Map Thread XXI

[FireCrispyHistory]

View attachment 800453
So, this is a map of a Modern-Day world. Well, mostly modern day. Something just feels a little different, right? Also, the date of the map is suggested to be 10/4/21. Why? It makes sense.

Spoiler: Basic Info

So, the darker colors for a nation are to represent territories that are not exactly a core part of the nation.
The Point of Divergence (PoD) is during the Russian Revolutionary War, lasting until 1930. The Soviets still win, but is weaker compared to Our Timeline (OTL). Other lore can be found in the spoilers below.
No Territorial Disputes, Civil Wars, etc. are shown.

Spoiler: North America

View attachment 800457
After the Amero-Japanese War of 1941, a war which only lasted 2 years, and ended with America making some concessions to Japan (with Japan making some as well, refer to "Asia" spoiler), which made America insist on never integrating Alaska as a state of America. The Treaty also made America give some of the Southern Alaskan panhandle to Canada.

In 1943, Canada annexed Southern Alaska, naming the territory "Alaska Territory" (Someone tell me a better name for this please).
After plenty of Quebecois revolts, Canada grants Quebec limited autonomy, renaming the territories: Autonomous Zone of Quebec, Quebecois Zone of Newfoundland, Quebecois Zone of Labrador, Territory of King Louis Island (KLI), Quebecois Autonomous Zone of Nova Scotia, and Quebecois Autonomous Zone of New Brunswick
After decolonization, Canada was granted St. Pierre and Miquelon as well as Bermuda.

After decolonization, Belize was under threat by Guatemala. Eventually, the USA stepped in and annexed Belize. After the Amero-Guatemalan War of 1983, Guatemala was forced to never make a move to annex Belize again. Belize remains a US Territory.
Panama fell into economic despair (being literally chopped in half will do that to you). Eventually, during the War of 1983, America needed more space to stuff soldiers, and the government of Panama offered to just join America. Since then, Panama was a part of the US, becoming a state in 2013.

Spoiler: Caribbean

View attachment 800459
After Decolonization, Britain gave their Caribbean territories to Canada, with them all being organized into the Territory of Canadian Caribbea (spelled exactly as it was intended).

After Cuba became a communist nation, the US immediately launched an invasion of the island. The Cuba War had lasted only 3 months, with Cuba being unprepared for war, and being totally alone. Well, not totally alone, but not enough help for it to be valuable. Cuba has been a territory of the United States ever since.

Haiti and the Dominican Republic made an alliance, the Hispaniola Alliance, and came to Cuba's aid in the Cuba War. After the war with Cuba was over, Hispaniola still kept fighting. The Hispaniola War had lasted 2 years, with it only ending after the detonation of the Nuclear Warheads in Port-au-Prince and Santo Domingo. The island was a territory of the US ever since.

Spoiler: South America

View attachment 800460
In 1928, with all of the world powers busy trying to defend the White Army, Brazil took the opportunity to invade and Annex Uruguay.

During decolonization, when Britain was on the verge of losing all of their colonies, Argentina came knocking, asking for "Islas Maldivas". Tensions began to escalate, and to avoid war, both sides agreed to split the archipelago.

Spoiler: Africa

View attachment 800462
The Kingdom of Morocco, after becoming independent of France, was to cautious to expand too quickly. The expanded a little bit, but were hesitant to claim more of the Spanish Sahara. The Spanish Sahara then had a referendum. Stay with Spain: 23.1% Independence: 32.4% Join Mauritania: 44.5%
They joined Mauritania.

During decolonization, the Gambia was handed over to Senegal. So was Guinea-Bissau.

In 1936, Ethiopia beat back the Italians, keeping their lands safe. Also, after a border dispute, Britain agreed to grant Somaliland to Ethiopia.

In 1937, a naval skirmish in the Arabian Sea led to Italy gaining control of Socotra. Socotra then became a part of Somalia during decolonization.

Spoiler: Europe

View attachment 800465
(yes, I am considering the Caucasus and Asia Minor as Europe for the sake of this explanation).
In 1937, the Spanish "Civil War" lasted only 3 weeks, with a massive influx of German, Italian, French and Portuguese volunteers fighting for the Nationalist side, and none for the Republicans. After the war, Spain pressured Britain to give up Gibraltar. In return, Spain would allow British passage through the straight.

Belgium, being too critical to both the Netherlands and France, both nations then signed a treaty with Britain, making their "guarantee" on Belgium void. The Netherlands annexed Flanders, France annexed Wallonia, and Germany annexed Ostbelgien in the year 1938. The City of Brussels remains independent as the City State of Belgium, renaming the city itself to Belgium. The nation is similar to Andorra in how it is lead. There are 5 leaders. The prime minister of France, the president of the Netherlands, the Chancellor of Germany, the king/queen of the United Kingdom, and an elected citizen of Belgium. A large crime empire is based here, due to there being laws dictating that Belgium allow free transportation, with no border checks, into the Netherlands, France, Germany and Britain.
Germany annexed Luxembourg in the Franco-German war to try and break French defenses. After the war, Luxembourg remained German.

Czechoslovakia is still standing today.

During the Italo-Yugoslav War, Italy led a large army into Ljubljana, and began heading down to Sarajevo and Belgrade. Desperate for an end to the war, Yugoslavia signed the Treaty of Zurich, stating that Yugoslavia would grant Italy some borderlands in a straight line in Slovenia, and Italy shall not invade any more into the Balkans. As the Italian invasion was really just a bluff, and the army was weakened by the Ethiopians still, the Italians signed the treaty, with hesitance of course.

Seeing a weakened larger power with lands that you want means that you take advantage of the opportunity. Albania did this, and invaded Yugoslavia. The Albanian military was strong, and forced Yugoslavia to give up Kosovo and Montenegro. Albania still has those lands today.

Seeing Albania further weaken the Yugoslav army was something in and of itself. It was spectacular. Well, if you were a Bulgarian, or a Greek. Bulgaria and Greece both wished for Macedonia, and eventually it hurt their relations. In an attempt to patch things up, Greece offers Thrace, as long as Bulgaria helps Greece claim Macedonia in it's entirety. Bulgaria agreed, and both nations invaded Yugoslavia. Bulgaria took a few borderlands, but not much. Just a kilometer or two. Greece took the entirety of Macedonia. The kilometer Bulgaria snatched has been returned to Serbia.

After seeing Bulgaria go head to head with Yugoslavia and "still require Greek assistance" gave Turkey something. An ambition. Turkey performed a false-flag operation, and started a war with Bulgaria. Turkey was easily defeated though, as after the 3rd Balkan Wars, the Balkan Peninsula made an alliance. Instead of just Bulgaria, it was also Greece, Yugoslavia, Albania and Romania. Italy also joined in as well. After the war, the rest of the Balkans decided to grant Bulgaria the entirety of Turkish land in the peninsula, mostly so they do not have a repeat of the Second Balkan War. Again. After the 4th Balkan Wars disintegrated Yugoslavia, the rest of the Balkan Pact tried to get all new nations in the Balkans to sign the pact. The only Yugoslav nation that has not signed the Balkan Pact is Slovenia.

After the Breakup of the USSR in 1995, Abkhazia and South Ossetia became independent. They are now major Georgian allies. Armenia was granted Nakhchivan, and Azerbaijan was defeated by the Caucasus Entente, and alliance between Georgia, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Armenia. Azerbaijan is now a member of the Caucasus Entente.

After the Fracno-German War of 1940, Germany decided to stay still. Their war with Poland weakened them, plus a war with France? Devastating on the military. Eventually, Poland rose up and even took some lands from Germany, but at least Germany still has Ostpreussen.

The Breakup of the USSR let Russia keep Belarus.

The Baltic nations united, centralizing in Riga. Finland, after winning the Winter War with the Soviet Union, decided that they should be given Estonia, as Estonia was Finnic, like Finland. Of course, Balticia was not having it. Eventually, Ireland decided to mediate the situation. Ireland came up with a solution: Create a jointly-ruled nation, similar to how Andorra has always been, and how Belgium has been since 1938. In 1946, the creation of Finno-Baltic Estonia was accomplished. The King of Finland is one leader, the President of Balticia is the other.

Ukraine has declared independence from Russia in 1994, and tried to claim Ukrainian lands in Southern Bessarabia. Romania refused, and Ukraine still claims the land. The tensions between Ukraine and the Balkan Pact are high, and chances of war are high. In fact, it is thought that early next year, war will break out.

Spoiler: Asia

View attachment 800468
During the Russian Revolution, China managed to keep hold of Tuva, after making a treaty with Mongolia to guarantee Chinese stuff to get there. Mongolia eventually constructed the Huang-Tuva Highway, with high funding from China.

The Kuomintang won the Chinese Civil War, with the Communist Party going into Tibetan Exile, being unofficially called the People's Monastic Commune of Tibet. Well, maybe not unofficially for long.

With no communist support, UN forces defeated North Korea.

After the Amero-Japanese War of 1941, Japan had to make some concessions. Japan was forced to give up Taiwan to the Philippines, who named the island "(La) Isla (de) Formosa".

Due to little Japanese invasion of India, Burma remains with India.

India signs a treaty with Pakistan: India will allow Pakistan to annex half of Kashmir and use the Pakistani Exclusive Highway to traverse from Pakistan's mainland to Bengal.

Japan was a victim of Decolonization, and quite early too. They at least kept that little island to the south (forgot the name, oof), and got the entirety of Sakhalin. Also, there was a coup that brought down the militaristic power structure and turned Japan from a land of samurai into a land of weebs.

Spoiler: Pacific

View attachment 800472
Literally nothing happened here.

Any thoughts or comments? Do not hesitate to share them.
Why am I doing this to myself? I had a lot of fun doing this.

Whoops! I forgot Kuwait!
Iraq manages to successfully annex Kuwait.

 

[Kaiser1871]

Tsargrad Chronicles [1956]​

Hi guys. Here's a new experimental map for you. I guess it took a long time because of the autumn troubles and the regular procrastination/apathy. Initially, newspapers were supposed to be with real text, but I realized that even with a minimal font, nothing would fit there.

The main plot is the success of Simeon I of Bulgaria in becoming the Basileus of the Bulgars and the Romans. I took the POD from a discussion in the Russian AH forum link. In short, Leo the Wise gives birth to a daughter instead of Constantine Porphyrogenitus. During another Bulgarian victory, Byzantium had to make an offer to marry the girl to Simeon's son Michael. Thus, the Roman-Bulgarian Empire was born; the eastern Imperial provinces never recognized this and formed the Anatolian Empire [0].

Further, the story goes on the thumb. The Seljuk Turks never enter Anatolia after the Anatolian Greeks rebuff them. OTL Crusades never took place, but various religious campaigns by younger sons still occur in Iberia [1], the Maghreb, and two unsuccessful campaigns in Egypt. Of course, there were campaigns against pagans, heretics, and Byzantium [2] too.

The Roman-Bulgarian state existed for 300 years and sent the energy spent on wars with each other in all directions. Italy and Rome were returned [3], the Hungarians were vassalized [4] and Christianized in the Greek rites. At the same time, the alternate prince Svyatoslav of Rus directed his frenzied energy not to Bulgaria but to Poland, expanding Rus' to the banks of the Oder. After his death, Greek Christianity penetrated Rus' and Poland.

After the fall of R-B and a hundred years of the warlord period [5], one of the Bulgarian princes hoisted Bogomilism on his banner [6] and united first Bulgaria, then the entire former Byzantium, creating a new force in Southern Europe – Rhomanian Empire.

Yes, there were Mongol conquests in this world, but with slight differences - the tribe of Kereites was the Imperial core. They never conquered southern China but pushed much deeper into eastern Europe and Anatolia.

History has come to an end. Without a strong Muslim power, Euro-Asian trade is never interrupted [7], which does not motivate Europeans to look for workarounds; The New World was discovered only at the end of the 16th century. This and the longer Hungarian threat plus a more "sluggish" Renaissance [8] have caused a slowdown in European technological progress. It is now the middle of the 20th century, and technology is at the OTL 1900 level. Humanity is just beginning to move away from its first industrial war and seems like it learned the wrong lessons from it.

[0] This is different from the original post. There was a huge Bulgaro-Roman Empire.
[1] This was the reason for the early end of the Reconquista.
[2] One such campaign became, as IOTL, deadly for the R-B Empire, breaking it up into several warlords and crusader states.
[3] That caused the split of Christianity since there were two Popes - a pro-Byzantine one in Rome and *a Catholic one in Avignon.
[4] The Magyars became Byzantium's “personal barbarians” and were used for raids when Constantinople needed to distract Europe from its affairs.
[5] The Anatolian Empire nearly succeeded in recapturing Constantinople, but the Kereit invasion spoiled their plans.
[6] Of course, this Bogomilism was slightly modified and politicized for the needs of the new state.
[7] Christians and Bogomils looked at each other with contempt, but they didn’t reach the level of Christian-Islamic conflict.
[8] After the fall of the first Bulgaro-Roman Empire, Byzantine Italy became the target of devastating crusades.

Spoiler: NEWSPAPERS

Pope vs Italy
Bad news comes from the Italian Republic. Pope Benedict continues to lose popular love due to his riotous lifestyle and his broken promises.
Recall that the Pope triumphantly returned to Rome in 1947 after five years of guerrilla warfare under his leadership and the final capitulation of the Roman Kingdom in the Great War. Then a territorial compromise was signed between the young unstable republic and the victorious Pope, which did not suit literally everyone, since both sides wanted to control the whole country.
Now, after a series of scandals involving the Pope, many people are wondering: is that warrior of Christ, who vowed to overthrow tyranny and to return Rome to the bosom of the Church, the heir to the throne of St. Paul, or an ordinary chevalier of fortune who took advantage of the situation and seized power?


Plans to divide Poland
Clockwise:
1. Benedict's plan (executed plan).
2. Wojcik’s Plan
3. Svetov's plan
4. Eisenberg plan


Manifesto of the Magyar people
We, the people of the Magyar Republic, appeal to the entire free world and, in particular, to the World Concept organization. We demand that the results of the Krakow Peace be reconsidered and that the original Magyar lands be returned to us. We demand an end to the harassment. Our people are forbidden to practice Orthodoxy in Carinthia, they are forbidden to speak their own language in Trans-Moldavia, and they are driven from their homes in Bulgaria. Our people have been horribly deceived by the false promises of England and Stipastan... [torn piece]


Unheard of insolence in India
The Indian Crisis, or as European diplomats called it, the Unheard insolence of 1956, has been going on for a week now. On October 7, the Brabant authorities, after suppressing a protracted peasant uprising in the principality of the Eastern Ganges, announced the deposition of Prince Abhik II and declared the Ganges their direct colony in India. Until now, the fragile balance of power in India, built on puppet princes and bribes, has prevented the Europeans from capturing even a coastal city, let alone an entire principality.
Brabant refused to give official comments on this matter, but judging by the Brabant newspapers and the commentary of their ambassador for our newspaper*, they see no problems at all. This was the reason for the split of the European elites: part wants to create a coalition and expel the Brabants from newly colony, and part wants to join with the possible partition of India.
There are also reports that neighboring Indian principalities are preparing to dump the Brabantines into the sea without the permission of their European overlords.
*quote: "What do you want from me? Stop playing good-natured people with these [censored]. We have an example of completely English Africa at hand, and we continue to take tribute from India as if we were naval Kereites."


End of the warring states?
The sun rises again over the Middle Kingdom and brings us great news again. Another gang of the deposed Luo dynasty was destroyed by our valiant army; the road to the enemy capital is open. Astrologers and magicians predict victory over the northern warlord within a month; then it will be the turn of the southern pro-European grovelers from the Republic.
Yesterday, the Great Emperor Xen, the future unifier of China, visited the field hospital and personally blessed all the wounded for a speedy recovery and return to battle; he also said parting words to the army and promised to give it three days to loot the capital city.
The day is coming when the enemies and their hangers-on will leave the Celestial Empire and the great Emperor, the unifier of China, will sit on the throne and found a new just dynasty. White barbarians and warlords must fear this day, for this day will be their last day.


Political columnist
*New Tenggis-Khan. Why industrial civilizations cannot suppress the neo-nomad revolution in Khakassian steppes.
* Aboriginal life in divided Taiwan. An interview with local.
*Tiveria. Between the giants of Eastern Europe.
*On the ruins of the empire. Life in the post-Persian Middle East.
*5D chess. Why does the Kuch Principality still call itself a protectorate of Spain?
*Every Jew in his own way. Why Cochin Jews do not recognize the Palestinian Confederation?


The third crisis for the charm
The riots in Paris and its environs resumed with a triple force after a week-long break. This is due to another financial crisis and the inability of the new government to cope with it.
Recall that the dynastic crisis and the long Francian civil war of the late 19th century brought the country to the brink of military and financial disaster. France was saved only by a large money loan from England.
In 1910, the country was again on the brink of crisis when the government was unable to pay its foreign debts. At the London Conference, European countries decided to pay off the Francian debt at the expense of their African colonies. This decision led to another resignation of the government and a new short civil war.
To understand the causes of the current third crisis, you need to delve into the economic […]


European poaching in the Far East (entry by TrueBananakonda )
It could no longer be tolerated, he had shouted, it was an outrage, he added, and most importantly, it was a humiliation for the proud Mongolian people. He had described them as "a pack of hyenas", their "fangs already deep within our once proud empire" - more precisely, within the northern reaches of said empire. The states of Europe, ever-hungry (to continue with the metaphor) for resources and untapped markets, have used the relative isolation and technological as well as administrative falling-behind of Mongolia to - and in turn their superiority in these matters - to claim land in the underdeveloped northern half of the Asian colossus.
The prince's outrage is easy to understand: Siberia is a land of immense potential wealth, be it in the form of valuable furs, as of yet barely explored and quantified sources of minerals, or the large stocks of fish along the coast - wealth that is now flowing into European capitals, while the people of Mongolia are largely left out.
"Our empire's present passiveness must come to an end, now, through action - or through our final demise" the former advisor and close aide of Mongolia's Emperor finished his speech before the Conservative Party's leadership. A major crisis is in the making, no doubt. Its end result is impossible to guess yet.


La Vanguardia (Double entry by a friend of mine)
October 14 - In the North, the bank-collectors were again attacked, and a huge number of pesetas were stolen by the Solidarists. The increased frequency of attacks may indicate that the leaders of the Solidarists are running out of funds to continue the struggle and they have to move on to more radical and egregious measures. Please note that the Solidarists in the north have some support from the population and their actions are now becoming more active.
Perhaps soon we will hear about stronger performances.
How will the government react?...

El Mundo
October 14 - at the next meeting of the Council of State, which often expresses the will of our monarch in its decisions, new terms were announced for negotiations with the government of England regarding the settlement of borders and the return of the lost colonies to the bosom of the empire. The editors recall that past negotiations ended without results, and subsequent dates set for negotiations were postponed many times, and in the end, they had to be postponed until now.
Against the general background of the situation with the lost colonies, there are great disputes in society. Recent polls showed that 72% said they wanted to see the lost territories again as part of the state.
The country is counting on these negotiations, otherwise, who knows where all this can lead, given the mood of the masses.


Warrior of England
Time to burn the nest
The basin of the Congo River, inherited by the Sultanate of Oman by sheer luck and with the permission of England, turned into a bloody tumor on the body of Africa. For 20 years, African bandits have been uncontrollably crossing the borders and plundering our lands, the lands of England. Enough! They drank too much of our blood. The Great War has died down, which means it's time for revenge. England's warriors, it's time to end the hornet's nest. And if the Omanis are unable to control their subjects, then the English crown will take on this burden.


Scramble for Rus
5th year of the new era.
Yesterday, our leader and savior of the nation, Roman Novik, delivered a speech about the need to unite the Slavic lands under the Novgorod wing. Talk about this went on before among the intelligentsia, but for the first time, they were uttered at such a high level. It is enough for us to rely on European "friends" who deceived us after the war. It's time to return to the roots, to revive the old Rus'. The people of the southern principalities dependent on Stipastan are on the move - corrupt officials loyal to the Khanate are already flying out of the windows, and protesters are fighting with the pro-Stipastan police. Our duty is to help them with all we can, with money and equipment, to overthrow the centuries-old yoke. Long live Leader Novik and Rus' from Novgorod to Kiev!


A look at Zionism through the years
"If you had told me 20 years ago that the Jews would settle in Palestine, and moreover, would work hand in hand with the local Arabs, I would say that you are crazy," Ike Singer said at the annual convention of the Kibbutzim of the Palestinian Confederation on October 28. His words contain a bit of logic, no matter how insulting they may sound. Jews were outcasts people for hundreds of years, forever wandering around the corners of Europe. But against the backdrop of nationalist ideas and the growth of anti-Semitism in Poland and Bulgaria, the Jews realized themselves as oppressed people and rushed to their ancient homeland.
Their kibbutzim, originally illegal fortress farms, soon spread throughout northern Palestine. Their ideas infected the local Arabs, who were dissatisfied with the power of the oppressive Syrian Sultanate; they joined kibbutzim or even established their own in southern Palestine. In the end, the Syrian government was forced to leave these lands and give way to the Palestinian Confederation.
Read next: How to improve the structure of Palestine? Opinion of Tatyana Zhukova and Oleg Zakharov.


Sick Man cured?
[From the modern history book. The first map is the peak of the Romano-Bulgarian Empire, the second one is peak of the Rhomanian Empire, the third one is Bulgaria before the Great War, showing European influence]
Bulgaria, formerly Rhomania, has achieved incredible results in the past 10 years, and has come a long way from a European whipping boy to a young growing economy. The Great War, which became a catastrophe for many peoples of Europe, is considered the greatest gift for the Bulgarians; without much human loss, the country lost its rudiments in the form of outlying peoples, making the country a majority-Bulgarian. The young reform movement, the White Bulgarians, easily toppled the old elites from power and expelled European influence from the country. Thus began a new era in the history of Bulgaria and its people, without decadent imperialism and blind worship of the past; It had the great opportunity to start history from scratch. Unfortunately [next page]


David and Goliath
[From Francian ultranationalist newspaper]
The Association of Nine Ports are the last non-English European possessions on the African Elephant Coast (not counting Occitan Algeria). During and after the Great War, the soldiers and inhabitants of these cities saw England slowly absorb the possessions around them, enemies and allies alike. First, an unspoken pact of mutual assistance was concluded, and then, after the final African triumph of England, the Association of Nine Ports was officially formed in order to mutual protection against the English octopus.
European elites are ambivalent about the AoNP. Many condemn this semi-legal supranational formation; some see it as an opportunity to throw the protection of their colonies on the shoulders of the colonists and avoid quarrels with England. England herself sees the AoNP only as a joke. A quote from the official Bjorn Rhodes:
"There is no need for such initiatives; England respects other people's possessions."
Yeah, we believe him. Such quotes go hand in hand with constant pressure on Europe to eliminate the AoNP. The editors of our newspaper sincerely support any anti-English initiatives in the world.
Read more: Anti-English sentiment in Aquitaine. We explain why this is not an exaggeration.


Visit New Germany
We invite you to visit one of the youngest states in Europe - the German Union. The country has only recently gained freedom and is eager to show itself to the whole world*
Book hot tours! Visit places where German history was made!
For especially ardent tourists, there is a tour of the Erne Trench - the site of the largest battle of the Great War**.
We are waiting for your visit!
*Citizens of Poland are temporarily banned from entering the country.
**Visit the place on your own is strictly prohibited.


Remembering the Peace of Krakow
[from the banned Solidarist newspaper]
"The war is over. Poland has surrendered." These are the headlines in the newspapers that Europeans saw on October 14, 1946. For hundreds of thousands of people, it was a holiday, people went out into the street to chant.
After 10 years, we are forced to ask ourselves: was this peace as fair as we were told? The peoples were forcibly divided by state borders, ordinary people were burdened with unbearable reparations, and revanchism is ripening in the defeated nations. A storm is brewing that the World Concept cannot and will not cope with. The time has come to remember the warnings of the pre-war Solidarists and to admit that the fate of entire nations cannot be trusted to armchair politicians.


Free City massacre / Bulgarians deny their involvement
On the morning of October 13, mass skirmishes between local ethnic groups of Greeks, Bulgarians, Armenians, Orthodox and Bogomils, and others began in various parts of the free city of Tsargrad.
The skirmishes were characterized by round-ups, street fights, looting of shops, and even targeted eliminations of political opponents. By the evening of the same day, the police and peacekeepers of the World Concert had eliminated the riots.
Despite the Bulgarians being the most organized force in the city, Bulgaria denies any involvement. At the same time, our editors cannot but be alerted by the fact that from today Bulgaria has stepped up pressure on WC to return control over the city.
Amazingly, this event occurred 2 and 1 week respectively after similar skirmishes in the free cities of Riga and Pomore. Will this be a massive trend in the near future and how will the World Concert react to it?


The end of the millennium, the death of Bogomilism?
[There is no such newspaper here since no place left]
For us, the inhabitants of Western Europe, the Balkans, and Bogomilism are somehow inseparable, synonymous. A heretical threat stood at the borders of our civilization and threatened Christianity and our way of life. Today, after the upheavals of the Great War and the Bulgarian War of Independence, things are changing at an incredible speed. The White Bulgarians and their regime are pursuing a soft but purposeful policy of abandoning Bogomilism in favor of classical Orthodoxy. Judging by official statistics, the percentage of the population professing Bogomilism has decreased by 10% in 10 years; further forecasts are promising...

 

[Višeslav]

View attachment 800507​

Tsargrad Chronicles [1956]​

Hi guys. Here's a new experimental map for you. I guess it took a long time because of the autumn (((troubles))) and the regular procrastination/apathy. Initially, newspapers were supposed to be with real text, but I realized that even with a minimal font, nothing would fit there.

The main plot is the success of Simeon I of Bulgaria in becoming the Basileus of the Bulgars and the Romans. I took the POD from a discussion in the Russian AH forum link. In short, Leo the Wise gives birth to a daughter instead of Constantine Porphyrogenitus. During another Bulgarian victory, Byzantium had to make an offer to marry the girl to Simeon's son Michael. Thus, the Roman-Bulgarian Empire was born; the eastern Imperial provinces never recognized this and formed the Anatolian Empire [0].

Further, the story goes on the thumb. The Seljuk Turks never enter Anatolia after the Anatolian Greeks rebuff them. OTL Crusades never took place, but various religious campaigns by younger sons still occur in Iberia [1], the Maghreb, and two unsuccessful campaigns in Egypt. Of course, there were campaigns against pagans, heretics, and Byzantium [2] too.

The Roman-Bulgarian state existed for 300 years and sent the energy spent on wars with each other in all directions. Italy and Rome were returned [3], the Hungarians were vassalized [4] and Christianized in the Greek rites. At the same time, the alternate prince Svyatoslav of Rus directed his frenzied energy not to Bulgaria but to Poland, expanding Rus' to the banks of the Oder. After his death, Greek Christianity penetrated Rus' and Poland.

After the fall of R-B and a hundred years of the warlord period [5], one of the Bulgarian princes hoisted Bogomilism on his banner [6] and united first Bulgaria, then the entire former Byzantium, creating a new force in Southern Europe – Rhomanian Empire.

Yes, there were Mongol conquests in this world, but with slight differences - the tribe of Kereites was the Imperial core. They never conquered southern China but pushed much deeper into eastern Europe and Anatolia.

History has come to an end. Without a strong Muslim power, Euro-Asian trade is never interrupted [7], which does not motivate Europeans to look for workarounds; The New World was discovered only at the end of the 16th century. This and the longer Hungarian threat plus a more "sluggish" Renaissance [8] have caused a slowdown in European technological progress. It is now the middle of the 20th century, and technology is at the OTL 1900 level. Humanity is just beginning to move away from its first industrial war and seems like it learned the wrong lessons from it.

[0] This is different from the original post. There was a huge Bulgaro-Roman Empire.
[1] This was the reason for the early end of the Reconquista.
[2] One such campaign became, as IOTL, deadly for the R-B Empire, breaking it up into several warlords and crusader states.
[3] That caused the split of Christianity since there were two Popes - a pro-Byzantine one in Rome and *a Catholic one in Avignon.
[4] The Magyars became Byzantium's “personal barbarians” and were used for raids when Constantinople needed to distract Europe from its affairs.
[5] The Anatolian Empire nearly succeeded in recapturing Constantinople, but the Kereit invasion spoiled their plans.
[6] Of course, this Bogomilism was slightly modified and politicized for the needs of the new state.
[7] Christians and Bogomils looked at each other with contempt, but they didn’t reach the level of Christian-Islamic conflict.
[8] After the fall of the first Bulgaro-Roman Empire, Byzantine Italy became the target of devastating crusades.

Spoiler: NEWSPAPERS

Pope vs Italy
Bad news comes from the Italian Republic. Pope Benedict continues to lose popular love due to his riotous lifestyle and his broken promises.
Recall that the Pope triumphantly returned to Rome in 1947 after five years of guerrilla warfare under his leadership and the final capitulation of the Roman Kingdom in the Great War. Then a territorial compromise was signed between the young unstable republic and the victorious Pope, which did not suit literally everyone, since both sides wanted to control the whole country.
Now, after a series of scandals involving the Pope, many people are wondering: is that warrior of Christ, who vowed to overthrow tyranny and to return Rome to the bosom of the Church, the heir to the throne of St. Paul, or an ordinary chevalier of fortune who took advantage of the situation and seized power?


Plans to divide Poland
Clockwise:
1. Benedict's plan (executed plan).
2. Wojcik’s Plan
3. Svetov's plan
4. Eisenberg plan


Manifesto of the Magyar people
We, the people of the Magyar Republic, appeal to the entire free world and, in particular, to the World Concept organization. We demand that the results of the Krakow Peace be reconsidered and that the original Magyar lands be returned to us. We demand an end to the harassment. Our people are forbidden to practice Orthodoxy in Carinthia, they are forbidden to speak their own language in Trans-Moldavia, and they are driven from their homes in Bulgaria. Our people have been horribly deceived by the false promises of England and Stipastan... [torn piece]


Unheard of insolence in India
The Indian Crisis, or as European diplomats called it, the Unheard insolence of 1956, has been going on for a week now. On October 7, the Brabant authorities, after suppressing a protracted peasant uprising in the principality of the Eastern Ganges, announced the deposition of Prince Abhik II and declared the Ganges their direct colony in India. Until now, the fragile balance of power in India, built on puppet princes and bribes, has prevented the Europeans from capturing even a coastal city, let alone an entire principality.
Brabant refused to give official comments on this matter, but judging by the Brabant newspapers and the commentary of their ambassador for our newspaper*, they see no problems at all. This was the reason for the split of the European elites: part wants to create a coalition and expel the Brabants from newly colony, and part wants to join with the possible partition of India.
There are also reports that neighboring Indian principalities are preparing to dump the Brabantines into the sea without the permission of their European overlords.
*quote: "What do you want from me? Stop playing good-natured people with these [censored]. We have an example of completely English Africa at hand, and we continue to take tribute from India as if we were naval Kereites."


End of the warring states?
The sun rises again over the Middle Kingdom and brings us great news again. Another gang of the deposed Luo dynasty was destroyed by our valiant army; the road to the enemy capital is open. Astrologers and magicians predict victory over the northern warlord within a month; then it will be the turn of the southern pro-European grovelers from the Republic.
Yesterday, the Great Emperor Xen, the future unifier of China, visited the field hospital and personally blessed all the wounded for a speedy recovery and return to battle; he also said parting words to the army and promised to give it three days to loot the capital city.
The day is coming when the enemies and their hangers-on will leave the Celestial Empire and the great Emperor, the unifier of China, will sit on the throne and found a new just dynasty. White barbarians and warlords must fear this day, for this day will be their last day.


Political columnist
*New Tenggis-Khan. Why industrial civilizations cannot suppress the neo-nomad revolution in Khakassian steppes.
* Aboriginal life in divided Taiwan. An interview with local.
*Tiveria. Between the giants of Eastern Europe.
*On the ruins of the empire. Life in the post-Persian Middle East.
*5D chess. Why does the Kuch Principality still call itself a protectorate of Spain?
*Every Jew in his own way. Why Cochin Jews do not recognize the Palestinian Confederation?


The third crisis for the charm
The riots in Paris and its environs resumed with a triple force after a week-long break. This is due to another financial crisis and the inability of the new government to cope with it.
Recall that the dynastic crisis and the long Francian civil war of the late 19th century brought the country to the brink of military and financial disaster. France was saved only by a large money loan from England.
In 1910, the country was again on the brink of crisis when the government was unable to pay its foreign debts. At the London Conference, European countries decided to pay off the Francian debt at the expense of their African colonies. This decision led to another resignation of the government and a new short civil war.
To understand the causes of the current third crisis, you need to delve into the economic […]


European poaching in the Far East (entry by TrueBananakonda )
It could no longer be tolerated, he had shouted, it was an outrage, he added, and most importantly, it was a humiliation for the proud Mongolian people. He had described them as "a pack of hyenas", their "fangs already deep within our once proud empire" - more precisely, within the northern reaches of said empire. The states of Europe, ever-hungry (to continue with the metaphor) for resources and untapped markets, have used the relative isolation and technological as well as administrative falling-behind of Mongolia to - and in turn their superiority in these matters - to claim land in the underdeveloped northern half of the Asian colossus.
The prince's outrage is easy to understand: Siberia is a land of immense potential wealth, be it in the form of valuable furs, as of yet barely explored and quantified sources of minerals, or the large stocks of fish along the coast - wealth that is now flowing into European capitals, while the people of Mongolia are largely left out.
"Our empire's present passiveness must come to an end, now, through action - or through our final demise" the former advisor and close aide of Mongolia's Emperor finished his speech before the Conservative Party's leadership. A major crisis is in the making, no doubt. Its end result is impossible to guess yet.


La Vanguardia (Double entry by a friend of mine)
October 14 - In the North, the bank-collectors were again attacked, and a huge number of pesetas were stolen by the Solidarists. The increased frequency of attacks may indicate that the leaders of the Solidarists are running out of funds to continue the struggle and they have to move on to more radical and egregious measures. Please note that the Solidarists in the north have some support from the population and their actions are now becoming more active.
Perhaps soon we will hear about stronger performances.
How will the government react?...

El Mundo
October 14 - at the next meeting of the Council of State, which often expresses the will of our monarch in its decisions, new terms were announced for negotiations with the government of England regarding the settlement of borders and the return of the lost colonies to the bosom of the empire. The editors recall that past negotiations ended without results, and subsequent dates set for negotiations were postponed many times, and in the end, they had to be postponed until now.
Against the general background of the situation with the lost colonies, there are great disputes in society. Recent polls showed that 72% said they wanted to see the lost territories again as part of the state.
The country is counting on these negotiations, otherwise, who knows where all this can lead, given the mood of the masses.


Warrior of England
Time to burn the nest
The basin of the Congo River, inherited by the Sultanate of Oman by sheer luck and with the permission of England, turned into a bloody tumor on the body of Africa. For 20 years, African bandits have been uncontrollably crossing the borders and plundering our lands, the lands of England. Enough! They drank too much of our blood. The Great War has died down, which means it's time for revenge. England's warriors, it's time to end the hornet's nest. And if the Omanis are unable to control their subjects, then the English crown will take on this burden.


Scramble for Rus
5th year of the new era.
Yesterday, our leader and savior of the nation, Roman Novik, delivered a speech about the need to unite the Slavic lands under the Novgorod wing. Talk about this went on before among the intelligentsia, but for the first time, they were uttered at such a high level. It is enough for us to rely on European "friends" who deceived us after the war. It's time to return to the roots, to revive the old Rus'. The people of the southern principalities dependent on Stipastan are on the move - corrupt officials loyal to the Khanate are already flying out of the windows, and protesters are fighting with the pro-Stipastan police. Our duty is to help them with all we can, with money and equipment, to overthrow the centuries-old yoke. Long live Leader Novik and Rus' from Novgorod to Kiev!


A look at Zionism through the years
"If you had told me 20 years ago that the Jews would settle in Palestine, and moreover, would work hand in hand with the local Arabs, I would say that you are crazy," Ike Singer said at the annual convention of the Kibbutzim of the Palestinian Confederation on October 28. His words contain a bit of logic, no matter how insulting they may sound. Jews were outcasts people for hundreds of years, forever wandering around the corners of Europe. But against the backdrop of nationalist ideas and the growth of anti-Semitism in Poland and Bulgaria, the Jews realized themselves as oppressed people and rushed to their ancient homeland.
Their kibbutzim, originally illegal fortress farms, soon spread throughout northern Palestine. Their ideas infected the local Arabs, who were dissatisfied with the power of the oppressive Syrian Sultanate; they joined kibbutzim or even established their own in southern Palestine. In the end, the Syrian government was forced to leave these lands and give way to the Palestinian Confederation.
Read next: How to improve the structure of Palestine? Opinion of Tatyana Zhukova and Oleg Zakharov.


Sick Man cured?
[From the modern history book. The first map is the peak of the Romano-Bulgarian Empire, the second one is peak of the Rhomanian Empire, the third one is Bulgaria before the Great War, showing European influence]
Bulgaria, formerly Rhomania, has achieved incredible results in the past 10 years, and has come a long way from a European whipping boy to a young growing economy. The Great War, which became a catastrophe for many peoples of Europe, is considered the greatest gift for the Bulgarians; without much human loss, the country lost its rudiments in the form of outlying peoples, making the country a majority-Bulgarian. The young reform movement, the White Bulgarians, easily toppled the old elites from power and expelled European influence from the country. Thus began a new era in the history of Bulgaria and its people, without decadent imperialism and blind worship of the past; It had the great opportunity to start history from scratch. Unfortunately [next page]


David and Goliath
[From Francian ultranationalist newspaper]
The Association of Nine Ports are the last non-English European possessions on the African Elephant Coast (not counting Occitan Algeria). During and after the Great War, the soldiers and inhabitants of these cities saw England slowly absorb the possessions around them, enemies and allies alike. First, an unspoken pact of mutual assistance was concluded, and then, after the final African triumph of England, the Association of Nine Ports was officially formed in order to mutual protection against the English octopus.
European elites are ambivalent about the AoNP. Many condemn this semi-legal supranational formation; some see it as an opportunity to throw the protection of their colonies on the shoulders of the colonists and avoid quarrels with England. England herself sees the AoNP only as a joke. A quote from the official Bjorn Rhodes:
"There is no need for such initiatives; England respects other people's possessions."
Yeah, we believe him. Such quotes go hand in hand with constant pressure on Europe to eliminate the AoNP. The editors of our newspaper sincerely support any anti-English initiatives in the world.
Read more: Anti-English sentiment in Aquitaine. We explain why this is not an exaggeration.


Visit New Germany
We invite you to visit one of the youngest states in Europe - the German Union. The country has only recently gained freedom and is eager to show itself to the whole world*
Book hot tours! Visit places where German history was made!
For especially ardent tourists, there is a tour of the Erne Trench - the site of the largest battle of the Great War**.
We are waiting for your visit!
*Citizens of Poland are temporarily banned from entering the country.
**Visit the place on your own is strictly prohibited.


Remembering the Peace of Krakow
[from the banned Solidarist newspaper]
"The war is over. Poland has surrendered." These are the headlines in the newspapers that Europeans saw on October 14, 1946. For hundreds of thousands of people, it was a holiday, people went out into the street to chant.
After 10 years, we are forced to ask ourselves: was this peace as fair as we were told? The peoples were forcibly divided by state borders, ordinary people were burdened with unbearable reparations, and revanchism is ripening in the defeated nations. A storm is brewing that the World Concept cannot and will not cope with. The time has come to remember the warnings of the pre-war Solidarists and to admit that the fate of entire nations cannot be trusted to armchair politicians.


Free City massacre / Bulgarians deny their involvement
On the morning of October 13, mass skirmishes between local ethnic groups of Greeks, Bulgarians, Armenians, Orthodox and Bogomils, and others began in various parts of the free city of Tsargrad.
The skirmishes were characterized by round-ups, street fights, looting of shops, and even targeted eliminations of political opponents. By the evening of the same day, the police and peacekeepers of the World Concert had eliminated the riots.
Despite the Bulgarians being the most organized force in the city, Bulgaria denies any involvement. At the same time, our editors cannot but be alerted by the fact that from today Bulgaria has stepped up pressure on WC to return control over the city.
Amazingly, this event occurred 2 and 1 week respectively after similar skirmishes in the free cities of Riga and Pomore. Will this be a massive trend in the near future and how will the World Concert react to it?


The end of the millennium, the death of Bogomilism?
[There is no such newspaper here since no place left]
For us, the inhabitants of Western Europe, the Balkans, and Bogomilism are somehow inseparable, synonymous. A heretical threat stood at the borders of our civilization and threatened Christianity and our way of life. Today, after the upheavals of the Great War and the Bulgarian War of Independence, things are changing at an incredible speed. The White Bulgarians and their regime are pursuing a soft but purposeful policy of abandoning Bogomilism in favor of classical Orthodoxy. Judging by official statistics, the percentage of the population professing Bogomilism has decreased by 10% in 10 years; further forecasts are promising...

Wonderful map but whenever I see Bulgaria, I can’t help but think of Kombaina Vršačka, that one humorous folk song that took over Balkan TikTok for a while.

So tell me, does this timeline include frogs playing guitars?

 

[245]

View attachment 800507​

Tsargrad Chronicles [1956]​

Hi guys. Here's a new experimental map for you. I guess it took a long time because of the autumn (((troubles))) and the regular procrastination/apathy. Initially, newspapers were supposed to be with real text, but I realized that even with a minimal font, nothing would fit there.

The main plot is the success of Simeon I of Bulgaria in becoming the Basileus of the Bulgars and the Romans. I took the POD from a discussion in the Russian AH forum link. In short, Leo the Wise gives birth to a daughter instead of Constantine Porphyrogenitus. During another Bulgarian victory, Byzantium had to make an offer to marry the girl to Simeon's son Michael. Thus, the Roman-Bulgarian Empire was born; the eastern Imperial provinces never recognized this and formed the Anatolian Empire [0].

Further, the story goes on the thumb. The Seljuk Turks never enter Anatolia after the Anatolian Greeks rebuff them. OTL Crusades never took place, but various religious campaigns by younger sons still occur in Iberia [1], the Maghreb, and two unsuccessful campaigns in Egypt. Of course, there were campaigns against pagans, heretics, and Byzantium [2] too.

The Roman-Bulgarian state existed for 300 years and sent the energy spent on wars with each other in all directions. Italy and Rome were returned [3], the Hungarians were vassalized [4] and Christianized in the Greek rites. At the same time, the alternate prince Svyatoslav of Rus directed his frenzied energy not to Bulgaria but to Poland, expanding Rus' to the banks of the Oder. After his death, Greek Christianity penetrated Rus' and Poland.

After the fall of R-B and a hundred years of the warlord period [5], one of the Bulgarian princes hoisted Bogomilism on his banner [6] and united first Bulgaria, then the entire former Byzantium, creating a new force in Southern Europe – Rhomanian Empire.

Yes, there were Mongol conquests in this world, but with slight differences - the tribe of Kereites was the Imperial core. They never conquered southern China but pushed much deeper into eastern Europe and Anatolia.

History has come to an end. Without a strong Muslim power, Euro-Asian trade is never interrupted [7], which does not motivate Europeans to look for workarounds; The New World was discovered only at the end of the 16th century. This and the longer Hungarian threat plus a more "sluggish" Renaissance [8] have caused a slowdown in European technological progress. It is now the middle of the 20th century, and technology is at the OTL 1900 level. Humanity is just beginning to move away from its first industrial war and seems like it learned the wrong lessons from it.

[0] This is different from the original post. There was a huge Bulgaro-Roman Empire.
[1] This was the reason for the early end of the Reconquista.
[2] One such campaign became, as IOTL, deadly for the R-B Empire, breaking it up into several warlords and crusader states.
[3] That caused the split of Christianity since there were two Popes - a pro-Byzantine one in Rome and *a Catholic one in Avignon.
[4] The Magyars became Byzantium's “personal barbarians” and were used for raids when Constantinople needed to distract Europe from its affairs.
[5] The Anatolian Empire nearly succeeded in recapturing Constantinople, but the Kereit invasion spoiled their plans.
[6] Of course, this Bogomilism was slightly modified and politicized for the needs of the new state.
[7] Christians and Bogomils looked at each other with contempt, but they didn’t reach the level of Christian-Islamic conflict.
[8] After the fall of the first Bulgaro-Roman Empire, Byzantine Italy became the target of devastating crusades.

Spoiler: NEWSPAPERS

Pope vs Italy
Bad news comes from the Italian Republic. Pope Benedict continues to lose popular love due to his riotous lifestyle and his broken promises.
Recall that the Pope triumphantly returned to Rome in 1947 after five years of guerrilla warfare under his leadership and the final capitulation of the Roman Kingdom in the Great War. Then a territorial compromise was signed between the young unstable republic and the victorious Pope, which did not suit literally everyone, since both sides wanted to control the whole country.
Now, after a series of scandals involving the Pope, many people are wondering: is that warrior of Christ, who vowed to overthrow tyranny and to return Rome to the bosom of the Church, the heir to the throne of St. Paul, or an ordinary chevalier of fortune who took advantage of the situation and seized power?


Plans to divide Poland
Clockwise:
1. Benedict's plan (executed plan).
2. Wojcik’s Plan
3. Svetov's plan
4. Eisenberg plan


Manifesto of the Magyar people
We, the people of the Magyar Republic, appeal to the entire free world and, in particular, to the World Concept organization. We demand that the results of the Krakow Peace be reconsidered and that the original Magyar lands be returned to us. We demand an end to the harassment. Our people are forbidden to practice Orthodoxy in Carinthia, they are forbidden to speak their own language in Trans-Moldavia, and they are driven from their homes in Bulgaria. Our people have been horribly deceived by the false promises of England and Stipastan... [torn piece]


Unheard of insolence in India
The Indian Crisis, or as European diplomats called it, the Unheard insolence of 1956, has been going on for a week now. On October 7, the Brabant authorities, after suppressing a protracted peasant uprising in the principality of the Eastern Ganges, announced the deposition of Prince Abhik II and declared the Ganges their direct colony in India. Until now, the fragile balance of power in India, built on puppet princes and bribes, has prevented the Europeans from capturing even a coastal city, let alone an entire principality.
Brabant refused to give official comments on this matter, but judging by the Brabant newspapers and the commentary of their ambassador for our newspaper*, they see no problems at all. This was the reason for the split of the European elites: part wants to create a coalition and expel the Brabants from newly colony, and part wants to join with the possible partition of India.
There are also reports that neighboring Indian principalities are preparing to dump the Brabantines into the sea without the permission of their European overlords.
*quote: "What do you want from me? Stop playing good-natured people with these [censored]. We have an example of completely English Africa at hand, and we continue to take tribute from India as if we were naval Kereites."


End of the warring states?
The sun rises again over the Middle Kingdom and brings us great news again. Another gang of the deposed Luo dynasty was destroyed by our valiant army; the road to the enemy capital is open. Astrologers and magicians predict victory over the northern warlord within a month; then it will be the turn of the southern pro-European grovelers from the Republic.
Yesterday, the Great Emperor Xen, the future unifier of China, visited the field hospital and personally blessed all the wounded for a speedy recovery and return to battle; he also said parting words to the army and promised to give it three days to loot the capital city.
The day is coming when the enemies and their hangers-on will leave the Celestial Empire and the great Emperor, the unifier of China, will sit on the throne and found a new just dynasty. White barbarians and warlords must fear this day, for this day will be their last day.


Political columnist
*New Tenggis-Khan. Why industrial civilizations cannot suppress the neo-nomad revolution in Khakassian steppes.
* Aboriginal life in divided Taiwan. An interview with local.
*Tiveria. Between the giants of Eastern Europe.
*On the ruins of the empire. Life in the post-Persian Middle East.
*5D chess. Why does the Kuch Principality still call itself a protectorate of Spain?
*Every Jew in his own way. Why Cochin Jews do not recognize the Palestinian Confederation?


The third crisis for the charm
The riots in Paris and its environs resumed with a triple force after a week-long break. This is due to another financial crisis and the inability of the new government to cope with it.
Recall that the dynastic crisis and the long Francian civil war of the late 19th century brought the country to the brink of military and financial disaster. France was saved only by a large money loan from England.
In 1910, the country was again on the brink of crisis when the government was unable to pay its foreign debts. At the London Conference, European countries decided to pay off the Francian debt at the expense of their African colonies. This decision led to another resignation of the government and a new short civil war.
To understand the causes of the current third crisis, you need to delve into the economic […]


European poaching in the Far East (entry by TrueBananakonda )
It could no longer be tolerated, he had shouted, it was an outrage, he added, and most importantly, it was a humiliation for the proud Mongolian people. He had described them as "a pack of hyenas", their "fangs already deep within our once proud empire" - more precisely, within the northern reaches of said empire. The states of Europe, ever-hungry (to continue with the metaphor) for resources and untapped markets, have used the relative isolation and technological as well as administrative falling-behind of Mongolia to - and in turn their superiority in these matters - to claim land in the underdeveloped northern half of the Asian colossus.
The prince's outrage is easy to understand: Siberia is a land of immense potential wealth, be it in the form of valuable furs, as of yet barely explored and quantified sources of minerals, or the large stocks of fish along the coast - wealth that is now flowing into European capitals, while the people of Mongolia are largely left out.
"Our empire's present passiveness must come to an end, now, through action - or through our final demise" the former advisor and close aide of Mongolia's Emperor finished his speech before the Conservative Party's leadership. A major crisis is in the making, no doubt. Its end result is impossible to guess yet.


La Vanguardia (Double entry by a friend of mine)
October 14 - In the North, the bank-collectors were again attacked, and a huge number of pesetas were stolen by the Solidarists. The increased frequency of attacks may indicate that the leaders of the Solidarists are running out of funds to continue the struggle and they have to move on to more radical and egregious measures. Please note that the Solidarists in the north have some support from the population and their actions are now becoming more active.
Perhaps soon we will hear about stronger performances.
How will the government react?...

El Mundo
October 14 - at the next meeting of the Council of State, which often expresses the will of our monarch in its decisions, new terms were announced for negotiations with the government of England regarding the settlement of borders and the return of the lost colonies to the bosom of the empire. The editors recall that past negotiations ended without results, and subsequent dates set for negotiations were postponed many times, and in the end, they had to be postponed until now.
Against the general background of the situation with the lost colonies, there are great disputes in society. Recent polls showed that 72% said they wanted to see the lost territories again as part of the state.
The country is counting on these negotiations, otherwise, who knows where all this can lead, given the mood of the masses.


Warrior of England
Time to burn the nest
The basin of the Congo River, inherited by the Sultanate of Oman by sheer luck and with the permission of England, turned into a bloody tumor on the body of Africa. For 20 years, African bandits have been uncontrollably crossing the borders and plundering our lands, the lands of England. Enough! They drank too much of our blood. The Great War has died down, which means it's time for revenge. England's warriors, it's time to end the hornet's nest. And if the Omanis are unable to control their subjects, then the English crown will take on this burden.


Scramble for Rus
5th year of the new era.
Yesterday, our leader and savior of the nation, Roman Novik, delivered a speech about the need to unite the Slavic lands under the Novgorod wing. Talk about this went on before among the intelligentsia, but for the first time, they were uttered at such a high level. It is enough for us to rely on European "friends" who deceived us after the war. It's time to return to the roots, to revive the old Rus'. The people of the southern principalities dependent on Stipastan are on the move - corrupt officials loyal to the Khanate are already flying out of the windows, and protesters are fighting with the pro-Stipastan police. Our duty is to help them with all we can, with money and equipment, to overthrow the centuries-old yoke. Long live Leader Novik and Rus' from Novgorod to Kiev!


A look at Zionism through the years
"If you had told me 20 years ago that the Jews would settle in Palestine, and moreover, would work hand in hand with the local Arabs, I would say that you are crazy," Ike Singer said at the annual convention of the Kibbutzim of the Palestinian Confederation on October 28. His words contain a bit of logic, no matter how insulting they may sound. Jews were outcasts people for hundreds of years, forever wandering around the corners of Europe. But against the backdrop of nationalist ideas and the growth of anti-Semitism in Poland and Bulgaria, the Jews realized themselves as oppressed people and rushed to their ancient homeland.
Their kibbutzim, originally illegal fortress farms, soon spread throughout northern Palestine. Their ideas infected the local Arabs, who were dissatisfied with the power of the oppressive Syrian Sultanate; they joined kibbutzim or even established their own in southern Palestine. In the end, the Syrian government was forced to leave these lands and give way to the Palestinian Confederation.
Read next: How to improve the structure of Palestine? Opinion of Tatyana Zhukova and Oleg Zakharov.


Sick Man cured?
[From the modern history book. The first map is the peak of the Romano-Bulgarian Empire, the second one is peak of the Rhomanian Empire, the third one is Bulgaria before the Great War, showing European influence]
Bulgaria, formerly Rhomania, has achieved incredible results in the past 10 years, and has come a long way from a European whipping boy to a young growing economy. The Great War, which became a catastrophe for many peoples of Europe, is considered the greatest gift for the Bulgarians; without much human loss, the country lost its rudiments in the form of outlying peoples, making the country a majority-Bulgarian. The young reform movement, the White Bulgarians, easily toppled the old elites from power and expelled European influence from the country. Thus began a new era in the history of Bulgaria and its people, without decadent imperialism and blind worship of the past; It had the great opportunity to start history from scratch. Unfortunately [next page]


David and Goliath
[From Francian ultranationalist newspaper]
The Association of Nine Ports are the last non-English European possessions on the African Elephant Coast (not counting Occitan Algeria). During and after the Great War, the soldiers and inhabitants of these cities saw England slowly absorb the possessions around them, enemies and allies alike. First, an unspoken pact of mutual assistance was concluded, and then, after the final African triumph of England, the Association of Nine Ports was officially formed in order to mutual protection against the English octopus.
European elites are ambivalent about the AoNP. Many condemn this semi-legal supranational formation; some see it as an opportunity to throw the protection of their colonies on the shoulders of the colonists and avoid quarrels with England. England herself sees the AoNP only as a joke. A quote from the official Bjorn Rhodes:
"There is no need for such initiatives; England respects other people's possessions."
Yeah, we believe him. Such quotes go hand in hand with constant pressure on Europe to eliminate the AoNP. The editors of our newspaper sincerely support any anti-English initiatives in the world.
Read more: Anti-English sentiment in Aquitaine. We explain why this is not an exaggeration.


Visit New Germany
We invite you to visit one of the youngest states in Europe - the German Union. The country has only recently gained freedom and is eager to show itself to the whole world*
Book hot tours! Visit places where German history was made!
For especially ardent tourists, there is a tour of the Erne Trench - the site of the largest battle of the Great War**.
We are waiting for your visit!
*Citizens of Poland are temporarily banned from entering the country.
**Visit the place on your own is strictly prohibited.


Remembering the Peace of Krakow
[from the banned Solidarist newspaper]
"The war is over. Poland has surrendered." These are the headlines in the newspapers that Europeans saw on October 14, 1946. For hundreds of thousands of people, it was a holiday, people went out into the street to chant.
After 10 years, we are forced to ask ourselves: was this peace as fair as we were told? The peoples were forcibly divided by state borders, ordinary people were burdened with unbearable reparations, and revanchism is ripening in the defeated nations. A storm is brewing that the World Concept cannot and will not cope with. The time has come to remember the warnings of the pre-war Solidarists and to admit that the fate of entire nations cannot be trusted to armchair politicians.


Free City massacre / Bulgarians deny their involvement
On the morning of October 13, mass skirmishes between local ethnic groups of Greeks, Bulgarians, Armenians, Orthodox and Bogomils, and others began in various parts of the free city of Tsargrad.
The skirmishes were characterized by round-ups, street fights, looting of shops, and even targeted eliminations of political opponents. By the evening of the same day, the police and peacekeepers of the World Concert had eliminated the riots.
Despite the Bulgarians being the most organized force in the city, Bulgaria denies any involvement. At the same time, our editors cannot but be alerted by the fact that from today Bulgaria has stepped up pressure on WC to return control over the city.
Amazingly, this event occurred 2 and 1 week respectively after similar skirmishes in the free cities of Riga and Pomore. Will this be a massive trend in the near future and how will the World Concert react to it?


The end of the millennium, the death of Bogomilism?
[There is no such newspaper here since no place left]
For us, the inhabitants of Western Europe, the Balkans, and Bogomilism are somehow inseparable, synonymous. A heretical threat stood at the borders of our civilization and threatened Christianity and our way of life. Today, after the upheavals of the Great War and the Bulgarian War of Independence, things are changing at an incredible speed. The White Bulgarians and their regime are pursuing a soft but purposeful policy of abandoning Bogomilism in favor of classical Orthodoxy. Judging by official statistics, the percentage of the population professing Bogomilism has decreased by 10% in 10 years; further forecasts are promising...

So what dose the Americas, south africa and Oceania look like in this world?

 

[athgtq16129]

View attachment 800507​

Tsargrad Chronicles [1956]​

Hi guys. Here's a new experimental map for you. I guess it took a long time because of the autumn (((troubles))) and the regular procrastination/apathy. Initially, newspapers were supposed to be with real text, but I realized that even with a minimal font, nothing would fit there.

The main plot is the success of Simeon I of Bulgaria in becoming the Basileus of the Bulgars and the Romans. I took the POD from a discussion in the Russian AH forum link. In short, Leo the Wise gives birth to a daughter instead of Constantine Porphyrogenitus. During another Bulgarian victory, Byzantium had to make an offer to marry the girl to Simeon's son Michael. Thus, the Roman-Bulgarian Empire was born; the eastern Imperial provinces never recognized this and formed the Anatolian Empire [0].

Further, the story goes on the thumb. The Seljuk Turks never enter Anatolia after the Anatolian Greeks rebuff them. OTL Crusades never took place, but various religious campaigns by younger sons still occur in Iberia [1], the Maghreb, and two unsuccessful campaigns in Egypt. Of course, there were campaigns against pagans, heretics, and Byzantium [2] too.

The Roman-Bulgarian state existed for 300 years and sent the energy spent on wars with each other in all directions. Italy and Rome were returned [3], the Hungarians were vassalized [4] and Christianized in the Greek rites. At the same time, the alternate prince Svyatoslav of Rus directed his frenzied energy not to Bulgaria but to Poland, expanding Rus' to the banks of the Oder. After his death, Greek Christianity penetrated Rus' and Poland.

After the fall of R-B and a hundred years of the warlord period [5], one of the Bulgarian princes hoisted Bogomilism on his banner [6] and united first Bulgaria, then the entire former Byzantium, creating a new force in Southern Europe – Rhomanian Empire.

Yes, there were Mongol conquests in this world, but with slight differences - the tribe of Kereites was the Imperial core. They never conquered southern China but pushed much deeper into eastern Europe and Anatolia.

History has come to an end. Without a strong Muslim power, Euro-Asian trade is never interrupted [7], which does not motivate Europeans to look for workarounds; The New World was discovered only at the end of the 16th century. This and the longer Hungarian threat plus a more "sluggish" Renaissance [8] have caused a slowdown in European technological progress. It is now the middle of the 20th century, and technology is at the OTL 1900 level. Humanity is just beginning to move away from its first industrial war and seems like it learned the wrong lessons from it.

[0] This is different from the original post. There was a huge Bulgaro-Roman Empire.
[1] This was the reason for the early end of the Reconquista.
[2] One such campaign became, as IOTL, deadly for the R-B Empire, breaking it up into several warlords and crusader states.
[3] That caused the split of Christianity since there were two Popes - a pro-Byzantine one in Rome and *a Catholic one in Avignon.
[4] The Magyars became Byzantium's “personal barbarians” and were used for raids when Constantinople needed to distract Europe from its affairs.
[5] The Anatolian Empire nearly succeeded in recapturing Constantinople, but the Kereit invasion spoiled their plans.
[6] Of course, this Bogomilism was slightly modified and politicized for the needs of the new state.
[7] Christians and Bogomils looked at each other with contempt, but they didn’t reach the level of Christian-Islamic conflict.
[8] After the fall of the first Bulgaro-Roman Empire, Byzantine Italy became the target of devastating crusades.

Spoiler: NEWSPAPERS

Pope vs Italy
Bad news comes from the Italian Republic. Pope Benedict continues to lose popular love due to his riotous lifestyle and his broken promises.
Recall that the Pope triumphantly returned to Rome in 1947 after five years of guerrilla warfare under his leadership and the final capitulation of the Roman Kingdom in the Great War. Then a territorial compromise was signed between the young unstable republic and the victorious Pope, which did not suit literally everyone, since both sides wanted to control the whole country.
Now, after a series of scandals involving the Pope, many people are wondering: is that warrior of Christ, who vowed to overthrow tyranny and to return Rome to the bosom of the Church, the heir to the throne of St. Paul, or an ordinary chevalier of fortune who took advantage of the situation and seized power?


Plans to divide Poland
Clockwise:
1. Benedict's plan (executed plan).
2. Wojcik’s Plan
3. Svetov's plan
4. Eisenberg plan


Manifesto of the Magyar people
We, the people of the Magyar Republic, appeal to the entire free world and, in particular, to the World Concept organization. We demand that the results of the Krakow Peace be reconsidered and that the original Magyar lands be returned to us. We demand an end to the harassment. Our people are forbidden to practice Orthodoxy in Carinthia, they are forbidden to speak their own language in Trans-Moldavia, and they are driven from their homes in Bulgaria. Our people have been horribly deceived by the false promises of England and Stipastan... [torn piece]


Unheard of insolence in India
The Indian Crisis, or as European diplomats called it, the Unheard insolence of 1956, has been going on for a week now. On October 7, the Brabant authorities, after suppressing a protracted peasant uprising in the principality of the Eastern Ganges, announced the deposition of Prince Abhik II and declared the Ganges their direct colony in India. Until now, the fragile balance of power in India, built on puppet princes and bribes, has prevented the Europeans from capturing even a coastal city, let alone an entire principality.
Brabant refused to give official comments on this matter, but judging by the Brabant newspapers and the commentary of their ambassador for our newspaper*, they see no problems at all. This was the reason for the split of the European elites: part wants to create a coalition and expel the Brabants from newly colony, and part wants to join with the possible partition of India.
There are also reports that neighboring Indian principalities are preparing to dump the Brabantines into the sea without the permission of their European overlords.
*quote: "What do you want from me? Stop playing good-natured people with these [censored]. We have an example of completely English Africa at hand, and we continue to take tribute from India as if we were naval Kereites."


End of the warring states?
The sun rises again over the Middle Kingdom and brings us great news again. Another gang of the deposed Luo dynasty was destroyed by our valiant army; the road to the enemy capital is open. Astrologers and magicians predict victory over the northern warlord within a month; then it will be the turn of the southern pro-European grovelers from the Republic.
Yesterday, the Great Emperor Xen, the future unifier of China, visited the field hospital and personally blessed all the wounded for a speedy recovery and return to battle; he also said parting words to the army and promised to give it three days to loot the capital city.
The day is coming when the enemies and their hangers-on will leave the Celestial Empire and the great Emperor, the unifier of China, will sit on the throne and found a new just dynasty. White barbarians and warlords must fear this day, for this day will be their last day.


Political columnist
*New Tenggis-Khan. Why industrial civilizations cannot suppress the neo-nomad revolution in Khakassian steppes.
* Aboriginal life in divided Taiwan. An interview with local.
*Tiveria. Between the giants of Eastern Europe.
*On the ruins of the empire. Life in the post-Persian Middle East.
*5D chess. Why does the Kuch Principality still call itself a protectorate of Spain?
*Every Jew in his own way. Why Cochin Jews do not recognize the Palestinian Confederation?


The third crisis for the charm
The riots in Paris and its environs resumed with a triple force after a week-long break. This is due to another financial crisis and the inability of the new government to cope with it.
Recall that the dynastic crisis and the long Francian civil war of the late 19th century brought the country to the brink of military and financial disaster. France was saved only by a large money loan from England.
In 1910, the country was again on the brink of crisis when the government was unable to pay its foreign debts. At the London Conference, European countries decided to pay off the Francian debt at the expense of their African colonies. This decision led to another resignation of the government and a new short civil war.
To understand the causes of the current third crisis, you need to delve into the economic […]


European poaching in the Far East (entry by TrueBananakonda )
It could no longer be tolerated, he had shouted, it was an outrage, he added, and most importantly, it was a humiliation for the proud Mongolian people. He had described them as "a pack of hyenas", their "fangs already deep within our once proud empire" - more precisely, within the northern reaches of said empire. The states of Europe, ever-hungry (to continue with the metaphor) for resources and untapped markets, have used the relative isolation and technological as well as administrative falling-behind of Mongolia to - and in turn their superiority in these matters - to claim land in the underdeveloped northern half of the Asian colossus.
The prince's outrage is easy to understand: Siberia is a land of immense potential wealth, be it in the form of valuable furs, as of yet barely explored and quantified sources of minerals, or the large stocks of fish along the coast - wealth that is now flowing into European capitals, while the people of Mongolia are largely left out.
"Our empire's present passiveness must come to an end, now, through action - or through our final demise" the former advisor and close aide of Mongolia's Emperor finished his speech before the Conservative Party's leadership. A major crisis is in the making, no doubt. Its end result is impossible to guess yet.


La Vanguardia (Double entry by a friend of mine)
October 14 - In the North, the bank-collectors were again attacked, and a huge number of pesetas were stolen by the Solidarists. The increased frequency of attacks may indicate that the leaders of the Solidarists are running out of funds to continue the struggle and they have to move on to more radical and egregious measures. Please note that the Solidarists in the north have some support from the population and their actions are now becoming more active.
Perhaps soon we will hear about stronger performances.
How will the government react?...

El Mundo
October 14 - at the next meeting of the Council of State, which often expresses the will of our monarch in its decisions, new terms were announced for negotiations with the government of England regarding the settlement of borders and the return of the lost colonies to the bosom of the empire. The editors recall that past negotiations ended without results, and subsequent dates set for negotiations were postponed many times, and in the end, they had to be postponed until now.
Against the general background of the situation with the lost colonies, there are great disputes in society. Recent polls showed that 72% said they wanted to see the lost territories again as part of the state.
The country is counting on these negotiations, otherwise, who knows where all this can lead, given the mood of the masses.


Warrior of England
Time to burn the nest
The basin of the Congo River, inherited by the Sultanate of Oman by sheer luck and with the permission of England, turned into a bloody tumor on the body of Africa. For 20 years, African bandits have been uncontrollably crossing the borders and plundering our lands, the lands of England. Enough! They drank too much of our blood. The Great War has died down, which means it's time for revenge. England's warriors, it's time to end the hornet's nest. And if the Omanis are unable to control their subjects, then the English crown will take on this burden.


Scramble for Rus
5th year of the new era.
Yesterday, our leader and savior of the nation, Roman Novik, delivered a speech about the need to unite the Slavic lands under the Novgorod wing. Talk about this went on before among the intelligentsia, but for the first time, they were uttered at such a high level. It is enough for us to rely on European "friends" who deceived us after the war. It's time to return to the roots, to revive the old Rus'. The people of the southern principalities dependent on Stipastan are on the move - corrupt officials loyal to the Khanate are already flying out of the windows, and protesters are fighting with the pro-Stipastan police. Our duty is to help them with all we can, with money and equipment, to overthrow the centuries-old yoke. Long live Leader Novik and Rus' from Novgorod to Kiev!


A look at Zionism through the years
"If you had told me 20 years ago that the Jews would settle in Palestine, and moreover, would work hand in hand with the local Arabs, I would say that you are crazy," Ike Singer said at the annual convention of the Kibbutzim of the Palestinian Confederation on October 28. His words contain a bit of logic, no matter how insulting they may sound. Jews were outcasts people for hundreds of years, forever wandering around the corners of Europe. But against the backdrop of nationalist ideas and the growth of anti-Semitism in Poland and Bulgaria, the Jews realized themselves as oppressed people and rushed to their ancient homeland.
Their kibbutzim, originally illegal fortress farms, soon spread throughout northern Palestine. Their ideas infected the local Arabs, who were dissatisfied with the power of the oppressive Syrian Sultanate; they joined kibbutzim or even established their own in southern Palestine. In the end, the Syrian government was forced to leave these lands and give way to the Palestinian Confederation.
Read next: How to improve the structure of Palestine? Opinion of Tatyana Zhukova and Oleg Zakharov.


Sick Man cured?
[From the modern history book. The first map is the peak of the Romano-Bulgarian Empire, the second one is peak of the Rhomanian Empire, the third one is Bulgaria before the Great War, showing European influence]
Bulgaria, formerly Rhomania, has achieved incredible results in the past 10 years, and has come a long way from a European whipping boy to a young growing economy. The Great War, which became a catastrophe for many peoples of Europe, is considered the greatest gift for the Bulgarians; without much human loss, the country lost its rudiments in the form of outlying peoples, making the country a majority-Bulgarian. The young reform movement, the White Bulgarians, easily toppled the old elites from power and expelled European influence from the country. Thus began a new era in the history of Bulgaria and its people, without decadent imperialism and blind worship of the past; It had the great opportunity to start history from scratch. Unfortunately [next page]


David and Goliath
[From Francian ultranationalist newspaper]
The Association of Nine Ports are the last non-English European possessions on the African Elephant Coast (not counting Occitan Algeria). During and after the Great War, the soldiers and inhabitants of these cities saw England slowly absorb the possessions around them, enemies and allies alike. First, an unspoken pact of mutual assistance was concluded, and then, after the final African triumph of England, the Association of Nine Ports was officially formed in order to mutual protection against the English octopus.
European elites are ambivalent about the AoNP. Many condemn this semi-legal supranational formation; some see it as an opportunity to throw the protection of their colonies on the shoulders of the colonists and avoid quarrels with England. England herself sees the AoNP only as a joke. A quote from the official Bjorn Rhodes:
"There is no need for such initiatives; England respects other people's possessions."
Yeah, we believe him. Such quotes go hand in hand with constant pressure on Europe to eliminate the AoNP. The editors of our newspaper sincerely support any anti-English initiatives in the world.
Read more: Anti-English sentiment in Aquitaine. We explain why this is not an exaggeration.


Visit New Germany
We invite you to visit one of the youngest states in Europe - the German Union. The country has only recently gained freedom and is eager to show itself to the whole world*
Book hot tours! Visit places where German history was made!
For especially ardent tourists, there is a tour of the Erne Trench - the site of the largest battle of the Great War**.
We are waiting for your visit!
*Citizens of Poland are temporarily banned from entering the country.
**Visit the place on your own is strictly prohibited.


Remembering the Peace of Krakow
[from the banned Solidarist newspaper]
"The war is over. Poland has surrendered." These are the headlines in the newspapers that Europeans saw on October 14, 1946. For hundreds of thousands of people, it was a holiday, people went out into the street to chant.
After 10 years, we are forced to ask ourselves: was this peace as fair as we were told? The peoples were forcibly divided by state borders, ordinary people were burdened with unbearable reparations, and revanchism is ripening in the defeated nations. A storm is brewing that the World Concept cannot and will not cope with. The time has come to remember the warnings of the pre-war Solidarists and to admit that the fate of entire nations cannot be trusted to armchair politicians.


Free City massacre / Bulgarians deny their involvement
On the morning of October 13, mass skirmishes between local ethnic groups of Greeks, Bulgarians, Armenians, Orthodox and Bogomils, and others began in various parts of the free city of Tsargrad.
The skirmishes were characterized by round-ups, street fights, looting of shops, and even targeted eliminations of political opponents. By the evening of the same day, the police and peacekeepers of the World Concert had eliminated the riots.
Despite the Bulgarians being the most organized force in the city, Bulgaria denies any involvement. At the same time, our editors cannot but be alerted by the fact that from today Bulgaria has stepped up pressure on WC to return control over the city.
Amazingly, this event occurred 2 and 1 week respectively after similar skirmishes in the free cities of Riga and Pomore. Will this be a massive trend in the near future and how will the World Concert react to it?


The end of the millennium, the death of Bogomilism?
[There is no such newspaper here since no place left]
For us, the inhabitants of Western Europe, the Balkans, and Bogomilism are somehow inseparable, synonymous. A heretical threat stood at the borders of our civilization and threatened Christianity and our way of life. Today, after the upheavals of the Great War and the Bulgarian War of Independence, things are changing at an incredible speed. The White Bulgarians and their regime are pursuing a soft but purposeful policy of abandoning Bogomilism in favor of classical Orthodoxy. Judging by official statistics, the percentage of the population professing Bogomilism has decreased by 10% in 10 years; further forecasts are promising...

Nice Papers, Please aesthetic!

 

[BrobDingnag]

The Point of Divergence (PoD) is during the Russian Revolutionary War, lasting until 1930.

A POD this late, and you still get…

After the war with Cuba was over, Hispaniola still kept fighting. The Hispaniola War had lasted 2 years, with it only ending after the detonation of the Nuclear Warheads in Port-au-Prince and Santo Domingo. The island was a territory of the US ever since.

The US nuking another nation–a mere co-belligerent–and the rest of the word says nothing?

…insist on never integrating Alaska as a state of America. The Treaty also made America give some of the Southern Alaskan panhandle to Canada.

Which the US would just laugh and ignore.

After decolonization, Canada was granted St. Pierre and Miquelon as well as Bermuda.

But it’s completely French and would want to stay a part of France. What spurred this on, just the partial autonomy of Quebec?

 

[fernerdave]

One thing you could do that would be interesting (and possibly a little controversial) is have Islam develop in such a way that it becomes more Ethiopia-centric. For example, maybe the Muslim-Quraysh War concludes in favor of the Quraysh and Muhammad ultimately flees with his followers to Aksum where he develops a close relationship with King Najashi and their two faiths syncretize in a manner favorable toward both the Muslims and Najashi's Christian subjects (Muhammad is a prophet-saint and Jesus is a Very Special prophet that God personally brought into existence - something like that maybe). The Muslims fleeing persecution set up shop in Aksum but maintain their relationships and knowledge of trade networks in the Arabian peninsula in such a way that the Aksumite court is prepared to assist the Muslims with round 2 against the Quraysh. Aksum succeeds, the region is pacified, and the growing empire is able to conquer up into Egypt and the Levant by the sheer economic, military, and demographic weight not to mention a good amount of religious zeal. Hence "Islam" is introduced to the world as something of a rebirth, or revelatory contribution to the (Alexandrian) Christian tradition with Muhammad and Najashi as central figures. It comes to dominate along the Nile and in the Middle East, and potentially beyond as evangelizing opportunities present themselves in the Mediterranean, Persian Gulf, and all along the Indian Rim.

This sounds way better than the old Agent of Byzantium stories I say. Keeping Jerusalem in Christian hands would be a big deal. I could see the Europeans going on Haj instead of Crusade or at least Crusading somewhere else.

 

[PobreCesar]

Islam develop in such a way that it becomes more Ethiopia-centric

You want the borders of the Ethiopian *Caliphate to be this or something ?

Tsargrad Chronicles [1956]​

I like the new format, what happened to Japan? And how did Oman get territory on the other side of Africa?

 

[GodoftheTranses]

You want the borders of the Ethiopian *Caliphate to be this or something ?
View attachment 800545

I like the new format, what happened to Japan? And how did Oman get territory on the other side of Africa?

I gotta presume this caliphate would include Sudan as well at least

 

[Bleh]

You want the borders of the Ethiopian *Caliphate to be this or something ?
View attachment 800545

I like the new format, what happened to Japan? And how did Oman get territory on the other side of Africa?

I would have imagined something a lot more Afro-centric. Wresting control of Egypt from the Byzantines would likely happen due to successive campaigns up the Nile.

The scenario I imagined hinges on a couple things. First, Aksum serving as a sort of homeland in exile for Muslims following defeat by the Quraysh. This would allow Muhammad's theology to develop in a way that incorporates Miaphysite understandings of the nature of Christ (Chirst has one divine-human nature, without mixing), making syncretism possible with Oriental Orthodox Christians but crucially, not Christian churhces that adhere to the Council of Chalcedon (Christ is one being with two natures, one divine, one human). Perhaps more importantly, this makes it extremely likely that the revelations would be recorded in the Ge'ez script and reinforce Ge'ez as a holy language. This keeps Ethiopia central in the new faith and avoids scenarios where the Arabian tail starts wagging the Ethiopian dog down the line (for a while anyway).

Second, it relies on King Najashi remaining a central figure in the resulting faith which divorces Muhammad, Ali, Umar, Abu Bakr, and the rest from power politics a bit (this is partially why this scenario would be somewhat controversial). They remain pivotal as prominent Arabs integrated into the Aksumite court as they allow Aksum to extend its influence over the Arabian peninsula but they definitely would not have the liberty to lead the faith in wars of conquest. No Umar as Caliph means no conquest of Persia. There are still scenarios in which it could happen but it's sort of incredible that it happened at all OTL. Umar's conquest happened at a time of unprecedented weakness of the Sassanid Empire. IITL, the defeat of the Quraysh would have happened maybe 10 or 15 years later than OTL, giving the Sassanids plenty of time to dust themselves off (or perhaps even clobber the Byzantines into the ground).

Whether under Byzantine or Sassanid control, I do see Egypt as an obtainable prize by the nascent Miaphysite-Islamic Ethiopian state via control of the Nile. Since a rivalry already existed between Miaphysite Alodia and Chalcedonian Makuria to Aksum's north, an alliance with Alodia to conquer Makuria seems likely and from there, north into Egypt. A successful conquest of Egypt would be very important for religious legitimacy due to the city of Alexandria which had experienced extreme religious violence in the aftermath of the Council of Chalcedon.

From there, this Ethiopian empire might be poised to move further north and try to take Antioch or maybe further south into the Horn of Africa and its rich trading cities. Either way, it would be in a position from there on out to continue spreading its influence via evangelizing, trade, and possibly more conquest. This is all very theoretical though, and in the end, Bruce is making the map so he may see fit to establish an Ethiopian empire by other means.

 

[Aichi72]

My Catholic Ottomans series of maps continues with the brand new religions map mode. Striped areas represent places where the majority religion is not the official religion or (in areas without an official religion) regions where the two most populous faiths are about equal.

 

[DracoLazarus]

Bulgaria had owned Thrace before the Second Balkan war, and Greece has historically been based in Macedonia before. I would like to think that Greece would much rather let Bulgaria have what was theirs before than be on their bad side. Plus, it is always nice to have an ally if you are involved in a Balkan War, like the 3rd Balkan War here, where Italy, Albania, Bulgaria and Greece took some stuff.

I still disagree.
Greece sided with Serbia and Turkey rather than have an overly dominant Bulgaria in the Balkans in the Second Balkan War for several reason.
First of all, there was barely any conflict between Serbia and Greece from a claims point of view. Vardar Macedonia is heavily Slavic and with the exception of Bitola Greece wanted none of it; in the meantime, the Serbs didn't have a claim to Salonica and Chalcidica. In comparison, the Bulgarians had claims to both those areas.
Thrace South of the Rhodopes is what Greece would be interested in in any situation, because there are Greek populations there, and at the end there is the glimmering imagined capital city of Greece, Constantinople. In Vardar Macedonia, there's absolutely nothing for Greece.
For the same reason, I think that while Albanian Kosovo makes complete sense, them taking all of Montenegro / Cerna Gora is pretty much pointless. They'd be better off trading that for border adjustments in Vardar Macedonia and support against the Greek claims to Korce and Vlore.

 

[B_Munro]

Hi guys. Here's a new experimental map for you.

Creative as always. That is (was) a bigass Poland.

 

[Godot]

Greece has historically been based in Macedonia before.

This isn't true. The "Macedon" of the Hellenic age in all likelihood originated in modern day Greek Macedonia. To imply they'd want the overwhelmingly Slavic Vardar Macedonia over the largely Greek areas of Thrace is illogical.

 

[KillEmAll1989]

autumn (((troubles)))​

Uhhh.... What now?

 

[164522]

My Catholic Ottomans series of maps continues with the brand new religions map mode. Striped areas represent places where the majority religion is not the official religion or (in areas without an official religion) regions where the two most populous faiths are about equal.
View attachment 800579

Why TTL USA is so Catholic?

 

[FireCrispyHistory]

A POD this late, and you still get…

...yup

The US nuking another nation–a mere co-belligerent–and the rest of the word says nothing?

Well, the rest of the world obviously had something to say, but this is the first time a nuke was used in warfare and the US just used two. On co-belligerents no less. Imagine what the United States, the only nation at this point to have successfully developed the nuke, would do to another nation if they had more than words to say about the incident.

Which the US would just laugh and ignore.

Which they did try to do, but eventually Congress decided that there was no reason to even integrate Alaska. Sure, it was a lot of land, but there wasn't even that many people there. It would make more sense to integrate Puerto Rico than Alaska. Congress decided that Alaska being a state was not worth another war with Japan.

But it’s completely French and would want to stay a part of France. What spurred this on, just the partial autonomy of Quebec?

Pretty much, yes.

I still disagree.
Greece sided with Serbia and Turkey rather than have an overly dominant Bulgaria in the Balkans in the Second Balkan War for several reason.
First of all, there was barely any conflict between Serbia and Greece from a claims point of view. Vardar Macedonia is heavily Slavic and with the exception of Bitola Greece wanted none of it; in the meantime, the Serbs didn't have a claim to Salonica and Chalcidica. In comparison, the Bulgarians had claims to both those areas.
Thrace South of the Rhodopes is what Greece would be interested in in any situation, because there are Greek populations there, and at the end there is the glimmering imagined capital city of Greece, Constantinople. In Vardar Macedonia, there's absolutely nothing for Greece.
For the same reason, I think that while Albanian Kosovo makes complete sense, them taking all of Montenegro / Cerna Gora is pretty much pointless. They'd be better off trading that for border adjustments in Vardar Macedonia and support against the Greek claims to Korce and Vlore.

Let me just respond to this with the Butterfly Effect...

This isn't true. The "Macedon" of the Hellenic age in all likelihood originated in modern day Greek Macedonia. To imply they'd want the overwhelmingly Slavic Vardar Macedonia over the largely Greek areas of Thrace is illogical.

But, it also may have originated in what is now North Macedonia. In hopes of better relations with their neighbors, Greece, in my timeline, would prefer to let Bulgaria have thrace and get Macedonia. Bulgaria has sea access, and Greece has Macedonia. Now that they are in the Balkan Pact together, Greece would be making moves to Bulgaria suggesting they give Thrace back to Greece, but so far it remains Bulgarian.

 

[DracoLazarus]

Let me just respond to this with the Butterfly Effect...

But, it also may have originated in what is now North Macedonia. In hopes of better relations with their neighbors, Greece, in my timeline, would prefer to let Bulgaria have thrace and get Macedonia. Bulgaria has sea access, and Greece has Macedonia. Now that they are in the Balkan Pact together, Greece would be making moves to Bulgaria suggesting they give Thrace back to Greece, but so far it remains Bulgarian.

The Butterfly Effect doesn't apply that way with a 1930 POD.
Any POD that creates that level of divergence would make the rest of the world unrecognizable.
So either you're stomping on butterflies left and right, or you just don't want to admit you were wrong.

 

[FireCrispyHistory]

The Butterfly Effect doesn't apply that way with a 1930 POD.
Any POD that creates that level of divergence would make the rest of the world unrecognizable.
So either you're stomping on butterflies left and right, or you just don't want to admit you were wrong.

Let's just say it seemed to make that part of the map interesting. I admit, I know little about the whole Thrace/Macedonia issues in history, all I know is Bulgaria has laid claim to Thrace before, and it has laid claim to Macedonia before.
Also, yes, I stomp on all the butterflies I see.
Also, when dealing with alternate history, anything created with the alternate history is neither wrong nor right. They all have plausibility.
It is possible for an alien species to invade earth, but it is so implausible that it is considered ASB.
Now, this TL is not ASB, so please don't try to say that it is.

 

[BrobDingnag]

Congress decided that Alaska being a state was not worth another war with Japan.

But… America has nukes. And Alaska has gold and oil. If we’re still in the part of the show where nations annex land, shouldn’t Congress be itching for a rematch with Japan?