti colony. As such Christianborg held much of the traffic of goods between Ashanti and London, and acted as a stopover between the colonies of Sierra Leone and Nigeria.
However, when the World War struck, the importance of the small port suddleny skyrocketed. As the closest port to the Huntziger line, the port of Christianborg was once more expanded to accomodate warships from the West Africa Squadron, and supply a large amount of troops in the area. However, with the failure of the Accords invasion of Europe, and the North African Campaign turning awry, the British quickly evacuated Ashanti as it fell into civil war. Only the Free Danish Forces held Christianborg with 4,500 men, welcoming refugees from a now war-torn Ghana and Nigeria. As such, after the war, the Gold Coast became a safe haven and one of the only stable places east of the Huntziger line along with Cameroon, Gabon and Cabinda. However, despite achieving autonomy, much of the population wanted independence from Denmark-Norway heading into the 1970s, as the Gold Coast had managed to take some distances with Copenhagen. A referendum was passed in 1969, with 60.5% in favour of independence. It was a slow process, with the Gold Coast achieving Crown Protectorate status first, but the Gold Coast finally achieved final independence in 1978. Two years later, Ashanti tried to reunify with the small country by force, but were immediately put down when the frigates HDNMS Amundsen and HDNMS Christian IX sent a few missiles the way of the disorganized Ashanti forces, ending the short-lived war.
Today, the Gold Coast lives up to its name, as Christiansborg is one of the three main ports along the Atlantic Coast of Subsaharan Africa along with Abidjan (1st) and Port-Gentil (3rd). It has a very high standard of living for an African country and is one of the best countries to live in, as such many refugees from Nigeria, Ashanti, Dagbo or Benin seek asylum in the Republic, leading to tight controls on immigration.

 

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Every world has its North Korea...

Saudi Arabia was founded out of the ashes of the Ottoman Civil War (1919-1924). The kingdom had been a player in Ottoman affairs for a while, however it made its resurgence during the conflict that set the Middle East ablaze. However, they found themselves in a an akward spot, as no European powers supported the newly formed Kingdom. Indeed, taking the Ottoman threat as a pretense, the Saudis and the Ikhwan, the most loyal Saudi soldiers, invaded the northern provinces of Yemen, and the Emirate of Ha'il. The Saudis contributed very little to the Civil War directly, and instead tried to take control of as much of the Arabian peninsula as possible, even supporting the Ottomans in some operations. However, this would come back to haunt them, as the British landed an Egyptian-led force to take the Holy Cities, Mecca and Medinah, and soon transferred them to the newly formed Emirate of Hejaz. Similarly, the British-led forces in Jordan also captured vast swathes of territory the Saudis couldn't get their hands on. The Saudis did however manage to take a port on the Red Sea, at Jizan.
Desiring to take Hejaz, but not willing to anger the British, Ibn Saud, the new king of Arabia, decided to meet with the head of the Ikhwan, Al-Otaibi. The Ikhwan would be officially disbanded, but unofficially, allowed to operate from Saudi Arabia to conduct raids on neighbouring countries such as Yemen, Hejaz and Jordan. The disbanding of the Ikhwan as a military force is now commonly known as the founding of the first ever Islamic Terrorist organization, that would continue to operate until very recently within the boundaries of the Kingdom.
The raids continued for a long time, with Saudi Arabia never taking responsibility for the actions, and doing very little to stop the Ikhwan, even executing random criminals and painting them as the terrorists raiding Hejaz. However, Hejaz did not take this kindly, and when a raid on a military installation ar Ranyah killed 12 Hejazi soldiers, the Hejazi government stepped in and invaded the Kingdom. The short lived Arabian war resulted in the Treaty of Jeddah in 1933, with Saudi Arabia conceding all ports on the Red Sea, and forced to demilitarize all of their border with the Emirate. This ended the Ikhwan as a fighting force, who instead conducted sabotage operations from then on.
Neutral during the World War, Arabia tried to take over the British protectorates, but were beaten back by the better equipped Persians, who guaranteed the independence of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the U.A.E. The United States also put bases in the area in order to contain the Saudi threat, as the Ikhwan had restarted to emerge, collaborating with the PLO in orchestrating terrorist attacks in Europe, America and Israel.
However, Mondale's election in 1981 re-shuffled the cards in the Middle East. U.S presence was greatly reduced, and the Saudis started a nuclear program. This was discovered soon enough, and pressured by the EDF, the Saudi government was forced to shut it down. However, an estimated 7 nuclear devices had aready been produced and put into the hands of the Ikhwan. Several times have these weapons tried to be smuggled out of the country, with two warheads being seized, one in the Persian Gulf attempting to leave Dammam and one in Irak, disguised as a cargo of wood. This led U.S. president James Baker to come with the Saudi Ultimatum in 1995, whereas if a nuke was discovered out of Saudi Arabia, then the Saudis would cease to exist as a country.
The threat stuck, and no further attempt to smuggle the remaining 5 nuclear devices, who remain under U.S surveillance 24/7, have been attempted. This did not dissuade the Ikhwan from trying new ways of exporting their Islamic terrorism, with bombings continuing over the next 10 years, but it all came to a stop on April 4th, 2000 with the Millenium Attacks (see next post, on Wednesday). The attacks had a profound impact on the World, and while the U.S government led by Al Gore refused to take action, the EDF's retribution was swift. Using several aircraft launched from the HMAS Renown and the Clemenceau, Riyadh was bombed on the evening of April 23rd, and the leader of the Ikhwan, Osama bin Laden, killed during a similar airstrike in Buraydah.
The Saudis got the message and immediately cut funding for the Ikhwan, whose presence has dramatically decreased. However, the Saudis still sponsor them although they are not allowed to operate on Saudi soil. The U.S. nonetheless reinforced their bases in the region with the election in 2001 of Elizabeth Dole to the presidency, and still enforce a ban on all Saudi goods to this day. Saudi Arabia still trades with other nations, notably China and India, due to their massive oil reserves in the Dammam area, and despite having a full on Western embargo forced on them, still manage to subsist as a country. However, human rights are almost nonexistent, as the country is a secular, Islamic Republic where women have little to no rights and where Sharia law is in full effect.

 

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Apartheid was originally a system of racial segregation instituted initially by South Africa's National Party in 1933. The system ensured that South Africa was dominated in all forms by the white minority. The system was put into place by South Africa, but gradually gained traction in neighbouring countries as South Africa inherited control over the Southern African British colonies, German Southern Africa and partial control over the Portuguese colonies during the World War. As they were virtually untouched during the War, South Africa helped reconstruct much of Southern Africa, ensuring at least their influence over much of the region. However, the Southern African government found itself more and more isolated, as much of the world turned against them. The 60s and 70s saw massive protests which were brutally shut down by the Angolan, Mozambique, Rhodesian and South African governments. This finally exploded as peaceful efforts from the ANC failed and the Southern half of the continent found itself ablaze. starting with the Angolan Civil War (1973-77) and Rhodesian Civil War (1974-78). The wars spread south, with the Second Rhodesian Civil War (1979), the Mozambique Unrest (1978-1981), the Southwest African Wars (1981-84) and finally, the South African Civil War (1983-87).
However, things did not turn out like the ANC's Nelson Mandela expected, with a unified equal state in Southern Africa. The successive conflicts divided the southern half of the continent permanently, with Apartheid subsisting in Sudwestafrika, South Africa and Rhodesia, but also in Luanda, Cabo Delgado, North Rhodesia, Okavongo, Namibia, Bophuthatswana, Orange River and Mahikeng where the oppressed population never forgave the whites and insalled a black-enforced apartheid. Additionally, many states in the region (Angola, Barotseland, Zambia, Matabeleland, Mozambique, Eswatini and Lesotho) have governments dominated by one race, while the other is discriminated against, or at the very least not exactly equal in climbing the ranks of government. In the end, only three democracies emerged from the carnage: Nelson Mandela's Transvaal, the newly democraticized Botswana (2012) and the Commonwealth's Natal. Nelson Mandela's dream was shattered, as South Africa now lies more divided than ever, with the possibility of reconciliation more distant than ever, although the Orange River State's government has made moves to democratize.

 

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For this week-end, we will focus on the United States, with particular attention to the love-hate relationship between the U.S and U.K and why it tends to go towards the latter, with one old and one recent example. We will also have the 2016 US election infobox on Sunday. In the meantime, let's go back to where it all started...

The War of 1812 was fought between the United Kingdom and their Indian and Canadian allies and the United States and its Indian allies. Despite the European continent being at peace, the U.K still enforced a naval blockade around France, and needed to man its ships, impressing U.S sailors into service. The U.S on the other hand, eyed the lightly defended Canadian colonies, and with support from the War Hawks in Congress, pursued an aggressive policy towards the United Kingdom.
On June 18th 1812, the U.S declared war on the U.K and entered Canada. However, this decision would prove to be disastrious, as the U.S got repeatedly beaten in Canada, and forced back towards the border by the end of the year. By then reinforcements had come in from the U.K, who landed in Maryland, burning Washington D.C down to the ground, and pushing towards Philadelphia, which fell in the beginning of 1815. Another British contingent landed in Louisiana, led by Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington. There he met Andrew Jackson, who he severely beat at the Battle of New Orleans. According to folklore, Jackson, seeing his army being encircled, tried to disguise himself as a beggar, but was recognized by one of his slave aids who had defected to the British during Wellesley's march on Baton Rouge. "Beggar Jackson"'s reputation would be tarnished forever, and he would spend the rest of his career on far away postings on the western frontier.
By 1816, the Treaty of London was signed with France, which ended the European Blockade as well as the Continental System, bringing the decades long staredown to an end. With that, the U.K focused on the U.S, who found themselves at a loss. With the British pushing in Maine, holding to Maryland and Philadelphia, and despite Harrison's heroic stand at Vicksburg, on their way to securing the Mississippi. The U.S had some success, at the Battle of Princeton (1816), the British advance was halted, while Harrison held Vicksburg, delaying Wellington's advance hugely, and Tecumseh's Confederacy had been crushed.
Despite this, the U.S were forced to sue for peace. On June 17th, 1817, the Treaty of Liverpool was signed, with the British emerging as clear victors. Not only did the U.S have to pay hefty reparations (which included much of their navy being seized), the U.S also had to abandon any claims on the Oregon Territory, and lost Northern Maine and the Red River Basin.
The U.S would look west for its expansion, towards Spain and Mexico, while the U.K took their revenge for the American War of Independence and established a position of power on the American continent. The U.S would not forget about their loss though...

 

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The Italian Unification War was the first of one of the many wars during the European Crisis in the early 20th century. After decades of separation from one another, most Italian States had already chosen their own way, with the Kingdom of Naples heeling to France under the house of Murat, the Papal States being neutral (although they would later claim the title of Republic of Italy), and the Republic of Venice becoming an Austro-Hungarian ally. Only the Kingdom of Piedmont remained to really unify Italy. Their takeover of the Duchy of Tuscany went relatively unnoticed in 1912, as most nations didn't really have formal relations with the small duchy anyways. Piedmont then turned to Austria-Hungary for help. The Empire had had their own struggles with internal politics, and saw the advantages of a united Italy against the increasingly bothersome Serene Republic of Venice, who made moves to get closer to France notably during the Annexation of the Ionian Islands.
Austria-Hungary therefore sent many advisors to the Piemontese, who planned to attack Venice first with Austrian assistance. However, the Magenta Compact (named after the French Warship it was signed on) went on to disturb this plan. With this compact, the independence of the Kingdom of Naples and the Republic of Venice would be guaranteed by both France and Provence. This would greatly unnerve the Piemontese leadership, who considered backing down. However, the Piemontese Royalist leadership under Emanuele Filiberto, Duke of Aosta, remained convinced that the Austro-Hungarians would intervene and help them take over Venice and enough of Provence to stop France from intervening, already trying to avoid a War with Britain over the status of Nigeria.
Finally, on July 7th, 1915, Piemontese troops invaded Venice and Provence simultaneously. However, the French response was immediate, as both the Kingdom of Naples and the French Republic declared war on Piedmont hours later. Worse, the German ambassador to Austria-Hungary Heinrich von Tschirskiy threatened Austrian Emperor Franz-Joseph I with war if ever Austria-Hungary intervened in such a blatant violation of Venetian sovereignty. Austria-Hungary was forced to back down as Piedmont was forced alone into the war.
Although the Piemontese forces managed to gain ground early on, they were stopped at the Battle of Vittorio-Veneto by the Venetians and at the Battle of Fossane by Provencal and French forces under Provencal general Louis "Luigi" Cadorna. The latter would be the bloodiest confrontation of the war, along with the later Franco-Venetian victory at Solferino, where the Piemontese suffered huge casualties. Soon enough Piedmont was forced to capitulate to the Compact. Piedmont would have to cede many border territories, including Low Tyrol they recieved from Austria-Hungary, to Venice, Northern Cuneo province to Provence and liberate the Duchy of Tuscany.
Provence would also annex the Island of Elba, bathed in blood after Admiral di Revel tried to make his last stand. The Provencal navy proved to be much more solid, only losing the Battleship Cagliari to Piedmont's entire fleet. The disastrous war would push Piedmont towards a military dictatorship, as many blamed the royals for the defeats, with Piedro Badroglio taking charge in 1919. The War would also be the beginning of the end for Austria-Hungary, who invested massively into the war, albeit without comitting any forces. This and the later economic downturn and ethnic conflicts would result in the Austro-Hungarian Civil War of 1930 and the fall of the Empire.
The Magenta Compact would leave this war strengthened, and the Compact went on to sign the Strasbourg treaty of Mutual Assistance in 1927, this time also including Bavaria, Germany, Poland and Flanders, which would prompt Britain to sign the London Accords with Russia, Portugal and the Netherlands. The STMA and the LC would be the basis of the World War, which would bring the whole world crashing down only fifteen years later.