Earlier Expansionist Japan?

(I'm sure Korea'd like to participate in that fight, but whatevs)

My version of a Philippines-wank was usually independence from Spanish in early 1800s->modernise->help America trade with China->go anywhere do anything. Yours sounds amazingly interesting of course, although I'd like to see a republic more than a kingdom.

it'd be a Philippines with tension alternating between republicanism and totalitarianism. like Imperial Japan.

my problem is my lack of sources on 18th century Philippines. tales of Andres Novales are few and far in between, and sources on his conspirators like El Conde Filipino are even rarer.
 
it'd be a Philippines with tension alternating between republicanism and totalitarianism. like Imperial Japan.

my problem is my lack of sources on 18th century Philippines. tales of Andres Novales are few and far in between, and sources on his conspirators like El Conde Filipino are even rarer.

I usually use that opportunity with my Korea TLs and TL ideas to cook fiction into history and embellish the facts as I want to. Use themz literary techniques and dramatic plots, nobody notices.
 
on that note, can't we have more ATL Asian great powers that aren't Japan or China or Korea (even though Korea is itself squeezed between the former two and is thus not exactly in a good position unless Japan goes down)?

How about Ayutthaya? Is there a feasible way they could have ended up as a major, gradually modernising power?
 
Ayutthaya has a lot of potential. But the main problem is that the Burmese are going to attack it before they can get strong enough to become a dominant power. Any Ayutthaya becomes a major power tl will need to deal with that problem.
Not enough Naresuan could conquer Toungoo. Although him doing so, would be the best POD for such a thing in my opinion.
 
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