This flag would not sit well w/Californians, I'm afraid.![]()
Indeed, I fear it would not!
This flag would not sit well w/Californians, I'm afraid.![]()
Here is a crappy paint concept for a possible flag for that scenario. Warning, I suck at paint, art and design.![]()
This flag would not sit well w/Californians, I'm afraid.![]()
Also, consider the possibility of Russia not selling Alaska to the US, and the break-up occurring during the Russian Revolution, with Alaska falling under the control of the White Army and declaring independence as part of a government in exile.
What if you had a POD with prison camps made in what would later become Beringia, and with the Russian Civil War the prisoners, perhaps with some Marxist or Populist political prisoners, overpower the guards, declaring an independent state? If there's a few fishing towns or whatever, they can commandeer boats for their "navy" and for transport over the Straits. Yes, it wouldn't properly function as a state, but it would be very interesting. Or you could possibly have sailors from a battleship in a similar situation to the Potemkin going to Beringia and helping with the creation of the state. It wouldn't be a very strong administration, and likely wouldn't last too long without some strange diplomatic reason for being propped up by someone else, but it would be very, very cool. If it stayed around a few generations, you could even have a caste system with the Russian prisoners and servicemen on top, along with their children, mostly the result of intermarriages with the local Yupik women, and the purer Yupiks on the bottom. Could result in ethnic issues in a supposedly Communist state.
Extra cool if Beringia is administered from the permanently docked (lack of fuel and probably maintenance) ship.
Alternatively, you could have the Russians not ignore the gold in favour of fur trading, and have an earlier gold rush. The problem is this would likely involve an influx of American settlers. Perhaps have a situation with a Russian/Yupik Beringia, and an American Alaska, kinda like how Texas broke off from Mexico?
For an independent Kodiak Island, perhaps a small group of religious zealots, or some sort of cult, make their way to Kodiak Island as self-imposed isolation? They preserve their autonomy by giving the Russian govt. furs as a form of tribute (heavily regulated of course to keep out outside influence) and in the anarchy of the RCW, get de facto independence?
That's indeed a problem, but it's only a problem if Russia is a big country that reaches to Siberia... but... in my alternate history world I think I won't make a 'Russia' at all. We'll have Siberia, Novgorod, Ural Republic, Tatarstan, Tsardom of Muscovy, Republic of Smolensk, State of Komi, and many Caucasus states... So, then the problem isn't really there anymore.About Kamchatka, I'm sure others could come up with better ideas than me. The problem with Kamchatka is that it's connected to Russia by land, where Russia can power project, but without Russia ever taking it, it won't be able to develop into a state.
Yes, I'll use many ideas and they're indeed cool!Hope that helps. I would love it if you use some of these ideas, because I think they're ultra-cool![]()
Thanks! Nice to know your ideas are appreciated!although, if you have such a balkanised Russia, it's unlikely to have the RCW etc... impossible infact. Unless that balkanisation is after the RCW, in which case they'll likely be de facto independent warlords, such as in China, not de jure. And I don't see Kamchatka becoming an independent state without Russia having control sometime before. Kamchatka was inhabited by a bunch of native peoples, who outnumbered the ethnic Russians by the time of the RCW, and even later. If they never had contact with Russia, they won't just spontaneously create a European-style nation state.
Also, with Russia, try to make any Balkanisation semi-realistic. Due to horizontal bands of terrain (taiga, steppe etc) and the river systems, West to East expansion is impossible to prevent. The Urals are the only thing slowing Russian expansion into Siberia, and even then... I wouldn't have a problem with, say, a Cossack federation in the Eastern Ukraine and the Rostov-Don area. The Caucasus states are definitely plausible. May I suggest a pan-Vainakh state? But a Republic of Smolensk will almost certainly be absorbed by Muscovy, or possibly Novgorod. And what happens to Poland, Belarus, Finland and Central Asia?
I forgot something like Yakutia.Siberia, Novgorod, Ural Republic, Tatarstan, Tsardom of Muscovy, Republic of Smolensk, State of Komi, and many Caucasus states...
No problemit's shorthand here for "Russian Civil War".
PS Are you from Croatia? Or was it just a funny wordplay with Hrvatski and Kiwi?
And what about a civil war that takes place between a few, or most, of those states...?if you have such a balkanised Russia, it's unlikely to have the RCW etc... impossible infact.
Firstly, a Russian Civil War isn't really possible, because my novel takes place around 1800. What ís possible, is a sort of different war as described above, before let's say 1750.Unless that balkanisation is after the RCW, in which case they'll likely be de facto independent warlords, such as in China, not de jure. And I don't see Kamchatka becoming an independent state without Russia having control sometime before. Kamchatka was inhabited by a bunch of native peoples, who outnumbered the ethnic Russians by the time of the RCW, and even later. If they never had contact with Russia, they won't just spontaneously create a European-style nation state.
Of course, I'll always try to make everything as realistic as possible, but when my ideas are just amazing, but not plausible enough, then I mostly succumb to my fantasy...Also, with Russia, try to make any Balkanisation semi-realistic.
That's indeed true... good that you noted that... But, what if there is a strong, united Ural state in the south of the Ural and the very northern part being a Komi state...? Wouldn't that slow down the expansion of the wealthier states in the west, because in my novel, the Industrial Revolution and everything around that is also later and slower, so that would perhaps also alter the situation.Due to horizontal bands of terrain (taiga, steppe etc) and the river systems, West to East expansion is impossible to prevent. The Urals are the only thing slowing Russian expansion into Siberia, and even then...
Yeah... I hadn't thought about the Cossacks...I wouldn't have a problem with, say, a Cossack federation in the Eastern Ukraine and the Rostov-Don area.
Well, then I in fact don't have to say anything about that, and it actually reassures me, because I really like to make states like Ingushetia, Dagestan, Abchazia, Chechenya etc. etc. - it would really have been a pity if that'd be implausible too. (I may have written the names of these states incorrecly, but I assume you can understand whyThe Caucasus states are definitely plausible.
A what??? ... Well, that's why we have wikipedia.org, I'll look it up...May I suggest a pan-Vainakh state?
No ...But a Republic of Smolensk will almost certainly be absorbed by Muscovy, or possibly Novgorod.
Poland is always difficult (I went there last summer, by the way)...And what happens to Poland, ...
Well, roughly the same as present-day Belarus. Possibly like this.Belarus, ...
Finland 'proper' will be independent, and rich and wealthy.Finland ...
That's one of the most difficult questions you could ask. Go to a thread I currently started about a possible Turkestan state and find more information in the last post there (don't confuse it with 'The Last Post', the World War I memorial thing which is every day in the Belgian city of Ypres, where I went a few weeks ago on holiday - impressing war sites and museums, I must say).and Central Asia?
No, I don't think so.Just did a quick internet search, and Belarus was only fully under Russian control OTL in 1795. In your TL, has there ever been a Russia, or not?
First option.Would your Ural Republic be a state of Uralic native peoples, or by ethnic Russians who have established their own state there?
Okay, good, thanks.Although I've only had a cursory glance at Komi history, it seems plausible to have a state there, if Russia is disunited. Only in 1860 was the Great Perm 'too Russian for reversal'.
I'll certainly include them!The Cossacks have to be there. They just have to. Although it'll be interesting to see how you have it turn out, because it's very complex, and heavily dependent on the context of your backstory.
Oh, why? Because that'd be really a pity...Not having a united Vainakh state isn't that big a deal. Nationalism hasn't become very strong at this time OTL, and may be butterflied away for many years, again dependent on your PoD. I imagine being separated, isolated settlements in mountainous valleys would only have small "states" which are more like independent towns or tribes. I wouldn't make them states like Ingushetia, Chechnya etc. though, thats not realistic in this time period.
Have a good night rest (it's 3:11 pm here)!I'm very tired at the moment (its 3:00 am here)
Thanks!and I'll think more about how to make Smolensk stronger tomorrow. Maybe a particularly good leader? Or some dynastic tie with Moscow? Just need a reason to make Smolensk more important than Moscow.
Because of the following reasons:Why is Karelia not part of Finland?
Same reasons! Why no independence? It still will be a puppet state, don't forget that.And the Sami should probably be an autonomous part of Finland, not an independent state.
Yeah, that time difference is quite confusing, isn't it? But anyway, I really appreaciate your amazing contribution!With Central Asia, you should keep it a place of hordes or nomads, perhaps with a few city states. I'll think more about it tomorrow (well, this afternoon)