America - Albion's Orphan - A history of the conquest of Britain - 1760

[Kaiko]

So Parliamentary Democracy under a constitutional monarchy (or a figurehead for that matter) is becoming more common for these infant nations, well there aren't any stable or notable republics to serve as an example so that figures.

Having a common royal line keep peace among the former Habsburg empire's successor states seems like a good idea, but then again Georgie, Willy, and Nikki in OTL were cousins and that didn't stop them from invading and later hating each other.

Can't wait to see how Eastern Orthodoxy (edit pushing into Anatolia plays out.

Love your work, hope to see more.

 

[Alt History Buff]

 

[Alt History Buff]

1915

Dublin

Prince James of Ireland reached 20 years in 1915 and promptly went in search of a suitable bride. As it turned out, the Prince did not have to look far. The Prince of the Isle of Mann (or Man) had married an Irish noblewoman (he felt no need to marry into royalty) who happened to share his scholarly interests. While neither parents were particularly attractive, their eldest daughter was soon a famous beauty. Aged 17, the Princess would put an immediate end of the Irish Prince's bride search.

However, the relatively low level of the Princess' station would cause the King of Ireland to withhold approval. Though times were changing in Europe, there remained a strong inclination among the Royal Houses of preserving their august lineages. A mere noblewoman was not considered suitable in some quarters. But the Prince insisted and, eventually, the King granted his assent.

In truth, this was not the most astonishing Royal Match of the decade. The aging King of Northumberland married a 25 year old widow whom had once served for two years as a lady's companion (i.e. housekeeper) before serving as the Governess for the King's nephews (where she caught the King's eye).

Of course, one of the daughters of the King of British North America married the half-breed son of the man who had attempted to assassinate her own grandfather.

A nephew of the King of Sweden married a Hindu woman in Bombay, converted to Hinduism and "went fully native".

All of these were somewhat scandalous but were only the beginning. Several nations formally withdrew any official requirement for Royalty to marry other Royalty. The Salic Laws were effectively dead throughout Europe even if a certain snob appeal remained.

The good news was that there seemed to be no shortage of marriage prospects among the Catholic and Protestant nations. In recent decades, a greater resistance to "too close familiarity" (i.e. inbreeding) had led to several marriages being cancelled between first and second cousins. Some in the medical industry even opined that the "injection of new blood" would reinvigorate the monarchies of Europe. Historians would point to such dynasties as the Spanish Habsburgs and declare inbreeding the true reason they had died out.

It would become increasingly common for monarchs and their kin to marry commoners throughout Europe.

Finland

After years of conflict, the Finnish rebels managed to destroy the invading Swedish Army and push them out of Finland. Over a century and a half prior, the Swedish Parliament had managed to gain complete control over the nation at the expense of a series of weak Kings and promptly allowed the nation to stagnate under a cloud of Parliamentary politics.

The loss of Swedish Pomerania and the pitiful Swedish attempts to retain control would inspire the Finns, long irritated by Swedish domination, to rebel. The battles on land proved largely one-sided as the Finns cut to pieces the Swedish army.

However, a lack of navy would allow even the fading Swedish fleet to control the waters....until Czar Alexander IV decided he'd had enough. The Czar dispatched 20 ships in the spring of 1915 to various Finnish ports with the message that he would no longer tolerate "foreign" interference in their proverbial backyard. Thus, the Czar pronounced his support for Finnish Independence....which effectively ensured Finnish Independence. Alexander IV would be called the "Good Czar" for this deed.

The new Finnish Parliament would gather in Helsinki and produce a new Constitution. All they required was a King. Initially, they hoped that the King of Sweden would send one of his brothers but the King stubbornly refused (supported by the Swedish Parliament). Not bothering to spend much time bemoaning this, the Finns looked elsewhere and settled upon the Czar's cousin, Prince Michael, who had spent much of his youth serving as an Ambassador to German nations. Michael, by happenstance, was engaged to one of the daughters of the King of Mecklenburg. Initially, the lady was to convert to Russian Orthodoxy but this naturally had to change. Instead, it was Michael would formally adopted Lutheranism and the couple promptly sailed for Helsinki. Here, they were married in a Lutheran Church and, a week later, Michael was formally crowned the King of Finland.

While it had been nearly two centuries since the Swedish Crown threatened Russia in any particular way, the defacto immolation of an ancient enemy with so little effort would prove popular among the Russian public.

Oslo

The "Munch Museum of Art" would be formally opened by the King of Norway (also King of Denmark, Hanover, etc) in 1915. Unlike the King of Sweden, the Kings of Denmark had long granted "Home Rule" to regional Parliaments leaving only Foreign Policy, etc to their own prerogative.

Unlike the Swedish Kings in Finland, the Kings of Denmark had long taken the position of protecting and encouraging Norwegian cultural institutions. As such, the King remained a revered figure in Norway despite occasional disputes with Denmark (usually over perceived Danish-centric foreign relations and trade agreements which affected all the Kingdoms of the Crown).

 

[Alt History Buff]

 

[Alt History Buff]

So Parliamentary Democracy under a constitutional monarchy (or a figurehead for that matter) is becoming more common for these infant nations, well there aren't any stable or notable republics to serve as an example so that figures.

Having a common royal line keep peace among the former Habsburg empire's successor states seems like a good idea, but then again Georgie, Willy, and Nikki in OTL were cousins and that didn't stop them from invading and later hating each other.

Can't wait to see how Eastern Orthodoxy (edit pushing into Anatolia plays out.

Love your work, hope to see more.

Thanks for the comments.

I don't think Orthodoxy is pushing into Anatolia though it certainly is in the Levant.

 

[Kaiko]

Thanks for the comments.

I don't think Orthodoxy is pushing into Anatolia though it certainly is in the Levant.

I would have thought that Bulgaria (or Russia if they felt like pushing boundaries) would want to encroach more on what was historically part of the Byzantine Empire.

Speaking of the Levant, that place is definitely becoming the world's melting pot even if it is nominally under Russian "protection". Hell, a large part of the world is starting to be a lot more mixed compared to OTL.

While this TL is nominally a "what if Britain fell apart in the 18th century", it's becoming more about "what if Napoleon wasn't there to popularise nation states", and I'm loving it.

 

[Alt History Buff]

1916

Athens

In the opening ceremonies of the 1916 Olympic Games, King Stephen of Greece would announce the expansion of the Olympic Games to a SECOND season, that of winter. This provoked an outpouring of laughter in some quarters as few considered "Snow" sports to be remotely as popular as the Greek Games. And WHERE was Greece supposed to host winter sports? Were their some mountain ranges in Greece which made for good skiing that no one knew about?

However, the King would pronounce that bids would be solicited from regions around Europe (realistically, no one thought there would be another region capable of supporting the games) to be the permanent home of the Winter Olympic Games starting in 1924. Cities (sponsored by their nations) to offer bids would include Zurich (the Swiss Cantons), Geneva (France), Oslo (Kingdom of Norway), etc, etc. The first Winter Olympics was granted to Zurich with the provision that making this the permanent Winter Olympics site would depend on the Cantons' performance in hosting in 1924. If the games went well and Zurich met all expectations....then....and only then....would the King of Greece agree to make Zurich the "northern capital" of the Olympic games.

Of course, there remained some grumbling about Europe regarding Greece insisting on hosting the summer games every year. While the games were expensive, the fact that Greece knew that they would have a major games every four years AND many annual events would allow the lightly populated small nation to maintain a modern collection of stadiums throughout Athens. The Games also spurred tourism, making Athens perhaps the second most desired destination for international tourists after Paris (and possible Rome and Venice, no real records being kept at this time).

As it was, the 1916 Games had seen the expansion of participants to over 8000 athletes from over 80 countries including first time participants from the Joseon Kingdom, Siam and the French West African Protectorates. New sports included women's swimming and diving, pentathlon and decathlon, tug of war, etc.

Vienna

The Habsburg Emperor would view the wreckage of his former Empire with dismay. Though the breakaway portions of his Empire had divided themselves via ethnicity and accepted Habsburg monarchs (mostly younger sons of the Emperor), the scale of the disaster could not be understated.

Even this remaining realms, over 95% German Speaking and 90% Catholic, would convulse in seditious behavior until 1916. These uprisings were poorly organized and seldom posed a threat largely due to the disparate goals of the rebels.

Of course, there were many Germans who were happy to see the other ethnicities depart the Imperial throne. Most had never carried their own weight and were more trouble than they were worth. Having been cleansed to the backwards Italians, Hungarians, etc, the German majority remaining to the Emperor could proceed without the distraction of a multi-ethnic Empire.

Once the anarchists, socialists, etc, etc, were hunted down in the remaining Habsburg land, the Emperor agreed to a massive program of reform which included a centralizing of the long-cherished independence of the constituent parts of the Habsburg Empire: Austria, Styria, Tyrol, Bavaria and Wurzburg.

While the diversity of the former, grander Empire had prevented sweeping reforms, the more ethnically homogenous Germans remaining were more willing to unite their Duchies into a single government. In less than a year, the Emperor managed to accomplish with the remnants of the Empire what his predecessors had failed to accomplish in two centuries of trying.

The Empire of Upper Germany was founded in 1916, the first Bundestag would convene in early 1917. As the Habsburg Emperor could not stand to give up his title, the proposal to rename the nation the "Kingdom" of Upper Germany was promptly shot down by an angry Emperor.

There was also the discussion of simply naming the new nation "Germany" rather than Upper Germany. While this was certainly the largest German state at the time, there were also significant differences between the Protestant North and Catholic South. Rather than antagonize Saxony, Brandenburg and the remnant of the "Northern Confederation" now being

Laws were centralized, the old regional privileges were abandoned. There was also a major expansion of suffrage in an attempt to purchase more middle-class support (40% of adult male Germans were now entitled to vote in Upper Germany).

Just as importantly, one of last major dynastic unions in European History was about to take place. The King of Wurttemberg (in Swabia) was, like many German potentates, but autocratic and largely incompetent. Having failed to sire a male heir...and a hated cousin the next in line due via Salic Law (Wurttemberg was among the last states which had not formally abolished Salic Law)....the King would formally pronounce his eldest daughter his heiress, exile his cousin and then arranged the marriage of the Princess to the Habsburg heir to "Upper Germany".

As the Wurttemberg people had only the barest pretense of a Parliament, the fact that Upper Germany was rapidly reforming both socially and politically was enough to encourage a level of enthusiasm among the Wurttemberg peoples for a merger even if it involved giving up long-standing regional autonomy (though this tended not to benefit the middle and lower classes). Anything was an improvement over the old King's autocratic reign.

Perhaps a greater question was that Wurttemberg was not overwhelmingly Catholic like the rest of Upper Germany. Indeed, Wurttemberg was nearly 45% Protestant despite the ruling family's conversion back to Catholicism over a century prior. Swabia as a while tended to be nearly evenly split between Catholicism and Protestantism. However, the new Constitution of Upper Germany would end any lingering discrimination among the Christian faiths under the eyes of the law.

Still, the projected Union would bring whispers of concern in Baden, France, Italy and much of "Protestant" Germany to the north.

Brazil

As they had for over a decade, Filipino (Tagalog) immigration would continue into Spanish America as the Christian Filipinos were "encouraged" to depart their native island chain only to be replaced by Chinese immigrants.

Brazil (and Rio Plata) would continue to grow into the manufacturing powerhouse of the Spanish Empire, exceeding both Spain and New Spain in economic development.

The Maratha Empire

Though localized manufacturing continued to increase in many industries, particularly the textile and light manufacturing, the rapid population growth of the Empire would ensure that a highly disproportionate percentage of the population remained in their age-old village customs. Unlike Europe, the subcontinent was not coming remotely close to producing enough jobs for the common people (and Europe's governments were having PLENTY of problems themselves).

Thus, the Emperor would effectively form a two-stage plan for development. Schools would be centralized in the cities where skilled administrators and technicians were necessary to support industry. As for the majority in the rural villages....well, the nation would allow them to continue as they liked and had done for millennia. Taxes and other levies had been reduced on the rural peasantry during the past century in hopes of pacifying the general population. The old "Tax Farming" methods were retired and rents via landlords restricted to reasonable levels via law. Cherished Hindu traditions were allowed to function in the hinterlands largely to shut up the masses.

Thus, sustenance farmers existing as their ancestors had a thousand years ago coexisted the same nation with highly trained engineers designing cutting edge rail systems (considered by many among the best in the world), improving her ship-building industry (while warships remained behind European standards, the Empire was now producing large numbers of commercial vessels of equal quality but cheaper costs) and the government endowing large numbers of new Universities to teach the population.

In effect, the Maratha Empire would see a growing cultural gap between the old age and the new with no clear idea how it would be possible to unite the two.

In hopes of forestalling ethnic tension, the Peshwa/Emperor would solidify recent trends towards fairly investing in the Hindi north, the Marati west, the Bengali east and the Dravidian south rather than attempt to force hundreds of millions of people to speak the same language. However, LAWS were expected to be reasonably consistent.

Muslims and other minorities had long seen the Emperor as a protector of their liberties as the Peshwa (the recent on anyway) had stamped down on any radical Hindu supremacist groups who sought revenge for ancient slights or just a desire to "purify" the nation. The Peshwa declared that the Maratha Empire was no "Land of the Pure" but the home of all peoples of the subcontinent.

 

[souvikkundu25140017]

This tread can not continue. I mean more and more villagers will go to the city and even a few will return there to impose change at the regional level. With more and more young generations being educated older ones will die out after a while.

How the hell there are no social reformers in India? Where is ram moham Roy or vidyasagar etc? I can not believe India will remain this much stagnant.

 

[Alt History Buff]

1916 April

Manhattan

The November of 1915 elections were, if anything, even closer than the 1910 counterpart. While the economy under Taft had improved and the First Lord himself personally popular, this did not account much in the ballot box in November of 1915.

As it turned out, the Unity Party candidates possessed a very small majority of Parliamentarians and party discipline was starting to take effect to the point where few Parliamentarians were willing to alienate their own Party by voting against their candidate (though many happily voted against their Party on certain issues cherished to their constituents). Failure to vote for their candidate for First Lord would result in assured ejection from the Party ballot....in five years. Still, this was adequate threat enough to keep all but a few Parliamentarians in line on this issue.

With their VERY slight majority, the Unity Party would commence seeking out their next First Lord to "recommend" to the King. As expected, Taft announced his retirement. Indeed, few politicians in memory seemed so happy to retire (and later divorce their slutty wives).

But who would the Unity Party propose for First Lord?

There were always plenty of ambitious men. Most assumed that Lord Chancellor Charles Evans Hughes would ascend to the highest office. But Hughes was involved in an accident while experimenting with a new automobile (he drove into a wall) and had spent months in the hospital.

If Hughes was unavailable, then Henry Cabot Lodge was considered the next in line. The Foreign Secretary, though, possessed perhaps the most obnoxious personality in Manhattan (a truly remarkable feat) and was so loathed even among the party faithful that Lodge's second-in-command as Vice-Lord of Foreign Affairs Elijah Root swiftly exceeded Lodge in support. Eventually, Lodge accepted he was beat and ordered his supporters to throw their votes to Root in the final tally. Ironically, Root was probably the last man in Manhattan who actually LIKED Henry Cabot Lodge (the late Theodore Roosevelt was the only other notable example of Lodge supporters).

As it was, the Fusionist Party's unexpectedly poor showing was due to a change in leadership after the retirement of William Jennings Bryan. The old "Free Silver" platform was dead and the Fusionists hadn't organized enough to provide a viable platform to challenge the vulnerable Unity Party in 1915, thus the somewhat unexpected Unity win.

However, the Fusionists vowed to spend the next five years reorganizing as the seventy-year-old and venerable Elijah Root was hardly the man of the future.

The King would warmly welcome the nomination of the amiable and measured Elijah Root and enthusiastically summon Root to form a government. Lodge, in a huff, resigned from Parliament (his son would be elected to take his place), leaving the long-term leadership of both parties in doubt and open for a new breed of politician.

In hopes of forging a larger coalition, Root would seek out moderates like Franklin Roosevelt and Herbert Hoover.

 

[Kioras]

King would formally pronounce his eldest daughter his heiress, exile his cousin and then arranged the marriage of the Princess to the Habsburg heir to "Upper Germany".

And thus Happy Austria, after shedding the non Germans goes ahead and wages Marriage once again.

And the other nations around Europe prepare to come to the Wedding and perhaps speak No in regards to protests.

The bigger issue is that a moderate Austria might end up looking like a fine way to become one Germany from the North.

 

[Alt History Buff]

1916

Bingerville, Ivory Coast, French West Africa

After years of friction with France over both local autonomy AND the growing tension with the East India Company expansion into the hinterlands, the still-embryonic Grand African Parliament would gather in their new capital in the port city of Bingerville and announce the end of the French "Protectorate" in Africa. Declaring the entirety of the relationship void, the collection of Kings, Emperors, Presidents, Prime Ministers and tribal chiefs would cut their ties to France.

In truth, for decades France had been ceding more and more power to the regional governments, usually the King serving more as an arbitrator. French investment had paid for rail lines, harbor improvements and mining technology.

However, the West African resentment at French "oversight" and EIC expansion into central Africa would boil over. With France enduring internal strife throughout the past decade, the Africans opted to go their own way.

Initial discussions among the representatives would lead to plans to invade the EIC via land and sea, cut off the Congo river and eventually press all the way to the EIC possession along the Indian Ocean.

Within six months however, the assorted nation-states and tribes of West Africa would fall into utter dissention and over a dozens ethnic, religious, territorial and assorted factional wars would erupt by 1917.

By 1918, virtually every region of West Africa had fallen into violence and France immediately recalled all French citizens from the entire region. The French Parliament would debate endlessly what to do with some demanding an invasion of the entire region (over 15 times the size of France). However, most knew that this was impractical. Even with malaria drugs, the populace was unlikely to welcome the cost of sending hundreds of thousands of raw conscripts to Africa with the intent of keeping millions of Africans from killing one another.

In truth, West Africa wasn't a vital significant economic boon to France. Imports of cocoa, ivory, coffee, sugar and a few other goods were hardly necessary or non-substitutable. Attempts at creating a rubber industry had largely failed. Mining natural resources was hit and miss to say the least with most ventures failing. In 1914, several banks in France failed after investments in West African mining proved overly optimistic.

Recent audits proved that the investments "gifted" by France to Africa exceeded any French Manufactures exports to the African coastal areas.

In truth, the "Second French Colonial Empire" was no more profitable than the first and few French desired to sink more money into the region. Beyond maintaining some naval forces in key harbors, France's Ministers opted to do nothing at all.

The Amazon, Brazil

Over the years, the Amazon Rubber Boom had seen enormous profits reaped for the vast plantations of the Brazilian interior. However, by 1916, increased competition from the Congo and, more importantly, Malaya, Sumatra and Sri Lanka, would see profits squeezed to the point where large swathes of the Amazon were abandoned.

Even the increasing demand for rubber (most notably by automobile tires) did not exceed the increase in supply worldwide. What was more, several synthetic rubber processes had been developed which promised long-term replacement of natural rubber. Several automobile producers (including Ford) would subsidize the investment in new options.

While it would be another 15 years before the "Boom" was officially declared dead, the industry was obviously in decline.

 

[Emperor of Greater India]

In hopes of forestalling ethnic tension, the Peshwa/Emperor would solidify recent trends towards fairly investing in the Hindi north, the Marati west, the Bengali east and the Dravidian south rather than attempt to force hundreds of millions of people to speak the same language. However, LAWS were expected to be reasonably consistent.

Muslims and other minorities had long seen the Emperor as a protector of their liberties as the Peshwa (the recent on anyway) had stamped down on any radical Hindu supremacist groups who sought revenge for ancient slights or just a desire to "purify" the nation.

The title of the Peshwa, means "Prime Minister", not the "Emperor". The "Emperor" of the Maratha Empire would still be the 'Chhatrapati' who sits in Satara, of the Bhosale dynasty.

Even though the Peshwa wields almost complete power in TTL (as in OTL eventually), effectively being like the Shoguns.

 

[Alt History Buff]

The title of the Peshwa, means "Prime Minister", not the "Emperor". The "Emperor" of the Maratha Empire would still be the 'Chhatrapati' who sits in Satara, of the Bhosale dynasty.

Even though the Peshwa wields almost complete power in TTL (as in OTL eventually), effectively being like the Shoguns.

Thanks though I believe that I merged the two offices about 300 chapters back and the Peshwa became the defacto Emperor.

 

[Alt History Buff]

1916

Manhattan

While Franklin Roosevelt's distant cousin, the late Theodore Roosevelt, had served the Unity Party well over the years, Franklin had opted to support the Fusionists. While northern New York (Roosevelt's base) tended to a Unity stronghold, Franklin Roosevelt's first term of office in Parliament would easily be won in the ballot boxes.

However, the young, intelligent and hardworking Roosevelt would soon run afoul with the party bosses in southern New York, namely those of the Bronx-based political machine known as Westchester Commons, named after the open court before the Fusionist political headquarters. The primary base of support for the Fusionists in New York was the Bronx and any hope of winning the state Governor's office for the Fusionists had run through Westchester Commons. In relatively poor Westchester, political radicalism ran rampant and moderates like Roosevelt were not welcome.

In 1914, Roosevelt made the mistake of challenging the Fusionist choice by Westchester Commons and this would affect his career. Knowing that they needed the Bronx to support their future candidacies, most leaders of the Fusionist Party in Parliament would distance themselves from Roosevelt (who was the only Fusionist Parliamentarian in up-Dominion New York, as opposed to six in or around the Bronx, all of whom were hand chosen by the bosses in Westchester Commons).

Paris

Though France had never "officially" declared the West African Protectorates a colony (and, indeed, even supported large amounts of local self-governance), the fact that France meekly withdrew from West Africa after the local "Great Parliament" declared full political independence would shake the Government to its core. Eventually, the Ministers effectively forced upon the King during the previous years were themselves evicted by Parliament.

However there were no obvious successors in line as the political situation in France had become so disjointed.

Frustration at the nation's apparent impotence in standing idly by during the German Wars as well as giving up Africa without a fight had split public opinion, a public already fighting amongst themselves over issues like expansion of the franchise, regional language support, etc.

Wasn't France supposed to be the dominant power in Europe now the the Habsburgs had finally immolated themselves?

But what did THAT mean?

Was France to try to conquer Germany and Italy and Spain?

It had been assumed that, now fully safe from foreign powers militarily, that France could quietly dictate the culture, economics and social forms of Europe. Instead, France's passive approach (some called it being "fat, dumb and happy") had instead made France almost....irrelevant politically.

The French colonies in the West Indies were looking more and more like a drain the nation was tired of absorbing. Africa had been a sinkhole for investment with few to no returns (which is why some French were happy to see the back of the place).

Lacking any outer threat, some political theorists would speculate that French attention was instead directed inwards against themselves, often fighting over hair-splitting issues in Parliament.

However, like the British Association and the newly re-founded German Confederation (comprised of Northwestern Germany under the leadership of the King of Denmark's German domains), France's economy continued to grow even if the birth rate had started to level off in the 20th century (well below Britain and Germany's for example).

France's foreign ministers had managed to improve relations over the years with Ireland, the British states, Spain (which had been strained in recent generations) and the newly independent Italy.

Instead, radical Unionism and Universal (including Women's) suffrage had become the latest cause de jure in France, one which was similarly ongoing in the Kingdom of British North America.

Jernigan, East Florida

Though competing studios had grown in other Dominions (New Jersey, etc), the film industry in East Florida (split between Fort Myers and Jernigan, thought the latter was proving ascendant) grew the fastest. Sunny days were abundant and only the occasional hurricane hampered production.

Foreign viewers would see films set in East Florida and assume that there was no such thing as snow in British America.

By 1916, starlets would be arriving regularly by rail in hopes of finding work in the silent films of the day (it would not be until 1923 that new technology would allow for tthe "Talkies"). Most, of course, would not become stars.

However, JK Industries would discover a golden age of beautiful women suddenly wiling to appear in its smut films.

One day, Joe Kennedy's wife would return home with her infant son (also named Joe) to find her husband in bed with two of his "actresses". This was apparently quite enough for Rose Fitzgerald who immediately left her husband. Her Catholic faith would prevent her from divorce but she could no longer stand to turn a blind eye to her husband's business and his philandering. She took Joe Jr. to her parent's house in hopes that he would not be influenced by her husband. Naturally, the other Fitzgeralds broke all contact with the Kennedys. Eventually, the Fitzgeralds would move to Texas and Joseph Kennedy Junior would never see his father again.

 

[Alt History Buff]

1916

Russia

While the Duma remained a weak establishment, the Russian economy had been placed in the hands of capable ministers who sought every opportunity to create jobs for the rapidly growing population. Improvements in internal transportation had seen huge numbers of jobs created in mining, manufacturing, trade, etc.

However, the rise of industrialism had seen the similar rise in Unionism. Pay remained low and hours long. Eventually, the Czar himself intervened and mandated shortened hours for laborers and even further restricted child labor in the most arduous of jobs.

Education continued to expand throughout the country and even rural communities routinely held a school and a mandate for children to attend to the age of 15 with a "recommendation" that they do so until 18 (even girls). This matched or exceeded the standards in most countries (France's education system considered the most broad if not necessarily "Best" in Europe).

Mecklenburg

While social unrest continued apace in most of the German states (particularly the autocratic eastern states), the Kingdom of Mecklenburg, perhaps the most backwards in Germany, would see mobs take over the Royal residences. When the King ordered the Army to put down the revolt, the common soldiers refused and joined the rebellion. Eventually, the King was forced to make a choice: either flee his nation and beg a neighbor for help (which held a great deal of risk) or negotiate with the rebels.

Distrusting the Polish, Danish and Brandenburg Crowns, the King made the decision to negotiate.

The terms were harsh. Mecklenburg must create a constitution similar to that of newly created Pomerania. This the King accepted and a rapid swath of reforms were enacted.

The King of Brandenburg, who was still reeling from his failed war against Denmark, rattled his sword and threatened to invade Mecklenburg to "keep the peace". But the King feared Brandenburger invasion more than the rebels and promptly called upon his people to prepare to fight for their nation. Pomerania, Poland and Denmark similarly vowed to "protect Mecklenburg independence" and the King of Brandenburg was forced to back down, all the while more unpopular than ever with his neighbors.

The Kingdom of Anatolia

With the death of the long-serving Porte a decade ago, his young successor (and grandson) would voluntarily propose a new Constitution based upon the French model. This would resulted in the Ottoman Empire officially renamed the Kingdom of Anatolia. While some proposed "Turkistan", the former Porte and new King was happy with "Anatolia" thus so it remained.

In one of the greatest shocks in the Muslim World, the King would not only grant full suffrage to adult males over 20 years but....WOMEN....as well. Only a handful of Christian nations had granted female suffrage (though most would follow suit in the next decade or two).

Ali Oglu Riza Mustapha would serve as the new Prime Minister and the two men would see the Kingdom of Anatolia in into the future. Religion was left in the Mosques and the state becoming the most secular in the Near East (and arguably more so than any European Christian nation). For the next twenty years, Mustapha had the trust of the King and a dominant position in Parliament.

 

[Alt History Buff]

1916

Kingdom of Wessex

After only a few years on the throne, Charles IV of Wessex would expire of a sudden heart attack in his bed in early 1915. His playboy son, the 32 year old Prince Charles, would suddenly find himself King. To his credit, Charles V of Wessex would pull himself together and actually throw himself into the governance of his Kingdom. An only child (his parents had separated early in his life), Charles V knew that his hated cousin Thomas was next in line should Charles die without an heir.

Thus, finding a wife became a priority for the King. Having travelled broadly, Charles V had seen the best of the available Protestant Princesses of Europe and had not been impressed. There were a few beauties but they turned out to be obnoxious or prudish. He needed one attractive enough to share his bed but bearing a personality with which he could get along.

Though the King had relations with pretty women his entire life, the new responsibilities of his office matured Charles V swiftly and he was intent on forming a good public image by putting his past behind him. He needed a partner to help consolidate his popularity.

Finally, he settled upon Princess Natalia of British North America. While he hadn't seen the 19 year old for several years (he had travelled to America in 1913), he recalled a pretty, intelligent and dignified Princess. Recent pictures proved that the girl maintained her looks.

There was something of a public murmuring in London over the formal demand for the Princess' hand. After all, the British North American line of Kings were, technically, usurpers, of Charles V's rightful patrimony. But the King found this nonsense. All of Britain, Ireland, Hanover, America, much of the West Indies, and beyond had once belonged to the House of Hanover. Poor decisions had destroyed this Empire 150 years prior and the no one seriously believed that Wessex would likely soon dispatch an Armada to invade Manhattan.

There were similar reservations in Manhattan as well:

The public, despite better relations in past generations between Wessex and America, nevertheless retained a hereditary distrust of Wessex.

Moreover, the aged King Alfred was not sure that Charles V, with his playboy reputation, would make a good husband for his daughter.

In the end, the willful Natalia, who was considered the most attractive and intelligent of his five daughters, would state that she was enthused about the idea...pending her father's approval, of course. The Queen would support her daughter and Alfred consented though with more than a few reservations about the match.

Natalia would sail for Wessex in 1916 with her parents and marry the King (her elder by 13 years). While the marriage would prove to be happy and fruitful (3 children), the passion of the early years eventually gave way to a relationship born of mutual respect. Natalia (Good Queen Nat) would be popular in the public for her fashion, her good manners and her devotion to public charities and service. Like most of the British nations, Wessex had given way to a Parliamentary system in the past decades and the country's government proceeded without any particular upheaval.

By 1916, the British Association had further integrated their infrastructure to the point where the collection of much smaller British nations had almost as much railroad track as France itself. The low internal trade barriers would, within a decade, evolve into a defacto custom's union. While politically, Britain remained segregated, economically, the assorted nations had become more akin to the Dutch Republic (where the Federal States General held limited powers and the assorted State Legislatures largely ruled themselves) only with Titular Monarchs instead of elected Raadspensionaris (also head of state since the end of the Stadtholder Era). Indeed, in some ways, the British nations were more integrated than the Dutch States.

 

[Alt History Buff]

1916

Kingdom of Palestine

King Nicholas of Palestine had seen ebbs and flows of immigrations to Palestine over the years. After the foundation of the Kingdom, the plurality of his subjects were Muslim, largely of Balkan descent. But soon, these would be joined by large numbers of Russians, Middle Eastern Christians, Copts, Shia Egyptians, Jews (mainly Russian and Polish) and, of course, a diverse grouping of European Christians.

By 1916, the single largest groups in the nation were Russians at 20% of the population with Jews just behind at 19%.

Non-Russian European Christians had been the largest immigrant group in the first 16 years of the 20th century (followed by Russians, Jews and, oddly, Sunni Egyptians who did a great deal of business with Palestine).

However, the years of 1917 and 1918 would see the arrival of two new groups. 1917 would see the arrival of about 20,000 outcasts from a sect of American Christians called "Mormons" based in the Dominion of Thracia. Apparently, this represented a minority of these Mormons who refused to accept the ban upon polygamy ordered from their own Church fathers (which, in turn, had been demanded by the government). Threatened with universal prosecution and suppression, the Mormons opted to return to the Holy Land where they felt that they could "live free" under their own doctrine.

King Nicholas, who pretty much accepted all migrants who wanted to live in his rather arid Kingdom (particularly if they were not Muslim as he was always nervous of the potential for a Muslim rebellion) and was happy enough to welcome these people as well. Most settled in the region of of the Jordan Valley.

In 1918, the King would receive an embassy from, of all places, the Vice-Royalty of Peru. Apparently, a priest near the city of La Paz had received a "vision" in 1886, that it was the duty of all Christians to return to the birthplace of Christ. Local Catholic Church officials had condemned this as heresy but Spanish Imperial reforms had allowed a level of religious protection provided that there was no hint of sedition involved in the faiths. The "Retornados" ("Returners") would commence their migrations in 1918 in large numbers. Most of these peoples were Catholic Indians or Mestizos predominantly of Indian blood. The King didn't care as long as they were willing to obey the laws.

Most of these peoples would settle as close as they could to the Province of Judea's towns of Bethlehem and Nazareth, the historical birthplace and childhood home of Jesus Christ.

By 1920, the demographics of Palestine had shifted from only a few decades before:

Russians - 22%
Jews - 18%
Muslims of European descent - 17%
Christians of European descent - 14%
Egyptian Copts - 6%
Christians of Middle Eastern Descent - 7%
Muslims of Middle Eastern Descent - 5%
Egyptian Shia - 3%
Peruvian "Retornados" - 2%
Mormons - 2%
Other - 2% (Alevi, Alawite, Ba'Hai, Anatolian Turk, Yazidis, Yarsan, etc)
Egyptian Sunni - 1%
Ethiopian Christian - 1%

Only the Kingdom of Syria with her Alawite King and large Christian, Muslim and "other" populations rivaled Palestine for its diversity.

Though Syria would not see the large-scale immigration of Palestine, there were nevertheless large numbers of Russians, Kurds, Turks, Jews, European Christians, Alevis, etc which migrated to the already diverse Kingdom of Syria over the 19th and early 20th century. Most would migrate to the urban areas of but some would enter the hinterlands as well and occasionally conflict with some of the natives of the land, including the Druze.

King Ahmed of Syria would, like his Russian counterpart in Palestine, accept most migrants to his land as a boon not only for the economy but for the balance of power within the assorted religious and ethnic factions of his nation. His own Alawite peoples didn't even represent 6% of the total population (Sunni Arabs and Maronite/Melkite Christians represented far greater shares of Syria's population at roughly 25% each). By adding Orthodox Christians from Russia, Assorted Christian Europeans, Anatolian Turks, Jews, Greeks and another peoples, he ensured not group had the power to overthrow him....or wage war upon one another.

Sunni Arabs and Turks - 25%
Maronite Christians - 25%
Melkite Christians - 8%
Russian Orthodox - 8%
"Other" Middle Eastern Christians - 6%
Alawites (generally held to be a variety of Shi'a) - 6%
Other Shi'a - 6%
Non-Russian European Christians - 4%
Druze - 3%
Jews - 3%
Coptic Christians - 3%
"Other" - 1%
Alevis - 1%
Ba'hai - 1%


Both Kings would struggle to maintain this balance of power to keep the peace as they knew a civil war could well prove devastating.

 

[Alt History Buff]

British North America - 101,000,000

64 Dominions:
Quebec - 1,500,000
Montreal - 1,000,000
Nova Scotia - 590,000
Charlottia (New Brunswick, former Acadia west of the Isthmus of Chignecto) - 550,000
Newfoundland - 240,000
Vermont (including the contested Hampshire Grants and the western portion of the former district of Maine under the colony of Massachusetts) - 2,000,000
Sagadahock (formerly the eastern portion of the district of Maine under the colony of Massachusetts) - 550,000
Massachusetts - 5,000,000
Rhode Island and Providence Plantations - 1,200,000
Connecticut - 3,000,000
New York - 4,100,000
Long Island -4,500,000
Manhattan - 1,100,000
New Jersey - 3,300,000
Pennsylvania - 6,000,000
Delaware -1,500,000
Maryland - 2,650,000
Virginia - 2,500,000
Kanawha (West Virginia) - 1,000,000
North Carolina - 2,500,000
Catabwa (West North Carolina) - 705,000
South Carolina - 2,000,000
Wateree (West South Carolina) - 800,000
Georgia - 2,500,000
West Florida (South Alabama, South Mississippi and Florida Panhandle) - 1,500,000
Mississauga (Peninsular Ontario) -3,000,000
Maumee (Western Kentucky) - 1,000,000
Shawnee (Eastern Kentucky) - 1,000,000
Westsylvania (Western Pennsylvania) - 1,850,000
Watauga (Eastern Tennessee) - 1,320,000
Tennessee (Western Tennessee) - 1,500,000
Hanover (Louisiana) - 1,650,000
Caledonia (Parts of Northern Texas and Oklahoma) - 1,450,000
Aethiopia (Southern Texas and parts of northeast Mexico) - 2,100,000
Arkansas - 1,100,000
Miami (OTL Indiana) - 2,900,000
Ohio (Most of OTL Ohio) - 5,000,000
Michigan (Lower Peninsula) - 3,500,000
East Florida and the Bahama Islands (Florida minus Panhandle) - 1,250,000
Indiana (northern Mississippi and Alabama) - 1,500,000
Chicago (Illinois) - 3,500,000
Marquette (Wisconsin) - 850,000
Mauretania (Iowa) - 750,000
Thracia (Missouri) - 2,500,000
Hibernia (Oklahoma) - 1,000,000
Baetica (Sonora/Chihuahua) - 500,000
Lycia (Sinaloa/Durango) - 500,000
Pamphylia (Coahuila) - 325,000
Cappadocia (Manitoba/Minnesota) - 400,000
Belgica (Utah/Colorado) - 750,000
Lusitania (Southern Nebraska/Kansas) - 950,000
Moesia (Northern Nebraska/South Dakota) -500,000
Aquitania (West Texas) - 450,000 (received Dominion status in 1874)
Cilicia (Nevada/Utah) - 300,000 (received Dominion status in 1875)
North Zealand - 280,000
South Zealand - 180,000
Van Diemens Land (Tasmania) - 100,000
Raetia (Alberta/Montana) - 155,000
Pannonia (Saskatchewan/North Dakota) - 120,000
Noricum (Wyoming) - 95,000
Galatea (Western Arizona) - 200,000
Iceni (Eastern New Mexico) - 130,000
Dobunni (Western New Mexico / Eastern Arizona) - 220,000
Hawaii - 75,000

Assorted British North American Territories (not yet Dominions) - 250,000 (mostly rough estimates)
Hudson (Northern Ontario) - 20,000
Labrador (Eastern Quebec Peninsula) - 40,000
Laurentia (Northwestern Quebec) - 15,000
Denedeh (Western Northern Territories) - 30,000
Inuit (Eastern Northern Territories) - 35,000
Greenland - 35,000
Easter Island - 1000
Tahiti - 5000
Samoa - 25,000
Fiji - 30,000
Kanakia - 40,000
Tonga - 20,000
Cape Verde - 15,000
Sao Tome and Princip - 22,000
The Azores - 40,000

 

[Kaiko]

How scandalous for the Kennedys, I wonder how this separation will affect Joseph Jr and if/when he'll learn about his father's salacious movie productions.

How being reduced to 5% of the population sitting with the Middle Eastern muslims through immigration? Is there still underground Mahdist sentiment brewing?

It would be an incredible act of irony where the destruction of old Britain by France leads to a federation of British kingdoms that's less divisive politically than in OTL.

 

[Bernstien]

It’s looking more and more like a true confederation of British states is in the cards... Provided that Ireland and France don’t intervene in the next couple of decades.

Also, what year is the latest census for? If it’s 1920, then it looks like BNA is losing demographic ground to otl USA.