Inspired by a comment in this thread about long periods of peace:
Well, what's certain is that closing yourself off from most of the world has drastic consequences. That got me thinking about what a hypothetical 'Tokugawa-style' Britain or USA might look like. (My mind went to those two because one is an island nation, making closed borders somewhat easier, and the other has historically showed a strong isolationist streak. Switzerland might be another strong contender, what with mountain ranges for borders and a policy of neutrality.)
The only historical 'hermit kingdoms' I can think of, however, are Tokagawa Japan and North Korea; both Asian nations. I don't think a hermit kingsom has ever existed in the West. But that's what alternate history is for!
You challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to create a scenario where a Western nation becomes a hermit kingdom. (That is to say: complete or near complete isolationism, resulting in no or very little and strictly regulated contact with the outside world.)
To make it interesting, let's exclude microstates, and limit the challenge to the bigger nations. Bonus points if you explore not only how such a situation could arise, but what the result might look like.
Tokugawa Japan was basically at peace for 253 years, if one ignores minor uprisings, and even then at least 220. Apparently closing yourself off from most of the world does have some benefits.
Well, what's certain is that closing yourself off from most of the world has drastic consequences. That got me thinking about what a hypothetical 'Tokugawa-style' Britain or USA might look like. (My mind went to those two because one is an island nation, making closed borders somewhat easier, and the other has historically showed a strong isolationist streak. Switzerland might be another strong contender, what with mountain ranges for borders and a policy of neutrality.)
The only historical 'hermit kingdoms' I can think of, however, are Tokagawa Japan and North Korea; both Asian nations. I don't think a hermit kingsom has ever existed in the West. But that's what alternate history is for!
You challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to create a scenario where a Western nation becomes a hermit kingdom. (That is to say: complete or near complete isolationism, resulting in no or very little and strictly regulated contact with the outside world.)
To make it interesting, let's exclude microstates, and limit the challenge to the bigger nations. Bonus points if you explore not only how such a situation could arise, but what the result might look like.