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Well, here we go: I went insane.
Anyway. Throughout history, there have been near-misses: nations that almost achieved great power but fell short: Poland, Hungary, Ukraine...and so forth, and so on. The whole idea was based off of a variant for a board game called Diplomacy, called "Aberration Diplomacy."
Well, in my previous AHC, we gave these European powers a second shot at life, arriving at a map of Euorpe and North Africa in an alternate 1901.
Well...that map looked pretty different from ours. So I got to thinking...what would the world look like?
Apparently, it would look like it does below.
So - this AHC follows the same rules as the last one: Using any, and as many, POD's as you like, make this map real by the year 1901. The only rules are: no ASB's, and any POD's have to be after 476 AD (the Fall of Rome).
Some suggestions/my own input.
Burgandy: Most of this nation's colonial efforts went into North America. They still control a large territory there, but are largely sandwiched between Spain and two unknown American lands. The Burgundians want a Mediterranean port more than just about anything, but Sicily and France-England together constantly conspire to keep the small buffer state of Piedmont intact to prevent that.
Byzantium: This nation is too isolated from easy ocean access to of become a colonial power - except, perhaps, in North Africa, if it could overcom the tribes there.
Eire: The nation that discovered the New World, Eire once had a large empire that brought it gold and fortune. What bad luck reduced its current state?
Hungary: Another trapped nation. Is Hungary facing the same internal problems that were tearing our Austria apart?
Israel: With control of the Levant and Egypt, the creation of a Suez Canal was inevitable. This Israel is a power player in Africa and a formidable foe elsewhere - perhaps the only true rival facing Spain, much as France was Britain's only true rival in our world?
Poland: Unity and Strength are the catchcalls of this Poland, which has triumphed over the Germans and the Russians both and now looks overseas for their place in the sun.
Sicily: With a modest overseas empire in Africa, Sicily may be seeking further empire. On the other hand, sooner or later it's going to want to bring Rome in line - by pen or by sword is the Pope's choice.
Spain: Spain finds itself sitting comfortably on the largest Empire in the world, with holdings on every continent undoubtedbly supported by a peerless navy. What, if anything, could bring the juggernaut that is Spain down?
Ukraine: Stretchng east towards the riches of China, the Ukraine finds itself in control of the fabled Silk Road. Now if only they could make inraods into Bharatam and gain access to the riches of the Bharatam Sea...
Korea: A large, powerful Korea with toeholds into the Japanese home islands? Is this a reinvented empire learning from the European imperialists? Or has it simply not been targeted yet?
Meicsiceo: A fromer Gaelic colony, if the name is anything to judge by. Is this a free, deomcratic nation in the manner of our United States of America? Or does something darker lurk within the familiar contours of this nation?
Bharatam: A large, organized empire that is also totally unprepared to deal with the threats it now faces. The nations of Europe are on her shores, trying to pry into the riches from this, the mightiest stronghold of the Islamic faith. Will they succeed? Or will Bharatam modernise quickly enough to hold them off?
Great Abyssinia: Much as in our world, Great Abyssinia has held off all attempts at colonization. How long it will be able to continue resisting, however, no one knows...
Imbersylvania: What's this? A large, powerful nation in South America that stretches from coast to coast across the Amazon and the Andes both? What could possibly be holding such a disperate nation together? And who honestly thought Imbersylvania ("downpour forest," roughly from Latin) was a good name for a nation?
France-England: It was this nation's control of key ports in Africa, hundreds of years ago, that kicked off the Age of Exploration. Now it is a shadow of its former self. Still, with a strong ruler, France-England could become a mighty, powerful nation once more...
Aragon: The Aragon's empire is small: a little bit of Africa, the Maldives, and a slice of Indochina. Surely nothing could ever come of such a weak nation.
Navarra: Possessing no holdings outside of its own territory, Navarra probably hasn't been swallowed up by Spain or France-England yet simply due to neither caring enough to try.
Pertual: God only knows how this Mirandese-language-dominated nation came to control a colony in the divided land of Cathay, but control it they do. God also only knows how they'll keep it.
Brandeburg: Another small nation with a modest trading empire.
Scandinavia: Controlling a transatlantic, frozen empire, the Scandinavians could potentially start moving into North America via the Hudson Bay, as long as they didn't mind upsetting any locals.
Tibet: Hinduism is still existant in Bharatam, but it is stronger in Tibet, ironically displacing Buddhism (which moved fully into Cathay and Indochina). The Tibetans are free for now. How long they can stay so, is unknown to any.
Novgorod: A cold land with little to redeem it, Novgorod looks hungrily towards Poland and Ukraine.
Cathay: Once a mighty empire, the nation found itself unable to deal with crisis after crisis and splintered apart, rendering it unable to truly defend itself against Western Imperialism when it came.
Mongolia: de jure, the Mongolians control the largest contiguous empire on Earth; de facto, they control their horses, their nomadic bands, and little else. One can only wonder, however, if another great Khan may be on the way...