AHC: Largest (plausible) Russian Empire

Your challenge if you accept it is that with a POD later than 882, make the Russian Empire as big as possible, whilst keeping in the parameters of being plausible and avoiding any ASBs.

Things that are essential:
  • All slavic populations must be contained in the Empire
  • The Russians own Constantinople, the Bosporus and the Dardanelles
  • This Russian empire must have colonies in North America (this can be used to increase its size)

Things that are preferred:
  • The Russians own the northern parts of Norway and Sweden, or if possible, all of Scandinavia
  • The Russians own all of Anatolia
  • The Russians own all of the non-German populations of the Austrian Empire
 
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882, you say? How about this:

- First scenario: Kievan Rus' and Bulgaria form a dynastic union when Svyatoslav converts to Orthodoxy with the help of the Bulgarians (say he is sent as a political hostage to Pliska) and marries one of Tsar Samuil's daughters. With Kievan Rus' and Bulgaria together, they attack the Byzantine Empire first and go after the Khazars after the Byzantines are dealt with.

- Second scenario: Have Russia develop its naval tradition very early. I am currently making a TL on this very scenario, which is that the port of Ivangorod is developed as a port instead of leaving it as a decrepit fortress town.
 
DoD has a post-1800 POD, so one should be able to go even further with an 800's one.

A Russian conversion to Catholicism rather than Orthodoxy would probably make absorption of Poland a lot easier, and facility intellectual exchange between Russia and Europe.

Or, no Mongol eruption - perhaps an earlier unification under one of the major principalities and southwards expansion at a time the Ottomans weren't blocking the way. No big losses to Lithuania, either.

Russian liberation of Constantinople from the Latins! :)

Bruce
 
Here's my gander.

I derived this from a 1910 map, but the actual POD will probably be much further back. Bear in mind that this is only a base map with edits only to Russia, obviously, everything else will obviously be significantly different.

Incidentally, I presumed that Italians aren't counted among the non-German populations that are preferred for Russia to own; as there were some in South Tyrol.

Also, are you counting Sorbs as one of your Slavic populations? I colored them in just in case.

Biggest Russia.jpg
 
Here's my gander.

I derived this from a 1910 map, but the actual POD will probably be much further back. Bear in mind that this is only a base map with edits only to Russia, obviously, everything else will obviously be significantly different.

Incidentally, I presumed that Italians aren't counted among the non-German populations that are preferred for Russia to own; as there were some in South Tyrol.

Also, are you counting Sorbs as one of your Slavic populations? I colored them in just in case.

A JPG! *gasp* Heresy! EXTERMINATE!
 
After 882 or 1882? If after 882 they *might* have a shot to take over the world in an extreme case.

-Russia inherits the Byzantine Empire through marriage and gradually takes over the bulk of her old holdings following the slow decline of the Ottoman Empire

-Russia defeats Prussia per OTL during reign of Frederick the Great and takes a heavy toll, first the balance of Poland along with Pomerania then later Silesia and Saxony

-California and Alaska remains Russian

-Japan and Korea are opened by Russia who promptly proceeds to taken them over

-Persia is overrun by Russia during her expansion into Central Asia

-Afghanistan decides a distant Russia is better than a closer India

-Pan-Slavism takes root more strongly and the Balkans revolve to Russia

-Sweden tries to liberate Finland and it backfires horribly, eventually causing Russia to overrun Sweden and maybe Norway too

-Russia makes satellites out of Germany, Italy, and Switzerland following another general European war
 
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