> The exact POD for this world is indeterminate, but the first clear divergence it made was the birth of an alternative form of material dialectic. This alternate *Marxism provided pretty much the same analysis upon social impacts of industrial revolution, its conclusions and messages. However it has one key difference that its analysis of cultural phenomenon surrounding class divisions highlights the belligerent sense of belonging to cultural and economic constructions in a way that tribalizes social class and effectively equalize class struggle with tribal one. This equals recognition of the inherent cultural belonging of the working class as the consequences of their communalism, and regards it as essential instead of liability in bridging cultural difference among them, and to free themselves from cultural imposition by the upper class(long story short: appealing for proletariat nationalism). This intercultural cooperation philosophy will, in the long term, become THE basis of this world’s globalism. The first noticeable difference was the strong nationalist invocation by this world’s version of Paris Commune which both agitated against German occupation and denouncing the government’s nationalism for allowing it.
> The first rightist reaction to this world’s worker socialism came of course from Bismarck’s conservative revolution, which added into his welfare program extensive program of kultuurkampf equivalent(gedankenkampf) against socialism, part of which was to somewhat decrease social gap in public space by promoting popular entertainment, nationalism, even class-transcending male bonding as well as promoting egalitarianism and meritocracy within the armed forces to a certain extent. Capitalism in general in other countries also appealed extensively toward at least either shared national identity or the welfare of the workers.
> This strategy, initially successful, would prove untenable and ultimately backfiring on Germany during the Great War, during the economic crisis and plight which it caused soured the working class and general populace toward the government, and the moment Russia fell to revolution, socialist unrest quickly exploded. The Great War ended with the fall of Germany to socialist revolution, which would go to spread the revolution across eastern Europe and divided it with fellow socialist Russia. Thanks to Germany being among the pioneers of revolution, socialist system ITTL is more shaped by syndicalist management based on cooperatives. Russia, being the first socialist state and of different political model develops its own particular centralism, but even that won’t match the extent of OTL Soviet centralize management.
> Needless to say, the reaction of non-socialist Europe was fierce. Polarization led to hardline politics and with time, especially after a global depression, the rise of anti-socialist ideologies, Unionism in Britain and Fraternism in France as this world’s equivalent of third way/fascism. British Solidarism strived to strengthen nationalism over class rivalry at home and accommodate the colonial elites to support the defense of the metropole and empire at large(a bit easier here, since TTL version of socialism scared the shit out of most Indian bourgeoise and upper class), but France Fraternism had bigger ambition which is to eventually reform the entire colonial empire into Greater France. In United States, welfarism similar to New Deal developed as OTL but certainly with stronger national identity flare typical to this world. It is at this point where a third alternative politics agitating for monolithic nationalism rose in contrast to both pluralistic socialism and liberalism.
> It had always been feared that Germany and the Soviet would launch offensive war to conquer the entire Europe and Asia for socialism but it did not immediately come about for various reasons, ranging from post-Great War economic exhaustion, the following economic rebuilding, to internal politics and brief spat between the two Socialist giants over ideological difference. There was in fact a short reapproachment between Soviet Russia and France yet it fell shortly after a regime change in Russia.. By 1944, the Second Great War began between Germany and Soviet on one side against Britain, France and Italy on another. Within three years, continental Europe had become fully red. Then almost instantly, Iran would fell, Turkey joined the red menace and the reds had entered Fertile Crescent and China. This was when United States, along with Japan, finally entered the war. Yet it was not enough to save China(where Japan did most of the work) and Arabia, all the way to Egypt, from the reds. Within three years, ceasefire was called, negotiation was held and the war effectively ended in Socialist victory. The capitalist world was shaken as Europe had been conquered, Middle East and China had been lost entirely, British Empire got crippled and it was now up to Americans to save it. The first things they did was to pressure for Indian independence, creation of new nations from many colonies who had lost their ruling overlords such as Indonesia, and pull the remaining European empires into American orbit.
> As the effect of losing Europe, China and the middle east yet effectively securing India, Africa and Southeast Asia,, the Anglo-Franco-American alliance would focus their resources at developing and fortifying the regions to prevent further socialist advances. As by this time the British and French Empires, especially after Indian and Algerian independence respectively had been living solely on American life support, when the wave of decolonization struck in the ‘60s they were in no position to refuse American pressure to reform its empire and effectively opening it even more to American market integration and investment. Thus came the Project Free World, dedicated to create a post-colonial world order where Free Trade and Democracy would reign and push back against socialism, and to achieve this goal the develop nations, especially United States would provide the post-colonial states security as well as extensive investment in economy and infrastructure building in order to facilitate the growth of liberal democracy upheld by national bourgeoise. In practice, The Free World System would pragmatically tolerate authoritarian regimes, including those adopting French Fraternist nation building, as long as they would make reliable allies and members of the free market.
> Around the same time, another schism happened in the Socialist World, this time coming from their oversized gains from the Second Great War. Relying on local initiative meant liberated nations were always their own governments and armies, and United Democratic Socialist Arab Republic and Socialist People’s Republic of China are the biggest of these, more then enough to have strong independent streak and resist command centralization. Their eventual exit from Socialist Internationale drew military respond. While China was able to keep invasion at the borders, the much more vulnerable Arab Republic suffered from invasion by socialist coalition, culminating in the Great Arab War, overseeing brutal conventional and guerilla warfare, terrorism and wholesale massacres of entire cities and villages. Sensing an opportunity, United States which had been channeling to the Arabs weapons and funds from the start, decided to gave them the ultimate secret weapon. On July 6th 1968, the first nuclear bomb was deployed in combat, against the advancing coalition troopers across Sinai. In retaliation, the Germans dropped their own bomb on Cairo. This would backfire as it incited global outrage and hardened the resolve of Arab resistance. The treaty banning the deployment of nuclear weapons on combat would be signed last year, and within the next 3, the Arabs would eventually drive the invaders out of most of Arabia, except two puppet states of Basra and Bahrain on the Gulf region. The still officially socialist single party Arabia and China would proceed to join the capitalist world, providing a massive boom to Free World Economy.
> However, the cross exchange happened both ways. Independentist defiance, even violent rebellions also emerged among American clients under the Free World System which the socialists also sought to exploit. Starting from Algeria’s fall into bloody genocidal revolution which triggered the Project Free World to begin with, a few more would follow it crossing into the socialist camp, including Madagascar which provided a Socialist forward base in Indian Ocean. West Africa Republic, the largest country in Africa eventually made a turn course towards neutrality and trade with both sides which Americans could do little about. But the biggest lost would be Nigeria War, which drew America into Nigeria War supporting Biafran separatism but failed to break up Nigeria completely.
> Regardless , The Free World System would proof formidable and thriving through decades of challenges. Perhaps, some would say, overtly thriving . The successful and booming Free World Economy would give rise to new great powers in their own right, the first of which would be India in the ‘80s, here a capitalist country from the start. Followed by China , Indonesia and Arabia in the ‘90s. Eventually, the African nations, including those under Integrated African Market which was initially meant to be captive market and a march for American Grand Strategy, would develop sufficient prosperity and productivity to inspire confidence in tandem with other rising economies, to defy American dictats and hegemony. By 2000, American leadership over the capitalist world, even over democracy.
> By Present Day, United States of America remains the single most powerful nation on earth, yet the Free World System has turned against it. After a scandalous scheme to interfere with democratic process in Congo by American intelligence was uncovered, they had pretty much disengaged from power projection and policing and divert its attention closer to home, specifically to Trans-Atlantic Free Market and Partnership. This “defensive” turn, under the doctrine of New Anglo-America seeks to reform United States through reaffirmation of democratic ideology and of North American and English identity. Most of the Free World, ostensibly under a loose alliance of Global Comprehensive Reconstruction are divided under it. Two largest blocs are the Sino-Arabian Axis which the Association of West Africa and Andean Solidarity are aligned with, and Indian Ocean Forum led by ‘democratic seniors’ of India and Indonesia forwarding their own brand of ‘pluralistic democracy’. Technically aligned with Indian Forum, Central Africa Common Market quietly harbors its own agenda for Africa. And lastly, there’s South American Economic Community which is neutral on America-Reconstructionist divide and only seeks to trade with both of them.
> Today’s world continues to be plagued by various problems. But perhaps the most prolific at the moment would be the growth of radical Islamic Socialism which has sparked terrorism in India and Arabia and has spread its presence across the muslim world. It has of course led to accusation of socialist bloc’s backing, which it has not openly denied. Pundits have attributed it to American resignation from leadership of the Free World and the absence of any real united defense which has allowed it to be exposed. Yet the socialist world itself isn’t exempt from problem. The development of its indigenous computering network, which has made relations German European and Russian Soviet economic structures increasing efficient has inspired vision for their eventual merging. This alarms the more independent minded socialist nations such as Iberian Union and the centralist regime in Iran which fear eventual absorption. And lastly, there’s climate change, which begins earlier ITTL due to Southern Hemisphere development beginning much earlier. While the world has avoided any major refugee crisis thanks to early demographic transition, it still has to face harsher season, sea level rise and acidification, desert expansion , increasing storm and creeping tropics. On the bright side, more developed and somewhat less populated world is also more prepared to adapt, perhaps even to reverse the process in the long term.
> Overall, the world is heading for uncertain future, and there are growing calls for eventual supranational governing body to ensure peace between nations and ideological blocs and to facilitate cooperation in social, economic and environmental matters. And hopefully, to eventually get various space program to join forces and expand humanity’s frontier beyond earth. But of course that nations and tribes will remain the basic building blocs of humanity, no one is agitating for something as preposterous as uniting humanity as a single state, for example. Although one would argue about how large or small these nations and tribes should get.
