AHC: Theocratic Eastern Orthodox State

[Hvalrossen]

Have a Eastern Orthodox theocracy emerge sometime after 1900. Ideally with a pod that spurs this development that is also after 1900.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theocracy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Orthodox_Church

 

[Hvalrossen]

OTL many tradionally Eastern Orthodox countries became ruled by communism. Majority Eastern Orthodox countries that did not become communist only include Greece and Cyprus. Because so many Eastern Orthodox countries became communist this AHC may require a drastic twist in the timeline.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Orthodoxy_by_country

 

[Seandineen]

Serbia. Possibly Finland.

 

[garabik]

Mount Athos

 

[Thon Taddeo]

Serbia. Possibly Finland.

Only about 1% of Finland's population is orthodox. Historically most Finns were lutheran.

 

[Hvalrossen]

The darker, the more orthodox a country is, atleast nominally.

 

[Halagaz]

Serbia. Possibly Finland.

No chance in either.

I think you could have a Greek Orthodox theocracy in the early 1800s, but not in the 1900s. Another option is to somehow have the theocracy in Montenegro survive past 1852 - it won't last forever, but maybe it could muddle on to the early 1900s with some luck.
Other than that, it's not likely to happen anywhere.

 

[thatsbunkers]

An archbishop was president of Cyprus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makarios_III

You could count that

 

[overoceans]

An archbishop was president of Cyprus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makarios_III

You could count that

But did he make the state theocratic?

 

[garabik]

An archbishop was president of Cyprus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Makarios_III

You could count that

Not really, unless it was ex officio.

 

[Francisco Cojuanco]

Agion Oros exists, you know.

 

[IntellectuallyHonestRhino]

Serbia. Possibly Finland.

Finalnd! Their Lutherans.

Serbia is probably the best option. Religious nationalism is a large aspect of Serbian nationalism; at least right wing nationalism.

 

[cmakk1012]

I could see a Megali Greece going this way if they ended up ruling a lot of Muslims in an attempt to “keep them down.” It wouldn’t be explicitly theocratic, at least not at first, but you could see the church gain influence as part of an attempt to forcibly Hellenize the Turks.

Odds are good the whole thing falls apart in twenty years.

 

[Hvalrossen]

Serbia is probably the best option. Religious nationalism is a large aspect of Serbian nationalism; at least right wing nationalism.

How and when do you imagine Serbia becoming a theocracy?

 

[IntellectuallyHonestRhino]

How and when do you imagine Serbia becoming a theocracy?

Oh have some Serbian priests lead a successful revolution against Ottoman control. This is the best way. Overtime, certainly Serbia could morph into a parliamentary democracy and in fact the ruling priest class may support that to satisfy the populace (but the Prime minister would be subservient to the religious council).

I don't think you would see an ISIS-like theocracy. Just a theocracy in the terms of the priest class having tons of power. This would require there being no monarchy (ceasaropapism would ensue otherwise).

 

[Hvalrossen]

Oh have some Serbian priests lead a successful revolution against Ottoman control. This is the best way. Overtime, certainly Serbia could morph into a parliamentary democracy and in fact the ruling priest class may support that to satisfy the populace (but the Prime minister would be subservient to the religious council).

I don't think you would see an ISIS-like theocracy. Just a theocracy in the terms of the priest class having tons of power. This would require there being no monarchy (ceasaropapism would ensue otherwise).

Perhaps a Iranian style theocracy would be more representative of what your describing. But your scenario would have to be before 1900 unless the Ottomans retain control over Serbia, which could need divergence from treaty of Berlin/San Stefano.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Berlin_(1878)

Could Serbia become a theocracy prior to becoming part of the kingdom of Yugoslavia?
Could Serbia as part of the kingdom of Yugoslavia become a Theocracy?
Could Serbia become a theo cracy post-Yugoslavia?

 

[IntellectuallyHonestRhino]

Could Serbia as part of the kingdom of Yugoslavia become a Theocracy?
Could Serbia become a theo cracy post-Yugoslavia?

They could have had a national socialist in Milosevic, so an authoritarian right wing Serbia could have happened, but not a theocracy.

As long as the rebellion's leadership were the priests (which I don't know how to do but lets say what if), then they would be the leading negotiators for Serbia and could then under the Treaty of Berlin rule the country. I don't remember any anti clerical aspects of that treaty.

Iran is a good rough analogy. Of course the tremendous differences between the Serbian Orthodox Church and Shia Islam in Persia change many things, but yes.

 

[IntellectuallyHonestRhino]

I could see a Megali Greece going this way if they ended up ruling a lot of Muslims in an attempt to “keep them down.” It wouldn’t be explicitly theocratic, at least not at first, but you could see the church gain influence as part of an attempt to forcibly Hellenize the Turks.

Odds are good the whole thing falls apart in twenty years.

That’s more nationalism than anything. And it would benefit Venizelos much more than the church (Megali being achieved).

 

[Wendell]

Cyprus. For reasons, its Turkish minority is largely expelled as Greece's was, and the island under Makarios turns theocratic?

 

[DrakonFin]

No chance in either.

I think you could have a Greek Orthodox theocracy in the early 1800s, but not in the 1900s. Another option is to somehow have the theocracy in Montenegro survive past 1852 - it won't last forever, but maybe it could muddle on to the early 1900s with some luck.
Other than that, it's not likely to happen anywhere.

In a scenario where Russia balkanizes as a result of an alternate *Great War in the late 19th or early 20th century, maybe with a worse *Spanish flu (or some other pandemic), I think it might be possible to have temporary, ephemeral de facto Orthodox theocratic states in some parts of Karelia, say one centred on the Solovetsky islands or in Valaam on the Ladoga - basically, the local monasteries recreating some order when the Russian state is on the ropes. They would of course be reincorporated into a bigger Russian state when whoever is in power St. Petersburg or Moscow gets their act together again.