An age of Steel, and Fire, and Blood or Thread too high and your limbs will burn

Hello, everybody!

I am 000, and as you can guess, this is my first post, though l have been lurking in the dark waters of “Sea-of-checking-though-not-being-a-member” for quite a while. Since I’m here you can guess that l like history (obviously), and alternate history, but even though my knowledge of history is quite broad, it’s probably not very deep, but I’d like to learn more, about all the things (of history)!
Now l know what must be going through the mind of you, the experienced ah.commer “Oh, no not another n00b, probably going to write an Unmentionable Sea Mammal TL, replete with ASBs and butterfly genocide, full of myths and misconceptions without even having gone to god damn Wikipedia. Probably a fan boy, gods forbid a Wehraboo, who’s going to be rude and trolling, forcing Ian the Admin (Praise his name) to ban him, only to reappear as a sock puppet. ” Well, l can tell you that that is not the case! The Operation That-Shall-Not-Be-Named shall receive no more mention from me, unless it is to explain to others why it wouldn’t work, though l guess l shouldn’t try; there are many others more qualified than me. I shall not sell my soul to the ASBs, though l may come under their influence; if that happens l apologize deeply. I may kill one or two butterflies; “If l don’t kill somebody once in a while, people are going to forget who l am” to paraphrase someone. I shall endeavor to stay clear of the myths and misconceptions, though if l fall into one of them, I apologize deeply and am ready to learn, though hopefully you won’t have to tear your hair out while explaining. I don’t really consider myself a complete fan boy, and no, l am not, l repeat not, a Wehraboo , though l do have preferences *cough* Basilea Rhomanion *cough*. If l ever come off as rude or trolling, l apologize deeply, and l would like to express that l have never tried to be rude or trolling, but if that happens, l shall humbly accept what Ian the Admin (Praise his name) says, and l will never degrade myself to the use of sock puppets.

A few other things:
I hope that l never come off as rude or trolling, and if it happens l apologize deeply, and would like to repeat that l have never intended to come off as such. If you feel that l have behaved in such a manner, l apologize deeply, and l hope that Ian the Admin (Praise his name), the community, and that you can forgive me for having behaved in such a manner unbefitting for AH.com.
I’m quite young, 15 actually; if l come off as too young to understand l apologize deeply.
My sense of humor is a bit strange, and if l happen to offend someone due to a bad/inappropriate phrase or something similar, l apologize deeply for having caused the unease, and l shall make sure to never say something like it again, and understand fully if it is cause enough for a kicking.
Finally, hello (again)! I hope that AH.com, even if it slaughters me, won’t make a blood-eagle of me.
(This was written while listening to An Irish Pub Song and various Japanese songs in the same vein, so if there’s a random… bad word, or what looks like rubbish (on an English keyboard), l apologize deeply, and hope that you can forgive such an error)


Issues regarding the TL:
As you will see later on, the TL is about most of the world’s nations, some of which you can surmise are doing better than other nations in this TL. The nations that can be surmised to be doing better from this first beginning will be joined by other nations. The list of those not doing very well will also be expanded. A certain nation happens to be one of the main stars of this TL, and is so through the occupation of another country that happens to be its neighbor. I would like to clarify that l have never supported the OTL occupation in any way, and am in fact thoroughly disgusted by it. The problem is that the path of a supplementing military presence in the region is one of the highest of the arch-stones for the probability of reaching the status of noticeable power, not only for the specific afore-mentioned nation, but for almost all of its neighbors, who are themselves going to occupy parts of the to-be occupied nation. If this offends or upsets anyone, l apologize deeply for the harm caused. There will be many other nations suffering the same fate, and l apologize to their peoples as well.
There will be bad things happening, and l hope you don’t expect any less from this alternate history. But if there is something that you feel is simply wrong, biased (unless it is part of the different perspectives of the TL) or getting damn close to unleashing the Gates of Hell and all the ASBs imprisoned therein, please comment it and tell as much as you can about the why and how.
This TL, being made by me, is going to deal with the birth and development of a certain form of media that hails from one of the main stars of the TL, one that is known for, shall we say, eliciting various emotions. There are many extremes, on both sides, a truly sad thing, and l hope that l shall not fall into the trap of going off-topic. But this certain form of media has unquestionably had an impact on history, and l shall not budge on this one, l am sad to say. If this does not suit you, then l do deeply apologize, and l hope that this does not cause any form of feud between us.
Another warning, this one being a strong one! Although it will be marked out, so you can skip it, as this TL is being written by me, homosexuality will be more of a… well, l don’t quite know how to say it, but it shall not be… how shall I say it… well, l guess one could say it shall not be “un-wanted”… I’ll go with that for now. You know, there’s a lot more to us homosexuals/bisexuals than staring at other same-sex bodies/also at same-sex bodies;). Some of us also like to fantasize about what we could do to them too:D
Alas! I seem to have spoken too much; l shall now give you the beginning of my TL. If there are any mistakes, be they in spelling or grammar, please do tell me; English is in fact not my first language.



An age of Steel, and Fire, and Blood
Prussian_Attack_Plancenoit_by_Adolf_Northern.jpg
or
Thread too high and your limbs will burn:
a new world, of new men


“The birth and growth of the Japanese Empire: a study”
Berliner Akademie von Asia, Großdeutschland, 2014
Dr. Svea E. Merkel-Wagner

“The Japanese Empire stands as one of the most peculiar phenomenons in the past 200 years of history. A country that was barely able to project power outside of its mountainous home-islands, it was the first country to successfully modernize and adapt its people to a new world, reshaping and redefining both itself and the Western tide. In less than a generation, the HRE of East Asia transformed itself into a centralized state, well on its way to full industrialization and a modern populace. It struck its old master China, gaining valuable territory and a new name for itself; “Dai Nippon Teikoku”, or “The Greater Japanese Empire” was no longer a vassal, nor outlier, but a rising power. She courted the kingdoms of South East Asia, the independence movements of the European colonies, and the European powers themselves. As the years went on, her star shone even brighter. A near-filial alliance with Siam, strong common interests with Dai Viet and Qing, as well as her vassal Yakutskya ensured security on land. The tentative relationship with Nusantara and the Island Federation ensured her security on the seas. Friendship, even alliances with Mongolia and Tibet as well as with India, and involvement in its politics, along with a long-standing alliance with Mexico and even cooperation with the Ottomans and Sibir, crowned the work. The empire survived all of the Great Wars, but alas, although she had not been out won, she had been out fought. Too exhausted, broke, and damaged to keep up the pillars, the empire crumbled away to its core territories. This study will attempt to identify why and how the Japanese empire went from outsider to leading role, to its maintenance of said role, to the final end of its military dominance over its vast empire.

According to legends, the Japanese empire was founded over 2600 years ago, by the legendary emperor Jimmu, said to be the descendant of the Sun Goddess Amaterasu…”


Extracts from
“The Two Eagles: a history of American-Mexican diplomatic relationships”
Universidad de San Francisco, Imperio Mexicano, 2008
Augustin S. J. de Cañonero

Chapter 11:
Iturbide’s legacy and the Drive to the South as well as the Staring-game to the North

“… But we should not underestimate the necessity of Iturbide himself in the maintenance of Mexican stability, despite evidence that may seem to point to the contrary; many of these were modified, if not reshaped by him, for the long-term stability of the country, and his ability to go beyond the petty squabbles of the either fanatical or corrupt majority of politicians helped immensely in the unification of the country’s various peoples, from the common people, to the Comanche, to the immigrants… his name became a household item, almost a honorary title; for the Iturbidists, those who adhered to the principles on which Mexico had been founded, the oft-changing world was supplemented by the by the so-called “secular trinity”: State; the state of Mexico, Emperor; the ideal being Iturbide, and people; the various peoples of the empire who, although not all being united by one common thing, were united in different parts and ways: language, cultures, attitudes, religion, and a dislike of foreign dominance, be it Spanish, British, or American. Originally a derogatory term, “secular trinity” became one of the marks of pride of the Iturbidists, who felt that it gave them a sort of mental bed rock to fall back upon against the politicians… Iturbide’s refusal to use these people for personal gain, although criticized, has been lifted up as one of the clearest examples of his will to see the best for his people go before what was best for him…

…The “Drive to the South” was the name given to the Mexican investment in Central America… through diplomacy, economy, and military efforts, in order to pacify its southern areas… as well as gain access to the to-be Panama Canal’s area, not to mention a sphere of interest in the region… although heavily criticized at first, the fruits it bore justified the effort, paving the way for a secure Mexican dominance of the region for the modern era...

…“The Staring-game to the North” was the originally colloquial name given to the stand-off between Mexico and the United States of America… having started as early as the declaration of the empire… exploiting the instability and insecurity of the early empire… not to mention the “representatives” sent in order to foment rebellion and treason… The stand-off has often been seen as the first clash of the two eagles, the start of a rivalry that would define a continent for many years to come. As has been mentioned, it reached its high point during Iturbide’s reign in the Comanche-American dispute, but that is also where the model for the conflict, both in its character and how it was handled, became, in a way, established. The diplomatic negotiations, the military skirmishes, as well as the behind-the-door dealings all had their template put up there and then. It became the definition of the conflict, as well as the first time the self-perceived identities of the two in regards to the conflict were fully defined and became rooted in to the population. Indeed, the attitudes that were created would remain intact for much of the respective country’s history, culminating of course in the Great Wars… The conflicts during the later years of Iturbide’s reign and its immediate aftermath were the results of that maturation, especially the renewed hostility on the northern borders; the Americans had once again switched around and had elected a revanchist, leading to the famous book regarding their problems about their particular form of democracy; “A treatise on the conditions of monarchy and democracy in the New World”, more about this later. The revanchist in question was… The war would end, of course in a humiliating defeat for the Americans at… the small fort has since then been renamed to… leading to the northern border forts, especially along the newly-gained territories, but also in-depth constructions, both to the north as protection against British and American claims and aggression, as well as the north-east; there was after all a reason why the border had been shortened… in the next chapter we will deal with the exact response to the huge loss of Iturbide, as well as how the praise has grown and evolved regarding this giant of Mexican society. Also to be examined are his measures regarding successors, politicians and the nation’s security, his successor in question and the problems faced by the empire in those times after the first shaky years.”


Extracts from
“The Ottoman Empire; other nations and self-identity: a short essay”
Istanbul Üniversitesi, Osmanlı Imparatorluğu
Sulayman H. al-Arslan
“Three Romans
… The question of the Three Romans has plagued and enhanced the relations of the empire ever since the Greek War of Independence and the Reunification of Italy; all of them through their names claim, to varying degrees, the mantle of Rome. The claim of the Greeks can be said to be bigger than the others, yet also smaller; they claim what can be called Byzantium… the claim of the Italians is bigger as they claim what could be called the Roman Empire itself. The Ottoman is perhaps the smallest or weakest; it is merely a part of the title of the sultan…


… Although the hostilities did not die down, they did provide a uniting cause against the relentless enemy… the alliance was bound to suffer some initial setbacks…

… the somewhat lighthearted tone of the current stage has produced a sub-culture of thoroughly inter-connected youths, mainly culturally, though there are some by blood; this can be traced back to the popular, almost worshipped book series “By the Sea”, later turned into a film as well as… these jokes too, and other connected material have soothed the attitude of the younger generation, where promotion of each other’s culture has, as has been said become a popular thing to engage oneself with… more focused on the so-called “Non-Romans” as they have been dubbed, though certain cultures seem to have advanced pretty far; German is popular, a result of… Japanese also has a sub-culture following in the cities… the status of the different Nusantaran cultures too…

… although mutually beneficial, and proven to be able to stand on its own, it remains to see what will be of the relationship in the future.

Ottoman; Turkish-Arab and Arab-Turkish
The question of the “Ottoman” or Turkish-Arab or Arab-Turkish culture may seem irrelevant now, but when the realization of the idea first came into the minds of the peoples concerned, there was an unimaginable backlash; on a scale unthinkable of today. To an extent, this still has an impact, more notable on the fringes of the empire. A child logically born out of such an empire’s demographics, it was nonetheless somewhat of a bastard and unwanted child: not truly wanted, and too much of either parent for the other…


… the revolt not only showed how distanced some of the traditional elites had become from the normal populace, but also how close the two different peoples had come; the two had been united by their fight against foreign aggression… but the true test, that which had come from within, and maybe one of the greatest potential threats ever to the empire, had been… destroyed and the bonds forged by the willingness of the people to fight, first of all from the natural target group for recruitment, to those who had been expected to most probably flee…

… In modern times, this has been lifted up as somewhat of a miracle; a shining star regarding the matter… integration has been described to be as normal as “breakfasts and beds”, though of course the truth maybe lies closer in the other statement… confirmed by the study in both major cities and the country side by… one of the most interesting social experiments yet; one which is unprecedented in its scale, and implications… truly, the greatest achievement of the Ottoman Empire.

Other peoples of the empire
The other peoples of the empire are as diverse as you could expect; there are many ethnicities that stand out as different and non-related to the traditional core of the empire. A short list follows:

Armenians:
The Armenians have inhabited the eastern areas of the empire for many hundreds of years; they once had a kingdom in the region named after them. Religiously, they are counted as Orthodox by tradition, though they are actually closer to the Catholics in many ways. Famous for their book art. Local cuisine is based around…

Azerbaijanis:
Also in the east are the Azerbaijanis, having hailed from the Persian cultural group. They are Sunnis, unlike their cultural brethren to the south, and once possessed an emirate. Famous for being a refuge for mystics and religious free-thinkers. Commonly known as the “Second oil reserve of the empire”, their customs revolve around oil, such as the act of oil-bathing…

… the eastern group that has been the most successful in integrating into the empire, as evidenced during the Reconstruction years, as well as the Great Wars; soldiers from the region are known for undying loyalty. The success of their integration can probably be explained by…
Kurds:
One of the more unruly groups of the empire, mainly located in the south-east. Mostly Sunnis, they are culturally distinct from their neighbors… Famous for being one of the ethnicities of Salah ad-Din bin Yusuf ibn Ayyub, the other being Turkish. Specifically, they mainly inhabit the more sparsely populated desert area north of the Euphrates and Tigris…

Sudanese:
The largest of the Sub-Saharan ethnicities in the empire, making up all of the south save for Arabia and Egypt, they are Sunnis unlike their brethren to the south, though they would prefer not to mention them. Famous for their defense of the southern frontier against Ethiopia. Many of the local traditions are based around ideas existent since the Pharaohs, among them…

Maghrebis:
Inhabiting the rest of the empire’s territory in Africa are the Magrebis in the north of the continent. The natives of the region, they nonetheless are more similar to the Arabs than anyone else, though they have of course adopted a lot of the empire’s blend culture. They are Sunnis, as their brethren in the south are. Famous for the different emirates that sprung up after the end of Abbasid dominance, the many pirate-havens that were on the coast, and in more contemporary history for their brave and selfless defense of the empire against the French. There are actually many different sub-sets of the Maghrebi people, among them those that can trace their descent to Romanized Punics; they can be distinguished by their use of togas, the…

… One of the most economically impressive areas, both in terms of raw power and how it has developed, as well as how effective it has been in implementing the reforms of the government. In North Africa, it has the one of best education systems and literacy rates, as well as some of the best infrastructure… truly one of the greatest accomplishments of the peoples of the empire, and a role model for others.

… The Ottoman empire, for all its faults and imperfections stands out as one of the most impressive states in modern history, one that went from “Backwards, Halting Giant, The Sick Man of Europe” to a role model for others in the region, and did so with a unique style and approach... truly, it will be remembered for accomplishing what some might have thought to have been impossible; a true innovator and re-creator that managed to launch itself and its peoples into a new world, and by doing so gave hope to its peoples. ”


He rubbed his eyes; they were aching. He needed to go to sleep. But he didn’t want to. In fact, if it weren’t for his body being, and looking, so tired, he would seem as if he had just recently had a nice cup of coffee, maybe a small snack; a usual lunch for him. But of course, that wasn’t the case. Far from it. Red eyes, aching body, slow reaction speed… no, he was far from fine. But that damn assignment… not that he didn’t love school, just that sometimes he felt as if the teachers were trying to kill off their students. That, of course, was a ridiculous idea; the equivalent of a diplomat being a front line soldier… or something similar. And to be honest he loved the assignment; what was there not to love? Copious amounts of history, writing to be struggled with, and sources to be read. Just like these previous ones… he tossed the book onto the sizable piles that had formed up on his desk/shelves/floor. The Ottomans, quite the empire, weren’t they? But in his heart, he knew he loved the wonderful realm of Basilea Rhomanion more. As did everybody else in the school’s “Byzantium-club”. Truly, history was a wonderful thing… though it could get a bit weird. Like it did last time.

Speaker: Fellow fans of Vyzantion!
(Scattered applause, groans of disapproval)
Speaker: Silence, if l may! We have gathered to vote on the issue brought up by pro-Komnenian faction- namely, which is the
best dynasty of the restorers? Justinian, Makedonian, or Komnenian? We will vote by raise of the hands, each member has
one vote! First, though, we will have a debate so that everyone can make an informed decision; especially the pro-Angeloi…
(Sounds of applause and laughter)
Pro-Komnenian Leader: By virtue of taking this up first, we have the right to start. Now, first of all, the Komnenoi were some
of the most brilliant rulers the empire ever had; restoring the glory of the empire and igniting hope after so many years of setbacks.
The other restorer-dynasties have their virtues too, no doubt about that, but the Komnenoi are the culmination of the empire’s ability
in that period, not to mention the horrors that followed… We have, recorded by none other than Anna Komnenos herself, the epos of
its greatness. Is that not something to marvel at? Even though she could not be expected to do anything of importance, she refused to
bend, and spent time and energy to record this glorious period of the empire. A marvel, that even though she was hindered by so much,
the Komnenian spirit still shone through! And then, of course, the emperors themselves, shine as some of the be-
Pro-Makedonian member: Oh, shut up! We all know that the only reason you’re cheering for them is that you all want to take Anna! Don’t you!?
Speaker: Silence! That kind of remark does not belong in the debate! Maybe when we re-enact, but definitely not in a debate! Pro-Makedonian faction loses 3 points!


He had stopped listening after that. Too busy chatting with someone from the Pro-Palaiologian faction about PODs regarding a possible revival during Constantinos XI… How funny, not funny-haha, but funny strange… alternate history was one of the things he loved most about history, and yet it hadn’t even happened. There was some kind of attraction to it all, something he could not put his finger on… not even the world could put its finger on it, yet the world was infatuated with it. The historian’s informal academic “rite of passage” by writing a good alternate history, their debates and essays regarding the nature of alternate history, PODs, plausibility, the merciless slaughter of “impossible alternate history”, all of it was just wonderful. He shuddered at the thought that there might be a universe where history was not taught out well, or even a high-priority subject, or even, gods forbid, a low-priority subject of fleeting quality, and one where alternate history was seen as something strange that you only did with a few others in the Intellosphere…
(Warning, as l promised, read at your own risk; dangerously close to the average fan-fic in quality)
Something else also came into his mind… that someone from the Pro-Palaiologian faction. Of course, it wasn’t wrong, that kind of problem was since long gone, but then again… He was handsome, and clever, no doubt about it, but he was from another faction. Had it been his in his own faction, there would have been no problem; it would probably have been held up as an example of unity, of bonding. But another faction, that was different; this wasn’t just for fun, or a game: this was a real community-organization, across the world, with prizes, money and effort at stake.
(End of part to skip)
A long, drawn-out yawn returned him to the real world. He looked at the clock. 02.34 am. Oh, dear… this was bad… very bad. Maybe a quick look at AlternisHistoria.com? Funny how they intentionally chose faulty Latin… No, too much time on the Intellosphere was bad. But what if it was just for <30 minutes? That wouldn’t be hard to do… right?

That’s all folks! Next time l shall come with the POD, though be prepared: it might be somewhat of a surprise. I hope l didn’t over do or under do anything, nor spoiled your hopes and expectations; though if l did, l apologize deeply:eek:.


I believe l have not plagiarized anything, but if you feel that l have reformulated or rewritten your material, please comment and tell me why you feel like this and how you feel it has been reformulated or rewritten; l would never want any kind of feud between us. Although l have been carrying this around with me for the past six years, l might have been mistaken regarding some parts, so again, please tell me, and if you are right, l apologize deeply.
 
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Good luck with the timeline and welcome! It looks very broad :D

Starting a new timeline can be very daunting, so I shall be eager to see where you are going with this.

Interesting to see what your POD will be then.
 
Hello Gordius,

Thank you so much! That's very kind of you, and l really appreciate the welcome. Oh, yes definitely, it's very broad... l just hope l don't get buried by all the notes and drafts:D...

l hope l won't dissapoint you, and would love any kind of criticism; please don't hesitate. Although l do have a few set aims, about 75% of the TL is not determined in its course; l'll let it be more of a "where the road takes me" progression... l wish l could say 80%, but damn-it, that Ireland-wank, Bolivia-wank and Russia-screw aren't going to make themselves a reality on their own;)!
(If you are Russian, or like Russia, and have taken offense, l apologize)

Hint: the POD can be worked out from the picture; specifically in where and when that battle scene is from... Perhaps the setting of the POD is kind of cliché, but the POD itself is what's going to be different. See you then!

P.S. Sorry for replying so late; l had a slight crash on my computer. Thanks again for your kind words!
 
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