I want to get one more update out in the 2010s, so I think I'm gonna have to postpone the China update, since that's a real weak point for my historical knowledge.
English Canada/French Carolina: A Timeline
- Thread starter Gabingston
- Start date
What do you guys think will happen to North Africa ITTL? A previoud poll established that Europeans won't colonize as much of Africa ITTL as in our own, but I could see the Spanish, French, Italians (likely Naples) and British (who still control Gibraltar and would want to build the Suez Canal to get to India quicker) still taking key coastal locations, while the Arabs and Berbers control the hinterland.
Part 62: Late 19th Century Europe
Part 62: Late 19th Century Europe
In my final update of the 2010s, I’m gonna talk about Europe during the last quarter of the 19th Century. The First Global War had killed around 6,000,000 Europeans, so much of this time was spent recovering and regrouping in case of another war. The losers of the war were embittered and were in the process of reorganizing for the next war, such as the unification of Bavaria and Austria into the Federation of South Germany and the incorporation of Tuscany into the Kingdom of Cisalpina (Northern Italy) (although Venice remained independent). On the other hand, Norway gained greater autonomy from Denmark, such as its own parliament (although it was still ruled by the Danish monarch), while there was a growing movement for Finnish autonomy from Sweden, although not much had changed by 1900. Changes had taken place in the leadership as well, as King Louis XVII had passed away in January of 1867 (something I forgot to mention in previous updates) at the ripe old age of 81, with his son Louis-Joseph ascending to the throne at the age of 56. Louis-Joseph (or Louis XVIII) reigned from January of 1867 up until his death in August of 1883 at the age of 72. From there, his son Louis-Denis (born on November 14th, 1838) reigned from August of 1883 up until the present point of the timeline, all while Queen Victoria had ruled Britain since 1837
After the war, the Spanish and French expanded their holds in North Africa, with the Spanish possessing a coastal strip from Ceuta to Oran (with a small break where Morocco got a Mediterranean coastline) and the French got the area around Algiers, with the hinterland remaining under Arab and Berber rule (more on that in a coming Africa update). Meanwhile, European cities were growing to massive heights, as the Greater London area had a population of over 6 Million people, while Paris was home to over 5 Million (the French birth rate is higher in TTL’s 19th Century than in our own, with France having an extra 10 Million people by 1900 ITTL as compared to our own, thus leading to an extra million and a half people in Paris as well). To the east, Russia had thrown off serfdom and was rapidly industrializing, making the western powers nervous about the growing threat of the Russian Bear. Russia had the largest population and most land in Europe, so with an industrial base, the Russian Empire would become immensely powerful. It was clear that another war was going to come at some point, but it was going to have to wait for the 20th Century, and its update is going to have to wait for the 2020s. Take care, folks, see ya in the next decade!
Russia's population in OTL's 1900 was 136,000,000, with 87,000,000 living in Russia proper. I'd imagine TTL's 1900 population to be quite similar.
Hm. France would be a good guess. Though part of me wants either Portugal or a Danish/Swedish joint project for quicker access to their Pacific colonies
A French Suez would be a nice twist to this TL, since they'd have more of an Asian and Australian presence ITTL, and the British have their colony in Natal for refueling, so it wouldn't hurt the British too much to not build the canal.
Hm. Well, Britain and France for starters. Maybe the Austria Empire nabs a bit of coastal north Africa, say OTL Tunisia? Prussia. Probably gets something too. Not sure what
Well, the Germans did colonize Togo and Cameroon IOTL, so there's that.
Part 63: Scrambled Africa
Part 63: Scrambled Africa
Alright, let’s bless the rains down in Africa again. I admittedly don’t know very much about Africa (especially pre-Colonial Africa), but I’m gonna try anyway.
Africa in the 19th Century was a massive (of course it’s still massive) and diverse place (it still is incredibly diverse). From the Arabs of North Africa to the Khoisan, Zulu and Afrikaners of the South, Africa was about as far from homogenous as one could get. This diversity applied to politics as well, from the Republic of South Africa to the Kingdoms and Caliphates of the Sahel and North Africa to the many, many tribal organizations in the interior and the European trading posts dotting the West African Coast, Africa was just as politically diverse as anywhere else.
However, by the Late 19th Century, it appeared as though Europeans were starting to make advances into the interior of the continent. The Portuguese were expanding from their coastal bases in Angola and Mozambique, hoping to connect the two colonies via a railroad across the continent. The South African Republic was expanding rapidly across the Highveld, finding vast quantities of gold in the process, drawing hundreds of thousands of European (mainly German, Dutch and Scandinavian) immigrants in the process, while the European trading posts on the coast expanded inland with the aid of newly discovered anti-Malarial treatments, although the Europeans would not conquer 90% of Africa as IOTL.
However, the biggest change in Africa came in the very far northeast, as the French had acquired a little sliver of land between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, building the new Suez Canal. This cut travel time from France to their Indian and Australasian colonies by thousands of miles, proving to be a boon for trade and migration. The canal was completed in 1882 to great fanfare, especially in France. The French initially blocked foreign ships from sailing through, but soon changed the policy to a simple toll (not applicable to France or her allies) after the British threatened war in 1885 over the blockage. The French also established a naval base in Djibouti, in order to establish control over the entrance to the Red Sea from the Gulf of Aden, also establishing influence over Ethiopia in the process. France also had a naval base in Tunis, while Cisalpina and Naples jointly controlled the coast of Libya.
Along the west coast of Africa, European trading posts continued to expand their reach and influence, as more nations like Prussia and Denmark joined the frenzy. Unlike IOTL, the various African states in the Sahel, Horn of Africa and Central Africa maintained their independence. Listen, I don’t know how to finish this update, and I just wanna get this over with, so happy new year I guess.
Just signed up to AH.cz9.om just because I thought this TL was so awesome!
Sounds like France is going to become in Africa in TTL what the British are in OTL. That will help their colony in India greatly. I may have missed it, but who takes over East Africa ITTL? Sounds like Portugal has the advantage in the region with having Mozambique.
The CoA would be the obvious runaway for most powerful nation in the world about this time. Having control from Alaska to Virginia and Newfoundland to San Francisco Francisco gives a huge advantage to anyone living on the continent being able to travel or do business over such a wide area gives the opportunity for intense power and influence. Given that this is in a free country, unlike Russia, millions of immigrants would pour in looking for a ne life in such a vast limitless space. What is the population of CoA ITTL? What does social welfare in Europe and America start to look like in the end the the 19th and beginning of the 20th century? OTL, countries like Germany already had well developed social programs for their citizens. Would this be the case in a more moderate, less revolutionized British America?
Sounds like France is going to become in Africa in TTL what the British are in OTL. That will help their colony in India greatly. I may have missed it, but who takes over East Africa ITTL? Sounds like Portugal has the advantage in the region with having Mozambique.
The CoA would be the obvious runaway for most powerful nation in the world about this time. Having control from Alaska to Virginia and Newfoundland to San Francisco Francisco gives a huge advantage to anyone living on the continent being able to travel or do business over such a wide area gives the opportunity for intense power and influence. Given that this is in a free country, unlike Russia, millions of immigrants would pour in looking for a ne life in such a vast limitless space. What is the population of CoA ITTL? What does social welfare in Europe and America start to look like in the end the the 19th and beginning of the 20th century? OTL, countries like Germany already had well developed social programs for their citizens. Would this be the case in a more moderate, less revolutionized British America?
1. Thanks!
2. Because King Leopold II (say what you will about him) never "purchased" the Kongo, Africa doesn't see as much European colonization as IOTL. The Sahel, Central Africa and the Horn of Africa are largely independent. East Africa definitely has European influence, but direct colonization isn't likely ITTL.
3. The Commonwealth's population is already around 100 Million by 1900, due to OTL's Canada seeing much more settlement from the British than it did from the French. As for the welfare systems, I really have no clue how it'd look by 1900.
Hmm... this might make a better flag, considering that South Africa ITTL has Christianity as it's state religion (specifically Reformed/Calvinist Christianity).
Flag of the Republic of South Africa