General Info #1
"In 1992 a good friend of mine, the Swedish historian Søren Raaby, declared that the 20th century was the "greatest era of of human dissonance ever experienced by man". Whilst this charge was later dubbed the 'Era of Contradictions', it still describes with great accuracy the feelings of rage, anxiety, hope, and apprehension mankind experienced during a century defined (and influenced) by the modern and traditional, scientific and religious, national and cosmopolitan. Opposing forces mingled and clashed in one of the most extraordinary periods of socio-political change experienced since the advent of modernity (i.e. 1500 to the present). It was during the 20th century in which rapid development of technology which started in the 1800s continued, new forms of communication broke down barriers and allowed the common man to experience the world at large, and the drive toward liberty and the concept of human rights allowed for the proliferation of revolutionary ideas which have, as of the 2000, shattered old forms of thinking and governance.
It was also, however, an epoch marked by mass bloodshed, the violent application of new ideologies, and the advent of the most dangerous weapons in human history. It was an era in which colonialism - hoisted by so many of us in the West as benevolent and beneficial - saw the ethnic cleansing and deaths of tens-of-millions of individuals. It was an era in which the horrors of modernistic ideologies (socialism in particular) were imposed on a mass scale in violent, sometimes medieval fashions. It was an era which saw the invention and proliferation of the nuclear bomb, including its usage in war to devastating effect, which remains an existential risk to the entirety of the human race. Threats to human life and liberty remain prevalent at the dawn of this new millennium, and the devastation wrought by forces both anthropogenic and not have shattered the faith many held at the dawn of the century just passed.
It is therein we find the heart and theme of our Era of Contradictions; is mankind a force for moral good or moral evil? We have seen the fullest application of both in the years from 1900 to 1999, and this epoch which we have all been a part of (and contributed to) marks perhaps the best illustration of the contradictions which lie at the heart of all individuals. It will be our job to explore the horrors and joys of this era over the next several months, and perhaps find answers to how we have arrived here in the year 2000."
As of the year 2000, the world population stands at an estimated 5.706 billion individuals, with the majority of them living in the continent of Asia which hosts five of the worlds ten most populated countries. Of these five, India stands head-and-above the competition with an astounding 1.334 billion individuals calling the country home - a fourfold increase from its population of 294 million at the beginning of the 20th century. Second to India is the Chinese Republic which reached the one billion-mark at the very end of the century. Whereas it held the title as the most-population country through most of recorded history, a series of tragedies swept the country during the 1900s which severely levelled its population and growth rate; the human and natural disasters of the Warlord Era (1916 to 1931), the Far Eastern War (1945 to 1950), and the two famines during the Cai Zexian regime (1969 to 1970; 1975 to 1979). In total it is estimated that between 150 million and a staggering 300 million Chinese died in total as a result of these disasters, thus completing the demographic trend which saw India become the World's most populace nation in the year 1981.
At the economic and cultural center of the world lies the continent of Europe with its population of an estimated 822 million persons living in 28 sovereign states. Of these, the Russian Empire (including the sovereign territories of Poland and Finland) retain the position it held in 1900 as the most well-populated state with 329 million souls living in the bounds of geographical Europe (leaving the remaining 88 million in the Asian regions of Siberia and Turkestan). The German Empire comes in second with its metropole being home to almost 91 million individuals, followed more distantly by the compound state of Austria-Hungary with its total population of 71 million. Further down the list (in terms of European metropole) is Italy (61 million), France (56 million), the United Kingdom (62 million), and Spain (45 million).
Further south comes Africa, many countries having only been liberated from the yoke of European colonialism by 15-to-20 years. As a result of Africa's colonial century (1885 to 1985), the population on the continent has experienced significant shifts in growth as a result of external forces and internal disasters; the two most consequential in recent history being the rise of Kolle's Disease (from 1970 onwards) and the Great Hunger (1980 to 1987) which has killed an estimated 40 million individuals over 30 years. Despite these tragedies (and the totality of colonialism's effects), Africa has still experienced remarkable demographic growth over the 20th century; a population of 568 million in 2000 dwarfing its 1900 population of 140 million - a fourfold increase over a period of a hundred years.
The remainder of the world, particularly the Americas and the Pacific, has maintained similar growth over the course of the 20th century. One particular exception to this is the United States and the countries of the former United Communes which have been witness to population reductions in the 1930s (as a result of the Second American Civil War and the Guerras Rojas) and recently still the mass emigration which has arisen as a result of the collapse of the socialist regimes after 1980. In between these two seminal events lies the so-called 'Red Era of the Americas' (approx. 1940 to 1990) in which movement of peoples was relatively closed and immigration highly restricted to those considered 'politically desirable'. As a result, the continents which saw massive growth during the 1800s have stagnated demographically over the past hundred years, and the population of the New World stands at an estimated 478 million; a threefold increase since 1900.
The world at the dawn of the 21st century has many superficial similarities to the dawn of the 20th; a world dominated by European commercial centres and influenced heavily by Smithian economic practices. The resemblances largely end there however, as the internals of the century-just-passed make evident the remarkable (and in many ways revolutionary) developments which occured economically throughout the 1900s; from the First and Second Protectionist Era (1930s to 1950s; 1970s), the growth of international trade and private business practices, the Labour Era (1980s and 1990s), the socialist practices of the Red Era of the Americas, and the captive markets of the Colonial World, each impacted the lives of all mankind significantly over the past hundred years.
In Europe - the nexus point of the World's commercial activity - is the continent with the largest economy, in terms of both standards of living and overall economic pull. Hosting six of the ten largest economies in the World, Europe (in particular the Big Five of London, Berlin, Paris, Vienna, and Saint Petersburg) retains the position as the primary center of gravity in regards to the global economic state of affairs, with most transactions occurring in some form of European language, custom, and currency. With the death of the Gold Standard from the 1940s to 1980s, a laissez-faire floating standard has been introduced which has seen several European economies attain an ascendancy in regard to international finance. As of the year 2000 the composition of the currencies held as foreign reserve all have central banks residing in Europe; the British Pound (51.6% of reserves), German Mark (23.4%), French Franc (8.8%), and Russian Rouble (7.5%), and Ottoman Lira (3.9%).
Outside of Europe, the position of the world economic situation is stable and growing, though in some cases remains precarious or in decline. The Americas and Africa have been affected most by political-economic influences over the course of the 20th century, as the application of the 'labour model of socialism' hamstrung Anglo- and Latin-American growth after 1940, and the colonial captive markets wrenched growth from the hands of African labourers. In the former case, the means of production was placed (largely) into the hands of local unions/syndicates, with regulation implemented by the state; the end result being a byzantine system of bureaucracy and organisational rivalry which resulted in anaemic growth until liberalisation in the late-80s. In the latter case, colonial economic systems sequestered the majority of wealth produced by colonised peoples until the 1980s; the 'requisition of assets' (i.e. purposeful deindustrialisation of African colonies) which occured following the end of direct European rule contributed heavily to the 'Great African Famine' (1980 to 1987) and is responsible for the continued reliance on European manufactured goods felt by many African countries today.
Besides the obvious exception of the socialist economies the Red Era Americas, it has become clear that the Eurocentric mode of capitalist production has become transcendent over the period of 1900 to 1999. However, despite the outwardly universal nature of this system as it stands in 2000, shifts in Western philosophy and developments in industrial modes of production have rendered the descriptor "liberal capitalism" all but precise; several broad ideological divisions existing within the recognised confines of the term. From distributism to Smithian economics, from market socialism to corporatism; almost all economic systems have been tied into the broad economic megastructure which is now referred to by many names, most especially the 'Liberal Regime'.
NOTES
1. Due to the more convoluted nature of the financial system in TTL, I will be using the United States Dollar (its value c. 2000) as the point of reference in this timeline.
It was also, however, an epoch marked by mass bloodshed, the violent application of new ideologies, and the advent of the most dangerous weapons in human history. It was an era in which colonialism - hoisted by so many of us in the West as benevolent and beneficial - saw the ethnic cleansing and deaths of tens-of-millions of individuals. It was an era in which the horrors of modernistic ideologies (socialism in particular) were imposed on a mass scale in violent, sometimes medieval fashions. It was an era which saw the invention and proliferation of the nuclear bomb, including its usage in war to devastating effect, which remains an existential risk to the entirety of the human race. Threats to human life and liberty remain prevalent at the dawn of this new millennium, and the devastation wrought by forces both anthropogenic and not have shattered the faith many held at the dawn of the century just passed.
It is therein we find the heart and theme of our Era of Contradictions; is mankind a force for moral good or moral evil? We have seen the fullest application of both in the years from 1900 to 1999, and this epoch which we have all been a part of (and contributed to) marks perhaps the best illustration of the contradictions which lie at the heart of all individuals. It will be our job to explore the horrors and joys of this era over the next several months, and perhaps find answers to how we have arrived here in the year 2000."
Opening statements made by historian Professor Kendall Ward at Zellar University, Indianapolis
August 9th, 2000
August 9th, 2000
A WORLD
WITH NO WORLD WARS
The World at the dawn of 3rd millennium
Countries by Population (2000)
1. India - 1,334,218,000
2. China - 1,038,617,000
3. Russia - 417,399,000
4. Turkey - 221,779,000
5. United States - 189,789,000
6. Mexico - 123,908,000
7. Japan - 93,522,000
8. Vietnam - 91,431,000
9. Germany - 90,990,000
10. France - 85,096,000
WITH NO WORLD WARS
The World at the dawn of 3rd millennium
Countries by Population (2000)
1. India - 1,334,218,000
2. China - 1,038,617,000
3. Russia - 417,399,000
4. Turkey - 221,779,000
5. United States - 189,789,000
6. Mexico - 123,908,000
7. Japan - 93,522,000
8. Vietnam - 91,431,000
9. Germany - 90,990,000
10. France - 85,096,000
As of the year 2000, the world population stands at an estimated 5.706 billion individuals, with the majority of them living in the continent of Asia which hosts five of the worlds ten most populated countries. Of these five, India stands head-and-above the competition with an astounding 1.334 billion individuals calling the country home - a fourfold increase from its population of 294 million at the beginning of the 20th century. Second to India is the Chinese Republic which reached the one billion-mark at the very end of the century. Whereas it held the title as the most-population country through most of recorded history, a series of tragedies swept the country during the 1900s which severely levelled its population and growth rate; the human and natural disasters of the Warlord Era (1916 to 1931), the Far Eastern War (1945 to 1950), and the two famines during the Cai Zexian regime (1969 to 1970; 1975 to 1979). In total it is estimated that between 150 million and a staggering 300 million Chinese died in total as a result of these disasters, thus completing the demographic trend which saw India become the World's most populace nation in the year 1981.
At the economic and cultural center of the world lies the continent of Europe with its population of an estimated 822 million persons living in 28 sovereign states. Of these, the Russian Empire (including the sovereign territories of Poland and Finland) retain the position it held in 1900 as the most well-populated state with 329 million souls living in the bounds of geographical Europe (leaving the remaining 88 million in the Asian regions of Siberia and Turkestan). The German Empire comes in second with its metropole being home to almost 91 million individuals, followed more distantly by the compound state of Austria-Hungary with its total population of 71 million. Further down the list (in terms of European metropole) is Italy (61 million), France (56 million), the United Kingdom (62 million), and Spain (45 million).
Further south comes Africa, many countries having only been liberated from the yoke of European colonialism by 15-to-20 years. As a result of Africa's colonial century (1885 to 1985), the population on the continent has experienced significant shifts in growth as a result of external forces and internal disasters; the two most consequential in recent history being the rise of Kolle's Disease (from 1970 onwards) and the Great Hunger (1980 to 1987) which has killed an estimated 40 million individuals over 30 years. Despite these tragedies (and the totality of colonialism's effects), Africa has still experienced remarkable demographic growth over the 20th century; a population of 568 million in 2000 dwarfing its 1900 population of 140 million - a fourfold increase over a period of a hundred years.
The remainder of the world, particularly the Americas and the Pacific, has maintained similar growth over the course of the 20th century. One particular exception to this is the United States and the countries of the former United Communes which have been witness to population reductions in the 1930s (as a result of the Second American Civil War and the Guerras Rojas) and recently still the mass emigration which has arisen as a result of the collapse of the socialist regimes after 1980. In between these two seminal events lies the so-called 'Red Era of the Americas' (approx. 1940 to 1990) in which movement of peoples was relatively closed and immigration highly restricted to those considered 'politically desirable'. As a result, the continents which saw massive growth during the 1800s have stagnated demographically over the past hundred years, and the population of the New World stands at an estimated 478 million; a threefold increase since 1900.
Countries by Economic Strength (2000)¹
GDP (NOMINAL)
1. Russia - $7.274 trillion
2. Germany - $6.545 trillion
3. United Kingdom - $3.152 trillion
4. Austria-Hungary - $2.227 trillion
5. India - $2.098 trillion
6. Turkey - $2.053 trillion
7. France - $1.956 trillion
8. Italy - $1.804 trillion
9. United States - $1.138 trillion
10. China - $976 billion
GDP (NOMINAL)
1. Russia - $7.274 trillion
2. Germany - $6.545 trillion
3. United Kingdom - $3.152 trillion
4. Austria-Hungary - $2.227 trillion
5. India - $2.098 trillion
6. Turkey - $2.053 trillion
7. France - $1.956 trillion
8. Italy - $1.804 trillion
9. United States - $1.138 trillion
10. China - $976 billion
The world at the dawn of the 21st century has many superficial similarities to the dawn of the 20th; a world dominated by European commercial centres and influenced heavily by Smithian economic practices. The resemblances largely end there however, as the internals of the century-just-passed make evident the remarkable (and in many ways revolutionary) developments which occured economically throughout the 1900s; from the First and Second Protectionist Era (1930s to 1950s; 1970s), the growth of international trade and private business practices, the Labour Era (1980s and 1990s), the socialist practices of the Red Era of the Americas, and the captive markets of the Colonial World, each impacted the lives of all mankind significantly over the past hundred years.
In Europe - the nexus point of the World's commercial activity - is the continent with the largest economy, in terms of both standards of living and overall economic pull. Hosting six of the ten largest economies in the World, Europe (in particular the Big Five of London, Berlin, Paris, Vienna, and Saint Petersburg) retains the position as the primary center of gravity in regards to the global economic state of affairs, with most transactions occurring in some form of European language, custom, and currency. With the death of the Gold Standard from the 1940s to 1980s, a laissez-faire floating standard has been introduced which has seen several European economies attain an ascendancy in regard to international finance. As of the year 2000 the composition of the currencies held as foreign reserve all have central banks residing in Europe; the British Pound (51.6% of reserves), German Mark (23.4%), French Franc (8.8%), and Russian Rouble (7.5%), and Ottoman Lira (3.9%).
Outside of Europe, the position of the world economic situation is stable and growing, though in some cases remains precarious or in decline. The Americas and Africa have been affected most by political-economic influences over the course of the 20th century, as the application of the 'labour model of socialism' hamstrung Anglo- and Latin-American growth after 1940, and the colonial captive markets wrenched growth from the hands of African labourers. In the former case, the means of production was placed (largely) into the hands of local unions/syndicates, with regulation implemented by the state; the end result being a byzantine system of bureaucracy and organisational rivalry which resulted in anaemic growth until liberalisation in the late-80s. In the latter case, colonial economic systems sequestered the majority of wealth produced by colonised peoples until the 1980s; the 'requisition of assets' (i.e. purposeful deindustrialisation of African colonies) which occured following the end of direct European rule contributed heavily to the 'Great African Famine' (1980 to 1987) and is responsible for the continued reliance on European manufactured goods felt by many African countries today.
Besides the obvious exception of the socialist economies the Red Era Americas, it has become clear that the Eurocentric mode of capitalist production has become transcendent over the period of 1900 to 1999. However, despite the outwardly universal nature of this system as it stands in 2000, shifts in Western philosophy and developments in industrial modes of production have rendered the descriptor "liberal capitalism" all but precise; several broad ideological divisions existing within the recognised confines of the term. From distributism to Smithian economics, from market socialism to corporatism; almost all economic systems have been tied into the broad economic megastructure which is now referred to by many names, most especially the 'Liberal Regime'.
NOTES
1. Due to the more convoluted nature of the financial system in TTL, I will be using the United States Dollar (its value c. 2000) as the point of reference in this timeline.
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