The world, 1858.
The United States established an expansive colonial empire, mainly in western Africa. However, unlike several European colonial powers, the American colonies were not the property or land of the central government. Each coastal state pursuing colonial aspirations had their own colonial office, colonial military forces, and their own colonial administrators. By the late 1850s American colonies stretch from Australia, to islands in the South Pacific, to a few bases in Hawaii, to West Africa, to Tunia.
Mexico was established in 1815 as an autonomous dominion of the Spanish Empire. Brazil sees the same fate in 1822. However, Chile, Argentina, and Colombia achieved total independence, although only Colombia's is recognized by Spain, which maintains claims upon Argentina and Chile.
Also in 1815, the Holy Roman Empire was restored, along with a rump Poland (with Frederick Augustus as King). The imperial borders were restored to how they were in 1801, and French borders to 1792. The remaining land in-between was given to the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, which joined the Empire in 1819.
1830 saw the independence of Greece, Albania, and Macedonia. Prince Otto of Bavaria was chosen to become King Othon of Greece by the executive council of the
Kingdom of Greece, but the decision was subsequently rejected by the legislative council. Otto settled for the crown of the
United Kingdom of Macedonia and Thessaly, taking the reign name
Alexander VI, King of Macedon and Thessaly.
The freedom-fighter and popular foreign poet, George Gordon Byron, was selected in a nationwide referendum across Greece to become King, and he accepted. Byron knew he was popular with the Greeks, but had not expected such a great honour. The major powers were likewise surprised. He took the name
George I, King of the Hellenes. He named his cousin, George Anson Byron, as
Duke of Sparta a courtesy title for the Crown Prince of the Hellenes. George Anson becomes King George II in 1852, on the eve of the impending Crimean War.
Britain, meanwhile, faces their own troubles as the years drag on. Tension in the Indian subcontinent explodes in 1857, in the form of the Sepoy Revolution. As the war in India enters its second year, the British begin to lose their grip on India.