So watching those recap movies, made me recall a lot of headcanons and 'additional lore' I had thought up as a backstory for the world of Code Geass, which helped explain the weirdness of Geass' overall timeline and background. I saw we already had a thread for this, but since its way old, I decided to make a new one which wouldn't be just for my thoughts, but others who could make an input, especially since we're supposed to be getting either an R3 or a 'epilogue movie'. Bear in mind, some of this is inspired by various Geass scenarios I've read throughout the years (including some from the old thread), so if you see some familiarity, don't be surprised.
Keep in mind, some of this will be contradicting official lore... which often contradicts itself anyway.
PoD is a smaller and failed American Revolution, everything else is largely Britannian propaganda. There aren't actually 99 Emperors, its just that the former Kings of Great Britain were also tacked on as 'legacy' Emperors, along with mythological figures like "Alwyn I" and Arthur. The ruling dynasty is the House of Hanover, exiled after losing the Napoleonic Wars to North America. Eventually it renamed itself to the 'House of Britannia', to further relate to its new holdings. It adopted a GoT-like law where even if there is a matrilineal marriage as a result of a female heir, the dynasty maintains the same name, hence 'our bloodline immortal and pure'. Taking a page from the Bonapartes' book, they largely ruled via populism and nationalism. The Social Darwinism is a recent thing and came under Charles' reign and was largely a result of the Emblem of Blood Era. The whole 'Emblem of Blood' actually added a lot to the number of Emperors, besides the legacy styling. Pendragon's either on the East Coast, or wasn't Britannia's first capital. Could be a summer palace of sorts, even, if it has to be in Arizona.
Meanwhile in Europe, the French Empire consolidated. It likely had a revolving door switching of government systems, where it was Imperial for awhile until it became Revolutionary Republican again. The EU wouldn't form for awhile. Germany would remain divided between Prussia, Austria and a French-influenced Rhine Confederacy. I'm actually not sure what would become of the British Isles, but either a republic or a Stuart restoration, with the condition of a Napoleonic marriage. Britain, either as a whole or divided into England and Scotland, would pretty much be an appendage of French interests. I suspect there might even be a 'French Gibraltar', either Cornwall or the Isle of Man. France would want to keep the European-based Brits in line, even if it can't touch the North American ones.
During the 19th Century, you'd still get the colonial competition and conflicts between Great Powers. France would obviously get the lion's share of Africa, but other European powers like the Dutch, Prussians and Austrians might benefit some as well. France would be a Britain-type of power, but just like the OTL UK, it would have competition from the rest of Europe, and would avoid antagonizing everyone. Hell it might even let the Euro-British and Irish get some colonies, since they'd be proxies of French policy anyway. I'd have a Great Game between France, Britannia and Russia over India and Central Asia, which resulted in everyone losing out and a modernized China profiting by the early 20th Century, taking India in its sphere of influence. For China itself to grow into the Chinese Federation, I'd have Qing China continue on as in OTL, collapse, and have the KMT and Chiang Kai-Shek take the reigns. Having a more successful Napoleon as his inspiration, he would proclaim himself the new Chinese Emperor. This would explain Tianzi's actual name, Jiang Lihua, as the Romanized version of Chiang Kai-Shek is... Jiang Jieshi. I know, butterflies and all would make it unlikely for Chiang to not only be born, but also to have the exact same life, but this is Code Geass we're talking about. Napoleon isn't a certainty with a PoD in the American Revolution, it gets even worse if we assume the PoD is in Roman times.
Meanwhile in America, you get Manifest Destiny mixed with a drive for British Imperialism. Britannia actually isn't as huge as depicted, as I theorize those maps include the variety of puppets under Pendragon, Paris and Beijing's control. At best, Britannia proper would include North America up to and including Panama. South America would be a mix of caudillo regimes that by the time of the anime, largely answer to Pendragon. The influence is of the soft sort, but they send troops to Britannia's wars anyway, since their leaders get Britannian pounds for it. They'd basically be Britannia's hired guns, and here I'd have Brazil still under the Braganzas propped up by Britannian guns, and still claiming to rule the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves, even though they'd only really have Brazil. Maybe there can be some kind of rump Spanish Empire here too, either in Colombia, Peru or Argentina, both them and the Brazilians being a parallel to the Britannians.
Britannia isn't as isolationist as OTL America, and actually does team up with Russia and other European powers in an attempt to regain its homeland, all failing. I'd say that under Charles or Lelouch, Britannia does succeed in taking back the Isles, but this is temporary as after the Zero Requiem, they're lost once again. Under Nunnally and her successors, they're still claimed, but no real effort is made into regaining them as most Britannians see North America as their actual homeland by now. Think Byzantium. It did still claim to be the Roman Empire, but reclaiming Rome proper wasn't very high on its list of priorities. Going by the anime, I'd say Britannian culture wouldn't be that alien. Rather, it'd be a mix of OTL British and Anglo-American cultures. Imperialism and traditional monarchism remain a staple of their society even post-Lelouch, though they return back to their 'reasonable' sort, instead of the crazy Social Darwinism preached by Charles. To go with the parallels, I would have an American Civil War-esque event in the 19th Century. I'd have it be the result of Britannia abolishing slavery, and the southern states rise up in revolt. To give their rebellion legitimacy, they claim to be the Second United States of America. They are thoroughly destroyed as the OTL Confederates, and Britannian Reconstruction largely ends any revolutionary settlement in North America, along with the fact that the second generation of rebels that took up Washington's cause were literal slavers. A lot of Revolutionaries, both the original ones and of the second sort would end up taking refuge in Australia, which would have a higher population than OTL, being more powerful as a result, though still nowhere near the OTL USA. Enough to enforce armed neutrality, but not enough to be a real game changer in any conflict. A lot of immigrants seeking a new life would likely go to Australia, while Britannia is made up of British exiles and assimilated Latinos in Mexico and Central America. The South American states get some immigration, but it isn't much.
The anime has a flashback to some WW1-like warfare, so around the 1900s-1910s, I'd have tensions escalate into a European War involving France and its puppets against a unified German Bloc. It needs to happen over a long period of time, and to have Britannia distracted enough, so at around the same time I'd have the First Pacific War take place, which would be Britannia vs Japan Round 1, resulting in the Japanese Empire getting divided by Britannia and the resurgent China under Chiang. Around the WW2-equivalent, I'd have the Emblem of Blood Era take place, so a Britannian civil war that leads to Charles taking the throne. The European Union/Europia United is finally formed, which includes Europe up to Western Russia. Siberia wouldn't be annexed by Britannia for whatever reason, but it would be the location of a rump Tsarist regime, propped up by the Britannians. 'Euro-Britannia' in Akito the Exiled, which has borders roughly that of OTL Russia would just be the Britannian-aligned Russian Empire regaining territory. The term 'Euro-Britannia' would be a derogatory one used by the French as means of referring to Britannia's European puppets and allies, which would include Russia as mentioned and potentially one of the Germanies going for a round three. An encirclement strategy of Tsarist Russia invading from the East while Britannia goes D-Day on Western Europe would be why the EU is losing so badly in the anime, rather than an overstretched space-filling Britannia.
China would take the place of Japan, with India taking the place of OTL China. The Imperial Federation of East Asia (commonly referred to Chinese Federation anyway, it would be China's version of the GEACPS) would dominate the region after the fall of Japan in the First Pacific War.
Keep in mind, some of this will be contradicting official lore... which often contradicts itself anyway.
PoD is a smaller and failed American Revolution, everything else is largely Britannian propaganda. There aren't actually 99 Emperors, its just that the former Kings of Great Britain were also tacked on as 'legacy' Emperors, along with mythological figures like "Alwyn I" and Arthur. The ruling dynasty is the House of Hanover, exiled after losing the Napoleonic Wars to North America. Eventually it renamed itself to the 'House of Britannia', to further relate to its new holdings. It adopted a GoT-like law where even if there is a matrilineal marriage as a result of a female heir, the dynasty maintains the same name, hence 'our bloodline immortal and pure'. Taking a page from the Bonapartes' book, they largely ruled via populism and nationalism. The Social Darwinism is a recent thing and came under Charles' reign and was largely a result of the Emblem of Blood Era. The whole 'Emblem of Blood' actually added a lot to the number of Emperors, besides the legacy styling. Pendragon's either on the East Coast, or wasn't Britannia's first capital. Could be a summer palace of sorts, even, if it has to be in Arizona.
Meanwhile in Europe, the French Empire consolidated. It likely had a revolving door switching of government systems, where it was Imperial for awhile until it became Revolutionary Republican again. The EU wouldn't form for awhile. Germany would remain divided between Prussia, Austria and a French-influenced Rhine Confederacy. I'm actually not sure what would become of the British Isles, but either a republic or a Stuart restoration, with the condition of a Napoleonic marriage. Britain, either as a whole or divided into England and Scotland, would pretty much be an appendage of French interests. I suspect there might even be a 'French Gibraltar', either Cornwall or the Isle of Man. France would want to keep the European-based Brits in line, even if it can't touch the North American ones.
During the 19th Century, you'd still get the colonial competition and conflicts between Great Powers. France would obviously get the lion's share of Africa, but other European powers like the Dutch, Prussians and Austrians might benefit some as well. France would be a Britain-type of power, but just like the OTL UK, it would have competition from the rest of Europe, and would avoid antagonizing everyone. Hell it might even let the Euro-British and Irish get some colonies, since they'd be proxies of French policy anyway. I'd have a Great Game between France, Britannia and Russia over India and Central Asia, which resulted in everyone losing out and a modernized China profiting by the early 20th Century, taking India in its sphere of influence. For China itself to grow into the Chinese Federation, I'd have Qing China continue on as in OTL, collapse, and have the KMT and Chiang Kai-Shek take the reigns. Having a more successful Napoleon as his inspiration, he would proclaim himself the new Chinese Emperor. This would explain Tianzi's actual name, Jiang Lihua, as the Romanized version of Chiang Kai-Shek is... Jiang Jieshi. I know, butterflies and all would make it unlikely for Chiang to not only be born, but also to have the exact same life, but this is Code Geass we're talking about. Napoleon isn't a certainty with a PoD in the American Revolution, it gets even worse if we assume the PoD is in Roman times.
Meanwhile in America, you get Manifest Destiny mixed with a drive for British Imperialism. Britannia actually isn't as huge as depicted, as I theorize those maps include the variety of puppets under Pendragon, Paris and Beijing's control. At best, Britannia proper would include North America up to and including Panama. South America would be a mix of caudillo regimes that by the time of the anime, largely answer to Pendragon. The influence is of the soft sort, but they send troops to Britannia's wars anyway, since their leaders get Britannian pounds for it. They'd basically be Britannia's hired guns, and here I'd have Brazil still under the Braganzas propped up by Britannian guns, and still claiming to rule the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves, even though they'd only really have Brazil. Maybe there can be some kind of rump Spanish Empire here too, either in Colombia, Peru or Argentina, both them and the Brazilians being a parallel to the Britannians.
Britannia isn't as isolationist as OTL America, and actually does team up with Russia and other European powers in an attempt to regain its homeland, all failing. I'd say that under Charles or Lelouch, Britannia does succeed in taking back the Isles, but this is temporary as after the Zero Requiem, they're lost once again. Under Nunnally and her successors, they're still claimed, but no real effort is made into regaining them as most Britannians see North America as their actual homeland by now. Think Byzantium. It did still claim to be the Roman Empire, but reclaiming Rome proper wasn't very high on its list of priorities. Going by the anime, I'd say Britannian culture wouldn't be that alien. Rather, it'd be a mix of OTL British and Anglo-American cultures. Imperialism and traditional monarchism remain a staple of their society even post-Lelouch, though they return back to their 'reasonable' sort, instead of the crazy Social Darwinism preached by Charles. To go with the parallels, I would have an American Civil War-esque event in the 19th Century. I'd have it be the result of Britannia abolishing slavery, and the southern states rise up in revolt. To give their rebellion legitimacy, they claim to be the Second United States of America. They are thoroughly destroyed as the OTL Confederates, and Britannian Reconstruction largely ends any revolutionary settlement in North America, along with the fact that the second generation of rebels that took up Washington's cause were literal slavers. A lot of Revolutionaries, both the original ones and of the second sort would end up taking refuge in Australia, which would have a higher population than OTL, being more powerful as a result, though still nowhere near the OTL USA. Enough to enforce armed neutrality, but not enough to be a real game changer in any conflict. A lot of immigrants seeking a new life would likely go to Australia, while Britannia is made up of British exiles and assimilated Latinos in Mexico and Central America. The South American states get some immigration, but it isn't much.
The anime has a flashback to some WW1-like warfare, so around the 1900s-1910s, I'd have tensions escalate into a European War involving France and its puppets against a unified German Bloc. It needs to happen over a long period of time, and to have Britannia distracted enough, so at around the same time I'd have the First Pacific War take place, which would be Britannia vs Japan Round 1, resulting in the Japanese Empire getting divided by Britannia and the resurgent China under Chiang. Around the WW2-equivalent, I'd have the Emblem of Blood Era take place, so a Britannian civil war that leads to Charles taking the throne. The European Union/Europia United is finally formed, which includes Europe up to Western Russia. Siberia wouldn't be annexed by Britannia for whatever reason, but it would be the location of a rump Tsarist regime, propped up by the Britannians. 'Euro-Britannia' in Akito the Exiled, which has borders roughly that of OTL Russia would just be the Britannian-aligned Russian Empire regaining territory. The term 'Euro-Britannia' would be a derogatory one used by the French as means of referring to Britannia's European puppets and allies, which would include Russia as mentioned and potentially one of the Germanies going for a round three. An encirclement strategy of Tsarist Russia invading from the East while Britannia goes D-Day on Western Europe would be why the EU is losing so badly in the anime, rather than an overstretched space-filling Britannia.
China would take the place of Japan, with India taking the place of OTL China. The Imperial Federation of East Asia (commonly referred to Chinese Federation anyway, it would be China's version of the GEACPS) would dominate the region after the fall of Japan in the First Pacific War.
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