(Historical) Annexxations/Mergers We Would Have Liked To See.

[htgriffin]

(As a counterpoint....)

I know it is both jingoistic and unrealistic as all get out, but the US granting full statehood complete with don't-raise-the-slightest-bit-of-fuss full congressional representation & possible HoR expansion to places like the Philippines, the Ryukyu Islands, Cape Verde, swaths of the Antilles, etc.

Similarly, Dakar remaining and Mount Lebanon becoming French Communes/Departments (w/ across-the-board franchise obviously) and the movement in Malta to become a proper component of the UK taking off also amuse me.

(ICYAW, everyone concerned getting the rights/duties enjoyed by the "right-blooded" citizens of the metropole undercuts most concerns about colonialism at least to me)

On a tail-wag-dog level, a post WWI settlement where Alsace, Lorraine, and the Saar are handed over as war reparations to Luxembourg....

 

[Queeney]

The formation of an Imperial Federation, comprising the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, with the King/Queen of the United Kingdom then becoming the Emperor/Empress of the Imperial Federation.

I find the concept really fascinating, and plan to use it in an upcoming TL.

 

[Atterdag]

Denmark holding onto all of Schleswig-Holstein-Laueburg as well as Norway.

 

[King_Arthur]

England holding onto the Netherlands via PU.

 

[GenericAltHistorian]

A successful Polish-Lithuanian-Ruthenian Commonwealth would be a nice idea.

 

[CountDVB]

Mexico taking all of Central America.

Another could be French Louisiana taking Spanish Texas and become its own thing from that.

 

[Queeney]

Here are a few more in Europe:

- Poland-Ruthenia (Poland, Ukraine+Belarus)
- Hungary-Illyria (Hungary+Slovakia+Transylvania, Croatia+Bosnia+Serbia)
- Iberia (Spain+Portugal)
- Scandinavia (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland)

 

[Skallagrim]

Since more countries = more better, the only annexations or mergers I consider in any way good are:

a) those where parts of a centralist country are torn off and added to a more decentralist country instead, and;

b) those where regions whose inhabitants feel more connected to another country are seceded from the country they don't wish to be a part of and instead added to the country they do wish to be a part of.

 

[Driftless]

As a part of Norway separating from Sweden, Sweden retains the northernmost counties of Norway at least down to Narvik. That change would give Sweden some ports on the Atlantic. Those become wildcards for the early phases of WW2

 

[GauchoBadger]

The Caribbean, and South and Central America have plenty of opportunities for inter-state mergers, including a number of OTL instances that did in fact happen for at least brief periods of time (Peru and Bolivia, Brazil and Uruguay, Haiti and the DR, the Central American republics).

Besides that, i'd be interested in seeing mergers between...
Turkey and Azerbaijan in the aftermath of WWI (poor Armenians caught in between).
Pakistan and Afghanistan during or in the aftermath of the Cold War.
Malaysia and Indonesia (the Konfrontasi escalates, and Britain somehow loses the following war?).
Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji.
An East African union between Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda. Could be more of a regional powerhouse.
The United Arab Republic, in varying configurations.

 

[NiGHTS]

1. All of Iberia, Corsica, and Sardinia.
2. The Levant,Kuwait and Iraq.
3. Australia and New Zealand

 

[DanMcCollum]

A United Kingdom of Scandinavia which consists of Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Iceland.

 

[CountDVB]

A United Kingdom of Scandinavia which consists of Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Iceland.

Scandinavia technically only consists of the first three and we had that like the Kalmar Union. It’d be a Nordic Union

Also, most of Southern Europe except maybe Greece going to Bulgaria

 

[Queeney]

Scandinavia technically only consists of the first three and we had that like the Kalmar Union. It’d be a Nordic Union

Technically, Scandinavia consists only of Sweden and Norway, as Denmark isn't part of the peninsula.

 

[P L Richards]

Since more countries = more better, the only annexations or mergers I consider in any way good are:

a) those where parts of a centralist country are torn off and added to a more decentralist country instead, and;

b) those where regions whose inhabitants feel more connected to another country are seceded from the country they don't wish to be a part of and instead added to the country they do wish to be a part of.

When I noticed this thread I thought 'Ha! @Skallagrim won't be in favour of this one!'

Under your b), how about Vorarlberg joining Switzerland as one of its cantons? In OTL Vorarlberg actually voted in a referendum in 1919 to join Switzerland. Unfortunately the Swiss weren't interested.

I think this qualifies under a): an independant Kurdistan, with territory taken from Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria. It's one of the great injustices of modern history that the Kurds haven't been allowed to form such a state. Obviously it should be decentralised, th..e four parts autonomous.

 

[Koprulu Mustafa Pasha]

Granada taking over Morocco (after it gets divided) and later the rest of the Maghreb. Crimean Khanate or Golden Horde taking over Moldova and Walachia.

Western Polish borders in the Elbe minus Hamburg.

 

[Ivan Lupo]

For the US to have directly annexed both Cuba and Puerto Rico, while granting the Philippines independence while retaining all kinds of military, business, and trading rights. Cuba and Puerto Rico would then eventually become states before too long.

 

[Neoteros]

These borders + Corsica, Malta, Monaco, and Lombard-speaking Switzerland. Except, it would be under a confederal arrangement in which the member states would be federal in nature as well - a confederation of federations, both monarchies and republics.

The flag would not be the tricolour - too French and Masonic - but this one:

 

[Napoleon Forever]

- France annex Wallonia and the Netherlands keeping Flanders after what we know as the Belgian Revolution (This would strengthen the balance of power by allowing France to compete with Germany industrially and making the surprise attacks the Germans so loved impossible)

- France annexes Monaco (It would reduce the number of tax havens which is good for the whole world)

- Ireland not being partitioned (because colonialism is bad and because Britain’s track record in Northern Ireland isn’t great)

- Greece getting Constantinople in WW1
(I’ve heard both sides of the debate regarding weather there were more Greeks or Turks in the city and been completely convinced by neither so I’m defaulting to the prettier borders option)

- Partition of Switzerland along linguistic lines (Damn Neutrals)

- Prevent division of Cyprus (The division and forced movement should be prevented)

- Unite Korea (This should be obvious)

 

[Prof_Chemical]

Scandinavia is the geographic region, nordic is cultural region, fenno-scandza can be either cultural or geographic but its just to clear up any ambiguity on whether you are also including finland-karelia