AHC: Switch the fates of China and Russia!

Okay, here's a challenge that will hopefully interest you; with a POD no earlier than 1860, and no later than 1890, switch the fates of China and Russia, so Russia becomes reformist(or attempts to!), in the last years of the 20th Century, while China implodes after a period of being one of the world's greatest powers, or even the other superpower alongside the United States, and only retains it's core territories

The only conditions are that, Russia must allow it's westernmost territories(at least Poland, Finland, the Baltics, and part of the Ukraine, if not Belarus as well) to become independent at some point(and may not take them back, unlike OTL, with all except Poland), and China must gain at least some territory relative to OTL(such as Outer Mongolia, and/or part or all of Indochina).

Russia and China may either both go Communist, as in OTL, or both remain empires, or something else, if one prefers.

Bonus points are awarded if either nation is involved with a Cold War versus America that ends between 1985 and 1995, and said Cold War *does not* end in a global atomic war.
 
China modernists early, under Prince Gong. Russia, meanwhile, joins in the Franco Prussian War on the side of France, but this prompts China to declare war to reclaim Outer Manchuria. Russia loses badly, and goes in to a period of decline, especially after the Turks opportunistically attack to seize Crimea. Eventually, Russia collapses on its own. China, meanwhile, rises even further. It defeats Japan, and takes Hawaii from the American sphere of influence. Meanwhile, Russia finally reunites under a Fascistic Tsardom, after which it launches a massive assault on Germany and Austria-Hungary. Winning, the Tsar dies, and is succeeded by his reformist granddaughter, who brings democracy back to Russia after Fascism has served its purpose. Russia also funds partisans in Mongolia and Xinjiang, both of whom rise up against China. Eventually, China withdraws, from Tibet as well, and the people rise up against the Qing. The Qing flee to Manchuria, and the Russians move in to claim Manchuria, Xinjiang, and Mongolia as protectorates. Meanwhile, the Rebels install a new Han dynasty, under an extremely nationalistic Emperor. The end. I tried to stay true to the prompt without too much parallelism.
 
China modernists early, under Prince Gong. Russia, meanwhile, joins in the Franco Prussian War on the side of France, but this prompts China to declare war to reclaim Outer Manchuria. Russia loses badly, and goes in to a period of decline, especially after the Turks opportunistically attack to seize Crimea. Eventually, Russia collapses on its own. China, meanwhile, rises even further. It defeats Japan, and takes Hawaii from the American sphere of influence. Meanwhile, Russia finally reunites under a Fascistic Tsardom, after which it launches a massive assault on Germany and Austria-Hungary. Winning, the Tsar dies, and is succeeded by his reformist granddaughter, who brings democracy back to Russia after Fascism has served its purpose. Russia also funds partisans in Mongolia and Xinjiang, both of whom rise up against China. Eventually, China withdraws, from Tibet as well, and the people rise up against the Qing. The Qing flee to Manchuria, and the Russians move in to claim Manchuria, Xinjiang, and Mongolia as protectorates. Meanwhile, the Rebels install a new Han dynasty, under an extremely nationalistic Emperor. The end. I tried to stay true to the prompt without too much parallelism.

Interesting indeed. :cool:
 
For Russia, we don't actually have to change anything. Perestroika was an attempt by the Soviets to reform their political and economic system. Obviously it didn't work as intended, but if it had the USSR would look a lot like China today with a more democratic government.
 
For Russia, we don't actually have to change anything. Perestroika was an attempt by the Soviets to reform their political and economic system. Obviously it didn't work as intended, but if it had the USSR would look a lot like China today with a more democratic government.

Well, you have to change something to make perestroika work, don't you?
 
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