Throughout the 20th century, national borders were often redrawn to be based (more-or-less) on ethnic lines. Overall, this is especially evident in various parts of Europe as well as throughout the former Soviet Union.
Anyway, what I am curious about is if there is a realistic way to have even more national delimitation worldwide. Also, it would be extremely strongly preferable for this to be done without any ethnic cleansing and/or genocide; thus, things such as large-scale expulsions and whatnot should certainly be avoided at all costs!
Any thoughts on how to achieve more national delimitation worldwide?
Anyway, I feel that, after several months, I should try answering my own question here. Indeed, off the top of my head, I can think of five further cases where this could realistically be done without changing anything else too much (for instance, I certainly wouldn't want to, say, keep Austria-Hungary or the Soviet Union around indefinitely):
1. The U.S. declares war on the Ottoman Empire during WWI. In turn, this results in the creation of a nominally independent Kurdistan--as a British League of Nations Mandate--in the northern, Kurdish-majority parts of Iraq. Perhaps Kurdistan could annex the Kurdish-majority parts of Syria in 1941--after the British and Free French liberated Syria and Lebanon from Vichy rule--in this TL.
Later on, could we see the Iranian Kurds try breaking away and joining Kurdistan after Iran descends into revolution? Any thoughts on this?
2. The Soviet Union gives more backing to the Second East Turkestan Republic and thus allows it to conquer all of Xinjiang:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_East_Turkestan_Republic
Thus, a nominal independent Uyghur state could be created in Xinjiang--a state which will become genuinely independent after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipe...g/1200px-Xinjiang_in_China_(de-facto).svg.png
3. The Communists seize power in Indonesia in the 1960s and proceed to federalize Indonesia into various ethnic SSRs. True, the linguistic diversity of Indonesia will make this a Hell more of a challenge than in the Soviet Union; however, if various smaller ethnic groups are lumped together into one SSR, perhaps this could be done:
http://www.documentingalta.com/uploads/1/7/3/4/17340475/1848532_orig.png?395
Indeed, does anyone know what the position of the Indonesian Communists in regards to national delineation was?
4. The victorious Allies decide to create an independent Greater Somalia after the end of World War II:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/Somali_map.jpg
Afterwards, this independent Greater Somalia needs to be stable enough to avoid imploding and breaking up into several states.
5. Igbo-majority Biafra succeeds in its war against Nigeria in the late 1960s and thus has its independence recognized:
https://i.onthe.io/vllkyt5fcb48eqppk.ecc67fe9.jpg
Due to the shock of losing a war against Biafra, the rest of Nigeria gradually disintegrates and eventually breaks up into two separate countries--a Yoruba-majority country in the southwest and a Hausa and Fulani-majority country in the north:
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aVXn-JTEIik/UoB5oYnMmkI/AAAAAAAAAGs/9lFc58Favmg/s1600/tribe3.jpg
Are there any other examples that I am missing here?
For instance, could the Soviet Union have indefinitely maintained its occupation of the Azeri-majority and Kurdish-majority areas of Iran?