Half A Loaf Is Better Than None: A Southeast Asian ATL

I like the plot, however if I may make a suggestion potentially leave Annam as a separate Kingdom. This provides a buffer between the native dynasty and the French rule in the south... unless your intention is to create a friction point between the two powers.

I thought Annam was subject to the Nguyen dynasty in Hue, the same as Tonkin was.

And the French were fairly greedy territorially in this whole affair, so them leaving a buffer state seems a bit out-of-character.
 
I have to amend my earlier statement about the butterflies of leaving the Fuzhou shipyards undamaged. I had neglected the fact that during the Sino-Japanese War, the navies from the southern Chinese provinces only offered minimal support to the Beiyang navy; so even if they had more ships it wouldn't have made a difference. The military structure of Qing China was so decentralized that even when the country was at war, some provinces could unilaterally declare themselves noncombatant and keep their forces idle; this happened both in the Sino-French war and the Sino-Japanese one.

However, if in TTL the Sino-French war is averted, Li Hongzhang, as Viceroy of Zhili, might convince the commander of the Nanyang navy--who due to the butterflies from ships not getting sunk and whatnot may not be the same man as in OTL--to send him reinforcements. But then again that isn't a necessary consequence, just a possibility. I'll have to give this some more thought.

Given how the Japanese will also be attacking Taiwan, wouldn't the Nanyang navy have problems closer to home?

Since my 20th Century scenario requires relatively few geopolitical changes, I'm thinking that the southern Chinese fleet will fight the Japanese for Taiwan and lose. If the Japanese attack the shipyards, that would have OTL's results but just delayed by a few years.
 
Thanks.

I've got some ideas for the 20th Century, but I'm not 100% sure how to get there.

These ideas include:

1. Cochin becoming so culturally distinct that its population prefers to remain French or independent but aligned with France, much to the northern Vietnamese's rage. Border wars ensue.

2. Sukarno stirring up trouble for Cochin and eating a bullet for it, causing a Balkanization of Indonesia.

3. The Phillippines of all countries attempting territorial claims on the Balkanized Phillippines.

I think I have a solution for the number three, I think the Northern Part of the Philippines can be British, the Central part to the Americans and the Southern part to the Dutch.
 
I think I have a solution for the number three, I think the Northern Part of the Philippines can be British, the Central part to the Americans and the Southern part to the Dutch.

Thanks for the suggestion.

However, I had read that OTL's Phillippines had some kind of territorial claim on lands controlled by Indonesia.

I find the notion of the Phillippines conquering parts of Indonesia incredibly entertaining.

Marcos as some Southeast Asian Julius Caesar? Wouldn't that be a hoot?

EDIT: Oops. That should be "Balkanized Indonesia."
 
Thanks for the suggestion.

However, I had read that OTL's Phillippines had some kind of territorial claim on lands controlled by Indonesia.

I find the notion of the Phillippines conquering parts of Indonesia incredibly entertaining.

Marcos as some Southeast Asian Julius Caesar? Wouldn't that be a hoot?

EDIT: Oops. That should be "Balkanized Indonesia."

Continue with your balkanized indonesia, that will be interesting..
 
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