Hello everyone, this is my first time posting here. AH is still very new to me since I only started to know about it a year ago. Although I do have a small amount of interest in history, I mainly do it to write my fics. This time I want to make a story with Kaiserreich theme so I would like to check if this TL is plausible. Well, actually there's not a single bit of originality in this since I borrow and combine ideas from the mod itself and previous discussions here. I admit that this is a CP wank, I just need it to be plausible enough to be my story's setting background. So please give some comments on how I can make it sound smoother.
This is the map I made while playing around with mapchart.net and paint (I have no skill regarding this). Honestly I just fixed the borders here and there to create the general shapes so it's not historically accurate:
I also use some PODs before 1900 but I think the main ones are post 1900 so it should be fine to create the thread in this sub-forum. Pardon my boring English, now here I go:
- 1830: The Belgian Revolution happened. But due to a better intervention of Prussia and Russia (the latter suppressed the November Uprising faster), King William successfully reconquered the territory. Prussia was given full control over Luxembourg for their help during the London Conference.
- 1839: British conquest of Aden alarmed the Turks and they quickly secured both the western and eastern coastlines of the Arabian peninsula all the way to north Yemen and strait of Hormuz.
- 1866: The Austro-Prussian War as in OTL.
- 1868: Japan entered the Meiji period as in OTL.
- 1870: The Franco-Prussian War as in OTL.
- 1871: France was defeated and the German Empire was formed as in OTL.
- 1877: The Satsuma Rebellion didn't occur in this TL since Saigo Takamori's former comrades, in particular Ito Hirobumi, spent more efforts to negotiate with the revolt leaders. They came to an agreement that the bushi class got to maintain some special privileges. Thanks to this, Japan saved quite a lot of money which was originally spent to suppress the rebellion.
- 1878: After the Congress of Berlin, Cyprus was leased to Britain, the Ottoman Empire was still waiting for an opportunity to regain the island though.
- 1879: Crown Prince Wilhelm became ill with diphtheria instead of his youngest brother Prince Waldemar. The position then was transferred to his second brother Prince Heinrich.
- 1882: The Triple Alliance was formed as in OTL.
- 1885: With Belgium being non-existent in this TL, Congo was colonized by the German Empire instead.
- 1888: Kaiser Frederick III died, Crown Prince Heinrich became the next German Emperor. He was very popular in both Germany and Britain.
- 1890: Kaiser Heinrich refused to renew the Reinsurance Treaty with Russia, disliking the reactionary government and prioritizing the alliance with Austria-Hungary due to his personal friendship with Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
- 1891: Russia and France established the Franco-Russian Alliance as in OTL.
- 1896: The first modern Olympic Games was held in Athens. It was later decided that the city would be the permanent location to hold the following events, unlike in OTL. (this POD is mostly for my story so don't mind it)
- 1902: The Anglo-Japanese Alliance was signed as in OTL.
- 1904: The Russo-Japanese War broke out as in OTL.
- 1905: The Imperial Japanese Army performed quite better during the battle of Mukden, which led to Japan obtaining the whole Sakhalin island instead of just half, they still didn't get any reparation though.
- 1907: The High Seas Fleet was never developed in this TL so Britain didn't join the Entente.
- 1910: Emperor Franz Joseph I was assassinated, Archduke Franz Ferdinand was crowned Emperor Franz II. He then immediately started to work on healing the Empire.
- 1911: The Italo-Turkish War as in OTL, followed by the Treaty of Ouchy. Around this time, an Austro-Hungarian inventor named Gunther Burstyn designed the Motorgeschutz and proposed it to both the German Empire and Austria-Hungary. Kaiser Heinrich I showed interest in the vehicle and ordered the production of some prototypes.
- 1912: Italy returned the Dodecanese islands to the Ottoman Empire. At the end of the year, the First Balkan War broke out.
- 1913: The war concluded in May with the Treaty of London, Greece also gained the Dodecanese. One month later, the Second Balkan War happened and ended just as in OTL.
- 1914: Emperor Franz II escaped an assassination attempt in Sarajevo. By this time, he had already abandoned the idea of federalizing the Empire. Instead, he decided to centralize the power for Vienna.
- 1915: Budapest was opposed to obeying Vienna. They started to have talks with Russia, hoping to terminate the Dual Monarchy before the Ausgleich 1917. At this time, the Military Reformation Plan of Russia was already half-finished so Tsar Nicholas II was pretty confident to help out Hungary. After all, Russia would have dominated the Balkan if Austria-Hungary had fallen.
- 1916: Fearing Russian intervention, Emperor Franz II asked for German backing in case of conflict escalation. He received the guarantee of Kaiser Heinrich I.
- 1917: During the Ausgleich, the Hungarian delegation declared their withdrawal and left the negotiation. Right after that, Emperor Franz II ordered the suppression of Budapest. Just as Austrian forces crossed the border, so did the Russians. Germany quickly mobilized their army in support of Austria while the French army started to attack German defense in Alsace but soon was stalled there. Serbia and Romania also declared war on Austria and entered as Russian allies. Italy refused to help Austria as they were the aggressor and remained neutral, just like in OTL. At the end of the year, German-Austrian forces were slowly being pushed back.
- 1919: Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire, wary of Russian military might showcased at the beginning of the war, joined the war on the side of the Central Powers. France approached Italy and promised to give them territories and colonies of Germany and Austria in return for their help. Likewise, Austria promised to cede Trento for Italy, as well as giving them Corsica, Nice, Tunisia and Djibouti if they continued their neutrality. In the end, Italy chose the latter's offer and continued trading. Meanwhile, Greece chose to stay neutral, Albania did the same but allowed volunteers to fight on the Austrian side against Serbia.
- 1920: Germany sent a telegram to Japan, asking for their support against Russia. Japan accepted and opened the Pacific theater, driving out Russia forces stationed in Inner Manchuria and soon besieging Vladivostok. The Imperial Japanese Navy also quickly seized control of Kamchatka and blocked off the Sea of Okhotsk. Meanwhile, an Italian nationalist organization based in Malta conducted a coup with the backing of the Italian government. The island soon asked to be annexed by Italy, which the latter happily accepted. Being busy with the Irish revolution at home, Britain could do little other than protest.
- 1921: A former Qing general named Zhang Xun asked for Japan's help to restore Puyi to power. Japan agreed and soon occupied the whole Inner Manchuria. The puppet government of Manchukuo was formed with Puyi as the emperor. The Imperial Japanese Army even went as far as marching into Beijing. This event alarmed the US and prompted them to interfere to ensure their access to the Chinese market. The US declared war on Japan, officially joining the Entente. In reply to the threat, The Imperial Japanese Navy set up a blockade against Philippines but they didn't have enough forces to land and capture the islands. With the turn of events, Britain was torn between helping their ally Japan and remaining neutral to solve their own Irish mess. In the end, Britain refused to wage war against the US but still kept supplying materials for Japan. This choice, however, greatly damaged the Anglo-Japanese Alliance. Despite the bigger size of the American Navy, the Imperial Japanese Navy took full advantage of their home seas to halt the US's advance. The spread of the Spanish flu in the US homeland also caused them severe setbacks. In Europe, Russia still remained quite strong despite the increasing social unrest. The Germans decided to send Lenin back with the purpose of undermining the Romanov dynasty. He greatly succeeded with the October Revolution.
- 1922: The new Russian government signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with the Central Powers, the terms went mostly as in OTL, except that Russia also had to cede Outer Manchuria and Kamchatka to Japan. With Russia out of the war, Serbia and Romania were quickly surrounded and defeated. Soon the full might of the Central Powers was focused on France and the US. The introduction of the Motorgeschutz in the Western front drastically changed the Alsace battlefield which had remained indifferent for 4 years. The German U-boats also prevented any attempt by the US to supply their last remaining ally. At the end of the year, France officially surrendered. Britain also successfully suppressed the Irish revolution and Ireland remained within the United Kingdom.
- 1923: The battle between the Central Powers and the US continued for several more months before President Woodrow Wilson was offered a "Peace with Honor". Having no hope to turn the tide, the US bitterly accepted. The Treaty of Amsterdam was soon followed between the Central Powers and the defeated nations with Britain, Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands as observers. France had to recognize the full reign of Germany over Alsace-Lorraine. They also had to cede Nice, Corsica and Tunisia to Italy. French colonies in Central Africa was given to Germany while Austria received Madagascar and Japan took over Indochina. The French navy was confiscated and divided between Germany, Austria, Ottoman and Japan. Serbia had to cede Macedonia to Bulgaria. Romania was forced to return the territory they took from Bulgaria during the Second Balkan War. Albania was allowed to annex Montenegro for their support. The US got to keep the Philippines but had to recognize Northeast China as part of Japanese sphere of influence. All sides recognized the newly established United Baltic Duchy, Kingdom of Lithuania, Kingdom of Poland, Kingdom of Ruthenia, Republic of Ukraine, Principality of Moldova, Republic of Primorye and Manchukuo. In a separate private meeting, Germany offered to exchange German Togoland, German South-West Africa and German New Guinea for British South Sudan, British Kenya and British Uganda in order to form Mittelafrika. The British government was reluctant at first but they eventually agreed after taking into consideration Kaiser Heinrich I's relationship with the Royal Family.
Post-war developments:
- 1923: Japan grew distrust of Britain, which led to the termination of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance. Japan started the negotiation to enter the Central Alliance instead.
- 1924: The Russian Civil War came to an end with the Bolshevik assuming power. The White Army remnants sought refuge in Ruthenia, Kolchak fled to Primorye while Roman Ungern von Sternberg took control of Mongolia. Mongolia under von Sternberg established a friendly relationship with Japan and Primorye to keep the Red Army in check.
- 1925: After Sun Yat Sen passed away, Chiang Kai Shek became the leader of the Kuomintang and started to purge the communists as well as conquer other warlords. The US started its Splendid Isolation.
- 1926: Angered by the humiliating defeat and inspired by the Russian revolution, French syndicalists overthrew the French Third Republic and established the Commune of France. However, believing in White Supremacy, the new government still maintained control over French colonies but with a more tolerant reign.
- 1927: The Chinese Civil War started. Manchukuo remained neutral under the protection of Japan.
- 1928: Lenin passed away, Nikolai Bukharin became the new leader of the Soviet Union. Under his leadership, the Soviet Union continued to pursue the theory of Permanent Revolution and back various independence organizations around the world.
- 1929: Kaiser Heinrich I died of throat cancer. His son Sigismund succeeded him as Kaiser Viktor I.
- 1930: Italy launched the second invasion of Ethiopia. Although being opposed by Britain protesting, they succeeded this time thanks to other Central Powers not seeming to mind. The prestige of Britain suffered greatly from this event.
- 1931: The US had been occupying Cuba, Hispaniola, Nicaragua and Panama since 1921 after they declared war on the Central powers to prevent them from being used to invade the US's homeland. With their enemies emerging victorious, the US had no intention to release it grasp over these strategic locations anytime soon.
- 1932: Oil was discovered in Arabia, which prompted the Ottoman Empire to quickly conquer all the region.
- 1933: An alternate Chaco War led to the creation of the Union of La Plata, comprised of Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, after a decisive victory against Bolivia and Brazil.
- 1934: The Chinese Civil War came to a stalemate between the Chinese Soviet Republic backed by the Soviet Union in the West and the Republic of China controlling the the Eastern and Southern coasts.
- 1935: The territorial dispute between La Plata and Chile soon led to another conflict escalation. In the end, Chile had to accept La Plata's complete control of Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego.
- 1936: Increasingly intense border skirmishes between the Ottoman Empire and Britain near Yemen and Oman worried others that a new Great War might happen. Under the mediation of Prince Waldemar - brother of the late Kaiser Heinrich I, who in this TL had grown up to become an excellent pro-British diplomat, the Anglo-Ottoman Convention was signed, which identified the clear borders between the 2 sides. Followed this event, on behalf of Germany the prince proposed to other great powers the formation of an international forum that could help to prevent future conflicts.
- 1938: The League of Nations was formed.
This is the map I made while playing around with mapchart.net and paint (I have no skill regarding this). Honestly I just fixed the borders here and there to create the general shapes so it's not historically accurate:
I also use some PODs before 1900 but I think the main ones are post 1900 so it should be fine to create the thread in this sub-forum. Pardon my boring English, now here I go:
- 1830: The Belgian Revolution happened. But due to a better intervention of Prussia and Russia (the latter suppressed the November Uprising faster), King William successfully reconquered the territory. Prussia was given full control over Luxembourg for their help during the London Conference.
- 1839: British conquest of Aden alarmed the Turks and they quickly secured both the western and eastern coastlines of the Arabian peninsula all the way to north Yemen and strait of Hormuz.
- 1866: The Austro-Prussian War as in OTL.
- 1868: Japan entered the Meiji period as in OTL.
- 1870: The Franco-Prussian War as in OTL.
- 1871: France was defeated and the German Empire was formed as in OTL.
- 1877: The Satsuma Rebellion didn't occur in this TL since Saigo Takamori's former comrades, in particular Ito Hirobumi, spent more efforts to negotiate with the revolt leaders. They came to an agreement that the bushi class got to maintain some special privileges. Thanks to this, Japan saved quite a lot of money which was originally spent to suppress the rebellion.
- 1878: After the Congress of Berlin, Cyprus was leased to Britain, the Ottoman Empire was still waiting for an opportunity to regain the island though.
- 1879: Crown Prince Wilhelm became ill with diphtheria instead of his youngest brother Prince Waldemar. The position then was transferred to his second brother Prince Heinrich.
- 1882: The Triple Alliance was formed as in OTL.
- 1885: With Belgium being non-existent in this TL, Congo was colonized by the German Empire instead.
- 1888: Kaiser Frederick III died, Crown Prince Heinrich became the next German Emperor. He was very popular in both Germany and Britain.
- 1890: Kaiser Heinrich refused to renew the Reinsurance Treaty with Russia, disliking the reactionary government and prioritizing the alliance with Austria-Hungary due to his personal friendship with Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
- 1891: Russia and France established the Franco-Russian Alliance as in OTL.
- 1896: The first modern Olympic Games was held in Athens. It was later decided that the city would be the permanent location to hold the following events, unlike in OTL. (this POD is mostly for my story so don't mind it)
- 1902: The Anglo-Japanese Alliance was signed as in OTL.
- 1904: The Russo-Japanese War broke out as in OTL.
- 1905: The Imperial Japanese Army performed quite better during the battle of Mukden, which led to Japan obtaining the whole Sakhalin island instead of just half, they still didn't get any reparation though.
- 1907: The High Seas Fleet was never developed in this TL so Britain didn't join the Entente.
- 1910: Emperor Franz Joseph I was assassinated, Archduke Franz Ferdinand was crowned Emperor Franz II. He then immediately started to work on healing the Empire.
- 1911: The Italo-Turkish War as in OTL, followed by the Treaty of Ouchy. Around this time, an Austro-Hungarian inventor named Gunther Burstyn designed the Motorgeschutz and proposed it to both the German Empire and Austria-Hungary. Kaiser Heinrich I showed interest in the vehicle and ordered the production of some prototypes.
- 1912: Italy returned the Dodecanese islands to the Ottoman Empire. At the end of the year, the First Balkan War broke out.
- 1913: The war concluded in May with the Treaty of London, Greece also gained the Dodecanese. One month later, the Second Balkan War happened and ended just as in OTL.
- 1914: Emperor Franz II escaped an assassination attempt in Sarajevo. By this time, he had already abandoned the idea of federalizing the Empire. Instead, he decided to centralize the power for Vienna.
- 1915: Budapest was opposed to obeying Vienna. They started to have talks with Russia, hoping to terminate the Dual Monarchy before the Ausgleich 1917. At this time, the Military Reformation Plan of Russia was already half-finished so Tsar Nicholas II was pretty confident to help out Hungary. After all, Russia would have dominated the Balkan if Austria-Hungary had fallen.
- 1916: Fearing Russian intervention, Emperor Franz II asked for German backing in case of conflict escalation. He received the guarantee of Kaiser Heinrich I.
- 1917: During the Ausgleich, the Hungarian delegation declared their withdrawal and left the negotiation. Right after that, Emperor Franz II ordered the suppression of Budapest. Just as Austrian forces crossed the border, so did the Russians. Germany quickly mobilized their army in support of Austria while the French army started to attack German defense in Alsace but soon was stalled there. Serbia and Romania also declared war on Austria and entered as Russian allies. Italy refused to help Austria as they were the aggressor and remained neutral, just like in OTL. At the end of the year, German-Austrian forces were slowly being pushed back.
- 1919: Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire, wary of Russian military might showcased at the beginning of the war, joined the war on the side of the Central Powers. France approached Italy and promised to give them territories and colonies of Germany and Austria in return for their help. Likewise, Austria promised to cede Trento for Italy, as well as giving them Corsica, Nice, Tunisia and Djibouti if they continued their neutrality. In the end, Italy chose the latter's offer and continued trading. Meanwhile, Greece chose to stay neutral, Albania did the same but allowed volunteers to fight on the Austrian side against Serbia.
- 1920: Germany sent a telegram to Japan, asking for their support against Russia. Japan accepted and opened the Pacific theater, driving out Russia forces stationed in Inner Manchuria and soon besieging Vladivostok. The Imperial Japanese Navy also quickly seized control of Kamchatka and blocked off the Sea of Okhotsk. Meanwhile, an Italian nationalist organization based in Malta conducted a coup with the backing of the Italian government. The island soon asked to be annexed by Italy, which the latter happily accepted. Being busy with the Irish revolution at home, Britain could do little other than protest.
- 1921: A former Qing general named Zhang Xun asked for Japan's help to restore Puyi to power. Japan agreed and soon occupied the whole Inner Manchuria. The puppet government of Manchukuo was formed with Puyi as the emperor. The Imperial Japanese Army even went as far as marching into Beijing. This event alarmed the US and prompted them to interfere to ensure their access to the Chinese market. The US declared war on Japan, officially joining the Entente. In reply to the threat, The Imperial Japanese Navy set up a blockade against Philippines but they didn't have enough forces to land and capture the islands. With the turn of events, Britain was torn between helping their ally Japan and remaining neutral to solve their own Irish mess. In the end, Britain refused to wage war against the US but still kept supplying materials for Japan. This choice, however, greatly damaged the Anglo-Japanese Alliance. Despite the bigger size of the American Navy, the Imperial Japanese Navy took full advantage of their home seas to halt the US's advance. The spread of the Spanish flu in the US homeland also caused them severe setbacks. In Europe, Russia still remained quite strong despite the increasing social unrest. The Germans decided to send Lenin back with the purpose of undermining the Romanov dynasty. He greatly succeeded with the October Revolution.
- 1922: The new Russian government signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk with the Central Powers, the terms went mostly as in OTL, except that Russia also had to cede Outer Manchuria and Kamchatka to Japan. With Russia out of the war, Serbia and Romania were quickly surrounded and defeated. Soon the full might of the Central Powers was focused on France and the US. The introduction of the Motorgeschutz in the Western front drastically changed the Alsace battlefield which had remained indifferent for 4 years. The German U-boats also prevented any attempt by the US to supply their last remaining ally. At the end of the year, France officially surrendered. Britain also successfully suppressed the Irish revolution and Ireland remained within the United Kingdom.
- 1923: The battle between the Central Powers and the US continued for several more months before President Woodrow Wilson was offered a "Peace with Honor". Having no hope to turn the tide, the US bitterly accepted. The Treaty of Amsterdam was soon followed between the Central Powers and the defeated nations with Britain, Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands as observers. France had to recognize the full reign of Germany over Alsace-Lorraine. They also had to cede Nice, Corsica and Tunisia to Italy. French colonies in Central Africa was given to Germany while Austria received Madagascar and Japan took over Indochina. The French navy was confiscated and divided between Germany, Austria, Ottoman and Japan. Serbia had to cede Macedonia to Bulgaria. Romania was forced to return the territory they took from Bulgaria during the Second Balkan War. Albania was allowed to annex Montenegro for their support. The US got to keep the Philippines but had to recognize Northeast China as part of Japanese sphere of influence. All sides recognized the newly established United Baltic Duchy, Kingdom of Lithuania, Kingdom of Poland, Kingdom of Ruthenia, Republic of Ukraine, Principality of Moldova, Republic of Primorye and Manchukuo. In a separate private meeting, Germany offered to exchange German Togoland, German South-West Africa and German New Guinea for British South Sudan, British Kenya and British Uganda in order to form Mittelafrika. The British government was reluctant at first but they eventually agreed after taking into consideration Kaiser Heinrich I's relationship with the Royal Family.
Post-war developments:
- 1923: Japan grew distrust of Britain, which led to the termination of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance. Japan started the negotiation to enter the Central Alliance instead.
- 1924: The Russian Civil War came to an end with the Bolshevik assuming power. The White Army remnants sought refuge in Ruthenia, Kolchak fled to Primorye while Roman Ungern von Sternberg took control of Mongolia. Mongolia under von Sternberg established a friendly relationship with Japan and Primorye to keep the Red Army in check.
- 1925: After Sun Yat Sen passed away, Chiang Kai Shek became the leader of the Kuomintang and started to purge the communists as well as conquer other warlords. The US started its Splendid Isolation.
- 1926: Angered by the humiliating defeat and inspired by the Russian revolution, French syndicalists overthrew the French Third Republic and established the Commune of France. However, believing in White Supremacy, the new government still maintained control over French colonies but with a more tolerant reign.
- 1927: The Chinese Civil War started. Manchukuo remained neutral under the protection of Japan.
- 1928: Lenin passed away, Nikolai Bukharin became the new leader of the Soviet Union. Under his leadership, the Soviet Union continued to pursue the theory of Permanent Revolution and back various independence organizations around the world.
- 1929: Kaiser Heinrich I died of throat cancer. His son Sigismund succeeded him as Kaiser Viktor I.
- 1930: Italy launched the second invasion of Ethiopia. Although being opposed by Britain protesting, they succeeded this time thanks to other Central Powers not seeming to mind. The prestige of Britain suffered greatly from this event.
- 1931: The US had been occupying Cuba, Hispaniola, Nicaragua and Panama since 1921 after they declared war on the Central powers to prevent them from being used to invade the US's homeland. With their enemies emerging victorious, the US had no intention to release it grasp over these strategic locations anytime soon.
- 1932: Oil was discovered in Arabia, which prompted the Ottoman Empire to quickly conquer all the region.
- 1933: An alternate Chaco War led to the creation of the Union of La Plata, comprised of Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, after a decisive victory against Bolivia and Brazil.
- 1934: The Chinese Civil War came to a stalemate between the Chinese Soviet Republic backed by the Soviet Union in the West and the Republic of China controlling the the Eastern and Southern coasts.
- 1935: The territorial dispute between La Plata and Chile soon led to another conflict escalation. In the end, Chile had to accept La Plata's complete control of Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego.
- 1936: Increasingly intense border skirmishes between the Ottoman Empire and Britain near Yemen and Oman worried others that a new Great War might happen. Under the mediation of Prince Waldemar - brother of the late Kaiser Heinrich I, who in this TL had grown up to become an excellent pro-British diplomat, the Anglo-Ottoman Convention was signed, which identified the clear borders between the 2 sides. Followed this event, on behalf of Germany the prince proposed to other great powers the formation of an international forum that could help to prevent future conflicts.
- 1938: The League of Nations was formed.
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