Describe Your own Tentative timelines, pre 1900

Solroc

Banned
I have one TL in the drawing board:

For Great Justice (I know, stupid meme but great tentaive title)

Essentialy like Turtledove's "Must and Shall", but under different circumstances and perhaps grimdark in some accounts.
POD: starts with Special Orders 191 not being lost by an unattentive Confederate soldier. This makes Antietam on September 1862 more shorter and bloodier, but becomes Lee's phyrric victory as Lee splits his battered ANV into two to defeat the AotP remnant that retreats to Camp Hill with his larger force persuing McClellan in D.C. This (unsurprisingly) becomes a great disaster for Lee as both battles are lost with most or all of the ANV dead or captured and with him being captured or killed. What follows are:
-Emancipation Proclaimation is issued earlier with the destruction of the ANV confirmed
-An assassination attempt on Lincoln in 1863 by Confederate soldiers or pro-South sympathizers succeeds
-Several U.S. Generals die, including Grant :(
-leaving George H. Thomas to be the General-in-Chief of the Union Armies, who proceed to take Sherman's "March to the Sea" doctrine on a bit grander scale as vengeance
-War ends in late 1864-early '65 with a revanchist President replacing Hamlin (Edwin Stanton is one possibility, but I'm not sure how plausible it would be)
-and a very brutal 'Reconstruction'

Obviously I have more details to research and cover, but that's the general idea. I've already discussed this idea with Snake and Elfwine.
 
A yet untitled timeline, to be named something along the lines of Britannia Rules the Waves or I Heard My Country Calling, Away Across the Sea, about a the East Indian Company acquiring a few seats in the British parliament under Charles II in 1670. This is of course not an original idea of mine, but one that The Professor came up with for the record. It would explore the concepts of oligarchy, corporatism, and international trade closely.

Other ideas? Hrm... I'd really like to end up with a timeline in which medieval Arabians are exploring and sailing around in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, but that seems to inevitably require the intervention of Alien Space Bats.
 

Faeelin

Banned
-and a very brutal 'Reconstruction'

What's funny to me is that this is grimdark, even though it entails war criminals and people who committed domestic terrorism to disenfranchise an entire people because of their skin color getting whupped.

It just goes to show our historical perspective...
 
"Localized European Conflict"
PoD: July 28, 1914, Wilhelm II dismisses von Moltke the Younger and orders his successor, von Falkenhayn to go East.
-No Great War
-Menshevik USSR, Socialist France
-Surviving A-H (I have a penchant for this), OE (not so much this)
-Fascist Italy sans Mussolini (under D'Annunzio)

Brave New World

PoD: February 18, 1853, Emperor Franz Josef I of the Austrian Empire is assassinated by Hungarian Nationalist János Libényi.
-Wilhelm II dies in stillbirth, his younger brother Henry eventually becomes Kaiser in his place and develops closer ties with Britain.
-More aggressive US Army during ACW due to better leadership
-Hamlin succeeds Lincoln after he steps down following his second term, the Reconstruction goes "as planned" and the Radical Republicans remain in power for quite some time.
-Hohenzollern Spain, Habsburg Mexico

AEIOU!
PoD: Spring of Nations
-Archduchess Sophie uses her political tact to maneuver the events of the Revolutions of 1848 to ensure all of her sons have Kingdoms to rule over. Her husband takes the German Crown offered by the people after her insistence, but being ill-suited for leadership, he dies two years later. She then marries Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte, or Napoleon III of the French Empire to solidify ties between the two dominant powers in Europe.
-The lands of the Habsburg domains are divided as such; Franz Josef I, German Emperor, Maximilian I, King of Lombardy-Venetia, Karl Ludwig I, King of Hungary-Croatia, Ludwig Victor I, King of Galicia-Lodomeria -The Great Powers originally involved in Napoleon III's Mexican Adventure all stick with it to the end, ensuring that a stable state could be formed in the aftermath that could eventually pay them back. The Second Mexican Empire is formed and Maximilian of Lombardy-Venetia is crowned Emperor of Mexico. The grandchildren of Augustin de Iturbide are adopted by Maximilian and are made the heirs to the Empire.
 
I have so many ideas, but I prefer to focus on 'Do you remember Troy?', 'The Heritage of Pericles' and 'War and Peace'.

The heritage of Pericles
POD: athenian victory at Delium.
Athens wins the peloponnesian war, then becomes a major mediterranean power.

The shadow of Alexandros
POD: The second child of Olympias and Philip II is a son, not a daughter. At the death of his brother, this second son manages to become Great King after a bloody civil war.

Guardians of the Republic
POD: Ceasar is killed in Alexandria in 47 BC. Following his death, the Optimates are able to defeat Mark Antony and to restore the Republic.

Restauratio imperii
POD: Athalaric lives and the gothic wars don't occur.
By late VIth century, ERE stretches from Syria to the Pillars of Hercule.
Hispania is divided between Romans and Suevi.
In Italy, the Ostrogoths are under heavy pressure form the Lombards who occupy Dalmatia and the padan plain.
What was the Narbonnensis is frankish.

Marselha: rise and decadence
POD: Boso II of Arles dies before uniting the provencal counties.
Marseille becomes a republic, participates to the Crusades, conquers Provence and discovers the alternate road to Indias in XIVth century.

Pax capetiana
POD: Alexander VI is deposed by the French. This delays the formation of an anti-french league and permits to Charles VIII, Louis XII then to Francis I to secure their hold over Naples, Milan, and their hegemony over Italy.

Do you remember Troy?
POD: Henri IV lives longer.
I plan a parliamentary monarchy in France, a Spain less decadent than in OTL, an earlier unification of Italy, a great Polish-Russian empire, the Rumanian and Greek independances earlier than in OTL, no english civil war.

The heritage of Law
POD: La Salle doesn't go to Texas but finds Mississippi mouth as he wanted.
The system of Law make France the wealthiest nation of Europe, at least for XVIIIth century.
New France and Indias remain dominated by France.

The North American Spring
POD: The French are more successful in North America into defeating english attempts to capture Quebec.
By early XIXth century, North America is divided between the United Provinces of Canada, the Federal Republic of New England....

Rebirth of the Eagle
POD: Ney doesn't recall the First Corp during the battle of Ligny. Napoleon routs more successfully the Prussians, then attacks and defeats decisively Wellington. More to east, he defeats Russians and Austrians.

War and Peace
POD: General Ignacio de la Llave dies before reaching Vera Cruz (december 1857).
CSA are independant, the Second Empire survives in France, UK becomes an ally of Germany...
 
Byzantine Empire surviving.

this timeline starts in 985 with merchents giving the Eastern Roman Empire the theory of gunpowder, and how to use it. they ended the Bulgarian, Serbian, Croatian cultures by slowly converting the people to a roman culture.

its a minor byzantine wank, with stronger mongols. then i skipped 537 years to 1910.

a full flegded ATL that covers a thousand years, is a *bit* beyond me. i considered making a collaborative timeline, but i doubt too many people would be interested in it.

Byzantine Cyprus

i made Byzantium to lose so badly it got exiled to Cyprus and stays there. its current progress was that it just surrendered to the turkish Empire of unknown dynasty.

City state of Constantinople.

i had this timeline once, but deemed it ASB for obvious reasons.
 

Solroc

Banned
What's funny to me is that this is grimdark, even though it entails war criminals and people who committed domestic terrorism to disenfranchise an entire people because of their skin color getting whupped.

It just goes to show our historical perspective...

Well, it goes to show that human rationale isn't all logic, especially in times of distress; we'd be robots if that was true. If OTL Reconstruction was grimdark for some, TTL is going to amp it up to eleven. Needless to say, I knew this TL will be pretty dystopian, depending on how its looked at.
 
Well, it goes to show that human rationale isn't all logic, especially in times of distress; we'd be robots if that was true. If OTL Reconstruction was grimdark for some, TTL is going to amp it up to eleven. Needless to say, I knew this TL will be pretty dystopian, depending on how its looked at.

I think I remember discussing with this with you. Some stuff that maybe should have been done, but a lot of unpleasantness and nastiness as those who don't appreciate justice try to obstruct it - and with more to obstruct, there's more nastiness in response than OTL. :mad::(
 
Sword of our Liberty: A Confederate Gatling TL

All in the title. Confederates get Gatlings. That and a few other lucky breaks win the war. Haven't really thought too much about the rest.

The Empire of the Hungry Machine

The US does worse in the War of 1812, loses Maine, I think, its the piece of land that has Detroit. And New England forms an Independent Republic. They then forge an empire and take the east indies from the Dutch. The US goes DOD route. The US goes to war with Britain, then brazil and ends up in control of most of South America, some of Africa and China. Then the rout sets in. Bit of a Dutch screw and NE wank at the start and elements of a France Wank, I don't think they lose a a major war. Also Britain loses a war and is saved by Brian Cox!
 

Solroc

Banned
I think I remember discussing with this with you. Some stuff that maybe should have been done, but a lot of unpleasantness and nastiness as those who don't appreciate justice try to obstruct it - and with more to obstruct, there's more nastiness in response than OTL. :mad::(

You did, I still have your PMs. Snake's too.

See, the problems I'm having (aside from real life, college, and the possibility of getting a job) is that I'm really not sure how that will work. For all intents and purposes, the U.S. has been committed to democracy and republicanism for 84 years prior to the Civil War. The suspension of habeas corpus was mostly used against the pro-South sympathizers, and later "copperhead" Democrats during the duration of the Civil War. How the hell will that work when the Civil War is over with the scenario I propositioned?

Also, I'm not sure how to rid of Hannibal Hamlin. Despite being a Radical Republican, he is the first person I know who will commute the captured leaders' sentences rather than see them hang (not to say he is a traitor, this was on his principles). Lincoln's dead so unless I find a more suitable candidate that is revanchist and charismatic enough to pander to the citizens' anger, I think Hamlin might be President based on the sympathy vote and coattails effect.
 
You did, I still have your PMs. Snake's too.

See, the problems I'm having (aside from real life, college, and the possibility of getting a job) is that I'm really not sure how that will work. For all intents and purposes, the U.S. has been committed to democracy and republicanism for 84 years prior to the Civil War. The suspension of habeas corpus was mostly used against the pro-South sympathizers, and later "copperhead" Democrats during the duration of the Civil War. How the hell will that work when the Civil War is over with the scenario I propositioned?

Also, I'm not sure how to rid of Hannibal Hamlin. Despite being a Radical Republican, he is the first person I know who will commute the captured leaders' sentences rather than see them hang (not to say he is a traitor, this was on his principles). Lincoln's dead so unless I find a more suitable candidate that is revanchist and charismatic enough to pander to the citizens' anger, I think Hamlin might be President based on the sympathy vote and coattails effect.

I'm not sure how to answer either of those, but I wouldn't say they can't be answered.
 

JJohnson

Banned
My timeline:

Three Empires

PoD: 1763, Cuba is captured from Spain after the 7 Years War; England gives to France in the final treaty in exchange for New France. England manages to anger the Quebeckers enough to have them join the US.
Timeline: Canada joins the US, the UK seeks empire in South America, and Germany sides with Britain, while France loses its empire to the UK, US, and Germany. This is the short description, but I have more detail later.
 
The Book of Palaiológoupasá: The Last Roman, Sword of Mehmet

- Ko̱nstantínos' wife Theodó̱ra Tocco does not die while in the midst of delivering a stillborn daughter in 1429.

- Ko̱nstantínos and Theodó̱ra have another child together, this time a son by the name of Manouēl Palaiológou who is named after the Emperor's father in the following year of 1430.

- Iōannēs VIII Palaiologou and his wife María have twin children in the summer of 1434: a sickly son named Iōannē and a daughter Ánna.

- The younger Iōannēs, his mother María, his aunt Theodó̱ra and cousin Manouēl are inflicted with the bubonic plague when an epidemic strikes the capital of Ko̱nstantinoúpoli̱ while the Emperor was away attending the Council of Florence. Manouēl and his mother barely survive but their relations succumbs to the illness.

- Upon the Emperor Iōannēs' return to the city, he names his brother Ko̱nstantínos who served as regent during his leave between 1437 and 1439 successor to the throne. Theódo̱ros Palaiológou, another one of the Emperor's brothers and then Despóti̱s tou Moréo̱s, disputes the decision but is immediately appeased by being granted Ko̱nstantínos' old domain of Si̱lymvría in 1440 in exchange for dropping all claims on the throne. Theódo̱ros is remarried with Caterina Gattilusio and spends a nice quiet few years.

It's a start but I'll need to do more details obviously.
 
Polk's Civil War: A Novel

POD: The Confederate States of America is formed in the 1840's, not 1861, over the issue of Texas annexation.

Result: Polk becomes known by future generations of Americans as "the Great Emancipator," and is considered one of the most famous presidents of all time. The C.S.A is utterly crushed. The C.S.A government flees to the Republic of Texas and/or northern Mexico. Mexican War happens much later.
 

Falkenburg

Monthly Donor
VRI - Victor Rex et Imperator

POD A Male heir to the House of Hanover. A different Victorian Era.
Personal Union of Hanover and UK continues.
Immediate butterflies for Austro-Prussian War and later German Unification.
The upbringing and personality of King Victor profoundly influences the development and social priorities of the Kingdoms.

This is not intended to be a Britwank (Which is proving quite a challenge). More of a 'Fondle'. ;)

Not a prayer of getting it into shape before the early part of next year.
Once I began researching I realised just how far and how fast the Butterflies would flutter.
Nearly sorted now but I have a mountain of information to now try and hammer into some sort of narrative.

Falkenburg
 
Currently unnamed Pontus-wank

The premise is that Mithridates does his homework, and begins reforming Pontus' army at the beginning of his rule, rather then starting them after the 1st Mithridatic war. There are a number of other changes that will happen as well, but I guess I will leave that to the timeline.
 
Knights of Aragon

The will of Alfonso the Battler is enforced and the 1100s Kingdom of Aragon is granted to the Knights Templar, Knights Hospitaler, and Knights of the Holy Sepulcher. An alternate Albigensian Crusade results in a Catalan-Occitan kingdom ruled by Christian knightly orders coming into being.

Age of the Elephant

The Year of the Elephant goes better for Yemen, resulting in a Jewish (probably) conquest of Mecca shortly before Muhammad's birth. Islam is butterflied away, varying sects of Christianity, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism fight over the Middle East. The Oghuz Turks, stymied by a stronger Persia, bring Buddhism across the Central Asian steppes and into Hungary.
 
Two Europes

Harold Godwinson is victorious at Hastings, driving the Bastard back to Normandy. Due to his victory, England and the Isles remain closely tied to Scandinavia, both linguistically and culturally.

  • Britain never unites
  • Vinland survives
  • Russians are never united
  • Muslim Spain
  • Expansionist China
 
I've got a TL I would dearly love to write but unfortunately could never allow myself to as I'm not sure I could ever match the standards of plausibility at every step to which I would hold myself. Also, it has just a few too many shades of "what I want to happen" in it for me to be comfortable with, plausibility-wise. However, if I ever did write it, it would be the very definition of an anti-wank, and would probably result in one of the most unlike-OTL worlds you'd ever come across. A selection of the ideas that make up the core of my story:

- England keeps hold of land in France, as well as acquiring an interest in the Low Countries and (minorly) Germany, wrecking France as a major power and preventing England from taking too much interest in becoming a sea power.
- Spain never unites and Austria doesn't take Burgundy, preventing a Hapsburg European dominance and weakening Castilian ambitions.
- Scotland unites with Denmark instead of England (for some reason)
- The Knights' War in Germany gets subsumed into a wider conflict, resulting in the Knights retaining their position. Latterly a chunk of the HRE eventually is broken off under foreign pressure. This is one of those "because it's a cool idea" things which makes me reluctant to write this story
- I haven't got Eastern Europe planned much, but I don't anticipate it looking much like any era from OTL.
- No Ivan the Terrible plus other factors results in Russia staying somewhat divided. The Sibir Khanate somehow preserves its independence, preventing Russian expansion eastward. Russia stagnates rather than turning west though south is still open to them.
- As a result of increased tributary systems and the importance of homage and fielty in several states, vassal rulers continue to be an important, if uncommon-to-rare political system in several states. Multi-ethnic states are also fairly common; nationalism is fairly rare.
- A different series of events involving early Portuguese trade in Africa and Castilian adventures in the Americas result in less-advanced cultures never quite being held in contempt by Europeans, and are more often played off against each other a la OTL native Americans by the French/British or the European dealings in Asia in the 19th century.
- Slavery exists for a while but is limited as European meddling creates several, shifting, African regional powers who mainly sell prisoners of war or enemy tribes. The rise and fall of African empires thus means that the slave trade is driven by empires rising and falling - African stability causes slave market recessions.
- Weaker colonial powers means American colonies are smaller but more numerous. Natives in north America are galvanised into federations which eventually ally with some Europeans to prevent the expansion of others. European expansion rarely breaches the Appalachians. The Aztecs actually retain their independence, though sometimes only by falling to the status of European proxy. Proxy wars for influence, funded by Europe, are more common.
- India stays strong and, coupled with less racism and colonial expansion, Europeans never expand past owning small strips of land granted as prestige colonies/tokens of friendship by the Mughals et al. Think the gift of factories in Bombay, Madras etc which established British India. Indians under the rule of Europeans number in the single-millions at most.
- China is divided, largely to prevent them ever threatening to become a world power. This is a world where no continent can truly dominate any other continent and no state is more power than being a regional power with interests in other continents. While internecine wars are common between neighbouring states, generally European colonies are small enough and weak enough that the Europeans have to actually work at being nice to the regional powers bordering their land to preserve their territories and their safety. Wars between states from different continents are actually quite rare.

My story is pretty well-laid-out in my head, actually, but yeah...there's just a few too many things I could be caught out for in there which would be too unrealistic. I'd find it very hard to allow myself to write this story, so it will most probably forever remain solely in my head.
 
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