AHC: Combine Central Powers into one contiguous empire

Deleted member 97083

With a POD no earlier than 1849, how could the Central Powers (German Empire, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Ottoman Empire) be combined into one, contiguous empire?

(Or closely integrated customs union with permanently aligned military)

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You need unification of Germany + rest of the future Austria-Hungary under Austria, most likely. Revolutions topple everyone but Austria? After this, the zeitgeist allows mega-Austria to fight off attacks by Russia and France, angered at its expansion. So basically French Revolution for Austria. Somehow, you have to keep that together. Then, sometime later the Ottomans are split up with Russia, probably also causing war with France and UK. Napoleon could not hold all this... perhaps Bismarck works for the Austrians? :p
 

Deleted member 97083

it is probably a good start. But getting the Ottomans to join is hard.
Well, if the German-Austrians own all the railroads, most of the oil, and most of the factories in the Ottoman Empire, then taking control of Turkey is just a few imbalanced treaties away.
 
The Ottomans are a relatively late edition to the CP, originally it was Italy in the CP, but Italy got bribed with some land that was French and British/Egyptian, and is now part of Libya.
 
The Ottomans are a relatively late edition to the CP, originally it was Italy in the CP, but Italy got bribed with some land that was French and British/Egyptian, and is now part of Libya.
They were a trully cp unlike those coward and unloyal italians, So if we got great Austria, a treaty with ottoman empire( who don't lose bulgaria ) is easy thanks to berlin bagdah or here would be vienna or frankfurt to bagdah?

Romanía just promise bessarabia and done.
 

Deleted member 97083

How long would this empire last? Could it last until the present day, or would it likely fall apart?
 
How long would this empire last? Could it last until the present day, or would it likely fall apart?

Considering the vast cultural gulfs between a lot of the members, I don't think it lasts. At some point, the Romanians will want Transylvania back, the Bulgarians will want independence, the Turks will want more control of the economic system of their own country, and if they get it, then they can make Europe dependent on their oil, leading to more tensions...
 

Deleted member 97083

Considering the vast cultural gulfs between a lot of the members, I don't think it lasts. At some point, the Romanians will want Transylvania back, the Bulgarians will want independence, the Turks will want more control of the economic system of their own country, and if they get it, then they can make Europe dependent on their oil, leading to more tensions...
Knowing that giving the Turks control over the economics of the Ottoman Empire would guarantee their later independence, the Kaiser would probably not allow it. This itself could cause a civil war.
 
My vote is a customs union to start. Recall that Europe began with steel and coal. Here it might be oil, coal and something that is spread over them both complimentary and competing like steel was. Once you get trade barriers down you might see a shift to easier labor movement, Germany likely still needs seasonal and temporary labor, this leads to relaxed immigration and border controls. Consider how this supra national cooperation impacts infrastructure too. Aviation, long distance trains, major highways, ports and waterways, all forging links. If the economic engine runs steady and pulls prosperous, you see more countries joining, you might get a European Union with a longer gestation and more organic growth that better binds these disparate nations.
 
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