Look to the West Volume VII: The Eye Against the Prism

[LostInNewDelhi]

I mean, Imperial Russian ninjas are just too badass to ignore.

True, but now the Russians are just using the ninjas as a cleanup crew after gas attacks on cities. Even they probably can't wait to be disbanded.

I'd really like a view (could be presented through a preserved text like a diary) into how the Belgian Ninjas view their situation. By now they know what Russia is willing to do even against other Europeans. They have to be wondering what fate awaits Yapon if so much as a single chrysanthemum is askew during an Imperial tour.

 

[xsampa]

s. They have to be wondering what fate awaits Yapon if so much as a single chrysanthemum is askew during an Imperial tour.

Thus JapaneseSocietists. However, Chinese/Korean Yapon is less harshly governed so maybe less growth of Societists there

 

[xsampa]

Belgium’s colonies can serve as Russian bases to attack say, (soon to be former) French India, Persian East Africa, and colonies of countries Russia doesn’t like. However, Russia using its own colonies as bases is difficult, especially since of Scandinavian alliance w Russia, and its reconciliation with China concerning Chinese India

 

[xsampa]

There was also a mass sell-off of French state assets in India, a process that took inspiration from the Privatisation of Bengal but was achieved in a more gradual and measured way. The Maharaja of Mysore, Chamaraja Wodeyar XII, regarded this with alarm. Not unconnectedly, his people took note of the drawing-down of French military power in the region.

This is where Bisnaga probably comes from: a popular revolution against the Maharaja and a merger with now independent French India

 

[xsampa]

This is where Bisnaga probably comes from: a popular revolution against the Maharaja and a merger with now independent French India

On the other hand, I don’t expect Concan/Maharashtra to survive in its current form with its strategic location and fragmented governance

 

[1SaBy]

Could/Would Belgium now sell Somaliland to Abyssinia?

 

[xsampa]

Could/Would Belgium now sell Somaliland to Abyssinia?

They could but I don’t see Abyssinia accepting it because it would create instability. Also, why hasn’t Cape Colony declares independence yet if it’s a settler state that is next door to the Cape Republic. It would be ironic if the Republic annexed the colony

 

[1SaBy]

They could but I don’t see Abyssinia accepting it because it would create instability. Also, why hasn’t Cape Colony declares independence yet if it’s a settler state that is next door to the Cape Republic.

I would assume that there was a degree of immigration of loyalists and secessionist between the two entities after the collpase of the Dutch Republic, a la OTL USA and proto-Canada. That would probably dampen any will of secession in the Belgian half for a long time. Things could have changed more recently of course (the status quo has existed for almost 80 years now after all).

 

[Indicus]

I would assume that there was a degree of immigration of loyalists and secessionist between the two entities after the collpase of the Dutch Republic, a la OTL USA and proto-Canada. That would probably dampen any will of secession in the Belgian half for a long time. Things could have changed more recently of course (the status quo has existed for almost 80 years now after all).

That and the Cape Colony is probably ruled in a manner just as authoritarian as Belgium proper.

 

[xsampa]

That and the Cape Colony is probably ruled in a manner just as authoritarian as Belgium proper.

Maybe Belgium will be the equivalent of Salazar’s Portugal

 

[Snaut]

Maybe Belgium will be the equivalent of Salazar’s Portugal

Portugal was more or less independent in OTL. LTTW Belgium seems more likely to end up like OTL's Kaliningrad, basically a large Russian military base in the enemy's rear. Come to think about it' it's dangerously close to Paris itself. It will provide a great excuse for Russian propaganda to portray the inevitable French and German preparations to deter an attack originating from Belgium as the aggressive West encircling Russia's poor little ally.

Also, I like how the format of the timeline has changed slightly over the last few volumes, from the regular history book excerpts to something different. I'm not going to tell Thande how to write his timeline or anything, but it would be really cool if the next volume were to be compiled from surviving Societist sources to show us how the Combine sees future events.

 

[Rambam23]

Humanity seems like it's descending into a fever dream even without the Societists...

 

[LostInNewDelhi]

Portugal was more or less independent in OTL. LTTW Belgium seems more likely to end up like OTL's Kaliningrad, basically a large Russian military base in the enemy's rear. Come to think about it' it's dangerously close to Paris itself. It will provide a great excuse for Russian propaganda to portray the inevitable French and German preparations to deter an attack originating from Belgium as the aggressive West encircling Russia's poor little ally.

Also, I like how the format of the timeline has changed slightly over the last few volumes, from the regular history book excerpts to something different. I'm not going to tell Thande how to write his timeline or anything, but it would be really cool if the next volume were to be compiled from surviving Societist sources to show us how the Combine sees future events.

I'm just not sure what propaganda can do for Russia at this point. They've officially made the peace following the Pandoric War worse than the War itself (well, worse for Europe-- shit's already bad elsewhere). The events of Liege are worse than Guernica, there'd be no shortage of damning statements, artistic or prosaic. Russia can pretend that it's trying to protect Belgium from a German revanchist plot to destroy their betrayer with an engineered revolution (which France is encouraging out of it's own vulturish aims), but the reality of the situation is that they intervened on the side of a government of disputed legitimacy... and now that government has no legitimacy at all.

 

[Snaut]

I'm just not sure what propaganda can do for Russia at this point. They've officially made the peace following the Pandoric War worse than the War itself (well, worse for Europe-- shit's already bad elsewhere). The events of Liege are worse than Guernica, there'd be no shortage of damning statements, artistic or prosaic. Russia can pretend that it's trying to protect Belgium from a German revanchist plot to destroy their betrayer with an engineered revolution (which France is encouraging out of it's own vulturish aims), but the reality of the situation is that they intervened on the side of a government of disputed legitimacy... and now that government has no legitimacy at all.

Nyet! Russian forces were invited by the legitimate Belgian government to support the dynasty against violent rebels. Without this fraternal aid from one freedom-loving country to another, the imperialistic French and their German lackeys would have doubtlessly intervened to support the populist coup and force the country into the Marseilles Protocol. It all falls into a wider pattern of French aggression. France tried to encircle Russia by helping China and expanding the Marseilles Protocol to the borders of the Vitebsk Union by accepting Germany. The French should not have meddled in Russia's backyard like this. But they did, and are therefore solely responsible for the resulting crisis.

 

[Analytical Engine]

I smell a heritage point of controversy over this.

 

[fernerdave]

[7] Buenos Aires, named in honour of the Meridian Revolution when the Americans supported that, is on the site of OTL Dayton, Ohio.

And probably pronounced by the locals much like OTLs Versailles, OH or Milan, MI?

 

[Kibbutznik]

And probably pronounced much like OTLs Versailles, OH or Milan, MI?

"Boo-eh-nos ey-rezz"

 

[fernerdave]

Boo-nose Harry's?

 

[dilbert719]

And probably pronounced by the locals much like OTLs Versailles, OH or Milan, MI?

Bew-nohs Airs.

 

[Thande]

Also, I like how the format of the timeline has changed slightly over the last few volumes, from the regular history book excerpts to something different. I'm not going to tell Thande how to write his timeline or anything, but it would be really cool if the next volume were to be compiled from surviving Societist sources to show us how the Combine sees future events.

Thanks. I have been wondering how to change it up for future volumes; I wouldn't entirely base it on your suggestion here, but it's certainly an idea.

And probably pronounced by the locals much like OTLs Versailles, OH or Milan, MI?

Hah, good point. Cairo, IL is the one I always think of, largely because of Bill Bryson writing about it.

Boo-nose Harry's?

Bew-nohs Airs.

I like both of those. Let's combine them and say Boo-nose Airs.

(Although if the ENA still has more British influence, I suppose there's a chance that 'Buenos' might be read as 'Beaunos' and given the weird way we pronounce beau in Norman French names, which would probably come out as 'Beaners Airs').