Okay, this is my first post, so don't be too hard on me. I have been lurking around for awhile, and have enjoyed reading the thoughts and ideas of so many of you. And now I would love to read your ideas on this challenge. I am trying to create an alternative Europe roughly existing between the mid 19th and mid 20th centuries in which all of Europe (including Russia and the British Isles) is divided into three empires (or better yet countries). Each country has a fairly identifiable culture, language, religion, and to a certain extent, ethnicity. Your challenge is to determine the boundaries of each country, and determine what language, religion, etc. exists in each country. Finally, is there any possible way starting with a POD of sometime after about 400 AD for Europe to end up like this., and how could it have happened.