How about changing the early history of Russia? If the Rurikids got more Swedish immigration, and more of the local nobles/merchants and eventually peasants started speaking 'Swedish' (although it would end up being a very different language from OTL's Swedish), and at some point some king unifies all the 'Swedish' lands, you could end up with *Sweden owning much of north Asia... OTL, of course, the rulers assimilated to the Slavic peasants rather than the other way around...But wouldn't that just end up making Sweden Russia with another name? after all, it's not like the Swedes could hope to integrate anywhere near that population, and trying to hold onto it runs into the same problem as a Scottish UK, the center of power will just shift southeast due to the overwhelming population disparity. If Sweden ever democratizes then the actual Swedish heartland could be safely ignored by everyone, and if it doesn't and nationalism shows up as OTL then you've got Austria Hungary on steroids but with only one unified unrepresented group.
How could Sweden, or some derivative of it, conquer all of North Asia. Obviously it would have to have Eastern Europe minus the Balkans as well.
POD can be any time before 1900. Sweden owning all of North Asia by 2000.
If Sweden ever democratizes then the actual Swedish heartland could be safely ignored by everyone, and if it doesn't and nationalism shows up as OTL then you've got Austria Hungary on steroids but with only one unified unrepresented group.
I guess you could get something like that if you introduce a warm period instead of a little ice age in the 1600s. Get some Swedes to start colonising Finnmark and Kola and spread eastwards in the molty ice-free northeast passage to control the fur trade. Also make fur all the rage in the colder southern European countries (a sa result of the wierd climate) and you might perhaps get something along these lines.
Swedish victory in the Great Northern War.
After defeating the Russians at Narva in 1700, Charles the XII maintains his focus on Russia, rather than drawing Poland-Lithuania into the conflict. The fall of Novgorod and Archangelsk and a protracted seige of Moscow leave Peter I with little choice but to offer favorable terms of surrender.
Sweden, now the undisputed Baltic hegemon, expands eastward to exploit Siberia's furry resources. Russia, though weakened by its lack of Baltic or White Sea ports, turns it attention south. St. Petersburg is founded on the Black Sea and serves as the Russia's capital until Constantinople is taken less than a century later, and Byzantium is reborn.
What about a PoD in 1470?
In 1470, Sten Sture the Elder won battle of Brunkeberg and took Sweden out of Kalmar Union.
In two wars, 1471 and 1478, Muscovy conquered the Republic of Great Novgorod. And accused Novgorod of plotting to ally with Poland.
WI Novgorod allies with Sweden instead, and Sten Sture successfully repels Ivan III?
Um - it did!However, with some initial successes, I believe it can take and hold Karelia and Finland.
Well - heavily influenced.Which can be culturally absorbed over time.
They did.And if those successes also include more lands around the Baltic
, Sweden will have a much better population base.
A Sweden wich includes the Karelia/Finland area has good access to Nothern Siberia through the White Sea and great Siberian Rivers.