DBWI: Continued Terran Empire

Ah yes, the favorite topic of Alternate Timelines on the forum. What would have happened to this Empire if it hadn't been consumed by nuclear fire in the 1970's? We all know about the unholy trinity by now. It inherited its naval power from the British Empire after its collapse, early in its history it had the world's best cavalry force (thanks to it's cavalry tactics and the vast pastures it controlled) and its mastery of siege warfare. It's often been said that it was the combination of the Viking's naval dominance with the Mongols land dominance.

Despite that there were a few problems towards the end. The Kalgoorlie uprising got within a few kilometers of its capital at Perth. They lost the Terra South East coast to Germanic invasions. Northern Terra was depopulated by invaders at the beginning of the late Terran period.

It's rise to power was a bit strange too. With enough universes, unlikely things start to occur in at least a few of them. People have been saying that its improbable rise to power may mean we live in that part of the Multiverse.

OOC: Terra comes from the Terra in "Terra Australis"
 
Ooh, a Terra-wank. I just got done reading a timeline where it never existed because the British never colonized it in the 1500s so the Rome of the South surviving will be interesting. :)

First off, we would have to avoid the Second Apocalypse which might be difficult. It would only be a matter of time until some nutcase rose to challenge the Unholy Trinity with nuclear bombs so somehow that needs to be avoided. The seemingly most obvious solution is preventing the rise of Emperor Alexander II in Nova Byzantium, however, even without him someone else would probably come along to challenge civilization.

Secondly, Terra has to avoid internal collapse. This is pretty difficult if the First Apocalypse still happens, it absolutely devastated Terran society to the point that many just gave up on the Empire and wanted freedom from what they saw as a dying nation. That's why no successor government in the years since Terra's collapse has never been able to reunite the Empire. If you can avoid the First Apocalypse or just keep the Terrans out of it they could easily survive, however, no First Apocalypse is a whole other can of worms.
 
@ETGalaxy, well the Empire of the Tasmen seemed initially to be a pretty good contender for reestablishing the Terran Empire. Granted they're a barbaric splinter faction of the Terrans but hey, the Terrans were initially semi-barbaric offshoot of the British. They retook the radioactive wasteland that was Perth, most of the Terran continent and some of their overseas holdings. Too bad about the whole "using their political enemies as monument building material" issue. Perhaps if they hadn't lost their collective minds after the collapse they'd have been a better contender?

The Battle of Napacea always stuck me as weird. The Terrans brought such a large army to defend Perth after a nuclear war. Apparently telling your armed forces to keep moving can really save quite a large amount of your armed forces. Prior to the battle the militia really brought some heavy weapons to battle. Who keeps an APC in their community bunker? Apparently those folks.

So many of those alternate histories show that Terran remnant force under Jared Cavanagh re-founding the empire. I can see the appeal. Imagine, some revolting cities have been crushed under Cavanagh's iron heel, the Tasmen have been utterly surprised by the scale of his army and Cavanagh uttering, "you done F***ed up Sunny Jim". It would've been an interesting re-founding event for a new Terran Empire, instead of the last real battle of the Terran Empire. Pity how he went out in the end. What kind of person defects to the Tasmen anyway? Interested what you thought of their chances?
 
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@ETGalaxy, well the Empire of the Tasmen seemed initially to be a pretty good contender for reestablishing the Terran Empire. Granted they're a barbaric splinter faction of the Terrans but hey, the Terrans were initially semi-barbaric offshoot of the British. They retook the radioactive wasteland that was Perth, most of the Terran continent and some of their overseas holdings. Too bad about the whole "using their political enemies as monument building material" issue. Perhaps if they hadn't lost their collective minds after the collapse they'd have been a better contender?

The Battle of Napacea always stuck me as weird. The Terrans brought such a large army to defend Perth after a nuclear war. Apparently telling your armed forces to keep moving can really save quite a large amount of your armed forces. Prior to the battle the militia really brought some heavy weapons to battle. Who keeps an APC in their community bunker? Apparently those folks.

So many of those alternate histories show that Terran remnant force under Jared Cavanagh re-founding the empire. I can see the appeal. Imagine, some revolting cities have been crushed under Cavanagh's iron heel, the Tasmen have been utterly surprised by the scale of his army and Cavanagh uttering, "you done F***ed up Sunny Jim". It would've been an interesting re-founding event for a new Terran Empire, instead of the last real battle of the Terran Empire. Pity how he went out in the end. What kind of person defects to the Tasmen anyway? Interested what you thought of their chances?
In my opinion no one could reunite the Terran Empire, it was simply too big and the Empire's remnants had bigger things to worry about, mostly the effects of radiation. Maybe a strategic military genius could try to rebuild the Empire but it would take decades to do so and by that point much of the former Empire would have moved on and become a new nation with its own national identity free of Terra.
 
Perhaps we can stop the collapse in the first place? I think what might help is something strong to distract the Enochian Commonwealth over in South East Asia and Siberia. Fighting the Enochians exhausted the Terran Empire and their defeat at the battle Geata Órga (formerly Singapore) was the beginning of the end.

Perhaps the Admiral of the British home fleet doesn't defect to the French during the second Protestant Reformation? The Protestant warlords had almost overturned the Catholic government and the Admiral helped the French take charge rather than see Britain go Protestant. Britain never got free and the new French Empire became a thorn in the side of the Rurkir (reunified Kievan Rus'). The Rurikir up to that point had absorbed Eastern Europe, Central Europe and Scandinavia. They were ready to take the fight to the Enochians whilst the French and British were busy fighting each other.

Perhaps if the Enochians are weakened and the Terrans are strong the Suebian Republic wouldn't have felt so confident about pushing their claims on Terra South East?
 
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People really started to idolize parts of the Terran culture after its collapse. The Terrans pioneered Rock music but what happened after really got out of hand. Can't believe that a couple of generations on its turned into a type of classical music. I've heard tales from by great grandfather of a time when you could go to a high class restaurant and not get deafened by a wall of pentuple high stacked amps.
 
The Terrans could just survive up to the present day. They'll still collapse, it will just be in the future. That being said, a Terran successor state could probably be more competent at keeping the Empire together without nuclear war.
 
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