AHC: Greek colony in Africa by the 20th century

[Flocculencio]

Wasn't Alexandria still strongly culturally mixed Greek/Arab until the Egyptian Revolution?

Maybe some sort of dust up in the late 19th C which gets Alexandria awarded to Greece as a mandate?

 

[Revachah]

Interesting points. The matrilineal descent makes the integration a lot easier as well.

The amount of Greek immigrants doesn't have to be that large at first probably, as it's difficult to get much migration to Central Africa before quinine. In addition, the smaller the population the more likely they are to join the native culture. The first waves would partially assimilate into the existing societies becoming traders and probably also spread Orthodox Christianity and Judaism. When the Industrial Revolution spreads to Greece and increases the population (and subsequently emigration), Greeks can travel to the Congo and assimilate into these existing networks, even if those networks only have a few thousand people. Also, without Leopold's conquest, the native population of the Congo is also higher.

If Greece goes independent with its full modern borders, meaning it includes Thessalonica (largest Jewish center in Greece and maybe the largest Greek city in the Ottoman era), that emigration could be enough to create a creole culture over 100 years.

Also it's possible that drafted conscripts of French, Portuguese, and British colonial militaries would defect and join the natives or become mercenaries. Then they could join the trading confederation in the Congo.

By circumventing the early modern periods slave trade one would hope anti-blackness won't be as entrenched in Greek society. By infusing the right elements and their being a significant Congolese cultural contribution in Greece, by luck those later industrial emigrants might not seek to close themselves completely off and further add to the cultural milieu. If they (having experiences being Dhimmi) create laws outlawing the common racial prohibitions of the other colonial powers they could arguably be made.

The whole of DRC might not be possible to take as a Greek colony but significant amounts of trade can happen even if the Congo Arab War never happens and Sefu takes Ivory country (though it would be best if somehow Greco-Africans got it)

Avoiding rubber and the horrors of the trade OTL, you may have an actually Reunion-esque relationship after the 1960's.

A thought I have is maybe for Greek traders to bring Black Greeks to spearhead or cooperate in this supposed initial contact with the naive idea that theyd want to go "home" (believing Africa to all be the same)

Along with malarial resistant Island Greeks, moving further east Arab fluent and Bantu speaking Greeks could take advantage of pre-existing Swahili.

 

[Revachah]

K so I think this seems rather affirmative so like who is going to construct the Greek/Beti/Lingala/Swahili creole?

 

[Achaemenid Rome]

By circumventing the early modern periods slave trade one would hope anti-blackness won't be as entrenched in Greek society. By infusing the right elements and their being a significant Congolese cultural contribution in Greece, by luck those later industrial emigrants might not seek to close themselves completely off and further add to the cultural milieu. If they (having experiences being Dhimmi) create laws outlawing the common racial prohibitions of the other colonial powers they could arguably be made.

The whole of DRC might not be possible to take as a Greek colony but significant amounts of trade can happen even if the Congo Arab War never happens and Sefu takes Ivory country (though it would be best if somehow Greco-Africans got it)

Avoiding rubber and the horrors of the trade OTL, you may have an actually Reunion-esque relationship after the 1960's.

A thought I have is maybe for Greek traders to bring Black Greeks to spearhead or cooperate in this supposed initial contact with the naive idea that theyd want to go "home" (believing Africa to all be the same)

Along with malarial resistant Island Greeks, moving further east Arab fluent and Bantu speaking Greeks could take advantage of pre-existing Swahili.

Great ideas. Since Greece was a very religious country and had just become independent for their religious freedom, perhaps the Greek Orthodox Church could play a role in acceptance for Greco-Africans in Greece.

Though there would probably be growing business interests in Europe pushing for intensive rubber cultivation and exploitation, by the time that becomes an actual threat, the Congolese are able to push for their own interests. And have likely purposed the land for other developments.

About the Congo-Arab war or spreading influence into East Africa, there was a Greek community in Alexandria prior to 1952 (like Flocculencio mentioned), who presumably would have been able to speak Arabic. They could play a key role in the contacts between Greece, the Congo, and East Africa and be recruited by the Greco-Africans in the Congo-Arab war.

Also, when the Italians invade Ethiopia in the 1930s, Ethiopian refugees could arrive in Congo, and the commonalities between the two Orthodox churches could be coupled with an alliance between Congo and Ethiopia. After the Italians are pushed out with the help of the Congolese, there could be a mutually beneficial relationship between the two African countries.

A Reunion-esque relationship seems unlikely though, the DRC is just too large. They might formally have the Greek monarch as their monarch but it would be tough to remain as part of the same country.

 

[Revachah]

Great ideas. Since Greece was a very religious country and had just become independent for their religious freedom, perhaps the Greek Orthodox Church could play a role in acceptance for Greco-Africans in Greece.

Though there would probably be growing business interests in Europe pushing for intensive rubber cultivation and exploitation, by the time that becomes an actual threat, the Congolese are able to push for their own interests. And have likely purposed the land for other developments.

About the Congo-Arab war or spreading influence into East Africa, there was a Greek community in Alexandria prior to 1952 (like Flocculencio mentioned), who presumably would have been able to speak Arabic. They could play a key role in the contacts between Greece, the Congo, and East Africa and be recruited by the Greco-Africans in the Congo-Arab war.

Also, when the Italians invade Ethiopia in the 1930s, Ethiopian refugees could arrive in Congo, and the commonalities between the two Orthodox churches could lead to alliance between Congo and Ethiopia. After the Italians are pushed out with the help of the Congolese, there could be a mutually beneficial relationship between the two African countries.

A Reunion-esque relationship seems unlikely though, the DRC is just too large. They might formally have the Greek monarch as their monarch but it would be tough to remain as part of the same country.

At the very least Gabon could be a French Guiana of sorts or Angola's "State" status, I still think though that regardless of what happens if done correctly and realistically the independence of said place may very well be like Ghana.

The Greek Community in Ethiopia could be of much help as well in creating coalitions.

 

[RogueTraderEnthusiast]

Philip of Macedon doesn't die early, takes Egypt, the Levant and Anatolia from Persia, and establishes a solid Greek state throughout the Eastern Mediterranean. This state, or its successors expand, contract, fight, but overall, all consider themselves Greek.

After a reunification, they expand out of the Red Sea to East Africa, conquering Somali cities, and running them as extraction economies.

Boom, not only do the Greeks have entire provinces in Africa - but they have East African colonies, and maybe even a South African colony.

 

[htgriffin]

Depends on the definition of 'colony.'

Greek Revolution goes belly up. Multiple rebellious villages deported wholesale from the Morea and shipped to Upper Egypt (& points south). Greek speaking chunk of land well into Africa. Done.