Challenge: Balkanized Earth

With a POD no earlier than the beginning of the First World War, try to have at least three hundred independent states in the world by 2005. They must have control over their territory (if not all of what they claim), they must full control over their own foreign affairs and defense, and they must have a wide degree of legal recognition.
 
Russian civil war does not end in definite victory of any side (Whites or Reds). It becomes bloody stalemate with statelets with pretty arbitrary borders (but generally sticking to natural economic regions) claiming to be "lawful government of Russia". By 1925 League of Nations decides to recognize each statelet separately. Ukraine splits in two (Galicia and Ukrainian Republic), Russia generates about one to two dozen statelets (Northwestern Russia, Northern Russia, Central Russia, Southwestern Russia, Stavropol, Rostov Republic, Middle Volga, Lower Volga, Ural, 3 or 4 Siberias, Far Eastern Republic), Central Azia becomes maze of small Khanates plus Democratic Republic of Turkestan (capital - Tashkent). Break up of China happens much in the same way, with warlords, emboldened by Russian example, lobby and bribe for the international recognition. 3 or 4 decades later, with dusk of colonialism, same thing happens to India (with all princely states remaining intact) and Africa (Somalia can produce half-dozen statelets alone and I'm scared to think about Congo).

Do I get a cookie? :)
 
Russian civil war does not end in definite victory of any side (Whites or Reds). It becomes bloody stalemate with statelets with pretty arbitrary borders (but generally sticking to natural economic regions) claiming to be "lawful government of Russia". By 1925 League of Nations decides to recognize each statelet separately. Ukraine splits in two (Galicia and Ukrainian Republic), Russia generates about one to two dozen statelets (Northwestern Russia, Northern Russia, Central Russia, Southwestern Russia, Stavropol, Rostov Republic, Middle Volga, Lower Volga, Ural, 3 or 4 Siberias, Far Eastern Republic), Central Azia becomes maze of small Khanates plus Democratic Republic of Turkestan (capital - Tashkent). Break up of China happens much in the same way, with warlords, emboldened by Russian example, lobby and bribe for the international recognition. 3 or 4 decades later, with dusk of colonialism, same thing happens to India (with all princely states remaining intact) and Africa (Somalia can produce half-dozen statelets alone and I'm scared to think about Congo).

Do I get a cookie? :)

Also, in the Weimar Republic immediately following World War I, there was quite a bit of chaos. Bavaria declared independence. Allow that rebellion to succeed, as well as a few others or just have the Entente split up Germany as part of the terms. The Spanish Civil War can result in a stalemate, with both sides forming hostile countries each claiming ot be Spain. Canadian Goose made a good point in bringing up Colonialism. That can also be applied to Southeast Asia, with Indonesia alone splitting into several rival nations. After World War II, have the Pacific Islands that are gaining their independence more divided, thus resulting in more tiny island nations.
 
In the meantime, Russian and German refugees flood Switzerland, which, under severe stress, dissolves and makes all its cantons independent.

Although that's pretty ASB, I think...
 
300+ nations... it can be done, but it's gunna be hard to get it, plausible, in a post-1900 POD.

Several ways I can think of:
Have a nuclear war, utterly devastating the entire world. Each group of survivors forms their own nation.

Many devastating wars take place in Europe. After four or five WWI-sized conflicts, most nations reach their breaking point and split apart. That's a good eighty or so nations there. Have the empires fall, fast and hard, with rival rebellions springing up everywhere. Each of the rebellions settles for a separate portion of their newly-independent territories. Now, we've about another two hundred or so nations. China stays ruled by warlords. Another ten or so. Great Depression goes far too hard on America, and America balkanises, inevitably taking Canada and Mexico with it. There's another thirty countries. Ther you go.

Or, just simply have a revolution in thought whereupon the world realizes the feudal system, or at the very least, a very large amount of independent mini-nations is the best course of action.

A is plausible. B is plausible, but unlikely. C is close to ASB, but still within the wide realm of possibility.
 
anarchism gains popularity in the Russian revolution, and it breaks up into dozens if not hundreds of small anarchist communes. the Black Revolution (no racism intended) spreads outward, and most develop nations go on a devolution-spree and break down. voila, many hundreds of tiny nations. kind of like monarchy world (the broken parts of it) on steroids.
 
One thing that could cause even greater havoc would be the introduction of a deadlier strain of Spanish influenza in 1918. The cultural and political impact of disease killing 1/3 of the world's population as apposed to the 10% (c.180 million in OTL) would be incalculable in terms of the chaos created. Just remember that with the amount of deaths involved, the industrial and agricultural capabilities of countries begins to collapse, leading to famine, wars, and economic collapse. Also, with disease comes the isolationist and xenophobic policies necessary for the collapse of certain nations....
 
Top